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Based on the results of my first 3 Gaunltet rounds, i made some changes to my IG list and wanted to try a quick game last night against my own Vulkan Mech list. I am pretty confident in the ability of my Vulkan List to handle new guard so this was a test of both my Marine list against new guard, and my new guard against one of the harder marine matchups.

I had found that a lack of scoring units to be my key weakness in my MechVets Guantlet list so here I made some slight changes to help with that problem.

211th Cadian Armored Cavalry Regiment / Alpha Company, 1st Battalion(Reinforced)

HQ- Colonel Carlston Ebonstone Regimental Commander 211th Armored Cav
CHQ – 4x Melta, Chimera Hull HF, ML (145pts)

HQ- Captain Damian Emerald, Company Commander, Alpha Co. 1st BN of the 211th Armored Cav.
CHQ - – 4x Melta, Chimera Hull HF, ML (145pts)

Elites – Regimental Primaris Auxillary Detachment
Psyker Battle Squad, (1 Minder, 8 Psykers), Chimera Hull HB, ML (145) pts

Elites – Inquisitor Alexander Crucius & Retinue
DH Inquisitor+ 2x Mystics (32pts)

Troops – Inquisitorial Strike Team Alpha
Inquisitorial Storm Troopers x5 (50pts)

Troops – Inquisitorial Strike Team Gamma
Inquisitorial Storm Troopers x5 (50pts)

Troops- 1st Assault Support Squad, Sgt William Grey
Veteran Squad, 3x Melta, Chimera Hull HF, ML (155pts)

Troops – Fire Support Squad, Sgt Michael Pike
Veteran Squad, 3x Plasmagun, 1x AC team Chimera Hull HF, ML (180pts)

Troops – 2nd Assault Support Squad, Sgt Christopher Scott
Veteran Squad, 3x Melta Chimera Hull HF, ML (155pts)

Fast Attack – 828th Ground Support Squadron, Gold One – call sign “Gambler“
1x Valkyrie Gunships with Rocket Pods (130pts)

Fast Attack – 828th Ground Support Squadron, Gold Two – call sign “Gunslinger”
1x Vendetta Gunships (130pts)

Fast Attack – 828th Ground Support Squadron, Gold Three – call sign “Night Stalker”
1x Vendetta Gunships (130pts)

Heavy Support – B Troop, 13th Armored BN, 211th Armored Cavalry
1x Executioner, 1x LR Demolisher w/Plasma Sponsons (395 pts)

Facing this was my Vulkan Mech list, a variant of Stelek’s “Best of” Marines list that has done Very Well for me.

Vulkan
Dread, MM ,HF
Dread, MM ,HF
Dread, MM ,HF
Tac Squad – Melta, MM, Rhino
Tac Squad – Melta, MM, Rhino
Tac Squad – Flamer, MM, Rhino (Vulkan Rides here)
2x Land Speeder MM-HF
2x Land Speeder MM-HF
2x Land Speeder MM-HF
Predator- AC,HB
Predator- AC,HB
Predator- AC,HB

That’s 12 Multi Meltas, 10 Heavy Flamers plus the dakka preds for MC duty, it has been highly effective and the only losses I have had with it are when I have tried to fit a Land Raider in and messed up the synergy.

So we decided to do an objective based mission since that had been my biggest weak point in the previous gauntlet games and we wanted to see if my changes helped.

We went with board edge deployment and full 5 objectives, we rolled for deployment and 1st turn, and of course he won. I have to say that watching as all of those Speeders came down on the table I was more than a little nervous. He deployed with the predators in board center with a pretty good lane of fire through the scattered terrain and ruins on the board. His Rhinos lined up on the right flank carrying the combat squad portions with the special weapons and sergeants. The Heavy Weapon Combat squads deployed two on the Left and One on the right each in position to claim that quarter’s objective. The Speeders set up in reserves while the Dreads each hid behind a rhino preparing to support the general advance.


I decided to take advantage of that deployment by going for a refused flank left. I deployed my Tanks just left of center with my Mystic Valkyrie hovering just to the right of them. My entire Chimera Phalanx set up on the left in a double line staggered formation The Three Vet Squads were in the front line, while the Two CCS and the PBS were behind and to the right. The two Vendettas were deployed Just to the left of the Chimeras.

Before the game started I took a Scout move with Both Vendettas, putting them almost directly in between his Predators and the MM squads. I was just out of range of the MM squads and was set up for a perfect flank shot on the Predators.

SM TURN 1

The Marines Moved forward with all 3 Rhinos and Dreads. Moving directly at the board center and my tanks, they all moved full speed and popped smoke followed by a straggle of running Dreads. The Preds all Pivoted to show their front armor to the vendettas and lined up the turrets for shots on my Inquisitor’s Valkyerie. The Two MM battle squads moved toward the Vendettas to get within short melta range and least force them to move next turn or take two MM shots in the tail.

His shooting was quick as only his AutoCannons were in range as the Dreads had all run, not that I was worried about long range melta fire on my Tanks. The Predator AC’s did a little better than the odds and scored two glances and a pen. The Valk was forced to land due to an immobilized result and also suffered a shaken and lost the Multilaser to a weapons destroyed result. The Mystics inside were still in the game, however.

