Warhammer 40,000 Battle Report #62 – Blood Angels vs Craftworlds

Another gory day for the Maelstrom! This time, the Blood Angels do battle with the forces of Craftworld Iyanden in their debut game. War calls!

The Armies

Knights of Baal

Blood Angels – 2,000

Combined Arms Detachment

HQ

Mephiston: WARLORD (Soulwarden); knows Sanguine Sword, Psychic Fortress, Fury of the Ancients, Emperor’s Wrath

Librarian: Psyker (Mastery Level 2); Space Marine Bike, Grav Pistol, Force Sword, knows Warp Speed, Endurance, Smite

TROOPS

Tactical Squad: five additional Space Marines; Lascannon, Meltagun, Razorback with Lascannon and Twin Plasma Guns

Tactical Squad: five additional Space Marines; Lascannon, Meltagun, Razorback with Lascannon and Twin Plasma Guns

FAST ATTACK

Space Marine Bikes: five additional Bikes; 2x Grav-Gun, Veteran Sergeant has Power Maul

HEAVY SUPPORT

Devastator Squad: 2x Lascannon

10^th Company Ambush Force

Scout Squad: Camo Cloaks, Sniper Rifles

Scout Squad: Camo Cloaks, Sniper Rifles

Scout Squad: Camo Cloaks, Bolters

Archangels Orbital Intervention Force

Terminator Assault Squad: 3x Thunder Hammer/Storm Shield, 2x Lightning Claws

Terminator Assault Squad: 3x Thunder Hammer/Storm Shield, 2x Lightning Claws

Terminator Squad: Assault Cannon

Tears of Isha

Iyanden – 2,000

Combined Arms Detachment

HQ

Farseer: WARLORD (Fate’s Messenger); Skyrunner Jetbike, Singing Spear, knows Guide,           Executioner, Will of Asuryan

Farseer: Skyrunner Jetbike, Singing Spear, knows Guide, Executioner, Fortune, Will of Asuryan

TROOPS

Windriders: three additional Windriders; 2x Scatter Lasers

Windriders: three additional Windriders; 2x Scatter Lasers

ELITES

Fire Dragons: one additional Fire Dragon; Exarch with Firepike, Wave Serpent transport with       Twin Bright Lances and Ghostwalk Matrix

Wraithguard: Wraithcannons; Wave Serpent transport with Twin Bright Lances and Ghostwalk    Matrix

HEAVY SUPPORT

Fire Prism: Holo-Fields, Spirit Stones

Fire Prism: Holo-Fields, Spirit Stones

Wraithlord: 2x Scatter Laser, Wraithblade

Aspect Host

Dark Reapers: one additional Dark Reaper; Exarch, Starshot Missiles

Warp Spiders: two additional Warp Spiders; Exarch has Spinneret Rifle

Warp Spiders: two additional Warp Spiders; Exarch has Spinneret Rifle

After Action Review

I don’t think my Farseers saw that coming! Man, what a rough game. Despite the bad luck mingled heavily throughout, I also played a very poor list and a bad game. I should have planned more fully for the Terminators coming in, but instead I accepted that there was nothing I could do to prevent their landing and went ahead with throwing down full-tilt in an attack. If I had cordoned off my more vulnerable units and made their landings more difficult and less opportunistic, I might have had to focused concentration to kill them off and move on. Alas, I did not, and they precipitated the downfall of my entire force.

In the end though Eric played a fantastic game. His units hit me where they needed to, and his target priority made the damage it needed, keeping me out of position. I do think he deployed Mephiston and his Marines too early, but the counter-charge by the Scouts was brilliant. It held me in place and kept my AP2 and AP1 out of the fight until the Terminators had done their damage. Though I enjoyed nuking the Blood Angels Librarian out of existence, that deployment into the heart of his force probably cost me the game. Lesson learned; the Eldar are just a very different army, and one of the few in the game I have little experience with. If only I could have turned those Warp Spiders loose in his back field...

Iyanden has a long memory; this slight against their honor will not go unpunished!