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Had a little 1k game last night, which is unusual for me as I am normally a 2k monster. Played against Phil aka Goblin Man and his Chaos Space Marines. I call Phil Goblin Man as he owns a cool little shop called Two Fat Goblins in Stafford which sells 40k stuff and other cool bits and pieces.

I thought I'd try Ravenwing out tonight. The low model count is certainly going to be interesting; 20 models at 1k!

Dark Angels 'Ravenwing' - 1,000 points

HQ

Sammael
Ravenwing Command Squad - Black Knight, Apothecary, banner of devastation & grenade launcher

Troops

6 x Ravenwing Attack Squad w/ Attack Bike - 2 x meltaguns - Sgt w/ melta bombs - Attack Bike w/ mulit melta
3 x Ravenwing Attack Squad w/ Attack Bike - plasma gun - Attack Bike w/ multi melta
3 x Ravenwing Attack Squad w/ Attack Bike - plasma gun - Attack Bike w/ multi melta

Chaos Space Marines 'Death Guard' - 1,000 points

HQ

Chaos Lord - power fist, blight grenades, bike, sigil of corruption, burning brand of skalathrax & mark of nurgle

Troops

7 x Plague Marines w/ Rhino - 2 x meltaguns - Sgt w/ melta bombs
7 x Plague Marines w/ Rhino - 2 x meltaguns - Sgt w/ melta bombs
7 x Plague Marines - 2 x meltaguns - Sgt w/ melta bombs

Fast Attack

2 x Chaos Spawn - mark of nurgle

Heavy Support

Obliterator - mark of nurgle
Obliterator - mark of nurgle

Game: dawn of war & crusade - night fighting is active

Deployment

I won the roll off for sides and deployment. All objectives were placed in the centre, I placed mine like this as I am heading that way anyway. I guess Phil did the same.

I deploy with the Attack Bikes at the front, Sammy and Command Squad behind with units split into combat squads on the sides - both melta units on the left flank and both plasma on the right flank.

Phil deploys using the large centre ruin for cover for the two Rhinos. On the left flank he puts the Plaguie Marines in area terrain with the Lord and Spawn buddies hanging back a bit.











* Tactical Notes

The Chaos Lord with the brand and Spawn are really going to cause some damage, though Phil has smartly held them back so will be out of my plasma death range. I can dish out some pain on them with salvo bolters though.

I'll rock up and use Attack Bikes on the Rhinos, after all that is what they are there for. Bolters will dakka the Plague Marines inside with plasma talon support. This means I'll be dealing with Plague Marines as my T5 won't help me in assault with their poison weapons. With them gone I'll just have to worry about the Chaos Lord who I can dakka to death.

Turn 1

I scout everything 12" forward and use the centre terrain piece for cover for the Attack Bikes and Command Squad - two Attack Bikes fail dangerous terrain rolls though I pass armour. Phil attempts to seize and rolls a big fat 1, hopefully this isn't a sign of things to come.

Ravenwing; my units push forward and Attack Bikes are 1" away from the Rhinos and plasma talons are in range with plasma support on the left flank while meltas target the Chaos Spawn.

Shooting; first Attack Bike misses, though second hits and I roll a 4, boom Rhino gone and two Plague Marines die after poor rolls. Last Attack Bike fires, I hit and roll a 4 again, boom another Rhino gone and a few more Plague Marines die from the explosion. Plasma talons and Sammy's plasma cannon go to work and I cause a silly number of wounds - one wound pool has 8 5+ cover saves (another pool was 4+ as one dude firing through ruins), Phil only passed one 5+ cover and then failed the rest and the squad died - he only passed a single fnp from all of that! Remaining Plague Marine unit from the other Rhino eats plasma and bolters, the two melta amigos remain. Both melta units use salvo 4 bolters from the dakka banner to kill a Chaos Spawn.

Death Guard; Chaos Lord and solo Spawn roll out with Plague Marine support. Two remaining melta Plague Marines head towards the closest plasma unit.

