Open War 15: Game 1 vs Imperial Guard

So two weeks after the Indy GT where I came a some what disappointing 74th out of 113 there was the 1st Company Veterans Open War 15 Tournament. I was using the same army list as the GT, but the missions where more like a mix of 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th, edition missions, but I will explain them in each battle report.

So my list was:

HQ:

Rune Priest, Living Lightning, Murderous Hurricane, Chooser of the Slain = 110

Rune Priest, Living Lightning, Jaws of the World Wolf = 100

Elites:
5 Wolf Scouts, Melta Gun = 85
5 Wolf Scouts, Melta Gun = 85

3 Wolf Guard, 2 With Power fists and Combi Meltas, 1 with a Combi Melta and a Bolt Pistol = 109

Troops:

10 Grey Hunters, 2 Melta Guns, Mark of the Wulfen, Wolf Banner = 180

Rhino = 35

10 Grey Hunters, 2 Melta Guns, Mark of the Wulfen, Wolf Banner = 180

Rhino = 35

6 Grey hunters, Flamer =  90

Rhino = 35

5 Grey Hunters, Melta Gun = 80

Rhino = 35

Fast Attack:

Land Speeder Tornado, Multi Melta, Heavy flamer = 70

Land Speeder Tornado, Multi Melta, Heavy flamer = 70

Land Speeder Tornado, Multi Melta, Heavy flamer = 70

Heavy Support:

5 Long fangs, 4 Missile Launchers = 115

Razorback, Lascannon, Twin Linked Plasma Gun = 75

5 Long fangs, 4 Missile Launchers = 115

Razorback, Lascannon, Twin Linked Plasma Gun = 75

Total: 1,749

Game 1: Seize Ground vs Imperial Guard

This mission was good old fashioned table quarters which only troops/scoring units could contest and capture. Also the set up was Pitched Battle from the BRB but with only Troops and HQ's starting on the board, with 6 turns to be played.

Game 1 saw me take on Pete Delafield’s Imperial Guard which had:

Company Command Squad, master of the fleet, heavy flamer, standard, lascannon, in a chimera

Commissar Lord with a Camo cloak who was with....

A Blob of 3 Infantry Squads with 3 Lascannons,

Platoon Command Squad with 4 flamers

Special Weapons squad with 3 flamers

Both of which were in Vendettas with heavy bolters

2 units of melta Veterans in Chimeras

1 unit of plasma Veterans in Chimera

1 unit of Veterans with Carapace armour, 2 melta guns, plasma gun, plasma pistol, in a Chimera

Leman Russ Demolisher with 3 heavy bolters

Not quite the SIGAFH (Shooty Imperial Guard Army From Hell) or Leaf Blower.

Set Up

So the set up sees Pete win and set up his Vets behind the big set of ruins will his Platoon makes the most of the multi level ruin in his zone. I set up on the far right avoiding his veterans and hoping to make the most of the night fight rules in turn 1 – classic refused flank, with deep striking land speeders.

Turn 1

Sees his Vendettas come in the middle as the Demolisher rolls in at 11”. His Command Squad tries to take it down on to his Platoon Blob at the closest Rhino, but alas not even the officer could see the Rhino, never mind order! In my first turn a unit of Long Fangs take up cover in the ruins in my zone (whit the help of running) while the 2^nd unit sets on the cusp of the hill in my zone. I push every Grey Hunter Rhino 12” full ahead up the right flank.

Turn 2 

Sees him push his Veterans forward again with the fact they have no targets yet. His Lascannons (all 10) only manage to kill a single rhino. My turn sees 1 land speeder and 1 unit of scouts in. The land speeders goes behind his Chimeras full of Veterans but ends up nearly scattering off the board, but it ends up being a peach of a spot - right in melta range of a Vendettas rear! It shoots and blows up the vendetta. One of my Rune Priests leaves his Rhino and joins the Long Fangs in the ruins whom combine to take down his 2^nd Vendetta! I try to jaws the Commissar Lord, a sergeant and a Lascannon team but all dodge the hole. The Scouts do nothing.

Turn 3

2 of his 3 unit of Veteran Squads jump out and reduce the unit of Long Fangs on the hill to 1 man, and destroy their Razorback. The Demolisher scatters far and wide and I pass the only cover save I needed to take. His Company Command Squad, Chimera and Platoon HQ light my scouts up on fire.

My turn 3 sees another Land Speeder come into play. A 10 man unit of Grey Hunters make combat with the Platoon Blob who yet again pass all their tests for Jaws :/ The commissar is reduced to 1 wound and I fail only 1 armour save but it was a 1 so I got to re-roll it thanks to the Wolf Banner and it was passed. I manage to shake the Demolisher in combat. The Long Fangs and Rune Priest in the ruins unleash a hail of frag and lightning at a unit of Veterans leaving only 2 left. The lone Long Fang charges the other unit of veterans and manages to win the combat but the Veterans hold.

Turn 4 

Doesn’t see much from the Guard other than a general retreat and the Veterans killing the Long Fang in combat, but he did his job of holding them there for a turn so when my turn started I brought my last unit of scouts in to finish them off. The Grey Hunters win combat but failed to kill the Commissar Lord so the blob hold.

Turn 5

The Grey Hunters finally kill the Commissar and chase down the blob in his turn – to no losses after a staggering 53 attacks over 3 turns not one marine fell! In my turn I get that unit back into a Rhino and head off after his Company Command Squad and Demolisher. I spend this moment to finish off his special weapons squad and platoon command as they are scoring units, leaving 2 units of Veterans way over on the left behind the large ruins.

Turn 6 

A few pot shots from the IG, but there sheer weight of numbers of Wolves bearing down is too much. In my turn 6 I send a unit into teach table quarter – 2 to contest, 2 to capture. The unit of Grey Hunters who took care of the blob dismount, melta the Command Chimera, and then mop up the survivors leaving only the officer to flee far, far, away.

The game ends with me with one of his and one of my own table quarters while I contest the other 2, so that makes a 3-0 win to me, which with the extra points of victory points leaves me with 22 points out of a potential 25, not too shabby!

Next week in Game 2 I will face Necron Destroyer Spam and is a lesson in "There are no easy games"