DAEMONHUNTERS versus Space Marines - Space Wolves

Game: Warhammer 40,000 3rd edition
Opponent: ?
Mission: Breakout
1st turn: Daemonhunters
Points: 1000

Daemonhunters

• Inquisitor Lord Severus, Master-crafted Daemonhammer, Bolt pistol, Holocaust, Icon of the Just, Consecrated Scrolls, 2xAcolytes, Power Armour, Bolt Pistols and Close Combat Weapons, 1xAcolyte with power weapon and las pistol, Combat Servitor, Rhino with Smoke Launchers
• Inquisitor Kurven, Psycannon, Power Armour, 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, Mystic, Close Combat Weapon, Laspistol
• Callidus Assassin
• 2 Daemonhosts
• Squad Matoso, 10 Stormtroopers, 2xFlamers, Veteran Sergeant with Bolt Pistol, Power Weapon and Krak Grenades, Rhino, Smoke launchers and Extra Armour
• Squad Godirtho, 9 Storm troopers, 2 plasma guns
  

Space Marines - Space Wolves

• Lord with Frostblade
• Priest with Frostblade
• 2 blood claw packs - 1 in rhino
• 1 grey hunter pack
• Exterminator
• Predator Annihilator

Terrain and deployment
This was my first game in the new store and I managed to get onto a six foot table. Who-hoo!

We decided to go for an unusual mission, just because we could, and ended up with a breakout. I was the attacker in the centre of the board trying to get past the Space Wolves. I placed the two rhinos facing the left board edge and Inquisitor Kurven and Squad Godirtho toward the right to keep my opponent guessing. The Daemonhosts and assassin would deep strike in later.

My opponent in turn set the rhino and exterminator on my left and the predator, grey hunters, bloodclaws on foot and rune priest on the right.

Normally in this mission I would attack the most mobile enemy group, hoping that the slower elements will be left behind on the far side of the board. In this game that would have meant rushing to my left. However, the terrain meant I had a more covered run to the board edge on the right, and I also wouldn't have to face an armour 14 Leman Russ. The right it was.

The game
I won first turn and peeled both rhinos to the right. Squad Godirtho and Inquisitor Kurven opened fire on the bloodclaws and killed six. Squad Matoso were deprived of their rhino by a lucky glancing hit, so they would be walking for the rest of the game.

The Daemonhosts arrived on the second turn so I placed them on my right in between the Grey Hunters and Blood claws - both rolled the ability to assault immediately. Together with Squad Matoso firing their flamers and charging and Severus pushing his rhino further to the right I was threatening to completely overwhelm the flank.

The Daemonhosts rolled effective powers and did for the Grey Hunters and remaining Blood Claws but the Rune Priest broke Squad Matoso and sent them running back to the centre of the board. The Rune Priest was then charged by the newly arrived Callidus assassin and Squad Godirtho who just managed to finish him off.

Meanwhile, on the right I had managed to immobilise the rhino with the Blood Claws and Lord so they were slogging over the board toward Kurven. In the nick of time a Daemonhost materialised behind them and charged. The Space Wolves had to pull back to deal with him and that put them out of the game. The Exterminator on that side killed half of Inquisitor Kurven's retinue and all of the routing Squad Matoso but played little part in the scenario.

I had a bit of a scare late on when the Predator managed to tank shock Squad Godirtho who routed 7" away, but they rallied immediately and sneaked off the board with Inquisitor Severus.

Another win for the Daemonhunters.

Result: Win

Learning points

• Good to play a different scenario on a full-size board. Hopefully this will happen more frequently in the future when the Battle Bunker opens.
• My opponent was returning to 40k after a 9 month lay-off and was a bit 'rules rusty.' This led to a few rules disagreements and we had to call the staff in a couple of times to arbitrate. I'd far rather settle disputes myself and can usually sort them quickly and without fuss, but these were for daft things; if you roll double 1 on your difficult terrain test can you assault 2" into the terrain or do you get an immediate and extra 'free' shot after a sweeping advance(!).
• This was a tough scenario for me because the assassin and Daemonhosts couldn't fulfill the victory conditions so it only left four viable squads, and therefore two would have to leave the board. Two of those four were on foot and I had to advance straight at the Space Wolves. When my lead rhino got destroyed in the first shot of the game I was facing an uphill struggle but the arrival of the Callidus and Daemonhosts was crucial.
• I forgot to use the assassin's 'word in your ear' rule yet again.

WARRIORS OF CHAOS versus Dark Elves

Game: Warhammer Fantasy Battle 7th edition
Opponent: Gary
Scenario: Pitched Battle
1st turn: Warriors of Chaos
Points: 2000
Background: With the new Warriors of Chaos army book recently released I was trying my hand at lots of different lists. In my last game I went Nurgle and this time I felt the pull of Khorne. Out went my two Sorcerers and in came two fighty characters with Khornate wargear. How would I fare without any form of magical defence?

Probably not well since the Dark Elves brought a level four Sorceress and three level two Sorceresses! Gary had to drop his assassin to do this and he didn't have the rock hard fighty Lord either so I just had to make it across the table into combat to guarantee victory.

