NETEA EMPEROR’S CHILDREN VS NETEA STEEL LEGION PLAYTEST

Playtest 6 of the EC, this time against Dwarf Supreme’s Steel Legion. This was a T-hawk plus noise marine “stress test” to see if loading up on these is a game breaker. Thanks to Tim for taking up one of Adeptus Ineptus’ monthly get-togethers with a playtest. Actually, he also helped Dave and I playtest the “But it was only one bridge!” scenario as well. He gets the “Taccom citizen of the day” award. Bravo! However, it’s soon to be rescinded if he pusses out and doesn’t make the drive to our game day tomorrow. Just sayin’.

Here’s the EC list. I took some knights again, and loaded three t-hawks with noise marines, all three FMs having pact. Since they were in the T-hawks, I could only summon a max of 2 (6 noise marines leaves 2 transport spaces open) each time I activated from within the t-hawks.

3000 points
Retinue, warlord, stalker, rhinos: 355
Retinue, stalker, rhinos: 305
Retinue, 2 land raiders, stalker, rhino: 435 (BTS)
Knight pack (2 hell knight, 2 hell scourge): 300
Noise marines, pact: 325
Noise marines, pact: 325
Noise marines, pact: 325
Thunderhawk: 200
Thunderhawk: 200
Thunderhawk: 200
Daemon Pool (3 free lesser daemons, plus 2): 30

Steel Legion (it made Dwarf Supreme’s skin crawl to not take a Reaver, but he was a trooper):
3000
Regimental HQ, hydra: 550
Tank Company, hydra: 700
Infantry Company: 250
Flak battery: 150
Sentinel: 100
Artillery battery (basilisks): 250
Shadowsword: 200
Thunderbolts: 150
Thunderbolts: 150
Warhound Pack: 500


BEGINNING OF GAME:

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Let us playtest like the Greeks of old... You know the ones I mean

TURN 1
Strategy: EC

No guts, no glory. Taking into account the SL AA bubble over on my left, and t-bolts soon to be on CAP, I decide to go for the gusto and make an early try for BTS. The thunderhawk activates for an engage, the noise marines summon their 2 daemons (daemonettes in this case) and the whole bunch goes for the leman russes.
(Forshadowing: turned out not to be the best opening move)


After the russes save all the hits and inflict some of their own, the noise marines lose in resolution and run for cover. Daemons are hacked down (or killed, I can’t remember). The t-hawk stays put and the russes consolidate out of its ZoC (after the pic was taken).


Wow, that first attack kind of sucked. The EC try to do what they should have done first, use the t-hawk battle cannons to cause some pain. Second t-hawk flies in to strafe the basilisks from afar, and lays a BM (I probably should have just gone in for another assault since this didn’t really work either)


The t-bolts go on CAP


The third t-hawk comes in on a strafing run (can’t remember their target) and get CAP’d. It fails one save and is critted. T-hawk and noise marines end up as a noisy grease spot on the desert plain… Ouch, that kind of hurt.


Basilisks fail and regroup


Knights double behind a hill on the left flank


T-bolts intercept and lay a BM on the flying t-hawk


Retinue doubles up, hugging the hillside for cover


Admiring the T-hawk’s moxy, the russes nevertheless sustain and blow it to pieces. Oh, t-hawk, we hardly knew ye.


BTS retinue doubles


Hydras (AKA “Moscovian’s mighty Formation of the Game, I-don’t-care-what-the-actual-stats-are”) double and lay a BM on the retinue


Another retinue doubles up and lays a BM on the hydras


Sentinels go on overwatch


Regimental HQ doubles and lays a BM on the EC BTS


Warhounds double and take out a rhino and a marine


Shadowsword doubles and takes out a rhino


T-bolts fly off with one BM each


Surviving T-hawk escapes with 3 BM

_________________
Let us playtest like the Greeks of old... You know the ones I mean

TURN 2



Strategy: EC

Noise marines advance and take out a Russ


Lets try that again: remaining t-hawk comes in on a retain and assaults. Again, the noise marines summon two daemonettes, the hydra lays a BM from its AA shot.


Second time is a charm. Noise marines are victorious. (surprise, surprise! A prepped assault worked better than a non-prepped one. Go figure.)


Basilisks sustain on the BTS, taking out the stalker and a marine



Knights fail and regroup. Good job, guy.


Hydras marshal, shoot at a retinue, lay a BM.


