2000pt league game GK vs DA

Had a tough and intense game vs DA yesterday as part of a local league I'm in. All games in this league have the same format: 2000pts and all 3 missions from the book are played simultaneously w/ each mission worth 5 battle points:
Mission 1 - Capture and control w/ 2 40mm objectives
Mission 2 - Seize ground w/ 3 25 mm objectives
Mission 3 - Annihilation.

A draw on a mission awards half the BP for each player. This game definitely made me feel like I was back in high school playing a varsity basketball game. It was highlighted by clutch shots (dice rolling) and a ton of adrenaline rushes

Dark Angels list:
Belial
Ezekiel
5 Deathwing (apothecary, banner, 3 LC, 2 TH/SS, 1 CML)
5 Deathwing (all TH/SS, 1 CML)
10 marines (1 melta, 1 PF); rhino
5 marines; RB w/ TWLLC
5 marines (1 LC)
1 typhoon speeder w/ MM
1 typhoon speeder w/ MM
1 LRC w/ MM and EA
2 vindicators

GK list:
GM w/ incinerator, rad, blind, psychstroke, 2 skulls
Coteaz
10 paladins (4 psycannons, assorted weapons)
Ven psyfleman dread
10 GKSS (2 psycannons); RB w/ TWLLC
12 Warband (8 DCA, 3 Crusader, 1 Mystic); RB w/ TWLLC
LRC w/ MM

Deployment was Spearhead. I win the roll-off and take first turn. I choose Unyielding Anvil for my GS and roll 2 units--so Paladins and Ven dread are now scoring.

Pre-game thoughts: Ezekiel still has the table-wide coverage for his psychic hood so that's going to be annnoying. Nothing screams "paladin-killer" more than 2 vindicators so those are going to be the biggest threats for me. My opponent said his Belial/Ezekiel/Deathwing squad should be able to deal w/ my HQ/warband squad. I personally didn't think so but I'll surely put it to the test With 3 missions in play, I know I have to kill as many things as possible and get the jump start on KP because the other 2 missions are going to be more tactically challenging (this is why I took first turn).

I only took pictures of the deployment so you have an idea of the set up and can refer to it during my narrative. I was too wrapped up in the game to take more pics. Also, so as not to make it too long of a read, I provided detailed info only until Turn 3, which is where the main conflict took place and just summarized the rest of the game.

My deployment: Ven dread is sitting by my C&C objective. GKSS split up and are embarked in both RB's. RB to the top is labeled RB 1 while the bottom will be RB 2. Paladins are deep striking. You can see the 2 seize ground objectives near my deployment zone.


His deployment: 5 marines w/ LC is sitting by his C&C objective. TH termies are DSing. 10 marines in rhino plus 2 speeders are coming in from board edge. You can see the 3rd seize ground objective by his LRC.

*please take note of his marines by his C&C objective because this plays a crucial part in the late game development.

GK Turn 1: Both GKSS squads trigger warp quake but Ezekiel blocks both. My LRC moves forward just enough to be beside the center ruins. Both RB's move a little to shoot at the LRC from 2 angles but fail to do anything to it. Dread tries to shoot his RB but was 1/2 inch short on range.

DA Turn 1: He elects to DS his termies this turn and they drop in near his board edge directly across from my deployment zone. LRC moves 6" b/w the center ruins and the tall smoke stack ruins. The vindicator behind it follows to get a shot on my LRC. His termies fire 2 missiles at my dread and pens w/ one. I fail cover and get immobilized (decided to accept this since my dread secured my home objective anyway). His RB hits RB 1 but fails to pen. His LRC splits fire and shoots the MM at my LRC and the assault cannon at RB 2. Assault cannon scores 1 pen but I make cover. MM fails (he was out of 12" range). Vindicator scores a pen on my LRC but I make cover.

