This is a summary of a friendly 5th edition battle that happened a little while ago, but for which I had taken a reasonable amount of notes. I was playing the World Eaters. I hadn't painted up my Khorne winged raptors at that point, sadly. If I play Khorne marines again, I'll certainly use them if the points value goes up to about 1500.
Overview:
Board: square 4' x 4'
Mission: Annihilation
Deployment: Spearhead (Table Quarters)
Terrain: A number of scattered craters (4+ cover saves) but otherwise flat and featureless.
World Eaters Army List:
HQ: Kharn the Betrayer (165)
Troops 1: 8 Khorne Berzerkers, champion with power fist, 2 plasma pistols, icon (243)
Troops 2: 8 Khorne Berzerkers, champion with power fist, 2 plasma pistols, icon (243)
Troops 3: 8 Bloodletters (generic lesser daemons) (104)
Heavy Support: Vindicator with daemonic possession (145)
Heavy Support: Predator with autocannon and heavy bolters (100)
Kharn is deployed with troops number 1.
6 Killpoints.
Death Wing Army List:
HQ: Belial (130)
Elites: Venerable Dreadnought with twin-linked lascannon (165)
Troops 1: 5 Death Wing Terminators with 1 heavy flamer (225)
Troops 2: 5 Death Wing Terminators with company banner and close combat armaments (2x thunder hammer; 3x lightning claws) (235)
Troops 3: 5 Death Wing Terminators with 1 cyclone missile launcher and 2 chainfists (245)
Belial is deployed with Troops number 2.
5 killpoints.
Turn 1.
The Death Wing reserves everything (deciding against the usual Turn 1 Death Wing assault) as I manage to force them to take the first turn. I'm uncertain if that was the right option for the Death Wing - 1 less turn of me shooting at them might make a difference, but I would have personally gone with it anyway.
For my setup, I try to hog my chosen corner with everything I have (apart from the reserved daemons). I plan to use the vehicles to screen the line of sight to my troops as best as I can and place one of my troops in to a crater. I await the Death Wing.
Turn 2.
Everything except Death Wing Troops number 3 arrives! I guess not doing the Death Wing assault didn't matter all that much after all. Troops number 2 scatters in to a crater and takes one wound (and one lightning claws casualty) due to dangerous terrain effects. Ouch! The venerable dreadnought scatters a whole 11 inches and cannot be deployed as it would have landed on my predator! What a lucky break! We roll on the teleport mishaps table and I get to place the dreadnought. It is a small board, so the lascannon will still see everything, so I simply put the dreadnought in the opposite corner to my set up and hope that he doesn't make my lines in time. Here's the situation pictured:
The dreadnought in the far corner shoots with its twin-linked lascannon and hits the vindicator, but only for a glancing hit. The glance results in a stunned and shaken crew ... but the daemon possessing the vindicator laughs at the tickle. The only model in Death Wing troops number 2 with anything to fire is Belial. It then occurs to me that my opponent should have kitted Belial out with some lightning claws as well. I'll tell him that after the game. His two shots target a berzerker in the crater, one causes a wound, but the power armour saves the World Eater. Death Wing troops number 2 have 4 storm bolters in range and take fire at the same squad of World Eaters. Two berzerkers perish.
At last, it is my turn to shoot things. (Aside: My daemons decide that they're comfy in the Warp and don't get summoned this turn). The predator stays still and the vindicator rolls forward. My first troops squad (with Kharn in in) heads due north, getting in pistol range (just) of the first Death Wing troops. My second squad of World Eaters does the same, heading toward the same set of terminators and getting within pistol range. At the expense of turning its side armour toward the thunder hammer terminators, the vindicator lets rip on the first squad of Death Wing terminators. It scores a direct hit! All 5 models get wounded. Two of them make their invulnerable saves. Two left. My berzereker squad open fire on the remaining two. One berzerker in squad 2 dies from his own plasma pistol (sigh). However, the remaining 14 (with 3 plasma pistols) take down one more terminator. Only 1 left. That leaves me in a bit of a muddle. Should the predator target the 1 remaining terminator or start on Belial's squad? Better to take the kill point I think. Two autocannon shots and 6 heavy bolter shots result in 7 hits (1 heavy bolter miss) and 3 wounds. One of those three wounds sticks - squad destroyed.
Killpoints: 1-0 in favour of the World Eaters.
Turn 3.
The third and final squad of the Death Wing detachment arrives. No mishaps. They deploy close to where the first Death Wing squad was. Belial's squad rolls a 3 for difficult terrain and barely manages to get out of the crater! Meanwhile the dreadnought trudges forward.
In the shooting phase, Belial and company fleet a further 6 inches more toward my vindicator. The third squad of Death Wing let rip on my World Eaters with 4 storm bolters and a frag missile. Four more World Eaters perish. There's only 3 Berzerkers left in squad 2 now: the champion, a plasma pistol and a normal berzerker!
