Our Local Gaming store is running a very interesting Campaign. This battle report is a
Sh*ts and Giggles game between two of contestents, but using the rules of the campaign and also allowing for the extra points or units we had gained at this stage in the Campaign. This week we were up to 700 points, and still playing on a 4x4 table. Rules for lists are different this early in the campaign.
0-1
HQ
1+ Troops
No models with more then 2 wounds.
No 2+ armor saves
No 3+ or better invulnerable saves
No vehicle with a combined armor value of 33 or more.
No ordnance
Deployment: "Modified Dawn of War". 8 inch deployment of 1
HQ and 2 Troops. Everything else comes in 1st turn, unless held in reserve. First turn will NOT have night fight.
Mission: "Quarters plus Center". As next week of the campaign we get normal army restrictions, this mission was written to have your army trying to clear a landing zone, and needing to activate a beacon in the center, which must be placed on a barren hill. Winner was determined by most controled quarters / beacons. A scoring unit could control the center AND a quarter at the same time. Scoring units had to be entirely inside a quarter to claim control of it.
Special Achievement: "Leading from the Front" Have your chosen leader be claiming the center objective. +1 to the campaign score.
Army's:
The Renegade
IG units of Baron von Balzer. (Northern "Catachan"
IG)
The Loyal H'garian 25th
IG regiment. (Southern "Cadian"
IG)
Lists:
Renegade
IG.
In the Campaign, von Balzer had taken territory that gave him access to an extra 50 points to spend, as well as a free Penal Squad (Gangers). The "Gangers" loyalties are finicky however. If his army's declared leader is killed, the squad will have to take leadership tests every turn to see if they just don't say "Frack it" and run. His Commissar was his highest leadership, so chosen as his leader.
Platoon Command Squad, 4 Plasma, Chimera with Turret Heavy Flamer.
Infantry Squad, Commissar, Autocannon
Infantry Squad, Autocannon
Vets, 3 Melta, Chimera
Vets, 3 Melta, Chimera
Penal Squad "Gangers"
Scout Sentinel with Lascannon
Scout Sentinel with Lascannon
830 pts
Loyal
IG.
In the Campaign, the H'garian 25th had taken territory that gave him access to an extra 50 points to spend, as well as an extra 30 points in vehicle upgrades. My Psyker Custodian was my highest leadership, and so chosen as my leader.
Battle Psyker Squad, +4 extra Psykers, Chimera with Hull Heavy Flamer
Platoon Command Squad, 4 Grenade Launchers, Chimera with Hull Heavy Flamer
Infantry Squad, Flamer
Infantry Squad, Flamer
Infantry Squad, Flamer
Infantry Squad, Flamer
Heavy Weapon Team, 3 Autocannons
Heavy Weapon Team, 3 Autocannons
Scout Sentinel with Lascannon
Scout Sentinel with Lascannon
Scout Sentinel with Lascannon
780 pts
Board:
The Setup:
We dice off to see who goes first and the RENEGADES win and choose first.
He deploys his Infantry Squads as a combined unit in the 3 story ruin. Autocannons having a great field of fire on top. The 17 other models are spread out over the ground, 1st and 2nd floor. He declares his Sentinels outflanking. The Gangers roll for their ability, and get Gunslingers, assault 2 for them.
I deploy my two Heavy Teams in the wooded area terrian. All three Sentinels will outflank. Infantry squads will combine.
TURN 1:
I roll to try to take 1st turn, but no 6 for me. Baron von Balzer's forces roll on to the field. His
PCS deploys right, the two Mech Vets deploy center. 4 Autocannon and 6 Multi-laser shots later, one of my heavy squads is reduced to 1 base (curse you instant kill) which promptly flee's.
The reinforced platoon of the H'garian 25th move up and deploy on the right side.
PCS and
BPS Chimera's move 12 and provide cover for the 40 strong combined behind them. The only shooting is from my last Heavy Squad which hits, PENS, then only shakes the Renegade
PCS's Flamer Chimera.