IG TURN 1

I knew that I had to do as much damage as I could before the speeders showed up so I moved my Chimeras Aggressively directly toward the center and his Predators. Imade sure to leave clear fire lanes for the tanks to target one of the marine melta squads and moved the entire Chimera Phalanx at full speed and popped smoke. The Tanks moved Back and to the left, trying to keep their distance for the Charging Marine attack while getting just in range for a strike on the Marines. The Vendettas were forced to move so as to get out of short range of the marine meltas but still could not get a side shot on the preds.

My shooting phase started great as one vendetta annihilated a dakka pred, then went downhill from there. My Second Vendetta only hit once despite twin linked and just bounced of the front armor of the Pred. My Tanks did manage to kill off one of the two melta squads but I was out of range for the big Demolisher plate and did not get any lucky scatters into the other squad. As everything else had either smoked or was shaken that was all I had.

SM TURN 2

Two of the three Speeder squadrons came in, but the -1 would not have made a difference on either role so I did not bemoan my choice to forgo the advisors. As the mystic was still on the board he chose to come in on the far left flank behind my chimeras and well out of the range of the mystics ring of death. He did get an unlucky scatter on one of them that moved them out of short melta range, but against the rear armor of my chims I did not expect that to matter.

The Rhino wall continued to move at full speed toward my tanks, and reached short melta range for next turn. Dreads all walked as they were now in short range of the landed Valkyrie and the rather defenseless Inquisitor inside. The surviving marine Melta squad on the left moved away and ran to hid behind the hill in that table quarter deciding that it was more important to survive and contest the objective than to take any more MM shots. The predators moved back to keep the vendettas firmly in their front arc.

Shooting was quick again with the Dreads first blasting the hapless Valkyire into splinters, killing both mystics and leaving the Inquisitor standing alone and defenseless in the middle of a flaming wreck. The third dread took a pot shot at the Tanks but just managed to singe some paint. The predators and the right MM marines all fired on the vendettas and managed to stun one, and blast a Lascannon off the other. The two Landspeeder squadrons each killed a chimera wreking the PBS squads chim and detonating the Plasma Vets ( killing 4).

IG Turn 2

With only one Vendetta functional for this turn I decided I better get to killing the things I should have been shooting from turn one, Rhinos. I turned the Vendetta around to get my lascannons in arc of the Rhinos and managed to keep my side armor facing the Preds.
The surviving chims split up to attack the various threats. The Melta vet chims turned around to face the landspeeders while the Two CCS Chims then moved into long melta range of the predators. As they all moved battle speed they would all be able to fire. The tanks were in a tough spot as they had landpeeders to the rear and melta guns and dreads to the front. I decided to back up and give the speeders my rear armor and hope the vets could do the job.

In the shooting phase I targeted one speeder squad with a soulstorm at ST8, and managed to kill one with an immobilized. The Plasma vets threw 6 plasma gun and 2 autocannon shots into the survivor and blew it out of the sky. The remaining squadon was annihilated by the combined fire of two multilasers and 6 meltaguns.

The two CCS chims each fired on a separate Melta Rhino from long range. One was wrecked while the other was immobilized and shaken several times only to be wrecked by the Vendetta. He disembarked on opposite sides of the wrecked rhinos to make it hard on my tanks without putting themselves too far away to get into short melta range on his turn. My tanks turned thier fire onto one of the two melta squads but for once the squadron failed me almost completely. Only one of my 5 plasma templates hit, killing 3, while the demolisher missed completely. I supposed it had to happen but it left the marines in much better shape to finish of my tanks on thier turn 3.

SM TURN 3

With things getting hot and heavy at board center he decided that when his speeders came in right on time on turn 4 ( this time an officer of the fleet would have stopped this) he put them right behind the tanks, and nailed the scatter. The remaining Rhino moved forward towards board center giving him a change to cook the lone inquisitor and claim the center board objective. His two Marine Squads moved forward getting within close melta range of the tanks as well. The dreads all moved toward the CCS chims but none reached close range and the preds stayed put.

The Predators Managed to finish off the shaken Vendetta, but the Storm Troopers inside took to their grav chutes and survived the destruction of their ride unscathed. The Skimmers and Melta Marines combined to destroy both Tanks. (/cry)

After I recovered from the loss of my beloved battle tanks Vulkan’s battle squad burned the Inquisitor to ashes and then the dreads fired on the CCS Chimeras immobilizing one and shaking the other. The Right Flank MM combat squad was just in range for a side shot on the immobilized CCS chimera and blew off the multi laser.


IG TURN 3

With the Marines now leading 3-1 in claimed objectives, my tanks destroyed and only one of my three skimmers still functional it was now up to the guardsmen to turn this around. I knew my greatest threat was going to be the dreads so the two CCS squads disembarked and moved to combat the dreads, the surviving Chim then put itself between them and the infantry killing Predators. The two Melta Vets moved at battle speed to the center and the Plasma Vets held position holding my one objective along side the PBS. My lone surviving Vendetta moved to support the CCS in their attack on the dreads.

