CHAOS SPACE MARINES versus Chaos Space Marines

Game: Warhammer 40,000 4th edition
Opponent: Gary
Mission: Cleanse
Level: Gamma
1st turn: Chaos Space Marines (Gary)
Points: 1000
Location: Insolitus, The Halasus Marches
Background: 987.M41. Following the attack on the Salazar Systems by Chaos Space Marines, the Exigators renegades ran numerous patrols to deter invaders from The Halasus Marches. Slaaneshi traitors ignored the Exigators warnings and landed on Insolitus. The Exigators vowed to make them pay for their insolence.

Chaos Space Marines (lone pilgrim)

• Chaos Lieutenant Lamprey - Mark of Chaos Undivided, Bolt Pistol, Daemonic Flight, Power weapon, Infiltrate
• 2 Obliterators
• Squad Infractis – 6 Chaos Marines, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Infiltrate, Bolt pistols and Close combat weapons, Aspiring Champion with Power fist
• Squad Profuge - 5 Chaos Marines, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Infiltrate, Bolt guns, Plasma gun, Lascannon
• Squad Abraxar - 5 Chaos Marines, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Infiltrate, Bolt guns, Plasma gun, Missile Launcher
• Squad Krall - 5 Chaos Marines, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Infiltrate, Bolt guns, Autocannon
• 8 Furies
• Squad Imber - 6 Havocs, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Infiltrate, Bolt guns, 4 Heavy Bolters
  

Chaos Space Marines (Gary)

• Lord with Daemonic Speed, Dark Blade, Combat Drugs, Daemonic Strength, Bolt pistol
  
• 6 infiltrating Marines with Bolt pistols and close combat weapons
  
• Aspiring champion with Daemonic Talons
  
• 5 Havocs with 4 Missile Launchers
  
• Defiler with indirect fire and mutated hull
  
• 6 Marines with Lascannon and Plasma gun
  
• 2 units of 6 Daemonettes
  

Terrain and Deployment
As this was a test game for The Gauntlet tournament we took most of the terrain off the table (to better simulate the Warhammer World tables). Gary won the choice of deployment zone and took the only one with any real cover in it. He castled with most of his army in and around some low ruins we classified as area 2 terrain. Gary also won the dice off to place infiltrators and stole my only bit of cover; a small wood in the right centre. I put my Heavy bolter Havocs way out on the right and spread the rest of my army out in a wide semi circle stretching right across the board.

The game
I got pummeled in the early turns and lost several squads to shooting (Squad Abraxar, Squad Krall and Squad Profuge) and in return I only managed to kill Gary's infiltrating close assault unit that had advanced out of the woods.

I won the game on turn 3. The Furies and Obliterators both appeared and that meant I could launch a devastating co-ordinated attack. The Furies assaulted Gary's small Havoc squad and completely wiped them out in the charge, taking no casualties in return. The Obliterators dropped in between the Defiler and the Lord. They instantly killed the Lord with their twin-linked meltaguns and then received a charge from the Defiler. The Chaos vehicle took one of my Obliterators out of the fight but his buddy blatted the overgrown bug with a strength 10 powerfist.

The remainder of the game was just mopping up Gary's daemonettes. He had brought one squad out on the right where they did for my own leader and finished off squad Infractis but that left them wide open to my heavy bolter Havocs. Scratch one unit of daemons. The second squad arrived late, scattered badly and were then mauled by the Furies.

Game over.

Result: Win - Decisive victory.

Commendations

• It's a toss up between the Obliterators and Furies but the Oblits win by a whisker. They pulled in nearly 400 points in enemy kills, in both close combat and shooting and then took a table quarter. Outstanding.

Learning points

• I deployed poorly in this game with my models too dispersed to support each other properly. The Havocs in particular were way out on a limb.
• Having no cover meant I took heavy casualties from shooting (losing 1st turn didn't help either). This exposes the main weakness of my army; it's small size. Still, it hit back hard despite the pummelling I took.