Old Skool Marines having a conversation

A bunch of misfits.
From left to right.  Smart Alec marine, Loudmouth gungho Sergeant, Idiot Marine and Whiny marine.

Another Lesson

I chalk this one up to my lack of experience or not properly reading the rules completely.
I lost all my games but learn quite a fair bit.  I don't think my list was optimized or competitive at all but I try to make do.

1st game:  Cmdr Rotund
Rotund uses highly mobile Raven Wing bike and Knight squads.  Totally tabled me, never give them the first turn.  Plays very aggressively.

2nd game: Cmdr WL
WL uses Black Templars but the list is set-up like any other generic Space Marine list.  His list is identical to mine, heavy on vehicles and featuring an assassin like me.   The difference is his list aims to control the mid field with high AV vehicles and shorter range heavy weapons.  While mine hangs back and pounds you from afar.

• Vindcator tanks are an effective threat bubble.  It is more deadlier to infantry than to AV13 tanks.  Assuming it does not scatter and hits, it still needs a 3+ to score a glance on AV13 vehicles. Infantry if in cover, can choose to go to ground to avoid casualties.
• Go to ground is good.  Useful in situations where it calls for it, especially if troops are siting on top of an objective.

• Vindicare Assassins have stealth, conferring them a +1 to cover save.  It is still good idea to plonk them into ruins.

• Ruins confer 4+ cover save to all units - with exception of vehicles.  All other units do not need to be 25% obscured, even Monstrous and Gargantuan creatures.  So pre-game, always check with opponents what that terrain is counted as, come to an agreement before deployment.  This means any unit with AV has a slight handicap when it comes to cover. 

• Case in point, Dreadnoughts vs Wraith Knights.   Eldar Wraith Knights, dip one toe into ruins, gets 4+ cover.   Dreadnought significantly smaller in size, completely in ruins but if not 25% obscured from the firer, gets absolutely no cover at all.   Does this make sense?  No freaking way, but its how the rules are written and how the game is played locally and abroad as well.

• Culexus reduces units that attacks it to WS & BS of 1.  No matter how low the WS is, if your target exceeds your WS by a huge margin, you still hit on a 5+ according to the melee table.   Compared to shooting at a Culexus, which hits only on a roll of 6.  I  So not only do we stand a better chance to hurt it in melee, we most likely also tie it down.  Preventing it from roaming around wrecking havoc.  

• CCW Scouts are quite resilient in melee if fighting against targets w/o power weapon.  A cheap unit that can tie up enemy and contest objectives.   Also because of "Go to Ground".  I need to paint me more scouts!

• Crew shaken is 1-3 on the damage table.  This means 50% of the damage results will be shaken, unless the firer is sporting AP2 or AP1 weapons.  Extra Armor may be a worthy investment after-all.

Raptors

Close up view of the Cmdr WH's Raptors Space Marines.

Freehand painted Chapter iconography and Squad Markings

Imperial Swords: The Descend

As Neo-Terra Secundus progresses, new settlers and colonist arrived from other Imperial controlled worlds.  Hoping to make a new future on the newly acquired planet.   It was not long before the existing towns and cities were no longer able to accommodate the new arrivals.  Even though the existing settlements were being expanded it was not fast enough.

Lord Cairon, the Imperial Governor then thought it would be best to utilize the new arrivals to colonize the tropical jungles near the equatorial belt.  The region is considered significantly less desirable due to the myriad dangers associated with the tropical jungles.  From deadly diseases to vicious predators, it bears close resemblances to a death world.  While surveying the land, the officials came across several strange structures jutting out from the canopy of the forest.  Initially they thought that they were Volcanic Calderas overgrown with vines and vegetation.  But closer inspection reveals that these to be structures of unknown origin.

Soon this reached the ears of the Adeptus Mechanics stationed on the planet.  The Tech Priest soon developed an interest in exploring these odd structures.   After several weeks, they discovered that these structures went even deeper into the earth itself.    Lord Cairon wanting to develop better relationship with the Adeptus Mechanicus and knowing the danger presented by the jungle, dispatched two of his best jungle trained regiments to protect the Tech Priest.

