The Armies
Ultramarines - Mechanised w/ Solar Auxilia allies
Imperial Fists - Mass infantry supported by a Spartan and Typhon
Iron Hands - Gorgons with tank and walker support
Alpha Legion - Infiltrating infantry with 'Rewards of Treason' Suzerain and air support
Mechanicum - Thallax, Castellax, Domitars, Thanatar, Thralls and a Knight - a bit of everything!
Day 1
Game 1: Ultramarines vs. Mechanicum
Deployment: Diagonal
Mission: Capture Deployment Areas & No Man's Land
This was a rough game, and not least because I hadn't played in years..! Seizing the initiative, I moved forwards with everything, sending a Rhino to go after the enemy deployment and another to capture the middle ground. In retrospect I should have held them back until the end. However, my downfall was leaving the Knight on 1 Hull Point. On the enemy Turn 2 it annihilated my Land Raider and on my Turn 2 the reactor explosion wiped the Suzerain from the table. My valiant Praetor lasted several turns of assault phases against the monstrous creatures of the Mechanicum but eventually succumbed to the last surviving Domitar. The surviving Ultramarines fought valiantly, but quickly fell to plasma bombardment from the Thanatar and mopped up by the remaining Castellax and the deep striking Thallax. A win for the Mechanicum.
Game 2: Ultramarines vs. Alpha Legion
Deployment: Standard
Mission: Dominion
The Alpha Legion chose to deploy first, and deployed... nothing. I put the Auxilia down on one flank, to move forwards and take one objective with the Storm Section. The rest of my army spread out to get LoS lines to potential Infiltration areas, with the Mortis Contemptor and Heavy Support Squad ready for the Storm Eagle, Deathstorm pod & Dreadclaw. The Alpha Legion then deployed, taking three objectives right off the bat, sending the looted Suzerain up the Auxilia-held flank and the Phobos and Veterans after the Heavy Support Squad and Contemptor.
The traitors in Suzerain gear ended up regretting their deployment, rolling low for difficult terrain & running, whilst under barrage from the Auxilia tanks. My Suzerain charged through the centre, clearing an objective and eventually clearing out the Alpha Legion sniper squad, but not before the snipers had picked off the Master of Signals and many of the Heavy Support Squad. The Phobos eventually fell to mass missile fire and the Venator, but its Exploratory Web had done its job already, bringing the Storm Eagle, Deathstorm pod and the Dreadclaw with its Contemptor into play all at the same time.
The melta-armed Contemptor made short work of the Dracosan, immobilising it and making it useless. However, the Storm Section jumped out and finished off the Alpha Legion Praetor, the sole survivor of the Auxilia barrages, making up for their inability to reach the left hand objective with a run roll of 1". The Dreadclaw itself tried to finish off the Storm Section, but a snap shot from the Venator somehow took it out. My Contemptor fell, allowing the Storm Eagle and deep striking Seekers to chip away at the Fulmentarus terminators, but they refused to fall, annihilating the Seekers in turn.
The game ended with me on 4 Victory Points and the Alpha Legion on a mighty 7. However, the Alpha Legion Rite of War granted me an extra Victory Points, and Slay the Warlord was worth d3 points, for which I rolled a 6 for the first suprising victory of the day.
The game ended with me on 4 Victory Points and the Alpha Legion on a mighty 7. However, the Alpha Legion Rite of War granted me an extra Victory Points, and Slay the Warlord was worth d3 points, for which I rolled a 6 for the first suprising victory of the day.
Day 2
Note: We were all very hungover on the second day of gaming. Apologies for some missing pictures..
