MATCHUP:

Faction: Chaos Space Marines

Detachment: Renegade Raiders

VS

Faction: Space Marines

Detachment: Ironstorm Spearhead

MISSION:

Primary: Take and Hold

Terrain: GW Terrain Layout 4

Twist: None

RESULT:

100 – 32 Win for CSM

OVERALL TAKEAWAYS:

• Overall game
  • You won’t hear me talk about dice impacting the game often, but this game might be the exception.  I don’t think different dice would have changed who won, but they probably turned what should have been a minor to medium SM loss into a blowout.  Examples include:
    • CSM Vindicator rolling max shots on its Demolisher Cannon into 8 hits plus 4 Sustained into 30+ damage inflicted on the Replusor Executioner through Armour of Contempt and Cover in Round 1.
    • Repulsor Executioner, Gladiator Lancer, and Balistus Dreadnought all exploding and inflicting mortals on their own side.
    • Guilliman failing a 7 inch charge with a reroll and then dying and rolling a 1 on his ability to stand back up, which removed him from the game.
  • CSM gambled big and it paid off.  Deploy the Disco Lord + Mark of the Hound on the line banking on getting first run.  CSM gets first turn and Disco Lord scouts 6, moves 14, and then charges into into the Space Marines lines to cause havoc.
• CSM
  • Another detachment that I just love to play.  It is so fun and I could play it anytime.
  • Bikes and Disco Lord went out first to skirmish while Vindicator and Predator castled up around Abaddon to take advantage of his hit rerolls.
  • Chosen used the transport to serve as my counter punch once the skirmishers went down and then the Rhinos moved out to sit on the objectives and do actions.
  • Key Stratagems
    • Opportunistic Raiders (move at the end of Fight phase) almost every turn with the best play being a move to the Cultists to get them onto an objective so I could flip and then stick it next turn.
    • Ruinous Raid (full hit and wound reroll if target is on an objective and you came out of a transport) was absolutely filthy on the Chosen bricks.  This is how I wiped out both dreadnoughts.
    • Grenades (roll 6 dice and target takes mortals on 4+).  This is how I took down G-Man. 
• SM
  • I want to love this detachment so much but continue to struggle with it.  I think its more of a play style clash than a detachment issue as I get impatient with gun lines.
  • I didn’t screen properly and it resulted in me being bottlenecked in my DZ for the first 2 turns.  By the time I got out, I was stuck behind on almost all resources (CP, VP, and units) and really started to feel the mobility limitations of vehicles that can’t go thru terrain.
  • Key Stratagems
    • Most spent on New Orders, sigh, this happens when you fall behind and start chasing points
    • Mercy is Weakness (crits on 5+ for vehicles and Sustained 1) used on the Gladiator Lancer to make the Predator disappear
    • Power of the Machine Spirits (shoot back if you go below half strength) used on Gladiator Lancer to take damage off the Predator that dared to wound it so that it could be finished off next turn with Mercy is Weakness

WHAT I WOULD CHANGE NEXT TIME:

• CSM
  • Not much.  Fortune favors the bold.  I gambled big in deployment and the dice gods rewarded me.
• SM
  • The list wasn’t optimized since I wanted to play my RepEx.  If I were optimizing, I would swap it and Ventriss’s for Calgar and another Storm Speeder.
  • Screen better with my Scouts and/or Intercessors.
  • Play more patiently and deploy more conservatively.  It goes against my nature, but SM tanks have the movement and range to overcome this.  It also would have negated a lot of CSM’s detachment rule advantages.

MVP of the GAME:Chaos Vindicator.  It took out the RepEx, most of Guilliman, the Gladiator Reaper, and then parked in the middle and scored me 2-3 secondaries late game. 

MAGNUS OF THE GAME: Repulsor Executioner.  Its deployment was all wrong and led to me getting jailed.

