Crowe Crownies vs Outflanking Valkyrie Imperial Guard

Alright everyone!

Just got in my first battle with my Crowe army!

Disclaimer: I did not take notes or pictures during the battle, nor do I have my enemy’s exact army list, so I have done this by memory.

Enemy Army List

Outflanking Valkyrie Guard ~1750pts

3 Valkyrie squadron, each have a multilaser and 2 of the pie-plate missile launchers
inside:
- 1 HQ carrying a power weapon, with 4 fire breathing wolves of some sort, and special gear that allows him to modify his reserve rolls
- 2 squads 10 of veterans with 3 meltas per squad, rest with shotguns

3 Valkyrie squadron, each have a multilaser and 2 of the pie-plate missile launchers
inside:
- 1 HQ carrying a power weapon, with 4 fire breathing wolves of some sort, and special gear that allows him to modify his reserve rolls
- 2 squads of veterans with 3 meltas per squad, rest with shotguns

2 Valkyrie squadron with 3 twin-linked lascannons each, no troops inside

My Army List

Crowe and his crownies 1736pts

Crowe

3 Troops of 5 Purifiers, 2 Halberds, 2 Psycannons, 1 Hammer, Razorback with Psybolt ammo
1 Troop of Terminators, 4 Halberds, 1 Incinerator, 1 Hammer

1 Nemesis Dreadknight with Teleporter, Heavy Incinerator
1 Nemesis Dreadknight with Teleporter, Heavy Psycannon, Nemesis Greatsword

1 Land Raider Redeemer with multi-melta, Psybolt and Psyflame ammo


Preparations

Our combat arena was fairly well-stocked with ruins, and dead in the center of the map were located 1 larger, and 1 smaller crater. We rolled for pitched battle, and KP victory condition.

He wont he roll off to see who goes first, and of course allowed me to do the honors. I had been warned about this strategy approximately 15 minutes before he arrived, so I was getting worried about where this battle would take us.

I set up my razorbacks and land raider with termies inside to the center of my deployment zone, flanked by a dreadknight on each side. I put crowe in between the vehicles to make sure my enemy did not just get a free KP.

My enemy declared everything would come from reserves, so put nothing on the table to start with. Needless to say he did not try to steal initiative.

Battle

My Turn 1-2

First 2 turns All I could do was move and so I did. I set up my army center of the table, with their backs to the big crater in the center of the map, 2 razorbacks to my left, 1 razor and a DK to my right, 1 DK on my far side and the LR on my side, which put about 25-30” between my troops and the left and right table edges. Crowe sat down in the center of the crater, ready to not move for the rest of the game, since the enemy had no 1 special character I could send him up against. My vehicles all popped smoke end of my turn 2, in case he would come in with guns blazing start of his turn 2.

Me: 0 - Enemy: 0

Enemy Turn 2

With the special unit attached to his HQ allowing him to modify his reserve rolls by 1, his reserves come in on a 3+. Luckily for me only 1 of them manages to come in, 1 of the 3 Valkyrie squadrons. He outflanks from my right side (side with 1 razor and an NDK). He sends his Valkyries in about 18”, so they can’t fire anymore, and he does not drop any of his troops yet, afraid to scatter.

Me: 0 - Enemy: 0

My Turn 3

Finally the fun can begin! I move one of my left razorbacks to the right, where the enemy has now appeared. All of my razorbacks open fire upon the team of Valkyries, who unfortunately get a cover save of 4+, needing 6’s to glance I don’t even manage that. My Land Raider is within range to use his multi-melta, unfortunately there is a ruin in the way, so all I can do is move it closer to me, ready to go around the ruin, but can’t get the melta range.
The melta beam manages to hit one of the Valkyries despite its cover save, and explodes it! 3 of his veterans die in a withering ball of flame, the rest manage to get to the ground safely, but are not so shaken as to be pinned. My NDK’s are out of range, as I do not dare put them too close to the Valkyries.

