SPACE MARINES - BLOOD ANGELS versus Chaos Daemons

Game: Warhammer 40,000 5th edition
Opponent: Gary
Mission: Annihilation
Deployment: Pitched Battle
1st turn: Chaos Daemons
Points: 1500
Location: 278.M41, Mandag, Hexen Sub, Skolarii sector
Background: With Sondag Urban District in flames the Chaos Daemons manifest in the Basilica Constante of Skardallen ladestad. The Blood Angels commit more of their reserve to the escalating conflict.

Blood Angels

• Chaplain, plasma pistol, jump pack
• 5 Death Company Marines with jump packs
  
• 10 Tactical Marines, flamer, Vet sergeant with Powerfist, missile launcher, Rhino
  
• 5 Tactical Marines, melta gun, Vet sergeant with Powerfist
  
• Furioso Dreadnought, Venerable, Death Company
  
• Predator Destructor with autocannon and heavy bolter sponsons
• Land Raider
• Land Speeder with multi-melta
• 10 Assault Marines, Vet Sergeant with Power Weapon, Two Plasma Pistols

Chaos Daemons

• Bloodthirster
• Winged Tzeentch Daemon Prince
• Daemon Prince
• 10 Bloodletters, Standard, Musician
• 10 Bloodletters
• 5 Bloodletters
• 12 Daemonettes
• 8 Flesh Hounds
• 8 Flesh Hounds

Terrain and Deployment
The battlefield contained two ruined shrines, obviously the ruined remains of the Basilica Constante. The largest was on my left, along with a big forest in my deployment zone. Rocky columns were beyond that nearer the Daemon table edge. The smaller shrine was on my far right. There was a larger, three storey building nearer to my deployment zone on the right and there was also a ruin in my centre deployment zone edge.

Both armies started entirely off the board.

My plan was to give the Chaos Daemons first turn to force them to deploy without knowing where my units would turn up. I would then deploy everything either hard right or hard left and try to strand Daemon units well away from the action. I could then destroy the Chaos Daemons piecemeal.

The game
I won choice of first turn and gave it to my opponent forcing them to deploy first. There was then a turn where my army did nothing and Gary brought on his own reserves in turn two. Unfortunately for him everything showed up but the Bloodthirster. The Daemonettes were unlucky to scatter 12" onto the rocky columns and then get lost in the warp. I didn't have a single model on the table and I was already a kill point up!

I chose to launch my attack on the right flank, partly because there was more space for my units, partly because a Bloodletter unit was in range of my Death Company and Chaplain and partly because the fastest Daemon units were nearby. That meant Gary's slower Daemon Prince and other large Bloodletter unit would be stranded away out on my left flank.

The Chaplain and Death Company slammed into the Bloodletters, killing them all and taking just two casualties in return. The Death Company Dreadnought stomped up behind. My Rhino and Tac squad moved up behind that.


Gary made a ballsy deep strike with his Bloodthirster and got a hit as it appeared behind the Death Company, right next to my Dreadnought. The winged Daemon Prince rounded the building and destroyed my Dread with a Bolt of Tzeentch.

Both Flesh Hound units charged the Death Company but only killed one Marine. That meant they were still in place when my Assault Squad came in from reserve. The doggies were slaughtered but the last Death Company Marines also fell.


My Land Raider and Predator also drove up on the hard right. I blasted everything I had at the winged Daemon Prince and was rather lucky to take it out after my Raider missed with both lascannons. A typical first outing for both of our new models!

The Bloodthirster charged my Assault Squad and killed several. The combat continued for two more turns, long enough for the Assault Squad sergeant to wound the behemoth.


Crucially, the Bloodthirster left combat on it's own turn which meant I could shoot it in mine. My entire army took just two wounds off it which meant I'd have to take it on in combat. My five man Tac squad drew the short straw and four promptly died. The Veteran Sergeant cranked up his powerfist and hit the monster three times, sending it back to the warp. Outstanding!

In the meantime my Chaplain managed to finish off the 5 Bloodletters with the help of some long range shooting from the Predator and Land Speeder. It did mean he was open to the charge from the Daemon Prince, though, and he was sliced and diced. The Daemon Prince went on to kill my hero Veteran Sergeant and most of my large Tactical squad before he was downed.


The last ten Bloodletters sat out the game in the large ruined shrine and never made combat.

Result: Win - 8 kill points to 5 kill points

Learning points

• Everything went perfectly to plan from start to finish for me. From the first die roll onwards I was in control. I don't think I'll be quite so fortunate in all my future games.
• I really need to increase my mobile firepower to cause more damage on the turn I come in from reserve.