I gave BID to both CCS squads, each one targeting a separate Dread, and carrying out the order to a tee, destroying both Dreads. The last dread was more fortunate suffering only a weapon destroyed result from the last Vendetta, I chose the multi melta.

The plasma vets and PBS Soulstorm combined to destroy one of the two melta marine BattleSquads. The two Melta Vet Squads and their Chimera’s combined to finish off the last LandSpeeder squadron, but it had more than done its job.

SM TURN 4

Things started moving pretty quickly at this point. The last Dread flamed one CCS, and charged the other. The Preds started erasing my infantry with one erasing the IST squad and the other killing 4 more of the Plasma Vets (leaving only one Plasmagun and the SGT). Vulkan’s Rhino held position and the last surviving Melta Marine ran towards the Melta Vet chimeras and immobilized one of them.

IG TURN 4

With only two guaranteed turns left I now switched to objective grab mode. My last CCS was locked into a doomed combat with the last dread so I moved the surviving CCS shim towards the right flank melta squad in a courageous but probably futile charge. The Vendetta made an ‘all out’ moved to the last objective on my side of the right flank While my functional Melta Vet chim moved up to put itself right beside Vulkan’s Rhino. The vets in the immobilized chim jumped out and took cover on the far side making sure they were in range for a turn 5 objective grab in case the plasma vets did not survive.

To start my shooting, the lone CCS chimera did nothing to the MM marines holding the rear right objective.

In the center, where everything would be decided The two Melta Vet Chims killed of the last meltagun marine, the melta vets in the chim blew open Vulkan’s Rhino and the combined attacks of the second melta vet squad, the surviving plasma vets and the PBS killed all 5 marines leaving Vulkan standing alone amids a pile of Salamander corpses and burning Rhinos. But the mighty space marine contested the objective making it a 2-2 tie going into turn 5.

The Dread then finished off the last CCS squad and prepared to weigh in on the crucial Center objective.

SM Turn 5

With little left on the board the Marines went quickly. The last dread moved forward and exploded the melta vet chimera, killing 3 but not close enough to charge. Vulkan however was right there and after killing another 5 with his heavy flamer he charged the two terrified guardsman left alive. One predator finished off the plasma vets while the other tried in vain to destroy the Vendetta at long range but the right flank multimelta squad had no trouble blasting the suicidal CCS chimera to bits.

The assault phase saw Vulkan quickly dispatch the last two members of the vet squad. Then consolidated back to stand defiantly alone atop the center objective.

IG TURN 5

With only two scoring units left alive there was little I could do to win as his two surviving scoring units were for the most part beyond my reach. Hoping for a turn 5 I Ran my PBS toward the center of the board hoping to get in range of the right flank marine squad on turn 6. My last Melta Vet Squad moved to replace the plasma vets atop the right rear objective. I spread them out so that half of the squad was hidden behind the immobilized Chimera from the pov of the Predators and prepared to go to ground at first opportunity. My Vendetta stayed put atop it’s objective and sniped two Marines off the opposite objective thanks to two failed cover saves.

We rolled and the game ended here in a draw, we played out turn 6 anyway just to see if it made a difference but Vulkan was too far to reach my melta vets, the MM dread was too far from my vendetta and his mm marines made their cover saves so no objectives changed and it would not have made a difference.

LESSONS LEARNED

This was the first game where my tanks had not played a major part and although the vets managed to fight their way to a draw it showed me how crucial the tanks are to the army, and how critical it is for me to protect them. I also paid heavily for having them in a squadron this time, but it has worked so well for me in every other game that im hesitant to change it based on just one game. It also drove home to me how important those extra scoring units were as they were the difference in a draw and a loss.

From the point of view of my Vulkan marines I was very happy to see how well they performed and with a slightly more aggressive initial deployment I think they could have done even better.

It was an extremely even match all game long but the turning point was the loss of the Mystics early in the game that allowed the speeders to get close to my tanks and finish them off. Overall it was the speeders ability to frak up my deployment and get behind me over and over that hurt me the worst.

Based on this and all the other Gauntlets I have put together three alternative lists, all of which I like for different reasons, Im going to post them in the Army Lists Section and would love some feedback as to which you all think is best.

Looks like it was a real nail biter

You content with 4 scoring units?

This list actually has 5, 3 vet squads and the two little IST Squads.

That made me feel like I had plenty of ways to grab objectives.

I have another version of the army im going to try this weekend that goes down to 4 scoring units, but ads a Hydra Flak Battery and makes the Air Cav contingent each Melta Vets but at the expense of the PBS.

I kind of like that one better as it gives the air cav units a punch more survivability, but the loss of the PBS is a concern.

I put up all three of my list variants over at Army Lists,

Wow close game! Another great report.

Right now I'm usin 4 vet squads at 1500 points and I think it is just enough scoring units...wish it wasn't so many kill points though. I also don't run a PBS..people around here have pretty much stopped taking easy to shoot->resolve units xD.

Overall I think the list you used in this game, or any of the 3 in the army list section are all quite solid my only concern is lack of long range fire apart from the vendettas but meh I guess thats IG weakness right now if you go the vet route.