Warriors of Chaos

• Sigurt Volsung, Lord on Daemonic Mount, Mark of Khorne, Axe of Khorne, Collar of Khorne, Enchanted Shield, Diabolic Splendour
  
• Thaer, Exalted, Mark of Khorne, Additional Hand Weapon, Bloodskull Pendant, Blood Roar, Shield
• 12 Warriors, Shields, Mark of Khorne, Full command
  
• 12 Warriors, Shields, Mark of Khorne, Full command, Standard - Banner of Wrath
• 16 Marauders, Shields, Light Armour, Mark of Khorne, Full command
• 5 Knights, Mark of Khorne, Full command, Warbanner
• 5 Marauder Horse, Mark of Khorne, Musician, Flails
  
• 5 War hounds
• 5 War hounds
• Chariot, Mark of Khorne

Dark Elves

• Level 4 sorceress with sacrificial dagger
  
• Lvl 2 Sorceress
  
• Lvl 2 Sorceress
• Lvl 2 Sorceress
  
• 2 Repeater Bolt Throwers
  
• 10 Repeater Crossbows
• 16 Spearelves full command
• 5 Dark Riders
  
• 5 Dark Riders
  
• 19 Executioners full command Banner of Murder
• Hydra
• Chariot
• Chariot

Terrain and deployment

Gary had done us proud once again and set up the table before I arrived. There was a hill in the corner of one deployment zone and a wood in the corner of another. Some rocky columns broke up the centre of the battlefield.


The Dark Elves won the dice off and naturally chose the side with the hill. They bunkered around the hill and I heavily weighted this side of the table. My plan was to hit the hill with my Knights with the Warriors and Marauders following up on each side to prevent the Executioners and Spearelves getting a flank charge. The Marauder horse and Warhounds were on screening duty.

Despite starting to set up second the Warriors of Chaos finished their deployment first and got the +1. With a mighty roar the Khorne army marched to battle.

The game
The Warriors all marched forward at top speed. To my surprise the Dark Elf Dark Riders charged my Marauder block. When Gary tried to cast Word of Pain on them I understood; it would have taken my weapon skill down to one and he might have beaten me. In the event he didn't get the spell off and I slaughtered four of the cavalry. The survivor fled beyond the Spearelves.

Meanwhile the Hydra marched into the centre and flamed the Knights. Both Bolt Throwers unleashed a volley of shots at them too, but only one Knight fell. My Marauder horse weren't so lucky and four died.

Turn two and I was multiple charging already!

The Knights sped up the hill and despite having Word of Pain cast on them they butchered the Bolt Thrower crew (as you can see in the photo below we just left them at the bottom of the hill as we couldn't balance them where they should have been). My Marauder horse survivor charged the Sorceress in the Repeater Crossbows. He was peppered with shots and died before he got into combat. My Marauders on foot charged the Spearelves who fled past the lone Dark Rider.


Closer to the middle of the battlefield a unit of Warhounds charged the Executioners. I knew I'd lose but I was hoping to draw the Elves forward so my Warrior unit could get a charge - possibly even a flank charge. The Warhounds duly took four casualties and the survivor ran. The Executioners just failed to catch him.

My second Warhound unit scampered away from the Hydra in terror.

Things were very tense and tactical now so I forgot to take photo's for a couple of turns. Gary tried to destroy my left flank by charging a unit of Dark Riders into the flank of my Chariot and one of his own Chariots charged my Warriors. Neither combat worked well for the Dark Elves as the Dark Riders were all killed and the Chariot was wounded and fled. It wasn't all doom and gloom for the pointy-ears though, as the Chariot ended up zooming off into the woods. It fortunately didn't take any damage but it was so far from the action it played no further part in the game.

Two turns of concentrated shooting and magic killed my 10 man Warrior unit leaving my Lord out on his own. He charged the Hydra anyway, keen to attract the attention of the Gods if he killed the monster. Sigurt only hit twice then rolled a double one for damage. The Hydra caused a wound in return and Sigurt ran for the hills! The Hydra followed him up and charged him off the table.

Things were tense over by the hill. The Knights munched through the second Bolt Thrower and ended up on the far side of the hill. That last Dark Rider got in the face of my Marauders and due to the Mark of Khorne I had to charge. This left me awkwardly facing the right table edge.

My Knights doubled back to take on the Repeater Crossbows so they ended up charging my Marauders. In an unlikely combat the Dark Elves won comfortably and broke the Marauders. They pursued off the table leaving my Exalted with no-one to charge (he had left the Marauders to try and chase down a Sorceress). He eventually ended up attacking the Spearelves in a futile charge and got killed for his trouble. The Knights too were left hanging so they marched down to face off against the Hydra. Down to just two men by this stage they were easily defeated.

The game deciding action was now happening at the base of the hill. My Warriors got a flank charge into the Executioners and were also fighting the High Sorceress. Despite Word of Pain taking my weapon skill down to one I scored two wounds on her and killed some of her bodyguards. The Dark Elves didn't run.

My dice rolling in the next round of combat was appalling and I lost several men. By this time the Chariot had rallied and charged into my Warriors. The second chariot also thundered in (having fled a charge from my own Chariot in turn two it was only just seeing some action). My Warriors were cut down in short order and that meant I had lost the game.

Result: Loss

Learning points

• No magic defense versus a level four and three level twos is nasty! At times the Dark Elves were generating close to twenty power dice. The Collar of Khorne helped a little but I was easily overwhelmed. Word of Pain really sapped my close combat prowess and all those magic missiles took their toll. Even the luck was on Gary's side as he rolled several double sixes and only had one miscast (which allowed me to cast one of my own spells - and I had no Sorcerers). It's clear to me that to be competitive I will have to include some magic defense against the Dark Elves.
• I don't think I'll bother with the mark of Khorne in the future. It is really expensive and the downside is too great. Plus one attack is awesome, and in particular it made my Chariot formidable, but always having to charge allows the enemy too much control.
• We discovered a number of rules we'd been breaking before and during this game. The first was with Arcane items - you are only allowed to use one and Gary had used three on his High Sorceress in previous games. Gary had to have a re-jig of his gear just befoe the battle. We also found out that units under 25% couldn't rally. That's something I'll have to remember in regards to the Dark Riders in particular - how different would the game have been if my Marauders had got into combat with the Spearelves?

