In this 1550 point battle I brought a Slaanesh Chaos Space Marine army against Todd's Iron Hands with Tau allies. The Mission was the Relic with Dawn of War deployment.
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| The Board |
Slaanesh Cult
HQ:
- Sorcerer with Mark of Slaanesh, 3 Mastery Levels, Sigil of Corruption, Gift of Mutation (Nothing)
and Melta Bombs (Warlord) - 165
- Chaos Lord with Mark of Slaanesh, Jump Pack, the Black Mace, Sigil of Corruption, GIft of
Mutation (Hammer of Wrath), and Melta Bombs - 185
Troops:
- 10 Noise Marines with 2 Blastmasters, 7 Sonic Blasters, Icon of Excess, and Champion with Power
Sword and Melta Bombs - 321
- 10 Cultists - 50
Fast Attack:
- Heldrake with Baleflamer - 170
- 10 Raptors with 2 Meltaguns, Mark of Slaanesh, Icon of Excess and Veterans of the Long War - 270
Heavy Support:
- Defiler with Reaper Autocannon and Heavy Flamer - 195
- Defiler with Reaper Autocannon and Heavy Flamer - 195
Total: 1551
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| My Army |
This was a fun list using units that I don't take out to play but really enjoy. My plan was basically to try and bury Todd under a weight of blast markers while the Cultists ran up and took the objective and the Raptors jumped up and beat some face. Unfortunately, Todd's list was very unfriendly to my poor daemon crab-engines, and so I knew it was going to be an uphill battle right from the get go.
Iron Hands/Tau
HQ:
- Captain with Iron Halo and Power Weapon (Warlord) - 105
- Cadre Fireblade (Allies) - 60
Elites:
- 3 Crisis Suits, one with Drone Controller, Comand and Control Node and 2 Gun Drones, one with
Missile Pods, Gun Drone and Shield Drone, and one with 2 Missile Pods and 2 Gun Drones (Allies)
- 231
Troops:
- 10 Tactical Marines with Grav-Gun, Lascannon, Sergent with Combi-Grav, and a Rhino - 220
- 5 Scouts with Sniper Rifles and one Heavy Bolter, and Land Speeder Storm with Cerberus
Launcher and Heavy Bolter - 113
- 12 Fire Warriors (Allies) - 108
- 10 Fire Warriors (Allies) - 90
Heavy Support:
- Predator with Twin-Linked Lascannons and Lascannon Sponsons - 140
- Predator with Twin-Linked Lascannons and Lascannon Sponsons - 140
- Predator with Twin-Linked Lascannons and Lascannon Sponsons - 140
- Hammerhead with Ion Cannon - 125
Fortification:
- Aegis Defence Line with Icarus Lascannon emplacement - 85
Total: 1557
Right away I knew this list was going to give me a hard time. The Predators would make short work of my Defilers, and once they were dead, they could focus fire down my troopers. The Fire Warriors, while not hugely potent on their own would likely be able to gun down my Raptors if they went in unsupported, and I didn't have a whole lot that would be able to support them. There was also no LoS blocking terrain on my side of the field to hide behind.
The Game
Todd won the roll to decide which side of the table he wanted, and smartly chose the side with the two LoS blocking buildings. I won the roll for first turn and deployment, and figuring that First Blood would probably be instrumental to winning the game for me, chose to go first.
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| My Deployment |
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| Todd's Deployment |
Turn 1
My Noise Marines began by moving up a bit into the forest, though the Blastmasters didn't move, allowing them to fire their blasts into something. The Defilers stood still, not wanting to break cover with all those Predators were still alive, as I was hoping for first blood, and if I didn't get it first turn, I didn't want him blowing up a Defiler and getting it himself. I also decided tohold back the Raptors, as I figured that jumping them up into the teeth of the Fire Warriors would basically be suicide.
With a whine that build into a deafening cruscendo, the Noise Marines unleashed their Blastmasters into the crisis suits, shaking one and a few drones to pieces. The Defilers both lobbed their Battle Cannons into the Suits as well but only managed to blow apart the remaining drones. Unfortunately the Battle Suits held.
Responding the Tactical Marines drove their Rhino from behind the building, ready to cruise forwards and grab the objective. The Battle Suits moved forwards a bit to try and get a few potshots off at the Raptors.
The first Predator opened fire with its Lascannons on the left Defiler, and though it hit 3 times, it only managed to get one shot through the blocking wall. Unfortunately that shot also disabled the Battle Cannon, effectively neutering the Defiler. Figuring it was probably out of the fight, the other two predators fired everything they had into the second defiler, and managed to stun it and bring it down to one hull point. The Hammerhead's Ion Cannon targeted the noise marines, but thankfully scattered badly and only managed to kill two of them. Shooting from the Fire Warriors and Battle Suits proved a little better and they managed to down two of the Raptors.
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| End of Turn 1 |
Well, First Blood was still a possibility for me, so I decided to try and seize it. The Heldrake and Cultists both failed to come in, which was a bummer, as I was hoping to toast some Fire Warriors and rush up the Raptors this turn. The Defiler missing its cannon moved out around the baricade, while everything else held position.
The Defiler, missing its Cannon, fired a salvo of rounds from its Reaper Autocannon and miraculously managed to blow up the Space Marine's Rhino, earning me First Blood!, The Blastmasters once again activated their strange weaponry, this time targeting the nearest Fire Warriors, and managed to down a bunch of them, but the Space Marine Captain's will kept them from fleeing. The stunned Defiler attempted to damage the Icarus Lascannon with its Reaper Autocannon, but failed, despite getting a hit. The powers of the Warp managed to heal the Stunned Defiler of one hull point.
