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Played an interesting maelstrom game yesterday, my Imperial Fists vs. my housemates DE. Rough lists:

IF 1850 (Single CAD)

Chapter Master - bike, SE, TH
Terminator Assault Squad - 3 LC, 2 TH/SS - Land Raider (Godhammer pattern)
Bike Squad (5) - 2x grav gun
Tactical Squad (10) - Flamer, HB, Combi-plasma - Rhino w/dozer blade (combat squadded)
Tactical Squad (10) - Flamer, ML, Combi-plasma - Rhino w/dozer blade (combat squadded)
Stormtalon - skyhammer
Stormtalon - skyhammer
Thunderfire cannon
Stalker - storm bolter
Devastator Squad (5) - 2x lascannon, 2x ML



DE 1850 (Scalpel Squadron, Grotesquerie, RSR)

Archon in Raider
2x 5 kabalite warriors in Raider
3x Ravager
2x Razorwing jetfighter
3? (Grots? 3 attacks, rampage, T5, 3W guys)
Scalpel squadron - 2 venoms, 2x 5 wracks
Grotesquerie - a big blob of tough wounds that I ran away from/hid in a LR from all game!

We played Contact Lost, which gave me a huge advantage as I started on 3 objectives and my OS plus manouvrability allowed me to get Ascendancy and Domination, whilst contesting/scoring his backfield objectives. His scalpel squadron wiffed and he was forced to kill the TFC turn 1 with another unit as well as the Stalker (we'd determined the previous game both units were a heavy threat to his army).

My turn 1 was an abject disaster - I think I managed to kill a venom and my bikes + CM failed the charge as the wreck made it difficult terrain... my shooting was pretty ineffective and it looked like I was going to be trounced. However over the next few turns I managed to push him off objectives and retain mine, and when my stormtalons came on I was able to hover and grab all 6 (aided by my obsec bikers thanks to the 'mounted assault' rule) with the help of some long-range bolter fire from tac squads, killing his warriors.

We stopped counting maelstrom/victory points eventually, it ended something like 19-6, and his only hope of victory was tabling me. He made a big mistake in where he brought the Grotesquerie in, and it ended up hemmed in by a Land Raider and a lot of difficult terrain (Ruins)... I'd moved a combat squad (obsec) inside to keep a backfield objective, and he was slowly running out of can-openers to kill the AV14 tank... MVP for me was my TFC Techmarine Gunner, who flamed/plasma cuttered a couple of skimmers, repaired an immobilised and two hull points on the Land Raider, and was an all-round star. That man deserves a medal! (or a new toolbox).

In all, I think it demonstrated how important mobility is for maelstrom (and how swingy some of the missions can be). In terms of DE, the Scalpel Squadron seems very powerful, and I think we learnt the problem of an expensive deathstar-style assault unit with no mobility (I ran away from the Grots all game, except the last turn where they completely murderised the Dev Squad. They really needed a way to open up the Land Raider).

Both myself and my opponent are learning about the DE army (I still have little idea what most of the more interesting units do!)