hyv3mynd at DaBoyz GT 2012 - Game #2

My second opponent of DaBoyz GT 2012 was Bill with with his pre-heresy emperor's children (counts-as space marines) with Blood Angel allies.  The GT format had 3 mission objectives each worth 10 battle points with a 3 point bonus each game for first blood.  Mission #2 was Vanguard Strike deployment.  Mission objectives were d3+2 objectives (fast attack units score), victory points (straight 5th ed style), and slay the warlord.


Bill's list:
Marneus Calgar
The Sanguinor
Tac Squad x10 + missile, flamer
Tac Squad x10 + missile, flamer
Tac Squad x10 + flamer x2, drop pod
Assault Squad 10 + melta x2, infernus pistol, drop pod
Stormraven + multi-melta, assault cannon, hurricane sponsons
Whirlwind
Aegis Defense Line + quad gun

My list can be found here.

We rolled up 3 objectives.  Per the GT packet, the odd one always goes in the center of the table.  I win the roll and opt to go first.

 The only things that really scare me are the whirlwind and stormraven with hurricane sponsons.  I've never faced Calgar before but I figure he's just a dude with power fists.  The Sanguinor can be annoying but my assault units put out a ton of attacks so I'm not sweating him too much either.  I deploy spread out with my walkers on the right flank to see around the giant hill in the middle of the table.  Beasts are scoring this mission so I make them fearless with Maugan and put Malys with them also.  The grotesques are a throwaway unit for me this game so I put the Baron with them for stealth and hit-and-run.  The wyches, warriors, and flyer are reserved.

Bill deploys his ADL across from mine.  Behind it are both tac squads on foot with Calgar attached to one, the whirlwind, and hi objective.  I don't redeploy much, I scout the walkers a bit, and infiltrate the snipers up to my icarus.  Bill doesn't seize.

I advance the grotesques mostly behind the hill.  The beasts advance a little, but hold back for now as I may want them as a scoring unit.  Shooting kills about 3 marines from the right unit and I stip a hull point from the whirlwind.

Bill tries to thread the needle by landing in the center of my beast bubble wrap, but the pod scatters out and dumps out the assault squad with 3 melta shots.

The tac squads shuffle a little.  The whirlwind and quad gun kill a few beasts.  I take a wound on a grotesque.  The podded squad explodes a single walker.

My reserves arrive at the top of 2.  I bring the warriors on to gun down the podded squad for first blood.

 The razorwing flies on behind a tall hill for some cover.  The venom comes on just behind Maugan.  Grotesques advance with the Baron remaining on the icarus in case the stormraven arrives.  The jetfighter targets the whirlwind but causes no damage to it.  A marine or two die from missile blasts.  The scouts on the fire the icarus and rifles on the whirlwind but can't defeat its cover.  In my backfield, warriors and war walkers shoot down the podded squad.

 My jetfighter loses a hull point but survives the interceptor shot.  Grotesques run.

The second pod squad arrives with flamers blazing.  The stormraven stays out.  I lose several beasts to pistol and flamer fire.  Grotesques take some small arms fire but cover and FnP mitigates most of it.

Grotesques make the final push.

Beasts move up to take the hill and central objective.  The razorwing pulls across the table to target the second podded squad.

Backfield warriors advance to fire.  Between the jetfighter, walkers, and warriors, the second podded squad is wiped out.  The blaster warrior explodes the purple pod with a lucky shot.  The grotesques make their assault but the beasts fail theirs.  The grotesques kill a couple marines and win combat.

Calgar breaks off from his squad and heads for the brawl.  It's the bottom of turn 3 and the stormraven arrives with the Sanguinor on board.  It shoots down my flyer with ease.  Calgar assaults my grotesques.  Luckily, I slay 5 more marines and win combat.  The lone marine chooses to fail morale and Calgar chooses to pass.  My unit hit-and-runs out.

Now the top of turn 4, and we're nearly out of time.  I just need to contest his objective and slay Calgar for max points.  I bring up the venom with wyches in case the game goes longer.  I decide to keep the beasts with my warlord and Maugan on the central objective.

Walkers pull up for more shots.  Bill's saves are hot this round and I don't cause much damage.

The grotesques assault in and Calgar challenges.  I accept with the aberration and cause 2 unsaved wounds with the venom blade.  Calgar causes 2 unsaved wounds finishing the aberration and we lock.

In Bills 4th turn, he switches the stormraven to hover mode and dumps out the Sanguinor.  The flyer torrents my beasts and actually kills every one, leaving just Maugan and Malys.  The whirlwind splatters some rangers.  The Sanguinor fails his assault move due to terrain.  I tie Calgar up in a challenge with the Baron and pass all my shadow field saves.

At this point, we're out of time.  The game ends on the bottom of turn 4 in my favor 28-5 with more objectives, more victory points, first blood, and a draw on both warlords surviving.

Well, that went pretty well.  I had a feeling based on lists, terrain, and deployment that my army would fare well in this mission.  For the second game in an row, the stormraven didn't arrive until late in the game.  Those assault cannons and hurricane bolters could have helped out Bill against my fragile foot army.  Not much I would have done differently here, this one came down to a plan built around the mission and terrain, and the dice making it all come together.  I was hoping to get Calgar with shooting and re-assault after hit-and-run, but his saves were spot on and the challenge mechanic got me again.