DAEMONHUNTERS versus Tyranids

Game: Warhammer 40,000 3rd edition
Opponent: ?
Mission: Ambush
1st turn: Daemonhunters
Points: 1000

Daemonhunters

• Inquisitor Lord Severus Master-crafted Daemonhammer, Bolt pistol, Holocaust, Icon of the Just, Consecrated Scrolls, 2xAcolytes, Power Armour, Bolt Pistols and Close Combat Weapons, 1xAcolyte with power weapon and las pistol, Combat Servitor, Rhino with Smoke Launchers
• Inquisitor Kurven, Psycannon, Power Armour, 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, Mystic, Close Combat Weapon, Laspistol
• Callidus Assassin
• 2 Daemonhosts
• Squad Matoso 10 Stormtroopers, 2xFlamers, Veteran Sergeant with Bolt Pistol, Power Weapon and Krak Grenades, Rhino, Smoke launchers and Extra Armour
• Squad Godirtho, 9 Storm troopers, 2 plasma guns

Tyranids

• Winged Hive Tyrant (2+ save) with Warp Blast
• Carnifex (2+ save) with Venom Cannon
• 2x3 Winged Warriors (4+ save) with Scything Talons and Rending Claws
• 3x6 Genestealers
• 10 Gargoyles

Background
This Tyranid army has a fearsome reputation at our store and I'd been wanting to square up to it for a while. The combination of wings on virtually everything plus our small 4x4 foot boards meant they had swept pretty much every army before them. Still, it is a relatively small, elite army and I felt they were tough, but not unbeatable.

Terrain and deployment
We used the mission generator from Chapter Approved and came up with an ambush. I won the dice off and chose to be the attacker. Due to the small table we had to modify the distances and this meant the Tyranids were only 30" from their target board edge rather than the recommended 36". Gulp. I quickly worked out that two movement phases and an assault followed by a sweeping advance would put all of the winged gribblies off the board edge and win the game for the 'Nids.

To counter this I set my two rhino mounted squads on the flanks, one to each side. I knew from the last ambush mission I played that I would be within assault range on turn 1 with both these units and I wanted to assault the Tyranids at the rear of their column, forcing them to pull troops backwards to deal with them. Inquisitor Kurven set up facing the advancing 'Nids. Squad Godirtho screened them, and they in turn, were behind a wall. I placed markers for the Daemonhosts an the Assassin fairly centrally and they didn't deploy them, aiming to get some booby traps or a minefield. I got two and went for the booby traps to threaten the Tyranid big guys.

The game
I went first as the ambusher and surprised everyone watching, including the 'Nid commander, by steaming right in with my rhino-borne units. Squad Matoso flamed the gargoyles and then riddled the survivors with hellgun fire. Scratch one Tyranid squad.

The storm troopers then assaulted a Genestealer unit! Onlookers were shaking their heads in disbelief at this stage, but I had a plan.

Inquisitor Severus assaulted a squad of Warriors. In a flurry of good rolls the 'Nids killed his entire retinue, but Severus got his own licks in and killed two of them with his master-crafted Daemonhammer. Then I whipped out the Holocaust template (twice because of the consecrated scrolls) and fried three Genestealers, the remaining warrior and a warrior from the second squad. Now the ten storm troopers of squad Matoso were only taking on 3 'stealers and although I lost 3 stormtroopers I wiped out the beasts. Both squads then swept into the last warrior unit. Meanwhile, at the front of the column I poured all my fire into the Carnifex and took it down to 1 wound. I passed the tape measure over to my shell-shocked opponent for his first turn.

He pulled his Carnifex to my right, getting behind the cover of a ruined building. It's venom cannon took out a straggling storm trooper on the end of squad Godirtho but it would be shielded from most return fire. His two remaining squads of Genestealers ran forward toward his target board edge. The Hive Tyrant ran backwards to deal with Severus and the storm troopers.
Between the Warriors and the Hive Tyrant, four storm troopers and Severus went down, at the cost of a single warrior. The plucky survivors of squad Matoso vowed to carry on fighting and held the warriors in place while the Tyrant swept back towards the front of the column.

Both the Daemonhosts and the Callidus assassin failed to arrive from deep strike so my turn was short. Kurven and squad Godirtho turned their attentions (and guns) on the advancing 'Stealers. The lead squad evaporated under heavy fire from Kurven and retinue (the plasma cannon accounted for 4 'Stealers itself), and then the storm troopers killed 3 more Genestealers from the squad behind. Squad Matoso were finally killed by the Warriors and they swept far to my left, no doubt looking to advance down the flank, well away from Inquisitor Kurven and my small firebase.

The Tyranids needed a big turn to pull themselves back into the game. The Carnifex and remaining 'Stealers advanced upon Kurven and co, as did the Hive Tyrant. The Warriors began to move up my left flank, well away from the action. Using Warp Blast, followed by an assault, the Hive Tyrant killed squad Godirtho to a man. I wasn't to concerned though, as it left the monstrous creature in rapid fire range of Inquisitor Kurven's retinue.

The Daemonhosts and assassin now arrived and it was the final nail in the coffin for the 'Nids. One Daemonhost appeared near the Warrior unit on the flank and the second landed near 3 'Stealers and the Carnifex. The Callidus Assassin sprang up at the end of the line of 3 Genestealers ready to use her neural shredder. Conveniently the Carnifex was also in the template's path and although I failed to hurt any of the 'Stealers I rolled a six for the 'Fex and removed it's last wound. Hurrah!

One monster down, one to go. The Hive Tyrant was riddled with fire by Kurven's retinue, being hit with the plasma cannon and two rapid firing plasma guns. Every single plasma weapon hit and wounded and the Tyrant failed every single cover save. The beast toppled over and my opponent conceded.

Result: Win

Learning points

• What a brutal game! I surprised everyone, including my opponent, by steaming straight into the Tyranids. Although everyone who did so was killed in short order, they managed to kill 10 gargoyles, 6 Genestealers and 4 Warriors and forced the Hive Tyrant to run backwards to deal with the threat. With such a small, elite Tyranid force he just couldn't recover.
• I didn't build my army to take on this opponent but it was ideally equipped to do so. I had the two flamers in a rhino which murdered the larger squad, and then 14 hell guns to take on regular units. With 5 plasma weapons, and the assassin's Neural Shredder and C'tan Phase Sword, I also had plenty of ap 2/1 weapons to threaten the Tyrant and Carnifex. Being able to assault on turn 1 and then the 'Nids having to advance into the teeth of my guns suited me perfectly.
• Looks like I picked the right week to revert to a pure Daemonhunters army, with no inducted Guard!
  

DAEMONHUNTERS versus Imperial Guard (Blood Pact)

Game: Warhammer 40,000 3rd edition
Opponent: Jamie
Mission: Recon
1st turn: Imperial Guard
Points: 1000

Daemonhunters

• Inquisitor Lord Kurven, Psycannon, Emperors Tarot, 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, Mystic, Close Combat Weapon, Laspistol
• Eversor Assassin
• Daemonhost
• Squad Godirtho, 6 Storm troopers, 2 x meltaguns
• Squad Matoso, 6 Storm troopers, 2 plasma guns
• Armoured Fist Squad (inducted Imperial Guard) Sergeant, Close Combat Weapon, Laspistol, Flamer, Chimera, Multilaser, Heavy Bolter, Smoke Launchers, hunter killer missile, heavy stubber, track guards
• Infantry Platoon (inducted Imperial Guard) Command squad, junior officer with power sword and plasma pistol, medic, vox caster, 2 plasma guns, Infantry squad missile launcher, grenade launcher, vox caster, Infantry squad missile launcher, grenade launcher, vox caster
  

Imperial Guard

• 2 stalk tanks (sentinels with autocannon)
• Leman Russ
• Infantry platoon with autocannon and grenade launchers
• Armoured fist squad
• Mortar squad
• Stormtroopers with two plasma guns
• Command section

Background
My second game against Jamie. My first was against his Crimson Fists but this time I was facing his Imperial Guard, heavily converted to resemble the Blood Pact from the Gaunts Ghosts books. He has a number of stunning conversions in the army including stalk tanks built from beefed up predator turrets with defiler legs and under slung autocannon.

Other vehicles are his stripped down Leman Russ with all of the track mechanisms exposed, and his chimera which has loyalist guardsmen nailed to the hull to simulate extra armour! His command section is festooned with all kinds of banners and decoration, and all of his guardsmen use the helmet with mouthpiece from the Cadian sprue. All in all a very sweet army, but me being Daemonhunters it was my duty to blow them into oblivion.

Terrain and deployment
Surprise, surprise we were on the Cityfight table and I ended up with the deployment zone littered with buildings. Partly due to time constraints, partly to keep clear lines of sight and partly due to inexperience with ordnance I set up my firebase centrally, models close to each other. Worried about the Leman Russ I placed squad Godirtho on my right (with their meltaguns) accompanied by the Eversor assassin (and his melta-bombs).

The game
Despite the Emperor's Tarot (that forced us to re-roll for first turn twice) Jamie got to go first. He stunned the chimera, preventing it from moving or firing in my turn and his ordnance and mortars blew great holes in my guardsmen in the centre. In return I decimated his stormtroopers with Inquisitor Kurven and retinue, and took out a stalk tank.

His second turn saw my Chimera stunned again, and more guardsmen going down to Mike's blast weapons. My deployment in the centre was looking decidedly poor. With little left to hit back with I wiped out the stormtroopers and knocked the autocannon off the last stalk tank.

Jamie's Russ now lined up part of Inquisitor Kurven's retinue and killed the sages and mystic. The Mortars took out more guardsmen and his advancing chimera added to the carnage. His weaponless stalk tank rushed forward and impacted my chimera in the side, rolled two sixes to penetrate the armour then a further six to blow the vehicle sky-high. The resultant wave of fire further thinned my guard and storm trooper squads in the centre.

Now my Daemonhost appeared, right in the centre of the Blood Pact guardsmen. Unfortunately I rolled an unusable power so he would have to survive the turn before he could act. Squad Godirtho broke cover to get the Leman Russ in their sights and would be able to get shots in against it's side armour next turn, and with a bit of luck my assassin could get a charge in if necessary.

This turn marked my nadir in the game. The Daemonhost went down to a couple of autocannon shots and lasgun fire from the armoured fist squad (oh, the shame). The Leman Russ swivelled and killed every stormtrooper with a direct hit. Even the mortars hit Inquisitor Kurven's squad and took them below half strength. And to add insult to injury I took out the stalk tank with plasma gun fire, it exploded in a fireball with a 5" radius and took out more of my Guardsmen.

Things looked up when the Eversor assassin contacted the Russ and blew it to smithereens with a melta-bomb. Next turn he could target the mortars and then maybe sweep to the left and get into some Pact guardsmen. Kurven and co killed the entire Blood Pact Command section in just one turn of shooting.

In the centre the remnants of squad Matoso, survivors of the armoured fist squad and the two men left in my command squad, all sprinted forward toward the Blood Pact deployment zone. I was hoping to catch Jamie off-guard here and pull out an unlikely win. He had brought his chimera back to deal with the Daemonhost and his two infantry squads were still in his deployment zone on my left. If the Eversor could cause some carnage, I could get some survivors of my squads into the enemy deployment zone for bonus victory points, and if Kurven could take out the chimera to deny points to Jamie, I might have a chance yet.

