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.
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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!
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+++ 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
Created with BattleScribe (https://battlescribe.net)
If it had ended on turn 5, you would have won by three points, as you'd have had the pile of three canisters, and my Leman Russ Punisher wouldn't have reached the one in the corner. Very lucky dice roll for me!
ReplyDeleteAye. Very good game sir.
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