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This game is from my first Rogue Trader tournament. You can tell it's my first because of my horrid army list... I played the Ultramarines.

Ultramarines 1850
Captain w/Infiltrating Command Squad (Power Fist v.Sgt)
5x Terminators w/Hvy Flamers
5x Scouts w/Sniper Rifles, ML
8x Devastators w/ML (x4)
6x Devastators w/Plasma Cannon (x3)
10x Sisters of Battle w/Storm Bolter, Heavy Flamer, Power Weapon
5x Seraphim

White Scars 1850
Librarian w/Terminator Command Squad, FoD, 2xAss Cannons
Chaplain w/Terminator Command Squad, 2xAss Cannons
Terminator Squad, 2xAss Cannons
Bikers w/T. Homer, Power Weapon
Bikers w/T. Homer, Power Weapon

The mission was Cleanse with an extra 3 battle points going to the player who held the board center at the end of the game.

It was at Cayber Gate that our own Brother Fulvius, then a 1st Co. Veteran, offended a brother of the venerable White Scars. Who said what, exactly, is a moot point—bolter rounds were fired, knives drawn, and wounds dealt. Fulvius slew his brother Astartes in secret.
It would not be until the Fetorous IV campaign that this blood debt would be extracted from our chapter.
To his credit, it was Captain Fulvius’s first command. That is not to say, however, that the disgrace he endured at Fetorous IV was excusable, acceptable, or in any way a credit to the Chapter. This record of the Massacre at Boishegin exists, therefore, not to illuminate our shame but to record it, so that future commanders may learn from Fulvius’ mistakes.
Brother Captain Fulvius had received intelligence from Epistolary Khang of the White Scars that enemy armor would be funneling through the ruins of Boishegin. Fulvius ordered two of the 4th Co. Devastator Squads to entrench themselves within the ruins of a hostel. A scout detachment of the 10th company and two teams of Adeptas Sororitas also joined Fulvius at his request.


The naked board. LOS-blocking buildings with the checkered areas representing difficult terrain / 5+ cover.


Deployment.


White Scars turn 1.
He turboboosts his bikers, keeping them out of line of sight.

Ultramarines turn 1.
My bikers boost forward. Sisters’ Rhino moves toward the central objective and unloads.

White Scars turn 2.
Reserves rolls give him his Elite Terminators. They appear and open fire on my bikers, inflicting casualties. His bikers move and assault my bikers, killing the squad, leaving only the Chaplain.

To clarify: the green dots signify where the unit moved from.


Ultramarines turn 2.
Chaplain retreats. Infiltrating command squad advances to bolster Sisters at central objective. Scouts fire but fail to pin. All fire fails to beat 2+ or 5++ saves.

White Scars turn 3.
Reserves rolls give him his Librarian and command squad. They appear next to his Elite squad and open fire, killing the majority of my command squad. Librarian casts Fear of Darkness on the Sisters, who fail their morale check and flee. Bikers advance, opening fire on the Seraphim and killing most.

Ultramarines turn 3.
Seraphim and Chaplain move up toward biker squad. Plasma Devastators kill two Terminators. Seraphim and Chaplain charge the biker squad – assault resolves, and all models involved in the combat are killed.



White Scars turn 4.
Reserves rolls give him his Chaplain. Combined assault cannon spam eliminates the Plasma Devastators and Captain Fulvius. The Chaplain-led command squad charges into my terminators and, in a flurry of power fisting, my squad is killed. Some casualties are inflicted on his side.

“Brothers, protect me! For the Emperor!” Brother Captain Fulvius commanded of his Devastators.
His Devastators said nothing – they silently loaded their missile launchers and sent another volley of krak rockets at the advancing wall of white metal.
Fulvius’ last words were, “Don’t let them kill me. They’re all damned for this!” Seconds later, assault cannon round hit him in the thigh, severing his leg and causing almost instantaneous exsanguination.

