2995 Points BL

550 BL Retinue (DP, Havocs, Pact, Icon) BTS Nurgle
325 Bike Coy (Pact) Khorne
150 Forlorn Hope (Pact) Nurgle

300 Decimator+Desecrator
300 Decimator+Desecrator
375 Decimator+Desecrator+Defiler

475 4 Vindicators, 3 Defilers, Stalker
300 4 Vindicators, Predator, Stalker

220 Daemon Pool 11xLD

8 activations

3000 Pts IG Steel Legion

700 Tank Coy + Hydra (BTS) + C
400 Inf Coy + Fire Support + Hydra + C
400 Inf Coy + Fire Support + Hydra + C

200 Shadowsword + C
200 Deathstrikes
300 Vultures + C
250 Arty Bty - Basilisks
150 Rough Riders + C
100 Sentinels

150 T-Bolts
150 T-Bolts

11 activations

+ C = Commissar

Ruleset:

New Playtest BL by Lord Inquisitor

IG with NetE:A minimal changes plus fixed Commissars and Vulture-Hellstrikes 2x 90cm AT2+ (single-shot)


Terrain:

Same table as vs. Eldar, an oval valley with a set of 6 large, square buildings, the Hydroponic Farms. Some hilltops have ruins, the central hills on either side also a field of rubble at one part of the hillbase. Between the hills there are gaps some 5cm up to 40cms across.

BL picks sides, the one where the hills meet the table edge, choose classic setup. The hilltops would have been ideal positions for IG, offering excellent long range fields of fire.

BL put Blitz on left flank, in the open, T&H on the IG side of a central hill (with rubble and ruins) in the open and on a small ridge halfway between that hill and the IG edge, close to the IG Blitz.

IG Blitz goes into the extensive rubble on the BL left flank, pretty much opposite the BL Blitz. The rubble is the most defensive stretch of terrain available to the IG, large enough to contain both Inf Coys at full strength if need be.

IG T&Hs go far, far away to the BL right flank into the rubble on the BL side of a central hill and into the centre and rear in the open, with the aim of making garrisoning in the Hydroponics difficult.

BL puts Forlorn hope on overwatch-garrison there nonetheless, leaving one stand in the open and occupying the 3 farms closer to the BL lines. The Warlord´s Ret stretches out form the BL blitz towards and into the ruins on the hill near the first BL T&H, Havocs in front and on overwatch.

IG garrisons the first Inf Coy in the centre on a longish hill overlooking the farms, some 20-30cms into the table, covered with to small set of ruin, leaving half its stands in the open, counting on the Overwatch cover save and on the Decimators arrival at some time.

Deployment:

BL left-to-right:

Defiler CC-Coy (on edge hill)
Decimator (on edge hill)
Decimator+ (in front of BLitz)
Bike Coy (on the flank of a central hill meeting the table edge)
Decimator (on hilltop)
Armoured Coy (on the other flak of the hill)

IG left-to-right
Rough Riders (in the open next to the hill where the spread-out garrison waits)
Arty (on the hill to the rear with moderately good LOS to the front and, more importantly, to the BL appraoches to the IG Blitz)
Tank Coy (behind the hill)
Vultures (next to some ruins, LOS straght ahead out to the leftmost 2 farms)
Deathstrikes (on the edge behind ruins)
Sentinels (some 15cm behind the ridge and the 2nd BL T&H)
Shadowsword (same as Sentinels)

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Turn1:

Initiative: IG! BL rolls a "1" and the Daemon Pool gets reduced to 10. Great start...

IG activate Deathstrikes, fire 1 missile at the rightmost Decimator and ... miss!
Ig retains, activates SSword, which doubles to another small ridge in front of the Blitz-Rubble and it´s garrison, taking overwatch fire from the Warlord´s Ret, especially the Hacovs, suffering 1 point of damage. The Volcano Cannon strikes the leftmost Decimator (could have hit the one with Defiler and Desecrator, but reasoned that if 2DC were caused the BM from the overwatching Ig Inf Coy would break the smaller formation)

BL double the larger Decimator formation forward, firing into the Inf Coy in the Blitz-Rubble, killing a Fire Support stand.
Retaining, the Warlord´s Ret summons _6_ Plaguebearers, shrugs off that Inf Coys overwatch and intermingled-Engages it and the wounded SSword, clipping the Inf nastily with the help of the ridge.
IG had the SSword up front, which saved magnificiently, leading to just the Inf´s Hydra and a Plaguebearer perishing. All factors counted, resolution holds no advantage to either side, dice a rolled... IG wins by 1!

Ouch. That quite hurt the Daemon Pool, now down to 4...
The Ret retreats behind its starting postions on the hill.

