1- Master of the Forge: Conversion Beamer, Melta Bombs

10- Tacticals: 1 Meltagun, Sarge w/ Combi-Melta, Drop Pod DT
10- Tacticals: 1 Meltagun, Sarge w/ Combi-Melta, Drop Pod DT
10- Tacticals: 1 Plasmagun, Sarge w/ dual Plasma Pistols, Drop Pod DT
5- Scouts: 4 Bolters, 1 Heavy Bolter
5- Scouts: 4 Bolters, 1 Heavy Bolter

7- Devastators: 4 Lascannons
6- Devastators: 4 Missile Launchers

Imperial Bunker

Vindicare Assassin
Callidus Assassin
Eversor Assassin
Culexus Assassin

1- Tech Priest: a couple of AP3 guns

3- Kataphract Destroyers: Haywire guns
3- Kataphract Breachers: Heavy Grav Cannons
10- Skitarii Rangers: 3 heavy sniper rifles
10- Skitarii Vanguard: 3 Arc Rifles

3- Robots: 2 with twin-linked AP3 guns, 1 with powerfist and AP3 gun, Datasmith
1- Onager Dunecrawler: Neutron Laser
1- Onager Dunecrawler: Neutron Laser

Knight Errant

That's my Eversor Assassin hiding in the upper right corner. Ready to mulch some Infantry. The haywire Kataphracts are on the right, Grav on the left.

I infiltrate my Callidus right behind the Vanguard. Lots of firepower on the board right now. All his units are on the board and he'll have first turn unless I seize.

I put my bunker right on top of an Objective, so that's where the last one is. I infiltrate the Culexus toward the middle of the board out of LoS of anyone. My MoTF bolstered the battlements in the middle of my DZ, where I put the Missile Devs and Vindicare. Lascannon Devs and the MoTF go in the bunker. I outflank one unit of Scouts. I combat squad all of my tacticals and keep them all in their pods.

I fail to seize, and the shooting gallery begins. I am lucky here, as the Kataphracts roll poorly and between them and the Knight I only lose one HP from my Bunker.

I believe he only had 2 of his Robots in LoS of my Missile Devs, and thanks to the bolstered terrain I only lose 2 Marines, but one is a Missile Launcher.

Combined fire from the Rangers and Vanguard is enough to kill the Callidus, despite needing 6's to hit her. The Dunecrawler closest to the Eversor turned around and blasted him off the table as well. Turn 1, two assassins dead and First Blood to my opponent.

One point to start.

I decide to bring one Melta squad and one Plasma squad in right away. My goal is to damage the Knight and wipe out the Grav Kataphracts. All that Grav is scary as hell. He puts his shield on the front of the Knight. Both Meltas hit and both do a HP. No lucky 5's.

I shoot the Lascannons and Conversion Beamer at the Knight.

And the Missiles and Vindicare. And only manage 1 or 2 more HP. He made a crap-ton of Ion saves. On top of that, the Plasma squad does only minimal damage to the Kataphracts. Both of the Sarge's Plasma Pistol shots miss, and one got hot; he promptly burned to death as a result. Both of those squads shot at the Kataphracts and I think only 1 or 1.5 died. They passed morale as well.

However, I did score all three points thanks to all my Obsec units. And yes, I know I wrote 4 for my points on there, and I didn't catch that until a few turns later. Commence laughing now.

Fortunately for me, my opponent didn't push his Knight upfield too far toward my bunker, and was only at the edge of assault range. He was going to assault the bunker, but decided against it with my Devastators inside being able to fire overwatch. My bunker again holds out as his Melta Cannon does nothing to it.

The Vanguard shoot at my Plasma squad, just killing enough to get rid of the Plasma Gun.

The Rangers blast my Melta squad, killing all but one.

This forces him to have to shoot his last Grav Kataphract at the lone Marine, slaughtering him easily. I forgot to take pics, but both Dunecrawlers shot at my bunker, and both failed to damage it!

My opponent scores two more points, tying it up. I didn't know it at the time, but he had also drawn the Objecctive needing to destroy a building. He either got it this turn or turn one, and obviously held onto it, as he should have been able to destroy my bunker by now. Bad luck has been the only thing keeping it standing.

Both my Reserves come in. I drop a Pod right next to Dunecrawler on my left flank. I get to choose my side for my outflanking Scouts, and they come on behind the Vanguard. In the Psychic Phase, I use three Warp Charges to power the Culexus, who shoots the Grav Kataphract off the board.

The Melta squad hunt armor, cuz that's what they were brought to do. First shot from the Meltagun explodes the Dunecrawler, who kills one of my Scouts and a few Vanguard in the giant 6" explosion.

Lascannons shoot terribly, and failed to do much of anything.

The Missile Devs and Vindicare don't do any better, between poor rolling and Ion saves, only strip two HPs from the Titan.

