Thousand Sons Rubricae Phalanx vs Salamanders Forgefather’s Seekers

GW Mission	A
Primary	Take and Hold
Terrain Layout	GW Terrain Layout 6
Deployment	Tipping Point
Deployed First	Salamanders
First Turn	Salamanders
Salamanders Secondaries	Tactical
Thousand Sons Secondaries	Tactical

LISTS:

Salamanders:

List

Space Marines

Salamanders

Forgefather’s Seekers

Strike Force (2,000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Adrax Agatone (85 Points)

• 1x Drakkis

• 1x Malleus Noctum

Captain (90 Points)

• 1x Plasma pistol

• 1x Power fist

• Enhancements: Immolator

Captain in Gravis Armour (105 Points)

• 1x Boltstorm gauntlet

• 1x Power fist

• 1x Relic fist

• Enhancements: War-tempered Artifice

Vulkan He’stan (100 Points)

• Warlord

• 1x Bolt Pistol

• 1x Gauntlet of the Forge

• 1x Spear of Vulkan

BATTLELINE

Heavy Intercessor Squad (100 Points)

• 1x Heavy Intercessor Sergeant

◦ 1x Bolt pistol

◦ 1x Close combat weapon

◦ 1x Heavy bolt rifle

• 4x Heavy Intercessor

◦ 4x Bolt pistol

◦ 4x Close combat weapon

◦ 3x Heavy bolt rifle

◦ 1x Heavy bolter

Intercessor Squad (80 Points)

• 1x Intercessor Sergeant

◦ 1x Bolt pistol

◦ 1x Bolt rifle

◦ 1x Close combat weapon

• 4x Intercessor

◦ 4x Bolt pistol

◦ 4x Bolt rifle

◦ 4x Close combat weapon

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Impulsor (80 Points)

• 1x Armoured hull

• 1x Ironhail heavy stubber

• 1x Shield Dome

• 2x Storm bolter

OTHER DATASHEETS

Aggressor Squad (190 Points)

• 1x Aggressor Sergeant

◦ 1x Flamestorm gauntlets

◦ 1x Twin power fists

• 5x Aggressor

◦ 5x Flamestorm gauntlets

◦ 5x Twin power fists

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

Eradicator Squad (90 Points)

• 1x Eradicator Sergeant

◦ 1x Bolt pistol

◦ 1x Close combat weapon

◦ 1x Melta rifle

• 2x Eradicator

◦ 2x Bolt pistol

◦ 2x Close combat weapon

◦ 1x Melta rifle

◦ 1x Multi-melta

Eradicator Squad (90 Points)

• 1x Eradicator Sergeant

◦ 1x Bolt pistol

◦ 1x Close combat weapon

◦ 1x Melta rifle

• 2x Eradicator

◦ 2x Bolt pistol

◦ 2x Close combat weapon

◦ 1x Melta rifle

◦ 1x Multi-melta

Infernus Squad (90 Points)

• 1x Infernus Sergeant

◦ 1x Bolt pistol

◦ 1x Close combat weapon

◦ 1x Pyreblaster

• 4x Infernus Marine

◦ 4x Bolt pistol

◦ 4x Close combat weapon

◦ 4x Pyreblaster

Infernus Squad (180 Points)

• 1x Infernus Sergeant

◦ 1x Bolt pistol

◦ 1x Close combat weapon

◦ 1x Pyreblaster

• 9x Infernus Marine

◦ 9x Bolt pistol

◦ 9x Close combat weapon

◦ 9x Pyreblaster

Infernus Squad (90 Points)

• 1x Infernus Sergeant

◦ 1x Bolt pistol

◦ 1x Close combat weapon

◦ 1x Pyreblaster

• 4x Infernus Marine

◦ 4x Bolt pistol

◦ 4x Close combat weapon

◦ 4x Pyreblaster

Land Raider Redeemer (270 Points)

• 1x Armoured tracks

• 2x Flamestorm cannon

• 1x Hunter-killer missile

• 1x Multi-melta

• 1x Storm bolter

• 1x Twin assault cannon

Repulsor (180 Points)

• 1x Armoured hull

• 1x Hunter-slayer missile

• 1x Las-talon

• 1x Repulsor defensive array

• 1x Twin lascannon

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

Thousand Sons:

List

Thousand Sons

Rubricae Phalanx

Strike Force (2,000 Points)

CHARACTERS

Ahriman (100 Points)

• Warlord

• 1x Black Staff of Ahriman

• 1x Inferno bolt pistol

• 1x Transmogrifying Blast

Exalted Sorcerer (110 Points)

• 1x Astral Blast

• 1x Force weapon

• 1x Inferno bolt pistol

• Enhancements: Risen Rubricae

Exalted Sorcerer (80 Points)

• 1x Astral Blast

• 1x Force weapon

• 1x Inferno bolt pistol

Infernal Master (95 Points)

• 1x Fires of the Abyss

• 1x Force weapon

• 1x Inferno bolt pistol

Infernal Master (95 Points)

• 1x Fires of the Abyss

• 1x Force weapon

• 1x Inferno bolt pistol

BATTLELINE

Rubric Marines (100 Points)

• 1x Aspiring Sorcerer

◦ 1x Force weapon

◦ 1x Malefic Curse

◦ 1x Warpflame pistol

• 4x Rubric Marine

◦ 4x Close combat weapon

◦ 1x Icon of Flame

◦ 3x Inferno boltgun

◦ 1x Soulreaper cannon

Rubric Marines (190 Points)

• 1x Aspiring Sorcerer

◦ 1x Force weapon

◦ 1x Malefic Curse

◦ 1x Warpflame pistol

• 9x Rubric Marine

◦ 9x Close combat weapon

◦ 1x Icon of Flame

◦ 9x Warpflamer

Rubric Marines (100 Points)

• 1x Aspiring Sorcerer

◦ 1x Force weapon

◦ 1x Malefic Curse

◦ 1x Warpflame pistol

• 4x Rubric Marine

◦ 4x Close combat weapon

◦ 1x Icon of Flame

◦ 3x Inferno boltgun

◦ 1x Soulreaper cannon

Rubric Marines (100 Points)

