Battle Report: LGS Matched Play - Blackshield's Revenge

After a bit of a hiatus, Cooper and I had a rematch, though this time it was versus his new Chaos renegades, the Blackshields.  A recent points update to 10th allowed me to take a few more units which was cool, but it was a lot to keep track of, especially when rusty.  Cooper did a great job getting both primary objectives and the random secondaries.  I think if I had split up my second Tactical squad and focused more on points I might have faired a bit better, but the dice gods favored Chaos this day!  Good game!

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Battle Report:

Ruleset: 2023 Tenth Edition Leviathan Mission Cards
Deployment: Crucible of Battle
Primary Mission: Purge the Foe

Mission Rule: Chilling Rain

Points: 2000 

My Forces:

+ Leaders +

• Primus Leo Exevio Faustus - Captain in Terminator Armour: Warlord - Power Fist, Storm Bolter
• Praelior Tarquinius Iulian Regulus - Chaplain in Terminator Armour:  Crozius arcanum, Storm bolter - Enhancement: The Honour Vehement
• Lexicanium Ezekiel - Force Sword, Bolt Pistol
• Chief Apothecary Hulm Singa - Apothecary: Enhancement: Fire Discipline, Gene Seed Recovery, Narthecium, Absolvor Bolt Pistol, Reductor Pistol, "Chainsword" 
• Master of the Forge Samus Dexter - Techmarine: Blessing of the Omnissiah, Servo-Arm, Omnissian Power Drill, Forge Bolter, Grav-pistol

+ (Troops) +

• Squad Cornelius - 10 man Tactical Squad - Power Fist, Plasma pistol, Bolt pistols, Meltagun, Missile Launcher, Bolters
• Squad Vitus - 10 man Tactical Squad - Chainsword, Bolt pistols, Meltagun, Heavy Bolter, Bolters

+ (Elites) +

• Squad Tourbillion - 10 man Terminator Squad: Teleport Homer, Power sword, Storm bolter, Assault cannon, 5x Chainfist, 4x Power fist
• Squad Nox - 5man Terminator Assault Squad: Teleport Homer,  5x Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield
• Squad Velox - 5 man Vanguard Veterans Squad: Heirloom Relic Blade, 5x Storm Shields, 4x Heirloom Thunder Hammers
• Venerable Brother Psigoras "Fury" - Dreadnought: Dreadnought melee weapon w/ Storm bolter, Twin Lascannon

+ (Heavy Support) +

• Squad Nero - 10 man Devastator Squad: Power sword, plasma pistol, 3x Lascannon, Plasma Canon, Bolters & Bolt Pistols
• Squad Kaiel - 5 man Devastator Squad: Chainsword, plasma pistol, 4x Multi-Meltas, Bolt Pistols
• Land Raider One - Land Raider - Twin Heavy Bolter, 2x Godhammer Lascannons 

The Renegades: Cooper's Blackshields

+ HQs +

Cypher

Autek Mor - Chaos Lord in Terminator Armour: Combi-weapon, Intoxicating Elixir, Mark of Slaanesh, Power fist

Ulrach Branthan - Heretic Astartes Daemon Prince with wings: Mark of Khorne, Talisman of Burning Blood, Warlord

+ (Troops) +

Legionaries: Chaos icon, Mark of Chaos Undivided - balefire tome, Havoc autocannon, bolt pistols, boltguns, melee weapons

Legionaries: Chaos icon, Mark of Chaos Undivided - plasma pistols, bolt pistols, boltguns, chainswords

Legionaries: Chaos icon, Mark of Chaos Undivided - Lascannon, plasma pistol, bolt pistols, boltguns, melee weapons

Legionaries: Chaos icon, Mark of Chaos Undivided - Missile launcher, plasma pistol, bolt pistols, boltguns, melee weapons

 

+ (Elites) +

Chaos Terminator Squad: Mark of Slaanesh - Reaper autocannon, accursed weapons, chainfist, combi-weapons, power fists

Chosen [130pts]: Chaos icon, Mark of Chaos Undivided - combi-weapons, power fist, plasma pistols, accursed weapons, bolt pistols, boltgun

