Battle Report vs. IG #2

So I played another 1850 battle vs. IG this week, different player with similar chimera-spam list.  Nate's lists have been becoming more and more evil as time goes by, culminating in this one.  We rolled the Adepticon 2010 mission with 3 objectives, one of them being the Alpha objective. 



I played the same list as I did in my previous battle, while his was:

CCS w/4x melta, MotFleet, Chimera w/HF
4x Vet Squads w/3x Melta, Chimera w/HF
2x Vet Squads w/3x Plasma, Chimera w/HF
2x Vendettas
Hydra Squadron (2) w/HB
Colossus w/HF
Manticore w/HF

Yeah.  As if last week's battle wasn't intimidating enough, now I had the anti-eldar weaponry to deal with (colossus and hydras).  Sweet.  Deployment was table quarters, Nate got to place the objectives, I chose the Alpha, and I won the roll to go first.

I deploy with the Wyches more forward hoping for a Haywire Grenade multi-charge turn 1, backed by the Trueborn, spreading out the rest of my army behind cover in anticipation of potentially getting screwed.  The two 5-man warrior squads I left in reserves.  He deployed everything over on his corner.  (See First Photo)

Then, he rolls to seize the initiative and.....

Yeah....this is getting a little bit ridiculous.  I had better be getting all of these shenanigans out of the way now before the tourney this weekend.  Good thing I once again deployed in preparation for the worst.  One of these days I'll get to go first vs. IG I swear.

IG Turn 1

When the smoke clears from the first IG shooting phase, I've lost the two Wych Raiders (Wrecked), had the Trueborn's ride immobilized, and 5/6 Reavers have fallen to a Manticore barrage (3 missiles).  Oh, my Leadership shenanigans begin anew, with both of the Wych squads getting pinned, but the lone Heat Lance-toting Reaver manages to stick around.  The painted one, of course, because painted models always play better and live longer.

DE Turn 1
I take a deep breath and prepare to regroup from my losses.  The Reaver and Incubi Raider boost over to the northeast building, making sure to stay out of LOS.  Ravagers move into firing lanes, and the Wyches have a quick orgy/dance party in the wrecks of their lost raiders.  Trueborn hide for the time being until some enemies grow closer.

Shooting yields 2 exploded Chimeras (melta vets) and 1 stunned chimera (CCS).  One set of vets run away!  Not bad for only 3 shooting platforms.  3 targets, 3 nice results.

IG Turn 2
I brace for impact as the IG retaliate.  The central chimeras reposition a bit further out of reach from a potential charge from my Wyches.  The plasma vets move over toward/behind the NE building in an effort to take down the Incubi's Raider.  Vendettas shuffle around a bit.  The fleeing vets rally via orders.

Shooting stuns and knocks a Splinter Cannon off my Trueborn Venom, the south Ravager is immobilized, and one of the east Ravagers is exploded.  I also lose a number of Wyches from the Manticore (3 missiles again...). The high note is the Plasmavets fall out of range vs. the Incubi Raider due to Night Shields.

DE Turn 2


The slugfest continues.  I move up the Eastern Ravager into position vs. the Plasma Chimeras through the ruined building.  Incubi and Archon disembark and prepare to charge, while the Reaver sets up for a pot shot with his Heat Lance.  The Wyches begin moving and fleeting forward toward the IG vets on foot and CCS chimera.  Fleet rolls set the 2 man wych squad up for an assault, but the rear-most squad falls short and repositions to minimize potential Heavy Flamering.  The trueborn also disembark and take cover behind the "vault" near my wrecked raiders.

Shooting sees the Reaver toast one plasmavet chimera, while the Ravager destroys the other.  Both squads then....promptly run off the board, denying the Incubi the pain tokens!  ARRGGGHHH!  The immobilized southern Ravager manages to shake a Vendetta.

 Also, the Raider takes a pot shot at the Manticore whose side armor is exposed out of cover.  Hits, penetrates, and.....

Yup, the only totally useless result I could've rolled.  My lucky streak continues.

The two Wyches get into combat with the Vets, and proceed to wipe them out, losing one in return.  The lone Wych stands triumphant with her pain token for the moment.

IG Turn 3


The shaken Vendetta boosts forward, while everyone else lines up for shooting.
/
After numerous pie plates (the Colossus becomes the Incubi's worst nightmare) and other shooting, the South Ravager is stunned, the Raider has its Dark Lance knocked off and stunned, the northeast Ravager is stunned, and the lone Wych bites it vs. the other remaining Veteran squad.  I also lose 4 or 5 Incubi from the colossus and Manticore.  Archon actually makes a single 2++!!

