The Roost of Turkadactyl

This weeks installment has Jerrod and his Salamanders pitted against David B. representing the Astral Claws.  This mission was inspired by a Wargasm Age of Sigmar game I played last month.  There is a convoy that will be going through the middle of the board.  The Astral Claws need the convoy to resupply their front lines.  The Salamanders want to capture it to slow the defense of the Secessionists.  Who will be the victor?  Who will fail?

This game feature 1850 points for both sides.  It was supposed to be played on a 6×4 table but part of the board was taken over for display.  This meant it was going to be a crowded  4X4 table top with a Vanguard (corner deployment zone) deployment.  This allowed more space for the convoy to get across the board.

At the start of each game turn both players roll a D6.  The convoy moves forward in a straight line in inches from the total of the two dice.  Nothing can stop the convoy.  It will push models aside if they are in the way.  It cannot be destroyed if a blast wanders on top of it.  The player who has the most models within three inches of the convoy at the end of the game turn scores a point.  Tanks only count as one model and zooming flyers cannot score.  Objective secured models count as two models for scoring purposes.  In the event of a tie, the tie breaker goes to the player who destroyed the model or unit that had the highest point value in the game.

Since this was a game I took from Sigmar and adapted to 40K Jerrod, Dave and I discussed the huge advantage of going second every turn.  We thought we would give a Sigmar rule a try and every game turn Jerrod and Dave would roll off for turn priority.

Salamandars

HQ

• Captain Pellas Mir’san (Forgeworld special character)- Warlord- 1 VP for every character slain in combat.

Troops

• Tactical Marines (10 models)- Meltagun, combi-melta, power weapon
• Tactical Marines (10 models)- Meltagun, combi-melta, power weapon
• Tactical Marines (5 models)- Combi-melta
• Tactical Marines (10 models)- Multi-melta, combi-melta

Elites

• Contemptor- Drop Pod
• Contemptor- Drop Pod
• Cataphractii Terminators (5 models)- Chainfist x2, heavy flamer

Fast Attack

• Assault Marines (5 models)- Flamer x 2, power weapon

Heavy Support

• Land Raider
• Devastators (10 models)- 4 Multi-meltas, combi-melta, Drop Pod

Astral Claws (CAD x 2)

HQ

• Armenneus Valthex

Troops

• Tactical Marines (5 models)- Rhino, plasma gun, combi-plasma, melta bombs
• Tactical Marines (5 models)- Rhino, plasma gun, combi-plasma, melta bombs

HQ

• Librarian- Mastery Level 2 (Divination- Prescience, Precognition, Misfortune), plasma pistol, melta bombs, teleport homer
• Captain- Thunderhammer, Primarch’s Wrath (relic), meltabombs, digital weapons, Warlord (all friendly units within 12″ gain Move Through Cover)

Troops

• Tactical Marines (5 models)- Razorback with lascannon, Veteran Sgt., plasma gun, combi-plasma, melta bombs
• Tactical Marines (5 models)- Razorback with lascannon, Veteran Sgt., plasma gun, combi-plasma, melta bombs

Elites

• Terminators (10 models)- Chainfist x 4, cyclone missile launcher x 2
• Command Squad (5 models)- Razorback with lascannon, plasma gun x 5, meltabombs x 5

Fast Attack

• Assault Marines (5 models)- Plasma pistol x 2, eviscerator

The first turn will have night fight.

Turn 1

Jerrod and Dave roll for priority.  Dave wins and gives Jerrod first turn.  Our combatants each roll 1D6 to move the convoy and both roll a one.  The convoy moves a total of two inches.

Jerrod has three Drop Pods so he drops his two Contemptor Dreadnoughts.  He drops one by the convoy and it scatters out of the three-inch zone.  The Contemptor moves towards the Assault Marines and Razorback hiding behind the ruins.  It targets the Razorback but the cover save is made.

The second Drop Pod drops further down the convoy’s path.  The Contemptor uses a bastion for cover and targets a Razorback housing five Tactical Marines.  The Contemptor manages to explode the Razorback.  Jerrod does not score first blood as this mission does not have any of the secondaries- Slay the Warlord, First Blood and Linebreaker.

The rest of Salamanders plod forward due to the low difficult terrain rolls.  Salamander shooting doesn’t solve much either.

The Astral Claws march forward to catch up to the convoy.

The Assault Marines jump into the air and land behind the Contemptor.  They fire their bolt pistols and manage to get two sixes for glancing hits.  The plasma gun hits its mark and wrecks the ancient.  The Assault Marines are also within the three inches of the convoy to score the victory point for the turn.

Valthex pops out of the Rhino and targets the Salamanders in the ruins with his conversion beamer.  Seven Marines are damaged but only one succumbs to his injuries.

The Command Squad pop around the corner of the bastion and target the second Contemptor.  There is enough plasma guns to wreck the Dreadnought.

The Astral Claws Tactical Marines in-between the Command Squad and Assault Marines (seen in the picture above) open fire on the Salamander Assault Marines and kill two.

