Battle Report: Marines versus Imperial Guard

A couple of weeks ago I played a game against Connor at our store. Here's a quick report of our game:



Connor's IG:
- HQ squad with 4 plasma guns in a Chimera
- Valkyrie with Veterans with 3 Meltaguns
- Chimera with Veterans with 3 Meltaguns
- Infantry platoon, HQ squad in Chimera (3 Flamers), 3 Platoon squads (autocannons, in Chimeras), heavy weapon squad (3 autocannons)
- 2 Griffons
- 2 Leman Russes (separate)
- 5 Rough Riders

I used my 1700 list shaved down to 1500 points:
- Librarian (Avenger, Null Zone)
- 5 Assault Terminators (1xLightning Claws) in Land Raider
- 2*10 Tactical Marines (Power Weapon, Flamer, ML, Rhino)
- Dreadnought (Lascannon, ML)
- Vindicator (Dozer Blade)
- 2*Land Speedes (Multi-melta, Heavy Flamer) (Separate)
- Thunderfire Cannon

The mission was Seize Ground, and Pitched Battle deployment. Connor took first turn.

I boxed in my Land Raider with the Rhinos to deny it as a target for Connor's Melta veterans in the Valkyrie. With hindsight this was not a very good tactic, since the Raider would have to traverse some Dangerous Terrain and risk Immobilisation if the Rhinos were Immobilised or Destroyed.
The Vindicator took up a defensive position from which it could lob Demolisher shells at anything trying to claim the objectives I’d placed in open ground. The Missile squads set up in ruins to negate the Griffon shells as did the Thunderfire Cannon, which deployed centrally to get a good line of sight towards the enemy objective placed high on a tower.
The Valkyrie filled with Melta Veterans went after my Dreadnought and the Veterans exploded it with ease.
One of my Rhinos was Immobilised and the other Exploded to a hail of multilaser and autocannon fire. A lucky escape for my Land Raider, but a severe blow to my mobility.

In my first turn the Raider advanced, both (previously) Rhino-borne combat squads advanced through cover, and I opened up on the Chimera carrying the Melta veterans. I had disembarked my Assault Terminators to charge them once the Chimera was destroyed. Risky, but I was feeling gutsy.
Missile Launchers and twin-linked Lascannons just pinged off the Chimera’s armour. My Thunderfire Cannon could see about 40% of the transport’s side armour, however, and fired a volley of Airburst shells. I penetrated, ignored the Cover save, and Exploded the vehicle on another lucky 6. Bless that lobotomised dinosaur!

The Assault Terminators crushed the Melta Veterans and lined up to receive a rain of lasguns, shields raised Spartan style.
My Immobilised Rhino tried to repair itself and succeeded!
On the other side of the board, the Vindicator blew a Missile Pod off the Valkyrie and killed a couple of the other Melta Veteran squad as my Missile squad charged and killed off the remainder.

In the Imperial Guard 2nd turn I made some sick saves. The Assault Terminators lost a single man to a hail of Plasma and Lasgun fire. My combat squad advancing down the centre of the table was hit by a Battlecannon and passed all cover saves. My less fortunate missile launcher squad on my left flank however all but disappeared beneath 3 Flamer templates from the Platoon Command Squad, leaving only the heavy weapon trooper standing.
The Rough Riders charged my Assault Terminators, killed two, and then lost two men themselves, drawing combat.

One of my Speeders arrived from reserve, tried to Deep Strike next to the Griffons, and crashed.
My repaired Rhino moved up, as did the Land Raider. The Librarian disembarked and prepared to assault the Platoon squad at the base of the tower. I fired the Demolisher Cannon at the HQ Chimera and failed to even Glance. The Thunderfire Cannon targeted the heavy weapon platoon guarding the objective high up in the tower, killed one with its S6 blasts, and caused them to flee. My Missile Launcher squad on my right flank aimed for the Valkyrie and blew off another Missile Pod.
The combat squad in the centre of the table assaulted the Leman Russ and did no damage at all with their Krak Grenades. The lone Marine on my left flank charged into the Platoon Command Squad and tied combat.
The Librarian killed three Guardsmen with the Avenger, and charged in, killing one more. The brave Guardsmen held their ground despite doing no damage in return.