IG activates Vultures, which are now free to exploit the gap in the BL lines, doubling up to the IG side of that hill, smack on the BL T&H nearest to their lines, and unleash their Hellstrikes at the CC-Armoured Coy in the BL rear, smashing it, killing 2 Defilers, a Vindicator and the Stalker (just one Defiler saved, it was awful)
Retaining, the Arty fires at the Decimator targetted earlier by the SSword, hoping to break it by killing either the Desecrator or causing at least one damage ... no hits.

The rightmost Decimator doubles to a firing position between the leftern farms, and blasts into the 2nd Inf Coy garrison on the longish hill, killing 2 Fire Supports and 2 Inf with aid of the Descrator. Not bad.

The Tank Coy gets the cue, advancing to fire on the Decimator, causing 1 damage

The BLs leftmost Decimator, which the IG repeatedly failed to break, double up to get left of the hill behind which the Warlord is cowering, getting into Reaper range of the SSword, though the shells all rattle of the reinforced armour. It retreat broken nonetheless behind teh T&H ridge close to its starting position.

Two can play that game, and so the Sentinels try to do likewise on the Decimator, but are forced to Hold and move forward instead.

BL doubles the Bike Coy forward of the advancing Decimators on the extreme left flank, further reinforcing it. This starts to look like a concentration of force, well covered by the hill which is to the right of these formations and between them and the IG arty and Tank Coy.

IG had hoped to Overwatch on the Vindi Armoured Coy or the Forlorn Hope should it break cover, but has to stall in order to avoid sending the Rough Riders forward before the Vindicators have activated.

The Inf Coy Marshalls and moves, repositioning and removing 3 of 5 BM.

That´s what the FH had been waiting for, doubling to put a BM on the Arty.

In a March that is pretty much a changing of flanks the Vindicator Armoured crosses the Farms area and gets into the face of the IG Tank Coy, which is now under dual threat from the Vindies and the Decimator+Desec behind them between the Farms.

It´s IN time now, the T-Bolts had been held back as the BL presented a veritable wall of overlapping AA (all those Desecs in the Decimator formations which spearheaded the BL advance), but the Vindie Armour has only its Stalker for AA.

First T-Bolt formation zooms in, takes 2 hits (go Stalker!!), jinks but still loses a plane. 2nd T-Bolts is more lucky, evades fire, hits a Vindie that saves.

IG rallies Blitz Inf Coy, Sentinels, Vultures. SSword remains broken, 2nd Inf Coy still has 2BM

BL rallies Warlord´s Ret, fails to rally Defiler-CC-Armoured despite reroll(sniff) rallies all Decimators but cannot clear BM from Vindie-Armoured.

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Turn 2:

Initiative BL

In another sneaky move, the Vindie-Armoured doubles forward-left over the T&H ridge, putting the Tank Coy into a potential crossfire, positioning Vindies in support range of the Sentinels and drawing a LoF on the Deathstrikes behind the ruins, but misses the latter (oh Noes!)

The Decimator+Desec between the farms and rain Hell on the Tank Coy, with the Crossfire making all the difference. Between the 3 burning wrecks and Disrupt hits, the Tank Coy suffers 6 BM and has the Hydra out of formation on its left flank.

The IG position now looks positively penetrated and close to collapse.

A quick roll establishes which Deathstrike has fired (turns out it is conveniently the one furthest from the unactivated Decimators) and the formation is duly activated. This time the missile strike true and annihilates the Decimator with the Desec and Defiler attached, breaking the walker daemon engines.
IG is unwilling to cede the critical ground behind T&H ridge, and Marshalls+shoots with the Tank Coy, targetting the Vindies on their right flank, serving them some of their own medicine by crossfiring them via the Blitz Inf Coy. However, only 2 tanks are able to fire due to suppression.

A Vindicator is blown apart, leaving the formation with 4BM and close to breaking.

BL is now ready to crush the IG forces on their left flank. The unbroken Decimator and its Descrator advance, killing a Fire Support and a Inf unit, getting into support positions and placing critical BM.

Retaining, the Bike Coy summons the 4 remaining daemons, 3 Bloodletters and a Beast, and intermingled-Engage the Sentinels and Blitz Inf Coy. Despite fierce resistance, the IG is overrunm the Sentinels wiped out and the decimated Inf Coy sent packing, running for the table corner deep in the rubble.

The Basilisk now lower their barrels, direct-firing into the Vindies. With the Blitz Inf Coy broken, the Crossfire is gone, however, and only a single tank is lost. Broken, the 4 survivors retreat to the ridge in front of the Blitz rubble, where the Sentinels just perished.

The 2nd Inf Coy on the hill overlooking the farms now opens up on the Forlorn Hope that is occupying the rightmost farm closest to the IG table edge, where they had been firing on the Arty,scoring 4 hits, killing 2 and forcing them to retreat to the left and rear into other farms.

