After reading a few different tactica articles written by fellow Texan MKerr (on the Bell of Lost Souls blog) relating to Witch Hunter retinues and Death Cult assassins, I'm going to take another hack at my sisters army. I got a little disillusioned in the past with their unreliability, but I realize now it was probably due to the limited variety of army lists my model collection could build. I figure I need to add a few heavy bolter servitors, two chirurgeons, some of the aforementioned death cultists, four sisters with flamers, another imagifer, and a sister superior with a bolter. Also I want to convert a nice acolyte with a bolt pistol from an unusual model that will match up with my redemptionist inquisitor figure... haven't found the right one just yet. After that I'll have a 2000 point army that will hopefully do a little better than mine has in the past. I actually have enough guard and weapons teams now to make a good inducted guard list that makes up for the sisters' lack of heavy weapons, but all that reading about assassins has my blood boiling for a pure inquisition/sisters army that has a dedicated assault wing. Here's a list I quickly put together to that end:
HQ:
1 Cannoness - inferno pistol, jump pack, rosarius, cloak of st. aspira
ELITES:
1 Inquisitor - inferno pistol, close combat weapon
Retinue - 3 gun servitors with heavy bolters, 2 chirurgeons, 1 acolyte with bolt pistol/ccw
3 Death Cult Assassins
9 Sisters Repentia, 1 Mistress, 1 Priest with laspistol/power weapon
TROOPS:
9 Battle Sisters with 1 meltagun, 1 storm bolter, 1 imagifer, Vet Sister Superior with bolter and book of St. Lucius
9 Battle Sisters with 1 meltagun, 1 storm bolter, 1 imagifer, Vet Sister Superior with bolter and book of St. Lucius
FAST ATTACK:
9 Seraphim with 2 twin flame pistols, Vet Sister Superior with plasma pistol, eviscerator, and book of St. Lucius
5 Dominions with 4 flamers, 1 imagifer, Vet Sister Superior with bolt pistol, brazier of holy fire, and book of St. Lucius, 1 Immolator with extra armor, smoke launchers, and holy promethium
HEAVY SUPPORT:
1 Exorcist with extra armor
2 Penitent Engines
5 Retributors with 2 heavy bolters, 2 multimeltas, 1 Vet Sister Superior with bolter and book of St. Lucius
Altogether that's 7 faith points, 8 scoring units, 69 total models. It's still weak in long range firepower (no offense, Mr. Exorcist) but I think it makes up for that in mobility and good short range anti-vehicle damage. Horde armies get mass bolter, heavy bolter, and flamer fire, and marine equivalents get shot up with divine guidanced boltguns and flamers and assaulted with plenty of dreadnought and power weapon attacks. My basic plan is to combine the death cult assassins with the seraphim, repentias and penitent engines to sweep wide around cover and curl around their flank, while the sisters, retributors, inquisitor, and exorcist give and take fire as possible. The dominions are mostly for fun, 5 flame templates that have just short of a 70% chance of succesfully using divine guidance, not to mention the twin-linked scary fire from their transport. I will probably start with the callidus until the death cultists get painted. I would run DCAs and an eversor, but I wanted to use my repentia and didn't want to shell out for an inquisitor lord.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Tournament: Dragon's Lair 5-26-07
Me and C2 played in the Dragon's Lair tournament yesterday. Attendance was terrible and only two other people showed up, so with three rounds scheduled, each of us had a turn to play one another. I brought my same guard army from last time (light infantry, bunch of tanks), C2 brought her usual 2k chaos force, another gent played iron warriors, and the last guy had a gravtank-heavy Eldar force. I think each of the armies was reasonably constructed and the games were all friendly and gracious. There were no total routs except for the games against Eldar. I know they wiped me out entirely, maybe save one chimera, and C2's chaos didn't fare too well against them either. I defeated C2, which was really for me the highlight; that demon prince usually fucks me up pretty good, but after I shot him a couple of times, a single guardsman clocked him in the chin and took him out of the game, sealing up the win. The Eldar player went home with 1st prize, winning all 3 of his games. Everyone else won once and lost twice.
I learned at least a couple of lessons. The game against C2 was the only win, and really the whole thing hinged on my left side, which, unlike the right side, was deployed close to my table edge. The right side had some good kills but they got run out real quick by the possessed, berzerkers, and bloodletters. When I deploy up near the line, I do badly. Period. I was doing it out of fear that I wouldn't have any good firing lanes first turn, but that's really a moot point considering my second lesson learned: forget choosing a side or going first with Guard in any tournament using strategy rating to determine order of placement and first turn. One die is crap. Against the Iron Warriors, I should have turtled in one of my corners rather than spread myself out along the whole long edge. Against the Eldar, I learned that if I get encircled by grav tanks it's over fairly quickly. Both games I think backing up a little would have helped me keep my lines free from falcon and wave serpent invasion. But who knows.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Tournament Fluff for Guard
The Walder System lies in the Segmentum Obscurus and comprises of several inhabited planets orbiting a single sun. The largest and most heavily populated of these is Tiefwald. Despite its greater distance from the Eye of Terror than other Obscurus systems such as Cadia or Mordia, its peoples are nonetheless faced with Chaos incursions on a regular basis, due in large part to the energy-generating capacity of the planet’s massive thermal core reactors. Fortunately these same reactors provide the Tiefwalder military access to an almost unlimited supply of plasma for use in munitions and fuel.