Game 3: Ultramarines vs. Imperial Fists
Deployment: Standard
Mission: Capture Enemy Deployment Area
The Imperial Fists deployed wide, with two huge units of T5 Breachers ready to move up the board supported by the super-heavy Typhon and Spartan, with three Land Speeders in reserves for a late game outflank. I deployed with the Rhinos on the flanks, the Auxilia on the weaker flank, the Suzerain and Fulmentarus in the centre and the Venator in cover. Seizing the initiative, my army shot forwards, failing to stun the Typhon with the Venator but taking a huge chunk out of the Imperial Fist Heavy Bolter squad deployed in a building with massed missile fire, and another chunk from one of the Breacher squads with the Auxilia tanks.
The Imperial Fists deployed wide, with two huge units of T5 Breachers ready to move up the board supported by the super-heavy Typhon and Spartan, with three Land Speeders in reserves for a late game outflank. I deployed with the Rhinos on the flanks, the Auxilia on the weaker flank, the Suzerain and Fulmentarus in the centre and the Venator in cover. Seizing the initiative, my army shot forwards, failing to stun the Typhon with the Venator but taking a huge chunk out of the Imperial Fist Heavy Bolter squad deployed in a building with massed missile fire, and another chunk from one of the Breacher squads with the Auxilia tanks.
The Fists retaliated by taking out the Fulmentarus and wailing on the Auxilia tanks with a severely underestimated Leviathan Dreadnought, advancing forwards with the infantry and the Spartan. The Venator managed to stun the Typhon and eventually bring it down with the help of the Auxilia tanks (but not without one of the Leman Russes managing to shoot itself), and then dealt with the Leviathan with the help of the Land Raider, earning it Tank of the Match. The Imperial Fists fought back hard, the infantry holding back and eventually killing the Suzerain while my Praetor fought for his life. However, with two Tactical Squads and the Storm Section in their deployment zone, the Typhon gone, the Typhoons appearing on the wrong side of the board and the massive Terminator squad lacking a good target, the Imperial Fists eventually lost.
Game 4: Ultramarines vs. Iron Hands
Deployment: Ambush
Mission: War of Lies
I took the side deployment, leaving the Iron Hands encircled by Ultramarine armour. Unfortunately it turns out that Gorgons really don't like being encircled and got to work demolishing first the Land Raider and then the Venator.
Meanwhile, the Iron Hands Contemptor took out one of my Tactical Squads and the Deredeo turned my Contemptor to dust as well as half of my missile squad. Done with one side of the table, the Gorgons turned and took out my second Tactical Squad and the Fulmentarus while the Spartan, Sicaran and Deredeo blew up my Auxilia tanks, losing only the Sicaran in return.
At the end of the game, I had only five of my Storm Section left, a Rhino and the remnants of my Heavy Support Squad and Master of Signals. The Iron Hands had three objectives, I had one - held by the Storm Section. The last objective was left in the centre, abandoned by the Gorgons. We rolled to see what the objectives were. Mine was worth 2 VP, as was the abandoned objective. The three Iron Hands objectives were worth 0, -2.. and -3. Somehow the game was suddenly a victory to the Ultramarines!
Meanwhile, the Iron Hands Contemptor took out one of my Tactical Squads and the Deredeo turned my Contemptor to dust as well as half of my missile squad. Done with one side of the table, the Gorgons turned and took out my second Tactical Squad and the Fulmentarus while the Spartan, Sicaran and Deredeo blew up my Auxilia tanks, losing only the Sicaran in return.
At the end of the game, I had only five of my Storm Section left, a Rhino and the remnants of my Heavy Support Squad and Master of Signals. The Iron Hands had three objectives, I had one - held by the Storm Section. The last objective was left in the centre, abandoned by the Gorgons. We rolled to see what the objectives were. Mine was worth 2 VP, as was the abandoned objective. The three Iron Hands objectives were worth 0, -2.. and -3. Somehow the game was suddenly a victory to the Ultramarines!
Conclusion
The Ultramarines came out on top, with a cheeky three wins. Our Iron Hands player had offered up a prize for the winner, having not had to pay for a hotel or travel, being a Nottingham local. Behold the latest addition to the XIIIth:
Can't wait to use this thing!
