So today I had a game with my good buddy and lurking Dakkanaut
Celtic_Einherjar. We figured 2000 points sounded good, and wrote up some lists:
He had The Rising Einherjar:
- Chapter Master with relic blade
- Chaplain with jump pack
- 7 scouts with Telion, sniper rifles, heavy bolter
- Tactical squad with plasma gun, plasma cannon
- Tactical squad with melta gun, rocket launcher, power weapon
- 10 man Terminator squad with 2x assault cannon
- Dreadnought with multimelta, fist
- Dreadnought with multimelta, fist
- Godhammer Land Raider
- 10 man assault Marine squad with fist, 2x plasma pistol
And I had the Crimson Fists:
- Pedro Kantor
- 3 man Honor Guard with relic blade, razorback with
TLLC
- Epistolary with Force Dome, Might of Ancients
- 9 scouts with shotguns, powerfist
- Tactical squad with plasma gun, plasma cannon, power fist, rhino, dozer blade
- Tactical squad with melta gun, multimelta, power fist, rhino, dozer blade
- Dreadnought with 2x twin linked autocannons
- 9 man Sternguard squad with 2x combi melta, power fist
- 10 man Sternguard squad with 2x combi plasma, power fist
- 10 man Assault Marine squad with 2x plasma pistol, power fist
We rolled up spearhead deployment and seize ground with 3 objectives. He rolled to deploy first, and he put down two objectives by the building in his deployment zone, while I put one in front of the barricade at my deployment zone. I combat squadded my plasma squad so the plasma gun and cannon would be sitting on the objective while the sergeant and 4 bolter Marines rode up in a rhino. He combat squadded both his tactical squads, with the heavy weapons sitting on the two objectives in his area, and the two sergeant combat squads around the land raider. One sat behind while one rode with the master inside. His elite forces took up the center, while they were flanked by his armor and infiltrating scouts. My deployment zone saw my plasma cannon anchoring the middle, covering the sternguard and combat squad rhinos. My assault Marines, honor guard razorback, and melta squad rhinos held my left, while my dreadnought hunkered down behind a wrecked lander in a fire support position. Deployment looked like this:
I rolled to seize and I got a 6!
++ This is Pedro Kantor of the Crimson Fists. We are launching a mechanized raid on the Rising Einherjar in an effort to relieve them of certain artifacts the Inquisition fears they may have unearthed. They know not what forces they tamper with, and fear the artifacts may already have them in their grasp. We find them unaware as our rhinos drive closer.++
TURN 1
All my rhinos roll up, and the lead rhino pops smoke to cover the two Sternguard rhinos behind it. The razorback moves up and stuns one dreadnought, while my rifleman dread stuns the other. A plasma cannon blast hits two Terminators, killing one. FEAR MY ALPHA STRIKE
End of my turn looked like this:
His two dreadnoughts hide behind the land raider and the building. His Terminators advance up the middle, while the assault Marines led by their chaplain jump up to flank. The Terminators shoot and blow the stormbolter off Pedro's rhino. Telion earns his first "Telion is a dick" point by sniping Mendoza (MENDOZAAAA :() as a missile launcher stuns Pedro's rhino. The land raider blows the lascannon off my razorback, and the plasma cannon tries to shoot my combat squad but my cover is good. The Terminators charge and catch my lead rhino, wrecking it and falling back to the building nearby. End of the turn looked like this:
++ I hear a muffled gunshot in the distance. Over the vox I hear a relentless stream of curses, some familiar, some that I didn't think were even in Gothic. Mendoza's been shot again.++
TURN 2
I roll for my scouts and they don't show. My Sternguard squads split, with the combi-plasma squad going over to his assault Marines and disembarking, while Pedro's boys jump out of their stationary rhino to get the charge on the Terminators. I set up a huge multi-assault with one Sternguard squad, the assault Marines, and the 5 man combat squad:
Meanwhile my other Sternguard gun down 5 assault Marines and lose two of their own to overheats. One Terminator falls to pistol fire before the big assault, which sees the Fists overwhelming the Einherjar 6 kills to 1! The Terminators combat tactics out of there, but are overrun. They pass all their No Retreat! saves. End of the turn looked like this:
++ There is only the Emperor! He is our shield and protector!++
The combat squad disembarks from the Land Raider, and moves towards my rhino on the left. Their chapter master stays inside, curiously. Telion earns him another "Telion is an donkey-cave" point as he snipes my right flank Sternguard sergeant. My left flank rhino apparently popped smoke and makes a bunch of saves while the Land Raider fails to penetrate my dreadnought's armor. His plasma cannon squad takes out two of my plasma cannon combat squad's bolter dudes, forcing them to fall back 6". My big ol' combined melee sees the Sternguard wipe the Terminators thanks to Pedro's +1 attack bubble. Meanwhile, his combat squad to my left immobilizes the rhino with a lucky krak grenade, and my right flank Sternguard get assaulted and killed by the chaplain and his assault Marines. End of the turn looked like this:
TURN 3
My scouts come in, and outflank behind his sniper scouts. I think I overcommit myself a little and push forward with practically everything, rushing up with Pedro getting back in his rhino, the assault Marines, and the combat squad. My combat squad manages to lob a plasma ball at the assault Marines, and two get killed. The chaplain blocks one shot with his rosarius. My dreadnought blows up the dreadnought closest to my assault Marines, which explodes and kills one of the poor devils. So far they're the most unfortunate squad of the game. This gets hammered in harder when one of them overheats his plasma pistol and explodes. They do manage to kill two of the Marines they hope to charge, only for them to combat tactics out of there and outside of assault range, leaving my assault Marines in the open. Welp. Meanwhile, my left flank tactical squad wipes his paltry 5 men. End of the turn looked like this:
The rocket launcher squad is just barely within 6" of my assault Marines, and runs off table! The assault Marines rush towards my scouts, killing 3 scouts. A plasma cannon bolt erupts from the top floor of the building, aimed at my combat squad. It scatters and kills 3 assault Marines. Welp. The snipers kill two tactical Marines, and the Land Raider levels at the advancing tactical squad on my left. Two of the Marines drop, and the chapter master calls down his orbital bombardment on them. It misses and wrecks their already immobilized rhino. The surviving Einherjar charges my little combat squad, killing one with no damage done in return. His tactical squad charges my assault Marines, killing one and taking no wounds in return. Finally, his assault Marines charge my scouts, winning 3-0, but stubborn has my scouts stay.