Soon the excavation began in earnest and the explorers discovered that beneath the strange structures, were a vast super complex buried deep beneath the earth.   The Tech Priest discovered that the structure has strange similarity to designs of older Terran technology, excited by the possibility of uncovering new STCs, the Tech Priest ventured even deeper into the complex.

Several days gone by and suddenly all contact with the exploration team was lost.  The regiment assigned to protect the Tech Priest also did not respond to check in calls from the control center.  Concerned that something may have happen, PDF commander sent the 2nd regiment on the surface into the complex to investigate.   Within hours, scrambled message was received, requesting for aid before communication was lost again.   A day later, a battered and injured Guardsman returned to the camp and spoke of horrors within the complex that attacked them. Something within the complex was also interfering with communication with the surface.

With two regiments already lost, the PDF commander turned to the Imperial Swords for assistance and within hours the 2nd company has arrived.  Wasting no time, the Space Marines descended into the superstructure.  As they went deeper they found mangled bodies of PDF as well as the attackers.  It was a humanoid creature with pale white complexion, lanky and hairless body, sharp claws, feet and teeth.  
The head bore resemblance to humans but with a twisted feral look.  Large, jet black eyes rest within its sockets, and a hole simply appeared where the ears would be.  These creatures were armed with crudely made weapons shaped from rocks.  Though some had bizarre weapons that resemble nothing the Space Marines encountered before.    Unable to identify the creature, the Space Marines simply called these creature the "Deep Ones".

When the Space Marines found no bodies of the Tech Priest amongst the dead, Captain Talvas then decided to lead the Imperial Swords deeper into the complex to search, hoping that the Tech Priest might have escaped the slaughter.

Not a moment too soon, sounds of boltgun fire began to echo within the complex.  The Deep Ones have appeared from nooks and crannies through the narrow ventilation shafts.   The creatures twisted visage snarled with rage at the Space Marine's intrusion and charged forward.   Many of the Deep Ones were cut down by the Space Marines but there was simply too much.    Two hours after their first encounter with the Deep Ones, the Space Marines were beginning to take casualties, the way back to the surface was also cut off by a huge horde of Deep Ones. 

Determined to complete the mission, Captain Talvas did the unexpected, he led his Marines deeper into the complex and believed that someone or something must be coordinating these hordes of Deep Ones.   Eventually the Deep Ones ceased their attack and held their ground as if waiting for something.  From within the ranks of the Deep Ones, came another creature resembling a Deep One.  With thinner body and an extraordinary enlarged cranium.  It was accompanied by Deep Ones that are much larger with muscles swelling up to grotesque size.  The Deep One with enlarged cranium looked at the Space Marines quizzically and then suddenly shrieked.

It was a bloodcurdling shriek that pierce the eardrums of the Imperial Swords.   Many Space Marines were struck down with agonizing pain, stunned and unable to react.  The horde of Deep Ones resumed their attack and surged forward, quickly overwhelming the Space Marines.

Mustering all his willpower, Captain Talvas resisted the effects of the shriek and charged towards the Shrieking Deep One. Slashing left and right, he fell many of the creatures as he closed in on his quarry.  But before he could advance any further, the Shrieker unleashed a bolt of incandescent energy out of mid air and blasting him back.  His personal squad that followed behind was cut down by the Hulking Deep Ones. 

As he struggled to get up, the Captain saw that only thirty out of a hundred of his brother marines remain in the fight.  Some of them fought desperately to reach him but are cut off by the hordes of Deep Ones that stood between them.  Seeing that he is not yet dead, swarms of Deep Ones rushed towards him.  Wrecked with agonizing pain from the psychic attack, Captain Talvas mustered his last strength and dispatched as many Deep Ones as he could.

Grievously wounded and cut off from the rest of the Space Marines, Captain Talvas reached for his grenades.  Pulling off the pin, the grenades exploded and tore through the ranks of the Deep Ones while they try to pull the Space Marine down.  Bloodied and battered, the wounded Captain laid on the ground gasping his last breath.  With their ammunition depleted, the remaining Imperial Swords stood their ground and grimly faced the horde of Deep Ones which encircled them, determined to take down as many as they can before their inevitable defeat.

