This time round we are playing a mission from the Battle Missions book called: BLACK CRUSADE!
Neil won the roll to be the Chaos Marine stand-ins for this mission, which meant he deployed first and on a 2+ got first turn.
The main cool rules about this mission is it's Kill Points and any non-vehicle unit destroyed can come back on from reserve the next turn!.
SPACE WOLVES
Rune Priest
Runic Weapon + Bolt Pistol
Wolfguard Battle Leader
Frost Blade + Stormshield + Thunderwolf + 2x Fenrisian Wolves
Thunderwolf Cavalry
1x Bolt pistol + Powerfist
1x Chainsword + Stormshield
Wolfguard terminators
1x Frostblade + Stormbolter
1x Chainfist + Stormbolter
1x Powerweapon + Stormbolter + Cyclone Missile Launcher
3x Powerweapon + Stormbolter
Grey Hunters
1x flamer
1x Meltagun
8x Bolter + Chainsword
Grey Hunters
1x flamer
1x Meltagun
8x Bolter + Chainsword
Total = 998
NIGHT ANGELS
Librarian
Forceweapon + Bolt Pistol
Venerable Dreadnought
Missile Launcher + Twin-linked Lascannon
Devastators
2x Plasmacannon
2x lascannon
8x Bolter
Tactical Squad
1x Plasma Pistol
1x Plasmagun
1x Plasmacannon
7x Bolter
NIGHT ANGELS
Librarian
Forceweapon + Bolt Pistol
Venerable Dreadnought
Missile Launcher + Twin-linked Lascannon
Devastators
2x Plasmacannon
2x lascannon
8x Bolter
Tactical Squad
1x Plasma Pistol
1x Plasmagun
1x Plasmacannon
7x Bolter
Tactical Squad
1x Plasma Pistol
1x Plasmagun
1x Plasmacannon
7x Bolter
TOTAL = 1000
DEPLOYMENT
NA - Neil set his 10 man Tactical Squad up in the crater to my right with the Venerable Dreadnought supporting them, the second Tactical Squad was combat squadded and the Plasmacannon was positioned on the first floor of the building with the Sargeant and Plasmagun in the center, one combat squad from the Devastators was set up on the top floor with 2x Plasmacannons whilst the second with the Lascannons deployed in the left most ruin along with the librarian.
SW - I plonked both Grey Hunter squads in the center spaced apart to minimise casualties from the huge amount of Plasma sure to rain down on them, the Terminators took the right hand side in the trees, and the Thunderwolves and Battle Leader took the left, the Rune Priest was in the center so he could cast the 5+ cover save over the two squads if needed.
TURN 1
NA - Zero movement from the Angels as expected Neil was going to blast me to bits in his first turn....and he did just that melting a terminator and 4 marines from either squad and the two Wolves following the Battle Leader, luckily all the units passed their morale checks and it was game on!
SW - I moved everything forwards, the two Grey Hunter squads now had a 4+ coversave from the vents in the middle, everything ran except the Terminators who fired two Frag missiles into the 10 man Tacticals opposite....missing with both aargh!
TURN 2
NA - No movement again from Neil but this time his shooting was dire, only managing to kill another Terminator with a Lascannon and wounding the Thunderwolf with the Stormshield.
SW - The Thunderwolves are in range of the Devastators and promtly tear them to bits, the crafty Librarian had retreated earlier in the turn, everything else advanced straight ahead, the Rune Priests squad rapid fire into the % man combat squad in the middle killing 3 with the aid of Freki & Geri the wolf spirits summond by the Priest, in assault they finish off the combat squad. 2-0 SW.
TURN 3
NA - The Devastators walk back on in the center to support the rest of their brothers from the imminent charge of the Thunderwolves (the scenario rules allowed this), their fire even with the Plasmacannons and bolters from the squads in the building do no damage to the squad(phew thanks for Stormshields eh!) Another 2 Terminators die from withering rapid fire from the 10 man Tac. squad.
SW - The Terminators kill the offending Plasmacannon and them charge the 10 man squad killing 5 but they hold, the Grey Hunters not with the Rune Priest charge the Dreadnought but only stun it with Krak grenades, the Rune Priests squad fail to charge through cover into the building whilst the Thunderwolves charge and massacre the Devastator combat squad again losing the Stormshield Thunderwolf.. 3-0 SW.
TURN 4
NA - The Devastators and the combat squad come back on right infront of the Thunderwolves desperate to slow their murderous charge, their rapid fire wounds the Powerfist Thunderwolf, the Venerable Dreadnought slay one of the pesky Space Wolves clambering all over him but is stunned again, Terminators kill another 2 from the Tactical squad but the hold their nerve.
SW - The Wolfguard kill of the Tacticals finally, Rune Priest finishes off the combat squad he was trying to charge last turn but the last Grey Hunter falls, The Battle Leader and Powerfist Thunderwolf splatter 7 marines from the multiple combat behind the building and the Lone Night Angel Sargeant flees the combat, The dreadnought and Hunters draw their combat. 5-1 SW.
TURN 5
NA - The 10 man squad reappear by the Termainators and their rapidfire and some help from the Devastators in the building finally slay the Wolfguard, in assult the Dreadnoght combat is a draw again!, Battle Leader and the Librarian both swing at the same time, the psyker having charged into the melee in the middle, both character take wounds and the Librarian seizes his chance .... he channels all his rage into his force weapon and tries to instant death the Battle Leader but he draws too much power and is possesed by a denizen of the warp and dies!(oops! not a good time to roll double 6!!)The Devastators flee off the table after losing the combat. 8-2 SW.