Shooting; Chaos Lord uses the brand on two units; a melta and the Command Squad, one dies from each unit and Sammy takes a wound - melta unit passes morale. Plague Marines supporting the Lord fire at the other melta unit, two die and the lone melta gunner fails morale and legs it. Remaining Plague Marines on the right flank shoot my Ravenwing, one dies - unit passes morale.

Assault; Chaos Lord and Spawn charge, Lord flattens the surviving unit. Plague Marines on the right flank charge, nothing happens and my dudes do hit and run.





* Tactical Notes

A really good first turn for me, everything has gone my way like me getting first turn, scouting and then taking out the Rhinos and squads inside. Poor Phil couldn't get feel no pain rolls no matter how much he tried. Hopefully things will turn around for him next turn.

Next turn I'll dakka the Chaos Lord and Spawn then move into assault. I'll use Attack Bikes to all gang up on the untouched Plague Marine unit while the other units on the right flank will deal with the two survivors.

Turn 2

Ravenwing; depleted plasma unit heads towards the dual melta Plague Marines while the other unit I decide to bring around into banner range. Command Squad moves to deal with Chaos Lord while Attack Bikes gang up on the whole Plague Marines while the lone melta bike moves through the crater and holds the objective there - I know it is early but not a fat lot can do and will also be in range for shooting.

Shooting; Attack Bikes and lone melta bike fire along with the plasma unit lingering around the centre ruin fire into the Plague Marines and wipe them out. Two man plasma unit kills the two melta Plague Marines - just the Chaos Lord left, who I decide to show mercy too and punch in combat.

Assault; Chaos Lord challenges, Sammy accepts, Sammy does bugger all as does the Chaos Lord - Chaos Spawn gets hacked by the pick axes.

Death Guard; Phil rolls reserves and only a single Oblit shows up who deep strikes by the two man plasma unit. Phil was thinking about plasma cannon or heavy flamer, I suggest the plasma gun as it is twin-linked so can re-roll those gets hot and will probably kill - the cannon could gets hot or scatter and miss while the flamer probably won't do a fat lot. Oblit fires plasma gun kills one dude and the other holds position

Assault; Sammy takes a wound and does nothing again, unit does hit and run leaving me free to do whatever I like.

* Tactical Notes

Things are not looking good for CSM, Plague Marines are all dead and only a Chaos Lord and Obliterator left on the table. Looks like a turn 3 tabling could be coming up!

Turn 3

Ravenwing; Sammy's unit moves back ready to plasma the Chaos Lord while Attack Bikes form up while the plasma units target the Obliterator.

Shooting; plasma units blast the Obliterator who passs every save, about time for Phil. Chaos Lord eats bolters, multi melta, plasma talons and rad shell but refuses to go down and has a single wound left.

Assault; plasma bikes charge the Obliterator, Obliterator is safe as houses and does nothing back as fails to hit. Chaos Lord issues a challenge, I refuse and the Chaos Lord destroys my Command Squad and Sammy dies too - bit confused how this happend come to think about it as the Chaos Lord only has 3 attacks and I had 3 models in the Command Squad left, ah well, never mind. Lord consolidates to help out the Obliterator.

Phil rolls for reserves and the last Obliterator comes on, though scatters onto the lone melta bike I have and is lost in the warp! Chaos Lord goes to pick on an Attack Bike, who the Chaos Lord beats up in combat. Oblit beats the Ravenwing and both squads fail morale and fall back.







* Tactical Notes

Well, I've just lost half my army in points, bummer, but what comes around goes back around and is fair as Phil has taken it hard in this game. Unfortunately Phil's bad luck has continued as he lost an Oblit and when Sammy died he rolled on the chaos boon table and got unworthy offering!

Turn 4

Long story short, the Chaos Lord got slagged by multi melta and the single Oblit got a beat down by plasma guns.

Ravenwing win wiping out the Death Guard.