Just as all hope was thought to be lost, sounds of assault cannon fire echoed through the complex.  The Deep Ones quickly turned to faced their new attackers but was quickly cut down.  Imperial Swords 1st and 4th company has arrived to aid their battle brothers.  Leading them was the Chapter Grand Champion Druce and Chief Librarian Davos, both seasoned veterans of many battles.

The Grand Champion charged forwarded dispatching many of the Deep Ones before coming face to face with the Shrieker.  The hulking Deep Ones, personal bodyguards of the Shrieker stood in the path of Champion Druce.   Sensing that the Shrieker was about to unleash a psychic attack, Chief Librarian Davos harness his powers to hold the warp energies from manifesting. 

While the two pskyers are locked in a contest of willpower.  Grand Champion Druce battled against the Hulking Deep Ones.  Meanwhile, Space Marines reinforcements have managed to cut a path towards the 2nd company survivors.

With the last Hulking Deep Ones dispatched, the Champion turned his attention towards the Shrieker.  Its psychic abilities was so immensely strong that even the Chief Librarian was straining to keep warp energies from manifesting.  A psychic counterattack was impossible.  Seeing that the Shrieker is distracted, the Champion swung the relic axe into the skull of the creature.  Splitting it in the middle.

Instead of falling to the ground.  The Shrieker's eyes glowed intensely, strange warp energy then burst out from the wound blasting the Champion back.  The physical body of the Shrieker then slumped to the ground, above it hovered a glowing warp entity with a malevolent glare.  Seizing the opportunity, Chief Librarian Davos mustered all his remaining willpower and blasted at warp entity with psychic bolts of energy.   Howling it rage, the warp entity vanished just as suddenly as it appeared.

When the Shrieker dead, the Deep Ones lost the will to fight.  Many were cut down by the Space Marines as they tried to flee, however some did manage to escape into the tunnels.  With the situation under control, the Imperial Swords began to regroup.   With the wounded Space Marines evacuated, the rest of the Imperial Sword resume their mission to locate the Tech Priest.  Any surviving Deep Ones encountered was purged.

Eventually the surviving Tech Priest was rescued. Despite their harrowing encounter with the Deep Ones, the Tech Priests insist on continuing the exploration, they are convinced that a complex of this size will surely hold some secrets.

Taking precaution, the Imperial Swords ordered a systematic sweep of the complex to root out any remaining Deep Ones.
Several weeks later, the Tech Priest finally made some headway into the excavation.   They have learn that the complex was infact a generational starship predating the Dark Age of Technology.  It carried within it thousands of families that left Terra to colonize the galaxy.

The vast structures above the surface were not calderas but were atmospheric processors built millenniums ago.  The humans settle here but was soon attacked by an unknown alien race and was driven underground.  They began to genetically modify themselves to suit their new environment and over time their descendents evolved into the Deep Ones.

But this discovery did not excite the Tech Priest as much as their next find.  Months of searching through the data archives reveal STCs unknown to the Adeptus Mechanicus.  But what fascinated the Tech Priest more was that this generation starship was but one of the many that left Holy Terra in ancient times.  The data also provided coordinates of the other generation starship.

Excited by the prospects of discovering even more STCs, the Tech Priest began to petition Mars for an expedition to these star coordinates.   Meanwhile, the Imperial Swords attend to their duties elsewhere and Imperial Governor resumed the project to colonize the equatorial jungle with the new settlers.

First taste of 40K competitive game

For the past several months, I only played small games in 40K.  500 points is the maximum I could muster and I became somewhat familiar with what my list can do.  There weren't much variety of units on the table so that was easy.

Last week was the beginning of my very first 40k game at 1000 points and I was utterly smashed.  I played two other games following my first game and lost all of them.  I was so excited and tense this time, I forgot to take photos of the game.

Anyway I thought I should write about what I learn so far, just to keep track of my progress (if any) and for future references.


All three missions played were Maelstrom - Spoils of War.  First two games was with Commander Ryanbo and third game with Chaos Lord SJ.

FIRST GAME
Ryanbo had Wolfstar accompanied by an Imperial Knight (IK).
I had Tactical Squads, supported by Razorbacks, Predators & Dreadnought, basically all my painted models and those that I am currently painting up for the June painting challenge.  The tanks were borrowed from Ryanbo.