TURN 2:
Rolling for reserves one Sentinel and the Gangers arrive. However, cunning deployment forces them to walk in ahead of the masses. The Mech Vets slide foward 6. The
PCS roars ahead 12. The Sentinel shoots the
BPS Chimera, shaking it. The Gangers shoot at the Infantry Blob, wounding 2. The Autocannons shoot MY Autocannons but saves are made for 0 wounds. The sentinel assaults, but fails to do any damage.
Rolling for loyalist reserves, only one Sentinel wants to make an appearance. It shuffles on near and rear of the
PCS's Chimera. Calling some "tank shocks" to allow the my Chimera's to move within 1 inch of the sentinel. Both Chimera's slide to the sides. The infantry squad moves it's flamers up. My
PCS gives FRSR to the combined which targets the gangers. (incedentally flaming the Sentinel too) The 20 or so flamer hits (hadn't rolled to wound at this point) had my opponent pulling off the gangers. When I objected, saying that there COULD be survivors given all the lasgun wounds he could allocate, he just consented to removing the squad saying, that there's slim chances, and then there is statistical improbabilities. Plus we'd save a bit of time instead of rolling 120 dice..... The flame wash of the Sentinel was enough to blow off its autocannon and Stun it. The Heavy Weapons team, Loyal Sentinel, and Grenades from the
PCS eventually wrecked the renegade
PCS's Chimera. They poured out the rear, only to then have the Sentinel assault them. Few kicks and a few frantic frag grenade hurls later, there was 1 less Plasma gun, and an untouched Sentinel. However, they hold.
TURN 3:
The final renegade sentinel fails to show, and so 1 Mech Vet moves up, while the other stays still with it's Multi-laser and Heavy Bolter trained down-range. Shooting see's the
BPS's Chimera Stunned, and the final Heavy Weapon Team instant killed to 1 base, which ALSO flee's. The combat between the
PCS and the Sentinel finds another squished Plasma gun, and a victorious sentinel pilot.
My second sentinel shows up and walks on, aimed right at the glob of renegades in the building. My
PCS's Chimera moves foward 6, my infantry spread out, keeping the flamers trained on the Sentinel (and the Vassel doesn't show it, but I lined up extra guys on the table edge to block that last renegade Sentinel). Flamers, Grenade Launchers, and Multi-lasers finally take out the renegade Sentinel which explodes taking 1 man with it. While my Sentinel shoots into the building, however, fails to wound. Assault saw the Sentinel run right at the first floor and after a quick showing of the "Ruins without bases" rule easily made the distance for an assault. The entire 20 man climbs down from their varous perches and starts hucking frag grenades at the Sentinel. The loyalist Pilot squishes 1 with no return damage. The unit rolls for Leadership, FAILS!!!!! oh! damnit..... Commissar shoots a Sergeant and then easily rolls under 9. Curses! The
PCS vs Sentinel combat draws.
TURN 4:
The last renegade sentinel shows and walks on. The Mech vets move to good shooting, partially hidden by the hill. The Sentinel easily blows through the side armor of the
BPS Chimera only to have it stunned.... again. The Vet Chimera's shoot at the
PCS Chimera but to no effect. Assault sees both loyal Sentinels squish 1 man each, for no return damage. Von Balzer shakes his head at the amount of dice he's rolling, yet can't make a double 6 to even wound.
The final Sentinel arrives!! The combined squad, having no more outflank worries, begins to spread out and cover my quarter. Newly arrived Sentinel shoots the rear of the Mech Vet Chimera, stunning it. The
PCS Chimera moves foward slightly, but neither Multi-laser nor Grenade Launcher can hurt the 2nd Mech Vet. Assault see's the renegades lose more men for no returned damage.