• 1x Aspiring Sorcerer

◦ 1x Force weapon

◦ 1x Malefic Curse

◦ 1x Warpflame pistol

• 4x Rubric Marine

◦ 4x Close combat weapon

◦ 1x Icon of Flame

◦ 3x Inferno boltgun

◦ 1x Soulreaper cannon

Rubric Marines (190 Points)

• 1x Aspiring Sorcerer

◦ 1x Force weapon

◦ 1x Malefic Curse

◦ 1x Warpflame pistol

• 9x Rubric Marine

◦ 9x Close combat weapon

◦ 1x Icon of Flame

◦ 9x Warpflamer

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Chaos Rhino (90 Points)

• 1x Armoured tracks

• 1x Havoc launcher

• 1x Inferno combi-bolter

Chaos Rhino (90 Points)

• 1x Armoured tracks

• 1x Havoc launcher

• 1x Inferno combi-bolter

OTHER DATASHEETS

Mutalith Vortex Beast (170 Points)

• 1x Betentacled maw

• 1x Mutalith claws

• 1x Warp vortex

Scarab Occult Terminators (360 Points)

• 1x Scarab Occult Sorcerer

◦ 1x Force weapon

◦ 1x Inferno combi-bolter

◦ 1x Malefic Curse

• 9x Scarab Occult Terminator

◦ 2x Hellfyre missile rack

◦ 7x Inferno combi-bolter

◦ 9x Prosperine khopesh

◦ 2x Soulreaper cannon

Tzaangor Enlightened with Fatecaster Greatbows (55 Points)

• 1x Aviarch

◦ 1x Close combat weapon

◦ 1x Fatecaster greatbow

• 2x Enlightened

◦ 2x Close combat weapon

◦ 2x Fatecaster greatbow

Tzaangors (70 Points)

• 1x Twistbray

◦ 1x Autopistol

◦ 1x Chainsword

• 9x Tzaangor

◦ 9x Autopistol

◦ 1x Brayhorn

◦ 9x Chainsword

◦ 1x Herd banner

FACTION SPECIFIC STRATEGIES:

Salamanders:

For this list I am trying to ride the line between being competitive enough while still maintaining a distinctly Salamanders thematic feel to how it plays. That means lots of flamers and meltas.

The idea behind the list is to play a tempo and trade game that focuses on being able to do ranged damage during both players’ turns. There are several serious Overwatch threats in this army and different ways to utilize the transports as a core part of the list. The idea is to use those to punish opponents that come out into the midfield to skirmish or Charge by Overwatching them and then forcing them to Charge the vehicles while the Infantry stays safe. The infantry can then use their speed and reliability in shooting to annihilate the opponent while also controlling Objectives.

Win Condition: This is a tough one because I have never played this specific matchup before. In fact, outside of a Crusade game, I have never faced Rubricae Phalanx before at all.

Based on that limited experience, I would take this all as more of a hypothesis than a firm plan. The go in idea is to try to use the detachment ability to dictate the in game matchups to the Thousand Sons. If they push out Rhinos and the MVB, then Salamanders counter with the Eradicators. If they push out the Rubrics, then counter with the Infernus. The real challenge will be how to do this without running into a devastating Overwatch from one of those 10 man Warpflamer Rubric Mariens squads.

Lastly, the one thing that the Salamanders cannot, under any circumstance, do is to allow the big Scarab Occult brick to Deep Strike into their Deployment Zone. That brick is terrifying and they need to keep it in front of them.

What I Want to Work On This Game: I want to play with discipline and gain experience into Thousand Sons as I have minimal experience playing against them.

Category	Description
Leader / Bodyguard Combos:	Adrax Agatone with Company Heroes
	Captain in Gravis Armour with Aggressor Squad
	Vulkan He’stan with Infernus Squad min sized
	Captain with Infernus Squad max sized
Transport / Infantry Combos:	Vulkan He’stan + Infernus Squad min sized in Impulsor
	Captain + Infernus Squad max sized in Repulsor
	Captain in Gravis Armour + Aggressor Squad in Land Raider Redeemer
Strategic Reserves:	N/A
Key Stratagems:	Fire Overwatch [1CP] Opponent’s Movement or Charge phase – WHEN: Your opponent’s Movement or Charge phase, just after an enemy unit is set up or when an enemy unit starts or ends a Normal, Advance or Fall Back move, or declares a charge. TARGET: One unit from your army that is within 24″ of that enemy unit and that would be eligible to shoot if it were your Shooting phase. EFFECT: If that enemy unit is visible to your unit, your unit can shoot that enemy unit as if it were your Shooting phase.
	Armour of Contempt [1CP] Opponent’s Shooting phase or Fight phase – WHEN: Your opponent’s Shooting phase or the Fight phase, just after an enemy unit has selected its targets. TARGET: One ADEPTUS ASTARTES unit from your army that was selected as the target of one or more of the attacking unit’s attacks. EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, each time an attack targets your unit, worsen the Armour Penetration characteristic of that attack by 1.
	Crucible of Battle [1CP] Shooting phase or Fight phase – WHEN: Your Shooting phase or the Fight phase. TARGET: One ADEPTUS ASTARTES INFANTRY unit from your army that has not been selected to shoot or fight this phase. EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, each time a model in your unit makes an attack that targets the closest eligible target within 6″, add 1 to the Wound roll.
	Immolation Protocols [2CP] Shooting phase – WHEN: Your Shooting phase. TARGET: One ADEPTUS ASTARTES unit from your army that has not been selected to shoot this phase. EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, Torrent weapons equipped by models in your unit have the [DEVASTATING WOUNDS] ability.
	Burning Vengeance [1CP] Opponent’s Shooting phase – WHEN: Your opponent’s Shooting phase, just after an enemy unit has shot. TARGET: One ADEPTUS ASTARTES TRANSPORT unit from your army that was selected as the target of one or more of the attacking unit’s attacks. EFFECT: One unit embarked within that TRANSPORT can disembark as if it were your Movement phase, and can then shoot as if it were your Shooting phase, but must target only that enemy unit when doing so, and can only do so if that enemy unit is an eligible target.
Key Combos:	Captain + Infernus Squad max sized + Repulsor + Burning Vengeance stratagem This is used to punish an opponent who tries to shoot your Repulsor. It is range limited to 12 inches thanks to the Infernus Squads’ weapons, but allows you to disembark out of the Repulsor after it was shot and to shoot back at whatever shot it. Then, the Infernus can jump right back into the Repulsor if they get Charged. Its a bit of a gotcha and requires some setup but is a strong deterrent against armies that want to engage in close quarters shooting.
	Vulkan He’stan + Captain + Infernus Squad max sized + Crucible of Battle stratagem + Immolation Protocols stratagem This combo supercharges your Infernus Marines to the point of potentially being able to kill most things in the game. It gives you 10 D6+1 attacks that auto hit, have Strength 6 if within 12 inches, re-rolls to the Wound roll as long as Vulkan can see them, and Devastating Wounds for 1 CP. Bonus if you spend another CP for +1 to Wound.
	Captain in Gravis Armour + Aggressor Squad + Immolation Protocols stratagem Similar to the Infernus Marines combo, this one gives you 6 D6+1 flamers at Strength 5, with built in wound re-rolls thanks to Twin Linked, +1 AP if you target the closest enemy unit, and access to Devastating Wounds for 1 CP.