The Dreadnought targets the predator and scores a penetrating hit resulting in one wrecked predator.
My bloodletters arrive from the Warp in my turn and deep strike next to squad 2 - ready to assault the Death Wing alongside the World Eaters. My berzerkers move closer to the Death Wing. But shooting comes first. The vindicator takes aim at Belial and misses! Oh no! That miss could well be the last shot it takes in the game if the Dreadnought takes it out next turn! My remaining plasma pistol in squad 2 causes a casualty in the recently arrived terminator squad. Meanwhile my other squad (with Kharn in) also removes a thunder hammer terminator in Belial's squad.
And then there's a big charge. Everything apart from my vindicator is now engaged. Furious charge is wonderful for World Eaters - they go before the terminators and the daemons. Only Belial can match them. But Kharn trumps Belial on a furious charge initiative. Kharn hits Belial 5 times and a luckless World Eater once. The World Eater is removed. Betrayer! All 5 hits on Belial wound. Only one of them is saved. Belial is minced by Gorechild. The rest of the squad (apart from the champion) inflicts one further casualty on the terminator squad, reducing them to two lightning claws and one thunder hammer terminator. The terminators promptly slay every berzerker apart from Kharn (unwounded) and the Skull Champion - the company banner was inspirational in doing this! The Champion takes his aim with his power fist and causes three valuable wounds. One save is made: one lightning clawed terminator left.
In my other squad, the berzerkers fail to cause any casualties. Meanwhile the daemons inflict two unsaved wounds from a bucket load of attacks. The terminators promptly slaughter the last of the berzerkers. No more casualties result from the combat resolution step.
At the end of this turn, Death Wing has the following remaining:
1 Dreadnought, 1 lightning clawed terminator in squad in squad 2, 3 terminators (including the chainfists and the missile launcher) in squad 3.
Meanwhile, the World Eaters have:
Kharn (unwounded), 1 skull champion from squad 1, 8 daemons, and the vindicator.
Kill points: 2-2
Turn 4.
Here's the situation pictured below:
Not much movement for Death Wing to do -- the Dreadnought comes forward and targets the vindicator. The vindicator becomes immobilized, but at least it can still fire should the need arise. In close combat, Kharn finishes the job and slays the last of Belial's chums. The daemons inflict one more casualty, but suffer 5 in return - ouch! Having lost the combat, the rest of the bloodletters promptly get slaughtered by the two remaining terminators. But from my point of view, that means that the vindicator can get a shot at them in my turn.
Speaking of which, I move Kharn and the skull champion forward toward the remaining terminators. I need not have bothered as the vindicator kills the last of the terminators. The only Death Wing left on the board now is the Venerable Dreadnought. Its going to take a while to get here and will probably finish off the vindicator along the way I reckon.
Kill Points: 4-3 in favour of the World Eaters.
Turn 5.
The dreadnought goes in to reverse gear and heads back toward its corner thus further delaying any assault! Darn - my opponent must know Kharn gets 2d6 on his armour penetration roll. But I also think it is a mistake - with its storm bolter in range, it could have inflicted even more casualties. It fires on Kharn and the Skull Champion and misses! Phew.
Okay, what do I do? I'm winning by 1 kill point, but I need to keep all three units alive somehow. It'll only take one wound on the Skull Champion or Kharn to instant kill them, if we go for another turn or two. Time to call off the hunt and get them in to some cover. They move toward the bottom right hand crater where the berzerkers originally started and then fleet toward its centre, all the time, keeping the vindicator between them and the dreadnought as best as possible. That's about the best I can do. I'll also go to ground there when shot at - that'll provide a 3+ cover save.
Turn 6.
The game continues. The dreadnought doesn't move and targets the immobile vindicator. Nothing I can do really. The vindicator explodes in a most humongous fireball and is out of the game. We're now level on killpoints.
Kharn and the Skull Champion look in their bags of skulls and decide that Kharn has the most (in reality, they both have taken two skulls today). The Skull Champion does not want to get in to an argument with Kharn right now. These World Eaters have some serious trust issues.
Turn 7.
The game continues - oh no! This might mean Death Wing can still win. The dreadnought moves to get a slim line of sight and scores a hit on Kharn and the Skull Champion. But going to ground in cover has saved the day! Phew.
Kharn glowers at both the Dreadnought and Skull Champion in turn, deciding which is going to be next on his list to glorify the name of Khorne with... the game ends.
Final Result: A draw (4 killpoints each).
Overview:
Board: square 4' x 4'
Mission: Annihilation
Deployment: Spearhead (Table Quarters)
Terrain: A number of scattered craters (4+ cover saves) but otherwise flat and featureless.