++ Pict file not found ++
I forgot to take a picture because this awesome cat walked up to my window during our game:
:3:
TURN 4
My plasma cannon/gun combat squad, satisfied with the damage they've done, embark in a taxi cab rhino and drive back to my objective. My tactical Marines and Pedro's Sternguard push forward, while the honor guard (remember them?) drive up behind. The tactical squad and rifleman dreadnought wipe out the plasma cannon squad in shooting, and the Sternguard fire Dragonfire bolts at the scouts, denying them cover. Two die to a series of insanely good 4+ armor saves. When we come to the assault phase, my combat squad sergeant wrecks the dreadnought with a solid uppercut. My assault Marines kill two tactical Marines while my scouts get wiped by his assault Marines. End of the turn looked like this:
This turn doesn't see much moving, but his assault Marines move towards my Sternguard. The land raider bounces lascannon shots off my strangely durable razorback, and Telion earns his third "Telion is an donkey-cave" point of the game as he kills another Sternguard sergeant. The heavy bolter fires a hellfire round at Pedro which scatters... right onto my assault Marines. It kills 2. They are officially the most unlucky unit of the game. This gets followed up on as the two tactical Marines finish off my last assault Marine. The Einherjar assault Marines charge into Pedro's squad, however, and Pedro moves in to fight the chaplain.
++ This chaplain thinks he knows faith? I shall show him the light of the Emperor! ++
Three Sternguard fall, but they take one Einherjar down in return. Pedro swings his fist and brings down the chaplain, teaching him the meaning of zeal. God that's the hammiest thing I've ever written. Melee is a tie. End of the turn looked like this:
TURN 5
The two combat squad Marines get into a rhino, and try and tank shock the two remaining Einherjar combat squad Marines. Nothing happens. My Honor Guard get out and move towards Pedro. Shooting sees my dreadnought kill one scout, and the embarked combat squad gun down one of the two enemy Marines. The other falls back to the table edge, but not quite off. My honor guard assault and kill two assault Marines, totally saving the day for my squad of perfectly capable badass veterans and their chapter master.
++ Chapter Master! Your heretical band is in shambles! Come out from hiding and we promise you the mercy of a quick death!++
Somehow I think I'd need to be more convincing. End of the turn looked like this:
The Land Raider wrecks my rhino, and the lone tactical Marine fires his bolter at my Marines and misses spectacularly. Telion decides to go for broke and gets his fourth "Telion is an donkey-cave" point as he snipes the combat squad's newly disembarked sergeant. The chapter master of The Rising Einherjar boldly steps out to fight this lone tactical Marine, and only manages to cause one wound, barely killing him. We roll for the game to end, and I roll a 1. Game over, with a victory for the Crimson Fists!
I think my big push should have waited another turn, with a bit more shooting before then. As a result I ended up losing a lot of dudes, and I definitely should have waited for my Honor Guard to show up. I wish I got to do something with them, but at least they didn't get beaten, blasted, melted and pissed on like my assault Marines! I've never seen so much bad luck befall one squad before. My opponent made some weird moves, like keeping his chapter master in the back and hiding his dreadnoughts. If my dreadnoughts couldn't shoot for the turn, you bet I'd have them running and popping smoke. We talked tactics after the game and discussed some better dreadnought strategies for him. Regardless, we both had a lot of fun, and it was definitely a good game!
++ The master of The Rising Einherjar escaped, holding one of our own men hostage. Coward. Worse still, the sniper who had been picking off my officers escaped as well. May the broken bodies of his comrades remind him of his errors. Regardless, the artifacts have been secured for the Inquisition, and our mission, costly as it was, is a success. As I look on into the distance, my vox crackles with the sound of a million obscenities. Good to see Mendoza is still among the living. There is only the Emperor, he is our shield and protector. ++
Glad you liked the commentary too. I always fear that I'm going too far out of the dorky but kind of cool territory into straight up bad writing.