Wary of being bunched up around so many potentially lethal blasts, the Space Marines Spread out a bit. The Crisis Team moved up again to try and fire at the Raptors. Firing all they had, two of the Predators managed to wreck the stunned Defiler, while the last one only managed to strip the other one down to one hull point. Firing from the Fire Warriors and Suits managed to kill almost all of the Raptors, and the Hammerhead once again fired on the Noise Marines, scattered, and only managed to down one or two.
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| End of Turn 2 on My Side |
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| End of Turn 2 Todd's Side |
Dodging the hasty shot of the captain from his Lascannon, the Heldrake finally screamed onto the battlefield, streaking straight towards the Tactical Marines and Predators, while the Cultists, insane with the ecstasy of Slaanesh charged forwards towards the Relic. The Raptors, tired of being reduced to nothing but target practice, finaly leapt into the air towards the Crisis Team.
The Blastmasters fired once again into the Fire Warriors with the Captain, hoping to kill the Space Marine and get Slay the Warlord, but only killed Fire Warriors, leaving one left with the Captain. The Heldrake opened its maw wide and belched a torrent of flame into the Marines, killing several. Meanwhile, the Cultists and Raptors ran forwards. The remaining Defiler peppered the Icarus Lascannon with bullets, but failed to damage it.
In response, the Tactical Marines moved forwards and one of the Predators blew the lone injured defiler to pieces, releasing the tormented daemon within. The other two Predators targeted the fast-moving Heldrake, but were unable to hit it. The Hammerhead finally hit its mark and killed all but 3 Noise Marines, leaving the Sorcerer untouched. The Fire Warriors and Crisis Suits blasted the Lord and his last remaining Raptor apart, effectively neutralizing the threat to his Fire Warriors.
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| End of Turn 3, and the Remnants of my Army |
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| Marines at the End of Turn 3 |
Swooping down upon wings of death, the Heldrake exploded the green Predator. The Cultists, desperate to please their masters, waded through the river of Industrial Ooze at a frantic pace. Finding himself quickly running out of meat to hide behind, the cowardly sorcerer detached himself from the Noise Marines to go and hide behind the smouldering shell of the wrecked Defiler.
The Heldrake engulfed the remaining Fire Warrior, the Captain, the Icarus Lascannon, and Several Fire Warriors from the second squad in burning warp fire, immolating all the Fire Warriors, and wounding the Captain, but leaving the Lascannon untouched. The Noise Marines fired into the Captain, but his Iron Halo protected him, and once again, the Lascannon proved immune to damage. The Cultists continued to run, and finally make it into contact with the Relic
Streaking onto the battlefield came the Scouts in their Land Speeder. The Marines all hustled forwards towards the Relic, and the Crisis Suits start moving forwards as well. The remaining Predators turn to take aim at the Heldrake decimating their back lines. Firing from the two Predators proves unable to hit the Heldrake, and the Captain misses again with his Lascannon.The Hammerhead decides to fire at the Noise Marines again, and kills one with the Blast Master. The Rest of the fire proves ineffective.
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| End of Turn 4 |
Turn 5
Slowing down to hover mode, the Heldrake turned around and moved towards the Marines. The Cultists push forwards towards the Relic, but have a hard time making it through the ooze. The Blastmaster fired into the Landspeeder, but only manages to take a hull point off it, and manages to kill a Marine. Hoping to wreck the Speeder, the Heldrake spewed its flame all over the Marines, killing all but the Lascannon, and failing to damage the Landspeeder. The Cultists run and manage to make it to the Relic.
The Landspeeder rushes forwards, hoping to get another turn to get the Relic. The lone Marine jogs forward. Shooting begins with both the Predators blowing the Baleflamer off the Heldrake. The Captain misses. Again. The lone Space Marine takes a potshot with his Lascannon and manages to blow the Heldrake out of the sky. The Hammerhead blasted into the Cultists, killing them to a man, the few who attempted to go to ground in the ooze melting like butter.
We roll to see if it goes on and...
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| End of Turn 5 |
With the Cultists dead and the Heldrake down, I had only one hope left. Blow up the Landspeeder and hope the Scouts die or get pinned. Unfortunately, the Landspeeder only gets wrecked, and the Scouts disembark onto the Relic.
Claiming the Relic, everything that can shoot, shoots at my Noise Marines, wiping them out, leaving me with just my Sorcerer left.
We roll to see if it goes on...
And its a Space Marine Victory!
Post-Game Thoughts
Well that was a fun game, even if it did go poorly for me. I think that I probably should have deep-striked my Raptors, as they ended up doing nothing except die. I do think I did a pretty good job, considering what I was up against, but I didn't manage to kill all of his Troops, due partly in fact to the fact that his Scouts didn't come in until late in the game, and also that my Heldrake failed to destroy it when it did. I have to give props to Todd on this one. He played his list well, and I can't think of anything he did really wrong.
In the end I think this one really boiled down to list design. I really had no reliable way to counter his wall of AV 13, and I took a lot of things in my army that ended up being completely useless to me. I never ended up using any of the sonic blasters or the Icon of Excess on my Noise Marines, and so they ended up eating something like 71 points with useless upgrades. Really, the majority of my army did nothing, with only the one Defiler, the Heldrake, and the Blastmasters doing any damage whatsoever. Everything else was basically just really expensive fodder. On the other hand, against a more infantry based list, I think this army would have performed much better. The Defilers could have done some serious damage, and I think the Raptors would have had a better chance of being useful too.
As always thanks for reading, and remember to comment and laugh at me and tell me that my list was horrible and that I didn't play the game well!
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