There was limited tables and we shared a 4 x 6 table with Farseer G and Somjai.  So the battlefield had some overlapping areas.  This may have a slight impact on my deployment.

Commander Ryanbo won the dice roll and went first.  In addition he opt for Night Fighting to give him cover save as he moved across the open.  In his first turn, he moved his IK forward and fired off it's thermal cannon.  This took out 65% of my units.   Then remaining units tried shooting at the IK, taking away a couple of HPs but ultimately did nothing.
As the IK closed in with the Wolfstar, I knew the game was done.  I had nothing left on the table that could effectively contest the objectives.   Absolutely no way I could have gotten there in time.  With no chance of winning I conceded.

What I learnt:

• IK can move 12".  (That is really fast!!!)  I thought I was safe behind cover but I am not.
• Wolfstar is moving very fast too at 12".   I was quickly hemmed in.
• 4 x 4" table isn't very large.  Fast moving units can quickly grab objectives easily or move to  places that can project a threat bubble
• Tournaments do not use a lot of terrain, there are not a lot of covers

SECOND GAME
Same opponent and set up as before.  This time I tried deploying better.  As usual Wolfstar and IK advanced.  Wolfstar split and massacred my Scouts hiding behind the tower.  IK fired at my tanks, did less damage this time but immobilized my Razorback.
I knew IK are hard to take down so I pump as much shots at the Wolfstar as possible.  Later, IK got in range and charged my Vindicare Assassin, taking him out.  Wolfstar charged into my tacticals.  The surviving wolf lord circled around the building and charged my dreadnought.
I was fortunate and killed the wolf lord due to some lucky dice rolls.   My battleline of Predator tanks was finally taken out by the IK.  Near the 4th turn of the game, Ryanbo still had his IK and one wolfstar left.  I had only a dreadnought which the IK caught up to and destroyed.  I did better this time as I managed to score a few objectives and killed some of Ryanbo's forces even though I lost.


What I learnt:

• Wolfstar are fast and vicious in melee but can still be taken out if I focus my firepower into it.  Their power diminishes as it takes wounds.  Unlike the IK, removing HP will not affect its ability at all.  Losing a wolf or two, means that the unit itself has less attacks in melee and the character has less meatshield to rely on.
• I should have deployed my scout in the tower itself and move to claim objective late game

THIRD GAME
This time I face Chaos Lord SJ and his mobile bike army supported by Landspeeders.  I have the same army as before.   Taking potshots at his units, I manage to kill one or two bikes.  The objective cards weren't on my side so SJ was gaining in victory points quite rapidly.  By the time, his command squad closed in.  The battle started tilting in his favor.  In the end, I lost by a huge margin of victory points even though I could kill a couple of his units.  Only the scouts, predator and a dreadnought was left on my side.


What I learnt

• Vindicare already has a 4+ Invuln save, putting him in cover makes no difference.  He will get at most 4+ cover save from the ruins.  I am deploying my Vindcare wrongly.  Given the Vindicare's ability to ignore cover, I should place him right in the center at the back end of my deployment.  Where he can draw LOS to any targets.
• Target priority, I should have used the Vindcare to target the Landspeeders.  With AV10, it is auto-penetration.  
• Focus fire, I should have focus all my fire into a single unit until it is completely destroyed.  This ensures that unit does not come back and haunt me.  Or get in a position to flank me.  If I had focus my fire on the Landspeeders, SJ would have harder time taking apart my tanks.  My razorback and tactical squad both objective secured units may still be around.
• Scouts did reasonably well against SJ's bikes, tying them up for 3 turns.  And they are cheap unit compared to his bikes.  I should paint more Scouts.
• My razorback and Predator should trade places.  Razorback should be closer to the objective.  I basically lost a turn of shooting trying to maneuver the Predator into position to claim objective and VP.

CONCLUSION
I have a long way to go in this hobby.  My positioning, target priority and list building needs to be improved on.  But with a self-imposed limitation of playing only with painted models.  I think I can only practice on my positioning and target priority now.
That is okay, I will learn to make do with what I currently have.  I will (hopefully) learn the strengths and weakness of the units I field and how to use them more efficiently.  While I do have a specific plan and strategy in mind, it calls for units that I have not even began to work on.

I shall need to work on an alternative army list that can capitalized on what I have painted so far.