Ultramarines turn 4 through 6.
I realize this game is over. I cannot recall specifically where I moved, but I did end up netting Battle Points by maneuvering my Tech-Marine into his deployment zone, and denying him Victory Points against my Scout Squad and Tactical Squad.

Conclusion.
This army defeated all others at the tournament, netting its creator Best General. I was proud to find out I scored highest against him. Since then, his army has served as a thought puzzle for me – how to win against such a solid gimmick? The general was a fun guy to game against, and even though I lost, I felt I played fairly well – besides, it’s not often you see such a solid army!

It was only after the route, when the surviving members of the Heavy Weapons Taskforce 34 returned to our stronghold, that Codicer Arcadius drew upon the Warp and pieced together the White Scars’ motivation.
We fought and died alongside them at Stosset, at Garamendis Prime, at Cayber Gates and Arkinon Secundus. We fought with them at Gaul and Veta Breem. Now, here on Fetorous, they became our enemies.
The Holy Inquisition would repay its blood debt also: Emperor preserve us if we should need to make war with them to the last man.


Any ideas on how I can beat an army like his in the future?

I'm a novice player myself, so my advice is more conversational and perhaps questionable.

1. Understand I Go You Go. Primitive turn sequence, you want to get the first shot in and not let the enemy get first shot at you. His army depends on deep strike terminators to insure first shot with the deadly Assault Cannons. But, you helped him immensely by moving your best assault units into charge range of his bikes. Worse, you hadn't positioned your devastator squads to fire into that area in case you lost hte combat.

2. Terrain: Your heavy weapons, the Dev Squads, cannot move and fire so are dependent on finding clear firing lanes to create a kill zone. This board, in my opinion, is terrain heavy. From the Grand Tournament pictures I've seen there is rarely central blocking terrain. If this is the type of board that you are typically playing on then your army may need a radical remake.

3. Fire lanes: Bikes can't turbo boost and assault in the same turn. So, their assault range is 18 inches? This is the minimum kill zone you need to find on the board to get at least one shot in with your heavies before he assaults you.

4. EBAY: Yes, you need to assault cannon arms, and ditching the plasma cannons for ML's would be good also.

5. Scenario-central victory point objective makes you move forward while what you would really like to do is sit back and shoot. "Play a different scenario", not much helpful advice there.

6. Using what you had-wish your army lists had been more accurate. What was in your Bike Squad, his bike Squad, and Las Plas squad? I think you needed to deploy in layers near a board edge to prevent him from deep striking and taking out your Devastators. You are going to sacrifice the scouts and SOB to take the first hit. Second line is the Bikers/Seraphim to counterassault, out of consolidation range . Third line is your Devastators perhaps in a corner. You have to protect them from the deep strike-shot to death by rending weapons before they can get a shot.

7. Smurf Theory: I play them myself, and have been collecting advice. There are very good national players who don't use terminators, but use Devastator and Las/Plas squads in abundance. As a novice, I find Terminators easier to use than Devastators because they can move and shoot. You have to plan ahead more with Devastators.

Deep Strike is frowned on by some of the better players on this web site. Your opponent seemed to make very good use of it. Deep strike units don't like enemy units, rough terrain or board edges. They also don't like failed reserve rolls....

Some marine players suggest skipping the plasma guns in the Las Plas squads. Against terminator heavy armies Plas/Plas squads might be better, more shots, still force invulnerable saves. This is a recommended squad when using drop pods. Want to beat this particular opponent? Find the web site that has paper drop pods, and build 7 of them for 6 plas plas squads and your Terminator squad.

The AardBoyz smurf army that finished second was Assault Cannon heavy. Don't demean your own best weapon as some sort of 'stinky cheese'. You'll never hear an Eldar player claim that his Falcons are 'cheese'. Other ways to get deep striking assault cannons in numbers are Landspeeder squadrons, and Terminators like your opponent's.

I don't think you need so many flamers, your Dev squads are already anti horde. I'd pitch the Scouts and SOB for more Las/Plas or Plas/plas squads if you have them in your collection.

Looking forward to replies...