CHAOS SPACE MARINES versus Ultramarines

Game: Warhammer 40,000 4th edition
Opponent: Morris
Mission: Cleanse
Level: Gamma
1st turn: Chaos Space Marines
Points: 1000
Location: Florez, The Halasus Marches
Background: 952.M41 The agriworld of Florez reports difficulties in meeting its tithes of foodstuffs produced for the Hiveworld of Ustra. This is due to sporadic but persistent pirate attacks believed to be prosecuted by renegade Exigator Space Marines. Governor Atraxinor requests aid and gets it in the form of Ultramarines. They bring the Exigators to battle on the surface of Florez.

Chaos Space Marines

• Chaos Lord Ferocitor - Mark of Chaos Undivided, Daemonic Stature, Daemonic Speed, 2 Close combat weapons, Frag grenades
• 2 Obliterators
• Squad Infractis – 8 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, Bolt guns, Plasma gun, Lascannon
• 8 Furies
• Squad Imber - 6 Havocs, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Infiltrate, Bolt guns, 4 Heavy Bolters
  

Ultramarines

• Chaplain with tooled up retinue in Rhino
  
• Dreadnought with Assault Cannon
  
• Scout squad with Sniper Rifles
  
• 3 Tactical Squads
  
• 2 Landspeeders with Heavy Bolters

Terrain and Deployment
Morris has a beautifully painted and converted army, which I thought had an excellent chance of winning best painted at the Gauntlet Tournament. In order to get it finished, though, he had added small, elite, expensive units like the Chaplain and his Honour Guard, and the small Tactical squads (one veteran sergeant was worth well over 50 points on his own). He hadn't played against my infiltrators either, so that would be a surprise for him.

Meanwhile, I was on the third version of my tournament list and beginning to get the hang of my army. I was hoping for a decisive win.

Morris chose the table quarter with two large buildings and a wood, while I had two medium-sized ruined buildings. He clumped his Dreadnought, Speeders and Chaplain's Rhino wide on my right, obviously hoping to sweep in behind one of my buildings and hit my centre. The rest of his army castled in and around the woods and the building to the rear of his deployment zone. Maurice wasn't planning on my infiltrators.

Squad Infractis went deep in the left quarter, almost behind the Ultramarine firebase. Squad Profuge set up for a side shot on the Rhino wide on my right. Squad Imber were narrow left, while Squads Abraxar and Krall set up centrally.

The game
I popped the Rhino with my first shot, then the same lascannon from Squad Profuge took down both Speeders in successive turns. Don't look any further for the man of the match. When the Squad took casualties and failed a morale check on the fourth turn I could hardly grumble.

The Dreadnought and Chaplain tried to advance on my centre but had to turn back toward their firebase in the second turn because Squad Infractis was threatening the Ultramarine starting quarter.

By turn 3 Squad Infractis had wiped out the scouts in the wood and summoned the Furies to attack the Tactical squads. The Dreadnought and Chaplain (with his Honour Guard) eventually arrived to take out my forward assaulters but Squad Imber and the deep striking Obliterators took the Ultramarine relief force out in turn.

I had won comfortably by turn 5.

Result: Win - Victorious slaughter

Commendations

• Squad Profuge.
  

Learning points

• Morris's army looks fantastic but is seriously flawed as an army list. I'd be surprised if he won more than one game at the Gauntlet.
• My own Exigators are coming along nicely, now. I'm getting more familiar with the list and it's capabilities and I hope it will surprise an opponent or two at the tournament, as it did to Morris today.