I played a list utilizing my available models. I wanted to try mech in sixth edition to determine how much vehicles have changed.
The Usual Suspect(s):
2000 Pts - Blood Angels Roster
HQ: Librarian in Power Armour (1#, 100 pts)
1 Librarian in Power Armour, 100 pts
HQ: Librarian in Power Armour (1#, 100 pts)
1 Librarian in Power Armour, 100 pts
Elite: Sanguinary Priest (2#, 160 pts)
1 Sanguinary Priest in Power Armour, 80 pts = (base cost 50 + Melta Bombs 5 + Combi-Plasmagun 10 + Power Axe 15)
1 Sanguinary Priest in Power Armour, 80 pts = (base cost 50 + Melta Bombs 5 + Combi-Plasmagun 10 + Power Axe 15)
Troops: Assault Squad (11#, 251 pts)
7 Assault Squad, 126 pts = 7 * 18
1 Assault Marine with Plasma gun, 33 pts = (base cost 18 + Plasma gun 15)
1 Assault Marine with Plasma gun, 33 pts = (base cost 18 + Plasma gun 15)
1 Sergeant, 43 pts = (base cost 28) + Plasma Pistol x1 15
1 Rhino, 16 pts = (base cost 15 + Searchlight 1)
Troops: Assault Squad (11#, 251 pts)
7 Assault Squad, 126 pts = 7 * 18
1 Assault Marine with Plasma gun, 33 pts = (base cost 18 + Plasma gun 15)
1 Assault Marine with Plasma gun, 33 pts = (base cost 18 + Plasma gun 15)
1 Sergeant, 43 pts = (base cost 28) + Plasma Pistol x1 15
1 Rhino, 16 pts = (base cost 15 + Searchlight 1)
Troops: Assault Squad (9#, 199 pts)
6 Assault Squad, 108 pts = 6 * 18
1 Assault Marine with Plasma gun, 33 pts = (base cost 18 + Plasma gun 15)
1 Sergeant, 43 pts = (base cost 28) + Plasma Pistol x1 15
1 Rhino, 15 pts
Troops: Assault Squad (9#, 199 pts)
6 Assault Squad, 108 pts = 6 * 18
1 Assault Marine with Plasma gun, 33 pts = (base cost 18 + Plasma gun 15)
1 Sergeant, 43 pts = (base cost 28) + Plasma Pistol x1 15
1 Rhino, 15 pts
Troops: Assault Squad (10#, 240 pts)
7 Assault Squad, 126 pts = 7 * 18
1 Assault Marine with Meltagun, 28 pts = (base cost 18 + Meltagun 10)
1 Assault Marine with Meltagun, 28 pts = (base cost 18 + Meltagun 10)
1 Sergeant, 58 pts = (base cost 28) + Infernus Pistol x2 30
Heavy Support: Vindicator (1#, 150 pts)
1 Vindicator, 150 pts = (base cost 145 + Dozer Blade 5)
Heavy Support: Vindicator (1#, 150 pts)
1 Vindicator, 150 pts = (base cost 145 + Dozer Blade 5)
Heavy Support: Stormraven Gunship (1#, 200 pts)
1 Stormraven Gunship, 200 pts (Multi-Melta, Lascannon)
Composition Report:
HQ: 2 (1 - 2)
Elite: 1 (0 - 3)
Troops: 5 (2 - 6)
Fast: 0 (0 - 3)
Heavy: 3 (0 - 3)
Fort: 0 (0 - 1)
(Created with Army Builder® - Try it for free at http://www.wolflair.com)
Four assault Squad(s) with Plasma Gun(s) would provide some decent shooting capability. Prioritizing shooting over assault, I gave each of the four Sgts. a Plasma Pistol rather than a Power Weapon. Two ass/plas squads would make room, each, for a Libby and a Priest. I dressed my Priests to the nines', giving each a combi-plasma, power axe, and melta bombs. Each of these four squads were tucked into their own Rhino. I did not take dozer blade(s) on any of my Rhinos (and this would prove to be a major issue for me in the game).