World Eaters Army List:
HQ: Kharn the Betrayer (165)
Troops 1: 8 Khorne Berzerkers, champion with power fist, 2 plasma pistols, icon (243)
Troops 2: 8 Khorne Berzerkers, champion with power fist, 2 plasma pistols, icon (243)
Troops 3: 8 Bloodletters (generic lesser daemons) (104)
Heavy Support: Vindicator with daemonic possession (145)
Heavy Support: Predator with autocannon and heavy bolters (100)
Kharn is deployed with troops number 1.
6 Killpoints.
Death Wing Army List:
HQ: Belial (130)
Elites: Venerable Dreadnought with twin-linked lascannon (165)
Troops 1: 5 Death Wing Terminators with 1 heavy flamer (225)
Troops 2: 5 Death Wing Terminators with company banner and close combat armaments (2x thunder hammer; 3x lightning claws) (235)
Troops 3: 5 Death Wing Terminators with 1 cyclone missile launcher and 2 chainfists (245)
Belial is deployed with Troops number 2.
5 killpoints.
Turn 1.
The Death Wing reserves everything (deciding against the usual Turn 1 Death Wing assault) as I manage to force them to take the first turn. I'm uncertain if that was the right option for the Death Wing - 1 less turn of me shooting at them might make a difference, but I would have personally gone with it anyway.
For my setup, I try to hog my chosen corner with everything I have (apart from the reserved daemons). I plan to use the vehicles to screen the line of sight to my troops as best as I can and place one of my troops in to a crater. I await the Death Wing.
Turn 2.
Everything except Death Wing Troops number 3 arrives! I guess not doing the Death Wing assault didn't matter all that much after all. Troops number 2 scatters in to a crater and takes one wound (and one lightning claws casualty) due to dangerous terrain effects. Ouch! The venerable dreadnought scatters a whole 11 inches and cannot be deployed as it would have landed on my predator! What a lucky break! We roll on the teleport mishaps table and I get to place the dreadnought. It is a small board, so the lascannon will still see everything, so I simply put the dreadnought in the opposite corner to my set up and hope that he doesn't make my lines in time. Here's the situation pictured:
The dreadnought in the far corner shoots with its twin-linked lascannon and hits the vindicator, but only for a glancing hit. The glance results in a stunned and shaken crew ... but the daemon possessing the vindicator laughs at the tickle. The only model in Death Wing troops number 2 with anything to fire is Belial. It then occurs to me that my opponent should have kitted Belial out with some lightning claws as well. I'll tell him that after the game. His two shots target a berzerker in the crater, one causes a wound, but the power armour saves the World Eater. Death Wing troops number 2 have 4 storm bolters in range and take fire at the same squad of World Eaters. Two berzerkers perish.
At last, it is my turn to shoot things. (Aside: My daemons decide that they're comfy in the Warp and don't get summoned this turn). The predator stays still and the vindicator rolls forward. My first troops squad (with Kharn in in) heads due north, getting in pistol range (just) of the first Death Wing troops. My second squad of World Eaters does the same, heading toward the same set of terminators and getting within pistol range. At the expense of turning its side armour toward the thunder hammer terminators, the vindicator lets rip on the first squad of Death Wing terminators. It scores a direct hit! All 5 models get wounded. Two of them make their invulnerable saves. Two left. My berzereker squad open fire on the remaining two. One berzerker in squad 2 dies from his own plasma pistol (sigh). However, the remaining 14 (with 3 plasma pistols) take down one more terminator. Only 1 left. That leaves me in a bit of a muddle. Should the predator target the 1 remaining terminator or start on Belial's squad? Better to take the kill point I think. Two autocannon shots and 6 heavy bolter shots result in 7 hits (1 heavy bolter miss) and 3 wounds. One of those three wounds sticks - squad destroyed.
Killpoints: 1-0 in favour of the World Eaters.
Turn 3.
The third and final squad of the Death Wing detachment arrives. No mishaps. They deploy close to where the first Death Wing squad was. Belial's squad rolls a 3 for difficult terrain and barely manages to get out of the crater! Meanwhile the dreadnought trudges forward.
In the shooting phase, Belial and company fleet a further 6 inches more toward my vindicator. The third squad of Death Wing let rip on my World Eaters with 4 storm bolters and a frag missile. Four more World Eaters perish. There's only 3 Berzerkers left in squad 2 now: the champion, a plasma pistol and a normal berzerker!
The Dreadnought targets the predator and scores a penetrating hit resulting in one wrecked predator.
My bloodletters arrive from the Warp in my turn and deep strike next to squad 2 - ready to assault the Death Wing alongside the World Eaters. My berzerkers move closer to the Death Wing. But shooting comes first. The vindicator takes aim at Belial and misses! Oh no! That miss could well be the last shot it takes in the game if the Dreadnought takes it out next turn! My remaining plasma pistol in squad 2 causes a casualty in the recently arrived terminator squad. Meanwhile my other squad (with Kharn in) also removes a thunder hammer terminator in Belial's squad.
