1850pt Daemon Hunters vs. Death Wing

Good day,

I made this Battle Report a few weeks ago but I totally forgot to post it up here- where this time I ended up going against another Land Raider heavy list (a first!)- the dreaded Dark Angels Death Wing. I had never actually out numbered my opponent before, this was the first time….ever this happened. So the battle…outdated codex vs. outdated codex…who will win?

Game Type: Capture & Control (2 objectives)
Deployment: Pitched Battle

My strategy:
The only other time I went up against a Death wing player was when I was allied with IG. Basically I sat back and fired some shots- but otherwise the game required little effort on my behalf. This time around I was on my own. With another Capture and Control mission, and against a Land Raider/ Terminator heavy list I had to figure out a way for my list with little in the way of anti-tank could take down two raiders and two dreads. I decided to push the LRC up to his objective- hoping that the GK terminators could wipe out at least one Terminator squad with their nifty power weapons. As my PAGK would get wiped out by the Death Wing in a rather rude fashion. Everything hinged on the Land Raider Crusader making it to the objective- and the Terminators at least killing one squad of Death Wing Terminators…

The Game Board:





My 1850pt Daemon Hunters Army - “The Holy Rollers”
Head Quarters-
Grey Knight Grand Master with a Holy Relic, Psychic Hood, and Hammerhand
Retinue of 4x Grey Knight Terminators, Holocaust, Incinerator
Troops-
Grey Knight Squad One
Justicar with 6x Grey Knights (one with an incinerator)
Grey Knight Squad Two
Justicar with 6x Grey Knights (one with an incinerator)
Inquisitorial Storm Troopers Squad One
5x IST, two with Melta-guns- Mounted in a Rhino with extra armor and smoke launchers
Inquisitorial Storm Troopers Squad Two
5x IST, two with Melta-guns- Mounted in a Rhino with extra armor and smoke launchers
Heavy Support-
2x Grey Knight Land Raiders- Each with extra armor & smoke launchers (one with a storm bolter)
1x Grey Knight Land Raider Crusader- with smoke launchers

1850pt Dark Angels- Death Wing
Head Quarters-
Belial, Master of the Deathwing.
Interrogator-Chaplain in terminator armor with combi-melta
Troops-
5x Deathwing Squad with Heavy Flamer, Chainfist, and the Deathwing Standard.
5x Deathwing Squad with Assault Cannon and Chainfist
5x Deathwing Squad with Assault Cannon and Chainfist
Elites-
Dreadnought with Lascannon and missile launcher.
Dreadnought with Lascannon and missile launcher.
Heavy-
Land Raider
Land Raider Crusader

Deployment:









I had lost the first turn, so I placed my models along the far back hill-hopefully out of lascannon fire for the first turn, placing my Rhino’s on the crest of the hill- as I needed to protect these from getting destroyed early on (for my objective grab). The Death Wing deployed with one squad heading towards his own objective in the ruined building, with the raiders blocking off shots from his Dreads in case if I stole the initiative (with I did not).

Turn One:
Death Wing- Spread out his forces along his backfield, with the standard Raider pulling to block side access to his deployment area and his Death Wing squad moving into the cover and the objective. The Crusader moved backwards along the middle hill (hull down) in a perfect spot for a counter attack. His two Dreadnoughts had a line of sight to my Land Raider Crusader and opened up with their lascannon and missile launchers- destroying the Assault Cannon on my Crusader.


Daemon Hunters- Every time his anti-tank weapons opened up on my Crusader I felt that I was about to crap a brick…but only my rather defunct Assault Cannon destroyed? Not a bad deal at all. I moved everything forward- but managed to throw a track on a Rhino (I did not realize that hill was going to count as difficult terrain…my bad). I fired everything that I could but only the lone Multi-Melta got a kill- a single Terminator from the squad holding the objective. Not a bad deal so far.




Turn Two:
Death Wing- Inched the two Dreadnoughts and the Crusader forward- then proceeded to shoot everything in his army at my Crusader (again.) - Mind you at this point….I was starting to wish that I had popped smoke instead of firing (in hindsight…). After the smoke settled- the LRC was unable to shoot in the following turn, but otherwise un harmed (starting to see a pattern here…).


Daemon Hunters- I moved the Land Raider Crusader cheerfully forward and dislodged the Grey Knight Terminators- making sure that they were nice and close to the Death Wing (lest an incident similar to what happened in my previous occur once again…). My Two other raiders moved along the left flank popping shots at the center Land Raider- doing zero damage for their trouble. The Crusader shot at the Land Raider with the mult-melta stunning the tank (no shooting next turn), and all of the shots from the Terminators failed to kill a single Death Wing Terminator. Moving the Terminators into assault range I was thinking that my Grand Master would at least get two kills… AT LEAST….nope…only one Death Wing died (apparently he was still a bit hung over…). The rest of the squad sighed heavily and proceeded to kill the remaining three Death Wing. My Terminators did what I needed them to do- but now they had an entire army’s shooting going at them in the next turn…




Turn Three-
Death Wing- The Dreads and the Crusader moved up a little again, and everything proceeded to unload on the Daemon Hunter Terminators. Killing a single Terminator and wounding the Grand Master once (two wounds left).


