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2009 ‘Ard Boyz Battle Report

So I was debating which army to play for the ‘Ard Boyz this year and I was debating between Space Wolves and Eldar, and I ended up playing both!

Part 1 in a 6 part series!

Space Wolf Battle Report #1

I guess I do not take the ‘Ard Boyz very seriously because I always take goofy lists. I suppose I could take 9 oblits and 2 lash princes but I never feel like bring a really ‘Ard list.

I chose the Space Wolves because they are getting a new codex and I wanted to get back into the habit. The Space Wolves were my very first army but I have not played them in over 10 years, so I decided to blow the dust off of them and give them a try.

My list:
HQ
Wolf Lord w/Frost Blade, Storm Shield, Runic Charm, Wolf Tooth Necklace, Frag Grenades

Rune Priest w/Frost Blade, Runic Staff, Runic Charm, Wolf Tail Talisman, Frag Grenades

Wolf Priest W/Runic Charm, Wolf Tail Talisman, Frag Grenades

Venerable Dreadnought w/Assault Cannon, Heavy Flamer, Extra Armor
Drop Pod w/Deathwind Missile Launcher

Elites
6 Wolf Scouts w/2 Power Weapons, Flamer, Melta Bombs
Wolf Guard Leader w/2 Power Fists, Runic Charm, Wolf Tail Talisman, Wolf Tooth Necklace

5 Wolf Scouts w/2 Power Weapons, Flamer, Melta Bombs

Troops
6 Grey Hunters w/5 Bolters, 1 Melta Gun
Razorback w/TL Lascannon

6 Grey Hunters w/5 Bolters, 1 Plasma Gun
Razorback w/TL Lascannon

9 Bloodclaws w/Meltagun, Power Weapon, Power Fist

7 Grey Hunters w/Meltagun, 6 Bolters, Power Weapon, Power Fist
Wolf Guard Leader w/2 Power Fists, Runic Charm, Wolf Tail Talisman, Wolf Tooth Necklace

Fast Attack
Land Speeder Storm w/Heavy Flamer

2 Land Speeders w/Heavy Flamers, Multi-Meltas

Heavy Support
Land Raider

Land Raider

Whirlwind

I took a few units that I thought would be interesting, and effective, but as I played it, it was very rough, and lacked the polish of an army that is built for 5th edition, or one that has been played before.


Game #1

Space Wolves vs. Space Wolves

My Opponents List:
HQ
Wolf Priest w/Healing Balms and Potions, Runic Armor, Runic Charm, Wolf Tooth Necklace, Frag Grenades
4 Wolf Guard Bodyguards w/4 Terminator Armor, 4 Runic Charms, 3 Wolf Tooth Necklaces, 2 Power Fists+Storm Shield, 2 Power Weapons+2 Assault Cannons
Land Raider

Wolf Lord Ragnar Blackmane
5 Wolf Guard Bodyguards w/4 Terminator Armor, 5 Runic Charms, 3 Wolf Tooth Necklaces, 2 Power Fists+Storm Shield, 2 Power Weapons+2 Assault Cannons, 2 Lightning Claws

Wolf Guard Battle Leader w/Terminator Armor, Frost Blade, Cyclone Missile Launcher, Runic Charm, Wolf Tooth Necklace.

Venerable Dreadnought w/TL Lascannon, Heavy Flamer

Elite

Troops
9 Grey Hunters
Wolf Guard Leader w/Power Fist, Storm Shield, Runic Charm, Wolf Pelt

9 Grey Hunters
Wolf Guard Leader w/Power Fist, Storm Shield, Runic Charm, Wolf Pelt, Wolf Tooth Necklace
Drop Pod

6 Grey Hunters
Wolf Guard Leader w/Power Fist, Storm Shield, Runic Charm, Terminator Armor

Fast Attack
Land Speeder Typhoon

Heavy Support
Land Raider Crusader


Scenario:

One objective in each table quarter and one in the middle of the table.

