PRE-GAME ANALYSIS:
Draigowing:
This is actually going to be a tough matchup for my paladins. I've got some major drawbacks against the Sisters of Battle in this scenario (C&C). He's got a lot of meltas and exorcist shots. He's got tank-shocking vehicles. He's got better mobility in 2 flying units. And at 1500, I just can't add in many support units into my list. I'm going to have a hard time reaching his objective with anything but my paladinstar, and then he's possibly has 3-4 units that can contest mine - 2 outflanking dominion squads, seraphims and his
HQ. If I don't go after his objective, then the best I can do is draw. And if I do go after his objective, I won't be able to stop his units from contesting mine. Honestly, here I feel that my paladins is actually the underdog army. If my opponent plays "the mission" rather than to just try and kill my paladinstar, then he has a good chance of beating me here.
Purifier Grey Knights:
I feel that my Purifier
GK's matches up better against the Sisters of Battle. If there's one thing my purifiers are good at, that's killing enemy tanks. I usually make a mockery out of rhino-rushes with my shooting, and then I can beat up most
MEQ squads in assault.
St. Celestine may be problematic, but if I can get her into assault with my dread or warding stave unit (i.e. via a counter-charge), I can probably keep her contained. That many meltas is normally a problem, but only if his transports can get him into range to use them. My primary strategy would be to
de-mech my opponent and force him to huff it on foot. If I can do that, then I am fairly confident of a
GK victory. If not, then it will probably be a tie. Though my opponent only has 2 troop choices, that is not quite so bad in Capture & Control.
Sisters of Battle: (by Amerikon)
Vs Draigowing:
Seeing how few models were in the Draigowing army I was a little cocky going into this one. I think the mission (C&C with table quarters deployment) gave me even more confidence. My biggest concern was that, in order to win, I'd have to use my Dominions to outflank and contest your objective. Given the randomness of outflanking I felt it was best to commit both squads to make sure I could get at least one unit into your deployment zone. I was concerned that I was putting too much of my AP1 off of the table and that I might not have enough firepower left over to kill the Paladins before they got to my corner.
I was also concerned about my Seraphim being essentially useless against the Paladins. Even with the amount of wounds they can generate I didn't expect them to be any sort of a threat. I really expected my Exorcists to shine here. Table quarters means that I should get a round or two of free shooting at the Paladins and any failed save is an instant kill. With a little luck I thought I could to take out at least half of the unit in the first two turns. My goal for Celestine was to delay the Paladins as much as possible. She's quick enough that she can get behind the Paladins and draw them away from the objective in the assault phase. I'd used that trick before and expected it could be crucial in this game.
Vs Crowe
I was much less confident going in to this game than the Draigowing one, but I thought I would be ok. I kept the Dominions on the table for an early turn threat, figuring that if I got a full round of shooting with them, each squad could bring down a unit of Purifiers. The Seraphim were put into reserve to keep them safe until the mid to late game where they'd be critical for contesting an objective. Since you don't have Grand Strategy, you'd have to commit a Purifier squad to hold your objective and I knew the Seras could wipe out a small squad if they dropped in close by. For my troops I planned to commit one to mid-field and hopefully use their multi-melta against the Dreads. My pre-game target priority was to take out Rhinos with the scouting Dominions and use my Exorcists against the Dreads with the Heavy Bolter squad going after the scraps.
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Game #1 - 1500 Battle Sisters vs Draigowing Grey Knights
Mission: Capture & Control
Deployment: Spearhead
Initiative: Grey Knights
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Deployment:
My grey knight objective.
Amerikon's Sisters of Battle objective.
For my Grand Strategy, I only get 1 scoring unit. I give it to one of my vendreads.
GK deployment. I leave the soladin in reserves (deepstriking).
Battle sister deployment. Both dominions will be outflanking. Seraphims will be deepstriking. I really don't know how much damage his seraphims can do.
My opponent tries to seize the initiative but fails.
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Grey Knights 1
Paladinstar advances and then runs.
1 dread opens fire at his rhino and only shakes it.
My other dread is able to see his exorcist through the windows and pop its main gun.
Brief turn, but that is to be expected when you've only got 3 units on the board.
Sisters of Battle 1
Sisters move. Shaken rhino pops smoke.
Lone exorcist fires, killing 2 paladins (including the banner) and putting 1W on Draigo despite my librarian casting Shrouding for the 3+ cover.
Grey Knights 2
My guys advance some more.
My vendread pops the gun from the other exorcist. My opponent now no longer has any more ranged
AT (besides his retributor's rending heavy bolters).
My other dread immobilizes and shakes the advancing sister rhino.
