Learning always learning

So what did I take from the game? What worked and what can be improved?

Characters

Characters are members of the Inner Circle. This conveys benefits that pass on to the squad that they join. Inner Circle = Fearless and Preferred Enemy Chaos (re-roll any 1's for To Hit and To Wound). I would suggest taking a number of such models (particularly when facing chaos) and think about where that could really be of benefit. I only had 2 and in a 2000 point army that just isn't enough.

My Interrogator Chaplain had a little unit of 5 space marines with him and this helped to take down the unit of Chaos Marines. The plasma gun worked well and the Chaplain did the business in hand to hand. (despite some rubbish dice rolls when he was locked in challenge - and I am not blaming the white dice!!)

Land Speeder Vengeance

First off, I really love the model. I have a lot more painting to do on mine and I will really enjoy putting in the hours as it is 'cool' on the playing surface. In the game we have just played I sped it off down the right flank to get full benefit for the Jink saves. It caused some threat and was able to get behind a Rhino and destroy it. It was in a great position to deal with the marines had it not been mugged by the Helldrake.

It is expensive at 140 points plus the 20 for the assault cannon. It is also easy to kill. The issue is really about getting it behind the enemy where it has access to rear armour. I notice that it can deep strike so this may be an option to consider. I also wonder how it would do with the Darkshroud in attendance. So there are options to consider for the future.

Ravenwing Darktalon

Now this is an interesting model. I do like the Stasis Bomb. I think that properly deployed it can be a real game changer.

In our game it proved to be survivable - this despite the fact that it attracted quite a lot of firepower. It survived for the full game loosing 2 hull points. It is a troop killer and probably better used against lighter opposition than marines. The Hurricane Bolters did a lot of damage to the zombies (unit of 36 so a big target) as did the Rift Cannon but my view is that this is all about the Stasis Bomb. It applies huge negatives to combat units (-3 to Initiative and to WS) and this has the potential to be a game winner.

The enemy will not be fooled twice though so not a tactic that can be relied on regularly. At 160 points I think it will be an occasional inclusion - but a sweet model to assemble and paint! I still have work to do and I am looking forward to it.

More to follow .....

Typhus gets his feathers!

Well the mighty forces of Nurgle continue to dish out some serious pain. Ouch!!

The latest battle was 2000 points each side and we were using the new Dark Angels codex, and a few new models. I took the Landspeeder Vengeance, Ravenwing Darktalon and the the Deathwing Knights. So basically all my new models - well you got to see how they play and reading the codex only goes so far.

I came to the battle determined to be defensive. My overarching plan was to assault the Knights and Belial from the Landraider having dropped a stasis bomb on the unit that I wanted to hit. Hopefully the nurgle leadership squad. Chaos have to challenge in melee and I thought this would be the best way to sink Typhus.

Everything else should delay, distract and disrupt to increase the number of turns that I would have shooting.

This all went a bit 'pear shaped' when we rolled for our mission and we ended up having to gain control of a relic that was placed at the centre of the board and we had 'night fighting' in turn one. A full turn of lost shooting - not what I needed at all.

The set-up was from the corners and we pretty much faced off, each eying up the other with the objective between us. I pushed my forces to the right attempting to draw out the nurgle forces.

Moving my vehicles like this left me with good sight lines to the objective. I just needed to break open that land raider and the fun could begin. I felt the best way to do this was to send in my Venerable Dreadnought whilst taking pot shots with my lascannons.

My Darktalon arrived in turn 2 and I sent him down the left to play with a pack of 36 zombies (cadian zombies) whilst waiting for his big moment - the delivery of the stasis bomb!

I knew that I needed to thin out the zombies before I could engage them in melee. I learned that lesson in a previous game. I could have three good turns to do just that and in the mean time just keep away from them.

Things started to go wrong when I lost my Dreadnought and Razorback early on. This took a lot of 'threat' out of my force. My Vengence Land Speeder took out a Rhino that was advancing on my right flank and spilled the marines who in turn were shot up by my Innterogator-Chaplain and the unit of 5 that he had joined. We took some damage in return and then the Chaplain charged.

Then the Helldrake made its appearance.

My quad gun opened up on it as soon as it arrived. It was the reason that I had brought it. I knocked lumps out of the Helldrake but it was still alive and proceeded to rip up the right flank taking out my Vengance Landspeeder and a couple of units of marines. I couldn't use the quadgun in my next turn as it had fired during the chaos turn. It did take out the Helldrake in the following turn but the Helldrake had served its purpose. A job well done but my god that Helldrake is as awesome to face as it looks. Well done Dark Templar it is superb!!

Meanwhile the centre of the board was developing into a real feast of action.

Typhus launched his Landraider past the objective blocking line of sight for most of my remaining guys. A second squad of chaos marines excited their Rhino and snaffled the objective, leaving the Chaos Sorcerer free to to join in with Typhus.

The Defiler tore open my Landraider which meant that the Deathwing Knights had to deal with it, and they did. I do like their weapons.

Now came the big moment. Turn 5 and it was stasis bomb time!! My Darktalon swept over the massed troops and successfully bombed the Chaos marine squad. My Deathwing Knights were where they needed to be to engage the leadership group. The Challenges had to come.

And guess what - they did but from the Chaos Champion and the Chaos Sorcerer. Typhus did not step up to the plate.

It is on days like these that legends are created. On this day, February 10th in the year of our lord 2013 Typhus acquired his tail feathers along with a wonderfully crafted yellow stripe that will ever be visible to the forces of the Dark Angels. It is positioned directly along his spine!! lol.

The game ended at turn 5.

It was a chaos victory 4 - 0. They had the objective (3 victory points) and had taken 'first blood' (1 victory point). But physiologically Belial had the pleasure of remaining on the field and witnessing Typhus quiver. A good feeling indeed!

A very enjoyable day indeed. I have learned a lot, but more on that another time.

The Dark Angels are coming

So the new White Dwarf has leaked and OMG!! (Faeit 212: Warhammer 40k News & Rumours)

I am going to be a busy boy in the new year. Models available from Saturday Jan 12th is the word.