This was the Friday follow up to the 3am knife edge game last week.

With 5000 points we took Wednesday night to clear and set the terrain (which Stuart did in his very orderly way) and then deployed so we could get straight to the fighting.

Campaign background wise, victorious elements of the Marines, principally the virtually undamaged Devastator Coy and the terminators have been reinforced following their victory at Muckville, and have worked their way up the "perfumed river" (ahh is that slurry, is it fertiliser?) to the major community of Muckville Major (actual name Kreuzfeld Town).

There is no general photo of the terrain (i thought i'd taken one) but the deployment pics should give you a good idea of the field.

There was a major city mid table, surrounded by low hills and a few dense but sparse woods. A river sliced off a third of the terrain, and probably the slightly more covered section was on the side of the IG dice. The buildinsg were very big- 3 section jobs for the most part, so I am guessing Stuart had in mind an artillery minimisation strategy...

Marines fielded

Devastator Coy
Battle Coy
Land raider Coy (drawing on recovered machines and rear supplies)

Plus

Warlord
Warhound
Whirlwind detachment
Attack Bike Detachment
techmarine
Two thunderhawks
A Dreadnought detachment
A det of Vindicators
A det of Landspeeders
A terminator detachment

IG fielded
Heavy Coy
Bike Coy
Gorgon Assault Coy
Artillery Coy
Reaver Group

Plus
Ratlings
Ogryns
Beastmen
Hydra AA
Thunderbolts
Rough Riders
Hell Hounds

Photo shows the Marine centre and left flank (stretching across the perfumed river).

The Warlord is followed by land Raiders and Vindicators.

On the other side of the river the marines have a wood packed with Devastators, dreads and rhinos. Beyond that there is a Devestator and tactical platoon from the battle coy, plus the attack bikes, whirlwinds and the tech.

From the Warlord to the marine right there is just one small wood, a short drive from the set up area and no other cover till Muckville main. Stuart set it up and it wasn't helpful...

The Marine right flank.

The blue rhinos carry Devastators, the orange topped ones Assault Marines. Supporting them are the Landspeeders. On top of the hill are the Terminator's land Raiders (we're playing separate detachments but not sure that this applies to the termies).

You can see the open ground stretching to Muckville major.

Photo shows the IG centre. Despite having a key role in last week's battle they never managed to figure in the photos*, but you can see the Gorgon Assault units flanked by Ogryns and Beastmen, backed by hellhounds and with the white colour scheme of the supporting Reaver group. You can also see the artillery coy deployed on a nice open hill- artillery park really. As usual the Rough Riders screen the Artillery. They should be a different detchment though to last week, there having been no survivors from the group that tried to close the ford, but I was too lazy to dig out the det mounted on brown ponies (for shame).

*Curse you undersized GW models...

better view of the Artillery park. A platoon of 5th heavy got swamp (field) duty- lucky them, backed by their company commissar for order purposes. they are in the field just this side of the perfumed river.

IG right flank- 2 platoons of heavies occupy the wood, Bikes inside of them to benefit from their AA potential on Turn 2. On the far flank the ratlings are formed up as if on parade, and I still can't understand why I did that. They get an infiltrate move pre-game so I managed to fix it but you could imagine the grumbles when they were ordered to dress ranks before the battle....

Turn 1

“The Planâ€Â

IG right flank, start of the turn 2. Green Group have just scarpered leaving the remnant engaged with the last devastator and the CHQ bike. Unpainted enemy attack bikes hover behind the wood.

Turn 2

I win initiative again. Stuart begins to suspect it’s not going to be his night.

He deploys his right flank devastators behind the wood , and screens them with the Assault who launch into the wood in expectation of the Rough Riders. His landspeeders charge my Hydras in an attempt to disrupt the gun line, snap fire removes 3 of them.

I move my T-Bolt and as soon as I touch it snap firing Devastators bring it down.

The Land Raiders on the marine left engage my Heavy coy (1 killed), and I kill just enough to break the Land Raiders (that tech can’t be everywhere). My Reavers split fire and do not kill his Warhound, though a head shot with a turbo laser slows it down.

I have moved my Rough Riders into close combat with his Assault marines in the wood on my extreme left flank. The Battle Coy’s devastator rhinos retreat and snap firing destroys two as they flee.

Gorgons advance to be ready for a shot next turn (gotta love that 15cm range…). Beastmen scurry in behind the assault guard, ready for a charge on Turn 4 against his termies.

My CHQ bike engages his attack bikes, and in turn they swamp him.

Shooting proper-

Barrage after barrage falls on the Marine lines. The bombards drop a shot on the small wood on the Marine right to kill the last stand there. Basilisks fire on the Devastators behind my lines on my left (each battery angles to give a sweep of each flank). 3 stands and a Rhino perish. More devastators die in the wood by the River (that’s for my T-Bolts).

Advancing fire is pretty light from me. His T-Hawk pings off a shield on my close assault Reaver (Mega bolter and chain fist now that his warp missile is fired) and it’s left with no shields.

His warhound fires its turbo laser and hits. Side shot- reactor, scatter dice- deflect left= miss.

There are times when you just can’t get a break.

In better news his Whirlwinds knock out a bombard and his attack bikes wipe out my CHQ bike.

But my bike kills his last Battle coy devastator, and his Assault marines lose out heavily to my Rough Riders (5-3) so my 7 stands will ride into his Devastators next turn (buying another turn before he starts to snipe my gun line).

The end phase is enough to secure it though. He retains 15 VP in objectives but has added nothing extra in kills- 22.  

I have added the Devastator company (10), Battle Coy (9), land raiders (8) and Speeders (2) to the Vindicators (2), T-hawk (1) and WL (8) from Turn 1. I retain two objectives to give me 50 (just enough). Not that it matters but all the Marines pass morale.  

It has been a horrible night for the Marines and they are withdrawn from the Sector. The lightning war is over and a pause will be called until heavy supporting troops can be brought up to continue the campaign against the rebels…

Photo shows the Marine left flank - thinned by the end of Turn 2. By the river you can see the red warhound, and next to i the small tenement holding the tacticals. Supporting them is a solitary land raider. Supporting it is the last of the only detchment on FF in Turn 1- the Devastators who were swamped by the Barrage missile.

Photo shows the other side of the Marine left, just over the hill from the previous photo. Two land raiders supported by the Techmarine are watched by my heavy troopers and a ratling...

2nd Street Muckville Main, taken from the IG lines. Gorgons get ready to advance into 15 cm range... Land raiders wait to pick them off, and Termies hold the buildings either side.

My Beastmen have caught up with the mechanised and jump assisted advance.

View down 3rd Street, from the marine lines. Vindicator feeling lonely as 3 Reavers bear down on him...

That'll teach 'em! So, when do the Guard expect to take back Muckville proper and kick them blue boys outa' town?

I liked the connected games, nice report.  

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My head is full of War...

[img]http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk120/Warhead40k/Tyranid%20Swarm/DSC02262.jpg[/img]

Michael - I suspect the forces of Chaos had a hand in this victory!!, the dice were definitely tainted that night for the SM's. A follow up force will be on its way soon to illuminate your IG's to the error of their ways.

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Get in close and bash 'em

Grudge Match!.. gather round gents I'm takin' bets.  

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My head is full of War...

[img]http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk120/Warhead40k/Tyranid%20Swarm/DSC02262.jpg[/img]