Massacre
A player has more objectives and has more kill points than their opponent. Winner get 20 points, loser gets 0 points

Major Victory
A player has more objectives and has an equal number or less kill points than their opponent. Winner get 17 points, loser gets 3 points

Minor Victory
A player has the same number of objectives and has more kill points than there opponent. Winner get 13 points, loser gets 7 points

Tie
Both players control the same number of objectives, and the same number of kill points.

Deployment:
Pitched Battle

Set Up


My Set up. I have the Bloodclaws in the black Land Raider


His set up. He has a Land Raider, Ven Dread, Typhoon, Grey Hunter squad (behind the tree next to the land speeder), another grey hunter squad and Land Raider.

Turn #1
He wins first turn
Top of turn #1

Hey…where did my Razorbacks go? He moves forward a bit.


He drops his drop pod on my right objective.

Bottom of turn #1
Well, in an objective mission, my tactics are that I go after troops…especially when he only has 3.


I drop my Dread near his Grey Hunter squad and go after them. I shot the lascannon off his dread, and shoot down his typhoon.


Turn #2

Top of turn #2

He turns on my Dread and kills it.

Bottom of turn #2

My scouts come on and I go after his troops. I engage his Grey hunters and I am winning! (The white guys and the guy on the left are mine, the black terminator and the other 2 on the right are his).

Turn #3

Top of turn #3

He dumps out Ragnar and his bodyguard and he runs over my scouts.

He moves his Grey Hunters into the empty Land Raider.

Bottom of turn #3

My Land Speeder Storm comes on and I line up the heavy flamer to shoot at his drop pod squad while the scouts go after the land raider with their melta bombs. The melta bombs end up doing nothing to the land raider other than shooting off a lascannon. My bloodclaws and my rune priest assault his drop pod squad and his WGBL.


On the right side I start to move forward.

Turn #4

Top of turn #4

He gets his wolf priest and bodyguard out of his land raider and kills my scouts.

He ends up killing my bloodclaws.

Bottom of turn #4


On the other side of the table I disembark my Grey Hunters with my HQs to get ready to assault his Grey hunters after I blow up his Land Raider. I shoot up his LR Crusader with the Land Speeders and my Land Raider and do nothing. I was hoping to kill it so I could assault the Grey Hunters, but now I am out in the open and I have to assault Ragnar and his merry men. He butchers them rather easily.

Turn #5

Top of turn #5

He moves up his dread to contest the objective.

He splits fire with his LR Crusader and he Multi-Meltas the Land Raider killing it, and fires the Hurricane Bolters and Assault Cannons at the Land Speeders shooting down one, and knocking the Melta off the other.

Bottom of turn #5


I move my Melta-less land speeder to try to block the dreadnought from attacking my grey hunters that are moving up to hold the center objective. My Grey Hunter squad shot a melta gun at the dreadnought and kills it.

My Wolf Lord is the only one alive after Ragnars beat down and he runs for it.


Turn #6

Top of turn #6

He assaults my Land Speeder with his terminators and fails to hurt it.

Bottom of turn #6

I move up my Land Raider to contest the objective on the lower right.


I move my land speeder to contest the objective on the upper right.


Post game Wrap up:

He owns the objective in the upper left.
He contests the objective in the center
I contest the objective in the upper right.
I contest the objective in the lower left.
I own the objective in the lower right.

Tie for the Objectives, and he beats me on kill points. Minor loss for me.



Post game thoughts:

Well, I found out the hard way that there is a long way between theory and practice.

I thought the Drop Pod Dreadnought would be a great idea. To come down, and the dreadnought shoots its Flamer and AC, and the Drop Pod shoots its deathwind launcher. The problem is that in 5th edition it comes down on turn #1 which is very problematic. If it came down in turn #2 or #3 I think it would be much better as a disruptive element.

The Razorbacks are not at durable as I had hoped. I had hoped they would be around a bit longer than they were.

I need to remember that I can now fit 12 guys in a Land Raider.

The Whirlwind was next to useless since I did not fight any horde armies, and so in the later games I just used it to obscure my Land Raider.

