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A friend came over for a casual game of 40K.

BA 1850
Libby – jump pack
Chaplain
5 man Terminator squad – (5) TH and SS
Land raider – Extra armor
10 man Assault squad – (2) Meltaguns
10 man Assault squad – (2) Meltaguns
9 man Death company – (2) Power weapons
Vindicator
Vindicator
Stormraven – Extra armor

It has been several months since I last fielded death company. I figured I’d dust them off and see if I could get some “charge craziness” to occur. Also, I have had a crush on vindicators lately (probably because I don’t own any of the models). Add some termies… Throw in a land raider… Opps, DC needs a ride; better put them in a stormraven. Voila! Not a tourney list, but it has some fun stuff in it.

Traitor Guard 1850
Company command squad - Colonel Straken, reg standard, vox
Lord commissar - PF
4 man Ogryns
7 man Psyker battle squad
Marbo
5 man Platoon command squad – (4) Meltaguns, chimera
41 man Infantry squad – Commisar w/pw, (4) pws, (3) sniper rifles, (3) las cannons
35 man Conscript squad
6 man Special weapons squad – (2) Flamers, demo charge
Vendetta Gunship
LR Battle tank
LR Demolisher – Las cannon
Basilisk

My friend usually plays more of a mech / power blob hybrid. This time, he wanted to try a few new things. He removed three or four melta vet squads in chimeras to try out Straken, The Lord Commisar, Ogryns, and conscripts.

Mission
We randomly picked a mission form the Battle mission book and randomly determined who was to play what. It ends up being the elder mission, pre-emptive strike, and I played the role of the elder.

Deployment
I knew he had to deploy his HQ near the center of his zone (mission rules), so I tried to focus on the center and consider where cover would be after my first turn of movement. Basically, I deployed as far forward as possible, with vindicator support on each side, Termies in the land raider in the middle, and Death Company in the stormraven on the right flank. He started to deploy his force and it became evident how many more models than me he had on the table. He put his basilisk in the right corner (my right) and his two LRs in the left corner (again, my left, assume my perspective/orientation from now on). The entire middle of the table was filled with guard. His vendetta with special weapons team were in reserves. We rolled to see who goes first, I needed to roll a 2 or higher (mission rule), and I got it.
(please forgive the fuzzy pictures)

BAT1
Plan: I wanted a general advance in which I would pressure several units and be ready to launch assaults in turn 2. My jump troops moved up to cover. The vindies moved up and angled for shots on Armor (my left) and HQs (center). The land raider moved up with the intention of a shot on his armor and a chance to reduce the ogryns. The raven moved up with the intention of reducing the power blob. Actual: All my movement went according to plan. Friendly scatter caused the left vindy shot to kill the entire company command squad, except Straken. I reduced the infantry platoon and put two wounds on an ogryn.
BA 0 – IG 0

IGT1
The conscripts begin a general advance. The Ogryns maneuver to cover. The demolisher and battle tank angle for shots. The earth shaker cannon fired from the back right corner to the middle of the left most side of the table. The guard players can feel good about that 70 + inch shot. I didn’t feel too good about it, I took six casualties. Bring it down orders assist the power blob's three las cannons to explode the stormraven. Death company and a chaplain fall into an explosion crater, unharmed. The demolisher scatters off my left vindy. The battle tank scatters badly off my center assault squad. The psychers scatter badly as well, but manages to kill one marine from my center assault squad.
BA 0 – IG 2
(Stormraven)

BAT2
Plan: The gadget of my army, death company, is now out of my control, in difficult terrain, and 11 to 13 inches away from the enemy (my estimation at the time). They are going to move towards the enemy, with or without my say. I can attempt to charge or wait to get charged during the bottom half of the turn. I decide to commit all my forces to assault and let the dice fall where they may. The left most assault squad will jump over terrain and angle for meltagun shots on his armor followed by assault, if necessary. The left vindy will angle to get a shot on the demolisher. The termies will deploy from the land raider and line up to assault the conscripts. I was concerned about this move at the time. 35 conscripts with counter attack and furious charge can potentially do a lot of damage, but I had decided to commit and by golly I was going to do so! The land raider will take a shot on armor and transports. The libby and center assault squad will move up to shoot, then assault the conscripts as well. Death company would be very vulnerable to the power blob, but I really didn’t have a choice, rage is a tough rule to deal with… Actual: The left vindy fails to penetrate the demolisher. The left assault squad jumps over terrain, fires melta shots and shakes the battle tank. They then multi assault the battle tank and the demolisher and remove the battle cannon. The land raider shakes the platoon command squad chimera. The center assault squad manages to remove four conscripts and then charges with the terminators. I don’t recall how many more I remove in assault, but it wasn’t as dramatic as I had hoped. I lost a terminator and three marines in return. The death company rolled a six to move through difficult terrain. I was so unsure of my distance to the power blob that I decided to not shoot for fear that he would remove the closest model. I launched my assault and got there by about a quarter inch! This was the highlight of the game for me. Eight death company and a chaplain assaulted (one guy was out of reach). 36 attack, with rerolls for 35 hits. 35 wound attempts with rerolls for 34 wounds. He made seven saves and removed 27 models! All of his power weapons were still alive and wrecked me for seven wounds. The counter attack and furious charge combo Straken provides is brutal.
BA 0 – IG 2

IGT2
Mop up operations ensue. I just removed around 40 models from his army, but all his effectiveness was still intact. Marbo showed up behind the left most assault squad. Combined shooting resulted in two more dead marines. The left vindy gets shaken. The platoon command squad deploys from the chimera and wrecks the land raider. Ogryns pile into the terminators, kill one. Straken and the lord commissar pile into the center assault squad. A few more marines die. Death company looses the chaplain and a couple more marines.
BA 0 – IG 6
(Chaplain, Land raider)

BAT3
Plan: This game is over. I have around 10 models left on the board. Time to work on sportsmanship! We play it out. I have two meltagunners remaining in the left assault squad. They will shot at a tank, then assault if necessary. Termies, center assault squad, and one remaining death company will continue to try to fight through the sea of guard. Left vindy, shaken, pops smoke. Right vindy takes aim at the platoon command squad. Actual: The right vindy gets immobilize on terrain, then kills all five of the platoon command squad. The left melta gunners fail to penetrate, then assault and fail to penetrate. The center assault squad and libby die, the terminators run from combat. The last death company marine dies.
BA 1 – IG 12
(Platoon command squad)(Librarian, Assault squad, Death company)

My notes and pictures are absent or too fuzzy to post at this point. My friend and I both agreed the game was over, but we played a turn four for fun and I was basically killed to a man. The highlight of the game for me was the death company assault. I didn't ask, but I assume the highlight of the game for my friend was cutting down my death company after I assaulted!

Anyway, thanks for reading and I always welcome constructive comments!

That is some incredible DC action - great decision not to shoot your bolters at the conscript blob he had. I think he might have overextended himself a bit.

I may be wrong, but I thought they removed the F.A.Q. that enabled units with counter-attack to utilize Furious Charge. They still get the extra swing for counter attack though (which defensive grenades sadly doesn't negate and makes my Daemonettes sad).