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: 988.M41 A Chaos warband attacks the Exigators renegades on their homeworld of Insolitus, seeking revenge for defeat in an earlier encounter. The Slaanesh influenced traitors wreak havoc upon the civilian population of the town of Stolidus.

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
We played this test game for The Gauntlet tournament straight after our last, and kept the same army lists and the same terrain. We even kept the same dice rolls, as Gary got to choose the starting table quarter (the one with all the terrain again). This time I fronted him out, placing my firebase opposite his own. He had superior terrain and I was out in the open, but I had better numbers and more Special and Heavy weapons. Still, it was a risky tactic, and it was very dependent on winning the first turn.

The game
Gary won first turn.

If my tactic was to outshoot the enemy Marines I failed miserably. Everything he shot at died - even with bolters. He used the Defiler more aggressively to wipe out a couple of my units with direct shot, braving my ineffectual lascannon shots. And Gary kept his Daemons back to counter charge my Obliterators and Lord, who I had thrown forward in a desperate attempt to salvage the game.

The Oblits still managed to drop in and destroy the Defiler, but the Furies disappointed as their attacks bounced off the Marines power armour.

I had been trounced.

Result: Loss - Decisive victory.

Commendations

• Obliterators.

Learning points

• Again, my deployment was suspect as I was risking a lot by facing off with Gary's shooty units. If I had won 1st turn I might have had a chance, but it wasn't to be.
• If our positions had been reversed and I had had the cover it might have been a different story too.
• This game exposed the one dimensional aspect of my army - I had no real gameplan once I discovered Gary could outshoot me. More close combat units required, I think.