Libby, Lv2, Terminator Armour, SS, Force Stave
Scout Squad – 5 man, HB, Hellfire Shells
Tactical Squad – 5 man, PG, Rhino
Tactical Squad – 5 man, MG, Rhino
Sternguard – 6 man, 5 x combiplasma, DP
Legion of the Damned – 5 man, MM, MG, combimelta
Dreadnought – TL AC x 2
Landspeeder – MM x 2

Total Models 32 /Infantry 27 /Characters 1 /Vehicles 5 /Psykers 1

(Ultramarine list is done from memory so might not be all there – sorry Neo!)
Tiggy
Tactical Squad – 10 man, HB, Flamer, combiflamer, Rhino
Tactical Squad – 5 man, PC
Devastator Squad – 5 man, LC x2, ML
Sternguard – 5 man, 1 x combiplasma, 3x x combimelta, DP
Storm Raven – Tl LC, MM, Storm Strike Missiles

Total Models 28 /Infantry 25 /Characters 1 /Vehicles 3 /Psykers 1

Mission: Eternal War: The Scouring
Deployment: Hammer and Anvil
Initiative: I win roll off but decide to go second*
Special Rules: Reserves
Terrain: Battlefield is the smoking husk of an imperial city, where green was apparently the go to paving color. In truth we were both out of practice, and our poor terrain setup probably reflected that. objectives were marked by tank traps and placed randomly*



Warlord Traits: None - I forget to roll on mine and my opponent just plain forgets about Tiggys*
Psychic: Tiggy rolls Invisibility (damn), Shrouding, Dominate and Shriek Primaris. I too get Shrouding, Terrify and Shriek Primaris, but no invisibility (waaaah!)

*Mistake No. 1 - I had some ridiculous last minute idea about countering his Tiggy pod strike with my own pod strike, so decided to go second, surrendering any potential First blood and alpha strike effectiveness. Idiot.
*Mistake No. 2 - neither of us realize that you can put objectives in your own deployment zones, and scattered them around the middle of the park. While this led to a more interesting game, it was none the less a tactical faux par.
*Mistake No. 3 - Warlord could have made a big difference to either of our sides in a mirror codex match.

Reasons why Titan’s Bastard will win:
1: Legion of the Damned. These guys not only give my arguably more mobile list more flexibility with their rerolled deep striking, but are also going to melt pretty much anything they come across. Target for these will either be Tiggy & chums or the Rhino if it still has 10 men riding in it by the time they arrive.
2: Storm Raven. Could potentially be off the board until turn four. If that happens, 20% of his points will be out of the game, which will be a huge bonus for me.
3: Iron Hands. The Chapter Tactics for these guys are great, giving a good overall buff to every unit in my list. If I remember to roll for those FNP/IWND tests, it could be a long afternoon for my opponent. If I remember….*

Reasons why the Ultramarines will win:
1: Tiggy. ‘nuff said.
2: Storm Raven: The exact reverse of above – if it manages to come in on turn two (and with Tiggy’s reroll, likely) then it will be a long afternoon of removing vehicles from the board for me.
3: Devastator Squad: Gives him more range than me, and his deployment area has an obvious position for these guys with almost full view of the board. This will probably prevent my Rhinos from going to far up the pitch with full load, slowing my advance down.

*MASSIVE mistake No. 4 I would, at no point in the game, remember to use either FNP or IWND, effectively fielding a naked set of marines with only the basic attributes GW gave them for comfort.

The Ultramarines deploy first and setup defensively – DEV squad is housed in the ruined tower on the left flank with full field of view, Rhino with 10 Man TAC in the centre, and 5 man TAC hanging back in cover on the right flank near 2pt objective. Tiggy & Sternies in DP and Storm Raven in reserves



Titans Bastards deploy defensively also – both rhinos behind cover to stay out of the DEV squads LC, Rifleman Dread also in cover on right flank near the 4pt objective. Scouts infiltrate up left flank to be within reaching distance of a 3pt objective. LotD, Sternies DP and Landspeeder in reserve.