Thousand Sons:

This is my first go with Thousand Sons and I want to start with Rubricae Phalanx because my Rubric Marines and Scarab Occult Terminators are my favorite models in the army.

The list was designed to be simple and, hopefully, brutal. It leans in hard into the detachment and army rules and plays a large amount of Infantry. The idea is to aggressively deploy 1 max sized unit of Rubric Marines into the midfield thanks to their Enhancement and then to use Ahriman’s re-deploy ability to pull them back if needed. From there the list is designed to give me the option to play aggressively thanks to the durability buffs in the detachment and to have the flexibility to push at the opponent with multiple unit types, either a Rhino/MVB rush or a Rubric rush, depending on the matchup.

From there, the goal is either force the opponent to step up into the midfield to stop the rush, thereby creating space for the Scarab Occult Terminators to drop in behind their lines, or to jail the opponent and kill them in their DZ. I’m not sure how it works in practice and am assuming the list will require some refinement over time, but this is the initial idea.

Win Condition: The Thousand Sons will win this game the old fashioned way, by tabling their opponent. They have better durability thanks to their army rule and the Exalted Sorcerer’s Rebind Rubricae ability and better access to damage across both players’ turns thanks to their Rituals and Overwatch threat. They need to use this to force the Salamanders into action and to not allow the Salamanders to dictate the flow of the game, which they will want to do thanks to their greater mobility.

What I Want to Work On This Game: I want to gain experience playing as Thousand Sons. The goal here is to try playing an army that plays the game differently from most of the armies that I usually play and to start developing a potentially different play style.

Category	Description
Leader / Bodyguard Combos:	Ahriman with Rubric Marines min sized
	Infernal Master with Rubric Marines min sized (with Inferno Bolters)
	Infernal Master with Rubric Marines min sized (with Inferno Bolters)
	Exalted Sorcerer with Rubric Marines max sized (with Warpflamers)
	Exalted Sorcerer with Rubric Marines max sized (with Warpflamers)
Transport / Infantry Combos:	Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 in Chaos Rhino 2
	Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 1 + Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 2 in Chaos Rhino 1
Strategic Reserves:	Scarab Occult Terminators
Key Stratagems:	Fire Overwatch [1CP] Opponent’s Movement or Charge phase – WHEN: Your opponent’s Movement or Charge phase, just after an enemy unit is set up or when an enemy unit starts or ends a Normal, Advance or Fall Back move, or declares a charge. TARGET: One unit from your army that is within 24″ of that enemy unit and that would be eligible to shoot if it were your Shooting phase. EFFECT: If that enemy unit is visible to your unit, your unit can shoot that enemy unit as if it were your Shooting phase.
	Ardent Automata [1CP] Movement phase – WHEN: Your Movement phase, just after a RUBRICAE unit from your army Falls Back. TARGET: That RUBRICAE unit. EFFECT: Until the end of the turn, your unit is eligible to shoot and declare a charge in a turn in which it Fell Back.
	Inexorable Advance [1CP] Movement phase – WHEN: Your Movement phase, when a RUBRICAE unit from your army makes a Normal Move or Advances. TARGET: That RUBRICAE unit. EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, ignore any modifiers to this unit’s Move characteristic and to any Advance rolls made for it. Until the end of the turn, ranged weapons equipped by models in your unit have the [ASSAULT] ability.
	Implacable Guardians [2CP] Opponent’s Shooting phase – WHEN: Your opponent’s Shooting phase, just after an enemy unit has selected its targets. TARGET: One RUBRIC MARINES PSYKER unit from your army that was selected as the target of one or more of the attacking unit’s attacks. EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, each time an attack is allocated to a model in your unit (excluding PSYKER models), subtract 1 from the Damage characteristic of that attack.
	Revenge of the Rubricae [1CP] Opponent’s Shooting phase – WHEN: Your opponent’s Shooting phase, just after a THOUSAND SONS PSYKER model from your army is destroyed. TARGET: One RUBRICAE unit from your army that was within 6″ of that PSYKER model when it was destroyed. EFFECT: After the attacking unit has shot, your RUBRICAE unit can shoot as if it were your Shooting phase, but when resolving those attacks it can only target the enemy unit that just destroyed your PSYKER model (and only if it is an eligible target).
	Unwavering Phalanx [1CP] Fight phase – WHEN: Fight phase, just after an enemy unit has selected its targets. TARGET: One RUBRIC MARINES unit from your army that was selected as the target of one or more of the attacking unit’s attacks. EFFECT: Until the end of the phase, each time an attack targets your unit, subtract 1 from the Wound roll.
Key Combos:	Rubric Marines + Destiny’s Ruin ritual + Twist of Fate ritual + Bringers of Change ability This one is pretty standard for any Thousand Sons list, but if you roll high enough it gives you a unit that re-rolls Hits and Wounds (if the enemy is on an Objective) with up to 3 or 4 AP with Ignores Cover. That will clear pretty much anything without an Invulnerable Save off an Objective.
	Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines max sized + All is Dust detachment rule + Rebind Rubricae ability + Arcane Shield ability This is one of the combos that this list is built around. It results in 2 x 10 man unit’s that have have a 4+ Invulnerable Save, +1 to Save rolls against Damage 1 attacks, and the ability to return 1 to 2 models per Round. Bonus, they also make for a nasty Overwatch or target for Revenge of the Rubricae if you want to do damage in your Opponent’s turn.
	Scarab Occult Terminators + All is Dust detachment rule + Rites of Coalescence ability This is the other major combo that the list is built around. It’s a maxed sized unit that becomes incredibly durable thanks to -1 to Wound against ALL attacks and +1 to Save against Damage 1 attacks, which combos great with Benefits of Cover. The unit also can Deep Strike and pump out an insane amount of damage when paired with Twist of Fate and Destiny’s Ruin.