I'm not sure whether my paladins ran or if their psycannons were just out of range, but in any case, paladins don't do anything with their shooting (or lack of).
Sisters of Battle 2
1 unit of dominions come in and pops smokes.
Both weaponless exorcists move 12" towards my pallies.
Sisters disembark and advance.
St. Celestine moves towards my paladinstar. Battle sisters run into terrain.
Retributors fail to do any damage.
Finally, Celestine assaults my paladinstar.
She is struck down, but not before putting 1W on my warding stave.
Grey Knights 3
Soladin comes in near my opponent's objective. I scatter out of terrain.
GK movement. Draigo and librarian both splits off from the unit.
Draigo will return to defend the objective....
....and my librarian goes after his troop battle sisters.
The libbie casts Warp Rift and takes out 3 sisters.
I have to dedicate both vendreads to try to take out the dominion rhino. I only immobilize and shake it. Draigo runs towards them.
Here I make a huge mistake. My paladins don't fire at his exorcist because I am concerned that I may wreck it. What I plan to do instead is to charge it, thus giving my guys additional movement and getting them closer to the
SoB objective.
It turns out that they are just fractions of an inch short of the assault. Doh!!!
Librarian then assaults the sisters. I whiff badly in combat.
Sisters of Battle 3
Celestine gets back up.
Amerikon's other unit of dominions come in from reserves and outflanks on the side that he wants - by my objective. Dominions disembark to give Draigo a very warm welcome.
His other dominions disembark from their immobilized transport and go after my non-scoring vendread.
Celestine goes to help out her comrades.
Here is where my mistake comes back to hurt me. His exorcist tank shocks my pallies and I fail morale!!! Off they go.
If only he had moved Celestine towards my pallies, it would have prevented them from rallying next turn.
His battle sisters advance. They barely have
LOS to my hidden soladin....
....who then eats a melta to the face despite going-to-ground for the 3+ cover.
Draigo gets off easy, only taking 1W to triple meltas and a combi-plasma from the dominions.
I can't believe this! My scoring vendread gets shot in the back by rending retributor heavy bolters, who immobilize it as well as blows off one of its autocannons! Grrrr....
On the bright side, his other unit of dominions fail to do any damage to my other vendread. Though that's not much consolation as now, I cannot get my scoring unit onto my own objective.
Finally, Celestine joins in the battle. My librarian takes 1W to perils while trying to cast Hammerhand.
He kills 2 battle sisters. I believe Celestine takes 1W to No Retreat, because she would be dead if that was a force weapon wound.
Grey Knights 4
Paladins rally and move towards his exorcist. I won't make the same mistake twice.
I go after both dominion squads with Draigo and my vendread.
Draigo shoots them with his flamer and takes down 3 sisters.
Vendread shoots and then assaults the dominions. He only kills 1.
Draigo assaults the other dominions.
He only kills 2, but that is enough to break them.
Doh! I make the same mistake again!!! I refrain from shooting at his exorcist for fear of killing it. Instead, I just assault it with S5 Hammerhanded attacks and fail to immobilize/wreck it.
Finally, they kill off my librarian. Ironically, it is the sisters and not Celestine that kill him.
Sisters of Battle 4
Seraphims come in. They do a risky deepstrike but hits it spot-on.
Once again, his exorcist tries to tankshock my pallies. Only this time, I do a Death-and-Glory and blow it up.
Dominions keep falling back. Celestine goes after Draigo and battle sisters head towards my objective.
Empty dominion rhino goes to contest my objective.
Seraphims then fire at my paladins and kills 2 guys, putting 1W on a 3rd.
Now for the epic clash. Immortal versus immortal.
Alas, the battle is a wash as both fail to cause an unsaved wound.
Grey Knights 5
Pallies head towards the
SoB objective.
My vendread fails to wreck his rhino. Despite smokes, I immobilize and stun it.
Paladins have learned their lesson. I wreck his rhino with psycannons.
Finally, Celestine bests Draigo in combat!
Sisters of Battle 5
Some more
GK fail.
His other exorcist tank shocks my paladins and I fail morale yet again! This time, seraphims will make sure I don't regroup if there is another turn.
Battle sisters move towards my objective.
I've got nothing to contest his objective and nothing to claim my own. My paladins will most likely run off the table in 1 or 2 turns, and his other battle sisters will definitely get my objective next turn.
I can't win, so I concede.
Aftermath of the battle.
Victory to the Sisters of Battle!!!
.....Bay Area Open GT 2013 - Best Tyranids 
.....LVO GT 2014 Team Tournament - Best Generals
-and for something silly below-
Thousand Sons 4000+