The Eversor did his thing, wiping out the mortars but Jamie had pulled his infantry away and I rolled poorly for the sweeping advance. Game over for the Eversor. My three squads in the centre all made it over the board into the deployment zone and gained 300 points between them. Mainly this was because the Blood Pact were moving and not shooting. His chimera hit my deployment zone and dropped off the fist squad, and despite Kurven's best efforts they were still there at the end of the game. That gave the Pact 400 points and the win.

Result: Loss

Learning points

• Never take a single vehicle in an army. My chimera was targeted by every heavy weapon on the board and subsequently achieved nothing in the game. Either have multiple vehicles or none at all.
• I was caught off-guard by the ordnance again. To be fair it was partly due to time (it was far easier to set up in the small patch of open ground than to begin perching models in amongst the buildings), but Jamie had also set up the Russ in a ruined building so I thought his lines of sight would be more restricted than they were.
• The Leman Russ in itself was always going to be a problem for my army. I just don't have the long range punch to take out tough targets. Armour 14 from the front was just too much for my Daemonhunters.
• We agreed on a re-match when my Imperial Guard are finished. I'll get you then Blood Pact!

DAEMONHUNTERS versus Lost and the Damned

Game: Warhammer 40,000 3rd edition
Opponent: Wayne
Mission: Cleanse
1st turn: Daemonhunters
Points: 1000

Daemonhunters

• Inquisitor Lord Kurven, Psycannon, Emperors Tarot, 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
• Death Cult Assassin
• Squad Godirtho, 5 Storm troopers, Veteran Sergeant with Plasma pistol, 2 x meltaguns, rhino with smoke, extra armour, hunter killer missile
• Squad Matoso, 5 Storm troopers, 2 plasma guns
• Armoured Fist Squad (inducted Imperial Guard) Sergeant, Close Combat Weapon, Laspistol, Flamer, Chimera, Multilaser, Heavy Bolter, Smoke Launchers, hunter killer missile, heavy stubber
• Infantry Platoon (inducted Imperial Guard) Command squad, junior officer with power sword and plasma pistol, medic, vox caster, 2 plasma guns, Infantry squad missile launcher, grenade launcher, vox caster, Infantry squad missile launcher, grenade launcher, vox caster
• Lance strike
  

Lost and the Damned

• Basilisk
• 15 man Traitor squad with sergeant with powerfist
• 2 large mutant squads
• 5 spawn
• 5 raptors with 3 flamers
• 2 units of Slaanesh daemons
• Lieutenant with dark blade and mutation

Terrain and deployment
Yet another game on the Cityfight table.

Nooooo!

Wayne won the choice of board edge and I had a large, deep building to contend with in my deployment zone. I set my Inquisitor up on top of the building in a commanding position with the Guard squads amassed below. They were set up a bit further forward than I would have liked but it meant I had clear lines of sight everywhere. My chimera anchored my right while the stormtroopers in the rhino took the extreme right flank. The assassin was placed centrally in a good counter-charge position and the Imperial Guard command squad and the storm troopers with plasma guns were behind the front rank of infantry, hoping to get a chance to rapid fire.

The game
The game began superbly for me. The first shot of the game was the hunter-killer missile on the rhino taking out the hull down basilisk in a long range effort. Result!

I followed this up by wiping out the entire 5 man spawn squad in just two turns of concentrated fire. I know how tough these guys are in combat and made sure I killed them all. Wayne was looking despondent at this stage as he had caused virtually no damage to my army, for the loss of his two heavy support choices.

He got back in the game, though, with a daemonette squad who just scraped into combat with a Guard unit and wiped them out. They swept into the command squad who then rapid fired their plasma guns. When the smoke cleared there wasn't a daemonette left. The mutant squads were now in assault range and impacted my front line, causing a massive rolling melee involving 50 or more men.

Up until this point I had been shadowing Wayne's Raptors with squad Godirtho but they shot forward, flamed a few Guardsmen, assaulted the survivors and then hit and run away from my rhino. My whole firebase began to collapse now as the guardsmen were killed or routed and Inquisitor Kurven had to pitch in, trying in vain to take down the Chaos lieutenant.

The assassin leapt out of the shadows to kill a couple of Raptors and a flamer shot from the dismounted armoured fist squad killed the crucial third to take them down below half strength.

Then the 2nd unit of daemonettes showed up and got stuck in.

My chimera was destroyed by a powerfist in a mutant squad I hadn't spotted - even so Wayne needed to roll sixes on 4 attack dice to just glance the front armour, and he got four! To add insult to injury he rolled two sixes on the glancing chart to blow it up, but it did manage to reduce the traitor guardsmen to less than 50% before it went.

Looking at the board in turn 6 I had three squads capable of taking a quarter: Kurven who was in combat with the lieutenant, and squad Godirtho and their rhino. Wayne only had two units remaining: a large unit of mutants led by the lieutenant and one unit of daemonettes. I knew Kurven was going to die in combat so it was up to squad Godirtho. I could either run the squad one way and the rhino another, claim two quarters and settle for a draw, or I could zoom forward, kill the daemonettes through shooting and a charge, and then sweep the stormtroopers into another quarter to try and win.

In the spirit of past games against Wayne I took the latter. I needed to kill two daemonettes to take them under half strength. Squad Godirtho shot a plasma pistol, two meltaguns and two hell guns at them and I only killed one model. They passed their instability test so I assaulted them, lost one model and then hit them with 11 attacks. They all failed, the squad was wiped out in the last assault phase of the game and Wayne won two quarters to my one.

Result: Loss

Learning points

• Another cracking game against Wayne! It had everything - awesome shooting, huge close combats, HQ vs HQ slugging it out, and a decisive last turn. It genuinely could have gone either way.
• I really enjoyed my shooting phases in this game. I had forgotten what is was like to be in charge of a really 'hard' army that your opponent fears. After my second turn it looked all over for Wayne. I can't wait until I have an all Imperial Guard army painted up.
• Emperors Tarot worked a treat allowing me to off the basilisk on turn one. I think this little piece of wargear will turn up even in my regular Imperial Guard army.

DAEMONHUNTERS versus Orks

Game: Warhammer 40,000 3rd edition
Opponent: Gary
Mission: Recon
1st turn: Daemonhunters
Points: 1000

Daemonhunters

• Inquisitor Lord Kurven, Psycannon, Power Armour, Emperor's Tarot, Gun Servitor, Plasma Cannon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Targeter, 2x Imperial Guard Veteran, Plasma Gun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Targeter, 2x Sage, Close Combat Weapon, Laspistol
• 2 Daemonhosts
• Callidus Assassin
• Squad Matoso, 9 Stormtroopers, Veteran with Bolt Pistol and Power Weapon, 2 Flamers, Rhino, Smoke launchers, Hunter Killer Missile
• Squad Godirtho, 5 Stormtroopers, Veteran with Plasma pistol, 2 Flamers, Rhino with Smoke
• Armoured Fist Squad (inducted Imperial Guard) Sergeant, Close Combat Weapon, Laspistol, Flamer, Chimera, Multilaser, Heavy Bolter, Smoke Launchers, hunter killer missile, heavy stubber

Orks

• Warboss in mega-armour with 5 Nobz in wartrukk
• 3 Killer kanz
• 5 warbikes
• Small unit of shoota boyz with 3 big shootas
• 2 small squads of tankbustas each with 3 rokkits
• 16 slugga boyz with 3 rokkits

Background
This was to be the last game I played before Christmas, and maybe until well into January, so I wanted to sign off with a win. Unfortunately the only other 40k player there was Gary, my long time nemesis.

After talking to some other players over the 'net I was advised to try a Callidus assassin, as she is supposedly the most powerful of the assassins, so I dropped the death cult assassins and slotted her in the list. In order to make the most of her deep strike rules I also chose two Daemonhosts who would hopefully arrive at the same time.

Terrain and deployment
The game was played instore on a 4'x4' table (thankfully not the Cityfight board) and we set up a sort of large ruined temple in the centre of the board - very appropriate for Daemonhunters.

With three troop choices in vehicles my plan was to slam into one portion of the Ork army with my entire force, arriving by deep strike or vehicle, and destroy it utterly before moving on to the next portion.

With this plan in mind I put my two rhinos on my left flank ready for a quick charge and formed a small firebase in the centre with the Inquisitor screened by the dismounted guardsmen supported by the chimera. The Orks were spread out with the Killer Kanz facing off against the rhinos, the slugga boyz and Warboss in the centre and the warbikes and shoota boyz opposite my firebase.

The game
With the help of the Emperors Tarot I won the first turn. I shot both hunter killer missiles at the kanz and only managed to blow a claw off one. It was then I realised I had forgotten the assassin's word in your ear rule because the kanz were just out of sight of my firebase and I could have moved them into sight if only I'd remembered. D'oh!

Still, the chimera could see them and it shot it's Multilaser and heavy bolter at them too, but caused no damage. The only target I had was the bikes so I took two out with the plasma cannon and the Inquisitor's psycannon. The Orks pressed forward on all fronts - their shooting managing to kill five guardsmen and force them to rout. Fortunately for me they only ran three inches and I could try to rally them next turn. More worrying was a lucky Rokkit shot taking out the chimera. Suddenly my firebase was looking a bit thin.

My second turn began with the Daemonhosts arriving but not the assassin. I was in quite a quandry here as my left flank assault was up against the largely unharmed Kanz backed up by 16 slugga boyz and covered by no less than 9 rokkits. That was one whole heap of instant death. Additionally the Warboss had gunned his wartrukk 24 inches and was now threatening to charge my firebase next turn.

So I brought the Daemonhosts down on the right, next to the shoota boyz and the Warbosses' wartrukk. My Inquisitor took out the remaining bikes who were now in plasma gun range and one Daemonhost assaulted the wartrukk (having rolled teleport). Unfortunately for me I failed to roll a single 6 on seven attack dice. On my left I moved the rhinos forward, ready to assault the following turn.

The Orks moved forward again and the Warboss leapt from his trukk right in front of Inquisitor Kurven. Most of the action was on this right flank as the Daemonhosts were raked with fire and one was reduced to a single wound. In all the commotion Gary forgot to assault with his Warboss which left him sitting in rapid fire range of my plasma guns...

With the Ork leader and retinue now hideously exposed I just needed the Callidus to appear next to him. I rolled a 1 for her reserve roll. Two one's in a row. Well, I was just going to have to do it without her.

When the smoke cleared three of the Warbosses' Nobz had been slaughtered but Gary passed his leadership test on a 10. Close but no cigar.

Both Daemonhosts charged Ork units, one into the shoota boyz and another into a Tankbusta squad. The already wounded Daemonhost fell to the shoota boyz and the other got stuck in a protracted combat with the tankbustas. I rolled some appalling dice and just couldn't make a save.

On the left I decided the Kanz had to go and squad Godirtho got the task. They only took one out and they were now in assault range of virtually the whole Ork army. In the return fire my five stormtroopers were wiped out to a man and the rhino was obliterated. Similarly Inquisitor Kurven was snipped in two by the Ork Warboss and the rest of his retinue were killed.

So now my firebase was completely decimated and I only had one squad left as well as the yet to appear assassin. I rolled another one for her reserve roll. Three in a row. Squad Matoso zoomed up the extreme left flank and shot their flamers out of the hatch at the Kanz in a drive-by style. They both failed to damage the clunking machines. Although the rhino was now vulnerable because it counted as open topped it somehow managed to survive all of the Rokkit shots and even a charge by the Killer Kanz. Now I was near the Ork deployment zone and a possible 200 extra victory points; maybe I could pull off an unlikely victory.