+ (Heavy Support) +

Khalon - Leviathan Dreadnought [Legends]: 3x Hunter-killer missile, Mark of Nurgle - Cyclonic melta-lance, Siege claw and meltagun, 2x heavy flamers

Spartan [Legends]: Heavy bolter, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Twin heavy bolter, 2x laser destroyers

+ Allied Units +

Knight Despoiler: Daemonbreath meltagun, Ruinspear rocket pod, Warpstrike claw, Battle cannon and heavy stubber

Play by Play:

Battle Round 1:

While the Knight Despoiler took heavy damage from punishing fire from LR-1 and Devastator Squad Nero, it does not fall! (bad news!).  The Ultramarines only achieve the "Cleanse" objective.  Squad Cornelius, lead by Lexicanium Ezekiel jump out of LR-1 to attempt to secure the center objective waypoint.  

However, demon prince Ulrach (having possessed a dreadnought machine spirit) slaughters the squad. The Knight returns fire and critical hits destroy the Land Raider. Cooper extends his battle lines and purges the foe.

Battle Round 2:

Captain Faustus and Squad Tourbillion deep strike in to finish off the Knight, but it proves to be a hollow victory as Ulrach slaughters the enraged Forge Master Dexter.  The Ultramarines receive coordinates to an unknown signal, but fail to investigate it.  Ulrach and his traitors also fail to investigate the signals, or capture enemy outposts.  Squad Nox falls on the southern front, as does Ezekiel, cut down by the advancing renegades.

Terminator Lord Autek Mor launches a brilliant counter deep strike to pincer Captain Faustus.

Battle Round 3:

Ulrach is brought down by the Venerable "Fury" Psigoras!  But the battle is spiraling out of control and none of the objectives to secure no man's land or engage in a multi front assault are achieved.  Indeed it is a dark day for the Imperium as the beloved Praelior Regulus falls, though his battle canticles stopped, Brother Sergeant Velox vows to avenge him.

Beset on all sides, Squad Tourbillion fights shoulder to shoulder, protecting the Captain.  They die on their feet!

The Blackshields take no prisoners and the Spartan's heavy lascannons slice through Venerable Psigoras. Devastator Squad Kaiel's ineffective multi-melta fire puts them in a vulnerable position and they are swept aside as the heavy Terminator Squads melee.

Battle Round 4:

While Squad Nero manages to bring enough heavy fire down upon the Spartan to destroy it, it is too little too late.  Broken, the Ultramarine lines begin an ordered withdrawal.  Battle lines would not be extended.  Seeing a chance, Faustus lanuches at Cypher, mortally wounding the traitor coward, but then it leaves an opening for Lord Autek.

Surrounded, it is a duel.  Faustus faces Autek Mor, and while he fought with honour, Faustus falls.

Autek and Faustus meet.

Having secured the area, the Blackshields deploy teleport homers and vanish into the warp, achieving whatever objective for their doomed, mysterious ends.  Final result: 41 -77 victory for the Renegades.

+++++

Chief Apothecary Singa: "You should be more careful Captain, once we saw the teleport blooms we circled back and recovered you."

Captain Leo Faustus: "Disobeying a direct order to withdraw..."

Singa: "But..."

The Captain's stern expression relaxes into a smile and a wink as he slaps Singa on the pauldron - "You have my thanks."

REF: ULTRA-5955-XJ510  TIMESTAMP: 7334024.M42

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Tortle Power! - Monk Complete

I am really happy with how this Tortle monk turned out.  I had an idea of what I wanted to execute but what really helped was Dr. Faust's video, which I used for the skin and shell.

And here he is with "Bromley" the wizard:

Here's work in progress pictures as well as the colors:

From the front, skin and robe:

The side and back showing more of the robe and the shell:

The process only took me about 18 hours.  I used VMC Red, Khorne Red, and Mephiston Red for the base of the robe, then shaded with Flesh Tearers Red Contrast, then a combo of Flesh Tearers Red and Creed Camo Contrast, then Khorn Red, Mephiston, Evil Sunz and Fire Dragon Bright for the highlight glazes.  For the golden border it was Fire Dragon bright, then Gryph-Hound Contrast for shade, then Fire Dragon Bright, VMC Light Orange, VMC Golden Yellow, and VMC Flat Yellow for the glaze highlights.  The staff was a thined WyldWood Contrast over wrathbone, then Pallid Wych Flesh highlights.  The hemp rope was VGC Desert Yellow, Ushabti Bone, Skeleton Horde Contrast shade, and then Ushabti Bone again, but I used lines to create the texture.

