Death Guard in 10th...

Hello!

So Death Guard. They aren't in a great place in 40k right now, and a lot of people have been fairly salty about this. Personally I'm not really one of them, to me Death Guard are not good, but they still kind of do what I feel they should and with GW re-writing rules for the entire game there was always going to be a few winners and losers on the balance front. With that in mind I have decided to plow on regardless with running Death Guard for the first chunk of 10th ed, until the Tyranid codex comes out at least. 

With that in mind I put a minimum investment in to playing the army - I bought the data cards and a few cheap deals off eBay, and got to playing some games and figuring out how to play the new edition. I managed to sign up for a Grim Dice tournament at the end of the month so I think my goal is probably to take Death Guard and win one game, but we shall see how that turns out. In any case, the new additions included a trio of Mephitic Blight-haulers, the most adorable of daemon engines, which I have painted up with lots of help from the sponge. 

Anyway, first game with Mortarion and friends was against Tom's Adepta Sororitas. I took the Primarch of course, with assorted vehicles (all I had at the time) and big blocks of Blightlord Terminators, melee Plague Marines and shooty Plague Marines, all with full character support. Basic plan was to smash into the middle with Morty and the Terminator block, while the vehicles got positioning and objectives.

It wasn't a totally embarrassing defeat, but the Death Guard were fairly comprehensively beaten. I learned that the big blocks just aren't that tough, even with character support, and I also severely lacked in cheap chaff units to score secondary objectives. Finally I learnt the power of overwatch when Vahl's unit took a huge chunk out of Mortarion with their multimeltas after he landed within nine inches of them.

Second game was shortly after with the same list and a rematch from one of my latter games of 9th against Sharpy and his Aeldari. This game featured Servo-skull objectives so it was a fun one to learn how to try and score the secondaries better.

This one ended pretty close, but another loss. The Eldar snuck ahead at the end thanks to swooping hawks pushing the objective around unopposed. Mortarion once again killed the Avatar (though it did take him a long time to do it) but the DG were once again not quite tough enough to get away with big units walking around in the open.

I decided to split my 10 man units up into smaller ones in order to hide them better and focus on the objectives. Without the big blocks I also dropped a bunch of characters in order to sneak in some Poxwalkers to do the annoying chaff thing.

Third game with the DG was against Mixtapir and a load of mostly Primaris Space Wolves. Like me he had decided MSU was the way to go so there were a lot of small units running around.

This time the list actually worked really well. While I know Space Wolves are also struggling a bit in 10th it felt like I was very rarely blocked out of scoring by a bad card draw or units being tied up with killing stuff. Mortarion flying up the middle as a big distraction kind of worked - the enemy decided to ignore him and focus on the light vehicles to get some easier kills and as such he got stuck into their front lines, and then back lines! For the first time in 10th (and possibly 9th as well?) I scored the full 100 points (I think the SW got 60 in the end, so not a completely one sided game).

The fourth and most recent game was once again against Tom's Sisters, now with Knight Armiger allies. We both had a lot of units to play with and it was the servo skull mission again so it would be all about pushing forward.

This game was really, really close, ending with 10 points in it. My forces did a great job of occupying the middle board and Mortarion took a hilarious amount of firepower from the Imperial forces. MSU worked great with lots of trading on the flanks, but I was once again undone by Vahl and her warsuits, eventually clearing their flank and escorting a servo skull into my deployment zone in turn 5. The various flaws of the Death Guard were pretty apparent in the end game here - struggling to remove enemy armour and their infantry lacking the famed survivability you might think they should have. None the less a well contested game and an encouraging sign for the future!

So, four games in an 1-3 with the DG, but lots of lessons learned and some close games so I'm feeling confident that I can get something out of them, so I think I will persevere to the tournament. On a practical point I have the cards for them and I've now learnt most of their rules, plus it has been a lot of fun painting up more dirty plague dudes!

Anway, thanks for reading, and hope you enjoyed! Stay safe out there!

Hive Fleet Goliath Crusade Update

Hello!

If you've been following me on Instagram you'll have seen I've played a couple of small Crusade games with the Tyranids. This is for the Grim Dice Crusade League - last time I ran the AdMech, but this time I fancied the bugs, since they have some awesome narrative content in the Codex. It did mean I had to scrub the previous game they'd had to start on a clean slate.