These units performed well. With dual Librarians providing buffs, and Priests giving FnP bubbles, my Marines survived plasma shots to the face (while still dancing out of range of Six's Orkzez' allies. My one caveat was that I failed 3/4 difficult terrain tests in turn one. Seriously. The one time I don't take dozer blades. Well, my ability to roll ones taking terrain tests have carried over to 6th. That means that I will need to devote points to at least two dozer blades for a couple of Rhinos.
One 10-man Assault Squad equipped with Melta Guns and a Sgt. 'gunslinging' Infernus Pistols. The idea was to wreak havoc in Six's backfield (he usually has one), and neutralize his Colossus and Manticore unit(s). I assigned this unit into combat squads and used deep strike to arrive in Six's backfield. Each unit had within two melta shots. Each squad successfully destroyed the unit they were tasked to neutralize. My Sgt. was not 'juicy' (in juice range for double pen die roll), but that did not hinder him. I don't think Six expected such an attack, and he didn't bubble wrap his artillery as well as he has in the past. I think that will change (especially since he uses an Aegis Line).
I took two Vindicator tanks with dozer blades;
The Vindicators accomplished the two tasks I had assigned to them: Draw enemy fire away from my troops while they 'attempted' to insert themselves into the enemy, and, earn their points back before being destroyed. First part accomplished in spades. Second part...meh not so much. I lost one demolisher cannon at the top of turn one, while Six successfully stunned the second Vindie. In turn two, the damaged Vindie became a shield screening my advancing troops, while the second Vindie managed to nix two or three Orks and pin the unit. The second Vindie died horribly at the top of three. The heavy tanks didn't make up their points, but served their purpose well.
I included a Storm Raven equipped with a TL Lascannon and a TL Multi-Melta. The purpose of this Storm Raven was to hunt Vendettas', and pop tanks.
Scryer's Gaze allowed me to bring my Raven on turn two. I chose to do this in order to neutralize Six's right hook (in the form of a Battlewagon filled with Orks, and a Chimera filled with Plasma Vets) that was hurling toward my objective marker. The Storm Raven managed to blow up the Battlewagon the turn it arrived, and wreck the Chimera in my following turn. As I mentioned above, I was able to pin the Orks, and left the Plasma Vets walking. In turn four I would lose my Raven.
Mission:
The Emperor's Will (Your base, my base)Fielding five troop choices gave me a real good opportunity to hold two objectives...though questionable tactical decisions including objective placement resulted in the opposite, and in turn five I found myself playing for a tie (with a very small chance of a win).
The Battlefield:
Hammer and Anvil
Ugh. Really? Really...short table sides only benefits Six's Colossus, Manticore, and Basilisk superior range- lah!
Warlord Traits:
I wanted to focus on buffing my army (which is primarily troop choice(s), so I rolled on the Strategic Traits' Table and rolled a five, 'Divide to Conquer'. Six would be subtracting one from his reserve rolls. This proved highly beneficial in our game, as it allowed me to focus on his deployed forces without having to duck away from his Vendettas'.
Psychic Powers:
I rolled for psychic powers for both Librarians. My Warlord rolled on the Biomancy table, earning the power(s) 'Warp Speed' and 'Haemorrhage' (hemorrhoid). My Warlord's subordinate rolled from the Divination table. For his first power, I settled on the Primaris power for Divination, 'Prescience'. I rolled Scryer's Gaze for his second power (which proved very, very beneficial for my second turn reserve rolls).
A couple of things: I did make a mistake when playing 'hemorroid' in that I was supposed to roll to hit (as any other shooting attack). Sorry Six, I was mistaken! Haemorrage actually surprised me. I used it against a Vet squad, and because the power causes a wound for every failed toughness test. Against low toughness units, this power can wreak havoc. In the future, I will just stick to Divination whenever available (maybe telekinesis). Hemorrhoid was fun, but I gave up too much not rolling on the Divi tree twice.
Six won the dice-off and chose to go first. He placed his objective in the center of his table half, whereas I placed mine in a ruin located on the left corner of my table side. In hindsight, I would have benefited more by placing it in the center of my table half behind, or in, cover.
