Battle for Rigel XII

After my short break away from 40K I fancied a game against my chum Jon. Originally we were going to be playing 1000 points but after that game was postponed I had the idea of making 1500 points and trying something special - I borrowed my newphew's collection of Sisters of Battle. I knew that I was not going to win against Necrons but I would have fun and perhaps playing a different army than my regular Death Guard would be a nice change of pace.

On the night we rolled up the Relic mission along with the standard Dawn of War deployment. I don't think rocking up with a Sisters army was quite the surprise I was hoping it would be but I think we both knew it would be an interesting fight. What surprised me was Jon's list. It was nearly all destroyers and tomb blade's where I was expecting a lot of necron warriors - a traditional necron army. Okay, I thought, going to be tough but I can do this.

Due to terrain and the position of the Relic I was set up on the left hand side of the table. I won the roll off but Jon stole the intitive, an act of random luck which would seal my fate this game. First turn and his necron forces destroyed both exorcist tanks, one squad of death cult assassins and half a squad of battle sisters. I suppose I should have thought about protecting them better but I really needed those exorcist tanks. Jon was also able to swiftly grab the Relic. In my turn I think I moved up but did nothing in the shooting phase other than knock a wound off of something. This was going to be the way of game went.

As the game progressed I tried to advance forward as for some reason Jon was moving the destroyer unit holding the Relic towards my lines. Again though Jon's necrons, especially the tomb blades, were tearing their way my lines with their shooting. Two rhino's went down along with a couple Sisters from each.

I dropped Celestine behind the necron lines and a unit of seraphim to my right to try and deal with the tomb blades creeping forwards. Celestine and her friends were dropped with one round of shooting from immortals, and she had to pop up out of sight on the other side of terrain. The seraphim were gunned down and did nothing all game. Turn four and all I had left was Celestine. She got one of her friends back, charged into the destroyers holding the Relic and died after dropping three of them.

Game ended with myself being tabled.

I enjoyed the game although I made a couple mistakes but I blame them on my being out of 40K for a while. I think Jon admitted a mistake but it was all fair in a good casual game.

I have been pondering whether to play Adeptas Sorioritas next year when they come out in plastic but they would need a severe boost over the Index. The Index list did nothing for me really but against a full on codex army, I don't think I had much of a chance. Very good fun game though.

---

+++ New Roster (Warhammer 40,000 8th Edition) +++

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Imperium - Adeptus Ministorum) ++

+ HQ +

Canoness: Boltgun, Power sword

Canoness: Blade of Admonition, Boltgun, Power sword

Celestine: 3. Tenacious Survivor, Celestine, 2x Geminae Superia, Warlord

+ Troops +

Battle Sister Squad
. . 9x Battle Sister
. . Battle Sister w/ Special or Heavy Weapon: Heavy bolter
. . Battle Sister w/ Special Weapon: Flamer
. . Sister Superior: Bolt pistol, Boltgun

Battle Sister Squad
. . 9x Battle Sister
. . Battle Sister w/ Special or Heavy Weapon: Heavy bolter
. . Battle Sister w/ Special Weapon: Flamer
. . Sister Superior: Bolt pistol, Boltgun

Battle Sister Squad
. . 9x Battle Sister
. . Battle Sister w/ Special or Heavy Weapon: Heavy bolter
. . Battle Sister w/ Special Weapon: Flamer
. . Sister Superior: Bolt pistol, Boltgun

Battle Sister Squad
. . 9x Battle Sister
. . Battle Sister w/ Special or Heavy Weapon: Heavy bolter
. . Battle Sister w/ Special Weapon: Flamer
. . Sister Superior: Bolt pistol, Boltgun

+ Elites +

Death Cult Assassins: 5x Death Cult Assassins

+ Fast Attack +

Seraphim Squad: 5x Seraphim
. . Seraphim Superior: Bolt pistol, Bolt pistol

+ Heavy Support +

Exorcist: Storm bolter

Exorcist: Storm bolter

+ Dedicated Transport +

Sororitas Rhino: 2x Storm bolter

Sororitas Rhino: 2x Storm bolter

++ Total: [105 PL, 1435pts] ++

Deployment.

A clash of arms in the center of the table. 

The Sisters of Battle march to war!

The Relic - Lelithar

Planet: Lelithar.
Cadian Sector.
999.M41

Adeptas Sororitas / Dark Angels vs Death Guard.
2000 points.
Mission: The Relic.

During the war for Lelithar, Typhus ordered a raid upon the shrine of Saint Lelithar. He directed the troops under his command to storm the cathedral and take the dead saint's treasured remains. The theft and destruction of the body would cause a severe fall in moral for the defenders. Leading the attack himself, Typhus charged into the ranks of gathered Adepta Sororitas. Only once battle was joined was the trap sprung. Dark Angels marines dropped from the sky and crashed through the ruins on bikes. Determined not to lose, Typhus ordered his men to seize the relics and fall back.

For some time now I have wanted to challenge my nephew's Sisters of Battle army. He doesn't like playing them as they are in desperate need of an update, something we both agree on. However, after some friendly persuasion he agreed to field them in the Relic mission. When he turned up with Dark Angels allies I was a little surprised as I had expected him to field his own Imperial Knight.

Instead he had turned up with a whole shedload of grav weapons which were quite frankly, the bane of my existence this game. Grav cannons and even the basic guns ripped my Chaos Knight to pieces over three rounds! I didn't even get to do anything with it other than incinerate a handful of bikes. My defiler (which I played purely because I had just bought it off a friend and wanted to play it) died turn 1 to a lascannon and a couple missile launchers. There was nothing I could do it seems.

Even my Plague Marines were screwed. They made plenty of FNP saves but every time I got to base contact with the relic, my nephew would gun down enough of them that I could never move away from the relic. By turn 3 I had resolved myself that this was going to be a loss for me. So I had Typhus charge and challenge Saint Celestine. Let's go out in a blaze of glory! Except for two rounds neither of them managed to hit each other and when I did get her down to her last wound she slew Typhus (Who was quickly snatched off into the Warp by the Dark Powers) and I conceded.

A good game but frustrating. I have not been on the receiving end of grav weapons before and definitely not that many!