LISTS:

Chaos Space Marines

Renegade Raiders

Strike Force (2,000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Abaddon the Despoiler (280 Points)

  • Warlord

  • 1x Drach’nyen

  • 1x Talon of Horus

Chaos Lord (90 Points)

  • 1x Daemon hammer

  • 1x Plasma pistol

Fabius Bile (85 Points)

  • 1x Fabius Bile

     ◦ 1x Chirurgeon

     ◦ 1x Rod of Torment

     ◦ 1x Xyclos Needler

  • 1x Surgeon Acolyte

     ◦ 1x Surgeon Acolyte’s tools

Lord Discordant on Helstalker (185 Points)

  • 1x Bladed limbs

  • 1x Bolt Pistol

  • 1x Helstalker autocannon

  • 1x Impaler chainglaive

  • 1x Techno-virus injector

  • Enhancements: Mark of the Hound

BATTLELINE

Cultist Mob (50 Points)

  • 1x Cultist Champion

     ◦ 1x Autopistol

     ◦ 1x Brutal assault weapon

  • 9x Chaos Cultist

     ◦ 9x Autopistol

     ◦ 9x Brutal assault weapon

Cultist Mob (50 Points)

  • 1x Cultist Champion

     ◦ 1x Autopistol

     ◦ 1x Brutal assault weapon

  • 9x Chaos Cultist

     ◦ 9x Autopistol

     ◦ 9x Brutal assault weapon

Legionaries (90 Points)

  • 1x Aspiring Champion

     ◦ 1x Chaos Icon

     ◦ 1x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 1x Heavy melee weapon

     ◦ 1x Plasma pistol

  • 4x Legionary

     ◦ 2x Astartes chainsword

     ◦ 4x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 4x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 1x Heavy melee weapon

     ◦ 1x Lascannon

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Chaos Rhino (75 Points)

  • 1x Armoured tracks

  • 1x Combi-bolter

  • 1x Combi-bolter

  • 1x Havoc launcher

Chaos Rhino (75 Points)

  • 1x Armoured tracks

  • 1x Combi-bolter

  • 1x Combi-bolter

  • 1x Havoc launcher

OTHER DATASHEETS

Chaos Bikers (70 Points)

  • 1x Biker Champion

     ◦ 1x Chaos Icon

     ◦ 1x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 1x Combi-bolter

     ◦ 1x Power fist

  • 2x Chaos Biker

     ◦ 2x Astartes chainsword

     ◦ 2x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 2x Combi-bolter

     ◦ 2x Meltagun

Chaos Predator Annihilator (135 Points)

  • 1x Armoured tracks

  • 1x Combi-bolter

  • 1x Havoc launcher

  • 2x Lascannon

  • 1x Predator twin lascannon

Chaos Vindicator (185 Points)

  • 1x Armoured tracks

  • 1x Combi-bolter

  • 1x Demolisher cannon

  • 1x Havoc launcher

Chosen (125 Points)

  • 1x Chosen Champion

     ◦ 1x Boltgun

     ◦ 1x Chaos Icon

     ◦ 1x Plasma pistol

     ◦ 1x Power fist

  • 4x Chosen

     ◦ 3x Accursed weapon

     ◦ 3x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Boltgun

     ◦ 2x Combi-weapon

     ◦ 1x Paired accursed weapons

     ◦ 1x Plasma pistol

Chosen (250 Points)

  • 1x Chosen Champion

     ◦ 1x Boltgun

     ◦ 1x Chaos Icon

     ◦ 1x Plasma pistol

     ◦ 1x Power fist

  • 9x Chosen

     ◦ 6x Accursed weapon

     ◦ 8x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 3x Boltgun

     ◦ 4x Combi-weapon

     ◦ 2x Paired accursed weapons

     ◦ 1x Plasma pistol

     ◦ 1x Power fist

Chosen (125 Points)

  • 1x Chosen Champion

     ◦ 1x Boltgun

     ◦ 1x Chaos Icon

     ◦ 1x Plasma pistol

     ◦ 1x Power fist

  • 4x Chosen

     ◦ 3x Accursed weapon

     ◦ 3x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Boltgun

     ◦ 2x Combi-weapon

     ◦ 1x Paired accursed weapons

     ◦ 1x Plasma pistol

Warp Talons (125 Points)