ROUND-BY-ROUND RECAP:

Salamanders win the roll off and choose to deploy first as they want to ensure they dictate where the Infiltrating Rubrics cannot go for the Thousand Sons. They start by deploying their Scouts in the midfield onto their Natural Expansion Objective and then deploy pretty conservatively after that. Their plan is to try to get the Heavy Intercessors onto their Natural Expansion Objective, to line up the Eradicators into the Rhinos and MVB, and to skirmish lightly with the Thousand Sons until the Scarab Occult Terminators are deployed from Deep Strike.

Thousand Sons deploy a bit more aggressively and look like they are intending to push at the Salamanders. They put Rhino 2, which has the large Rubric Flamer brick in it, in position to attack the Salamanders’ Natural Expansion Objective, the MVB in position to push into the center of the board, and the remaining Rubrics and Rhino in positions where they can counter attack any of the midfield Objectives. Lastly, they start by deploying the large group of Infiltrating Rubrics onto the Salamanders’ Natural Expansion Objective, but then redeploy towards the middle once the Salamanders put their Land Raider Redeemer on that side of the board.

Board state at the end of deployment and redeployment is shown below.

Post Deployment

Salamanders win the roll off and will go first. Neither side chooses to make any Scout Moves.

Board state at the start of the battle is shown below.

Start of the Battle

ROUND 1:

Phase:	Go First: Salamanders
Score at Start	10
CP at Start	1
Command	[Salamanders] Draw Secondaries: Recover Assets & Overwhelming Force [Salamanders] Intercessor Squad uses Objective Secured to sticky Objective 2 [Salamanders] Oath of Moment on Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 1
Movement	[Salamanders] Land Raider Redeemer Advances towards Objective 5 [Salamanders] Repulsor Makes a Normal Move towards Objective 4 [Salamanders] Scout Squad Makes a Normal Move back to Perform an Action [Salamanders] Heavy Intercessor Squad Advances onto Objective 3 [Salamanders] Eradicator Squad 1 Makes a Normal Move to Stage [Salamanders] Eradicator Squad 2 Makes a Normal Move to Stage [Salamanders] Infernus Squad Makes a Normal Move to Stage [Salamanders] Impulsor Makes a Normal Move to Stage [Salamanders] Intercessor Squad Makes a Normal Move to Screen
Shooting	[Salamanders] Intercessor Squad Performs Recover Assets [Salamanders] Scout Squad Performs Recover Assets [Salamanders] Repulsor Shoots Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 1 and Kills 2 Models [Salamanders] Land Raider Redeemer Split Fires and Shoots Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 1 to Kill 1 Model and Shoots Chaos Rhino 2 to Deal 2 Damage
Charge	[Salamanders] None
Fight	[Salamanders] None
End of Turn	[Salamanders] Scores Secondary: Recover Assets — 3 VP [Salamanders] Drops Secondary: Overwhelming Force for 1 CP
Score at End	13
CP at End	1

A good first turn for the Salamanders as they push out aggressively with their vehicles. They seem to be trying to force a response from the Thousand Sons by leading with their toughest units first. They also are trying to get out into the middle early to setup their Overwatches or a potential use of Burning Vengeance. So far so good from their perspective.

Board state in the middle of Round 1 is below.

Middle of Round 1

Phase:	Go Second: Thousand Sons
Score at Start	10
CP at Start	2
Command	[Thousand Sons] Draw Secondaries: Sabotage & Overwhelming Force [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 1 uses Rebind Rubricae to return 2 Models
Movement	[Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 Disembarks from Chaos Rhino 2 and uses Inexorable Advance to Advance towards Objective 3 [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 4 [Thousand Sons] Mutalith Vortex Beast Makes a Normal Move towards Objective 4 to Shoot [Thousand Sons] Chaos Rhino 2 Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 1 [Thousand Sons] Chaos Rhino 1 Makes a Normal Move to Stage [Thousand Sons] Tzaangor Enlightened Advance back to Hide [Thousand Sons] Ahriman + Rubric Marines Makes a Normal Move to Stage
Shooting	[Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer 1 uses Temporal Surge to Move onto Objective 3 [Thousand Sons] Aspiring Sorcerer in Rubric Marines 2 fails Twist of Fate and unit takes 1 Mortal Wound [Thousand Sons] Aspiring Sorcerer in Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 1 uses Destiny’s Ruin on Repulsor [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer 2 uses Doombolt into Repulsor for 2 Mortal Wounds and takes 2 Mortal Wounds [Salamanders] Heavy Intercessor Squad uses Armour of Contempt [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 Shoots Heavy Intercessor Squad and Kills 3 Models [Thousand Sons] Mutalith Vortex Beast Shoots Repulsor and Whiffs [Thousand Sons] Ahriman + Rubric Marines Performs Sabotage
Charge	[Thousand Sons] None
Fight	[Thousand Sons] None
End of Turn	[Salamanders] Scout Squad uses Guerrilla Tactics to go into Strategic Reserves
Score at End	10
CP at End	2

A bit of a “meh” turn for the Thousand Sons. They are obviously very wary of the Overwatch threats from the Salamanders and did a lot of backing up or moving only when it was out of phase and safe. They also failed or only got smaller versions of their Cabal Rituals and so did not do as much damage as they had hoped to alleviate some of the Salamanders’ pressure play.

On the positive side, they successfully played around the Salamanders Overwatch threat and did not trigger Burning Vengeance by focusing on move blocking the Salamanders with Exalted Sorcerer + Rubrics 1 and not gifting the Salamanders an easy chance to do some devastating, out of sequence Damage. They were choosing to accept a temporary tempo loss in order to avoid a crippling early game blow.

Board state at the end of Round 1 is shown below.