Eager to get back into the fight, the still large Warlord´s Ret doubles, taking positions stretching from the leftmost farm into the rubble to the hill overlooking the forward BL T&H, with good LoS to the Vultures around it, which are fired on ineffectively.

BL is now out of activations.

IG Hold-moves the Rough Riders after failing to March.

As there seems to be no forward air control on the left flank, both T-Bolt formations fail to ground-attack the broken Vindicators.

BL fails to rally the Vindies, which retreat rearwards, but everything does.

IG clear the Tank Coy, Rough Riders, empty Deathstrikes and Vultures of BM, but not the 2nd Inf Coy (2BM) and the broken Shadowsword and Blitz Inf Coy.

Short sitrep:

IG has consolidated its lines, regaining control of T&H ridge. The very weak BL right flank has vanished with the retreat of the Forlorn Hope. The Decimator that had opened up on the Tank Coy is able to do so again, pending initiative, as the Tanks are also ready to blow it to Kindom Come should they get the chance...

BL has overrun all IG on the left flank, and should be able to mount another attack on T6H ridge.

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With 20:20 hindsight , I think the BL were riding their luck somewhat facing IG Deathstrikes without a credible means of hurting them, so I am slightly surprised they are not down 2-3 Decimators by this point (given the attention they have been receiving from various IG formations).

However, that aside, it looks nicely poised - and I'll bet you were glad of the extra Daemon given the initial losses

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Turn 3:

Initiative: IG

Glad to have gotten the jump on the Chaos Marines, IG moves to eliminate the most immediate threats, activationg the Tank Coy to shoot the Decimator.

And fails, causing another point of damage on ut depsite 7 hits. More importantly, the Tank Coy now has a BM.

Initiative passes to BL, which concocts and evil plan that will roll up the remaining IG on the left flank.

The Warlord´s Ret sustains, hitting the Vultures with a torrent of missiles, downing 3 and causing the remaining gunship to flee in terror.

This clears the way for the Bike Coy, which now summons the remaining daemon in the form of a Beast and assaults the Tank Coy, storming over T&H ridge and contacting half the tanks. The Russes fight desperately (3 6´s in CC), and it the fight goes to another round, with the additional move granted to the bikers sealing the tanks fate. Only the Commissar´s Vanquisher escapes to the dubious safety of the Arty positions. Things are looking grim for the Imperials.

A single T-Bolt attack rebreaks the Defiler and Desecrator left from the larger Decimator formation.

The leftish Decimator and Desecrator double, slaughtering broken Guardsmen in the rubble and, with the Desecrator heading deep inot the terrain to claim Blitz, limiting their retreat options.

Remembering the first air attack, the Defiler-Armoured (what´s left of it, a lone Defiler amd 3 Vindies) double forward and further harm the Blitz Inf Coy, leaving only the Commissar.

Roughriders double to rebreak the Forlorn Hope, barely making the range.

BL is out of activations

IG activates the empty Deathstrikes to contest Blitz, BMing the nearby Decimator+Desec

Arty tries to advance into Heavy Bolter range of the Bikes, but fails, Holds and shoots ineffectively. perhaps losing its las chance to turn the tide.

T-Bolts Stand Down again after failing to Ground Attack the Bike Coy.

End Phase:

IG rally everything, no less than 4 broken formations: The Vanquisher, SSword, Vulture, Blitz Inf Coy Commissar. However, so does BL.

Goals: BL T&H, IG none

SitRep:

IG has rallies around the 2nd Inf Coy and Arty on the longish hill on the centre-left of their table edge. BL has the Bike Coy to the right of these positions, RoughRiders face a Decimator with 1 DC left and its attendant Desecrator as well as the Forlorn Hope in the Farms area, with the Warlord´s Retinue lurking behind them. Beyond these the now-rallied Vindie-Armoured and a formation of 1 Defiler, 1 Desec lie in wait, while the Defiler-Armoured is at the edge of the Blitz rubble and an undamaged Decimator with Desecrator close to the Blitz. The Inf Coy Commissar remains in the rubble corner.

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Turn 4:

Initiative: BL

Decimator+Desec that had broken and withdrawn to the far side of the Farms advance on Rough Riders, killing 3, breaking them and ending the threat to the IG T&H.

Retaining, the Bike Coy engages the 2nd Inf Coy, and after 2 rounds of combat drives them off the hilltop ruins for 1 Bikers vs 6 IG Inf.

The Shadowsword rejoins the battle and vaporates the Decimator close to the Blitz, braking the accompanying Desecrator.

With a daring double, the lone Vanquisher might shoot the far-away Defiler-Armoured and greatly help in keeping the Blitz, but retaining it fails and retreats.

