Battle Report: Blood Rodeo (Lamenters) vs. Black Legion (2000)

So I've decided to do the Blood Rodeo as a table list, as some of you may know, and am painting them as Lamenters (Angry Marines really, but I don't think the local community would like the connotations Angry Marines suggest.) In any case, I have been doing VASSAL and proxy games and this is but one of them to get the list down as I well know it's highest weaknesses (IG Artillery/Mass Plasma/Enemy Super Units) I am practicing to find ways to compensate with these situations as they come up. Slideshow at end using VASSAL if ya wanna skip the text wall.

Some clarifications:

***Lost BA Turn 2 Move, sorry for any inconvience!***

- BLOS = Blocked Line of Sight; 2S Ruin = 2 Story Ruin

- Assume 4+ Cover for everything

- The hills weren't difficult terrain to us as it was the Citadel Realms of Battle Board.

- SP = Sanguinary Priest; HF = Hand Flamer; LC = Lightning Claw; IP = Infernus Pistol; M = Melta

I played this game at the local Games Workshop store (Games Workshop Portola Plaza)

Opponent was Drew, a new Chaos player who gets solid advice but is still needing practice applying said solid advice.

Mission: Annihilation

Deployment: Pitched Battle (We rolled)

My list: 2k Lamenters (The Blood Rodeo with Stelek's changes - http://kirbysblog-ic.blogspot.com/2010/05/steleks-take-on-blood-rodeo.html)

His list: 2k CSM (from memory)

Abbaddon

4 Termies - 4 Dual Lightning claws, all Champions

Land Raider - Havoc Launcher

Daemon Prince - Wings, Mark of Nurgle, Gift of Chaos

7 Thousand Sons + Gift of Chaos Sorcerer

8 Plague Marines - 2 Plasma, Fist Champion

8 Khorne Bezerkers - Fist Champion in Rhino - Havoc Launcher

Obliterator

5 Possessed (Rolled Power Weapons)

Dreadnought - Plasma Cannon

Overall thoughts on his list pre-game - Abbaddon and crew are gonna be rough ponies.

Gotta find a way to deal with them, they get lucky they can pulverise my Termies and with the

terrain at hand, it's gonna be tough for me to entirely avoid.

Daemon Prince isn't a issue, offer it a sacrifice and chew it down with the rest if I can.

Thousand Sons aren't a issue, too slow and cover saves with FNP.

Plague Marines same issue, minus the FNP from Plas.

Dreadnought might be a pain since I know I'm gonna be tight. Can't focus melta at it as I know he's probably gonna hide it well.

Perhaps even near Abbaddon so I have to risk killing it or try my luck shooting the Raider with my lone 2 Multi-Meltas.

Obliterator - Annoying with a Plasma Cannon shot and that's it I figure.

Overall? Bad list but my brain is addled as I spent the day building models and priming till now. My judgements are gonna be a lil' sloppy.

My Deployment - No one falls to Black Rage. A good start.

I got the roll for first turn, so I took it and took the edge closest to my models.

Despite it being Kill Points, I Combat Squadded my Bikers into groups of 6 - Flamer; Melta; Power Fist; Librarian and 4 - 3 regulars; 1 Multi-Melta Attack Bike.

I did this so I can prepare my Multi Melta bikes as sacrifices to threats like Abbaddon, the Daemon Prince, and Dreadnought,

This also makes it easier to get cover for said units as I only have to cover 2 Bikes to get a Cover Save, and lastly it makes it so if he does bother shooting those units, I have potential to get a fall back and deny him charges.

As you can see I opted to put my Assault Termies on foot, I decided this as I needed them to meet his Trump (Abbaddon) Nothing else in his army gave me worries.

I positioned them in the center, not knowing where Abbaddon is going.

I reserve the 5 man Assault Squad for utility sacrifice drop later, as generally it does with no power weapons but 2 meltas and a flamer.

For the most part deployment was making sure everyone had cover and in Feel No Pain bubbles if possible, as denoted by the circles.

It was also part bluff, as I was spread out enough to appear I could go anywhere, but since he had little mobility compared to mine, I intended from the very beginning to weight a flank.

His deployment -

Abbaddon decides he owns the field and is confidently placed in his Land Raider pretty much dead center.

Like I thought, the Dread sticks nearby to make my Meltas think twice before getting in range.

The Zerkers are placed in their Rhino and help weight the left flank for CC concentration with the Daemon Prince, while my right flank are his Oblits/Plagues/1k Sons supported by Possessed.

He attempts to Seize the Initiative and fails. GAME ON!

