Legions Imperialis battle report II

 

+++5.988.006.M31

+++Subsector Christus Ecclessia 

+++Kashmeeri reach

+++Bellum omnium contra omness

Our operations have been detected by elements of the Revenant Legion. The ill-favoured sons of Sanguinius struck swiftly and we were caught in the middle of a key operation. We must conduct a conventional holding battle….. for the Emperor. 

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Jason (Blood Angels) has been rebuilding his for to a more correct size using the forge-manufactories of Rez-een. So just 1000 points this time. I faced off against him using my Alpha Legion and an allied Solar Auxilia cohort. Full lists are at the end of the post. 

The mission was:

The Alpha Legion will be at the map bottom in the pictures. Their secondary objective is Vital Intel regarding planetary defence force deployments; while the Blood Angels aim to Breakthrough the Alpha Legion line and retake the spaceport.

There is only a single Alpha legion formation so three units with mutable tactics. A unit of Kratos and the Sicarans used forward deployment to get firing positions in the centre, while a Demi-company outflanked. No infiltrate for my games. The table was 36” x 48”, with the deployment zones made smaller and the table foot narrower. I experimented with this as the game was only 1000 points and both of us like to get stuck in. Also saves me getting out the folding tables. It turns out both the objectives we got benefited from a closer board edge but we both used units with movement to spare. 

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The Blood Angels were present in significant numbers, a single Rhino mounted formation of three full strength tactical detachments, with a fourth of Assault Marines and a fifth of Crimson Paladin terminators. There was also unit of Kratos tanks. Facing that, even our two tactical detachments with Auxilia reinforcements were outnumbered about two to one. Our armour at least matched theirs and forward deployed to cover an early advance of the Auxilia to take the central Cathedral. Troublingly, our foes were almost impervious to fire despite being pounded by multiple tanks and rocket fire from the heavy sentinels. Ceremite protected them even in the open. In the skies above, our single Primaris Lightning went down in flames, intercepted by the enemy Xiphon. 

On the right, the enemy had deployed a significant force of missile launchers and Rhinos. Using this mobility, they immediately occupied the key position to hold that flank. Then they set up a base of fire on the hilltop, screening the transports inside the trees behind. Facing them were a small unit of predators, hull down behind some rocky ground…. and a Demi-company of our Legionaries. The commander, and his Demi-Company, were no where to be seen. In reaction, our Astartes conducted a pincer move with the Auxilia and charged the Blood Angels. 

At that moment, the other head of the Hydra outflanked the Blood Angels backline and marched on the quad mortars holding their lines of communication. Things had become difficult in the centre, with the melee in the Cathedral dragging on as our Auxiliaries faced Blood Angels jumping to the roof, then methodically fighting down from above. In the ned, it was numbers and mobility that counted. The Blood Angles took the cathedral as well as a nearby building. Similarly, the Blood Angels occupying their forward position to our fight were able to stall the Auxiliaries but were cut down when hit from the flank by Astartes. In fact the victory was so complete that they immediately fell under fire themselves. In the end, we had merely swapped control from the left to the right. Just as we were considering our best way to extract the Intel, the Crimson Paladins arrived in force by teleport.

Over-confidence was their downfall though. Just as we executed are careful storming of the Blood Angel backline, we anticipated and maintained a reserve against similar attacks on our own line. Terminator armour proved no match for massed pistol, auto-cannon and heavy bolter fire. This gave our small cadre of assault marines a clear path to extract the intel but we were forced to accept that some of the numerous Blood Angel Rhinos would inevitably breakthrough. With our main objective achieved and the enemy rear overrun, this could still be counted a victory, Hydra Dominatus!

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Takeaways: I thought that the smaller table would be good with just 1000 points but if Jason et al are going to be running this much small stuff, it’s big table all the way. Interesting to see the rapiers. They achieved less than I thought they would, but barrage does have value on a table with a decent amount of LOS blockers. Dear internet: some of the discussion I’ve been seeing suggests you need more LOS blockers. This was my first go with the assault rules. My comment re:rend is that it’s great to win your pair’s combat, outnumbering really counts and the Astartes currently have better mobility to achieve that with. In fact, I really liked what those Rhinos can do. They get options for both an AT shot or a cover ignoring shot. Both very useful. At one point I had to pull Kratos tanks back to avoid just getting multi-melta’d to death. 

Lists below: