Tuesday 20 March 2018

Epic 4K: Black Legion vs Troopers (Space Wolves)

A game last week with my Black Legion vs Andrew's Starship Troopers list (counts as Space Wolves).


One other rule we tried this game was a "lowest activation army gets a free command reroll per turn". This is to experiment with a rule to help out low activation armies which can be bit of a disadvantage.


Incompertus, 3985 POINTS
13TH BLACK CRUSADE BLACK LEGION (2014 Armybook Edition)
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RETINUE [450]
8 Chaos Space Marines, (Chaos Undivided), Obliterator, Daemon Prince (Supreme Commander)

RETINUE [380]
8 Chaos Space Marines, (Chaos Undivided), Chaos Lord, 3 Rhino, Chaos Land Raider

RETINUE [465]
8 Chaos Space Marines, (Chaos Undivided), Chaos Lord, 4 Rhino, Chaos Land Raider, Obliterator

RETINUE [315]
8 Chaos Space Marines, (Chaos Undivided), Chaos Lord, 4 Rhino

RETINUE [275]
8 Chaos Space Marines, (Chaos Undivided), Chaos Lord

DEATH WHEEL SQUADRON [275]
(Chaos Undivided), Death Wheel

DEATH WHEEL SQUADRON [275]
(Chaos Undivided), Death Wheel

DEATH WHEEL SQUADRON [275]
(Chaos Undivided), Death Wheel

DECIMATORS [225]
(Chaos Undivided), Decimator

DECIMATORS [225]
(Chaos Undivided), Decimator

DEFILER ASSAULT PACK [275]
4 Defilers, (Chaos Undivided)

DEFILER ASSAULT PACK [275]
4 Defilers, (Chaos Undivided)

DEFILER ASSAULT PACK [275]
4 Defilers, (Chaos Undivided)



Company K, Third Regiment, First M.I. Division, Willie's Wolverines
Starship Troopers (counts as Space Wolves NetEA 3.3.1 Play Test)

Great Company, 6 Grey Hunters, Wolf Lord, Razorback, 3 Rhinos, Hunter [425]
4 Long Fangs, 2 Rhinos, Razorback, Hunter [400]
Great Company, 6 Grey Hunters, Chaplain, Air Landing [275]
Great Company, 6 Grey Hunters, Captain, Drop Pods [275]
Great Company, 6 Grey Hunters, Chaplain, Drop Pods [275]
Great Company, 6 Grey Hunters, Chaplain, Drop Pods [275]
4 Wolf Scouts, Captain, Teleport [225]
4 Wolf Scouts, Teleport [175]
4 Wolf Scouts, Teleport [175]
4 Wolf Scouts, Teleport [175]
4 Wolf Scouts, Teleport [175]
Strike Cruiser [200]
Thunderhawk [200]
Thunderhawk [200]
Thunderhawk [200]
2 Thunderbolts [175]
2 Thunderbolts [175] 



Game


Here's the setup, corner deployment being chosen by Andrew. My Black Legion in one corner with formations setup in mutual support.

Most of the Troopers off the table.

First activation is the Troopers Spacecraft, which scores a direct hit with bombardment on four of my formations! Casualties are light fortunately, but many blastmarkers.

Then three formations with Deathwind Drop Pods arrive causing more suppression and carnage in an Alpha Strike!



A Deathwheel and Decimator are broken by the Deathwinds and retreat, and then the Troopers close assault another Deathwheel and Decimator, destroying the Decimator for the loss of three of their own units.


My Legion moves to counterattack the landing zone, but is unable to cause many casualties to the Troopers via shooting.

End of turn sees surviving Troopers evacuated by Thunderhawks, much to the annoyance of the counterattacking Legion forces! A paucity of AA in the Legion ranks doesn't help matters.



Next turn sees a opening clipping assault against the flank of the intermingled Legion forces (3 formations) which succeeds in breaking these and driving them back, though not causing many casualties.

The Legion holds out as best it can fighting from it's corner, and attrition is suffered by both sides.




Turn 3, and it becomes a battle for objectives.

Scouts arrive by teleport, and my defilers manage to wipe some of them out.

But unwisely I leave my Take and Holds insufficently undefended, and can't hold enough objectives. Troopers win with Take and Hold and Defend the Flag, 2-0.



Conclusion


One of the few games where I've seen a successful Alpha Strike, which did a tremendous amount of disruption (though not so much damage), to my forces in the first turn. I was on the backfoot trying to maintain ground and have successful exchanges of damage in the following turns. This was not unsucessful, but intermingling my formations also cost me some activations when three formations were broken turn two. And then I missed guarding my objectives well enough on turn 3 which cost me the game. A lack of AA on my part (just two units hitting on 6's!), also gave the Trooper Thunderhawks and Thunderbolts a largely free reign, though two Thunderbolts were shot down in turn 3 at least!  Troopers were an interesting list, might encourage me to get my own drop pods out again! :) I also liked how the extra command roll functioned in this game, though I don't think it had much impact. Also discussed that teleporting scouts should probably be at least 200 as pretty powerful ability.