Battle for Bulkan Ridge - Vigilus

The Bulkan Ridge campaign was waged by Imperial forces in an attempt to regain territory captured by the xenos forces assaulting Vigilus. The actual battle for Bulkan Ridge was led by a small force of space marines from the Blood Ravens chapter. Where they came expecting Orks they instead found themselves facing another gathering of Genestealer Cultists.

1300 points.
Genestealer Cult (Twisted Helix) vs Space Marines (Blood Ravens).
Mission: Retrieval Mission.
Deployment: Search & Destroy.
Battle Zone: None.

This is my first game with the new Genestealer Cult codex. When my opponent for the evening had to cancel, Jamie stepped up to be my first victim. Among his list of armies I noticed he had a Blood Ravens force. As I had never expected to get the chance to play against I jumped at the chance. Jamie was playing his space marines with the Ultramarines chapter tactics as being the most generic.

We decided that rather than play one of the narrative missions for round 2 of our Vigilus campaign, we would play a regular mission from the rule book. We rolled the Search & Destroy deployment and Jamie picked his corner of the table. With such a small area to deployment I felt that the blip tokens style deployment for my new codex was rather unhelpful. I had the option to take the first turn but I decided not to and handed that honour to my opponent. I think this was a surprise for Jamie and he said he wasn't sure how to handle that. There was no special reason for my decision other than I wanted to see what his space marines would do and not to put myself too much in the line of fire.

The first turn was relatively quick. Jamie did move a his units out a little bit as he was concerned for my ability to pop up near his lines. As he couldn't see much of my units, his heavy weapon fire was directed at my bastion and the vengeance weapon batteries, knocking some wounds off of those. I held one objective and was close enough to attempt to grab a second one with a brood brother squad. This ultimately led to a show down with a hidden group of scouts, who did not survive long with my enhanced genetic modifications (Twisted Helix cult trait).

The Blood Ravens then dispatched a dreadnought down my right flank which caused me no end of trouble. I just could not inflict enough damage to it. In the end I had to ram my rockgrinder into it and use a stratagem to detonate the cache of explosives on board but all it did was inflict a single mortal wound. I also second a second stratagem to have my hybrids clamber from the desert sands 3 inches away from one small squad of Blood Ravens and open fire with hand flamers - figured I'd see how that tactic worked - and I did drop two of the space marines but in return they gunned down my hybrids with ease.

As I wanted to keep Jamie's marines away, I brought my genestealers, patriarch and primus in on my left flank close to my deployment zone. They were very effective in dispatching terminators, a tactical squad and sternguard. The new codex has certainly boosted by patriarch something impressive. Unfortunately in doing so, I lost the genestealer screen and soon the Patriarch followed, but he had done his job in decimating a lot of the Blood Raven infantry.

Jamie had focused a lot of his firepower on my fortifications and they were soon taken down. By turn four I had been decimated despite how well the genestealers performed/ I was left with the Magus and Patriarch, after my remaining brood brothers squad were burnt alive by the Blood Raven's land speeder. At this point I really don't think I could have done anything so I happily conceded.

---

This was a very good and enjoyable game. As my first game under the new Genestealer Cults codex, it was much better than what I had experienced using the old Index rules. However, I am finding at first look, that at present I am going to have a hard time dealing with certain armies but I still have a lot to learn with the new codex so maybe next time I'll do better.

---


++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Tyranids - Genestealer Cults) [52 PL, 7CP, 865pts] ++

+ No Force Org Slot [7CP] +

Cult Creed: The Twisted Helix

Stratagem: Broodcoven [-1CP]


+ HQ [17 PL, 304pts] +

Magus [5 PL, 92pts]: Broodcoven Magus, Familiar [12pts], Power: Mind Control, Warlord Trait: Shadow Stalker

Patriarch [8 PL, 137pts]: Elixir of the Prime Specimen, Familiar [12pts], Power: Might From Beyond, Warlord, Warlord Trait: Biomorph Adaptation

Primus [4 PL, 75pts]: Bonesword [3pts], Broodcoven Primus, Warlord Trait: Alien Majesty

