MATCHUP:

Faction: Chaos Knights

Detachment: Lords of Dread

VS

Faction: Space Marines

Detachment: Gladius Task Force

MISSION:

Primary: Linchpin

Terrain: GW Terrain Layout 2

Twist: None

RESULT:

86 – 52 Win for Space Marines

OVERALL TAKEAWAYS:

• Overall game
  • This was a redo of my last game as I was not happy with how I played the Space Marines in that game.
    • I replayed it to try applying some of the concepts from our recent podcast episodes around Hitter, Blocker, and Flex.
  • Despite an early blunder, the game went way better for the Space Marines this time as I focused on cleaning up the list and playing it more like a Flex than a Blocker.  The results, at least for this small sample size, seem to validate that change. 
• Knights
  • Knights deployed very similarly to last game with the Tyrant completely hidden near the home field objective, the Despoiler completely hidden with access to a flank or the middle, the War Dog hiding behind the Despoiler, Rotigus poised to take the natural expansion objective, and 1 Rampager in Strategic Reserves.  I also hid the 2nd Rampager better, which ended up costing the Space Marines. 
  • From a play style perspective, I played the Knights as an Aggressive Blocker.  The goal was to get in the Space Marines’ face early, remove their critical units, and then sticky as many objectives as possible to create a high floor for points.  I was moderately, but not completely, successful at doing this.
  • Space Marines got first turn and the better hiding on the Rampager paid off as it took way less damage.  The secondary cards also favored the Knights as Secure No Man’s Land and Engage on All Fronts aligned perfectly with their aggressive goal.
  • The Knight Rampager was able to push through a spacing gap in the Space Marine lines, which resulted in a Round 1 Advance & Charge into Guilliman.  The Rampager then killed Guilliman in melee, which was a big blow to the Space Marines.  
  • Otherwise, the game played out very similarly to the prior game for the Knights.  The only difference was that the Space Marines were able to kill the last Rampager 1 turn earlier and retained a lot more mobile units, which allowed them to really out maneuver the Knights in the late game.  This especially impacted the Knight Tyrant who got board controlled into never leaving his Deployment Zone while also not having firing lanes into anything other than a Ballistus Dreadnought that was worth its points.
  • Key Combos:
    • None – its Knights.
  • Key Stratagems
    • Claimed For the Dark Gods – Got this one for free each Command Phase and it decided the game by netting me close to 24 points on primary.
    • Rapid Ingress – Setup a really nasty charge through terrain with the Knight Rampager that cleared an entire side of the board for the Knights.
• Space Marines
  • So much better this time with the list changes and a more flexible play style.  
  • Guilliman was out of position in Deployment and I didn’t get effective screens into the center of the board, which resulted in him eating a Round 1 Rampager charge that took him down.  Luckily, he made his 3+ roll to stand back up with 6 wounds remaining.
  • Calgar and the Company Heroes then charged into the Knight Rampager, along with Guilliman, to take out the Rampager.
  • From there, the game played out somewhat similarly to last time, except that the Gladiator Lancer and Ballistus Dreadnought both stayed alive for an extra turn due to a more effective use of the Devastator Doctrine.  This allowed the Space Marines to remove everything except a 1 Wound Rotigus and the Tyrant by the middle of Round 3, which effectively ended what was a tie game at that time.  From there, the Space Marines were able to control the midfield and run up the score on secondaries.
  • Key Combos:
    • Positioning of Uriel Ventris to take advantage of his Vect aura.  In this particular game, that meant charging him through a building and into Rotigus and using him to shut down a potential Fight Phase Interrupt followed by a next turn Insane Bravery stratagem use.
  • Key Stratagems
    • Grenades.  Do anything you can to take wounds of the big Knights.
    • Honor the Chapter – Lance against Knights was a key part of taking them down when Oath of Moment wasn’t available.  Its what helped Ventris and the Company Heroes take down the War Dog.

WHAT I WOULD CHANGE NEXT TIME:

• Chaos Knights
  • If I were truly optimizing, I would swap a Rampager for another Despoiler.
• Space Marines
  • Position Guilliman better and screen the midfield.

EARNED HIMSELF A NAME: Knight Rampager #2.  Steve would approve as this Knight Advance & Charged into Guilliman Round 1, killed him in combat, and then spent 1 CP when he died to Calgar the next turn to blow up on a 4+ (which he made) and take newly stood back up again Guilliman with him when I rolled a 6 for the explosion damage.

MAGNUS OF THE GAME: Guilliman.  See above for how the Knight Rampager ruined his day.