The all-Bolter squad from the newly arrived Drop Pod shoot at the Vanguard, killing quite a few with their close-range Bolter drill.

I believe I shot the rest of the remnants of my Marines around the center ruin at the Vanguard as well, whittling them down. The Scouts finish them off, taking them off the Objective I needed.

I score another two points, and discard one. I'm ahead by one (counting secondaries) going into turn 3.

Haywire Kataphracts wreck one of my drop pods.

The Rangers snipe out all of my Melta squad except for the Sarge.

My bunker continues to live on borrowed time as my opponent drew an Objective right next to the Drop Pod he was standing by. He backs up, turns, and shoots his heavy stubber at the pod while dropping Melta on my bunker. I think he whiffed, being just outside of his melta range. The last Dunecrawler made up for the Knight's failings this time, and put a penetrating shot through which put a wound on my MoTF and killed a Devastator.

The Robots turned their murderous firepower toward the combat squad nearest them, which thanks to going to ground behind cover, allowed one to live. However, he failed morale afterward and ran toward the ruins behind him.

The Knight expectedly smashes the Drop Pod, netting him a point. For some reason my picture of his cards he scored crashed, but I believe he snagged two again this turn, and if not, at least one.

My opponent had wisely spread his Robots out in front of his Kataphracts to keep the Assassin from getting through to them, likely baiting me into a suicidal charge into the Robots. I again use three warp charges to power the Culexus, shooting the Kataphracts and I believe killed one.

The Titan finally falls to Lascannons, and his explosion hits dead on, doing no collateral damage.

The Vindicare puts a penetrating hit through the Dunecrawler, shaking it. I shot my Missiles at the Robots, but only two wounded; one of the hits was reflected right back at the Devastators when he rolled a 6 for his save! Luckily I made my cover save. Those Robots are a tough nut to crack.

Combined fire from the Scouts, the remnants of the various squads my opponent shot to pieces, and the rapid-firing squad in their faces killed all but two of the Rangers, who failed morale and ran off the board.

I again clear my Objectives, scoring 3. Of note was Objective 3, which I got twice, thanks to my cheap little Scouts sitting on it all game and not having moved an inch. Man I love Scouts.

The Robots continue their trend of erasing units they shoot at, killing the Marines near Objective 4, which he would take.

The Haywire Kataphracts shoot one of my Drop Pods, doing a HP thanks to the cover save.

Just one point for my opponent. I believe it was at this point that he told me he had been holding onto the "destroy an enemy building" card for 3 or 4 turns. Only through sheer terrible luck for him has that building survived; at the start of the game I was confident it would be dead turn 2 and was ready to accept that fact. That single card has screwed him out of points for 4 turns by having to hold onto it. I think he finally discards it now that anything that can kill the building are out of effective range.

Now that the Titan is gone, two Marines remaining from one combat squad peek out from the ruins to move toward an Objective in case I need it later. Similarly, the singular remaining Marine who had run away before had moved into the ruins to just within claiming range of an objective on the other side of the wall. My Scouts in his deployment zone move toward the Objective that my wounded drop pod was sitting on, preparing for the Haywire Kataphracts to wipe it out next turn. Missile Devastators do nothing to the Robots, who either made invul saves or FNP.

The Vindicare fails to pen, thanks to rolling a 1. Some Sniper he is.

Turned out to be a lackluster turn for both of us, as I score one and discard one.

The Dunecrawler knocks another HP off the bunker, taking it down to one.

I believe the Kataphracts glance out the drop pod.

Robots kill another unit of Marines.

Two more points for the Ad Mech!

The Lascannons take out the Dunecrawler. The Missiles do a single wound to a robot. I believe my Vindicare wounded a Robot with his Turbo-Penetrator round, but he made his invul! I rolled for fun and it would have been 3 wounds. Crud. Everyone else shuffled toward objectives. My Scouts tried shooting the Robots, but did nothing against their T7/3+ armor. The Culexus again couldn't get an angle to assault, but I believe killed all but one Kataphract with Psychic shootery.

I draw two of the same objectives, which I hold for two more points. I discard 66 from the previous round.

Robots continue their murderous streak, wiping another combat squad.

His warlord had an ability to allow his Robots to fire twice once per game. He uses this to then turn and put a few wounds on the Culexus Assassin. The Kataphracts finish him off.

Another point for the Ad Mech.

I don't even bother shooting, just sit on my Objectives and score a few more points. We roll and the game ends. Victory to the Spess Muhreens and Assassins!

I strongly felt at the beginning of this game that I would be tabled. My plan in doing this batrep was going to be to show off the new Ad Mech and how nasty they are. I still think they are incredibly tough and killy, but sometimes the dice gods just have to have their say in things. I'm confident that about 8 times out of 10 this Ad Mech list would beat the Marines, but sometimes luck prevails!