Beware! Proxies and Blue Peter cardboard Drop Pod madness in the photos! ;)
Necrons - 2,000 points
HQ
Overlord w/ Catacomb Command Barge - warscythe
Royal Court - 3 x Crypteks w/ - harbinger of destruction & solar pulse
Elites
Triarch Stalker
Triarch Stalker
Troops
5 x Necron Warriors w/ Ghost Ark
5 x Necron Warriors w/ Ghost Ark
5 x Necron Warriors w/ Ghost Ark
5 x Necron Immortals
Fast Attack
10 x Canoptek Scarabs
5 x Canoptek Wraiths - particle caster & 4 x whip coils
5 x Canoptek Wraiths - particle caster & 4 x whip coils
Heavy Support
Annihilation Barge
Annihilation Barge
Total: 2,000
Space Marines "Salamanders" - 2,000 points
HQ
Forgefather Vulkan He'Stan
Master of the Forge - combi melta & thunder hammer
Elites
Dreadnought w/ Drop Pod - heavy flamer - Pod w/ locator beacon
Dreadnought w/ Drop Pod - heavy flamer - Pod w/ locator beacon
Dreadnought w/ Drop Pod - heavy flamer - Pod w/ locator beacon
Troops
10 x Tactical Marines w/ Drop Pod - meltagun & multi melta - sgt w/ combi melta
10 x Tactical Marines w/ Drop Pod - meltagun & multi melta - sgt w/ combi melta
10 x Tactical Marines w/ Drop Pod - meltagun & multi melta - sgt w/ combi melta
5 x Scouts - sniper rifles
Heavy Support
Dreadnought w/ Drop Pod - heavy flamer
Dreadnought w/ Drop Pod - heavy flamer
Dreadnought w/ Drop Pod - heavy flamer
Total: 1,995
Pre-game Analysis
Ok, Poddy has got a lot of in your face melta so he's going to have no problems getting that melta into range to wreck my necrodermis vehicles. My main worry is the Dreadnoughts, they will be pretty tough to take down, so I'll blast them to pieces first - stopping them from shooting will do fine. Gauss flayers and Wraiths can deal with the Tactical Marines. One other advantage I have is I wrote Poddy's list, so I should know it inside out ;)
Game: Capture & Control + Dawn of War
Deployment
I won the roll off, so I kindly let Poddy go first. Poddy has got everything in reserve.
I deploy nothing as I am a sneaky scoundrel. I'm keeping my Immortals in reserve so they can walk in on later and get my objective.
I had placed my objective in the bottom right corner and Poddy had put his in the top left.
* Tactical Notes
When my units do come on I'll aim for the Dreadnoughts with everything I've got. If I can stop them shooting at least (in any form) I'll be happy. I'll send the Scarabs after one, though I'll hold the Wraiths back for infantry.
Turn 1
Poddy brings in five Dreadnoughts. One Pod lands 3" away from my table edge and between two ruins, this will cause problem with my deployment as if I am lucky I will only get a single unit each side of the Drop Pod, and that's smaller units. He does the same with another Pod as the previous one and then the others land slightly behind. So far Poddy has created some nice road blocks and choke points with the Drop Pods and limiting my movement and deployment options. All Dreadnoughts pop smoke.
No shooting for Salamanders.
I start bringing my Necrons on, on the left flank I put all Ghost Arks due to limited room anywhere else, plus they can move up the board edge and go for Poddy's objective. Wraiths move into a ruin by the Ghost Arks. Between the Pod near my table edge I put a Annihilation Barge and Triarch Stalker along with the Scarabs. Near the other Pod more over to the right flank I bring on the other Stalker and Annhilation Barge. The Overlord moves flatout so half away across the board in his CCB and slices a Dreadnought at the back of the Pod wall, causing stunned result, that will do nicely.
Shooting; Triarch Stalker in the centre blasts the Dreadnought closest to my table edge and immobilises it, that's good because the LOS for the multi melta cannot see my Necron vehicles and that nasty DCCW isn't going to assault my vehicles next turn. The supporting Annihilation Barge blasts one of the Dreadnoughts near the Scarabs and scores stunned. The Triarch Stalker and Annihilation Barge move over to the right blast the Dreadnought in front of them and cause shaken.
Assault; Scarabs multi assault the stunned Dreadnought and another one not far from the Wraiths, the one closest to the Wraiths explodes and the other is rotted away, though it still lingers on and is shaken again.