End of Round 1

ROUND 2:

Phase:	Go First: Salamanders
Score at Start	13
CP at Start	2
Command	[Salamanders] Draw Secondaries: Engage on All Fronts & Secure No Man’s Land [Salamanders] Heavy Intercessor Squad passes Battle Shock [Salamanders] Oath of Moment on Mutalith Vortex Beast [Salamanders] Score Primary — 10 VP
Movement	[Salamanders] Land Raider Redeemer Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 5 [Salamanders] Captain in Gravis Armour + Aggressor Squad Disembark from Land Raider Redeemer [Salamanders] Repulsor Advances onto Objective 3 [Salamanders] Impulsor Advances onto Objective 4 [Salamanders] Scout Squad Deploys into Salamanders Deployment Zone [Salamanders] Adrax Agatone + Company Heroes Deploy onto Objective 5 [Thousand Sons] Scarab Occult Terminators use Rapid Ingress to Deep Strike near Objective 5
Shooting	[Salamanders] Land Raider Redeemer Split Fires into Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 1 and Kills 5 Models and Whiffs into Mutalith Vortex Beast [Salamanders] Captain in Gravis Armour + Aggressor Squad Kills Rubric Marines 1 and leaves Exalted Sorcerer 1 on 2 Wounds [Salamanders] Impulsor Shoots Exalted Sorcerer 1 and Kills the Unit [Salamanders] Repulsor Split Fires and Deals 8 Damage to Mutalith Vortex Beast and Whiffs into Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 [Salamanders] Heavy Intercessor Squad Whiffs into Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 [Salamanders] Adrax Agatone + Company Heroes Shoots Scarab Occult Terminators and Whiffs
Charge	[Salamanders] None
Fight	[Salamanders] None
End of Turn	[Salamanders] Scores Secondary: Engage on All Fronts — 2 VP [Salamanders] Scores Secondary: Secure No Man’s Land — 5 VP [Thousand Sons] Scores Secondary: Sabotage — 3 VP
Score at End	30
CP at End	3

Another good turn for the Salamanders as they score on both Secondaries and also get 10 on Primaries. Even better, they have eliminated a major threat from the center of the board, the Exalted Sorcerer + Rubrics 1, and are positioned to dominate the midfield for the next Round or so. The Thousand Sons still have a lot of Damage Dealers up and are poised to crack back, but the Salamanders are in a strong position to start.

Board state in the middle of Round 2 is shown below.

Middle of Round 2

Phase:	Go Second: Thousand Sons
Score at Start	13
CP at Start	3
Command	[Thousand Sons] Draw Secondaries: A Tempting Target [Salamanders] Pick Objective 1 as Tempting Target [Thousand Sons] Mutalith Vortex Beast passes Battle Shock [Thousand Sons] Score Primary — 5 VP
Movement	[Thousand Sons] Scarab Occult Terminators Make a Normal Move towards Objective 5 to Shoot and Charge [Thousand Sons] Tzaangor Enlightened Make a Normal Move towards Objective 5 to Shoot [Thousand Sons] Mutalith Vortex Beast Makes a Normal Move towards Repulsor to Shoot [Thousand Sons] Ahriman + Rubric Marines Makes a Normal Move to Shoot Repulsor [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 3 to Shoot
Shooting	[Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer 2 uses Twist of Fate on Repulsor [Thousand Sons] Aspiring Sorcerer in Ahriman + Rubric Marines uses Temporal Surge on Mutalith Vortex Beast [Thousand Sons] Ahriman uses Doombolt to Kill Heavy Intercessor Squad [Thousand Sons] Aspiring Sorcerer in Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 uses Destiny’s Ruin on Repulsor [Thousand Sons] Mutalith Vortex Beast Shoots Repulsor and Deals 8 Damage [Thousand Sons] Ahriman + Rubric Marines Shoots Repulsor and Destroys the Unit [Salamanders] Captain + Infernus Squad takes 2 Mortal Wounds Disembarking [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 Shoots Captain + Infernus Squad and Kills 5 Models [Thousand Sons] Tzaangor Enlightened Shoots Adrax Agatone + Company Heroes and Whiffs [Thousand Sons] Scarab Occult Terminators Shoot Adrax Agatone + Company Heroes and Kill 2 Models
Charge	[Salamanders] Adrax Agatone + Company Heroes uses Blazing Earth [Thousand Sons] Scarab Occult Terminators Declare a Charge into Adrax Agatone + Company Heroes — Charge Succeeded
Fight	[Salamanders] Adrax Agatone + Company Heroes uses Armour of Contempt [Thousand Sons] Scarab Occult Terminators Fight Adrax Agatone + Company Heroes and Kill 1 Model [Salamanders] Adrax Agatone + Company Heroes Fight Scarab Occult Terminators and Kill 2 Models
End of Turn	[Thousand Sons] Scores Secondary: Overwhelming Force — 5 VP [Thousand Sons] Drops Secondary: A Tempting Target for 1 CP [Salamanders] Scout Squad uses Guerrilla Tactics to go into Strategic Reserves
Score at End	23
CP at End	4

And there is the crackback from the Thousand Sons. Unlike the last turn, all of the Thousand Sons Rituals went off, with most of them hitting maximum value. As a result they had a good turn on Secondaries, were able to bank more CP, and removed some of the Salamanders’ mid board units. They still have a hole to dig out of, but things are looking up.

Board state at the end of Round 2 is shown below.

End of Round 2

ROUND 3:

Phase:	Go First: Salamanders
Score at Start	30
CP at Start	3
Command	[Salamanders] Draw Secondaries: Cleanse & Extend Battle Lines [Salamanders] Drop Secondary: Cleanse for Defend Stronghold for 1 CP [Salamanders] Adrax Agatone + Company Heroes uses Insane Bravery [Salamanders] Oath of Moment on Scarab Occult Terminators [Salamanders] Score Primary — 5 VP
Movement	[Salamanders] Adrax Agatone + Company Heroes Falls Back [Salamanders] Captain + Infernus Squad Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 3 [Salamanders] Captain in Gravis Armour + Aggressor Squad Advances onto Objective 4 [Salamanders] Land Raider Redeemer Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 5 [Salamanders] Impulsor Advances towards Mutalith Vortex Beast [Salamanders] Eradicator Squad 2 Advances towards Objective 3 [Salamanders] Scout Squad Deploys into Salamanders Deployment Zone
Shooting	[Salamanders] Land Raider Redeemer Shoots Scarab Occult Terminators and Kills 3 Models [Salamanders] Captain + Infernus Squad uses Immolation Protocols [Salamanders] Captain + Infernus Squad Shoots Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 and Kills 3 Models (including the Aspiring Sorcerer) [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 passes Battle Shock [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 uses Revenge of the Rubricae and Kills 5 Models from Captain + Infernus Squad leaving only the Captain [Salamanders] Impulsor Shoots Ahriman + Rubric Marines and Kills 3 Models [Salamanders] Eradicator Squad 2 Whiffs into Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2
Charge	[Salamanders] Land Raider Redeemer Declares a Charge into Scarab Occult Terminators — Charge Succeeded [Salamanders] Impulsor Declares a Charge into Ahriman + Rubric Marines — Charge Succeeded
Fight	[Salamanders] Impulsor Fights Ahriman + Rubric Marines and Whiffs [Salamanders] Land Raider Redeemer Fights Scarab Occult Terminators and Whiffs [Thousand Sons] Ahriman + Rubric Marines Fights Impulsor and Deals 6 Damage [Salamanders] Land Raider Redeemer uses Armour of Contempt [Thousand Sons] Scarab Occult Terminators Fight Land Raider Redeemer and Whiff
End of Turn	[Salamanders] Scores Secondary: Extend Battle Lines — 4 VP [Thousand Sons] Tzaangor use Ambushing Hunters to go into Strategic Reserves
Score at End	39
CP at End	0

That was a punishing turn for the Thousand Sons as the Salamanders continue to press their advantage from Round 2. The Immolation Protocols combo on the Infernus Squad put a significant dent in Exalted Sorcerer + Rubrics 2 and the Land Raider Redeemer started clearing the Scarab Occult Terminators’ board presence. The Impulsor charging into Ahriman’s unit was also a nice move to tie them up and buy time to hopefully keep the Salamanders ahead.

The bad news for the Salamanders is that Revenge of the Rubricae really hurt the Infernus Squad and left only the Captain standing, which is a real blow to their damage output going forward. The Thousand Sons have a lot of damage still on the board and this is about to get very interesting.

Board state in the middle of Round 3 is shown below.

Middle of Round 3

Phase:	Go Second: Thousand Sons
Score at Start	23
CP at Start	4
Command	[Thousand Sons] Draw Secondaries: Marked for Death & Secure No Man’s Land [Salamanders] Mark Land Raider Redeemer, Intercessor Squad, and Scout Squad as Targets [Thousand Sons] Mark Captain as Target [Thousand Sons] Drop Secondary: Marked for Death for Recover Assets [Thousand Sons] Mutalith Vortex Beast fails Battle Shock [Thousand Sons] Ahriman + Rubric Marines passes Battle Shock [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 uses Rebind Rubricae to return 2 Models [Thousand Sons] Score Primary — 15 VP
Movement	[Thousand Sons] Tzaangor Enlightened Make a Normal Move to Shoot onto Objective 4 [Thousand Sons] Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 1 Disembark from Chaos Rhino 1 to Shoot onto Objective 4 [Thousand Sons] Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 2 Disembark from Chaos Rhino 2 to Shoot onto Objective 4 [Thousand Sons] Chaos Rhino 1 Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 4 [Thousand Sons] Tzaangors Deploy into Salamanders Deployment Zone [Thousand Sons] Mutalith Vortex Beast uses Warp Vortex to Deal 3 Mortal Wounds to Impulsor
Shooting	[Thousand Sons] Infernal Master 2 uses Temporal Surge on Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 1 [Thousand Sons] Aspiring Sorcerer in Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 2 uses Destiny’s Ruin on Captain in Gravis Armour + Aggressor Squad [Thousand Sons] Ahriman uses Doombolt and Destroys the Impulsor [Salamanders] Impulsor Explodes dealing 2 Mortal Wounds to Ahriman + Rubric Marines, 1 Mortal Wound to Mutalith Vortex Beast [Salamanders] Vulkan He’stan + Infernus Squad take 3 Mortal Wounds Disembarking [Salamanders] Vulkan He’stan picks Objective 3 for Seeker of the Unfound [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer 2 uses Twist of Fate on Captain in Gravis Armour + Aggressor Squad and takes 3 Mortal Wounds [Thousand Sons] Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 2 Shoots Captain in Gravis Armour + Aggressor Squad and Kills 5 Models [Thousand Sons] Infernal Master 2 passes Hazardous [Thousand Sons] Tzaangors Perform Recover Assets [Thousand Sons] Chaos Rhino 1 Performs Recover Assets [Thousand Sons] Chaos Rhino 2 Performs Recover Assets [Thousand Sons] Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 1 Shoots Aggressor Squad and Destroys the Unit [Thousand Sons] Infernal Master 1 passes Hazardous [Thousand Sons] Tzaangor Enlightened Deals 2 Damage to Captain in Gravis Armour [Thousand Sons] Mutalith Vortex Beast Shoots Vulkan He’stan + Infernus Squad and Kills 2 Models [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 Split Fires to Kill Captain and remaining Infernus Squad with Vulkan He’stan with a CP re-roll [Thousand Sons] Ahriman + Rubric Marines Whiffs into Vulkan He’stan
Charge	[Thousand Sons] None
Fight	[Salamanders] Land Raider Redeemer Fights Scarab Occult Terminators and Whiffs [Thousand Sons] Scarab Occult Terminators Fight Land Raider Redeemer and Deal 2 Damage
End of Turn	[Thousand Sons] Scores Secondary: Recover Assets — 5 VP [Thousand Sons] Scores Secondary: Secure No Man’s Land — 5 VP [Salamanders] Scout Squad uses Guerrilla Tactics to go into Strategic Reserves
Score at End	48
CP at End	2

And there it is, the Thousand Sons’ big turn finally arrives and it was worth the wait. They scored a maximum 15 VP on Primary, fired off nearly all of their Cabal Rituals at full value, and systematically dismantled the Salamanders’ midfield presence. The Impulsor exploding was a painful bonus that hit multiple units while the Exalted Sorcerer + Rubrics 2 bought time to score more points this turn before they become a major target next turn.

The Thousand Sons have now erased most of the Salamanders’ main damage dealers from the midfield and are starting to claw back on the scoreboard in a serious way. The Salamanders still hold a lead, but the momentum has completely shifted. Rounds 4 and 5 are going to be very interesting for both sides as this one may come down to the wire.