Once again I was using Hive Fleet Behemoth, and I focused mainly on units that felt thematic for the early stage of a Tyranid invasion - luckily the book tells you what units there are and even gives you a bonus for taking them (they get double the experience just for turning up). In this league we're using the Wars of Faith mission pack, so I had to pick a 'faith' for my forces, opting for 'Dark Fervour', which felt like the most Behemothy one. My first 25 power level patrol ended up as:

HQ: Broodlord (Catalyst, Ymgarl Factor, Heightened Senses)

Troops: 10 Gargoyles, 3 Warriors (boneswords, deathspitters, venom cannon, adrenal glands)

Elites: 10 Genestealers (Infestation Node)

Fast Attack: 2x 3 Spore Mines 

As you can see, a melee focused force with some mobility and a bit of a mortal wound deterrent from the mines, filling out the roster. 

My first game was The Storm Breaks - four objectives with bonus points for killing enemy units in their deployment zone, against Matt's Orks.

This felt like a game that hinged on if the Squighog Boyz could make the charge around the building into my forces, after taking damage from the Spore Mines. Sadly for me they did, killing the Broodlord and most of the Warriors without much in the way of a response. My Genestealers went in and did eventually kill them, but it left the Squig riding Boss to come in and clean up. The Gargoyles proved unlikely heroes, wiping out Boyz and Grots (though both units fell to morale so I didn't get the kills) but were unable to effect the outcome of the game. A loss, but it was a fun little scrap all the same though.

The second game of the league was Covert Engagement - four objectives in a cross with big bonus points for killing the enemy 'Paragon', against Hikowa Dean's Adepta Sororitas.

In this game I opted to go second, then somewhat regretted it as my entire Genestealer unit fell to firepower from Sisters and a Castigator. After that I was playing catch up, the Warriors and Gargoyles combined to remove a Zephyrim unit, but then the Broodlord died embarrassingly to perils of the warp and some bolters, and I didn't have much else to play with from then. A tough loss for the Nids, sometimes in these small games it just quickly gets away from you like that.

So, with two losses in the first round, I felt the need to add in a bit more heft to the list for the 50 power level stage. Still in the Invasion step, I opted to add some more units that would benefit, and a big beefy HQ choice to hopefully stick around a while!

HQ: Broodlord (Catalyst, Ymgarl Factor, Heightened Senses), Tervigon (adrenal glands, toxin sacs, Onslaught, massive scything talons, The Maw-claws of Thyrax)

Troops: 10 Gargoyles, 3 Warriors (boneswords, deathspitters, venom cannon, adrenal glands), 20 Termagants (Devourers)

Elites: 10 Genestealers (Infestation Node)

Flyer: Hive Crone 

Hopefully that'll do a bit better, while still being fun and fluffy! Hope you enjoyed reading, stay safe.

Double Battle Report - Orks vs Adepta Sororitas

Hello!

I've been back to Warhammer World for another pair of games, this time against Andrew (aamcking on Instagram) and this time using the second iteration of the green tide Ork list. In a similar format to last time, we played two 2000 point games, starting with a matched play GT2021 battle, followed by a game with the Open War cards.

As before, my list was largely built around lots of Boyz supported by characters and a few small 5 man units of specialists. I did break with the theme slightly by including a unit of 5 Deffkoptas, but I figured they would be able to drop in where required to provide a bit of firepower and work as a distraction. As before it's a Snakebite battalion, and I spent 4 CP off the bat on warlord traits and relics:

HQ: Warboss (powerklaw, kombi skorcha, attack squig, Brutal but Kunnin, Da Killa Klaw), Weirdboy (Warpath, Da Jump, Super Cybork Body), Big Mek with KFF (Brog's Buzzbomb)

Troops: 4x 20 Boyz (powerklaw), 2x 15 Boyz (powerklaw, shootas)

Elites: Nob with WAAAGH Banner (Ard as Nails), Painboy (Surly as a Squiggoth), 5 Kommandos (powerklaw), 5 Tankbustas (bomb squig)

Fast Attack: 5 Deffkoptas (Boom Boyz), 5 Stormboyz (powerklaw)

Heavy Support: 4 Lootas/1 Spanner

 

Andrew's force was another melee focused Imperial army for me to face, though with a fair bit more shooty support. He took a single battalion as well, running Ebon Chalice and with an extra trait and relic. He told me in advance that his list is all about getting the charge off, being able to get miracle dice sixes when needed. He did tell me what all this stuff does but I have largely forgotten it. There were also some combi flamers mixed in somewhere.