Daemon Hunters- This was starting to look very similar to my previous game…I was rolling alright and my opponent’s luck had left the building on vacation. I had the Terminators get back into the Crusader, as the two other Land Raiders moved about on the left flank- pouring more fire into the Land Raider that just wouldn’t die. The IST’s hop out of their immobilized Rhino and move towards the objective in my deployment as the other Rhino happily sits behind the ruins- out of line of sight from the enemy.


Turn Four-
Death Wing- The Land Raider Crusader moves forward the 12’ and pops smoke- making a B-line for my objective. I had totally forgotten at that point about that tank…and the two headquarters and 5x Terminators inside…goodbye whatever is in it’s path- you shall be missed! His Terminators disembark from his Land Raider firing at my Terminators- whom all pass their 2+ armor saves….odd how that works.


Daemon Hunters- The Crusader moves up along side of the Land Raider and the other two Raiders move about trying to get to that Crusader and his objective. One Land Raider manages to wreck his Land Raider just as we were both commenting that it was turn four and neither of us have killed a single tank…The Mutli-melta on my Crusader also opened up- wrecking one of the two Dreads. The area around that objective was starting to look like a parking lot…


Turn Five-
Death Wing- The Crusader moved up further towards my objective- but was still just outside of it leaving the objective firmly in my control. And by firmly in my control I mean it was be held on to by 5x very nervous Storm Troopers. His remaining Dreadnought opened up fire against my Crusader once again- first taking off the multi-melta with its’ missile launcher, and then wrecking the tank with his lascannon…Darnit.


Daemon Hunter- At this moment I was winning this game- with one objective to none- so I was rather hoping that the game was going to abruptly end with a poor dice roll…but I had to plan incase if it didn’t. I moved the Land Raiders to the center of the board, and the Terminators towards his Death Wing. I shot with everything that I had- killing nothing. I managed to stun his Crusader (pattern….) so it couldn’t shoot in the upcoming turn. I also stripped his Dread of its’ lascannon, but couldn’t kill a single Terminator in shooting again. In the assault my Grey Knight Terminators had to go into difficult terrain to assault the Death Wing….so I was now swinging at I 1...His power fists manage to only kill two GKT whilst my Grand Master feeling much after taking some aspirin did unmentionable things to the Death Wing…many attacks…


Dice was rolled….on to turn six (darnit again…)

Turn Six:
Death Wing- The Terminators get out of the Crusader and proceed to charge and do creatively mean things to the IST’s on my objective. Horrible….horrible things…It’ll be hard to coax the IST’s to get out of their Rhino next game… His Terminators move about the objective after killing (that’s not a strong enough word here…they DESTROYED em’) the IST’s- in an attempt to secure the objective. His Dreadnought assaults my Commander and the remaining Terminator- and promptly get’s it’s missile launcher removed by the Grand Master’s hammer hands. But not before the Dread crushes the surviving Terminator under it’s foot (I’m gonna call him lucky).


Daemon Hunters- Well the game could end again….and I need to plan on that again. One Raid moves up to claim the objective but throws a track (another theme…) the PAGK get out on foot and move towards the objective as fast as they can. The other Raider throws it into reverse to make sure that one troops is in range of the objective- to eeck out a tie in the least). Being sneaky I have my Rhino rush up and get within 2’ on my objective and pop smoke. Moving 12’ inches then popping the olde school smoke (yea old with an E it’s so dated)- making it rather hard to kill. At this point- both objectives are contested for a well deserved tie.


Dice is rolled again….will the madness continue?! It does…

Turn Seven:
Death Wing- The Terminators on my objective react to the attempted drive by wrecking the tank in close combat- hoping to scare off the IST’s. The Dread gives the GM another wound to think about, and the Grand Master does nothing.


Daemon Hunters- I push the PAGK close to the Dread, and move the IST’s on top of the tank- making sure that they are as close to the objective as humanly possible to eeck out the contesting, but I promptly forget to shoot with them… The PAGK close in on the Dread as the Grand Master- once again in the booze misses with his hammer hand ability, and the PAGK manage to immobilize the Dread. The Dreadnought is now immobilize and with both weapons destroyed- but just shy of destroying the darn thing.









Both objectives are being contested. One by a group of IST’s wading in a liquid pool of their own cowardice, and the other by a very angry Dreadnought with no arms or legs- but still attesting that it can still fight.