Trained amongst the densely forested terrain of their homeworld, all Tiefwalder regiments specialize in large-scale infantry ambushes. Each soldier is a rifleman first and foremost and receives lifelong training in accuracy and fire control. The Tiefwalder company commander typically exercises direct control prerogative for each unit. This has two main effects on their style of fighting. First, the platoon command elements are freed up to intercept skirmishers or conduct raids behind enemy lines with devastating short-range anti-armor weaponry. To be able to participate in such a raid is considered the highest (and probably last) honor that a Tiefwalder can earn. Second, the commander can more easily coordinate the various elements of the main ambush, collapsing sections of the front line at precisely the best moment to create new firing lanes and trap targets in the open. When an enemy charges in for close-quarters fighting, they will often find the Tiefwalder position abandoned and themselves caught in a new crossfire!
The Tiefwalder 14th, a.k.a. the Red Rifles, is traditionally a dedicated PDF regiment, though they have been deployed off-world in rare instances. In fact, they earned their nickname after their commitment to the Hannover System conflict, when they painted their weapons red in order to intimidate the invading Ork army. Since the regiment’s inception, they have also participated in actions against Eldar and Tau forces. Reports of skirmishes with other imperial forces are largely speculative and have never been verified.
Trained amongst the densely forested terrain of their homeworld, all Tiefwalder regiments specialize in large-scale infantry ambushes. Each soldier is a rifleman first and foremost and receives lifelong training in accuracy and fire control. The Tiefwalder company commander typically exercises direct control prerogative for each unit. This has two main effects on their style of fighting. First, the platoon command elements are freed up to intercept skirmishers or conduct raids behind enemy lines with devastating short-range anti-armor weaponry. To be able to participate in such a raid is considered the highest (and probably last) honor that a Tiefwalder can earn. Second, the commander can more easily coordinate the various elements of the main ambush, collapsing sections of the front line at precisely the best moment to create new firing lanes and trap targets in the open. When an enemy charges in for close-quarters fighting, they will often find the Tiefwalder position abandoned and themselves caught in a new crossfire!
The Tiefwalder 14th, a.k.a. the Red Rifles, is traditionally a dedicated PDF regiment, though they have been deployed off-world in rare instances. In fact, they earned their nickname after their commitment to the Hannover System conflict, when they painted their weapons red in order to intimidate the invading Ork army. Since the regiment’s inception, they have also participated in actions against Eldar and Tau forces. Reports of skirmishes with other imperial forces are largely speculative and have never been verified.
Tournament Fluff for Chaos
Inquisitor Aristobulus,
Since my last dispatch, I was forced to abandon my post on Tapel’s World. No doubt you are by now aware of the warp disruptions that destroyed Tristan; after my astropaths became too distressed from the aftershocks to perform their duties, my staff transported most of our mission assets to one of our alternate locations, which I provided to you when we last met. From here I shall continue my long-range observation of the Demon Prince Toggog and his nefarious associates.
Toggog still commands at the point of the spear, his strength and savagery augmented by each terrible victory. We have determined that Slyrrin Archfiend now leads the Black Legion contingent of Toggog’s marauders. The fate of his predecessor, Gazak the Merciless, is unknown. Survivors of the encounter at Nogodrial claimed that he was destroyed by heavy ordnance bombardment, but had no direct evidence to support the allegation. It is known that, just before they laid siege to Tristan, Slyrrin’s group attacked a secret arms repository on Byre and made off with the contents, including an ancient and powerful boltgun prototype. On this raid, as well as on Tristan, Slyrrin and his subordinates were accompanied by two hulking entities, each much larger than a space marine in tactical dreadnought armor, that could by all accounts produce a variety of weapons fire using only their warp-twisted bodies. Their descriptions match those of the rare and mysterious “obliterator cult.” These profane abominations may well have played some part in Slyrrin’s ascendancy.
I once again humbly request that you send your most able men to combat this horrible enemy before it lays the entire northern portion of the sector to waste.
Your modest servant,
Talus Valerius VII
Since my last dispatch, I was forced to abandon my post on Tapel’s World. No doubt you are by now aware of the warp disruptions that destroyed Tristan; after my astropaths became too distressed from the aftershocks to perform their duties, my staff transported most of our mission assets to one of our alternate locations, which I provided to you when we last met. From here I shall continue my long-range observation of the Demon Prince Toggog and his nefarious associates.