Board state at the end of Round 3 is shown below.

End of Round 3

ROUND 4:

Phase:	Go First: Salamanders
Score at Start	42
CP at Start	2
Command	[Salamanders] Draw Secondaries: Marked for Death & Establish Locus [Thousand Sons] Mark Chaos Rhino 2, Tzaangor Enlightened, and Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 as Targets [Salamanders] Mark Chaos Rhino 1 as Target [Salamanders] Oath of Moment on Scarab Occult Terminators [Salamanders] Score Primary — 10 VP
Movement	[Salamanders] Eradicator Squad 1 Advances onto Objective 4 [Salamanders] Eradicator Squad 2 Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 3 [Salamanders] Infernus Squad Advances to Shoot onto Objective 3 [Salamanders] Scout Squad Deploys into Thousand Sons Deployment Zone
Shooting	[Salamanders] Vulkan He’stan picks Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 as Forgefather Target [Salamanders] Infernus Squad uses Immolation Protocols [Salamanders] Infernus Squad Shoots Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 and Kills 3 Models [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 passes Battle Shock [Salamanders] Vulkan He’stan Shoots Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 and Kills 2 Models [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 passes Battle Shock [Salamanders] Eradicator Squad 1 Shoots Chaos Rhino 1 and Destroys the Unit [Salamanders] Eradicator Squad 2 Shoots Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 and Kills 2 Models [Salamanders] Land Raider Redeemer Shoots Scarab Occult Terminators and Destroys the Unit [Salamanders] Scout Squad Performs Establish Locus
Charge	[Salamanders] Vulkan He’stan Declares a Charge into Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 — Charge Succeeded [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 uses Fire Overwatch and Kill Vulkan He’stan [Salamanders] Eradicator Squad 2 Declares a Charge into Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 — Charge Succeeded
Fight	[Salamanders] Eradicator Squad 2 Fights Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 and Deals 1 Damage [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 Fights Eradicator Squad 2 and Kills 2 Models
End of Turn	[Salamanders] Scores Secondary: Marked for Death — 2 VP [Salamanders] Scores Secondary: Establish Locus — 4 VP [Thousand Sons] Tzaangors use Ambushing Hunters to go into Strategic Reserves
Score at End	58
CP at End	2

The Salamanders dig deep and answer back with another strong turn. The Land Raider Redeemer destroying the Scarab Occult Terminators was huge as removing it frees up the late game board considerably. Vulkan + Infernus Squad also put serious work into Exalted Sorcerer + Rubrics 2, though the mistaken sequencing of Charges that led to Vulkan getting Overwatched to death was a real gut punch.

The Salamanders are running very low on models now and need to be efficient with what they have left. They are still up on VP heading into the Thousand Sons’ turn, but it is going to be a VERY close finish.

Board state in the middle of Round 4 is shown below.

Middle of Round 4

Phase:	Go Second: Thousand Sons
Score at Start	48
CP at Start	3
Command	[Thousand Sons] Draw Secondaries: Engage on All Fronts & Bring It Down [Thousand Sons] Drop Secondary: Bring It Down for Storm Hostile Objective [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 uses Insane Bravery [Thousand Sons] Mutalith Vortex Beast fails Battle Shock [Thousand Sons] Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 2 uses Rebind Rubricae to return 1 Model [Thousand Sons] Score Primary — 10 VP
Movement	[Thousand Sons] Ahriman Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 4 [Salamanders] Infernus Squad uses Fire Overwatch and Kills Ahriman [Thousand Sons] Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 2 uses Inexorable Advance to Advance onto Objective 4 [Thousand Sons] Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 1 Makes a Normal Move to Shoot Objective 4 [Thousand Sons] Tzaangor Enlightened Make a Normal Move to Shoot Objective 4 [Thousand Sons] Mutalith Vortex Beast Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 3 [Thousand Sons] Tzaangors Deploy into Salamanders Deployment Zone [Thousand Sons] Mutalith Vortex Beast Deals 5 Mortal Wounds to Eradicator Squad 2
Shooting	[Thousand Sons] Infernal Master 2 uses Twist of Fate on Infernus Squad [Thousand Sons] Aspiring Sorcerer in Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 2 uses Doombolt on Captain in Gravis Armour, Destroys the Unit, and takes 1 Mortal Wound [Thousand Sons] Aspiring Sorcerer in Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 2 uses Destiny’s Ruin on Intercessor Squad [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer in Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 fails Twist of Fate on Infernus Squad [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 Shoots Eradicator Squad 2 and Destroys the Unit [Thousand Sons] Mutalith Vortex Beast Shoots Infernus Squad and Kills 2 Models [Thousand Sons] Tzaangor Enlightened Shoots Infernus Squad and Kills 2 Models [Thousand Sons] Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 1 Shoots Eradicator Squad 1 and Kills 1 Model [Thousand Sons] Infernal Master 1 passes Hazardous [Thousand Sons] Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 2 Shoots Eradicator Squad 1 and Destroys the Unit [Thousand Sons] Infernal Master 2 passes Hazardous
Charge	[Thousand Sons] None
Fight	[Thousand Sons] None
End of Turn	[Thousand Sons] Scores Secondary: Storm Hostile Objective — 4 VP [Thousand Sons] Scores Secondary: Engage on All Fronts — 2 VP [Salamanders] Scout Squad uses Guerrilla Tactics to go into Strategic Reserves
Score at End	64
CP at End	0

Another big Thousand Sons turn as they continue to systematically remove Salamanders units from the board. Despite the Infernus Squad’s Overwatch killing Ahriman as he moved onto Objective 4, the Thousand Sons’ damage output was relentless. The Doombolt on the Captain in Gravis Armour, the MVB’s mortal wounds, and the coordinated fire from Infernal Master + Rubrics 1 and 2 cleared most of what was left in the Salamanders’ midfield.

The Salamanders are getting close to being tabled at this point. Their lead has shrunk heading into the final round and the Thousand Sons still have most of their key pieces on the board. This could be a “magical” comeback.

Board state at the end of Round 4 is shown below.