A well fought game, and a hard fought tie. An incredibly close game, I did manage to make several big mistakes with my tactics. The biggest mistake that I had made was keeping the Land Raiders all the way on the leftmost flank- away from the rest of the action- while I was able to get them into the center at the end of the game- if I had kept at least one back I would have been able to better contest my own objective. I was very happy with my Grey Knight Terminators however, as they killed 2 groups of Death Wing Terminators and then move into tie up the Dread and nearly kill the darn thing before the end of the game- defiantly the best unit of the game for me. My opponent was very smart to keep is Crusader in the back- rushing forward to clinch the tie at the last minute- I had nearly forgotten about that tank before it crashed in my IST’s. Once again my dice were alright throughout the game- rolling about average, but my opponent’s dice were constantly rolling low- often to low to do anything to my Raiders. My opponent was also another great player to go up against, letting me go back to some things that I had missed in the later turns- something that I admittedly need to work on further, and took the time to talk for a bit about the game- about what had worked, and what didn’t.

As always any further advice or comments are always appreciated.

Thank you for your time,
-Cease

Long time I don't play and may be my memory fails.

The Dreadnought is now immobilize and with both weapons destroyed

Immobilized and no weapons: doesn't it count as destroyed?

Yeah it does

So, after all, Brother Caesarian won

Immobilized and no weaps count as destroyed? Is that actually in the rules? Anywhoo, great batrep Cease. Love the layout with graphics, pics and nice, concise paragraphs. I wish all batreps can be done this way as it's so easy to follow. Sounded like a nail-biter of a battle and it was good that you were formulating contingency plans as it went on. Something which I've been lacking on the last dozen or so of my own games.

Thank you for the comments,

I didn't know if the dread in fact would of been destroyed, and it really didn't matter in the long run. The IST's were 3 inches and maybe a hair away from the objective- something which my opponent allowed to be counted as 3' (I forgot to run with them lol!) So it would of been a tie regardless if the Dread had in fact been destroyed. I later realized that the person I played against in this report I believe had second place in the local tournament so I was just glad I didn't lose to badly.

Nemesis Force- it's always a good thing to have some contingency plans to fall back on. The last game I played last week against Blood Angels saw the iniative stolen from me...and my Crusader & Two Rhinos poped on turn one.....I ended up losing in the long run (Turn seven...) by my remaining two raiders nearly destroyed the entire Blood Angels Force. Having such plans/ even playing a game with one hand tied behind your back is a great way to learn the stregnths and limits on some of your forces.

-Cease

Enjoyed reading the batrep! Very well done. Loved the humor too

Doesn't humor=heresy?I mean I never see any of you Imperials laughing,while we CSM do it all the time.I mean Noise Marines laugh while they are dying too!

Brother E, you mistake everyone in the Imperium to be as dour and humorless as the Ultramarines

Well true those guys never laugh or anything,but still I don't see any of you guys laughing,nor the Imperial Guard guys or Sisters of Battle.I mean I would like to hear what kind of girly giggle would I hear if Sisters of Battle started laughing,but no they never do it for some reason.

Immobilized with no weapons does NOT mean destroyed. however, the next immobilized or weapon destroyed result would kill the dread.

Whenever a weapon destroyed or immobilized result is unable to be applied because of a lack of weapons or previous immobilization, apply the other result instead. If neither can be applied, apply the "destroyed" result.

Huh,so thats how it went,sorry my mistake,I allways thought that it counted as destroyed when it doesn't have any weapons and is immobilized.

No, it can still bite your legs off.

Lol a dreadnought with no mouth is biting your leg off.That would be some site to see.I guess they just use theyr huge carcases to crush you beneath theyr immense weight.

Amazing report Brother Cease; I love seeing your Landraiders on the board

The pictures and diagrams offer significantly more enjoyment then without; really kept me in the game. Good angles too! I really look forward once more to seeing more of your games, you played this one well!

Good battle rep
I was about to say what MJSwasey said before i saw it, but yes you were so close to taking out that dread.
As a side note how did the dreadnought take out the terminator and a wound off your GM, the dread only had a ML so the attacks that it makes are ONLY Str 6 not a power weapon.
I think what you could do next time is use the lascannons to take out the dreadnoughts and then just wait for the LR to come to you then shoot them with the meltas, seems a waste to of had the tank hunters and not use them.

@cornix : if the dread is not ironclad he has armour 12 so on a 6 the terminator could wound him ...
@ Cease : very good battle rep. Btw, death wing is what i would like to have for the new GK an elite army with lots of mobility and terminators
Aubec

Actually Aubec Cornix asked how could the DREADNOUGHT wound the terminator and GM without allowing them armour saves since he had a missile laucher arm,so he had S6 but hes attacks were not power weapon attacks,atleast thats what I think he meant.

ok i understood the reverse
Aubec

yeh thats what i meant seems that the dread either got really lucky or they thought it had a powerweapon