  • 1x Warp Talon Champion

     ◦ 1x Warp claws

  • 4x Warp Talon

     ◦ 4x Warp claws

Space Marines

Ultramarines

Ironstorm Spearhead

Strike Force (2,000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Roboute Guilliman (320 Points)

  • Warlord

  • 1x Emperor’s Sword

  • 1x Hand of Dominion

Techmarine (65 Points)

  • 1x Forge bolter

  • 1x Grav-pistol

  • 1x Omnissian power axe

  • 1x Servo-arm

  • Enhancements: The Flesh Is Weak

Techmarine (85 Points)

  • 1x Forge bolter

  • 1x Grav-pistol

  • 1x Omnissian power axe

  • 1x Servo-arm

  • Enhancements: Target Augury Web

Uriel Ventris (95 Points)

  • 1x Bolt Pistol

  • 1x Invictus

  • 1x Sword of Idaeus

BATTLELINE

Intercessor Squad (80 Points)

  • 1x Intercessor Sergeant

     ◦ 1x Astartes grenade launcher

     ◦ 1x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Bolt rifle

     ◦ 1x Power fist

  • 4x Intercessor

     ◦ 4x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 4x Bolt rifle

     ◦ 4x Close combat weapon

Intercessor Squad (80 Points)

  • 1x Intercessor Sergeant

     ◦ 1x Astartes grenade launcher

     ◦ 1x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Bolt rifle

     ◦ 1x Power fist

  • 4x Intercessor

     ◦ 4x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 4x Bolt rifle

     ◦ 4x Close combat weapon

OTHER DATASHEETS

Ballistus Dreadnought (140 Points)

  • 1x Armoured feet

  • 1x Ballistus lascannon

  • 1x Ballistus missile launcher

  • 1x Twin storm bolter

Company Heroes (105 Points)

  • 1x Ancient

     ◦ 1x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Bolt rifle

     ◦ 1x Close combat weapon

  • 1x Company Champion

     ◦ 1x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Master-crafted power weapon

  • 2x Company Veteran

     ◦ 2x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 2x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 1x Master-crafted bolt rifle

     ◦ 1x Master-crafted heavy bolter

Gladiator Lancer (160 Points)

  • 1x Armoured hull

  • 1x Icarus rocket pod

  • 1x Ironhail heavy stubber

  • 1x Lancer laser destroyer

  • 2x Storm bolter

Gladiator Reaper (160 Points)

  • 1x Armoured hull

  • 1x Icarus rocket pod

  • 1x Ironhail heavy stubber

  • 2x Tempest bolter

  • 1x Twin heavy onslaught gatling cannon

Redemptor Dreadnought (210 Points)

  • 1x Icarus rocket pod

  • 1x Macro plasma incinerator

  • 1x Onslaught gatling cannon

  • 1x Redemptor fist

  • 1x Twin storm bolter

Reiver Squad (80 Points)

  • 1x Reiver Sergeant

     ◦ 1x Combat knife

     ◦ 1x Grapnel Launcher

     ◦ 1x Reiver Grav-chute

     ◦ 1x Special issue bolt pistol

  • 4x Reiver

     ◦ 4x Combat knife

     ◦ 4x Grapnel Launcher

     ◦ 4x Reiver Grav-chute

     ◦ 4x Special issue bolt pistol

Repulsor Executioner (220 Points)

  • 1x Armoured hull

  • 1x Heavy laser destroyer

  • 1x Heavy onslaught gatling cannon

  • 1x Icarus rocket pod

  • 1x Ironhail heavy stubber

  • 1x Repulsor Executioner defensive array

  • 1x Twin Icarus ironhail heavy stubber

  • 1x Twin heavy bolter

Scout Squad (70 Points)

  • 1x Scout Sergeant

     ◦ 1x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Boltgun

     ◦ 1x Close combat weapon

  • 4x Scout

     ◦ 4x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 4x Boltgun

     ◦ 4x Close combat weapon

Storm Speeder Hammerstrike (125 Points)

  • 1x Close combat weapon

  • 1x Hammerstrike missile launcher

  • 2x Krakstorm grenade launcher

  • 1x Melta destroyer