Sunday, October 1, 2017

1750 Tournament - Imperium Army

Thoughts:

So my intention with this list was to have some fun before the codex dropped. I ran some units that I've only looked at once or twice (like the Rough Riders) while dropping some classic stables of my normal lists (Scions and Leman Russes). My goal was just to have some fun with something I wouldn't consider overly optimized-

And I had a blast!

List:

Draconis 95th
92 power, [12] CP total
Brigade Detachment:
HQ- Company Commander [Plasma Pistol, Powersword] 39pts/3pow
HQ- Company Commander [Plasma Pistol, Chainsword] 35 pts/3pow
HQ- Primaris Psyker [Force Stave, Laspistol] 40pts /2pow
HQ- Deathwatch Captain Nicodemus [Xenophase Sword, Plasma Pistol] 88pts/5pow
Troop- Infantry Squad [x7 lasguns, x1 chainsword/laspistol, Lascannon team] 60pts/3pow
Troop- Infantry Squad [x7 lasguns, x1 chainsword/laspistol, Lascannon team] 60pts/3pow
Troop- Infantry Squad [x8 lasguns, x1 chainsword/laspistol, flamer] 47pts/3pow
Troop- Infantry Squad [x8 lasguns, x1 chainsword/laspistol, flamer] 47pts/3pow
Troop- Deathwatch Kill Team [x1 Power Sword/Combi-melta, x3 Power Sword/bolter, x1 Chainsword/bolter, x1 Frag Cannon] 179pts/9pow
Troop- Deathwatch Kill Team [x1 Power Axe/Combi Melta, x3 Power sword/bolter, x1 Frag Cannon] 161pts/9pow
Dedicated Transport- Chimera [Multilaser, Heavy Flamer] 102pts/5pow
Flyer- Corvus Blackstar [twin assault cannons, hurricane bolter Halo launcher, Blackstar cluster launcher, x2 Stormstrike missile launchers] 246pts/12pow
Elite- Company Command Squad [x4 plasma guns] 52pts/3pow
Elite- Company Command Squad [x4 meltaguns] 72pts/3pow
Elite- Master of Ordnance [laspistol] 38pts/2pow
Heavy Support- Heavy Weapons Team [x3 Autocannons] 57pts/3pow
Heavy Support- Manticore [Storm-Eagle Rockets, Heavy Bolter] 133pts/7pow
Heavy Support- Basilisk [Earthshaker Cannon, Heavy Bolter] 108pts/6pow
Fast Attack- Scout Sentinel [Plasma Cannon] 50pts/2pow
Fast Attack- Rough Riders [x3 with Hunting Lance, Chainsword, and laspistol, x2 with meltaguns/chainsword/laspistol] 68pts/3pow
Fast Attack- Rough Riders [x3 with Hunting Lance, Chainsword, and laspistol, x2 with meltaguns/chainsword/laspistol] 68pts/3pow

Game 1:

The first game... well, I honestly don't have a lot to talk about for this one. My opponent's Grey Knights just couldn't really stand up to the fire power I had in my list. He took first turn, mauled two or three infantry squads and my Scout Sentinel, and took one of the center objectives. My return fire was enough to wipe several GK MSU's off the table as well as a  Brother Captain in Terminator armor. I wish I could say more, but he decided to concede after that volley, so it is what it is I suppose.

Pushing up my left flank my chimera and the remnants of an infantry take
ground.

A lone surviving interceptor watches as my Melta and Plasma command
squads whittle away both a Brother Captain and most of a Terminator
squad. 

Rough Riders arrive on both of the Greyknight flanks, taking one objective
and putting pressure on the other one as the Corvus rushes to deposit its payload.

Victory!
Game 2:

This scenario was 'Glory Seeker', and the objective was to kill each other. Vehicles, monsters, and characters all worth double their power points when destroyed. My opponent here was a fairly heavily mechanized Ultramarines army who took the first turn, and first blood when he destroyed my Scout Sentinel on the far left flank.

My deployment, guardsmen dug in everywhere with my Corvus taking the
tip of the spearhead.

