Small simple test game (no planes or war engines).
Hotseat against myself. Mainly to experiment with Vassal and remember how EA works (haven't played EA in about 6 years).

Iron Warriors
Iron warriors + Land Raider + 3Rhino+ Supreme Commander (455)
Iron Warriors + 3 Land Raiders + 1Rhino (BTS) (535)
Chosen + 2 Dreadnoughts (225)
Chosen + 2 Dreadnoughts (225)
Artillery battery (300)
Arm. Assault Company (6 vindicators) (250)

2 chosen formations to garrison objs in my table half and threaten unguarded objs
One basilisk battery to weaken opponents line.
3 dangerous, resilient formations to push forward. (In hindsight Vinds not hard, dangerous but not resilient)
sup com not in BTS.

Steel Legion
Reg HQ (500)
Mech Inf + Leman Russ (575) (BTS)
Inf Company + fire support (350)
Sentinels (100)
Sentinels (100)
Roughriders (150)
Artillery Battery (3 bombards) (250)
Commissars in Inf companies

Two mech companies to push forward on one flank towards blitz. One with tanks to push across open ground.
Inf co to hold objective on other flank.
artillery to soften up enemy in cover.
Roughriders to follow up. Sentinels screen main push

Terrain and deployment

Objectives
IW Blitz in middle
SL blitz on open flank.
Both forces spread other objectives out with plans to take one and push onto blitz

Deployment
Chosen garrison on overwatch. Info co garrisons
IW deploy basilisks on one flank, hopefully out of the way, remaining formations set up to push onto sl objectives making use of some cover (long open route to SL blitz)
SL deploy sentinels on one flank to rush basilisks or set up cross fire. remaining formations deploy opposite IW

Turn 1
T1
IW get initiative (after two ties)
IW Basilisks sustain at bombards. 1 hit, 1kill and broken. don't retain
SL Far sentinels march down the board edge towards the basilisks. Don't retain
IW vindicators double forward. Pass 2 dangerous terrain tests. SL Inf co overwatch as no cover vs vindicators (4 hits, 2 kills!). vinds return fire and kill 1 stand. Should have fired with the chosen first? (although SL would have got cover)
IW retain and chosen sustain fire at inf co, 4 hits, 4kills
SL sentinels double into middle of board and fire at vindicators no hits but broken. Vinds (mindful of large SL formations yet to act) retreat behind woods. Don't retain
IW second chosen formation goes on overwatch. Don't retain
SL roughriders double up behind central hill. Don't retain
IW IW with SC double up around hill. Don't retain
SL Mech inf double through valley into middle of board. Chosen overwatch at them, 1 hit, no kills. Inf fire at vindicators, no hits but kill one as broken. Don't retain
IW IW formations advances and fires at mech inf. 4 hits, kills 2LR,1chim and 2 inf
SL SC formation advances and fires at IW SC formation. 0 hits!
End phase
All formations rally

Turn 2
T2
IW get initiative
IW IW with SC form advance (to get marines out of transport and fire at SL SC (marines shooting at inf). Kill 1 chimera and 4 inf. Retain
IW IW in centre sustain at mech inf. Kill three chimera and 6 infantry breaking them. Mech inf fall back.
SL SC sustain at IW(SC). 3 hits, one kill. This was probably a mistake, think I should have given ground instead
SL Sentinels on flank attempt to retain advance at basilisks but fail. SC reroll fails! They advance into woods for cover (no accidents).
IW Basilisks sustain at SL SC. Kill one stand, 1 chimera. Don't retain.
SL Inf co goes on overwatch
IW Chosen in woods sustain at sentinels. 2 hits, 1 kill
SL Bombards rally
IW Vindicators double towards sentinels on right flank. No hits
SL Central sentinels attempt to double into cover but fail and break! Fall back into cover.
IW Chosen advance towards SL SC and fire. No hits
SL Roughriders hold position
End Phase
IW SC rallies (with reroll), vind rally
SL SC rallies, broken mech inf fail, inf pass, all sentinels pass

Turn 3
T3
IW win intiative.
IW IW with SC engage SL with SC. IW inflict 3 hits and kill three guard. SL inflict 4 hits and kill one marine. IW +5(kills, blast markers), SL+2(kill + inspiring). After dice IW win by 4 hacking down 3 inf and 1 chimera. IG SC withdraws directly towards table edge.
IW chosen on hill retain and go into overwatch to protect SC from roughriders.
SL rearmost sentinels advance, treehopping and firing at vindicators. 1 hit no kills
SL sentienls retain and sustain shooting at basilisks. No hits
IW basilisk sustain at inf co. 4hits(of 7 under template), 4kills
SL bombards sustain at IW SC, killing land raider, havocs and SC. Formation broken withdrawing directly backwards.
IW vindicators sustain firing at lead sentinels. 2hit, 2kills breaking them
SL inf co goes on overwatch
IW chosen sustain fire at inf co, killing one breaking them
SL roughriders engage chosen losing 1 to overwatch. SL+1, IW+4. Drawn combat.2nd round SL+2, IW+6 IW win by 4 hacking down remaining roughriders.
IW IW double forward and shoot at mech co. 4hits, killing 2 chimera and occupants. Since broken take 7 more casulties wiping formation out.
End phase
Iron Warriors win 2(BTS,TSNP)-0

Thoughts & Notes
Need to adjust to EA not other games I've played.
Infantry are fragile unlike FoW (where all inf get a 3+ save against everything).
Too used to 40k 6th ed hit allocation (keep applying hits to nearest unit till it dies). Probably need to rethink lists slightly based on this.

Initiative very important.
Read the objectives! IW could have had DTF if I'd paid attention (no-one holding their blitz)
Small formations are really fragile, even medium (6 units) formations are brittle (vinds in T1)
Difficult balancing act of character placement. Neither SC got in CC in the engagement.

IW
Land Raiders are actually good unlike in 40k.
The range on basilisks is really useful allowing you to soften anything up.
Chosen with dreads look like a really useful and cheap option.
Not sure about the Vindicator company.

SL
Stick to the plan. Don't go one-on-one with marine formations.
Unlikely to win initative. Have to plan for opponent getting first activation each turn.
Pass Action checks! Dice seemed fair on whole but T2 was terrible for activation checks. Sentinels failing meant basilisks and vinds were free to act.
Bombards are really nasty. Was expecting to soften the IW SC up in T3 not gut it. To be fair it was an ideal target, lots of bases huddled together that didn't get the benefit of cover.
Overwatch can be a trap for infantry in the open as you lose cover once you've fired.

Thanks for the batrep.
I hope there will be more to come?

I share your thoughts on the Vindicator company. I usually go with Defilers instead. I know they are smaller in number but they are Fearless and have that Invulnerable Save to add a little extra survivability. The extra weapon range helps out as well.

I haven't played with the Chosen/Dreadnought formation. It looks good as a garrison unit (Fearless Dreads are always useful).

Cheers,
Steve.

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Just call me Steve.

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No problem. Hoping to get another report done this week.

Won't give up on the vindicators yet.

I love Vindicators. As an AP unit I always field them against infantry heavy armies. Against Eldar or IG they are amazing with the ignore cover rule. I have way better success and kill ratios with them than I do Landraiders or Predators. I also think they look cool

Worth mentioning I am normally SM/Dark Angels

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Walk softly. And carry a big gun.

Very nice maps & AAR ...

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Legion 4 "Cry Havoc, and let slip the Dogs of War !" ... "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."