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My son and I started playing a game this weekend using one of the new missions from the Altar of War: Dark Angels digital book. We chose the mission in advance, so that may explain my unusual choices in my army structure. We're still in the midst of playing this game, right now at the bottom of turn 2, and I'll continue to update this as the game goes on.

Here's a brief summary of the mission, for those who don't have it. Dark Angels deploy within six inches of their table edge. Enemy deployment zone is all of the table except 12" closest to the DA table edge (although due to our unusually long, thin table, we decided to extend this to 18"). Enemies deploy all of their units anywhere in enemy deployment zone except dangerous terrain. Units are deployed hidden, which means they are represented by tokens until a Dark Angel unit moves within 12". That that time, the enemy player can either put the unit in ongoing reserves or deploy it, with at least one model at the location of the token and all other models within unit coherency. (The enemy player may also choose to reveal the tokens and deploy them starting on their turn 2, but not sooner.)

Dark Angels get first turn, and may deploy any Ravenwing units or units with the Scouts USR. The mission features objective markers as well. We also chose to run a different DA mission from the same book, which extends another mission with some additional objectives. Essentially, one of the Independent Characters on the enemy side has information on/is one of the Fallen (probably the former in this case) and there are some additional victory points based on whether or not the IC is captured/killed/escapes. Because they are hunting the Fallen, all Dark Angels are Zealots.

My army:

FOC1 - (2x HQ, 1x FA, 5x Troops)
Sammael (HQ)

Ravenwing Attack Squad (Troops)
3 Bikes, 2x Plasma Gun
Attack Bike with MultiMelta

Ravenwing Attack Squad (Troops)
3 Bikes, 1x Plasma Gun, 1x Flamer

Ravenwing Support Squadron (FA)
Landspeeder with HB/AC

Ravenwing Command Squad (HQ)
3 Knights, 1 Grenade Launcher upgrade

Scout Squad (Troops)
5 Scouts with Bolters
Heavy Bolter upgrade

Scout Squad (Troops)
5 Scouts with Bolters
Heavy Bolter upgrade

Scout Squad (Troops)
10 Scouts with Sniper Rifles and Camo Cloaks
Missile Launcher (w Flakk) upgrade

FOC2 - 2x HQ, 1x Elite, 2x Troops
Belial (HQ)

Librarian (HQ)
in TDA

Deathwing Knight Squad (Elite)
5 Deathwing Knight Terminators

Deathwing Squad (Troops)
5 Deathwing Terminators
1 TH/SS upgrade
1 CML upgrade

Deathwing Squad (Troops)
5 Deathwing Terminators
1 TH/SS upgrade
1 AC upgrade


His list:

Flyrant
Tyrannofex with Rupture Cannon
2x Carnifexes with Heavy Venom Cannon
10x Gargoyles
3x Shrikes
12 Termagants
6 Genestealers
2 Hive Guard
Deathleaper
Trygon
Zoanthrope

Some of the details on his army may be inaccurate, I don't have a list to refer to.

Unfortunately, I forgot to get a picture of deployment. Essentially, all of my units started within six inches of my table edge. I deploy with the Sniper scouts combat squadded, half on each side of the table. One squad of bolter/HB scouts is on each side as well. I used Scout moves for the Ravenwing Bikes, Sammael (attached to the Black Knights) and the Scouts to move them forward. Tyranids were deployed liberally around the middle of the table. We rolled three objectives -- my son put the first one on a Ruined Sanctuary 1/3 of the table away (rookie mistake), I placed the secondnear a piece of downed Aquilla scenery adjacent to my deployment zone, and he placed the last one far on his side of the table. His only Independent Character is the Flyrant, so my work will really be cut out for me to take him down, especially in close combat to get the biggest bonuses. I chose to use Deathwing Assault on turn 2.


DA Turn 1:

With no targets to fire at, I run with my Scouts to get them in better defensive position. One squad of Bolter Scouts captures the nearest objective and camps on it. One squad each of Bolter and Sniper scouts run for the sandbags. The other squad of Sniper scouts takes up defensive position around the cockpit of the downed Aquilla. The Landspeeder, having been unable to make a Scout move, moves full out 18" forward to make up ground. Sammael and the Black Knights rush forward, revealing four tokens (which happen to be the Flyrant, Deathleaper, Gargoyles and Shrikes, all of whom go to ongoing reserve. The two squads of Ravenwing bikers come around either side of the Ruined Sanctuary, revealing two more tokens (Trygon, into OR, and the Carnifexes). Fire from plasma guns amongst the bikers, the multimelta on the attack bike, and Sammael strip two wounds off one Carnifex and another off the second.

Tyranids Turn 1:

The Carnifexes lumber forward and unload with their HVCs and Bioplasma. The HVCs both miss, but one of the Bioplasma shots wipes two of the Ravenwing Command Squad out of existence (both failed their saves). The only one left is the guy with the Grenade Launcher. Unfortunately, the Carnifexes are out of charge range.

DA Turn 2:

The Ravenwing continue to push forward aggressively, revealing the remaining tokens: 12 Termagants, 2 Hive Guard, a Tyrannofex up on a mountain (who was cunningly hiding in plain sight until I got close), a Zoanthrope and a small squad of Genestealers. Using locator beacons on the bikes, the two Deathwing Squads teleport down near the Ravenwing Attack Squads. One of them arrives in the Ruined Sanctuary, capturing objective #2. Belial and the Deathwing Knights come down behind the Genestealers and Tyrannofex.

Combined fire from the Attack Bike, Landspeeder, RAS and Terminators take out the Tyrannofex before it gets a single shot off with that nasty Rupture Cannon. This was exceedingly lucky, because my opponent rolled four ones on five dice for 2+ saves. The Carnifexes also fall to fire from Scouts, Terminators and Ravenwing Bikers. The Plasma Cannon on Sammael's Jetbike scores a direct hit on the termagants and obliterates six of them (I failed to wound one of them), and the Knight follows up with a Stasis Grenade hit.

In the assault phase, Sammael and Knight charge the Termagants. Overwatch fire grazes Sammael, stripping a wound off him (he and the Knight saved the other three wounds). In CC, they massacre six of the remaining seven termagants, forcing a failed morale check and wiping out the last one.

We had to break here because of some other responsibilities, and haven't managed to get back to the game yet. We plan to play a few more turns tonight, before hopefully finishing up on Tuesday. All in all, I think things are going well for the Men-In-Robes, with only two Knights lost in exchange for two Carnifexes, a squad of Termagants and a Tyrannofex. Of course, the bugs still have a bunch of units left to arrive, and I have no good anti-air support, so it's too soon to relax...