HQ: Celestine and Geminae Superia, Morvenn Vahl (warlord)

Troops: 3x 5 Battle Sisters

Elites: 2x 5 Celestian Sacresants (spear, maces), 10 Celestian Sacresants (spear, halberds), Dogmata (Enduring Faith, Holy Piety, Terrible Knowledge, The Sigil Ecclesiastus), 9 Sisters Repentia, 8 Sisters Repentia

Fast Attack: 2x 5 Dominions (4 storm bolters)

Heavy Support: 2x 5 Retributors (2 multimeltas, 2 heavy flamers, 2 cherubs)

Transports: 2x Rhino (hunter killer)

Other: Repentia Superior (Litanies of Faith), Culexus Assassin

And deployment (with my squig mascot watching on). We were playing Battle Lines (two objectives on the centre line, one in each deployment zone), I picked the secondaries Green Tide (points for having units of 11+ models in multiple quarters of the board), No Prisoners and ROD. Andrew took Engage, Vital Ground (mission specific, points for holding central or opponent's objectives) and To the Last (Celestine, Vahl and the large unit of Sacresants I think).

We both pretty much placed our units according to our own plans rather than paying much attention to where the opponent was. The Sisters were spread out to zone out deep strike and with the rhinos central full of units to head down either flank. Celestine and the Assassin were off the board to strike in, while the large unit of halberd sisters were waiting in strategic reserve.

I had the Stormboyz and Deffkoptas off the board, filled my deployment zone with boyz and then plonked the characters in the middle. The intent being to send most of them down the strongest flank. Also worth noting that we were playing all of the terrain as effectively ruins with obscuring for this game.

We rolled off and the sisters went first.

Turn one featured manoeuvring for both sides. The sisters marched up, keeping much of their forces back and flexible, while killing a few Kommandos and boyz with shooting. The Orks advanced pretty much across the board, didn't really do any shooting, and the last couple of Kommandos failed their suicide charge into the Repentia. Onto turn two!

Sisters turn two, and they set up some charges, Repentia on the right flank and Sacresants out of reserve on the left. Most of the other units pushed up on the left behind them, and a Rhino advanced forward and out of the way in case it exploded. After shooting removed a fair few boyz from various units, both the melee threats made it in to my shoota boyz in the front ranks. However the ones on the right overwatched to kill a few Repentia, then after the Celestians had murdered most of a unit, the right boyz interupted to kill even more Repentia before they could strike. Though both charges were successful and I lost a load of boyz, this turn was not great for the Sisters.

Ork turn two, and it was WAAAGH time! Once again I had a lot of advancing units into position. I got the Stormboyz to drop into my back corner for a second ROD action and to deny deep strikes behind my main push. The remaining shootas that got harassed by halberds fell back, then got Jumped back to hold my objective. The Deffkoptas arrived, killing off a bunch of Retributors withe their rokkits and combining with the Tankbustas to clear away the Rhino. So far so good.

Then a decisive charge phase. Charging units managed to get bodies onto both the middle objectives and the far one, after a big 11 inch from the shoota boyz who dispatched the Repentia. Warboss Redtoof got in to the Halberd sisters and finished them off, while elswhere a bunch of battle sisters, the Repentia Superior and a load more Sacresants with maces were removed. All in all a very solid turn.

Into turn three and the Sisters picked up a big fat 0 for Primary. They would need to hit back really hard to get back in the game. Vahl moved up on the left flank, as did the remaining Retributors and Sacresants, to try and clear me off that objective. The right flank was abandoned, though the remaining Rhino got a charge off onto some Boyz to hold them back. The Shoota boyz on the Sisters home objective for lit up by bolter sisters and Dominions, then finished off by the other Repentia. Finally Celestine dropped into my back corner to remove the Lootas and harass my objective. It all more or less went right for them, but I still had a good chunk of Boyz about.