SW - The Venerable Dreadnought loses an arm to the Hunters, the RunePriest is wounded and the Thunderwolves crush the tactical combat squad to end the game. 9-2 SW
CONLUSION
Well that went well didn't it!, I must confess to being very very worried about all that Plasma facing me, the only thing that saved me from becoming fried chicken was the scenery in the middle and the sheer speed of the Thunderwolves( I only found out this game that Cavalry have fleet of foot!) Once again they are proving to be an extremely nasty unit easily capable of tearing up a whole flank on their own!
I think Neil did his best to try and stop them but I think the small size of his squads made it too hard to do any meaningful damage back.
What are your views on this game a how would you have played it differently?
DEPLOYMENT
NA - Neil set his 10 man Tactical Squad up in the crater to my right with the Venerable Dreadnought supporting them, the second Tactical Squad was combat squadded and the Plasmacannon was positioned on the first floor of the building with the Sargeant and Plasmagun in the center, one combat squad from the Devastators was set up on the top floor with 2x Plasmacannons whilst the second with the Lascannons deployed in the left most ruin along with the librarian.
SW - I plonked both Grey Hunter squads in the center spaced apart to minimise casualties from the huge amount of Plasma sure to rain down on them, the Terminators took the right hand side in the trees, and the Thunderwolves and Battle Leader took the left, the Rune Priest was in the center so he could cast the 5+ cover save over the two squads if needed.
TURN 1
NA - Zero movement from the Angels as expected Neil was going to blast me to bits in his first turn....and he did just that melting a terminator and 4 marines from either squad and the two Wolves following the Battle Leader, luckily all the units passed their morale checks and it was game on!
SW - I moved everything forwards, the two Grey Hunter squads now had a 4+ coversave from the vents in the middle, everything ran except the Terminators who fired two Frag missiles into the 10 man Tacticals opposite....missing with both aargh!
TURN 2
NA - No movement again from Neil but this time his shooting was dire, only managing to kill another Terminator with a Lascannon and wounding the Thunderwolf with the Stormshield.
SW - The Thunderwolves are in range of the Devastators and promtly tear them to bits, the crafty Librarian had retreated earlier in the turn, everything else advanced straight ahead, the Rune Priests squad rapid fire into the % man combat squad in the middle killing 3 with the aid of Freki & Geri the wolf spirits summond by the Priest, in assault they finish off the combat squad. 2-0 SW.
TURN 3
NA - The Devastators walk back on in the center to support the rest of their brothers from the imminent charge of the Thunderwolves (the scenario rules allowed this), their fire even with the Plasmacannons and bolters from the squads in the building do no damage to the squad(phew thanks for Stormshields eh!) Another 2 Terminators die from withering rapid fire from the 10 man Tac. squad.
SW - The Terminators kill the offending Plasmacannon and them charge the 10 man squad killing 5 but they hold, the Grey Hunters not with the Rune Priest charge the Dreadnought but only stun it with Krak grenades, the Rune Priests squad fail to charge through cover into the building whilst the Thunderwolves charge and massacre the Devastator combat squad again losing the Stormshield Thunderwolf.. 3-0 SW.
TURN 4
NA - The Devastators and the combat squad come back on right infront of the Thunderwolves desperate to slow their murderous charge, their rapid fire wounds the Powerfist Thunderwolf, the Venerable Dreadnought slay one of the pesky Space Wolves clambering all over him but is stunned again, Terminators kill another 2 from the Tactical squad but the hold their nerve.
SW - The Wolfguard kill of the Tacticals finally, Rune Priest finishes off the combat squad he was trying to charge last turn but the last Grey Hunter falls, The Battle Leader and Powerfist Thunderwolf splatter 7 marines from the multiple combat behind the building and the Lone Night Angel Sargeant flees the combat, The dreadnought and Hunters draw their combat. 5-1 SW.
TURN 5
NA - The 10 man squad reappear by the Termainators and their rapidfire and some help from the Devastators in the building finally slay the Wolfguard, in assult the Dreadnoght combat is a draw again!, Battle Leader and the Librarian both swing at the same time, the psyker having charged into the melee in the middle, both character take wounds and the Librarian seizes his chance .... he channels all his rage into his force weapon and tries to instant death the Battle Leader but he draws too much power and is possesed by a denizen of the warp and dies!(oops! not a good time to roll double 6!!)The Devastators flee off the table after losing the combat. 8-2 SW.
SW - The Venerable Dreadnought loses an arm to the Hunters, the RunePriest is wounded and the Thunderwolves crush the tactical combat squad to end the game. 9-2 SW
CONLUSION
Well that went well didn't it!, I must confess to being very very worried about all that Plasma facing me, the only thing that saved me from becoming fried chicken was the scenery in the middle and the sheer speed of the Thunderwolves( I only found out this game that Cavalry have fleet of foot!) Once again they are proving to be an extremely nasty unit easily capable of tearing up a whole flank on their own!
I think Neil did his best to try and stop them but I think the small size of his squads made it too hard to do any meaningful damage back.
What are your views on this game a how would you have played it differently?