LISTS:

Chaos Knights

Lords of Dread

Strike Force (2,000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Knight Despoiler (375 Points)

  • 1x Daemonbreath meltagun

  • 1x Despoiler gatling cannon

  • 1x Despoiler gatling cannon

  • 1x Havoc missile pod

  • 1x Heavy darkflamer

  • 1x Heavy darkflamer

  • 1x Titanic feet

Knight Rampager (365 Points)

  • 1x Diabolus heavy stubber

  • 1x Reaper chainsword

  • 1x Warpstrike claw

Knight Rampager (390 Points)

  • 1x Diabolus heavy stubber

  • 1x Reaper chainsword

  • 1x Warpstrike claw

  • Enhancements: Throne Mechanicum of Skulls

Knight Tyrant (435 Points)

  • Warlord

  • 1x Brimstone volcano lance

  • 1x Ectoplasma decimator

  • 2x Gheiststrike missile launcher

  • 1x Titanic feet

  • 1x Twin Desecrator cannon

  • 2x Twin daemonbreath meltagun

  • Enhancements: Warp-borne Stalker

OTHER DATASHEETS

War Dog Huntsman (140 Points)

  • 1x Daemonbreath meltagun

  • 1x Daemonbreath spear

  • 1x Reaper chaintalon

ALLIED UNITS

Nurglings (40 Points)

  • 3x Nurgling Swarm

     ◦ 3x Diseased claws and teeth

Rotigus (250 Points)

  • 1x Gnarlrod

  • 1x Streams of brackish filth

Space Marines

Ultramarines

Gladius Task Force

Strike Force (2,000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Captain (95 Points)

  • 1x Bolt Pistol

  • 1x Master-crafted bolter

  • 1x Power fist

  • Enhancements: The Honour Vehement

Captain in Gravis Armour (90 Points)

  • 1x Boltstorm gauntlet

  • 1x Power fist

  • 1x Relic fist

  • Enhancements: Artificer Armour

Lieutenant with Combi-weapon (70 Points)

  • 1x Combi-weapon

  • 1x Paired combat blades

Marneus Calgar (200 Points)

  • 1x Marneus Calgar

     ◦ 1x Gauntlets of Ultramar

  • 2x Victrix Honour Guard

     ◦ 2x Victrix power sword

Roboute Guilliman (340 Points)

  • Warlord

  • 1x Emperor’s Sword

  • 1x Hand of Dominion

Uriel Ventris (95 Points)

  • 1x Bolt Pistol

  • 1x Invictus

  • 1x Sword of Idaeus

BATTLELINE

Intercessor Squad (80 Points)

  • 1x Intercessor Sergeant

     ◦ 1x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Bolt rifle

     ◦ 1x Power fist

  • 4x Intercessor

     ◦ 1x Astartes grenade launcher

     ◦ 4x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 4x Bolt rifle

     ◦ 4x Close combat weapon

OTHER DATASHEETS

Ballistus Dreadnought (150 Points)

  • 1x Armoured feet

  • 1x Ballistus lascannon

  • 1x Ballistus missile launcher

  • 1x Twin storm bolter

Bladeguard Veteran Squad (170 Points)

  • 1x Bladeguard Veteran Sergeant

     ◦ 1x Heavy bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Master-crafted power weapon

  • 5x Bladeguard Veteran

     ◦ 5x Heavy bolt pistol

     ◦ 5x Master-crafted power weapon

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

  • 2x Fragstorm grenade launcher

  • 1x Icarus rocket pod

  • 1x Ironhail heavy stubber

  • 1x Lancer laser destroyer

Scout Squad (70 Points)

  • 1x Scout Sergeant

     ◦ 1x Astartes chainsword

     ◦ 1x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Close combat weapon

  • 4x Scout

     ◦ 4x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 4x Boltgun

     ◦ 4x Close combat weapon

Scout Squad (70 Points)

  • 1x Scout Sergeant

     ◦ 1x Astartes chainsword

     ◦ 1x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Close combat weapon

  • 4x Scout

     ◦ 4x Bolt pistol

     ◦ 4x Boltgun

     ◦ 4x Close combat weapon

Sternguard Veteran Squad (200 Points)

  • 1x Sternguard Veteran Sergeant

     ◦ 1x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 1x Sternguard bolt pistol

     ◦ 1x Sternguard bolt rifle

  • 9x Sternguard Veteran

     ◦ 9x Close combat weapon

     ◦ 9x Sternguard bolt pistol

     ◦ 7x Sternguard bolt rifle

     ◦ 2x Sternguard heavy bolter

ALLIED UNITS

Callidus Assassin (100 Points)

  • 1x Neural shredder

  • 1x Phase sword and poison blades