[Lamenters Turn 1] -

Analysis: Well, I see the center is weighted and I have mostly superior mobility than him, so I decide to try my luck on the left flank because I like the terrain he has to wade through with the rest of his army while I use my whole army against half of his.

Sounds reasonable?

Movement: Turbo-Boost all the bikes but the left Attack Bike team and Right. (Hope to pincer the Land Raider and provide cover to everything else in my army.) and Run the Termies for positioning. Termies head north to try and lure Abbaddon, and Right ASM run for positioning.

Shooting: As noted, Termies and Right ASM run; Multi-Melta AB fires at Dread but misses.

Assault: Nothing

[Chaos Turn 1] - Oops forgot the Oblit was in the Ruins with the Possessed, and the AB was a lil closer to me, notice that now because of how things unfolded this turn, modifying now.

Movement: His Daemon Prince smells my Marines and jumps out of cover to say hello to my Multi-Melta AB team. He uses his Land Raider well and doesn't fall for my sacrifice and holds back. Everything else generally moves forward a bit. His dreadnought gets a "6" result and comes running at me.

Shooting: Land Raider shoots Havoc Launcher at right MM AB team, fails to scratch.

Rhino shoots Havoc Launcher @ Libby Bike team on my left, fails as well.

Assault: Daemon Prince charges my MM AB team and gets a lil' unlucky, killing 2 bikes, my bikes slack in return, doing nothing. They get locked.

[Lamenters Turn 2]

Analysis: Well, so far he's done what I expected and took the bait, I realize now it seems my Termies are hoping for a lucky charge to save the AB team, but nothing better to do as I wanna lure Abbaddon out.

And the only way to do this is let him have the charge on them while incapacitating their LR. That's the plan, in any case.

My Reserved ASM unit comes in too. I decide to use it as more bait on for hungry Abbaddon while trying to disable the Dreadnought.

Movement: Terminators get a good ol' Difficult Terrain result of a 6,6

Left bikers move up to take a chance at the Zerk's rhino, the ASM move up and give the Priest position to give the Bikes FNP against a Zerker counter-charge. Rest moves up into the left flank pocket provided by the ASM team DS'ing, Termies, and 5 man Bike team.

See? Sacrificing for the greater good, it's not only a Tau thing.

Libby in the unit joins the left 10-man ASM as they position their Priest.

5-man ASM DS'ers do their duty well and land on target mere inches from the Dreadnought.

Shooting: 5-man ASM shoot both Infernus Pistol and Meltagun into Dread and Immobilize it, MM Attack Bike Team on the Right Immobilize Land Raider. 5 man Bike team in front of Rhino Stun it.

Assault: Termies get lucky with their DT rolls and reach the Daemon Prince! Daemon Prince decides to swing at them, causing no deaths. (3+ Invul LOVE YOU!) Consolidation moves move the few bikes remaining back and move the Termies forward to shield-wall.

[Chaos Turn 2]

Movement: The Zerks are enraged! They pile out of their Rhino and vie for the Bike Squad, Abbaddon sees his target and prepares to deal with the Termies with his Retinue, and the rest of the army moves in to take out the right MM AB unit.

Shooting: The Rhino and LR's Havoc Launcher, as well as the Dread's Plasma Cannon, wipes my 5-man team out. Abbaddon and his Termies run, and the right AB team is killed with focus fire.

Assault: Zerkers multi-charge the Termies and the 5 man bike team. Zerkers kill 3 Bikes and the Termies suffer no casualties. (Horrible decision on his part other than setting me up for Abbaddon.)

My remaining bikes termies wipe all but 2 Zerkers out but we remain locked thanks to his Fearless status.

[Lamenters Turn 3]

Analysis: Well, it's do or die time for those Termies, they will finish off the Zerks to get me to tie the game, but Abbaddon is coming in to destroy them, so I decide to take opportunity shots and hold up my left flank this turn while getting a sacrficial line ready if Abbaddon and annihilate my Termies in one turn.

Abbaddon is quite predictable now - he is gonna go all in here because he knows that if he can kill my Termies, he has game control as my strength relies on being faster and doing enough saves to kill you...Against Abbaddon I have his Save, Eternal Warrior status, and speed working against me, otherwise I'd happily send a Libby

over with Sanguine Sword and a Furious charge activated and call it a day.

Movement: Libbys both join a JP unit, 5 Man bike Squad moves in position behind the termies to form a sacrifice wall, Other JP's move on foot through Difficult Terrain and hide in the corner. ("Pansy" my opponent says, I laugh knowing it's true.)