+ Troops [13 PL, 201pts] +

Acolyte Hybrids [3 PL, 66pts]: Cult Icon [10pts]
3x Acolyte Hybrid (Hand Flamer) [24pts]: 3x Hand Flamer [3pts]
Acolyte Hybrid (Heavy Weapon) [20pts]: Hand Flamer [1pts], Heavy Rock Cutter [12pts]
Acolyte Leader [12pts]: Lash Whip and Bonesword [5pts]

Brood Brothers Infantry Squad [5 PL, 72pts]: Brood Brothers Leader [4pts]
6x Brood Brother [24pts]
Brood Brother (Grenade) [7pts]: Grenade Launcher [3pts]
Brood Brother (Vox-caster) [9pts]: Cult Vox-caster [5pts]
Brood Brothers Weapons Team [28pts]: Lascannon [20pts]

Brood Brothers Infantry Squad [5 PL, 63pts]: Brood Brothers Leader [4pts]
6x Brood Brother [24pts]
Brood Brother (Flamer) [10pts]: Flamer [6pts]
Brood Brother (Vox-caster) [9pts]: Cult Vox-caster [5pts]
Brood Brothers Weapons Team [16pts]: Heavy Bolter [8pts]

+ Elites [16 PL, 240pts] +

Purestrain Genestealers [16 PL, 240pts]: 16x Purestrain Genestealer [240pts]

+ Heavy Support [6 PL, 120pts] +

Goliath Rockgrinder [6 PL, 120pts]: Cache of Demolition Charges [10pts], Clearance Incinerator [30pts], Heavy Stubber [2pts]

++ Fortification Network (Tyranids - Genestealer Cults) [22 PL, 422pts] ++

+ Fortification [22 PL, 422pts] +

Imperial Bastion [10 PL, 222pts]: 4x Heavy bolter [32pts], Quad-gun [30pts]

Vengeance Weapon Batteries [12 PL, 200pts]
Vengeance Weapon Battery [100pts]: Punisher Gatling Cannon [20pts]
Vengeance Weapon Battery [100pts]: Punisher Gatling Cannon [20pts]

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The Ethics and Morality of List Tailoring

When our local war gaming club came to be in the last years of 4th edition we played our games with the knowledge of the mission we would be playing and which codex each player would be using. The idea was that players would tailor their lists to the mission and to what they expected to face from their opponent. It meant that games weren't always the same fixed lists week after week and it made them more interesting. It also helped our local FLGS because players would go out and make new purchases just for the games and opponents they had the following week.

At the time it made sense for us to do this. The problem was that some players were a lot more competitive than others, and some had more disposable income and were able to purchase exactly what they needed to best the opponents. Over time we slowly stopped playing like this but we still, even now, have a couple players who always ask what their opponent will be playing next club night for the purpose of list building. Most of us prefer not to ask unless someone wants to play against a specific army.

Is it right for players to list tailor against their opponent? In my opinion it is fine if both players consent to it. It's their game after all. The problem comes from when one player knows exactly what another player can bring to the table and builds their list specifically to counter that. Obviously this is an unfair way of playing and smacks a little bit of a WAAC (win at all costs) mentality. After all, why else would you do it? You can't do it at a tournament, so why would you do it in a friendly game?

I'd like to know your experiences and thoughts on this? Outside of a tournament would you engage in list tailoring? If you regularly play the same opponent do you find that you do it unconsciously?

Battle for Outpost 41 - Vigilus

The Battle for Outpost 41 was an engagement early in the Vigilus conflict and one of the first for the resident Genestealer Cult. Mining Colony 41 was protected by a defensive formation around which the miners and their families lived. When Drukhari raiders attacked, the cult was forced to reveal itself in an attempt to save their "family" from the attacking xenos. The attack lasted a mere four hours before the Drukhari retreated with their captured slaves.


1300 points.
Genestealer Cult vs Drukhari (Cult of the Red Grief).
Mission: Hold Your Gains.
Battle Zone: None.

This is the last game for me before the release of the new Genestealer Cults codex. My friend Dan had challenged me a few weeks ago so last night we prepared for battle! We choose the Hold Your Gains mission from the Vigilus campaign and I decided that again, I should be the defender. Once I have the new codex and some new toys, I'll change that and will start to try a more aggressive approach.