The Ultramarines deployment. I brought in my Rough Riders the first turn- one
squad taking the Librarian down to two wounds and the other putting a few wounds
onto the Rhino. Everything else went into taking down the landraider crusader-
which I managed to just barely do.

The Devastator Centurions are cut apart by one of my squads of Deathwatch
in melee even as the Rough Riders ride down the Librarian and head towards the
Captain. 

My other squad of Deathwatch (supported by the Captain) take a
few casualties to tactical marines getting out of the Rhino.

My Rough Riders on turn two wheel away and head towards the powerful
guns on my left flank, bringing down the Dreadnought between Meltagun
fire and hunting lances. 

The Ultramarines put pressure on my artillery by deep-striking in an Assault
Marine squad and charging my mauled infantry squad. Overwatch kills
a marine but their hit and wound enough to wipe the squad...

... but their chainswords are no match for flak armor!

Adding insult to injury the guardsmen kill two more of them with knives
and chainsword!

Having finished off the Dreadnought the Rough Riders charge the Predator with
the soul goal of keeping it from firing its nasty autocannon at my Manticore. 

Deathwatch and guardsman join together to cut down the last tactical marines
in the center of the table- leading my opponent to concede at the end of turn 3.

Victory!

Game 3:

This is the big one, the match-up I was most worried about! My opponent was a big mass of Tyranids, and I was worried that I might not have quite enough firepower to keep them from hitting my lines. This game I managed to win the roll off to go first which really helped me get an edge on damaging the swarm.

My deployment. The guard on the ground aren't anything pretty to look at,
but we had to keep Raveners from rampaging behind my lines! 

The swarm, belonging to Hive Fleet Scylla. Genestealers on the far flank with
a Broodlord and Biovores, Zoanthropes taking the spearhead, and Hive Guard in
the center. Not featured are a big squad of Tyranid Warriors that I blasted
from existence before they had a chance to move forwards. 

Plasma guns and plasma cannons manage to kill a grand total of one
Zoanthrope- which isn't so good. A squad of Rough Riders manage to
nearly wipe out the Biovores before being killed by the genestealers. 
The Deathwatch's bolters and frag cannons wipe out the Genestealer squad
and finish off the last Biovore. The Broodlord responds by running
up and smiting the Captain for five total mortal wounds before almost
wiping out the pictured squad in melee (at the cost of five wounds). 

The other Deathwatch squad rushes the other way to try to deal with the Zoanthropes,
managing to kill one and wound another before they continue to float away. 


The other Rough Rider squad arrives late- in time to finish off the
Broodlord with their Meltaguns. 

Raveners with the Red Terror pop up and maul the featured infantry
squad- taking them out of a 12" charge range.

Hormagaunts overwhelm the Company Commander and his
squad in the center- dying but allowing the rest of my army to
deal with the threat. 

A Lictor appears- only to be hurt by a stormstrike missile and finished off
by the Rough Riders even as the Corvus chews through the Hormagaunts
sitting on the hill.

Some artillery rounds and melta guns (with a well placed 'Gaze of the
Emperor') finishes off the Raveners- and the Red Terror dies to the
Meltaguns in overwatch as two of the command squad land their shots.

With the hormagaunts gone, it takes an entire turn of shooting to erase the last
three Zoanthropes but finally the field belongs to the Imperium!

MVP of the day- my beloved Manticore. Such a powerhouse- though the
Basilisk was no slouch either. 

Victory!

Final Thoughts:

Well honestly... that was unexpected. My list was waaaaay more efficient at removing threats than I anticipated. My Rough Riders performed extremely well in every game, acting as amazingly fast threats in the back line- killing and tying up dangerous elements wherever I needed them to even as my artillery absolutely punished everything it shot at. My Deathwatch performed wonderfully against hordes and elite units alike, helping eliminate a Genestealer horde and a Landraider crusader even as the Corvus applied constant pressure. It was a fun time, a fun tournament, and I can't wait to get my hands on my new codex!

Of course, with my newly won store credit I just couldn't help myself.

Soon the ground will rumble with the treads of a new Baneblade! Until then, feel free to tell me what you think about my list and feel free to ask any questions you might have!