End of Round 4

ROUND 5:

Phase:	Go First: Salamanders
Score at Start	58
CP at Start	1
Command	[Salamanders] Draw Secondaries: Behind Enemy Lines & Storm Hostile Objective [Salamanders] Adrax Agatone + Company Heroes passes Battle Shock [Salamanders] Infernus Squad passes Battle Shock [Salamanders] Oath of Moment on Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 2 [Salamanders] Score Primary — 10 VP
Movement	[Salamanders] Land Raider Redeemer Advances onto Objective 4 [Salamanders] Infernus Squad Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 4 [Salamanders] Adrax Agatone + Company Heroes Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 5 [Salamanders] Scout Squad Deploys into Thousand Sons Deployment Zone
Shooting	[Salamanders] Land Raider Redeemer Shoots Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 2 and Destroys the Unit
Charge	[Salamanders] None
Fight	[Salamanders] None
End of Turn	[Salamanders] Scores Secondary: Behind Enemy Lines — 3 VP [Salamanders] Scores Secondary: Storm Hostile Objective — 4 VP [Thousand Sons] Tzaangors use Ambushing Hunters to go into Strategic Reserves
Score at End	75
CP at End	2

A clean and efficient final turn for the Salamanders. They don’t have many models left but they used every single one of them effectively with the Land Raider Redeemer destroying Infernal Master + Rubrics 2 as a key denial move and getting the Scout Squad into the Thousand Sons’ Deployment Zone to score Behind Enemy Lines. Additionally, keeping Adrax Agatone + Company Heroes on Objective 5 denies the Thousand Sons sneaking onto it at the end game. The Salamanders have locked in 75 VP. Now it is all down to whether the Thousand Sons can score enough to overtake them.

Board state in the middle of Round 5 is shown below.

Middle of Round 5

Phase:	Go Second: Thousand Sons
Score at Start	64
CP at Start	2
Command	[Thousand Sons] Draw Secondaries: Assassination & Area Denial [Thousand Sons] Drop Secondary: Area Denial for Defend Stronghold [Thousand Sons] Exalted Sorcerer + Rubric Marines 2 passes Battle Shock [Thousand Sons] Mutalith Vortex Beast fails Battle Shock
Movement	[Thousand Sons] Tzaangor Enlightened Make a Normal Move to Shoot Objective 5 [Thousand Sons] Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 1 uses Inexorable Advance to Advance towards Objective 4 [Salamanders] Land Raider Redeemer uses Fire Overwatch on Infernal Master + Rubric Marines 1 and Destroys the Unit
Shooting	[Thousand Sons] Tzaangor Enlightened uses Precision to Kill Adrax Agatone out of Adrax Agatone + Company Heroes
Charge	[Thousand Sons] None
Fight	[Thousand Sons] None
End of Turn	[Thousand Sons] Scores Secondary: Assassination — 5 VP [Thousand Sons] Scores Secondary: Defend Stronghold — 3 VP [Thousand Sons] Score Primary — 10 VP
Score at End	82
CP at End	0

A strong finish from the Thousand Sons and they score just enough to squeak out a win. The Tzaangor Enlightened picking out Adrax Agatone via Precision was a great cinematic moment to end the game, even if it was a little lucky. Also, the Overwatch from the Land Raider Redeemer killing Infernal Master + Rubrics 1 before they could score was a fittingly dramatic final exchange. The Thousand Sons score their 10 VP Primary plus Assassination and Defend Stronghold to finish on 82, just ahead of the Salamanders’ 75.

Board state at the end of the game is shown below.

End of Round 5

RESULT:

Singles Format: 75 – 82 Thousand Sons WIN

WTC Teams Format: 9-11 Thousand Sons WIN

GAME REVIEW:

For my first game with Thousand Sons, I will take this. It was super fun and there was a level of intentionality for each turn that reminded me a bit of Emperor’s Children and I really liked it. I ended up not playing the game nearly as aggressively as I wanted to with them, but it still worked out and the cagey way that Rounds 1 and 2 were played almost reminded me of playing Coterie of the Conceited before going “all in” and dropping the hammer in Rounds 3 and 4.

From a Salamanders’ perspective, this game was also super fun. I love this list and it’s always a joy to play. There were some minor mistakes that the Salamanders made that ultimately gave the game to the Tsons, but it still was a blast to play. There are also some potential list changes that could be made to add in some protection against the litany of Psychic attacks that really punished the Salamanders (spoilers for how I may change the list for 11th).

Lastly, this game made me super excited for 11th Edition as I could feel where the new changes will improve gameplay, although it will also make both lists way more lethal. In this particular case, both armies effectively played around Overwatch for most of the first 3 Battle Rounds and only started eating damage from Overwatch in the late game when they ran out of options. In 11th, the new Overwatch rules will make that much more difficult to play around potentially would have swung this game to the Salamanders, especially since the decisive Overwatch was a Charge Phase one, which is no longer allowed. I also see a few ways to tweek my Salamanders list to make it even better now that I know Forgefathers will only be 2 DP thanks to this week’s releases.

WHAT I WOULD CHANGE NEXT TIME:

Salamanders
- The key moment that stands out was the Round 4 Charge Phase. Sending Vulkan in first was a mistake that led to him dying. The Eradicators should have gone in first to tie down the Overwatch before sending Vulkan in. He then would have out OC’d the Rubrics there for the rest of the game. That mistake cost the Salamanders the game as it created a 10 point swing.
Thousand Sons
- There were some logistical mistakes that I made along the way with this game as far as managing the Cabal system and which models could do what, but that just made the game slow to play and didn’t show up in the writeup. There were also some early Cabal Ritual failures that slowed down the Thousand Sons game plan. Beyond that, I think this was a good first attempt with this list and faction and look forward to playing it again.

EARNED THEMSELF A NAME:

Exalted Sorcerer + Rubrics 2. This unit singlehandedly held down an entire flank for most of the game by surviving multiple Battle Shock attempts and then killing more than their points worth of enemies and wracking up significant VP.

MAGNUS OF THE GAME:

Vulkan. Not his fault but that Round 4 Charge mistake was decisive in a bad way.

A close second would be the MVB who didn’t do enough to justify its points. I may swap him out for a Daemon Prince in the future in order to get another Parker on the board, but we’ll see.

CINEMATIC MOMENTS OF THE GAME:

None here as I got too invested in the game and forgot to take them. Sorry, this is becoming a bad trend that I need to start leaving reminders for myself to fix.