Drop pod arrives, heads straight for the corner with the 4pt objective. Tiggy & co pile out for a firing position on the Dread. Rhino rumbles up the middle flat out. Tiggy gets shrouded and invisibility off for his unit. DEVs go for Dread but he makes cover saves. Not so lucky against Sternguard though, who unleash the combimeltas and immobilize him. PC has a pop at scouts but scatters off.

Despite my earlier plan of countering his DP with mine, I decide the TAC squad and Dread will probably be able to handle Tiggy & Chums on their own*, so I drop toward the PC TAC squad in the rear, blocking LOS to the DEV’s with the pod itself. TAC team on left flank get out and make their way on foot, as I don’t want them to die in the fireball that will be probably be their rhino T2. Rhino on right also deploys its TAC squad to help the Dread and heads out to draw some fire. Scout sit tight. Psychic roll of 1 means nothing goes off for me.

*Mistake No. 5 – nooooo, of course they can’t take Tiggy and Chums on their own. They will probably need digging out of trouble….



Right flank TAC squad rapid fires Bolters & PG at Tiggys unit, but hit nothing on account of invisibility. Dread cannot move so pings away at Rhino with no luck.



Scouts have a pop at the DEV’s and score a direct hit with the hellfire shell, killing 2 (inc. the ML). They would hold. Sternies go for first blood and open up on the PC TAC squad with all four rapid fire combiplasmas…….killing a grand total of one. Fantastic.



Left flank TAC runs up to the crater edge looking to take the 1pt objective.



VP – Ultramarines 0:0 Titan’s Bastards

Storm Raven arrives (balls). Rhino rumbles further up the board and unloads the flamer TAC squad to grab the 1pt objective.



Tiggy fails to get invisibility off (or I deny, I can’t remember) and Shriek does no damage to the right flank TAC squad.



Sternies take over where Tiggy left off and open up on the TAC, killing two. They would hold (oo-rah marines!)



DEV squad targets the right hand Rhino, penetrating and getting and explode result for First Blood.



Storm Raven Lines up the other Rhino and throws everything at it… which all bounces! Go MKI Rhino go!



TAC in centre open up with flamer & combiflamer, killing two marines. They would break (aw, you suck marines!)



PC would scatter off, but bolter fire would hit the libby. No worries though, 2+ saves are easy, right?

My camera had a bit of a brain fart at this point, so photos become a bit sporadic im afraid.

I roll for reserves, the LotD come in but Landspeeder is lost en route somewhere, probably the A9. LotD drop near Tiggy & Co, aiming to dig them out of trouble and hold the 4pt objective. Dread shuffle’s around for a better firing position, while scouts move up into cover around the 3pt objective.

Rhino surges in front of regrouped marines to give them cover. Nothing happens in psychic phase again.
Sternies open up on TAC unit, this time with hellfire shells, killing all but one – the PC marine. He would hold (Dammit!)



Combined LotD / Dread / TAC fire would whittle Tiggys squad down to one sternie, with Tiggy only surviving due to ‘look out sir’ interventions.



VP – Ultramarines 1:0 Titan’s Bastards

Storm Raven joins the fight for the 4pt objective, maneuvering for a firing angle on the Dread. The HB TAC squad unloads from the rhino and takes a 2pt objective.



The flamer TAC squad abandons its objective in the centre (only 1pt) and goes for the 3pt one held by my scouts. Tiggy fails to get Invisibility off but does get Shrouding I think.



Storm Raven lights up the Dread for an explosion result, killing the two nearest marines. Remaining marine would break and run screaming from the board. So much for not knowing any fear…



Flamer TAC kills two scouts. They would hold. DEVs have another go at the Rhino… and it survives again!

Due to aforementioned camera brain fart, I have no photos of my turn

I roll for reserves, land speeder is still out enjoying the scenery. LotD move in for the kill on Tiggy, right flank TAC move towards 1pt objective in centre, while rhino moves to cover. Libby detaches from Sternies and makes a run for a 2pt objective.* Everything else shuffles. I use Shriek on HB TAC squad, killing two.