BL doubles the Defiler+Desec to fire on the Deathstrikes, but no hits are made. The Defiler-Armoured Advances and Demolisher fire from 3 Vindicators at last kills the Blitz Inf Coy Commissar.

The T-Bolts are calles in once again, and not only appear on the roll of a "6", but proceed to annihilate the Vindie-Armoured behind the Warlord´s hill, clever choice of approach vector preventing the Stalker from firing. The knew how to do it after all...

IG now takes a critical look at objectives: The Deathstrikes defend Blitz but have a BM. BL has the Forlorn Hope and the Warlord´s Ret left to activate, both of which would have to March to reach the Blitz. BL can get Defend the Flag if they March either to their own Blitz, Defend the Flag could noly be denied to Chaos if the Basilisks doubled, by the narrowest of margins.

They do so, even killing a stand.

It gets down to jockeying for objectives, but BL has "only" the Warlord´s Ret left and cannot get 2 Objectives, its either TSnP (breaking the Arty) or T&H (Breaking the Deathstrikes), potentially DtF if it were to March to the Rear.

It goes for the Arty, killing a Basilisk.

Vulture doubles forward, denying TSnP and killing off the remaing Forlorn Hope CSM.

Game ends in a tiebreak, which will obviously go in favour of BL as the IG forces have lost 3/4 of their strength.

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Sure thing! The Bike Coy had exactly 1 daemon left to summon in the late fights, which proved invaluable in clearing out the 2nd Inf Coy as the Bikers could not enter the ruins.

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Good stuff.

So what are your comments on any of the new units or playtest changes.

Basilisks! Who brings Basilisks?

Other than that, nice batrep.  

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General remarks:

Too bad the Defilers-Armoured Coy took it on the chin so early, I would have loved to get it tearing into the enemy, they would have cleared the Blitz-Rubble pronto with some support.

The Bike Coy was a definite game winner, when the Deathstrike failed in T1, had to concentrate on checking the advancing Decimators, which gave them the gaps they needed. Their advance to the enemy table edge and then sideways split the IG, cost them their Blitz, left the Blitz Inf Coy fighting alone and crushed or prevented any help IG sent that way.

IG also suffered several Holds when it desperately needed a successful action and a retain, Tiny-Tim was proven correct when he remarked that he would not go without a SC.

Leaving the Sentinels intermingled with the Inf Coy (hardly preventable) cost the Guard the Blitz and ultimately that flank, the Sentinels had no business there and would have been better used assisting the Rough Riders getting deep into the enemy rear, after the Vindicator-Armoured left the centre they would have had free reign there, possibly forcing BL to put a Decimator or the Warlord´s Ret on them just get rid of the nuisance.

Playtest specific:

The Decimator and Desecrator combo is to be recommended. It deployed AA where needed in the most uncanny fashion. I also think the extra BM before breaking is quite useful, the extra firepower was also lovely. It complements the Decimator better than Defiler, that much is a given.

The Stalker was spot on, it was great to see it break up an incoming T-Bolt strike all by itself. Nice to keep around, though one can neither depend on its shooting nor on its AA. In the double vs. the Deathstrikes, it added 50% of the formations dices, but hitting at 7+... well!

Chaos Vindicators were a great addition, amdirably clearin the rubble though drawing all kinds of fire, these are bullet magnets!

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Thanks!

Nothing wrong with Basilisks ... from their position in this game they had excellent LoF to a critical area, ideal for direct fire AT 3+ shots, there was just too much going on to make use of it. I also know an ex-local (greetings to Munich, Elias!) IG player who was in the habit of rolling one 5+ save after the other. Uncanny ability...

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I often have basilisks in my guard for a number of reasons.

They don't attract the first turn attack that manticores do,
They have a 5+ save,
and I like them to 'snipe' at broken formations with 3 BP  

Did you decide to jink after the hits were know? I believe you have to declare before the dice are thrown.

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I find mixed WE/something else formations a pain. The enemy can declare I believe they are shooting up the non WE units and get easy kills and blast markers. Tis why I stopped giving Shadowsword companies Hydra.

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'Abolish red trousers?! Never! Red trousers are France!' – Eugene Etienne, War Minister, 1913
"Gentlemen, we may not make history tomorrow, but we shall certainly change the geography."
General Plumer, 191x

No, it´s quite explicit in the rules, see 4.2.3:

Fighters and fighter-bombers can choose to ‘jink’ when
they have to make a saving throw. Jinking represents the
pilot desperately swerving his plane to one side in order
to try and dodge the enemy attack. All of the aircraft in a
formation must jink, or none at all. Aircraft that jink
receive a 4+ saving throw instead of their normal armour
save but lose their attack if they have not already taken it
(they are concentrating on dodging enemy bullets).
Place a suitable marker on the aircraft as a reminder it
can’t shoot.

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