The mini-me general advises me of tactics from the floor level and guards the box of Necrons ;)
* Tactical Notes
Ok, that was a pretty decent turn for Necrons. All Dreadnoughts (except one) aren't firing next turn and one is totally gone and the other is locked in combat. Poddy did really well on his smoke saves, I think it's also a good job he didn't go second as 5 twin-linked multi meltas would have made a mess of my Necron vehicles.
Next turn I'll sweep the Overlord over another Dreadnought while I hope the Scarabs take out that Dreadnought they are engaged in combat with. I also hope that I can keep the remaining Dreadnoughts at bay in some shape or form. I have no doubts that some infantry will land, if they land close enough, then I'll send the Wraiths to come out and greet them :)
Turn 2
Poddy rolls for reserves and shockingly everything arrives! Scouts he moves and runs into a ruin so I cannot draw LOS to them, no doubt he will go to his objective in the later turns. The infantry drop as far away as they can from the Wraiths landing mostly towards the left, though Master of the Forge and Tactical Squad he came down with land in the centre - getting very busy with all these Drop Pods! Oh, all Tactical Squads split into Combat Squads ;)
Shooting; a Dreadnought which just landed fires at the Command Barge and fails to score any damage, instead the Combat Squad behind with Vulkan fire into the rear and it goes boom! Meltas from a Combat Squad on the right make the Triarch Stalker go boom while the supporting Annihilation Barge is immobilised and shaken, oh no it isn't - thanks living metal! :). That's about it for Salamanders as the remaining Dreadnoughts cannot fire.
Assault; Scarabs rot the Dreadnought they are engaged with and finish it off. They consolidate and move behind the Dreadnought which is by the CCB crater.
Necron movement; one unit of Wraiths moves and lands very close to the MOTF Combat Squad while the other unit just floats around out in the open. Two Ghost Arks stick together and move so got LOS on the mass of Drop Pods while the other moves 12" up the left flank. Everything else remains in position as I can't move it due to immobilised or lack of space. I also forget to move the Overlord like a numpety.
Shooting; immobilised Dreadnought is toasted by the last Triarch Stalker. Supporting Annihilation Barge blasts the MOTF unit, I roll three 6's and only the MOTF remains with a single wound and the meltagun armed Marine - they pass morale. Lances and gauss flayers blast a Dreadnought and it is stunned once again. The immobilised Annihilation Barges fires at the shaken Dreadnought and rips off the multi melta.
In assault the Scarabs take out the Dreadnought while the Wraiths cut up the MOTF, though fail to kill the meltagun armed Marine, who stays in combat.
Damn, it's like Blue Peter crossed with 40k!
* Tactical Notes
Ok, it's not going too bad. I've taken a hit this turn as Poddy has managed to fire and all his units come down. I've lost three units and my Overlord can no longer sweep. Speaking of the Overlord, he's dead meat next turn as I forgot to move him and he failed to get the Dreadnought in assault. Looks like his head is going to be on Vulkan's spikey spear!
Next turn I'll move the other Wraiths out to engage another Combat Squad while the unit locked in combat should win combat and engage another Combat Squad. Remaining shooting units will fire at infantry and Dreadnoughts while the single Ghost Ark makes a break for it and moves up the left flank.
Turn 3
Multi melta Combat Squads hold position so they can slag vehicles from a distance while the meltagun Combat Squad on the right flank moves to tackle the immobilised Annihilation Barge. Vulkan's unit moves into terrain to engage with the Overlord. The weapon destroyed Dreadnoughts moves and runs into terrain ready to smash something in combat next turn
Shooting; meltagun fires at the Annihilation Barge and it goes boom. Multi meltas take long range shots at the Triarch Stalker, it gets cover, it is shaken but living metal makes the save. Bolters blast the Overlord with meltagun and heavy flamer support and the Overlord drops down to one wound remaining. Storm bolters blast the crap out of the Scarabs and I have a single swarm left after it is all said and done.
Assault; Vulkan and his buddies charge the Overlord, Vulkan swings first and kills the Overlord before any other Marines strike - Overlord fails to get back up. Single meltagun Marine is ripped to pieces by the Wraiths rending attacks.
I roll for reserves and the Immortals come in, they ring around my objective so a enemy unit cannot get close enough.
I move one Ghost Ark 12" up the left flank and it's about another turn away from getting that objective. The other two Ghost Arks move across between the ruins and into Drop Pod forest. Triarch Stalker moves up to one of the last operational Dreadnoughts and primes the heat ray. Wraiths move to engage Vulkan while the unit just won combat moves to tackle the melta unit which just popped my Annihilation Barge.