Toggog still commands at the point of the spear, his strength and savagery augmented by each terrible victory. We have determined that Slyrrin Archfiend now leads the Black Legion contingent of Toggog’s marauders. The fate of his predecessor, Gazak the Merciless, is unknown. Survivors of the encounter at Nogodrial claimed that he was destroyed by heavy ordnance bombardment, but had no direct evidence to support the allegation. It is known that, just before they laid siege to Tristan, Slyrrin’s group attacked a secret arms repository on Byre and made off with the contents, including an ancient and powerful boltgun prototype. On this raid, as well as on Tristan, Slyrrin and his subordinates were accompanied by two hulking entities, each much larger than a space marine in tactical dreadnought armor, that could by all accounts produce a variety of weapons fire using only their warp-twisted bodies. Their descriptions match those of the rare and mysterious “obliterator cult.” These profane abominations may well have played some part in Slyrrin’s ascendancy.
I once again humbly request that you send your most able men to combat this horrible enemy before it lays the entire northern portion of the sector to waste.
Your modest servant,
Talus Valerius VII
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Battle Report: Witch Hunters vs. Space Wolves 5-19-07
Bully vs. C. - 1500 points - Cleanse (Wolves choice)
Turn 1
Witch Hunters: The penitent engines are irritated at starting the game off in the rear and they roll for holy rage and sprint forward a bit. One of the battle sister squads settles into the area around the statue in their adjacent quarter and the tanks also swing wide into the same quarter.
Space Wolves: The Vindicator pulls up even with the rhino as it turns a bit itself, trying to get in position for the blood claws to hop out next turn.
Turn 2
Witch Hunters: The repentia, urged on by their mistress's neural whips, roll for holy rage and charge forward another full 6" to make contact with the wolves' rhino. As they lay into it with their savage eviscerators, the rhino explodes and four are killed. The battle leader, wolf guard, and blood claws are entangled in the smoking crater left by their destroyed transport. The witch hunters tanks swing further out.
Space Wolves: The terminators decide to come in a bit early and their drop pod deep strikes next to the seraphim. Luck turns a cold shoulder and only one of the flying nuns is destroyed by their sizeable wave of plasma and assault fire. Even worse, one of the plasma guns overheats and kills its bearer. Lesson: don't mess with the daughters of the emperor. The rune priest does his best to call up a blizzard and give his squad a little cover. The vindicator flips a huey and hauls back to its former position.
Turn 3
Witch Hunters: The seraphim use divine guidance to wipe out the terminators in righteous flame and bolter fire, blizzard be damned. The callidus assassin slinks out of her hiding place in the ruined chapel and charges toward the pinned blood claws, killing four immediately with her neural shredder and laying down four more in close combat. The repentia and mistress also charge into the blood claws and battle leader, but without frags they are destroyed before they can do any damage. A blood claw armed with a powerfist manages to destroy the assassin in the end.
Space Wolves: Both squads of grey hunters and the wolf scouts arrive on the table, killing five battle sisters with their opening salvoes of bolter and plasma fire. The machine spirits of the grey hunter drop pods target the aged inquisitor and manage to kill him with their storm bolters. Another plasma gunner is overcome by a weapon misfire. The battle leader and blood claws stagger away from their rhino crater and take cover in the chapel ruins.
Turn 4
Witch Hunters: The battle sisters shoot up the grey hunters, killing three of them and forcing them to fall back. The pentitent engines get holy rage again and charge into the closest drop pod. They try in vain to make it explode, leaving it a hulking wreck that the grey hunters can still hide behind.
Space Wolves: The grey hunters and wolf scouts move around the side of the destroyed drop pod and bring down one of the penitent engines with plasma shots. The other grey hunters regroup, and the vindicator pulls wide to threaten the immolator.
Turn 5
Witch Hunters: The last penitent engine charges the grey hunters in holy rage and kills three of them. The powerfists are unable to hit him back. The seraphim move closer to the middle of the table, and the immolator moves next to the exorcist and fires off its smoke launchers for a little extra protection. The exorcist shoots one of the blood claws in the chapel.
Space Wolves: The battle leader and last couple of blood claws move back away from the enemy armor. The vindicator fires its demolisher cannon at the immolator, shaking it. The scouts try to kill just one battle sister and bring their squad below 50% but cannot make it happen. The penitent engine puts down two more grey hunters.
Turn 6
Witch Hunters: The exorcist takes one last shot at the vindicator, but even with 6 shots is unable to do any damage. The seraphim fly over next to a drop pod in an attempt to straddle the two quarters. The penitent engine kills another two grey hunters, leaving only the powerfist troopers who are unable to return the favor, only shaking it. They break and flee from the crazed walker.
Space Wolves: The vindicator finishes the duel of the tanks by shaking and destroying the main weapon of the exorcist. One squad of grey hunters kill one of seraphim and the other one shoots at the cannoness but can't pierce her 2+ save.
Witch Hunters win, solid victory.
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