Tournament Victory BatReps! (1 of 3)

First off, my apologies for the epic delay in the posting of these reports.  Final exams and other such real life distractions got in the way.  So without further ado:

Victory!  First place for myself and my boy Alex and his Blood Angels and $320 in store credit to split between us.  It was quite the afternoon, and Alex's first truly competitive tournament.

The day was full of epic moments, solid tactical decisions, and fortuitous matchups for us.  If we had come up against lots of SW or IG or some other such nasty MSU-type lists, we would've had a much more difficult time of it.  Fortunately for us, we did not.  As a result, we pretty much dominated throughout the day.  However, there were a number of "epic" moments that made it a lot of fun and very entertaining for both sides.


Again, the lists:

1250 Kabal of the Obsidian Sky

Archon w/Huskblade, SF, PGL, Drugs, Soultrap, Ghostplate

6x Incubi
Raider w/FF

3x Trueborn w/Blasters
Venom w/2x SCannons

10x Wyches w/ Haywire Grenades, 2x Shardnets, Hekatrix w/Agonizer
Raider w/FF

5x Warriors w/Blaster
Venom w/2x SCannons

5x Warriors w/Blaster
Venom w/2x SCannons

Ravager w/FF

Ravager w/FF


BLOOD ANGELS

Librarian w/JP, Rage, Shield

2x Priests w/JP

10x ASM w/JPs, Sgt. w/PF, 2x Melta

10x ASM w/JPs, Sgt w/PF, 2x Melta

Baal Predator w/TL-AC, Heavy Bolter Sponsons

Baal Predator w/TL-AC, Heavy Bolter Sponsons

Stormraven w/TL-MM, TL-LC, Extra Armor


NOTE: All enemy lists are from memory, so apologies if they're slightly off.  Also, all board references as N, S, E, W are with respect to our initial deployment.


GAME 1: Witch Hunters & CSM

CSM

Daemon Prince w/Lash, Wings

12x Noise Marines, 12x Sonic Blasters

8x Noise Marines, Champion w/Doom Siren
Rhino

8x Noise Marines, Champion w/Doom Siren
Rhino

Defiler w/CCWs, Battle Cannon

Defiler w/CCWs, Battle Cannon


Witch Hunters:

Canoness w/Eviscerator, 2+ armor (mantle thing?), Book of St. Lucius

6x Seraphim w/2x Hand Flamers, Book

10x Sisters, 2x Melta
Rhino

10x Sisters, 2x Melta
Rhino

Allied Imperial Guard Platoon:
PCS w/Mortar Team
30x Guardsmen w/3x PW Sgts., Commissar w/PW

Exorcist


Deployment:

Primary: >=501 VPs from each opposing army
Secondary: Objectives (3 of them)
Command Counters: May be used by HQ to give one unit within 12" a special rule once per game during the controlling player's turn (at the beginning)

Marchocais managed to win us first turn and so we elected to go first.  We both decided to use our Counters on our HQ's.  We deployed in a bit of an alpha-strike formation (at least for me) while our opponent castled up in 2 locations and bubble-wrapped with his Guard Platoon.

Personally, I don't think he should have bubble-wrapped his Rhinos with the squad as they limited his short range Melta mobility.  However, to each his/her own.  It wound up working out pretty well for us.


Our opponents failed to seize the initiative.

TURN 1A:

I rolled 3d6" fleet for combat drugs and so moved the Wyches up and disembarked for a first turn charge into his NE large Sonic Blaster squad, with the Archon+Incubi moving up (flat out) into the far E part of the board for a 2nd turn potential charge opportunity.  Marchocais moved up a bit and used his command counter to give his SR Tank Hunters.  Ravagers, etc. position for firing lanes.

Shooting sees the NW Defiler immobilized with its cannon destroyed, the Exorcist is immobilized and stunned, and a pot shot from the Wyches Raider blows the battle cannon off of the NE Defiler!  All of their long-range anti-tank is neutered on turn 1!

Assault sees the Wyches get into it with the NE Sonic Blaster squad, with a few casualties taken by the Noise Marines for either 1 or none in return.

TURN 1B:

 Our opponents reposition and prepare for countercharges and shooting.  The easternmost Noise Marine squad disembarks to fire on the Archon's Raider, while the Defiler moves to counter-charge the Wyches.  The Guard Platoon moves closer towards the Wyches to try to join the fight with them, and a Rhino with Sisters moves into position to try to Meltagun the Storm Raven next turn.