And then there's a big charge. Everything apart from my vindicator is now engaged. Furious charge is wonderful for World Eaters - they go before the terminators and the daemons. Only Belial can match them. But Kharn trumps Belial on a furious charge initiative. Kharn hits Belial 5 times and a luckless World Eater once. The World Eater is removed. Betrayer! All 5 hits on Belial wound. Only one of them is saved. Belial is minced by Gorechild. The rest of the squad (apart from the champion) inflicts one further casualty on the terminator squad, reducing them to two lightning claws and one thunder hammer terminator. The terminators promptly slay every berzerker apart from Kharn (unwounded) and the Skull Champion - the company banner was inspirational in doing this! The Champion takes his aim with his power fist and causes three valuable wounds. One save is made: one lightning clawed terminator left.
In my other squad, the berzerkers fail to cause any casualties. Meanwhile the daemons inflict two unsaved wounds from a bucket load of attacks. The terminators promptly slaughter the last of the berzerkers. No more casualties result from the combat resolution step.
At the end of this turn, Death Wing has the following remaining:
1 Dreadnought, 1 lightning clawed terminator in squad in squad 2, 3 terminators (including the chainfists and the missile launcher) in squad 3.
Meanwhile, the World Eaters have:
Kharn (unwounded), 1 skull champion from squad 1, 8 daemons, and the vindicator.
Kill points: 2-2
Turn 4.
Here's the situation pictured below:
Not much movement for Death Wing to do -- the Dreadnought comes forward and targets the vindicator. The vindicator becomes immobilized, but at least it can still fire should the need arise. In close combat, Kharn finishes the job and slays the last of Belial's chums. The daemons inflict one more casualty, but suffer 5 in return - ouch! Having lost the combat, the rest of the bloodletters promptly get slaughtered by the two remaining terminators. But from my point of view, that means that the vindicator can get a shot at them in my turn.
Speaking of which, I move Kharn and the skull champion forward toward the remaining terminators. I need not have bothered as the vindicator kills the last of the terminators. The only Death Wing left on the board now is the Venerable Dreadnought. Its going to take a while to get here and will probably finish off the vindicator along the way I reckon.
Kill Points: 4-3 in favour of the World Eaters.
Turn 5.
The dreadnought goes in to reverse gear and heads back toward its corner thus further delaying any assault! Darn - my opponent must know Kharn gets 2d6 on his armour penetration roll. But I also think it is a mistake - with its storm bolter in range, it could have inflicted even more casualties. It fires on Kharn and the Skull Champion and misses! Phew.
Okay, what do I do? I'm winning by 1 kill point, but I need to keep all three units alive somehow. It'll only take one wound on the Skull Champion or Kharn to instant kill them, if we go for another turn or two. Time to call off the hunt and get them in to some cover. They move toward the bottom right hand crater where the berzerkers originally started and then fleet toward its centre, all the time, keeping the vindicator between them and the dreadnought as best as possible. That's about the best I can do. I'll also go to ground there when shot at - that'll provide a 3+ cover save.
Turn 6.
The game continues. The dreadnought doesn't move and targets the immobile vindicator. Nothing I can do really. The vindicator explodes in a most humongous fireball and is out of the game. We're now level on killpoints.
Kharn and the Skull Champion look in their bags of skulls and decide that Kharn has the most (in reality, they both have taken two skulls today). The Skull Champion does not want to get in to an argument with Kharn right now. These World Eaters have some serious trust issues.
Turn 7.
The game continues - oh no! This might mean Death Wing can still win. The dreadnought moves to get a slim line of sight and scores a hit on Kharn and the Skull Champion. But going to ground in cover has saved the day! Phew.
Kharn glowers at both the Dreadnought and Skull Champion in turn, deciding which is going to be next on his list to glorify the name of Khorne with... the game ends.
Final Result: A draw (4 killpoints each).
3 comments:
Great battle report - thanks for sharing!
I can (perhaps unsurprisingly) offer my opinions on the D'wing players tactics. I've got to say this battle report just illustrates the need for a Land Raider for any Close Combat Terminator Squad. In this list it would have pushed out a Termi Squad, but believe me, its worth it. Belial's squad on the charge would have ripped through pretty much anything in your list.
Either, a well put together report with really useful maps.
Cheers!
Nice straightforward report. You certainly made the right decision with not charging, I was not so lucky and ended up annililated by Pulse Rifle fire...
Annihilation is best when it comes down to a draw, giving a nail biting finish to a good game.
Hi Guys:
A landraider would have probably spelt the end for the World Eaters much sooner, and much much more effectively.
But, I was happy with the draw. Running away and not persuing the dread turned out to be the best option.
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