Astral Claws claim the convoy for turn one and are winning 1-0.

Turn 2

Jerrod and Dave roll for the convoy and it moves eleven inches.  They roll again for priority and Dave wins.  He chooses to take first turn.  The Tactical Marines seen in the last photo hug the convoy in hopes to gain the victory point for round 2.  The Terminators also gain ground and close in on the convoy.

The Astral Claws Assault Marines advance onto the Salamander Assault Marines.  The plasma overheats but the armour save is made.  They then charge and slay one in combat.

The Terminators open fire on a squad of Tactical Marines and Jerrod fails four armour saves.

Valthex targets the same squad of Tactical Marines in the ruins and the blast scatters too far to cause any damage.

Mir’san moves around the back of the building and into position to charge the Astral Claws Assault Marines.  He brings in a squad of Tactical Marines for support.  They charge in a make short work of Astral Claws.  Mir’san earns a victory point for slaying a character in a duel.

The Land Raider advances towards the convoy.  It shoots the Rhino in the way and removes two hull points.

The Drop Pod that landed close to the convoy fires the storm bolter at the Command Squad and kills two Astral Claws.

Dave claims the convoy for the turn and is winning 2-1.

Turn 3

Jerrod and Dave roll for the convoy and it moves seven inches.  They roll for priority and Jerrod goes first.

The Tactical Squad nestled on the second level of a ruin target the Astral Claws Command Squad and kill one.  The Drop Pod that is being approached by the convoy also targets the Command Squad and kills another reducing the unit to one man.

The Land Raider targets the Rhino.  Three lascannons and only one is able to hit.  Jerrod rolls to penetrate the armour and rolls a one.  More bad dice luck for Jerrod as his reserves are still stuck in reserve.

The last remaining member of the Salamanders Assault Marines charges some Tactical marines.  He is unable to kill an Astral Claw, but does survive the counter assault.

Mir’san takes cover behind a building.  This mission has not gone well for the Salamanders and Mir’san knows he cannot sacrifice himself yet.

The Astral Claws advance towards the convoy to claim another victory point.  The Razorbacks target the Drop Pod that was by the convoy on turn one and wreck it.  The Librarian casts misfortune and perils, losing a wound in the process.

The last remaining member of the Command Squad returns fire to the Salamanders on the second level in the ruins and is able to kill two.

The Terminators charge the Drop Pod that is close to the convoy and explode it.  The heavy flamer Terminator is taken out with the blast.

A squad of Tactical Marines charge the Land raider and wreck it.  The Land Raider had its hull points gradually removed throughout the game and the melta bombs were the final straw.  This forces the Cataphractii to exit the mighty machine.

The Astral Claws claim the convoy for turn three and are leading 3-1.

Turn 4

Jerrod and Dave roll for the convoy and it stops just prior to plowing into the wrecked Land Raider.  They roll for priority and Jerrod gets first turn.

The Cataphractii move around the Land Raider and shoot the Tactical Marines.  They kill one and then attempt to charge.  The lead Terminator is killed to overwatch and the charge is failed since the lead man was the only one that had line of sight.

The Salamander Tactical Marines target the Astral Claw Terminators and manage to kill three.  Sadly we forgot about Jerrod’s reserves.  They would have come in automatically this turn.

The writing is on the by now.  The Astral Claws advance towards the convoy.  The Librarian casts prescience and perils again.  The Librarian dies to rift in the warp.

The Tactical Marines that survived the charge from the Cataphractii advance forward and open fire on the Salamander Terminators.  They manage kill two and the remaining Cataphractii fail their leadership and run away.

All able Astral Claws open fire on Tactical Marines and manage to kill five Tactical Marines.

The Salamander Assault Marine is finally overwhelmed and is slain in combat.  He was unable to kill any Astral Claws.

Dave claims the victory point for a 4-1 victory.  The game is called due to the store having to close shortly.  As a reward for claiming the convoy Dave can give Bolter Drill to himself or an ally in the next phase.  That means all To Hit rolls of one for bolt pistols, storm bolters, boltguns and heavy bolters can be re-rolled.

This game was a tough one to watch.  Jerrod’s rolling was terrible all throughout.  It would have been a lot closer had he avoided the one’s on his dice.  He also played aggressive with his Contemptors and that also helped with his quick demise.

Looking back on it I’m not too sure if rolling for priority was a good thing every turn.  Hindsight is 20-20 and I wanted to use a thematic element to the game to progress the story.  This game does represent the Salamanders experience as they get their butt kicked in the Badab War.

This concludes Phase 1.  Jerrod and Will were not able to get their game in.  That means there were only two games for phase one.  This game scored one point for the Secessionists.  Betrayal at Grief was a special mission and scored three points for the Loyalists.  That means the Loyalists win Phase 1 with a score of 3-1.  for a break down of how points are scored check out the Badab War YEG post.

Stay tuned for more Badab War YEG battle reports.  Thanks for reading.