DE Turn 3

Incubi and Archon move forward to assault the foot veteran squad and take vengeance for their fallen Wych.   The remaining Wych squad moves in to assault the CCS Chimera.  The Trueborn advance forward.  Also, a Warrior Venom arrives in the SW corner to take some pot shots against Chimeras.  The Reaver boosts forward for a shot against the Colossus next turn.

Shooting sees the Trueborn fail to penetrate the Vendetta they fire at, and the Warriors fail to hit the Chimera.  Sweet.  Incubi charge in and murder the Veterans, picking up the pain token.  Wyches charge the CCS Chimera, doing....nothing.  Yup, that's right.  10 Haywire Grenades, 4 hits, 3 glances, nothing but shaken.  Again, sweet.

Well, this should be painful...

IG Turn 4

IG line up for some more serious shooting.  When it is all said and done, the Trueborn are wiped out, and I lose all the Wyches but the Hekatrix to a Heavy flamer and some more shooting.  Additionally, the south Ravager is destroyed and the remainder of the Incubi fall to a Colossus shot.  Oh, and the Manticore shot another 3 missiles for a total of 11 on the match.  I forget what/where they hit, but it was not cool. The Hydras took out the turboboosting Reaver as well.

DE Turn 4

Recovering from that bit of devastation, my final Warriors Venom comes in and boosts up the Eastern side of the board behind the bank.  The now-functional Ravager moves westward and takes out the Colossus.  The Archon stumbles forward towards the chimeras through terrain.  The southwest Warrior squad moves up to take a pot shot at another Chimera.

The Warriors strike against the rear armor of the Chimera, blowing off its Heavy Flamer.  The Archon is unable to do anything, making his way through cover.  The Hekatrix then bravely assaults the Chimera that toasted his squad.  He hits, penetrates!, and explodes! the chimera!!!  Atta boy!  To reward him, I finished his paint job.  Most of the squad dies in the explosion, and the Hekatrix lives to get shot to death.  But that's next turn.

IG Turn 5

The Vendettas move towards the Alpha objective on the East side of the table.  The Hydras manage to stun and blow a dark lance off the Ravager and the Vendettas advance towards the alpha objective (one going flat out).

The remaining mounted Vets blow up the SW Warriors Venom, leaving them pinned (of course!).  The now-dismounted veterans get back in the fight thanks to the CCS, and kill the Hekatrix.  The CCS fires at the Archon, who promptly fails is shadowfield save against the lone hitting meltagun and bites it (what else is new?).

DE Turn 5


The functional but lance-less raider moves flat out to contest the central secondary objective, while the Eastern Venom moves up and disembarks its cargo within range of the Alpha objective so they can both contest/score the alpha and potentially gun down the contesting Vendetta.  They shoot, but fail to penetrate.  The Cannons from the Venom whittle the footslogging Vet squad down to one man.

Rolling for the end of the game shows a 5, so we play on.

IG Turn 6


The Vendettas prepare to fire on my Warriors/Venom, and not much else happens.

Shooting sees the Hydras stun the Raider (managed to get LOS cover), while the mounted Veterans take out all but the Blaster from my SW Warrior squad, and then the multilaser from the Chimera finishes the job.  The two vendettas near my objective manage to immobilize and 2x weapon destroy my Venom, while the Warriors lose two of their number and hold.

DE Turn 6


My Ravager moves around the building and takes aim at the lead Vendetta, as do the Warriors.

The Ravager fires at the Vendetta, and rolls double 1's to hit.  Then, my man, the lone Blaster Warrior, takes aim.  He hits, penetrates, and explodes the contesting Vendetta!!!  I'm ecstatic!  Then he rolls the radius, 6" of course.  I lose another warrior in the blast, and then, of course, with victory in my grasp....

The cowards run away off of the objective, chased by the scary explosion of the vehicle they destroyed.  Bah!!!

The game ended with a very minor victory for the IG at 7-2 battle points.

Another exhausting and bloody mess of a game vs. IG.  I nearly had it there at the very end, but of course my leadership checks hate my guts right now on anything less than the Archon's Ld 10.  We rolled a few more times just to see what would happen, and I managed to fail Ld 8 on 5/6 rolls.  Then an observer chuckled at me and rolled boxcars for the Morale.  Good god.

All in all it was a very fun and enjoyable game.  A bloody mess, and well played by Nate.  Looking forward to a bit more of a fun warm up game vs. Plague Marines this Thursday.  I'm pretty sure I'll eventually stop laying 40k if I keep playing every game vs. parking lot IG.  It's like starting the game in a trench at the base of a mountain and being expected to make it to the top and the fight to the death against Shao Kahn.

Until next time folks!