Shooting; Annihilation Barge blasts Vulkan's unit and kills two Marines - they pass morale btw. Triarch Stalker takes out the Dreadnought in front of it, only a single Dreadnought left now. Lance and gauss fire blast Drop Pods, one goes boom and another is wrecked - I fire at the Pods because there's nothing else for the Ghost Arks and Warriors to fire at, so may as well fire at something ;)
Assault; Wraiths charge Vulkan and his buddies, Wraiths win combat and after two Marines die, though the Salamanders stick about. Other unit of Wraiths charge the melta unit which slagged the Annihilation Barge and wipe them all out.
Tactical genius' like Poddy wear pink shirts ;)
* Tactical Notes
I think it's going pretty well at the moment. There's only a single Dreadnought left and that has no multi melta, only a single Combat Squad with a meltagun and that's engaged in combat. All the mobile meltas have been taken care off, if I can keep my vehicles at distance from the remaining multi meltas and blast the crap out of those units then I should be ok.
Next turn I'll use the Wraiths to assault the Dreadnought as I have no doubt it will turn around and head straight towards my objective. I'll move the Ghost Ark up and bail out the Warriors. Everything else will shoot.
Turn 4
Poddy moves his Scouts and runs them towards his objective and rings around it. He moves a multi melta Combat Squad and runs them towards my Immortals with Dreadnought support. Rest stays static.
Shooting; the two multi meltas which have moved fired at the Triarch Stalker and score weapon destroyed, damn. Storm bolters blast the Wraiths and chop them down to three strong. I think that's all the shooting.
Assault; I think combat is a draw, though two Space Marines die leavingt just Vulkan to fight the good fight.
Necrons turn; the depleted Wraiths move to assault the Dreadnought heading towards my objective while the two Ghost Arks move inbetween Drop Pods so they can broadside different units. Like a dumbass I forget to move the Ghost Ark towards the Sallie objective.
Shooting; Annihilation Barge blasts a multi melta Combat Squad and kills a few Marines. Gauss from Ghost Ark and Warriors wreck another Drop Pod while the Warriors inside the Ghost Ark on the left flank fires at the Scouts and fail to kill any. Immortals rapid fire into the oncoming multi melta unit and kill one.
Assault; Vulkan gets hit by lots of rending wounds and drops down to a single wound, he passes morale to stay in combat. Dreadnought gets ripped into by the Wraiths.
Necrons are getting lost in the forest of cardboard Drop Pods
* Tactical Notes
What a dumbass, I forgot to move the Ghost Ark on the left flank - fool! I was hoping the Warriors could kill a few Scouts, though the lance failed to hit. The rest is going ok, no more Dreadnoughts and multi melta units are slowly getting depleted. I just hope those Immortals can hold their own.
Next turn I will move that Ghost Ark and fire the crap out of those Scouts. I just hope the Immortals can hold their own until the Wraiths arrive and back them up.
Turn 5
Multi melta unit moves to engage the Immortals in assault. That's about it.
Shooting; multi meltas long range fire at my remaining vehicles and do nothing. Multi melta unit fires bolt pistols at the Immortals, one drops down and I forget R.P. Storm bolters fire at the Wraiths and drop down another.
In assault Vulkan snuffs it and is dead meat, Wraiths consolidate a whole 1". Mutli melta unit charges the Immortals, both units roll badly and remain locked in combat.
Necrons turn; Ghost Ark moves up the left flank and pivots so the gauss flayers can bring out green lazor death. Ghost Arks by the mass of Drop Pods just pivot about. Wraiths move up to assault the multi melta unit locked in combat with the Immortals.
Shooting; Ghost Ark and Warriors fire at the Scouts and I roll terribad, I don't think I even kill one! The depleted multi melta unit gets blasted by the Annihilation Barge and get wiped out.
Assault; Wraiths charge the multi melta Combat Squad and manage to kill one, the Combat Squad holds.
At this point I am happy to call it a day, the Combat Squad is just within 3" and contests my objective. Poddy is hardcore and doesn't really want to take a pansy style win and rolls for it, though I really want to end it and he gets the win. Well done Poddy! :)
Poddy is on the winning table side ;) that's the side I usually go on :)
Summary
I enjoyed that game against Salamanders. It's a different to approach from all the transport spam and brings the fight to you instead of using long distance shooting.
Mistake wise, I forgot to move the Overlord and use R.P for him and forgot to move the Ghost Ark - what a tool! I blame this cold I've got ;)
Can't say much about Poddy's game tonight, as I was telling tactics all the way through, not to take anything away from him, though I couldn't let him go alone as he's never played Marines before. He did comment about the Pods as they did block things, but I think they caused more of a problem for me then him. He also mentioned that they are better than Tau :P
