Jan 17, 2013

500p: Black Legion vs Iron Hands

Well, usually we meet up on Wednesdays to paint stuff (hahahaha...) and sometimes roll some dice. So I polled to see if anyone was interested in a small game, and thus prepared a small force... Since it's painting eve I didn't lend much thinking to the list, at 500 points you don't have terribly many choices. So I simply chose some stuff that I need to finish painting - in case there was no game...! No need to think further really as I wasn't sure who'd show up with an army or even how many so... I simply went with "easy to bring".

Tactics? I have a small Deathstar since my HQ is really tooled up and the whole unit (Sacred number!) being AP3 and all. Sorcerer will roll on Biomancy, Telepathy and Tzeentch. With the Aspiring Sorcerer in the same unit I might also try to grant my HQ Sorcerer a lot of extra boons, and we'll see how that works out... (I better bring Spawns...)


LISTS

Black Legion Chaos Space Marines
HQ
Chaos Sorcerer (D'raeldn) - Tzeentch, Level 3, Spell Familiar, Sigil of Corruption, Melta bombs, VotLW

Troops
9 Thousand Sons - Melta bombs
5 Chaos Space Marines


Iron Hands Space Marines
HQ
Librarian - Terminator armour, Stormbolter

Troops
10 Tactical Marines - Missile Launcher, Flamer, Combi-Melta
+Rhino - Stormbolter
5 Scouts - Camocloaks, Sniper Rifles

Heavy Support
Predator - Autocannon


Pre

So it turned out to be Iron Hands to be the only challenger! As we played such a small scale game we went for a 4'x4' board instead of a normal one. We set it up with a large ruin in the middle, just because. Rolled The Relic for mission. Always fun stuff! Vanguard Strike deployment. Warlord traits, he got Scoring unit and I got D3 (=3) units infiltrating. I won the roll off for going first - chose to go first since my whole army was infiltrating anyway and thus deployed after him.
For Psychic powers he got Smite and Life Leach. I got Chaos Boon for my Aspiring Sorcerer just like I wanted, and for my HQ Sorcerer I got Doombolt, Warp Speed and Psychic Shriek.
Rolled for Night Fighting and it was on first turn. He won roll off for deploying Infiltrators first and chose to go second to try and counter deploy me. So I simply grabbed the middle. Then he stole initiative.




+++

D'raeldn and his Thousand Sons were moving carefully towards the large ruin. That book had said an Eldar artefact could be found in these parts. He was certain this must be the place. They had scoured this sector in great detail, and all reports from the scouting parties indicated this must be the spot. But it was a silent night and D'raeldn didn't trust silence. Silence indicated nothing was changing, that all was still - and how could a believer in Tzeentch trust something like that?

He called forth his apprentice, that thick witted Berlm. He motioned him to come closer and said silently 'This silence isn't natural, make the Rubricae move more carefully. We don't want no surprises, not tonight.'

The Aspiring Sorcerer nodded and started to whisper his words of command. D'raeldn made a hand signal to the scouting Chaos Marines in front of him to move into the ruins and then silently followed after them. The building was a mess, but he could definitely sense something now. They were in the right spot for sure. He started to reach out into the building, and there! Something was glimmering under the rubble! He started to move towards it...

'AMBUSH!' the shout came from the Aspiring Champion up ahead, D'raeldn turned around and saw dark shapes climb in from the ruined window up ahead. Space Marines. He felt the old hatred surge up inside of him.

'Up there! On the second floor! Space Marines! Nothing shall stop us now, this knowledge shall be ours! KILL THEM!'

The Rubricae slowly turned their Bolters towards the uper floor, shots started to land among them but none of the Rubricae were affected and their return fire cracked in the night. None were left standing, and the silence returned for moment before it was yet again broken by a shout from the other side of the building,

'Heavy armour incoming!', the words had barely reached D'raeldn before a loud crack sounded and a Rhino suddenly appeared through the ruined wall...

+++



Turn 1 - Iron Hands

So with his stolen initiative he moved everything closer, jumping the Scouts up on the ledge to get a good firing position and the Rhino moved forwards and popped smoke. Snipers did no damage at all, neither did the Predator.


Turn 1 - Black Legion

I started by casting Boon of Chaos on Warlord, got unworthy offering. I then proceeded to cast Warp Speed, just in case I somehow would get charged - rolled perils but Spell Familiar saved me. Normal Marines moved up to grab the Relic, while Thousand Sons loaded their guns and slaughtered the Scouts killing all but one. Getting a Precision Shot with my HQ Sorcerer I made sure he was the one to kill the sergeant. My Boon? I got an additional D3+1 rolls and rolled a 6! So four boons for me, and I got +1BS, Fleet, Melee attacks causing Instant Death and an unworthy offering. Not bad at all!
The Marines then executed the last Scout. First Blood!

Yay, I got a shiny surf board!




Turn 2 - Iron Hands

Time for retaliation thought the Iron Hands. The Rhino moved in and dropped off the flamer and combi-melta. While the other half of the army moved closer trying to get in on the action. The flamer, melta and rapid fire bolters killed 3 Chaos Marines and one Thousand Son (flamer reached him), including the Champion and they promptly dropped the Relic and ran (failing Leadership on a 9). The Librarian also tried to use Smite on the Marines, but failed on a 11.

No, they didn't teleport there, that's the dead pile on the bottom.



Turn 2 - Black Legion

My two Chaos Marines failed to rally and fled outside the ruins. I then cast Warp Speed yet again as a precaution - failed again(!), but Spell Familiar to the rescue. I decided against casting Boons again, feeling that would be pushing my luck a bit too much as I had all ready passed so many rolls on the table... Instead I moved the Sorcerer out of the squad to shoot Doombolt at the Rhino - hit (with BS5 now!) but only got a glance for the trouble. The Thousand Sons turned their AP3-bolters on the Marines in front of them, and despite Rapid Fire actually only managed to kill 3 of them. The sergeant passed his Look Out, Sir!-rolls.