Last AB team Turbo Boosts back to center my deployment zone, to hopefully draw the enemy in more to the lower ruin. (My base of operations - For those of you who don't know, your Base of Ops is your over lapping coverage zone, a very defensible position covered by your army. I am not directly inside this particular Base of Op, but it

is the place I want my opponent to be lured to so he can hamper his movement and all my forces can react here. The lower left hill was my back up plan for a Base of Op, depending on Abbaddon and his crew's plans if they slaughter my Termies.

Shooting: I show off a lil' and demonstrate to Drew how Blood Lance works, even though only Abbaddon's unit was potentially in range, it flops but it was mostly a lesson in what to expect from BA Psychic Powers so he knows for future reference.

No shooting other than a run from lower left ASM.

Assault: My Termies and Bikes easily finish off the Zerkers with no losses, Bikes prepare to get a easy Kill Point (I'm ashamed, but with Abbaddon pressuring me it's not like I can go where I please.) Termies again, move to recieve Abbaddon's wrath.

[Chaos Turn 3]

Movement: Abbaddon does as expected and rushes my Termies, other Troop position around center ruin.

Shooting: Land Raider, Dreadnought, and Rhino all shoot at the 10 man ASM squad, kill 2. (FNP is a righteous pain unless you have the right weaponry, lesson learned.)

Oblit misses his Plas Cannon shot on the AB team while the Plagues run towards the ruin.

Assault: Abbaddon and co. charge my Termies, surprise! Abbaddon gets unlucky and rolls up 2 attacks for his Daemon weapon, and the total Assault Terminator kills end up being 3. I tie him and we're locked.

[Lamenters Turn 4]

Analysis: Abbaddon is in prime position to choose where he wants to go, so I need to give him a option and see which one he takes after he finishes my Termies. So, I prefer him to get away from the center and not be in such board control, so I offer bait and see if he takes it.

At the same time, I'm vieing for opportunity Kill Points as I see Plague Marines start to enter the game more noticably (On my doorstep.)

Movement: So my sacrifice, the 2 man bike unit, moves in position to pop the Zerker Rhino, my 2 Libby+ JP unit moves getting ready for Plagues, and my other 10 man JP unit hides its arse off. Time will tell if he takes the bait.

Shooting: The 2 man biker team takes out the Rhino and the AB team gets lucky and kills the LR. Happy days

Assault: Abbaddon finishes my Termies and, lucky me, goes for the bait...but between both bike squads...Still, a willing sacrifice to get the easier Kill Points out of his list.

[Chaos Turn 4]

Movement: Abbaddon and his bodyguard move up, everything else moves toward me that can.

Shooting: Amazingly, Abbaddon shoots at the 2 man biker team! Kills one! Oh my this might be his mistake of the game? Yes! I fail their Morale Check and they run well out of charge range, denying the Multi-charge. "Well, that wasn't supposed to happen..."

Assault: Plagues move in and crush my MM AB team while consolidating more into my "Base of Operations" ruins.

[Lamenters Turn 5]

Analysis: Well, he made his fatal flaw and he knows it, now the rest of the game is going around the right flank outspeeding his doom unit and using my superior Assault ability to wipe his units clean. I am mostly looking at his 1k Sons and Plagues as they're closer.

Movement: Loner Biker regroups and all my remaining bikes Turbo Boost back to my side. "Pansy" is said again and I laugh yet again knowing it's true. My Libbies and the JP unit they're with walk into the ruins ready to deal with the Plagues and 1k Sons.

Shooting: Nah, didn't feel like it, lol.

Assault: Libby's activate their Sanguine Swords and the Assault Squad charges the Plague Marines, wiping them out while suffering no casualties, and consolidate preparing for 1k Sons to either grow some balls, or hide.

[Chaos Turn 5]

Movement: 1k Sons flop their movement pretty bad, Abbaddon cries knowing he won't get into combat again, but hopeful and keeps coming toward me

Possessed move up in hopes to pincer.

Shooting: 1k Sons shoot the ASM unit and Cover+FNP saves me fine.

Assault: No assault.

Game Ends on a 2.

Post Game Analysis -

Really came down to one poor decision by my opponent in the end after all. Abbaddon would've at least tied it against the last biker. So sad.

I think I coulda played a bit better by going down the right flank and sacrificing my 2 MM Atk Bike teams and the 5-man ASM to get rid of the LR early for sure while the Termies shoulda DS'd while the Bikes and JPs held up the majority of the other units with their durability.

Alas, I think I did pretty well and it goes to show you that a Land Raider with Termies (And Abbaddon!) inside are a great deterrent for "stay away from me" I'm thankful I have the Termies in this list because otherwise I would have to rely on focus fire on them to get them dealt with.

Good game Drew, thanks for the game!