My two remaining Terminators were again subject to some massive firepower, but only one of them fell. The Vindicator lost its Demolisher Cannon to the Valkyrie’s Multilaser. The combat squad that had assaulted the Leman Russ fled as it Tank Shocked them. They lost another man to its Battlecannon, and fled even further. This was actually a good thing as they were now over 6” away from it so they could regroup in my turn. My Rhino lost its Storm Bolter from the same Battlecannon shell.
In close combat, the Librarin killed two more Guardsmen, but was then himself killed by the remaining troopers!

My other Speeder arrived and blew the Battlecannon off the faraway Leman Russ. The Vindicator advanced alongside the Rhino to contest objectives Turn 5. The depleted combat squad regrouped and charged the Russ, while my other combat squad embarked in the Land Raider. The Thunderfire Cannon killed a few Guardsmen at the base of the tower.
The lone Assault Terminator charged into the Infantry Platoon that had killed off my Librarian, and wiped them out. The two Tactical Marines Stunned the Leman Russ and ripped off its Battlecannon.

My Assault Terminator died at last to the Griffons’ Heavy Bolters. The lone two Tactical Marines were subject to the Command Squad’s Plasma Guns, but the Sergeant remained standing even as the final battle-brother fell. Two Veterans cooked themselves as well in that volley. The Thunderfire was destroyed as the Techmarine failed its 2+ save against a Multilaser volley.
In close combat the Veteran Sergeant destroyed the Leman Russ.

In my turn I decided to Ram the Command Chimera with the Vindicator. With tremendous luck I exploded it, killing off another Veteran and sending them fleeing towards their table edge!
My Land Speeder targeted the Infantry Command Squad and incinerated them with its Heavy Flamer. My Missile squad aimed for the Valkyrie again and Immobilised it. My combat squad onboard the Land Raider disembarked and assaulted the Infantry platoon at the base of the tower, and wiped them out.

With not much left the Imperial Guard tried to take out my Troops, while the last remaining Infantry platoon moved out to claim a nearby objective. The Griffons fired at the combat squad that had just killed their supporting infantry and killed one battle-brother. The Chimera and Valkyrie parked on my table edge opened up on the Missile Launcher squad but failed to kill any of them. The remaining Leman Russ killed the lone Veteran Sergeant with its heavy bolter, however.

The Speeder moved out to target the Chimera next to the Valkyrie, but failed to hit. My Rhino contested the objective claimed by the Infantry squad. I charged the Griffons with my Combat Squad and destroyed one, while tearing the weapon off the other one.

We rolled for another turn and we got one.

This was when I realised the fundamental error I had made. It was Turn 6, and I had not even a single objective claimed. The Missile Launcher squad was 6” away from the nearest objective, while I was convinced they somehow were claiming it. I had been lucky to get another turn.

The Imperial Guard couldn’t do much. They again tried to take out my Missile squad with multilaser fire and killed one. The remaining Griffon Tank Shocked the combat squad assaulting it but they passed their Morale Check. The Leman Russ tried to take out the Speeder with its Heavy Bolters and failed. The Infantry Platoon assaulted the Rhino but their Frag Grenades were not up to the task.

In my turn all that mattered was the Missile squad. They were in difficult terrain so had to check. Two 1s. Oh dear.
I ran them. Another 1.

…

The game ended, with no objectives claimed by either side, draw game!

D’oh! That said I was surprised about the carnage wrought among the Imperial Guard lines by my units. I didn’t think I’d survive all the firepower the Guard could muster, and when my Rhinos were disabled turn 1 I thought I was a goner. The outstanding performance of my Thunderfire Cannon and Terminators saved the day however. Just goes to show, never give up, and never surrender!
And always make sure you’ve got an objective claimed at the end of Turn 5!