Battle Report: LGS Matched Play - Knight of Atonement

I recently had the chance to get in a matched play game at the LGS with Cooper and his Grey Knights again.  It was my first non-crusade, non-event 10th edition game and just before the new Space Marine codex.  I was pleased with how Oath of Moment worked and overall how my army is functioning.

++++

Narrowly defeated in the Occultaris Campaign, Primus Leo Faustus is questioned by the Grey Knights, at gun point.  His answers were, persuasive.

Imperial Record: X393-334-QR772012101
Date: 3687023.M42

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Battle Report:

Ruleset: 2023 Tenth Edition Leviathan Mission Cards
Deployment: Dawn of War
Primary Mission: Purge the Foe

Mission Rule: Vox Static

Points: 2000 

My Forces:

+ Leaders +

• Primus Leo Exevio Faustus - Captain in Terminator Armour: Warlord - Enhancement: Bolter Discipline, Power Fist, Storm Bolter, Aux Grenade Launcher
• Epistolary Prior Isaac Theodesius - Librarian in Terminator Armour:  Force Axe, Storm bolter, Enhancement: The Honour Vehement
• Lexicanium Ezekiel - Force Sword, Bolt Pistol
• Lieutenant Aurelius - Master-crafted Boltgun, Power Fist

+ (Troops) +

• Squad Cornelius - 10 man Tactical Squad - Power Fist, Plasma pistol, Bolt pistols, Meltagun, Multi-Melta, Bolters
• Squad Kaiel- 10 man Tactical Squad - Chainsword, Plasma pistol, Bolt pistols, Meltagun, Multi-Melta, Bolters

+ (Elites) +

• Squad Tourbillion - 5 man Terminator Squad: Teleport Homer, Power sword, Storm bolter, Assault cannon, 3x Chainfist, Power fist
• Squad Nox - 5man Terminator Assault Squad: Teleport Homer,  5x Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield
• Squad Lazarus- 5 man Assault Squad w/ Jump Packs: Bolt Pistols, Chainswords, 1x Grav-pistol, 1x Power Fist, 
• Squad Velox - 5 man Vanguard Veterans Squad: Heirloom Relic Blade, 4x Storm Shields, 3x Heirloom Thunder Hammers, 1x Heirloom Lightning Claws (pair)
• Venerable Brother Psigoras "Fury" - Dreadnought: Dreadnought melee weapon w/ Storm bolter, Twin Lascannon

+ (Heavy Support) +

• Squad Nero - 10 man Devastator Squad: Power sword, plasma pistol, 3x Lascannon, Missile Launcher, Bolters & Bolt Pistols
• Land Raider One - Land Raider - Twin Heavy Bolter, 2x Godhammer Lascannons 

+ (Fast Attack) +

• "One Charlie" - Land Speeder Tornado: Heavy flamer, Multi-melta

The Opponents: Cooper's Grey Knights

Takeaways & Analysis:

Battle Round 1:

We were playing with the mission cards this game and I got really lucky with my objectives.  I got to move first and I was able to score "Tempting Target" and "Deploy Teleport Homer" for a total of 8 points, while I sat on "Engage On All Fronts".  We advanced up to dump out the tactical squad lead by Ezekiel riding in the Land Raider onto the central objective and threaten the eastern and western objectives with jump marines.  I held Squad Velox a bit off the objective up in the building so that they could counter strike.  I got some solid lascannon shots out, though wasn't able to see much and I was out of range on my main oath target unfortunately.

Meanwhile, Cooper struck-out and did not achieve any of his objectives: "Deploy Teleport Homer", "Cleanse", or "Assassination".