I set up my fortifications in the center of the table and had a third person set up the remainder of the terrain around the table. My neophytes and magus deployed, one squad in the bastion and the other on the ground around the bastion. Everything else remained in the shadows. I had wanted to try not using them this way but the mission required it and even if not, I don't think they would have lasted had they been forced to deploy on the table.

The mission gave the Drukhari the first turn and Dan sped his forces forward and although his shooting was rather unlucky he did manage to destroy one of my vengeance batteries almost straight off the bat. My turn was all too brief with the groundside hybrid squad trying to get into some cover and a lot of shooting that didn't do an awful lot. I believe one jetbike was taken out but that was it.

Once Dan's forces had moved closer, they continued to blast away at my troops and at the bastion, but the fortification was holding up well despite the continuous assault of powerful firepower. My groundbased neophytes were cut down by a unit of hellions and for some reason Dan ignored my Magus who was able to slink away and cause psychic damage over the next few turns. He had the opportunity to deal with psychic potential and he didn't take it.

Dan used his jetbikes to surround the remaining vengeance platform trying to take it down, and one of his wytch HQ's came from a Raider to assault the Bastion. She did a lot better than his shooting had done. Turn two saw my genestealer blob arrive  and as has been the case in recent games, I've had to use the re-roll from the stratgem and the Primus to get them to appear where I need them. In this case they came up near the jetbikes, and thanks to the roll, they were able to walk forwards to get closer to the enemy. That was probably the high point of this game, as the genestealers and patriarch tore through both jetbike squads. One was left alive to fall back from combat. Dan replied by deploying his wytch squads and charging them into the genestealer block and another into the bastion. It seemed he was desperate to bring that fortification down.

Turn three and I got the hybrid squad in where I wanted them. I placed them 9'' from the forces assaulting my bastion and charged them in. Although the squad was cut down by the wytches, they in turn had lost enough that they were killed by battleshock. The genestealer squad went down to just the patriarch and primus, and they didn't last long.

Turn four and Dan took out the remaining weapon platform and the bastion. He had tabled me but it was a great game and for once I felt that the Cult had actually been able to put up a fight against the forces attacking them.

---

Hold Your Gains is an example of how narrative missions can be a little one sided, but that is how they are meant to be played. I don't think I would have done well being the attacker anyway. At least not using the Index for my army. I think once the new codex is in my sweaty claws it will be time to start playing the regular missions for a while to get my head around how the army is going to be played from now on.

---


+++ GSC (Warhammer 40,000 8th Edition) +++

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Tyranids - Genestealer Cults) [63 PL, 8CP, 877pts] ++

+ HQ +

Magus [5 PL, 85pts]: Familiar, Power: Mind Control

Patriarch [8 PL, 162pts]: Familiar, Power: Might From Beyond, Warlord

Primus [4 PL, 76pts]: Bonesword

+ Troops +

Acolyte Hybrids [10 PL, 115pts]: Cult Icon
. . 3x Acolyte Hybrid
. . Acolyte Hybrid (Hand Flamer): Hand Flamer
. . Acolyte Hybrid (Heavy Weapon): Autopistol, Heavy Rock Saw
. . Acolyte Leader: Lash Whip and Bonesword

Neophyte Hybrids [10 PL, 104pts]: Cult Icon
. . 8x Neophyte Hybrid (Lasgun)
. . Neophyte Hybrid (Special Weapon): Grenade Launcher
. . Neophyte Leader: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword
. . Neophyte Weapons Team: Lascannon

Neophyte Hybrids [10 PL, 95pts]: Cult Icon
. . 8x Neophyte Hybrid (Lasgun)
. . Neophyte Hybrid (Special Weapon): Flamer
. . Neophyte Leader: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword
. . Neophyte Weapons Team: Heavy Bolter

+ Elites +

Purestrain Genestealers [16 PL, 240pts]: 16x Purestrain Genestealer, 16x Purestrain Talons

++ Fortification Network (Tyranids - Genestealer Cults) [22 PL, 422pts] ++

+ Fortification +

Imperial Bastion [10 PL, 222pts]: 4x Heavy bolter, Quad-gun

Vengeance Weapon Batteries [12 PL, 200pts]
. . Vengeance Weapon Battery: Punisher Gatling Cannon
. . Vengeance Weapon Battery: Punisher Gatling Cannon

++ Total: [85 PL, 8CP, 1299pts] ++

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The Primaris Question

This is a topic that gets debated a fair bit across the 40K community and it came up last night in a couple of discussions at my local club. There is a concern, and it has been there since 8th edition was released, that the older space marines (and their models) are going to get phased out in favour of the new Primaris marines (and their models).

Part of this stems from the idea that they are the cool new toys and that eventually as new datasheets get added to the Space Marine codex there won't be the room, so something has to go. Will that be the classic space marines of old? A lot of people think that is going to be the case and are understandably unhappy with the idea.

I even put forward the idea, partly in jest, that Codex: Primaris might come about because Games Workshop was unable to copyright the term "space marine" several years ago. Although I was joking, it does have hint of a possibility about it.

However, I personally do not think that the old space marines will go away. At least not anytime soon. Although nice additions to the space marine codex, the Primaris just do not have the options to be as variable as their regular battle brothers. They don't have devastators or dedicated assault marines in the same way. Some will say that the Primaris options are better but I feel that they are lacking the same punch. You'll always need the regular marines and the Primaris will fight well alongside them.

However, this is Games Workshop, and while in recent years they have become better in how they are handling the business, they are still a company out to make money. Forcing everyone to purchase a whole new range wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility but I cannot see it these days. There would be too much of an outcry from space marine players.

So, what are your thoughts?

Missions - Apocalypse

Apocalypse was a rules expansion that first came out during the days of 5th edition (it may have been end of 4th but fairly certain it was 5th) that changed the scope of Warhammer 40K. Apocalypse took the game from being a scaled in skirmish game to being something that showcased the larger war and expanded what the players could bring to the table.

While you could just play Apocalypse with a predetermined points limit, the actual concept was that both (or more) players brought everything they wanted to the table. People could bring their entire army collection if they so wanted and the playing area was big enough. It allowed for a game where super heavy vehicles, titans and gigantic monstrous creatures were not only acceptable but made for an even better game. It did this by introducing the idea of stratagems, like we have today, with more for players whose army points were less than their opponents. Models were easily killed and swept off the table.

It's only downfall being that the game went from being something you could play in 3-4 hours of an evening to something that took an entire day or an entire weekend! It became too big really although a nice try from Games Workshop.

We only played Apocalypse two or three times as the logistics involved were too much. Out first ever attempt lasted several hours but only two turns went by. It was just too much and for that reason alone I dislike Apocalypse as a game format. 3-4 hours is about right in my head and this game variant doesn't support that sadly.

Chapter Approved 2018 included some updated 8th edition rules for Apocalypse along with some missions specifically designed for the format. Unlike certain other variations - primarily Planetstrike - Apocalypse has never really caught on locally.

Data Recovery - Vigilus

Vital data regarding the war is sent in scriptorum canisters from the Vigilus’s moon. This ancient
technology has degraded over the millennia and there is no way to predict exactly where the canisters will
land on the planet. With the increase in alien aggression a small force of planetary defence forces is dispatched to recover them before the enemy but find a task force of Genestealer Cult awaiting to also recover the cannisters. How long have they been doing this?

1300 points.

Genestealer Cult vs Astra Militarum (Cadian and Militarum Tempestus).

Mission: Data Revovery.

Battle Zone: None.

This week's club game was another narrative match. This time against my friend Landon and his Astra Militarum forces. We had agreed on Data Recovery and he had asked if he could be the attacker as recent games he had always been the defender. I think most missions are more thematic if the Genestealer Cult is the defender for the moment in the campaign so I was happy to agree. I got the first the turn but in hindsight maybe having gone second might have done me better in the end.

The first couple turns were very quick for us as no one really moved. We were waiting for the canisters to drop. Thankfully for me the first one came down close to my lines. Knowing I had some forces hiding in the shadows I was content to wait. I think I got one shot off with a lascannon and it did nothing. Landon got a leman russ and his valkyrie in this turn.

Third turn and things started to move. A second canister came down on top the first and my hybrid squad clawed it's way out of the mud to grab a hold of it. My firepower was spent trying to drop the enemy flyer but it was hard going and the more cult didn't do well. Meanwhile Landon't manticore was throwing everything it had at my defence turrets. The first went up in a ball of flame on this turn.

