A Whole Sunday of 40k! - Black Templars vs Mech IG

"Targets on approach. ALL RANKS, OPEN FIRE!!!"

On Sunday, Ryan and I played 2x Battle Mission games: Prepared Assault & Surprise Attack. Each were designed to favor one of our armies, the fore being his and the latter being mine. I was holding my breath until the very last turn on both.   I've captured some of the highlights but the rest will be left to your imagination and interpretation of the images.  I have to figure out the most intuitive but comprehensive way to present battle reports.

Prepared Assault

Premise/Setup:
- 1200 pts. Mechanicus IG deployed to overrun Templar positions and capture technology sites. Game surface split in half. 1st tech site is centrally located. 2nd and 3rd tech sites are on the Templar's half of the board.

Highlights:
- The Mech IG looked bad ass as they lined the board edge. So many!
- The Vindicator lost its siege weapon in the 1st round and relied on its storm bolter, which killed quite a few IG.
- 5x Templars were roasted by a single flame template!!! I was only running 2x troop units so that hurt.
- IG Command squad had a Las Cannon set up with an excellent field of view. It rained destruction across the board.
- BT Typhoon Land Speeders reaped havoc on both meat and armor.
- The Templar's Champion fulfilled his purpose and eliminated all IG troop units before being incapacitated by heavy bolter fire.
- Stray round markers were hilarious! 3 pieces of paper that fall from about eye-height. Where ever they land signified a stray round and an ordinance template 8/3 is applied over the marker. The IG had the most success with these. No significant damage was actually dealt but the fact that these things were falling every turn made us reconsider force employment and kept the game more tense than normal.

MADWARS' Commentary:
The mission was an outstanding break from the traditional ones outlined in the rule book. I felt like I was getting my arse kicked for the first 3 rounds. My vehicles were constantly being stunned or weapons were being destroyed, my favorite Templar unit was barbecued and Terminators fell one by one (like always). I focused most of my effort on repelling the units on the left flank until there was nothing left and then shifted everything to the right and ultimately converged into central objective. It was difficult to prioritize targets at first... the IG were many and were arrayed in such a fashion that I could not launch an effective supported assault.

I'm not sure what Ryan could have done differently in the battle to change the outcome. All of his movements and target priorities were what I would have chosen. He did inflict some harrowing casualties on my Templars but it cost him the objectives. The game lasted all 7 rounds and was the best I've played in quite awhile!

Victor: BLACK TEMPLARS

Surprise Attack

Premise/Setup:
- 1200pts. Primary Mechanicus IG HQ located. Templars execute surprise attack. IG set up centrally on existing structures. Templars chose corner deployment  and automatically received first turn. Special rules provided the IG some leadership advantages and allowed BT to deepstrike on the first turn if desired... I didn't.

Highlights:
- The Templars 1st turn was a complete waste. Everything that needed to hit missed.
- The wheeling maneuver Ryan used was awesome. In one round all of his tanks and support units were brought to bear.
- Brother Grymm the dreadnought was incapacitated in the first round of battle... he was venerable too!
- An Armored Sentinel driver kept the BT Champion and his squad tied up for the entire game. Absolutely ludicrous!
- The Mech IG General some how escaped the maelstrom in the center of the table. I have no idea how that was possible but it was kind of funny when you imagine it... "You there... 1st LT, take your 10x men and hold off the Emperor's Champion and those fanatical Templars that are charging up behind him... oh, and don't forget about those Terminators on your right flank. I'll be right back..."
- IG Veterans were denied action by a bolter-wielding Crusader squad that dropped onto the battle field.
- The BT Typhoon landspeeders ripped through the armored lines. Even when immobilized they were extremely effective (Note: units were 2x Fast Attack choices / not grouped).
- The Terminators fell one by one. The last was extremely hard to kill and ripped through multiple units of troops and a couple tanks. It was almost hilarious at how much firepower this guy shrugged off. Eventually he would fall to a las cannon blast from a Leman Russ.

MADWARS Commentary:
The battle mission was perfectly suited for Black Templars. Even though special abilities were conveyed to the defender, I don't think the game scenario was balanced enough. This was probably the point of the game supplement in the first place.. to give subtle scenario advantages on a race-by-race basis for one off games.

I had the Templars enter the battle field from a corner and senched up as close as I could to the Mech IG gun line on its meat shield side. All available Templar fire power was amassed at 25% of the IG force. It should have been a slaughter but it wasn't. I missed with just about everything that mattered and just gutted a unit of entrenched troops. His armored forces wheeled around and it became a bloody affair for 5 rounds. After 5 rounds of being tied up with a Sentinel, the Champion broke through and caught the fleeing General and a fire support squad setting up an ambush. The ambush was effective and laid low many Templars but it did not stop the Champion from taking his due.

Victor: BLACK TEMPLARS

Across the room with my super zoom lens.

These definitely kill their points worth.

ALPHA STRIKE on approach.

Templar deployment for "Prepared Assault."

The ultimate bullet magnet. It was basically a pillbox with a stormbolter for the entire game.

The Mechanicus Gun line.

Objective sighted. CHARGE!

Meltaguns melting the most important part of the Vindicator.

dun-dun-dun-dun... still charging at the objective.

So many flame templates lay in the belly of this steel beast.

With the Vindicator useless, all firepower shifts to the left flank.

Bottom right, Command unit with a very effective Las Cannon.

Still charging.

Brother Grymm the dreadnought kitted out for tank hunting. He was damn near useless.

"Objective is 30m from current position. Enemy sighted to the West. Request order update."

"Templars dismount and prepare for glory!"

The Templars charged at the guns...

...but this time there was no glory waiting...

...the Mech Guard burned nearly the entire initiate squad to molten ceramite...

Terminators move to recover their fallen brothers.

Brother-Champion Invictus leads the remainder of his brothers into assault.

"Objective 20m... Enemy 10m..."

The Champion did not find solace in his vengeance but did eliminate the remaining IG troop unit.
The sentinels fired their plasma at the terminators downing 3.

"None shall pass." Objective under over watch.

Reserve Crusdaer squad arrives and claims outlying objectives.

STUCK!!!

Stray round markers... The IG had 2x and I had 1x. Held breath as these things fell.
Ord Blast. Str:8 / AP:3

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Mech IG in defensive positions. Templars doing what comes natural. Charge!!!

"What we've taken we will hold!"

"Steady... Hold... HOLD...HOLD!! NOW!!!!!! ALL RANKS OPEN FIRE!!!"

"All Templars converge on objective Omicron."

Tremendous destruction wrought by these units.

"What's going on up there? What do you mean Space Marines???"

"Command HQ and auxiliary force cleansed. Moving to engage armored corps."

One by one the sword brethren fell, but all would die with them...

Veterans... no longer.

Rapid Fire Death.

"Continue the charge!"

Fini