GK Turn 2: GM uses psychic communion but Ezekiel blocks it again (he's been rolling really high). I roll a 3 for reserves so paladins don't come in yet. Squad from RB 1 disembarks and goes behind the wall-like ruins while RB 1 moves further up the board to get side armor on the vindicator. LRC moves 8" to face his LRC and get within 12". RB 1 fires at the vindicator's side armor and misses. RB 2 fires at the same vindicator but from the front and fails to pen. LRC fires the MM and misses. Dread fires at his RB and score 2 pens but he makes both covers. What a miserable turn--at this point, it is really looking very bad for me

DA Turn 2: He rolls his reserves and his 10 man squad comes in w/ their rhino. They move 12" and disembark behind RB 1. His other vindicator behind a wall moves up to get a clear shot on my LRC. I'm already cringing at the hurt that's coming. His RB shoots RB 1 and blows the TWLLC off. The 10-man squad fires its melta and wrecks it (first blood and first KP of the game). The termies fire missiles at the dread and shakes it. His LRC fires MM and AC at my LRC. AC doesn't do anything. MM hits and he rolls a 4 on 2D6! --failing to pen. First vindicator fires and scores a pen and immobilizes my LRC. Second vindicator fires and scores a pen as well but only stuns it! I can't believe I survived his shooting

GK Turn 3: I use psychic communion and Ezekiel blocks it yet again. However, I roll a 4 and my pallies come in. I knew I have to make this turn count. With my pallies on the table, they will be vulnerable to the vindicators. I decide to combat squad them splitting the 4 psycannons b/w them. 1 squad drops w/in 6" of my LRC for no scatter due to the mystic. They have LOS on the LRC and the nearby vindicator. The other squad drops in w/in 12" of a skull and land near the other vindicator. GKSS squad from RB 2 disembarks to add to the shooting on the vindicators. The GM, Coteaz and the warband disembarks from the LRC as well. My opponent was incredulous and thought I was crazy I'm definitely taking a big gamble. GKSS from RB 1 fired on the 10 marines and killed 1. Dread (after successful fortitude that wasn't blocked) fired on the termies and they shrugged it off. (poor shot selection here--I should have shot the rhino). RB 2 shoots a vindicator and fails to pen. The GKSS squad from RB 2 fires 2 psycannon shots and fails as well. The pallies that dropped near the 2nd vindicator shoots and wrecks it, thank goodness. My LRC splits fire and shoots the MM at the LRC and the AC at the 1st vindicator (my back up was the other pally squad if the MM should fail). The MM hits, pens and wrecks it! Even better, the AC pens the 1st vindicator and wrecks it as well! Belial and his squad are forced out but he places them in terrain as far as possible from my HQ squad. I estimate I need at least 5" to reach him in assault. Not wanting him to remove any models, my other pally squad holds off from shooting. I roll for assault and get a 5. After all movements are done, Ezekiel is in base contact w/ my GM, Coteaz is in base w/ his termies while Belial is in base is in base w/ a crusader. Pske-out grenades make Ezekiel go at I1. His whole unit is at T3 and I roll a 3 for psychostroke, giving me re-rolls on my to hit. Coteaz triggers Hammerhand, which Ezekiel fails to block. My GM triggers his force weapon w/c Ezekiel also fails to block. My DCA's unleash 32 attacks at I6 (thanks to LRC frag launchers) w/ 3's to hit (w/ re-rolls) and 2's to wound. They deal 25 wounds w/c wipes out the deathwing terminators. GM kills Ezekiel. A crusader deals 1 wound to Belial while Belial kills 2 (crusader and mystic). Belial receives 1 more wound due to Fearless saves. Whew! What a turn for me but the game was far from over.

DA Turn 3: His 2 speeders come in from his center board edge. The 10 marines embark in their rhino and it zooms 12" to one of the objectives in my deployment zone and pops smoke. His 5 termies advance towards the other objective as well. His RB hides behind the wrecked vindicator and claims the 3rd objective and pops smoke as well. The termies shoot the dread again and manages to stun it. First speeder shoots the dread and I make cover. 2nd speeder scores a pen and I fail my cover. He rolls a 5 so I ask him to re-roll and he rolls a 6 (This is the first time my ven dread ever got destroyed in more than 7 games).