Ork turn three, and we surrounded to go for the kill. Deffkoptas shooting was a bit of a whiff second time round, killing a single Retributor rather than a whole squad and half a Rhino, but I can't really compain because they then charged in with 9 attacks each thanks to the WAAAGH and finished off the Celestians. Redtoof made a brave charge into Vahl, taking her down with his klaw! Boyz swamped Celestine and took her down as well (though she got better). To add insult to injury the Rhino in melee got taken out and the Boyz piled into some Dominions to stop them shooting, and the tiny remnants of another Boyz mob piled into the last Retributors for the same effect.

Without many options left and way behind on objectives, Andrew called it there at the start of turn four. There would be no way back for the sisters, even if they could kill all the Boyz in their lines they would not be able to catch up. A win for the Green Tide! WAAAGH!!!

A bit one sided, but a good learning experience for both of us. I think Andrew probably split his force up too much, I was able to handle it one unit at a time, while he was frequently trying to kill off units of mine so that he could get shots at characters or trying to kill some without ruining a charge. This was also a game where the Snakebite trait came in a lot, almost all his melee units were going at strength 6 or 7, and his strength 6 heavy flamers effectively did not get their bonus. It was also good to see T5 doing a thing again, stopping a lot of meltas on 2s and bolters on 4s compared with before.

Anyway, onto open war. Andrew is mainly a matched play guy and he hadn't used the cards before, so was eager to see what it was like. We kept the same lists and drew these cards:

Long, wide arrow head deployment, a single objective that would move about the board, and some awful weather to stop advancing and long charges. Should be interesting...

Deployment, once again observed by squig. I had some special units hidden, and the Koptas off the board, but the rest was arranged for a central push. With the inability to declare a 9 inch charge, all off Andrew's forces were on the board. We also decided the Sector Mechanicus terrain would be dense rather than obscuring for this one, which I think is the 'official' stance.

Squig-eye view!

Sisters won the roll off, and opted to go first.

The first couple of turns featured some walking up towards the middle from both sides, and some shooting. My Kommandos got a cheeky charge into some mace Celestians and killed a few before Celestine wiped them out. I suffered significant casualties from combined chip fire and the powered up heavy flamers on the Retributors, effectively halting my advance. In return I did kill off a few more of the specialist sisters with the Lootas fire and some shoota chip damage.

In Ork turn two the Deffkoptas dropped in to do some killing, though the decidedly did not, rokkits bouncing off storm shields, while the Stormboyz jumped up to deal with some Dominions, and got absolutely rinsed on overwatch.

With the objective yo-yoing about in the middle, the two sides were unable to claim it on turn three, however the Sisters finally got their hands dirty, with Celestine leading a flank charge, eliminating the Lootas, while some battle sisters pushed up into the middle to kill off a stubborn lone Nob and provide a screen for the objective.

Those brave, brave sisters. Anyway, they died.

In Ork turn three we eliminated a bunch of sisters, finally getting out choppas bloody, and the Deffkopta rokkits powered up to blast Celestine off her feet, and she stayed down!

A big charge in the middle tagged the Rhinos and put a blob of Boyz in front of my characters, then at the start of turn four the objective went back towards my lines.

However Morvenn Vahl and the Repentia were pretty keen not to let me have it, after the flamers burnt many boyz to a crisp, they finished them off and got a whole load of bodies onto the objective to deny me scoring it in turn four as well.

Characters and Deffkoptas crowded in to the melee, causing all sorts of damage and removing the Repentia. Into turn 5 the objective moved back my way again, hiding under the Deffkoptas. It would all come down to if Vahl and friends could remove them and stand on the objective at the end of the game for two points.

It turned out the Sisters shooting was too good, and the Koptas were removed, leaving no targets to charge on the objective! Vahl instead got into my remaining character (big mek) and infantry near the objective, killing the obsec unit and not giving the Mek a straight run for the objective with a fall back. That meant no one claimed it, and a nil-nil draw!

Very fun game, and Andrew loved it! I think the Open War cards have a new convert. Ultimately no advancing was hugely punishing for a movement 5 melee army, and I think I was very lucky to get out of that with a draw, my boyz suffered horrendous casualties and by the end it was pretty much just the Big Mek left! Not sure what lessons can be learned from that, other than getting shot up for two turns with no real response is bad. 

Anyway, it was a fun day out, and a great couple of games. I'm glad the Green Tide seems to be working, and that the squig was well received by the staff and other gamers! Hope you enjoyed, stay safe.