TURN 5:
The Mech vets of the Stunned Chimera pour out and move towards the Sentinel now contesting their quarter. The final Renegade Sentinel shifts around, looking for a good line to the
BPS Chimera. The Mech Vet Chimera guns foward, spins, dumps out the Vets, and Smokes. The loyal Sentinel is blown apart by 3 melta hits, the Renegade Sentinel Finally scores a killing blow on the Battle Psyker Chimera and they bail into and around the nearby trees. However, the Vets attacking my
PCS are not so lucky. Even at close range, only 1 hits. And even his roll to pen was a 1 and a 3. The Melta only glances.... The resulting roll rips off my Heavy Flamer. (After a quizical look and an "are you sure?" when he first said multi-laser.) The assualt phase see's the Sentinel's drawn or victorious AGAIN. Von Balzer just cannot roll a 6 after a 6 to save his squad.
The
PCS moves back from the melta Vets. The
BPS moves further into the woods. Shooting see's the Infantry Squad open up at long range and kill 4 melta vets. Having done enough for a test, the
BPS then successfully pass their psykic test and bring the fear of the emperor into the minds of the renegades. The
PCS shoots its grenades and multi-laser at the rear of the Chimera, but no damage. The vets, now having to take a leadership test on a 2, fail, running over the wreckage of the Chimera in the proccess. Dangerous Terrian tests see TWO fall in their panic to flee. Now, under 1/2, they won't be able to regroup. Sentinel combat see's more drawn or victorious pilots. We roll the dice to see if the game ends.... NO!! To turn 6 we go!
TURN 6:
The fleeing Vets continue their flight. The left side Vets move and run back to their Chimera, but stay hidden behind it. The other Chimera spins in place to fire into the Psykers. Even with 6 multi-laser and 3 heavy bolter shots, the psykers manage all their cover saves. The renegade Sentinel moves for a shot on the
PCS Chimera but misses. Sentinel Combat see's more men die. The renegade
PCS eventually loosing its last man. (The renegade
PCS dies this turn, and the Sentinel moves left. I failed to add that to this pic)
The
BPS moves even further into the woods. While my
PCS Chimera moves up (and back into the upper quarter JUST incase both Sentinels die. They shoot at the Chimera, to no avail. While the Sentinel Pilot could mush men with it's feet. He cannot, however, hit a non-moving Tank from the rear. The final Sentinel squishes yet MORE renegades for no return damage. We roll the dice to see if we go to 7, and
WE DO!
TURN 7:
The fleeing Vets run a hearty 6 or so inches, but enough to bring them out of range of either the Sentinel or the
PCS Chimera. Both Renegade Chimera's shoot into the Psykers, not wanting them to be around to flee is only scoring unit. This time, however, I'm not so great on the coversaves, and they loose two. The Mech Vets still hide behind the hill and tank. The last Sentinel makes a GREAT shot and obliterates the loyal Sentinel. Sentinel close combat watches another man stomped to death with the vengence of the emperor.
Seeing an chance to win and end it, I roll a die. On a one, and I will have to try to nuke that vet squad, 2-6 = win. The die is cast and the Chimera does NOT get stuck running over terrian. The
PCS disembarks out the back, gives itself "move, move, move" and makes it easily to the center point. I keep the
PCS solidly in the upper right quarter JUST incase the sentinel dies. So, without further rolling, Baron von Balzer concedes that the objective count will be 2-1, LOYALISTS!!
VICTORY for H'gara and the Emperor.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Ooops, I notice re-reading, that I had switched the left most Sentinels. As their slota-base colors are wrong. >.<
This game was tight to the end, and was a blast to play. I was blown away by how effective grenade launchers were and how long that sentinel stood vs that 20 man squad. Even I admitted, odds say I should have been immobilized (thus easier to hit) much MUCH earlier in the game. Even being open topped ment that a tripple 6 would kill it outright. Yet, the dice gods were displeased with those who failed to see the light of the emperor, and only one double six ever materialized in all of that Sentinel Close Combat.