Summary (Turn 4-7): Even with his main unit destroyed, he still held his home objective and 2 of 3 seize ground objectives. While I was ahead in KP, I didn't even have my home objective. If the game had ended at Turn 5, I would have lost. However, the game continued.
- My remaining GKSS squad rushed to claim my home objective and they had to do it on foot since their RB was immobilized. Even after my full move, I was still maybe an inch short of claiming my objective. Furthermore, my opponent's rhino zoomed through terrain to contest it. Even if I shot and destroyed with my pyscannon (big IF since I only had 2 shots), there was a chance I was still short. So, I assault it. I had 3 guys so rolled 6 attacks, needing six's. I roll 1 six. With hammerhand, I needed 6's to pen. I roll a six. I then roll a 5 to destroy it My opponent yelled "Nooooooo!!!!!"
- On the flip side, remember his 5-man squad guarding his objective? There were actually only 4 left near the end of the game and he moved them to out of LOS EXCEPT for the lascannon marine. This allowed me to shoot him up w/ 8 psycannon/6 SB shots. I was only hoping to force a LD check but instead, he fails all saves (even after going to ground) and the squad gets wiped out He admitted that this was his biggest mistake of the game.
- My GM/pallies were able to engage the termie squad, contesting 1 objective while Coteaz+warband claimed the 3rd one (after destroying the 5-man squad holding it).

Final tally:
Mission 1 (C&C): I hold mine, he doesn't hold his - GK = 5 BP
Mission 2 (SG): We each hold 1 and contest the 3rd - GK = 2.5 DA = 2.5
Mission 3 (KP): I have 12 KP, he has 4 KP - GK = 5 BP

GK = 12.5 BP DA = 2.5 BP Major victory for the Grey Knights!

Thanks for reading

Gratulation, Brother Rivan. Sounds like a lot of fun.

Gerat Report, Brother! Congrats on the win!

Great battle report Rivan, turn 3 worked out rather nicely!

Thanks. I've been playtesting this list in preparation for a GT tourney I'm attending on Feb 18-19. This is the 3rd time I've used this list and so far, it's undefeated in 3 games.

First game was against SW (led by Njal and another Rune priest) and I won 10-5 BP.

Second game was against IG and I won 15-0 BP.

Damn dude! excellent take down on the vindicators! That must have been such a frustrating loss for your opponent

they really shrug off a lot of fire in the first 2 turns. ezekiel's unlimited range psychic hood is a big pain in the arse

liked how your unit that charged out of the LRC wpied belial and his men off the board. the psychostroke grenade roll really was in favor for you so i guess that rounds up the missing wrecking in the first 2 turns

great report was great to read it !

great report as usual ! happy for your win
one thing though ... your DA opponent DS in his first turn ...
is it a special rule of the DA ?? i never read their codex ...
Aubec

Congratulations once again on your victory Brother!

Sounds like a hard fought win, but a win is a win after all!

Good luck at the GT.

Aubec le noir wrote:great report as usual ! happy for your win
one thing though ... your DA opponent DS in his first turn ...
is it a special rule of the DA ?? i never read their codex ...
Aubec

yeah its the deathwing assault special rule. you can choose for up to halve of your terminator units to deepstrike at turn 1. the rest comes out of reserve as normal.

GM Rivan,

Great batttle report makes for great reading. Best of luck for the GT and other play tests

Brother Flaxis

Souba wrote:yeah its the deathwing assault special rule. you can choose for up to halve of your terminator units to deepstrike at turn 1. the rest comes out of reserve as normal.

Ah ok ! thanks brother
Aubec

Souba wrote:

Aubec le noir wrote:great report as usual ! happy for your win
one thing though ... your DA opponent DS in his first turn ...
is it a special rule of the DA ?? i never read their codex ...
Aubec

yeah its the deathwing assault special rule. you can choose for up to halve of your terminator units to deepstrike at turn 1. the rest comes out of reserve as normal.

That is really nasty.