Battle Round 2:

Again super lucky, I drew "Bring it Down" right when it was time to destroy some mechs.  My Oaths worked great and I was able to destroy first one walker with Squad Nero and then bring down the second with my Dreadnought (newly interred Psigoras).  Furthermore, Squad Tourbillion beamed down in the backfield per their usual manouver, lead by Leo Exevio Faustus himself and shoot up one of the Tech Marines.  This allowed me to score 7 big points with "Bring it Down" and 5 points for "Assassination".  Unfortunately being in Cooper's deployment zone on the objective wasn't in a good spot for "Engage on All Fronts" so I discarded that.  I had 12 points for the main Purge the Foe mission objectives.

Cooper managed to kill Squad Velox in a melee over the western objective, down One-Charlie in the backfield when he beamed in, and eliminate Squad Cornelius in the center (per my plan to bubble wrap the Land Raider and Squad Nox) but Ezekiel survived.  I was able to swing back in a melee and kill another Tech Marine.  Again Cooper was unlucky and only managed to score 8 points for the main mission and 5 points for "Behind Enemy Lines"

Battle Round 3:

Continuing to draw just the right objectives at just the right time I was able to score "Area Denial" and "Secure No Man's Land" for 5 points each, with another 12 for the main objective.  Squad Nox, lead by Theodesius cleared off the Grey Knight Terminators from the central objective, and a third leader was slain.

The Grey Knights finally score 5 points for "Assassination" when Aurelius eventually fell, but again couldn't score much other than 8 main objective points.  Squad Kaiel falls with Aurelius

Battle Round 4:

Big scoring round: 12 points for the main objective, 8 points for "Capture Enemy Outpost" and 3 points each for "Behind Enemy Lines" and "Cleanse".  Another squad of tactical Grey Knights were eliminated .

Cooper managed to score 5 points for "Storm Hostile Objective" by running by Brother Sergeant Lazarus (who didn't quite move block well enough) and rushing Venerable Brother "Fury" Psigoras to win back the eastern objective after blowing him up.  The smoke screen only delayed his demise.

Battle Round 5:

I eliminated a squad of purifiers and scored 2 points for "No Prisoners" and 12 for the main objective.

Cooper took some pot shots and eliminated Ezekiel (who almost managed to survive on one wound the whole game with no remaining squad mates) and finally managed to kill more units than I did in the battle round so got 12 for the main objective.

Overall I had good control of the objectives with more units, high durability with terminator armor and/or Librarian shields, and extremely good luck with cards.  We both agreed that taking the extra 5 marines on the devastator squad allowed them to stay in the fight and add a lot of damage.

Battle Report: US Open 2023 Tacoma - Occultaris Campaign M5 - Squats + GSC

 ++++

It was the fated hour for the Battle for Occultaris: with the vaults being cleaned out of relics and ancient technology, all that was left was to drive the spear into the heart of the enemy.  By the grace of the Emperor of Mankind himself, a brief vox window opened in the interferance allowing Faustus to contact the battle barge above:

Send everything down.

And so drop ships and drop pods decended to the surface, reinforcing the Ultramarines with much needed supplies, equipment, and additional forces.

The Ravenous Hordes would be sending everything they had, but they would be ready to stomp them into the mud.

++++

Battle Report:

Ruleset: 2023 Tenth Edition Leviathan US Open Narrative Missions, Tyrannic War Crusade
Mission: Against the Swarm

Points: 2000 

Special Rules: 2 vs 1 (as they needed someone to play 2 opponents)

Mission Objectives

At the end of the battle, the defender scores 20VPfor each objective marker that remains on the battlefield, and the Attackers score 15VP for each objective marker that was destroyed.

At the end of the battle, the attackers score 15VP if they have two or more units wholly within the Defender's deployment zone that are not below half-strength.

My Forces:

+ Leaders +

• Primus Leo Exevio Faustus - Captain in Terminator Armour: Warlord - Enhancement: Artificer Armour, Crusade Relic: Artificer Weapon: Power Fist, Brutal Heirloom Storm Bolter
• Praelior Tarquinius Iulian Regulus - Chaplain in Terminator Armour:  Crozius arcanum, Storm bolter
• Lexicanium Flavi - Force Sword, Bolt Pistol

+ (Troops) +

• Squad Cornelius - 10 man Tactical Squad - Power Fist, Plasma pistol, Bolt pistols, Meltagun, Heavy Bolter, Bolters
• Squad Kaiel- 5 man Tactical Squad - Chainsword, Plasma pistol, Bolt pistols, Meltagun, Heavy Bolter, Bolters

