Here are my impressions from my first contact with the game but first a few details:
Iron Hands (IH; Loyalist) vs. Ash Scorpions (AS; Traitor)
Game Mode: Single Player
Game Length: Custom
Points: around 450
Custom Rules: Infantry only double their movement when performing March orders.
Mission: Monument Preservation (Custom)
Board: 180 cm x 120 cm. The battlefield was littered with a large amount of massive rocks, rock formations and flat hills.
Deployment: Forces deployed along the long table edges. Starting distance was 80 cm.
Mission Briefing:
Three monuments (Objectives) were built on flat hills in the Wastelands of New Mars. The first was in the centre of the board, the second on the left flank close to the AS deployment zone and the third on the right flank close to the IH deployment zone. To achieve victory one side had to control more objectives than the other side at the end of turn 4. However it was possible to prematurely score a victory, if one side could control objectives for two consecutive turns though it wasn´t possible to claim objectives in the first turn even when near them. If the above winning conditions couldn´t be met by either side then the game would be a draw. The Loyalists tried to preserve the monuments while the Traitors tried to defile them.
Detachments from left flank to right flank:
IH
1. Contemptor Dreadnoughts (4U; 2 assault Cannons & 2 lascannons)
2. Commander, Tacticals (4U), Assault marines (2U) & Terminators (2U)
3. Predators (3U; full lascannons) & Sicarans (2U; omega plasma arrays & lascannons)
4. Tacticals (4U), Plasma gunners (2U) & Missile launchers (2U)
AS
1. Tercios (4U)
2. Malcadors (2U; full lascannons)
3. Ogryns (4U)
4. Legate Commander & Tercios (4U)
5. Leman Russes (4U; Vanquisher turrets & lascannons)
Battle Report:
I will keep it short and simple. The game lasted for three turns in total and the Iron Hands won by controlling two objectives for two consecutive turns (2nd & 3rd turn; central objective and the one on their right flank).
Right Flank:
I was confident that the four Leman Russes would be able to hold their own against the five marine tanks but the dice let them down. Despite being able to strike first they only destroyed a single Predator and were reduced during turn 2 to only a single tank due to the combined efforts of the IH tanks. Adding insult to injury they failed their morale check and fled the battlefield. The IH infantry on the right flank (Tacticals, plasma gunners & missile launchers) controlled the objective and did nothing else in the game.
Central:
The other infantry bases of the IH Demi-Company pushed forward towards the Tercio with the Legate Commander. The assault marines ignited their jump packs and sped forward while the tacticals and terminators advanced behind them eager to perform bolter porn on Overwatch, if the Ogryns countercharged the assault marines. And boy did they perform that bolter porn! Better than the boys in yellow, if I may add. They scored four hits (having to roll natural 6s while doing Overwatch) and three Ogryn bases bit the dust before having an opportunity to swing their power blades. The last Ogryn bases was destroyed by the fire of two Predator tanks (on First Fire orders) who had no other viable targets (the Leman Russes used a large rock to deny them LOS). Shame, shame, shame!
Left flank:
Tercios (4U) secured the objective and did nothing else in the game like their IH infantry counterparts on the other side of the board. The Malcadors blasted with ease three Contemptors out of existence while the walkers climbed the flat hill in the centre of the board and suffered a single point of damage by the ancient´s lascannon return fire. The lone walker would meet it´s demise when it charged the Tercio supported by the Legate Commander and the boys in ash grey destroyed it on First Fire orders in the last turn. During turn 3 the Malcdors advanced towards the centre hill and the Sicarans tried to intercept them. Both sides traded a tank in the forthcoming fire exchange.
Conclusion:
Low point games tend to be swingy, if the dice don´t go your way or if the opponent has a lucky streak. Leman Russes with Vanquisher guns look spicy on paper but a single turn of bad performance doomed them. It would have been better to pair them with the Malcadors but foolish me thought they would be okay on their own. Likewise the Ogryns´ demise in turn 2 was totally unexpected. Lesson learned: Units using Advance orders can support the more aggressive elements in a good way. This is even more efficient, if the weapons have the Point Defence trait though in this battle the IH infantry was just damn lucky. For my Ash Scorpions this would mean to turn the Baneblades from my future shopping list into close-ranged brawlers with heavy flamer sponsons because right now they struggle with the infantry elements of the IH. At the end of the game the AS had four Tercio bases, a Malcador and the Legate Commander left while the IH only lost all dreadnoughts, a single tank of each variety and a single base of assault marines. It looked rough in the end no doubt.
In regards to core rules I still find the infantry too fast (5´´). Maybe 4´´ would suit them better and be more in line with the vintage 2nd Space marine rules. All in all I enjoyed the game and it was pretty fast as I had prepared unit cards in advance with ability descriptions on the back for swift reference.
Note:
I found an error in the weapon loadout of the Malcador lascannon turret. It says it has two attacks but should have instead a single attack and Arc (F) like it´s counterpart in the Predator lascannon turret description.