BTS retinue advances and strips some voids off of a warhound, also taking a DC


Warhounds sustain on the retinue in front of them, breaking it. The retinue cowers by the blitz



Retinue advances and lays a BM on the shadowsword


T-bolts stand down


Either I missed an EC activation here, or the T-bolts went on CAP and then the SL retained, because here’s another t-bolt FM strafing the BTS


The Regimental HQ advances and breaks the BTS, which cowers behind a hill



Shadowsword doubles and takes out a rhino


Sentinels march and ZoC the retinue


T-hawk escapes


T-bolts too

_________________
Let us playtest like the Greeks of old... You know the ones I mean

TURN 3



Strategy: Steel Legion

Basiliisks sustain on the BTS, laying a BM.



Knights double and fire on the warhounds, stripping some voids and laying a BM


Retinue engages the sentinels and the latter go *poof*


T-bolts strafe the BTS, breaking it


Noise marines that deep struck advance and take out a russ (or just lay a BM, I can’t remember)


Russes marshal and move away. Chicken.


T-hawk fails and stands down


T-bolts stand down


Other noise marines advance (they probably shot at something, but its not in the pic)


Warhounds advance


Regimental HQ marches on the EC blitz


Hydras advance on a T&H


…And we called it, since the EC were out of activations.

END OF GAME



Steel Legion wins 3-0 with Blitz, Take and Hold, and Defend the Flag

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Let us playtest like the Greeks of old... You know the ones I mean

Thoughts:
Again, this was a stress test of the list with a bunch of pact-wielding noise marines in t-hawks. Thanks to Dave for letting me borrow his t-hawks. I’m sure the surviving one had to get its inside hosed down after being crammed with all that slaanesh… The EC suffered from its fair share of bad luck, which is part of the risk of a high-risk/high-reward strategy like air assaulting I guess. I think I have to get in the mindset of how to prep these assaults from afar though. With this kind of luck and/or misuse, the build could be broken but we wouldn’t be able to tell definitively after a game like this.

Tim, your thoughts on facing this list for the first time?

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Let us playtest like the Greeks of old... You know the ones I mean

OK totally off topic but are those molester vans in that army?!?!?!

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He's a lawyer and a super-villian. That's like having a shark with a bazooka!

-I HAVE NO POINT
-Penal Legion-Fan list
-Help me make Whitescars not suck!

Of course! They are micro machine vans originally painted up as Rhino proxies when I upgraded retinues with cult marines. They work better as objectives. I have a wolf howling at the moon, a wizard shooting a rainbow out of his staff, a topless chick riding a unicorn, and a brown beater van with "free candy" scrawled on the side. See my "don't drop the soap" blog in 6mm for close ups. Don't get too close though, the doors on those things open fast and who knows who/what's insided

_________________
Let us playtest like the Greeks of old... You know the ones I mean

_________________
He's a lawyer and a super-villian. That's like having a shark with a bazooka!

-I HAVE NO POINT
-Penal Legion-Fan list
-Help me make Whitescars not suck!

True, but at least I had the satisfaction of having a pair of Warhounds.

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"I don't believe in destiny or the guiding hand of fate." N. Peart

I like the list. It seems to have a good mix of units. Contrary to the howls of dissatisfaction, I have no problems with fearless T-Hawks. The knights have the potential to do significant harm. You had the misfortune of them doing jacksh*t. I didn't notice any units that are too powerful or need significant tweeking. I have no qualms about playing against it again.

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"I don't believe in destiny or the guiding hand of fate." N. Peart

"Regimental HQ marches on the EC blitz"

Always a bad sign against guard when they are attack your blitz with their HQ!

Thanks for the report!

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http://hordesofthings.blogspot.co.nz/

SaSzzs

Good fight!

For first turn air assault preparation; My opponents usually try it with a fast ground unit armed enough range to attack deployment zone. SM example is land speeder typhoon, or a hunter.
But then, a well placed garrison ruins their day.

Ah and those lovely old guard models... whaaa! Eye candies for all loyal subjects of the Imperium

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Epic Commander of the Prassium Invasion Troops 214th Regiment
***Action is our prayer. Victory is our offering.***

Huh?

Commissar: thanks, I'll have to try that, maybe push up a scout titan or land raiders or something (in the context of this list)

Oh, and Dwarf Supreme did get his E:A good citizen award rescinded. He pussed out and didn't show up on Saturday.

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Let us playtest like the Greeks of old... You know the ones I mean

Yeah, sorry about that - phone in pocket moment I think!!