Hello all. We are really excited to be sharing this battle report, as it is the first game played in the house. Lived here over a year. Have not been able to play 40K. So, it was with great anticipation and longing that finally a Blood Angels force arrived to challenge the perpetual list manufacturing that occurs in the absence of regular games. We had talked about doing 1750, in preparation for the Con Of The North, but decided instead on 2000, as it is our preferred point total. I was prepared for either contingency, but the additional 250 points allowed me to field another terminator squad. Which makes an already mean list much meaner. The concept behind my force, even as Ultramarines are painted over to Iron Hands, is the revitalization of the marine armor list. I am not a fan of Hull Points. I think they sabotage an elegant and random element to vehicles that makes tactical games of armored forces a delight to play. Because no one brings Land Raiders anymore. And certainly not four. But.
The Paint It Black 6 Raider/Robot Iron Hands List
Primary Detachment: Iron Hands [2000]
HQ [230]
Warlord Librarian Scary Ghost Dad 65 Level 2 25
Terminator 25 Storm Shield 10 [125]
MOF 90 Power Axe 15 [105]
TROOP [115]
5 Scout Squad [55]
5 Scout Squad 55 rifles 5 [60]
ELITE [1055]
5 Terminator Squad 200 Cyclone 25 [225]
Dedicated Raider Crusader 250 Storm Bolter 5 [255]
5 Terminator Assault 200 Hammer/Shields 25 [225]
Dedicated Land Raider 250 [250]
Dreadnought [100]
HEAVY SUPPORT [600]
Land Raider 250 [250]
Land Raider 250 [250]
Dreadnought [100]
So yeah. In the min/max game, two scout squads are king. I don't have the point totals for the Blood Angels, but the FO is;
HQ
Mephiston [Lord of Death]
Reclusiarc in Terminator armor
TROOP
5 Scout squad rifles
5 Scout squad rifles and HB
8 Death company hammer 2 fists rhino
10 Assault jetpack squad with 3 melta pistols
Elite
3 Sanguinary Priest Squad with Corbullo one with jetpack
2 Sanguinary Priest in terminator armor
Dreadnought with Frag Cannon
FAST ATTACK
Baal Predator with heavy bolter
Land Speeder with Melta flamer
Land Speeder with Melta flamer
So. Here are a whole bunch of pictures.
This is my force. It is kind of painted for crap. I'll cop to it. It's a WIP.
This is my brother's Castle Ragnar, which was retired from this game after much debate. It was in charge of holding the mysterious objective dice.
From farther back, you can see that Skeletor is overseeing the game.
The Blood Angels force.
The board is irregular, in that it is meant to be irregular.
There is a crash site which is 4+ battle field wreckage, a cemetery center, providing ruin cover, and 3 mysterious forests. Shrouded in mystery.
The upper courtyard is surrounded by ruins, but is itself not dangerous within.
The beacon is the location of table center.
Crash site.
Game type is Big Guns Never Tire, which is fantastic. 3 objectives, all women. It's a fight over girls, as it always is. Mephiston's girlfriend is in the cemetery, and it is this girl the Iron Hands crave to hang out with the most. Vanguard deployment, BA win roll off, but allow SM to deploy first.
Turn 1 was all jockeying for position and being to far away and poping smoke. Turn 1 drop pod assault with Dreadnought Fractus does not wipe out the scouts, because they are in Iron Bark forest.
The Raider line always wants to move at least 6, get a lascannon shot off clean with some accessorized heavy bolters if practical, and then machine spirit the other lascannon at either the same target, or something farther.
The Blood Angels took the courtyard, as it is an incredibly defensible position, but the choke point of the ramp makes getting forces down field difficult.
The Librarian, who has Mechanicus Abjurum or whatever and Psychic Shriek eliminates the robot and the pod, and that is all that this 350 points does this game.
Krak kills. Fists kill faster.
The ramp.
Grandma Ball making her way down the ramp while Death Company consistently fails to move quickly from the blast crater left from their lascannoned rhino.
But man, they are pretty.
Those two little speeders try to pop some landraider and suck up an entire round of fire only to miss the one melta shot that could have paid off. As it was, hammer terminators who initially deployed to contend with Mephiston hammers it to death.
Then hammers Mephiston to death.
Death company just can't get down the ramp, but their ranks are bolstered by a terminator doctor and the wandering monk. There are actually three doctors and a priest in this squad.
The jet pack troops descend.
The scouts at the gate, reverse angle.
The larger view down field.
Everything is set to hold the middle objective.
It is to the Blood Angels to close the distance, but, the Master of the Forge, the lone occupant of the raider crusader, exploded with melta pistol fire, stands as a bulwark against their victory.
The snipers hold their objective, unable to assist with fire.
Death Company is pretty, but just too slow.
Master of the Forge Meineke Spareparts makes all of his 2+ saves against a crippling series of chainsword blows.
Scary Ghost dad looks on, holding the rear objective with the diminished scout squad as the game ends, turn 5. Iron Hands 8 Blood Angels 3.
These were my only casualties.
I didn't get a shot of the BA casualties, but they were also pretty light. I feel like the Iron Hands may be the only way to play Space Marine armor in 6th ed. But this is all just opinion and pictures. Thanks, from Karuvas XIII!