Turn 3 - Iron Hands

The Iron Hands starting to strain a bit moved closer yet again, but deciding to hide behind the wall to try and avoid AP3-bolters for one more round. The Librarian separated and got vision on the Thousand Sons though and cast Smite on them but was denied. The Predator moved up to get line of sight to the Relic. The flamer and sergeant moved up to try and get some more kills, but all saves were made.


Turn 3 - Black Legion

The Chaos Marines rallied and moved back towards the fight! I then used Warp Speed once again, and once again I would've failed if not for the Spell Familiar. My two Chaos Marines, just out of rapid fire range shot at the two Marines in the middle, actually killing the sergeant! I then decided to overkill the last one, using Psychic Shriek on him and he took 5 wounds... One loud scream! The Thousand Sons moved up to shoot at the approaching Marines, but since they had stayed behind cover last turn they could only see two of them - those two, including the missile launcher, were shot to bits.


Turn 4 - Iron Hands

Putting all his hopes on the Librarian to do something he moved up the other three Marines in front of him as a wound counter and then tried Smite again. This time it got off, and he killed one of the Thousand Sons. Bolters did nothing, and neither did the Predator or Rhino.




Turn 4 - Black Legion

The two Chaos Marines now got back inside the ruins while the Thousand Sons kept their attention fixed at the enemy. I cast Warp Speed once again, and again I needed the Spell Familiar to make it go off - this time I also rolled a +3I and A though! The Thousand Sons killed the remaining three Marines and caused a Wound on the Librarian. I tried Psychic Shriek as well but rolled 1, 1 and 3 and thus causing no wounds...
Feeling that this game needed an epic finish, and being confident with +3I and A I charged the lone Librarian and challenged him with my Sorcerer. Despite 7 attacks and 4 wounds he survived. And promptly killed my Sorcerer in return. Bah! Fearless Thousand Sons stayed in combat however.


Turn 5 - Iron Hands

He shot both the Rhino and Predator at my two remaining Chaos Marines, and actually killed both (first time the Rhino actually managed to wound something all game). In the close combat I once again had to challenge now with my Aspiring Sorcerer. Could the Student succeed where the Master failed? He saved all wounds and caused one in return, which I also saved.


Turn 5 - Black Legion

I tried to cast Boons of Chaos on the Aspiring Sorcerer to give me some help, but got another Unworthy offering. Ahwell, had to do it the hard way then! I actually managed to cause three wounds with three attacks and he failed two of his saves! Librarian was dead! But striking at the same initiative he caused one wound in return... I failed my save, but thanks to the re-roll I got from the five Thousand Sons standing by (I can't imagine what encouraging words a pile of dust might contribute though...) I managed to save him.Woo! I consolidated back towards the Relic so I could pick it up if the game continued, which it did.


Turn 6 - Iron Hands

Doing what he could to at least deny me the Relic he shot at me, but Stormbolter and Autocannon was both saved equally.


Turn 6 - Black Legion

I grabbed the Relic and then charged the Rhino (1" charge). The Rhino had stood still, so melta bombs and krak grenades hit easily and caused 5 HP lost - but no explosion! I was a bit sad, as I'd liked to see an explosion as the end of the game. Instead the game continues for another turn.


Turn 7 - Iron Hands & Black Legion

Once again the Predator failed to do anything.  I decided to charge it too, this was a 7" charge, so I would've had to drop the Relic to do so, but I forgot... ahwell, I would've done it anyway! This time the melta bombs didn't disappoint me and the Predator went Boom! A proper ending to the game!


Post

So a total of 2-1 victory for Chaos then (First Blood, Slay the Warlord), as I couldn't hold on to the Relic for the last charge! But tabling is a better way to end anyway! Not much to be learnt from this game I think, the terrain was really in my favour after I got the infiltration Warlord trait and got to set up just where I wanted to. AP3-bolters are lethal in such a small scale game as well!


+++

D'raeldn let the powers build up inside of him, and then let them out in a loud shriek. He saw the helmet of the Space Marine in front of him shatter in a large blast. His scouting Marines had just fled, the cowards. At least most of the Rubricae were still standing. D'raeldn urged them to form up once again, when suddenly another part of the wall collapsed from heavy autocannon shells and more Space Marines poured in through the hole. D'raeldn also felt a ripple in the warp. Perfect. One of those Librarians had come. A great chance for D'raelden to show him just what True Knowledge meant! He suddenly swept forward with supernatural speed and focused completely on the hated Librarian. After a flurry of attacks, his weapon barely visible for moving so fast the Librarian still stood, not a scratch on his Terminator armour. D'raelden felt the smack from the Force staff and was thrown to the ground and then stepped on, a gurgling sound coming from his throat. 

He was still awake to see Berlm throw himself at the Librarian, with no more success than his master had had. However, when the Librarian swung his staff back, Berlm stepped back, and stumbled upon the foot of one of the Rubricae that was now standing as if inactive... the motion made the staff go completely wide, and suddenly Berlms sword somehow ended up in the weak spot under the Librarians armpit and through his body. D'raeldn was laughing with his dying breath as the Terminator was collapsing, calling on Tzeentch to come and claim this mind with it's doors unbarred...

D'raeldn saw the daemon appear and taking his chance, he collected his shattered mind and sent it all towards the fallen Librarian. He had always wanted Terminator armour after all... and nothing, nothing at all would stop him from uncovering the Eldars secrets this night!

+++

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