I should have outfitted everyone who could take them with a storm shield, but I had neither the time nor the inclination.

I wish I had more models without bolters. Assaulting Grey Hunters need 2 CCW.

You can take a Storm Shield and Power Fist and loose nothing since you do not get the additional attack anyways.

Stay away from Ragnar. He always has a million attacks with a master crafted frost blade and he will wipe out most units before they can swing.

Interesting read so far. I would have thought you would have set up your vehicles in a way that most, if not all would benefit from a cover save first turn. My first round was against a Mech Space Wolf player and he was making short work of my armor in turn 1. Acute Senses were a nice boon for the Wolves that game.

And yes, Storm Shields are great. My opponent had 4 IC's all on bikes with Storm Shields. Just a mean group to even get close to.

Second the storm sheilds they are amazing

Sarigar wrote:Interesting read so far. I would have thought you would have set up your vehicles in a way that most, if not all would benefit from a cover save first turn. My first round was against a Mech Space Wolf player and he was making short work of my armor in turn 1. Acute Senses were a nice boon for the Wolves that game.

I think we forgot to play round #1 as night fight.

Also when I was thinking about this army and how it would set up, I had the Razorbacks behind the Land Raiders, and they would move 6" and fire while being obscured by the LR. Of course when I set up for my first game I forgot about that and had them out in the open.

Wouldn't it be better to put the razorbacks in front of the landraiders so your big tanks are hull down?

Here we go with part 2 of our 3 part story.

Game # 2


Space Wolves vs. Chaos!

My Opponents List:
HQ
Karn

Sorcerer w/MoS, Lash of Submission

Elite
5 Terminators
Land Raider

5 Terminators
Land Raider

Troops
9 Berserkers
1 Skull Champion w/Power Weapon

9 Berserkers
1 Skull Champion w/Power Weapon

9 Plague Marines
1 Plague Marine Champion
Rhino

Heavy Support
Land Raider

Land Raider

Defiler

Well, we are up against 4 Land Raiders…that is going to be a bit of work.

Scenario:


Modified Kill Points

Troops=1 Kill Point

Dedicated Transports=1 Kill Point

Fast Attack/Elites/Heavy Support=2 Kill Points

HQs that take a HQ slot=5 Kill Points

Other HQ slots and Retinues=1 Kill Point

Demonic Heralds=3 Kill Points

Space Wolf Characters=3 Kill Points

Massacre
A player has 8 more kill points than their opponents Winner gets 20 Points, Loser gets 0 Points

Major Victory
A player has 6 or more Kill Points than their opponent. Winner gets 17 points, loser gets 3 points

Minor Victory
A player has 4 or more Kill Points than their opponent. Winner get 13 points, loser gets 7 points

Tie
A player has 3 or less Kill Points than their opponent, both get 10 points.

Deployment:
Dawn of War


I win the dice roll to go first and take it!

Set Up

He starts with his whole army in reserve.

I start with my 2 large squads and my Rune Priest on the table.


Turn #1

Top of turn #1

*crickets chirping*

Since it is a kill point mission I deep strike my dreadnought behind my lines.

Bottom of turn #1

He moves on to the board. He places his defiler in the far left (You can see a pink leg). Then he has his 2 Land Raiders with Terminators, then his rhino with a squad of Plague Marines, and then his 2 Land Raider with Berserkers and his HQs.

He shoots up my infantry squads some. I have not played MEQs in a while, and I take more casualties than I thought I would.

Turn #2

Top of turn #2

I did not like getting shot, so everyone into the land raiders!

I get my Scouts on and they go between his Land Raiders on the right. I assault both of them and I end up blowing up one Land Raider, and doing nothing to the other.


Bottom of turn #2


He does not want to hang around my scouts and moves out. He shoots off a lascannon off of my land raider, and immobilizes my razorback on the left. His Sorcerer and berserkers that were in the destroyed Land Raider go after my scouts. He lashes them and they only move 4”. Then he assaults them and they do a little bit better than I thought, and my scouts hold their own.

Turn #3

Top of turn #3


I shoot everything at that stupid rhino and do nothing. Since the mission is all about killing HQs when I get my scouts in the land speeder storm I go after his sorcerer since he is engaged with my other scout squad and kill him.


Bottom of turn #3

I seem to be missing a Land Raider.


Turn #4

Top of turn #4

Center of the table picture
I unload on that rhino again and fail to hurt it. 2 melta guns, the dread’s assault cannon, splitting fire with the land raiders heavy bolters…and I blow its combi-bolter off. The good news is that I shoot some lascannons at his Land Raider in the middle and take it out.


Right side of the table picture
My large scout squad dies, but my small scout squad kills his berserkers, and then they high tail it behind the destroyed Land Raider. My Land Speeders move out from behind the ruins that they were hiding behind and I shoot Karn’s Land Raider and I shoot off a lascannon.

Bottom of turn #4

He moves in close. Karn’s Land Raider tank shocks my squad and rams my razorback taking out its lascannon.


A view of the left side of the table.

Turn #5

Top of turn #5

I finally kill his rhino and his plague marines spill out and they get assaulting and killed. My LS storm is worth 2 KP, so I run it back behind a hill.

My land speeders just can’t kill the land raider.

Bottom of turn #5

He kills one land speeder, and stuns the other.


Turn #6

Top of turn #6

I move my Land Speeder out and hide it because I do not want to give up 2 KPs. I try again to kill his land raider and fail. I try to get my rune priest and his squad into the razorback but I roll 2” for difficult terrain (because of the prior rhino that was there) and I can’t make it to the razorback for protection.


My units hiding to deny him kill points.

Bottom of turn #6
He finally gets out of his land raider and Karn and his berserkers kill my Rune Priest and my Bloodclaws.

End of the Game

Right side of the table

Left side of the table


At the end of the game I ended up with 3 more kill points than my opponent so the game ended in a tie, with him getting a bonus point for a scoring unit in my deployment zone.

If only I could have killed Karn’s Land Raider with one of the many shots that I had at it, or if I could have gotten my Rune Priest into the Razorback might have saves at least one KP and given me the minor win. What also upset me was that a dedicated Land Raider was only 1 KP. Do you know how hard those are to kill?

Oh well, I came close this time…maybe I am getting the hang of the Wolves.

Game # 3

Space Wolves vs. Space Marines


My Opponents List: (From Memory)
HQ
Shrike

Chaplain

Elite
10 man Sternguard squad w/2 Melta Guns, 6 Combi-bolters
Drop Pod

5 Terminators
Land Raider

Troops
10 Man Tactical Squad w/Lascannon, Melta Gun

10 Man Tactical Squad w/Heavy Bolter, Plasma Gun


Fast Attack
10? Vanguard Squad w/Lots of Storm Shields and Lightning Claws

Heavy Support
Land Raider Redeemer

Vindicator

Vindicator

Scenario:

Modified Capture and Control

Place 2 objectives in the center of the table quarters that are not deployment zones.


Massacre
A player has control of more objectives and has more kill points than their opponent. Winner get 20 points, loser gets 0 points

Major Victory
A player has control of more objectives and has an equal number or less kill points than their opponent. Winner get 17 points, loser gets 3 points

Minor Victory
If both players control the same number of objectives and the player that has more kill points than their opponent. Winner get 13 points, loser gets 7 points

Tie
Both players control the same number of objectives, and the same number of kill points. 10 Points

Deployment:
Spearhead


He gets first turn.


Turn #1

Top of turn #1
The first turn action you are not in the pictures.

I forgot that Shrike can infiltrate and he and his band of merry men set up pretty far away, but he was able to charge the 2 land speeders I had in the middle of the board and he took them out.

He also drops his pod with the Sternguard right between my Land Raiders. He splits his squad and meltas my Land Raiders. He destroys my black Land Raider and whiffs on the other.

He shoots the whirlwind launcher off with a vindicator.


Left side of the table. 2 Land Raiders in Red, 2 Vindicators in white, and the 2 tac squads.