+ (Elites) +

• Squad Tourbillion - 5 man Terminator Squad: Teleport Homer, Power sword, Storm bolter, Assault cannon, 3x Chainfist, Power fist, Only the Swift Survive
• Squad Nox - 5man Terminator Assault Squad: Teleport Homer,  5x Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield
• Squad Lazarus- 5 man Assault Squad w/ Jump Packs: Bolt Pistols, Chainswords, 1x Grav-pistol, 1x Power Fist, Headhunters
• Squad Velox - 5 man Vanguard Veterans Squad: Heirloom Relic Blade, 4x Storm Shields, 3x Heirloom Thunder Hammers, 1x Heirloom Lightning Claws (pair)
• Venerable Brother Psigoras "Fury" - Dreadnought: Dreadnought melee weapon w/ Storm bolter, Twin Lascannon

+ (Heavy Support) +

• Squad Nero - 5 man Devastator Squad: Power sword, plasma pistol, 3x Lascannon, Missile Launcher
• Land Raider One - Land Raider - Twin Heavy Bolter, 2x Godhammer Lascannons - Reinforced Superstructure

+ (Fast Attack) +

• "One Charlie" - Land Speeder Tornado: Heavy flamer, Multi-melta, Finely Balanced, Precise Multi-melta

Takeaways & Analysis:

This was the battle I was waiting for.  As luck would have it, a player came up to me and asked if I would be ok playing a 2000 point game 1v2.  I said 'sure....' a bit surprised and unsure if he was being serious as I though the factions were still balanced.  Sure enough he was serious, apparently some players had to leave early or something and they needed someone to take on two opponents.

Mark and Max had Squats and Genestealer Cults respectively - or a mining guild that had some mysterious contact with strange xeno organisms inadvertently.

This would be great because I knew that at 1000 points it was really tough to put together a good list with the stuff I have and control the larger board, but with 2000 points everything clicks into place and I have a lot of options.  I threw together a list I had been experimenting with already a bit, but afterwards I realized I didn't field Squad Uzziel when I should have, so I actually played about 1900 or so points.  This is ok though since typically in a 1v2 situation the side with two players is at a slight disadvantage.

They started with more crusade points than I did so I took the basic "High Strategy" crusade blessing to keep it easy.  Turns out that really paid off starting with 2 CP.

Everything was a bit of a blur and I think we only got through 2 battle rounds, but it was a lot of fun.  The genestealers swarmed at me really fast but while Squad Nox took the brunt of the assault, Squad Velox, Squad Lazarus, and the rest managed to drive them back.

My opponents realized they made a bit of a mistake thinking they could do a shock & awe style blitz to push me back into my deployment zone while the space dwarves swooped in to destroy the objectives.  It turned out that only one unit per turn could perform the action to destroy the node.  Just like my mistake the first game, this somewhat sealed their fate early because by pushing so hard I was able to make a brutal counter-strike.

Remembering the lessons learned from the prior games, I concentrated my heaviest fire towards the side of the board that had their hardest hitting vehicles, and this time I had enough firepower to ensure that Oath of Moment could take out at least one vehicle per turn.  I actually ended up destroying two mining trucks and the big land fortress, which exploded in what might have been the first and most impressive explosions of the day!  Smoke was amazing for the Land Raider and allowed it to barely survive and return fire.

Squad Nox falls but Squad Lazarus moves in with the Hammer of Wrath to support Regulus

Also, this game I loaded up a tactical squad lead by a librarian into the land raider for a 4++ invuln OC 20 unit that was really hard to shift off the objective on that same side.  Between them, Squad Nox, and Squad Velox I had 3 extremely durable squads in each third of the board and it really helped me maintain a presence.  

By the end of turn 2 I had beamed in Squad Tourbillion lead by Brother Captain Faustus into the Votann backline and they were really in no position to continue.  It was an epic finale to a really fun weekend, and my opponents were great sports.  Also, while they lost the battle, their faction actually won the Occultaris Campaign by the slimmest of margins which will advance the story for the grand narrative later in the year.

It was really great to finally play a 2000 point game - its nice to see how the full army works.