Shooting sees the Archon's Raider felled by bolter fire and the contents lashed out of cover.  Here is where the game starts to get a bit whacky.  The Archon and Incubi are out of charge range by the Daemon Prince, so the PCS decides to fire on them with the Mortar.  It hits, kills 1 Incubi, and then PINS THE SQUAD!  *Facepalm*

Assault sees the Platoon and the Defiler enter the combat with the Wyches, where the wyches whittle down the Noise Marines a bit more, and then the 8 guardsmen allowed to fight somehow manage 11 WOUNDS!!!  Marchocais was watching the dice-rolls and I did a double-take when he told me the result.  Needless to say, the Wyches took a beating, losing the Hekatrix and several more bodies, but stayed in combat.


TURN 2A:

Well, with my Wyches tied up and the Archon's squad pinned, I certainly wasn't going to be doing much in the way of CC this turn.  Marchocais, on the other hand, moved his SR and assault squad up into position to open up and charge the Sisters' Rhino on the W flank.  He also had his Melta combat squad deep strike into melta range on the Exorcist.  I reposition my Venoms and Ravagers for shots against the Daemon Prince and Exorcist if need be.

Shooting sees the Daemon Prince off the table under a hail of darklight and poisoned weaponry, while the Stormraven manages to both explode the Sisters' nearby Rhino, leaving them pinned, and also manages to shake the Exorcist with its Lascannon.  The Baal Predators wipe out the Seraphim squad to a man.

Assault sees the Wyches lose a few more members and CONTINUE to stay stuck in combat!  However, due to model losses an pile in moves, the canon-less Defiler manages to get free of combat!

Turn 2B:

The enemy starts to move into position to take out the 5-man melta squad, but his own Platoon is interfering with his Rhino movement.  The Defiler moves into position to assault the Archon and his retinue, which I'll have no answer for!  The free Noise Marines also move into position to use their Champion's Doom Siren on the squad.

Shooting sees my central Raider unharmed/inconvenienced by enemy bolter/melta shots.  The Defiler fleets into assault position on my Archon, and the Doom Siren opens up on the squad.  I lose 3 more Incubi, and I proceed to FAIL a SECOND leadership check on Ld10!!!  The squad proceeds to fall back out of assault range of the Defiler!

Assault sees the Wych squad finished off and the Platoon consolidates toward the Western side of the table.  The remaining 2 Sonic Blaster marines consolidate into nearby cover.


TURN 3A:

I move my Ravagers and Trueborn Venom into position to light up the now-stranded Defiler.  My Archon proceeds to pop his Command Counter, making his unit Fearless, and automatically regroups towards the Doom Siren Noise Marine squad.  The Blood Angels move into position to assault the pinned Sisters squad, while the deepstriking Melta combat squad lands within melta range of the Exorcist with plans to put it out of its misery.

Shooting sees the Defiler destroyed, while the Archon and his remaining pal or 2 roll a 5 for fleet, putting them in charge range of the Doom Siren squad.  The DS'ing melta squad takes out the Exorcist, and the large Assault Squad softens up the Sisters a bit before charging in.  The Baal Predators take out a solid chunk of the Platoon, but they hold.

Assault sees the Sisters squad wiped out, while the Archon and Incubi make similar work of the Doom Siren squad.  The Assault Marines shuffle around a bit and the Archon consolidates behind the wrecked Rhino in the NE.

TURN 3B:

Our opponents make a last-ditch effort to avoid a loss as time is now winding down.  I was initially tweaking out about them hurrying so we could get in a turn 4, but it proved to be unnecessary due to some epic stalwart space marine abilities.  They position the remaining SoB and Noise Marine squads for firing on the 5-man melta squad contesting their objective, while the Platoon + Canoness move into position to jump the large Assault Squad.

Shooting sees the 5-man melta squad whittled down to ONE MAN.  This man, not just any man, but a supreme badass of a man, HOLDS HIS GROUND.  In the face of a Doom Siren, and silly numbers of bolter shots, HE'S FINE.  Assault sees quite a few die on both sides of the large assault squad combat, but it's all superfluous at this point.

RESULT: Victory for the good guys!  >501 VP from each opponent and we win on objectives with a Warrior squad holding ours, and the lone McBadass contesting theirs.

REFLECTIONS:
A bit of a whacky game with the pinning/running away/fearless regrouping with the Archon's squad, but otherwise I think we played very solidly.  Nearly got screwed in the end by a 45 minute slight slow-play at the end there, despite my protests, but it all wound up working out in the end.  Another turn would've had my second Warrior squad in position to score the center objective, with plenty of raider/ravager screening, and we would've had it in the bag anyways.  I probably should've moved them up on turn 3, but with a little over an hour remaining on turn 3 when the turn began I didn't think it was necessary!  Oh well, all's well that ends well.  And so ends Batrep #1!