Friday 30 June 2017

The Balantine Massacre - Cerberus

Planet: Cerberus.
Region: Cerberus Sector.

Death Guard vs Blood Angels.
1250 points.
Mission: Only War
Deployment: Front-Line Assault.

The Balantine Massacre was an event at the start of the Cerberus campaign named after the Balantine peninsula where the Imperium had set up a small resupply point for the larger war effort. Considered to be outside the main lines of engagement the site had been left largely undefended. It was only when the Death Guard led a surprise attack that the Imperial command realized that on this world there was no safe zone. The Death Guard massacred the small garrison and ground staff after subjecting them to massive chemical and biological attack. It was ended only by the swift arrival of a Blood Angels response team which drove the traitor's back but by then the damage had been done..

Second game of 8th edition and this time it was a rematch against Michael Y's Blood Angels. This was his first game of 8th edition so we went for a small-ish game. We were going to try power levels but decided to stick to points. I found it quite tough building a 1250 point list. Couldn't take what I wanted but in the end I was happy with my list.

We rolled and got the Front-Line Assault deployment. We could be very close to one another but we actually deployed further back closer to out table edges. Not having to worry about facings makes a big difference when placing vehicles and that was something Michael was getting used to here.

I got the first turn and grabbed two objectives straight away and decided to keep those plague marines sitting on them. If I couldn't win then I could at least hope to snatch a draw. The poxwalkers on the other hand, were advancing up the table at full speed and soon outran both Typhus and the Lord of Contagion who were supposed to be supporting them. The predator managed an awesome shot which knocked six wounds off of one of Michael's razorbacks.

Michael's first turn was not as effective as I recall. I either made armour saves or my disgustingly resilient rolls. I think he dropped two poxwalkers and that was it. Mephiston emerged from hiding but it put him square in the path of my poxwalker hoard, who on my next turn surged into him clamoring for his flesh. They would then tie him up in combat for the next three turns. They failed to wound but they did their job by keeping him busy.

As the game progressed my predator blow it's target razorback away and moved up to the table to start hounding a second tank. That was a new experience for me as previously unless it was a land raider, i would have held the predator back under cover to keep it alive. Now I have no fear of zooming it up the table.

My helbrute managed to knock some wounds off of my opponent's vindicator before that same tank blew it away. The vindicator then starting picking off one plague marine squad sitting on an objective. This was quite worrying as the loss of that objective would scupper my plans. I had then bend the rules the little and stretch one unit of plague marines so that they claimed two objectives.

On his third turn Michael brought his reinforcements in. A unit of assault marines and a unit of death company assault marines. They helped Mephiston bring down the remaining poxwalkers. The assault marines then leapt away to steal the objective from that one remaining plague marine. The death company and Mephiston charged into Typhus and the Lord of Contagion. My Lord had taken a few wounds and was swiftly cut down but Typhus gained revenge by cutting down the death company in one mighty swing. His foul miasma and psychic powers then aiding in dropping Mephiston.

The game ended turn five and we counted up the victory points. Michael held two objectives and I held two but also got the warlord kill. Victory to the Death Guard 7 points to his 4. Another really good game against Michael. I'm really enjoying our games. We still made a couple mistakes but nothing that we won't soon fix as we play.


Typhus.
Lord of Contagion.
10 man Plague Marine squad. Champion with plasma pistol and power weapon. Unit had two meltaguns and an icon of despair.
10 man Plague Marine squad. Champion with plasma pistol and power weapon. Unit had a meltagun, a plasmagun, and an icon of despair.
20 Poxwalkers.
Helbrute with multi-melta and power fist.
Predator with twin-linked lascannon and heavy bolter sponsons.

Plague Marines advance down the battlefield.

Typhus and a Lord of Contagion heard the flesh-eating dead.

Blood Angel scouts hiding in the ruins.

Mephiston surrounded by the dead.









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