Bottom of turn #1

The bloodclaws got out of the destroyed Land Raider and took out the Sternguard that blew up their ride. My razorback shoots the cannon off one of the vindicators.


I dropped my pod next to Shrike and flamed away. Although not in the pic, I charged him with my Wolf Lord, Wolf Priest and my Grey Hunters.

Turn #2

Top of turn #2


He charges into the big fight with his terminators. I am beating the Vanguard Squad and killed off both of his HQs, but the terminators start to really hurt.


All quiet on the left side of the table…for now.

Bottom of turn #2

The big fight ends, and he consolidates. My Bloodclaws finish off the last of the Sternguard.


So much for it being quiet on the left side. Since he only has 2 scoring units, it is time to take them out. I charge the tac squad on the top with my large scout squad and beat them down and they break. My other scout squad goes after the other tac squad and because of the size of the squad it will be a nail biter as to whom will win. I flamered and shot them to try to soften them up, and at the end of the round it is 3 Wolf Scouts w/2 power weapons vs., 6 Tac marines.

Turn #3

Top of turn #3

The last 2 members of his Vanguard squad run for it. His terminators go after my Land Raider.


He shoots my Land Speeder Storm down with his Land Raider. His Vindicator shoots back at my dreadnought.

Bottom of turn #3

I go after his Land Raider with the Bloodclaws Melta Gun, the Grey Hunters Melta Gun and the Razorbacks Lascannon.


I go after his Vindicator with my scouts and I blow it up. My Land Raider makes a run for it with what is left of my black grey hunters squad.

Turn #4

Top of turn #4

My scouts win the combat with the tac squad and they break and make a run for it. His land raider and the storm bolter from his vindicator shoot my large scout squad. One of the wounds I put on my Wolf Guard thinking that I can make a 3+ save, and if not, I can re-roll it. Of course I fail it and he dies. Argh! Then he assaults my Scouts with the last 2 Vanguard Squad and they kill each other. His Terminators go after my dreadnought.


His land raider stuns my razorback with its assault cannon. At this point I forgot that it was a redeemer because he was using a crusader model for it. and he flames my bloodclaws and BBQs them.

Bottom of turn #4

I go after his land raider with my scouts and blow it up. My Land Raider continues to run from the terminators.


Since I did not enjoy being flamed by the redeemer I spread out. I shot 2 more Meltas at it and do nothing.

Turn #5

Top of turn #5

He kills my dreadnought. He shoots up my scouts with his vindicator and tac squad that is falling back and they break and the last scout runs for it.


He continues to fry my bloodclaws.

Bottom of turn #5

Nothing going on here.


I shot the land raider with 2 meltas and the razorback. I damage it, but don’t kill it.

Turn #6

Top of turn #6



He kills the last of my bloodclaws,


Bottom of turn #6

I move my land raider up and try to tank shock his terminators and they stay.

Another turn, another melta shot and lascannon. It is sitting on the objective and I can’t kill it.


End game
He contests the lower left objective with his terminators. I made the mistake of being too far back in the corner so that when I made it to the objective. If was closer I could have backed him off of the objective.

He contests the other objective with his land raider. I was shooting meltas at it at point blank range since turn #3 and I still could not kill it.

So the game ended with a tie and I have more kill points giving me a minor win.



I ended up going 1-1-1 and finished somewhere in the middle of the pack. I guess that is what I get for playing an army that I did not play in over 10 years.

I really liked my scouts and they ended up doing a lot of damage. I wish I could have given the scouts in the LS Storm a Wolf Guard, but there has been many debates about whether or not you can put one in there.

When you are playing with a lot of hard army builds in the ‘Ard Boyz I thought that the scouts would be great to operate behind the lines, and the fact that they all can take melta bombs to take out vehicles. I was worried about things like Lemon Russ Squadrons and massed Land Raiders. I thought about giving them melta guns, but I felt that I had enough anti-tank with the melta bombs. I gave them the flamer to take out big units like Lootas, Kroot and IG. I thought that they would do a few wounds to tac marines and other harder infantry where a melts might kill one guy.