Iron Hands (IH; Loyalist) vs. Ash Scorpions (AS; Traitor)
Game Mode: Single Player
Game Length: Custom
Points: around 450
Custom Rules: Infantry only double their movement when performing March orders.
Mission: Monument Preservation (Custom)
Board: 180 cm x 120 cm. The battlefield was littered with a large amount of massive rocks, rock formations and flat hills.
Deployment: Forces deployed along the long table edges. Starting distance was 80 cm.
Mission Briefing:
Three monuments (Objectives) were built on flat hills in the Wastelands of New Mars. The first was in the centre of the board, the second on the left flank close to the AS deployment zone and the third on the right flank close to the IH deployment zone. To achieve victory one side had to control more objectives than the other side at the end of turn 4. However it was possible to prematurely score a victory, if one side could control objectives for two consecutive turns though it wasn´t possible to claim objectives in the first turn even when near them. If the above winning conditions couldn´t be met by either side then the game would be a draw. The Loyalists tried to preserve the monuments while the Traitors tried to defile them.
Detachments from left flank to right flank:
IH
1. Contemptor Dreadnoughts (4U; 2 assault Cannons & 2 lascannons)
2. Commander, Tacticals (4U), Assault marines (2U) & Terminators (2U)
3. Predators (3U; full lascannons) & Sicarans (2U; omega plasma arrays & lascannons)
4. Tacticals (4U), Plasma gunners (2U) & Missile launchers (2U)
AS
1. Tercios (4U)
2. Malcadors (2U; full lascannons)
3. Ogryns (4U)
4. Legate Commander & Tercios (4U)
5. Leman Russes (4U; Vanquisher turrets & lascannons)
Battle Report:
I will keep it short and simple. The game lasted for three turns in total and the Iron Hands won by controlling two objectives for two consecutive turns (2nd & 3rd turn; central objective and the one on their right flank).
Right Flank:
I was confident that the four Leman Russes would be able to hold their own against the five marine tanks but the dice let them down. Despite being able to strike first they only destroyed a single Predator and were reduced during turn 2 to only a single tank due to the combined efforts of the IH tanks. Adding insult to injury they failed their morale check and fled the battlefield. The IH infantry on the right flank (Tacticals, plasma gunners & missile launchers) controlled the objective and did nothing else in the game.
Central:
The other infantry bases of the IH Demi-Company pushed forward towards the Tercio with the Legate Commander. The assault marines ignited their jump packs and sped forward while the tacticals and terminators advanced behind them eager to perform bolter porn on Overwatch, if the Ogryns countercharged the assault marines. And boy did they perform that bolter porn! Better than the boys in yellow, if I may add. They scored four hits (having to roll natural 6s while doing Overwatch) and three Ogryn bases bit the dust before having an opportunity to swing their power blades. The last Ogryn bases was destroyed by the fire of two Predator tanks (on First Fire orders) who had no other viable targets (the Leman Russes used a large rock to deny them LOS). Shame, shame, shame!
Left flank:
Tercios (4U) secured the objective and did nothing else in the game like their IH infantry counterparts on the other side of the board. The Malcadors blasted with ease three Contemptors out of existence while the walkers climbed the flat hill in the centre of the board and suffered a single point of damage by the ancient´s lascannon return fire. The lone walker would meet it´s demise when it charged the Tercio supported by the Legate Commander and the boys in ash grey destroyed it on First Fire orders in the last turn. During turn 3 the Malcdors advanced towards the centre hill and the Sicarans tried to intercept them. Both sides traded a tank in the forthcoming fire exchange.
Conclusion:
Low point games tend to be swingy, if the dice don´t go your way or if the opponent has a lucky streak. Leman Russes with Vanquisher guns look spicy on paper but a single turn of bad performance doomed them. It would have been better to pair them with the Malcadors but foolish me thought they would be okay on their own. Likewise the Ogryns´ demise in turn 2 was totally unexpected. Lesson learned: Units using Advance orders can support the more aggressive elements in a good way. This is even more efficient, if the weapons have the Point Defence trait though in this battle the IH infantry was just damn lucky. For my Ash Scorpions this would mean to turn the Baneblades from my future shopping list into close-ranged brawlers with heavy flamer sponsons because right now they struggle with the infantry elements of the IH. At the end of the game the AS had four Tercio bases, a Malcador and the Legate Commander left while the IH only lost all dreadnoughts, a single tank of each variety and a single base of assault marines. It looked rough in the end no doubt.
In regards to core rules I still find the infantry too fast (5´´). Maybe 4´´ would suit them better and be more in line with the vintage 2nd Space marine rules. All in all I enjoyed the game and it was pretty fast as I had prepared unit cards in advance with ability descriptions on the back for swift reference.
Note:
I found an error in the weapon loadout of the Malcador lascannon turret. It says it has two attacks but should have instead a single attack and Arc (F) like it´s counterpart in the Predator lascannon turret description.