LotD Melt Tiggy & Co, handing me Kill the Warlord and an uncontested 4pt objective. Sterngaurd finish off remaining PC TAC marine, giving another uncontested objective and probably Linebreaker. Scouts hit the oncoming flamer TAC with everything they have, killing three. They would hold.

*Mistake No.6 – I think the game ends on turn four, so expose him in the belief that he will be able to grad the objective in the last turn. My horror is palpable when my opponent points out it ends on Turn 5 (he will not be my only exposed unit).

VP – Ultramarines 1:1 Titan’s Bastards

Storm Raven Flies off. Im not sure why he did this (as I haven’t used a Storm Raven before) but I presume it was so he could reposition it turn 5? Anyway, if you look closely you can see the smoking bubble of blue goo that was Tiggy…



Flamer TAC finishes off the scouts, leaving them with an uncontested 3pt Objective.



The DEV’s finally light up the Rhino, getting yet another explosion result and killing two marines. The remaining melta would hold though (hooray!).



The DP kills a legionnaire with its Storm Bolter. Unbelievable……

Land speeder finally finds the battle and joins in. Comes in from my table edge, moving flat out to get onto the Rhino’s side armour and contest the objective (refer to earlier exposed units gaff). Lone melta marine makes a run for the 1pt objective (refer to earlier exposed units gaff) in centre, LotD secure 4pt objective and fail to damage DP.



Libby consolidates onto his objective (refer to earlier exposed units gaff). Nothing of note in the Psychic phase, despite Tiggy’s absence.



Sternies wipe the HB TAC out with Vengeance rounds, while the Landspeeder torches the rhino, causing the fourth explosion result of the day and claiming the 2pt objective.



And that’s it, game over right? Right?!?! What do you mean turn five? *Checks rulebook….* Dammit!

VP – Ultramarines 1:1 Titan’s Bastards

Storm Raven comes back in and lines up my Libby for a hammering. Duly hammers. To death. He gets Slay the Warlord. DEV’s go after my speeder, which jinks to survive.



Storm bolter in the DP finishes off my lone melta marine in the centre

Speeder snap fires at the Storm Raven and hits! Unfortunately I roll a one on the AP and my opponent recovers from the near heart attack.



Nothing more to do, so we roll to see if the game continues…. which is doesn’t! Games ends and we tot up the points

VP POINTS

Ultramarines : 6 pts
First Blood 1pt
Slay the Warlord 1pt
Linebreaker (DP, by about 2mm) 1pt
Eternal War Objectives 3pts

Titan’s Bastards: 10 pts
Slay the Warlord 1pt
Linebreaker 1pt
Eternal War Objectives 8pts

Titan’s Bastards Victory

BREAKDOWN

Decisive moment – when the LotD arrived to sure up the 4pt objective on the right flank and melted Tiggy & Co. This corner was the key battleground today.

Key units

Ultramarines: Storm Raven. Came in early, took Slay the Warlord and killed a Dread and Rhino. Was also almost untouchable due to my lack of AA.

Titan’s Bastards: While the Landspeeder was arguably the most efficient (1 turn, 1 kill, 2pts) it was the LotD who arrived at the right time to swing a key part of the battle and take out Tiggy and his Sterngaurd.

STATS

Ultramarines:
Models remaining 7/28
Kill to Death Ratio 0.95
Efficiency 0.52%

Titan’s Bastards:
Models remaining 12/32
Kill to Death Ratio 1.05
Efficiency 0.48%

First up I have to say thanks to my opponent – he was very sporting in the face of my lack of rules knowledge and showed extreme patience as our game slipped into the three hour mark. Great fun and I hope to play him again (but maybe avoid him at the tourney since we now know each others lists quite well).

I also felt pretty embarrassed at having won – the huge number of gaffs I made should have handed him victory, but I guess focusing on the objectives a turn early actually playing into my hands as not much happened in turn 5 and the game ended when I needed it to. Forgetting the chapter tactics is a massive balls up though, and a mistake I do not want to make again.

Anyway, good game and I hope you have enjoyed my first battle report – any constructive criticism welcome! I will be sure to post some more from next week’s tourney.