Summary

Some real bad luck for Phil in this game, I even offered to lend him my awesomely rolling dice . Unfortunately Phil just couldn't make the fnp rolls and even lost Plague Marines to poxy Rhino explosions - sucks major balls. When things got good by wiping out my Command Squad they went bad again as the last Oblit was lost due to deep strike mishap, poor Goblin Man.

Hopefully in a rematch Phil's dice will be loads better

Nice report with good looking models, great work all round!

The Ravenwing certainly play a lot differently to a standard Space Marine bike force - in particular the scouting allows you to get into optimum range that much faster. I've found that the best counter to a bike force is just lots and lots of shooting - it looks like the Dark angels are much better off in this regard?

Phil's conversion skills and paint jobs are wicked. It would be rude of me not to get any pics of them

The scout ability is really nice on the Ravenwing, especially if you go first. They still die to loads of shooting though.

Ravenwing meet Helldrakes... that is the biggest issue they are not even close to competitive...

good report, and nice conversion works!!

Thanks for the well done report. Hopefully your opponent has better luck next time, such a great looking army deserves it.

Awesome. In that one pic I saw that heldrake on the side and my heart skipped a beat for my Ravenwing brothers.

Valek wrote:Ravenwing meet Helldrakes... that is the biggest issue they are not even close to competitive...

good report, and nice conversion works!!

Heldrakes are bad news for any infantry. The sort of escape plan with Ravenwing is to get into assault and then hit and run and re-charge. Doesn't always work, but certainly minimises targets for the Heldrake and damage for me.

Phil's conversions are cracking. My unpainted models let the team down on this one.

Idle Hands wrote:Thanks for the well done report. Hopefully your opponent has better luck next time, such a great looking army deserves it.

Phil's fnp rolls were a major let down. We were both pretty shocked how many Plague Marines died from exploding Rhinos and how many fnp rolls he failed.

Insane Smile wrote:Awesome. In that one pic I saw that heldrake on the side and my heart skipped a beat for my Ravenwing brothers.

Lucily that Heldrake was to be brought from me by some else!

Ouch when not even Plague Marines and Nurgle Obliterators can win for Chaos then it sure looks bleak hehe. Who will be the first to post a victory for Chaos on Dakka?

Really liked the models though, great close-ups!

Bleak, I think that sums up the CSM codex nicely. Btw I have posted bat reps of CSM victories, though mostly against Blood Angels though I did score a win of Tyranids.

Phil's conversions are top dollar

Phil's two fat goblins shop in stafford is awesome! Such a helpful guy!

Nice report. Those Plague Marines are cracking. Like the objective marker too.

ashfire wrote:Phil's two fat goblins shop in stafford is awesome! Such a helpful guy!

Tis a little place of geeky awesomeness

LeadLegion wrote:Nice report. Those Plague Marines are cracking. Like the objective marker too.

Thanks about the report. Phil's models looking cracking and the custom objective marker is sweet

Nice report, good to see another ravenwing player.

I run a list very similar to this at 1k. Though I spend less on the command squad and take 4 x 3 RAS with attack bikes.

two Attack Bikes fail dangerous terrain rolls though I pass armour.

Can armour saves be taken against failed dangerous terrain tests?

Big Blind Bill wrote:
Nice report, good to see another ravenwing player.

I run a list very similar to this at 1k. Though I spend less on the command squad and take 4 x 3 RAS with attack bikes.

two Attack Bikes fail dangerous terrain rolls though I pass armour.

Can armour saves be taken against failed dangerous terrain tests?

]
Yup.

Yeah you are right, thanks very much. This is great news for my Ravenwing, it is now worth driving through cover!

One of my fav bap reps ive come across. Ive seen it before on a blog and thought it was cool. Since then i took up Ravenwing. Your bat rep started the fire to do so. Even though they are not the best i do enjoy playing them. More RW bat rep's please!!

good game

Really cool models. Love the Pyramid Heads!