Wednesday Game and Trip Report

Went down to Sarge's today to hopefully get in a game of Warhammer 40K. Early on not too many people were there, or were already engaged in a game. (2 dudes playing a 40K game, 2 setting up Warmachine, the guys playing Guilty Gear on the PS2.)

A little while later a couple more folks showed up, the first 40K game ended with the Ultramarines taking out the Necron's Nightbringer all but ending that conflict in a painful manner. Great paintjob on the big guy though.

Thus a 2250 point per side game was set up. 750 each of Imperial Guard, Necrons, and Witch Hunters vs Chaos and Ultramarines. I did 1250 and the Ultrasmurfs got 1500. We set up in a wide line, with one flank being full of Khorne Berzerkers, Space Marines, Terminators, and characters. The other side had my 2 Chaos Dreadnoughts lined up to delay that flank before being destroyed or going crazy. The center was held by my Havoc Squad, a trio of Chaos Spawn, and another Berzerker Squad. The Necrons were arrayed mostly towards the center and Dreadnought side while the Witch Hunters and Captain Schaefer lead (all Heavy Support though only 1 tank, a Leman Russ) tended to cover the side of the board with the Terminators. (And sadly a river which slowed down our assault troops. And had an Inquisitor Orbital Bombardment targeting it. :( )

The Imperial Necron side got first turn which was largely uneventful. Our turn was just as useless, especially when my Lascannon equipped Dreadnought only rolled a 1 for effect on the Leman Russ, which was ignored due to armor wargear.

It continued on with the horde of Scarabs and this bug thing that makes them assaulting or being assaulted by my Chaos Spawn in the near center, eventually leaving all 3 Spawns victorious though heavily wounded. They would be attacked by an Imperial Guard elite unit of some kind who would then fall back into the woods with its 1 survivor getting Necron assistance that would eventually kill the monsters after heavy casualties.

The Leman Russ and Necrons made short work of the Dreadnoughts, and some Seraphim Sisters and Necron Wraiths assaulted the center Berzerkers and Havocs, eventually leaving only 2 Berzerkers and the Havoc's Champion to offer their own skulls for Khorne at the game's end. (The few Wraiths that fell kept getting back up. The Seraphim were mostly wiped out.)

On the other side of the battlefield the Space Marines made short work of the Sisters of Battle squad in cover, the Terminators leading the way across the river, mostly laughing at the ineffective return fire from the Imperial Guard Heavy Weapon teams.

Well, until an orbital bombardment wiped the entire group out, leaving my Khorne Berzerkers and Lord on a Juggernaut to fall to another orbital hit and a Sister's melta weapon respectively. (That Orbital Bombardment was THE game winner.)

The Ultramarines' Psyker on a bike used his power to send the Sister's leader into the warp, but the bombardments were too much to take and as Khorne demanded I go to the bookstore, the game was called. With the 3 aforementioned Chaos Marines being the only survivors on our side.

Overall I would say the river slowing down our movement mixed with the bombardment was the big killer of our side. Losing the 2 Dreadnoughts with NOTHING to show for it didn't help, but wasn't terrible overall. The Wraiths not staying down was a factor as well. My Havocs never really got to shoot anything of merit. On our side the Terminators, Chaos Spawn, and the Bike Psyker were our MVPs.

It was a fun game overall and I continue to learn how to use my Chaos Marines in this newest Codex. I really need to get some Rhinos. 35 points for troop transportation in an army built around close combat is a MUST HAVE. Its just the 30 or so the kits cost that gets me. Same with the Chaos Spawn, but almost any large base monster figure seems to work fine for that.

Afterwards I made a trip down to Target where Marvel Heroscape sets were on clearance for 12.50. now I have 2 more sets. More dice for actual Heroscape games, and more of its lovely interlocking hexagon scenery for dozens of different games. Depending on my cash situation next week I may buy more.