Six deployed his forces, leaving Marbo and two outflanking Vendettas' in reserve. I deployed my forces attempting to get cover from Six's ordnance strike that I would inevitably face first turn if I failed to seize the initiative. I checked to see if any of my troops were 'bloody'- they weren't. I then attempted to seize the initiative
and failed (rolling a 3).
Wow, wow, wow. My warlord trait combined with Six's dice rolls staggered his outflanking Vendettas, and kept Marbo out of the fray for two turns. A Vendetta entered the game on turn 3, followed by his second Vendetta and Marbo on turn four. I chose to bring in both combat squads and my Raven on turn two. As I mentioned earlier, both combat squads successfully neutralized an artillery piece hammering my forces, whereas my Raven slowed Six's right hook speeding toward my objective. Luckily, Six whiffed firing his 'licorice' (Icarus) Cannon, and my Raven was spared on the turn it arrived.
As the game ground on, Six managed to perform a grav chute insertion close enough to my objective that allowed him to claim it. I did not allocate troops to hold my objective, and ultimately, lost the game due to this poor tactical decision.
I had mistakenly dismissed the idea, reasoning that I could utilize my fast Rhino(s) to return a squad of marines to my objective later in the game after supporting my army's initial push across the battlefield. Wrong, wrong, wrong. As I mentioned, I stalled 3 of 4 Rhinos in difficult terrain. Six blew one up early on. I managed to repair one Rhino in turn three, which was promptly destroyed by a Vendie in turn four.
My MVP:
My MVP was actually a combat squad of my jump pack assault marines. In turn two said five marines dropped behind Six's Lootas', next to his Colossus- and destroyed the Colossus. The explosion also resulted in Loota' casualt(ies?) as well. Lootas' shot, and broke, the squad killing two marines. In my turn, the three remaining marines rallied, then charged Six's Command Squad (CS) in my assault phase. Six's CS managed to maim one marine firing overwatch. A second marine fell valiantly in the fisticuffs, but not without killing his share of guardsmen in the process.Winning assault, the lone surviving marine ran down Six's CS (which broke and ran), successfully performing a sweeping advance.
That sole marine consolidated so that he touched Six's Licorice Cannon. This allowed me to shoot (and kill) Marbo when he arrived at the top of the following turn three inches away from my objective. Six had positioned Marbo to contest the objective and drop a demo charge on my advancing assault squad attempting to claim it. That lone assault marine succumbed to Loota fire in Six's fourth shooting phase, but, he survived the battle (and in so doing earned a promotion- Sergeant Zamas).
In the end that lone combat squad (5 marines x 18 = 90) + (2 Melta Guns x 10 =20) = 110) claimed a;
140 point Colossus
100(ish) point Command Squad (two plasma gun(s), 1 Lascannon)
65 point Marbo
15-30 point(s) of Lootas(?)
Pretty impressive.
'And They Shall Know No Fear' (ATSKNF) is amazing. I never want my Blood Angels to fall to the Red Thirst ever again- ATSKNF is just too powerful. A unit with at least one model that contains this rule may move an additional 3" in the turn it consolidates. It may also shoot, run, and/or charge/assault as normal in that same turn. If that weren't enough, ATSKNF grants a unit immunity to the 'Fear' special rule. Zing! ATSKNF rallied my beleaguered combat squad and gave me the opportunity to squeeze even more points out of Six's list before the squad was removed from the table. Amazing!
In Conclusion:
Placement in sixth has become even more important than before. Placement of troops, placement of objectives...My two biggest mistakes in this game was my objective marker placement, and not holding it with any troops. Lesson learned!
Transports are fragile in the new edition, and were in 5th as well. In regard to Blood Angels, my fast transports feel as they did in 5th- using Rhinos as a speedy insertion device, rather than a mobile bunker shrugging off glances. It doesn't take much to end their existence now that blast and large-blast templates total circumference scores full damage (Basilisk and Manticore hurt), however, the dreaded failed terrain test is what pulled the plug on my 'Rhinocade'. A couple of Dozer Blades will fix that issue in the future.
Plasma is great, but there are still uses for melta. I will make sure to include at least one unit armed with melta in my future lists.
Divination is amazing. I hear about it. I read about it, but actually playing a game with divination powers really hits that point home. In the future, both Librarians will roll on the Div tree.