Me: 0 - Enemy: 0

Enemy Turn 3

This time his reserves come in on a 2+, fortunately he gets an EXTREMELY unlucky roll here and throws snake eyes! For the first time in the game I feel like things are going my way! No extra troops for him.
He moves his Valkyries closer to my center block, a move of about 10”. The Valkyries drop their load of 1 HQ squad and 1 veteran squad mere inches away from my right razorback, and with a view on my right NDK (the one with the psycannon/sword combo).
His veterans then lift their melta weapons, and utterly wreck my razorback. BAM! 1KP for the enemy! His wolves immediately flame the purifiers crawling out of the wreck, and manage to take out 1 halberd and 1 psycannon wielding purifier.
The rest of the purifier squad subsequently get charged by the wolves and HQ. My purifiers manage to kill only the guy carrying the reserve roll improvement thingy, and in his following attacks he kills the 2nd halberd purifier, and the hammer purifier. Only 1 purifier left, with a psycannon, so no more nemesis force weapons, and stuck in combat with 5 enemy models, one of which is an HQ with power weapon. This is not looking good for Crowe and his crownies. Finally the Veterans that jumped out of the exploding Valkyrie earlier try to get into melta range with my Land Raider, but are just short. No double armour penetration for them means their meltas just glance off my Land Raider’s armor.

Me: 0 - Enemy: 1

My Turn 4

I know something needs to change, and fast! I Move my psycannon dreadknight in close to the combat with the 1 remaining purifier. My other dreadknight, the one with the heavy incinerator, jumps to the right with a ruin between him and the Valkyries and their troops. The left razorback that was already moving to the right arrives and drops off his load of purifiers in the thick of battle. My Land Raider moves into flamestorm cannon range to his veterans. The 2nd left razorback and Crowe stay put.
Now a torrent of fire, psycannon bolts, and heavy bolter rounds flies at the enemy. The veterans next to my landraider get burned to a crisp, my heavy incinerator dreadknight puts down his flames, both Valkyries and 5 of his veterans are in range, but I only manage to burn 4 of his veterans. The recently disembarked purifiers flick their psycannons to assault mode, after seeing the razorbacks fire glance off the Valkyrie’s armor, and take one down in a wreck. Cheers erupt along the battle lines.
The psycannon dreadknight does not shoot, but now uses the moment to charge into the enemy wolves and HQ, and the enemy gets pounded into submission. The incinerator dreadknight tries to assault the last remaining Valkyrie on the table, but gets thwarted by a ruin. My incinerator dreadknight is now dangerously close to the right table edge.

Me: 2 - Enemy: 1

Enemy Turn 4

Finally all enemy reserves come in, his lascannon Valkyries can not outflank, so come out of his side of the table from the center, they have a clear view on Crowe, 1 of my Razorbacks, and my psycannon dreadknight. The other squadron of Valkyries flies in from my right side, ready to destroy my incinerator dreadknight, and immediately drop off 1 of their Veterans teams with their melta guns. This is not looking good for my dreadknights...
With a show of some incredible dice rolling from my part, and abismal dice rolling from my enemy’s part, he unloads 1 veteran team worth of shots into each dreadknight, and even shoots his 6 twin-linked lascannons into the psycannon dreadknight, but they both make all of their saves! His fresh squad of 3 Valkyries fires everything they have into my new purifier squad, scattering ALL of their pie plates, but still manage to kill 3 of them. The purifiers don’t make their leadership test and run into a ruin. No matter, they will automatically regroup on my next turn, and are safe in there.

Me: 2 - Enemy: 1

My Turn 5

The battered and bloodied single purifier left from earlier battles crawles into the center crater, happy to be in cover. The other 2 beaten purifiers regroup inside the ruin, and stay there. My last razorback with purifiers races up close to the 2 lascannon Valkyries, and the purifiers get out of their ride, ready to shoot them down. My Landraider swings around the big ruin on my side, moving half underneath it, but passing his dangerous terrain test. He is now in melta range of the single remaining first-wave Valkyrie. Here I make the tactical mistake of not disembarking my Terminators just yet. My psycannon dreadknight jumps over the enemy veteran squad that was flamed earlier, ready to attack them from behind, where he does not need to worry about terrain. The incinerator dreadknight turns towards the threat coming from the 3 Valkyries to the right and their untouched veteran squad.
Again the 2 remaining razorbacks fire their heavy bolters, but even their psybolt ammunition again does not manage to damage any of the Valkyries. Things are starting to look bad. My Landraider’s multimelta does get through his Valkyrie’s armor, but unfortunately only manages to destroy his multilaser. My last full squad of purifiers shoot the heavy option on their psycannons, and manage to shake the crew of 1 of the lascannon Valkyries, and manage to destroy the other one! The Incinerator dreadknight repeats his trick of earlier, flaming 2 Valkyries and the veterans that happen to be standing below them, but only burns a few veterans.
Afterwards the psycannon dreadknight assaults his veteran squad from behind, and kills all but 1, who manages to run away. The other dreadknight multi-assaults the squadron of 3 Valkyries and the veteran squad standing underneath, and scores 4 penetrating hits on the Valkyries! Unfortunately all of his hits result in a crew shaken result.