Once again I did badly, come turn 4. I just don't have the firepower to deal with what Landon brought to the table. His tanks were kept largely out of sight from my lascannon team and I could not hit this flyer, or if I did at best I knocked a couple wounds off. Turn 4 say the third canister fall and it was to my left flank but in a position where Landon was able to eventually grab it with a punisher cannon leman russ and a squad of guardsmen. His main leman russ was very good at decimating my hybrids. Thankfully this turn I received the aid of my genestealer unit, primus and patriarch. Once again I dislike how the random table works and where you can put a unit. In order to try and protect what objectives I had, I was forced to drop the whole blob right in the line of fire. It was not a move I wanted to do but I had to try and scare Landon away from my objectives.

Turn 5 and I was forced to drive the remaining hybrid at his leman russ who managed to kill him with overwatch. Boo! Knowing that Landon would swing his Valkyrie around and grab my pile, of what was now 3, objectives I was forced once more to make a tough decision. It was foolish but I was in a desperate straight and had to do something. The big squad split. The genestealers moved to gather the canisters, while the Primus and Patriarch ran at the guardsmen before them. The guardsmen didn't stand a chance and the primus consolidated into the leman russ. I didn't expect to do anything other than hold it up in combat long enough for me to win the game.

Come his turn, Landon was whittling away my genestealers. I could not make those invulnerable saves and it was painful. He dropped off the units in the Valkyrie and gunned down a load more. In a surprise move, he withdrew his leman russ out of combat with my primus but towards my lines! I had not even considered that he would do that.

Turn 6 and I had lost. One objective at the centre of the table wasn't claimed at all. The one to my left was in Imperial hands, and because of the mission rules, the three piled up in the mud at the feet of my genestealers, didn't count as I couldn't have any enemy models within range of it. Landon won by holding just one canister.

---

This was a really good game. No competitive elements to spoil it. Just a pair of good fun casual armies and a rather trying mission. Landon had much more maneuverability than I did and was capable of heavier firepower. I couldn't match that and was forced into a defensive game yet again. Had the game ended turn 5 though I think I would have won as I'm not sure he had any models within range to contest the three canisters. Next time!

---

+++ GSC (Warhammer 40,000 8th Edition) +++

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Tyranids - Genestealer Cults) [63 PL, 8CP, 877pts] ++

+ HQ +

Magus [5 PL, 85pts]: Familiar, Power: Mind Control

Patriarch [8 PL, 162pts]: Familiar, Power: Might From Beyond, Warlord

Primus [4 PL, 76pts]: Bonesword

+ Troops +

Acolyte Hybrids [10 PL, 115pts]: Cult Icon
. . 3x Acolyte Hybrid
. . Acolyte Hybrid (Hand Flamer): Hand Flamer
. . Acolyte Hybrid (Heavy Weapon): Autopistol, Heavy Rock Saw
. . Acolyte Leader: Lash Whip and Bonesword

Neophyte Hybrids [10 PL, 104pts]: Cult Icon
. . 8x Neophyte Hybrid (Lasgun)
. . Neophyte Hybrid (Special Weapon): Grenade Launcher
. . Neophyte Leader: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword
. . Neophyte Weapons Team: Lascannon

Neophyte Hybrids [10 PL, 95pts]: Cult Icon
. . 8x Neophyte Hybrid (Lasgun)
. . Neophyte Hybrid (Special Weapon): Flamer
. . Neophyte Leader: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword
. . Neophyte Weapons Team: Heavy Bolter

+ Elites +

Purestrain Genestealers [16 PL, 240pts]: 16x Purestrain Genestealer, 16x Purestrain Talons

++ Fortification Network (Tyranids - Genestealer Cults) [22 PL, 422pts] ++

+ Fortification +

Imperial Bastion [10 PL, 222pts]: 4x Heavy bolter, Quad-gun

Vengeance Weapon Batteries [12 PL, 200pts]
. . Vengeance Weapon Battery: Punisher Gatling Cannon
. . Vengeance Weapon Battery: Punisher Gatling Cannon

++ Total: [85 PL, 8CP, 1299pts] ++

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