DAEMONHUNTERS versus Witch Hunters

Game: Warhammer 40,000 3rd edition
Opponent: Ken
Mission: Patrol
1st turn: Witch Hunters
Points: 1300

Daemonhunters

• Inquisitor Lord Kurven, Psycannon, Purity Seals, Gun Servitor, Plasma Cannon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Targeter, 2 x Imperial Guard Veteran, Plasma Gun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Targeter, 2 x Sage, Close Combat Weapon, Laspistol
• 1 x Daemonhost
• 3 x Death-Cult Assassins
• Inquisitor Severus, Daemonhammer, Bolt pistol, Holocaust, Icon of the Just, 2xAcolytes, Power Armour, Bolt Pistols and Close Combat Weapons, Combat Servitor, rhino, smoke
• Squad Matoso, 9 Stormtroopers, 2xFlamers, Veteran Sergeant with Bolt Pistol, Close Combat Weapon and Krak Grenades, Rhino, Smoke launchers and Extra Armour
• Squad Vargas, 6 Stormtroopers, 2xPlasma Guns
• Squad Godirtho, 7 Storm troopers, 2 x meltaguns, Veteran Sergeant with Plasma pistol, Rhino with Smoke Launchers
• Squad Seralvo, 6 Storm troopers 2 x grenade launchers
  

Witch Hunters

• Exorcist
• Immolator
• Tooled up HQ squad in rhino (400+ points)
• Sister squad with 4 multi-meltas
• Sister squad with 4 heavy bolters
• Vindicare assassin
• 2 sisters squads

The game
This game was played on the store's city fight table replete with ruined buildings, craters and rubble. The board looked fantastic but was a devil to play on due to the uneven surface. We didn't play with city fight rules.

Ken's reading of the patrol mission allowed ANY unit to set up first not just troops so he set his Vindicare assassin up in a ruined building while I deployed my Inquisitor and retinue on my right in a small trench system. The assassin shot my gun servitor with the plasma cannon but I rolled my cover save and he survived.

Ken's reserves began to arrive and he set up a strong firebase with his Exorcist and heavy bolter squad in the centre, while his immolator crashed through the building on my right, underneath his assassin. It disgorged his multi-melta sisters and looked to threaten my Inquisitor.

Meanwhile I set most of my storm troopers up in the middle of my deployment zone with two assassins to my left in a ruined building. Severus arrived in his rhino and zoomed toward Ken's firebase while Ken's HQ rhino also turned up and raced toward my stormtroopers.

I seemed to have the upper hand as my Inquisitor inflicted casualties on the multi-melta sisters and then wasted the immolator. I also popped Ken's HQ rhino, the Daemonhost landed near the exorcist and Severus made it into combat with his sisters squads in his firebase.

I had not appreciated how tough his HQ squad was though. They munched through all of my stormtroopers and even took out two death cult assassins in their assault as they used faith points left right and centre.

In Ken's firebase my assault faltered. The Daemonhost twatted the exorcist but it was downhill all the way from there. Ken's Vindicare took out my storm troopers rhino so they trudged across the board taking casualties on the way. Severus had lost most of his retinue and a wound after some atrocious dice rolling and then the Vindicare assassin shot him while he was still in combat! Does the Vindicare's negation of the shooting rules really allow him to shoot into close combat?

We totted up the victory points and Ken had a slim advantage (mainly due to that very expensive HQ squad). Close but no cigar.

Result: Win

Learning points

• My first fight against Witch Hunters and I was severely hampered by my lack of knowledge - I just couldn't tell which vehicles were simply transports and which were tanks, and I certainly didn't calculate how tough the HQ squad was.
• Using the Vindicare to shoot into combat seemed wrong to me but I just couldn't find a rule to refute it.
• Those faith points drove me batty! It felt wrong to be on the receiving end of a battery of special rules that I was relying 100% upon my opponent resolving for me. I figured two death cult assassins and a handful of storm troopers would have some impact but I only killed one model. He used virtually all of his faith points on just this one squad over three turns and it made them unkillable.