Me: 3 - Enemy: 1

Enemy Turn 5

All the enemy can do now is run with his Valkyries, he tries to get his squadron of 3 as far away from me as possible, but it won’t be enough. His lascannon Valkyrie flies behind a ruin to gain its cover save, and the Valkyrie with the destroyed multilaser runs behind another ruin. He has no shooting phase, as his only unit of troops on the ground are in combat, and all of his vehicles are running away from me.
In assault my incinerator dreadknight kills 4 veterans, the rest tries to run but get caught and destroyed by the dreadknight.

Me: 4 - Enemy: 1

Game continues for a 6th turn

My Turn 6

By now all that is left to do is mop up the remainders of the enemy army. Both my dreadknights jump close enough to the squadron of 3 Valkyries to assault them later. My land raider tries to drive through the wreckage of a Valkyrie to pursue the lonely one, but gets immobilised, and throws out his Terminators, even though they will never be able to reach the enemy.
My purifiers fire their psycannons at the enemy lascannon Valkyrie, but do not manage to damage it due to unlucky rolls and its cover save.
Both my dreadknights then proceed to assault the 3 Valkyries, and all 3 get destroyed. Almost all of his troops manage to get out, but they have nowhere to run, and now have 2 dreadknights standing right in front of them. The incinerator one managed to multi-assault the valkyries with the 1 leftover, running veteran from earlier, so can’t be shot at next turn.

Me: 5 - Enemy: 1

Enemy Turn 6

Not having much left to do, the lascannon Valkyrie manages to take out one of my razorbacks, scoring him another killpoint. His newly dropped veteran squad and HQ squad fire everything they have at my psycannon dreadknight, and manage to cause 2 wounds.
His HQ team then proceeds to assault the dreadknight, but to no avail. They cause no wounds, lose the combat, and run straight off the board. The 1 veteran gets hit by my incinerator dreadknight, and does not live to tell the story.

Me: 7 - Enemy: 2

At this moment we roll to see a 7th turn start, but my opponent yields, realising that he would probably be tabled by the end of my next turn, as his 1 remaining veteran squad and 1 of his remaining valkyries are in the danger zone projected by my dreadknights, and his las valkyrie is about to eat 8 psycannon rounds, and will no longer get a cover save.

Afterthoughts:

Dreadknights! Wow! What amazing units they are! They absolutely destroyed everything they met, and with some lucky saves both got through the battle almost unscathed.
The Land raider let me down a bit, I’m considering replacing him with a lascannon raider, for better anti high-AV. Relying on combat too much in that respect might not be a good thing.
Also disappointing was the fact that my termies did not even get into battle. Direct result of how I used the landraider of course, but I did not want that 1 veteran squad to get away...
Major disappointment today were actually the razorbacks; they shot almost every round, and never even managed to glance the enemy. They’re not off the hook yet though, as this was a very specialized enemy, that did not provide them with many valid targets.
Same thing happened with Crowe. I can still see a use for him, but not against this type of enemy. Against Orcs with their big HQ squads, or Tyranids with all of their monsters, perhaps. Of course I can’t drop him from my purifier army.
Major factor in my victory: my unbelievable luck when he tried to get in this Valkyries, and my major luck when making armor saves.

Feel free to give tips on tactics, point out tactical mistakes, and provide feedback on the write-up, go easy on my, it's my first ever written battle report!

happy for your win !
Even though you get some luck !
Aubec

Good battle! I've never seen a Valkyrie list in action, sounds scary ^^
First thing though: purifiers are Fearless, so there will be no more failed morale tests next time allright!?

What surprises me though is that you take Crowe so you can get purifiers as troops, but then only take 15 in a 1750p battle? :O
Must've been unlucky rolls though, to have guardsmen charge purifiers and you only kill one... I would expect cleansing flame to hurt them badly hehe

Riiiight, fearless purifiers, knew i forgot something xD

I got really really unlucky there indeed. Reason i only had 15 here was because i had to choose between them or my termies, and i wanted a more durable unit as well, just in case...

If the valkyries had all arrived turn 2, as planned, and i had not been bunched up in the center so they could all shoot, i imagine i'd lose at least 3 vehicles that turn. Not to mention getting 12 odd pie plates on your infantry...

If you want to see my base 2k list it's in sector command.