If I could just get the assassin into the fight. I rolled another one. Four in a row. By this time passers by were shaking their heads in sympathy. Gary of course could barely stop laughing. I drove the rhino into the Ork deployment zone and shot at the Kanz once more but failed to hurt them again. What do they make these things from?

Squad Matoso weren't so lucky this time as a Rokkit blew the rhino out from under them and they were charged by the Kanz. Over the next three combat phases they passed every morale check I wanted them to fail. Aaaaarggghhhh! Meanwhile my Daemonhost had finally seen off the mighty 5 man tankbusta squad and was promptly instantly killed by a stray Rokkit shot. Ho hum.

On a brighter note the Callidus finally turned up on turn six. With the Warboss safely tucked away in his trukk I had nothing really to go for except the large slugga boyz squad. With some trepidation she took them on and between the shooting phase and two assault phases she killed ten of the buggers!

It was too little too late though as the Orks had clearly taken the field.

Result: Loss

Learning points

• This is typical of my luck - bringing along a new unit then rolling horribly for it. The same happened in my last game using Grey knights. But four ones in a row for the Callidus is just infuriating. I have decided to cut right back on deep striking units in the future; it is just too unpredictable.
• Those Kanz did for me again. Every time I play against them I just can't seem to take them down. Mostly this is due to the lack of long range hitting power in the radical list but partly it is due to bad luck. After all I threw three Multilaser shots, three heavy bolter shots, two hunter killer missiles, two melta gun shots, a plasma pistol shot and four flamer templates into them and only destroyed one. In contrast my chimera went down to a Rokkit shot on turn one. Just wait until I get my inducted guard painted up!
• The Emperors Tarot worked a treat to win me the first turn in this game. It could become very powerful in a shooty army and coincidentally I am currently painting up an Imperial Guard force. I think an allied Inquisitor with the Tarot could be very useful to them.

WARRIORS OF CHAOS versus Dark Elves

Game: Warhammer Fantasy Battle 7th edition
Opponent: Gary
Scenario: Pitched Battle
1st turn: Warriors of Chaos
Points: 2000
Background: I decided to completely shake up my army ahead of this game. I really didn't care about winning or losing so I felt freer about changing things that on paper shouldn't work. I had a dim idea of picking the mark of each power on all my units over the next four games. I started with the Mark of Nurgle.

I had also had a long term idea of combining my two Warrior units into one super-unit. It weighed in at over 400 points on it's own. I wasn't convinced it would work but it sure looked cool.

Gary had also shaken up his Dark Elves and had included a fighty Lord rather than a level 4 Sorceress. The pointy eared git had a 1+ save, 2+ equivalent ward save then a 4+ regenerate save. Ooof!

The photos aren't great in this report because I forgot my camera and had to use my mobile phone.

Warriors of Chaos

• Sigurt Volsung, Lord on Daemonic Mount, Mark of Nurgle, the Father of Blades, Armour of Damnation, Enchanted Shield
  
• Thaer, Exalted, Mark of Nurgle, Additional Hand Weapon, Bronze Armour of Zhrakk, Shield
• Angur, Lvl 2 Sorcerer, Mark of Nurgle, Level 2, Power Familiar, Dispel Scroll (Magnificent Buboes and Rot, Glorious Rot spells)
  
• Boda, Lvl 2 Sorcerer, Mark of Nurgle, Level 2, Infernal Puppet (Magnificent Buboes and Fleshy Abundance spells)
  
• 20 Warriors, Shields, Mark of Nurgle, Musician, Standard - Banner of Wrath
  
• 16 Marauders, Shields, Light Armour, Mark of Nurgle, Musician, Standard
  
• 5 Knights full command, Warbanner
• 5 Marauder Horse, musician, flails
  
• 5 War hounds
• 5 War hounds
• Chariot

Dark Elves

• Fighty Lord, 1+ save, 2+ equivalent ward save then a 4+ regenerate save, Strength 6 sword
  
• Lvl 2 Sorceress
  
• Lvl 2 Sorceress
• Lvl 2 Sorceress
• Assassin
  
• 2 Repeater Bolt Throwers
  
• 16 Spearelves full command
• 5 Dark Riders
  
• 5 Dark Riders
  
• 19 Executioners full command Banner of Murder
• Hydra
• Chariot
• Chariot

Terrain and Deployment
Gary had sorted out the board again before I had arrived and this time it had three small hills in the middle section of the board and a few rocky columns. I abandoned my usual envelopment of one flank strategy and set up across my deployment zone. Still, I was stronger on my right where my Marauder Horse, Knights and big Warrior block (with my Lord and a Sorcerer) were facing off against the Dark Elf Bolt Throwers, a Dark Rider unit, a Sorceress, the Executioners and Lord. Gary's chariots were nearby too, while my Warhounds were in support. My Marauders lined up against the Spearelves. Both units included a Sorcerer and I also had my Exalted on this flank.

This looked like it would be a very different game to those we had played previously.

My plan was to overwhelm the right flank where I was projecting a lot of force over a very small area. I felt the Bolt Throwers were in a vulnerable position and could be swamped easily if I won first turn (I had the +1 bonus). I wanted to keep my Lord in the Warrior unit until turn three at least so that I could use my combat resolution to protect me from unfavourable challenges. In previous games I had charged him out too early and he was vulnerable. And finally, I wanted to snipe the Sorceresses and unit champions with Magnificent Buboes to reduce the Dark Elf magic.

The game
After a tense few roll-offs my Warriors would go first. Everything marched forward. I tried to angle my Marauder horse so that the Dark Riders would have to hit my Knights if they overran. I also angled my Warhounds in the centre to tempt the Hydra and Executioners into a charge. Their overruns, if they charged, would take them into my warrior block or into a position where I could get a flank charge.

