BatRep Legio Astorum Titans Vs Imperial Knights - 4890pts - Charge the Guns Gauntlet

+++ Seven enemy constructs located approaching the Titan force on attack vectors. Second wave of five constructs detected. Reactor at maximum output. Powered up voids. Legio Astorum will walk +++

Hello Readers, thanks for dropping by, so Lord Halfpenny and myself fancied another smash up with the big boy toys, and a Reaver plus two Warhounds would be the points level, with which Lord Halfpenny could field 7 Imperial Knights and a Vindicare Assassin. Its a long post, but feel free to scroll through the pictures, everyone loves Titans and Knights and they are on my new Gamemat with recently completed terrain too. Enjoy.

The Imperial Knights stole the initiative and deployed as far forward as they could to bring the CC 'D-weapons' to bear.Lord Halfpenny bought along a Cerastus Knight Lancer as his Warlord, a Cerastus Knight Castigator, a Cerastus Knight Acheron, 2x Paladins, one with a Missile Pod and one Warden and one Errant.

Legio Astorum once again fielded the mighty Reaver Honorum, Warhound Canis Bellum and Warhound Canis Praetor, this was a long range 'charge the guns' for the Imperial Knights, so the Legio set up on the base line for maximum fire-effect.

IK Turn 1 - The Knights all steamed forward, the Cerastus Knight Lancer and Acheron ran their 3D6 as they are designed for CC and closing the enemy fast.

The Knights stripped both voids off Canis Bellum and one from Reaver Honorum and both voids from Canis Praetor but failed to damage any of the titans.

Legio Turn 1 - Calculating the biggest threats were the closing Cerastus Knight Lancer and Acheron (the last Smash Up, the Acheron felled the noble Honorum) all guns concentrated on these two. Canis Bellum opened up with the Vulcan Mega Bolter and rapid fire Plasma Blastgun into the side of the Lancer stripping 2HPs, Honorum's Gatling Blaster and Laser Blaster ripped apart the Lancer and damaged the Acheron leaving it on 2HPs.

Warhound Canis Praetor opened fire with one twin Turbo Laser destroying the Cerastus Knight Acheron! The second arm fired at the other two Knights closing on the right flank, stripping 2HPs from the red Knight Paladin. Finally Honorum fired the Apoc Missile Launcher at the tightly packed group of Knights on the left flank and hit all three stripping a hull point or two. After the turn, the Titans regenerated both voids on Canis Bellum and one on Canis Praetor, Reaver Honorum remained on 3 voids.

IK Turn 2 - After a bruising first turn, the Knights closed on their prey. The Knight Warden and red Paladin closed on the left flank, 

The red Paladin stripped the remain void from Canis Praetor and took 1HP. The Warden opened up with the rending Avenger Gatling Cannon but failed to penetrate the titan's thick armour and missed the melta gun shot. The Warden needed a 12in charge but failed and rolled an 8. The Vindicare shot the Reaver stripping another void.

The Castigator, Errant and green Paladin stripped Canis Bellum's voids and 1HP leaving him on 8HPs.

The Imperial Knights advance.

Legio Turn 2 -  Canis Bellum opened up with the Vulcan Mega Bolter and Plasma Blastgun managing to strip 2HPs from the Castigator. Honorum with 2 voids and full HPs launched another Apoc Missile barrage at the three approaching Knights striking all three and leaving the Errant on 2HPs, Paladin untouched and Castigator on 4HPs. Honorum then let rip with the Laser Blaster and Gatling Blaster wiping out the Castigator! Boom.

Titans view.

Canis Praetor backed away from the Warden and opened up with the Turbo Lasers stripping 5HPs from the Warden, leaving the two approaching Knights on 4HPs and 1HP. The Titans then regenerated one void on the Reaver (18HPs 3V) and one on Canis Bellum (8HPs 1V), leaving Canis Praetor 8HPs and 1 void.

IK Turn 3 - No photo as it was getting just to darn exciting (!) but the Knights continued to close, running the guns, Knight Errant and green Paladin stripped Canis Bellum's void and another 2HPs leaving him on 6HPs. The red Paladin and Warden hit Canis Praetor stripping his remaining void and another HP, leaving him on 7HPs. The Warden failed another 12in charge.

Legio Turn 3 - Honorum see's the predicament of Canis Praetor backed into the corner and opens up with the Apoc Launcher in support striking the Warden 5 times wiping him out, and stripping hull points from the red Paladin leaving him on 1HP Canis Praetor now free to concentrate on the red Paladin opens fire with the Turbo Laser wiping him out too.

The left arm of Canis Praetor and the Laser Blaster of Honorum combine fire onto the as yet untouched green Paladin leaving him on only 1HP! Canis Bellum sensing the enemy wavering concentrates his Plasma Blastgun on overload and wipes out the green Paladin, leaving just the approaching Errant on 2HPs.

IK Turn 4 - The Errant shoots Canis Bellum stripping his voids and charges into combat destroying the mighty Warhound, but the fates are not with the IK force today, the ensuing Apoc Explosion rips into the Knight as Canis Bellum falls forward crushing his nemesis underneath, destroying him! Revenge!

Legio Turn 4 - All that is left to do is destroy the Assassin lurking in the Shrine of the Aquila ruins, 7 D-Weapon shots will do that! Boom!

A great game for the Legio Astorum, it was a challenging run the gauntlet of big guns for the Knights, but once in charge range, those CC D-weapons are devastating. Next up the surviving Legio will face up against the second wave of 5 Knights, but from across the short table length... who will win the Broadside exchange and close in for close quarters combat??... next post coming soon...

LH- Wow- what a game! as soon as I saw the deployment I knew it was going to be tough to get into combat- the hope was that 2 of the knights could have survived and got close to mount a charge- however my dice rolling was pretty poor for saves with the ion shield- shooty D weapons are a pain, especially with a large Blast- as unless you roll a miss, and very high, you are still going to clip them, and get a hit. I suppose it was the good think about 5th ed (I think) where the hole of the blast had to be over the model for a direct hit.. lets see what happens in the Broadside Battle..
Thanks for reading this far! Siph and Lord Halfpenny.