In my magic phase Magnificent Buboes took a wound from the Sorceress in the Spearelves.

The Dark Elves moved forward in turn. One Dark Rider unit got in the face of my Knights while the other zoomed up the left flank to threaten my Marauders. Magic and shooting killed some Warhounds and a Knight.



The Hydra caused my central Warhound unit to run away. My Chariot and Warrior block shuffled up, turning slightly to face the Hydra. On the right my Marauder Horse charged the nearest Bolt Thrower. The crew fled and the machine was destroyed. In my following turns the Marauders went on to destroy the next Bolt Thrower and then hit the rallied crew from the first. After killing them they pursued off the table and only reappeared towards the end of the game.

Meanwhile my Knights charged the Dark Riders. They had to stay or they would have been destroyed by my Marauder Horse behind them. They lost four men and the survivor ran. He later returned to harass my Knights who were trying to reposition to help out my Warriors.

On the left my Exalted left the Marauders to protect their flank from the Dark Riders. The Warhounds to their right got in the face of one of the Dark Elf chariots. I hoped that although they would die they would keep the chariot away from the Marauders for a couple of turns.

My magic phase went from the sublime to the ridiculous. I killed the Sorceress in the Spearelves with another Magnificent Buboes but then miscast. The Dark Elves got to cast a spell of their own and blasted my Warrior block with the large template. In a blizzard of fives and sixes ten of my men died to failed toughness tests. Even my Sorcerer and Lord were wounded!

Close combat was joined across the battlefield. The Dark Riders moved in against my Exalted, the Spearelves charged my Marauders, one chariot charged my Warhounds and the other crashed into my Warriors. The Dark Elf Lord also charged out of the Executioners and into my Warriors.


The combats on the left went in my favour. The Exalted killed all of the Dark Elf light cavalry over two turns and then trudged off back toward the Marauders. The Marauders themselves survived the first wave onslaught of the Spearelves then won the second round. The Spearelves fled and were chased down by the Marauders.

Close by, the Chariot blitzed through my Warhounds, despite getting a one for impact hits, and turned to face down the Marauders in the final turns.

The Hydra was locked in a one on one struggle with my Chariot. It chased the Chariot right up to my table edge and then eventually destroyed it. It pursued off the table and then returned too late to contribute to the rest of the game.

My Warhounds rallied and then charged the lone Sorceress on the right. She had used her magic to buff herself up to four wounds. Although the doggies took two from her, she killed them all in an impressive combat display. She ran around the back of my engaged Warriors which allowed her to contribute some magic to the left flank in later turns.

The crucial action was taking place on the right, though. The Dark Elf Lord challenged Sigurt and took off a wound, taking none in return. The Chariot rolled a one for impact hits and only killed a single Warrior. It suffered a wound and that meant the Elves had lost the combat by a significant amount. The Lord and Chariot both ran. My Warriors pursued into the Executioners.

The Dark Elf Sorceress miscast and now I got a chance to automatically cast a spell. Rot, Glorious Rot was in range of several units but I rolled appallingly. Both the Chariot and Hydra were unharmed as I rolled a one for my strength, the Lord and Sorceress shrugged off their wounds and only the last Dark Rider succumbed. Rats.


Now the Assassin revealed himself and took on the heavily wounded Sigurt. The Armour of Damnation and Father of Blades combined to ensure that the Assassin killed himself! Sigurt miraculously survived and then gained +1 Toughness on the Eye of the Gods table (my first roll in three games).

To make matters worse for the Dark Elves the Executioners were now charged by my two remaining Knights (Dark Elf magic had killed two more). Sigurt butchered the champion quite handily while the Knights did for the Sorceress. The Executioners lost the combat and were run down. That also meant my Knights played little part in the game as they trampled the Dark Elves into the dirt.

By now the Dark Elf Lord had rallied and he charged back into single combat with Sigurt. Over three turns he killed the Lord and Sorcerer Angur but he kept losing the overall combat due to my ranks, outnumbering and standard. He didn't run, though, and his armour meant I couldn't hurt him. By the end of the game he was starting to chew through the Warriors but the combat was still ongoing.

Things looked very tight now, and the left flank could well decide the outcome of the entire game.

One of the Dark Elf Chariots had fled from my Warriors which allowed it to be charged by my Flail carrying Marauder Horse. They destroyed the Chariot and then ran over onto the left flank. It was a bad move by me and I got my units in a tangle. The lone Sorceress killed them all in two turns of crackling magic phases. It also allowed the last Chariot to get a charge on my Marauders. Again Gary rolled a one on the impact hits and little damage was caused. Combat continued as my Exalted tried to charge in but he failed his fear test. It didn't matter though as my Marauders won the combat again and this time the chariot fled.

The game was over and we had to tot up victory points to determine the result. Gary had killed almost 1200 points of my army and had captured a table quarter with his Hydra. He had also killed my General.

I had captured one quarter with my Marauders and had crucially taken two standards. My army had killed over 1400 points of Dark Elves.

Result: Win. 1713 Victory Points to 1380. Marginal Victory.

Learning points

• That was a quite enjoyable game. There was lots of combat which could have gone either way and a lot of tense magic and manoeuvring. Even the luck was evenly distributed. I am pleased with how I set up the units on my right but by contrast I cocked up my movement on the left. I think Gary got as many things wrong as he got right too.
  
• I need to find a way to hurt that Dark Elf Lord if Gary continues to use him. Perhaps there is a combination of magic items my characters can use in their challenges?
• I wasn't blown away by the mark of Nurgle but it didn't seem a total points sink either. The magic was handy, especially Magnificent Buboes. Which mark to use next?