Chaos Daemons Vs Relictors and Grey Knights - 2750pts - Superheavy Madness

So Lord Halfpenny had finished his Scorpion and I had finished my Leviathan Dreadnought and he suggested a battle. We settled on 2000pts plus a Superheavy, LH had the Greater Brass Scorpion of Khorne and he knew I had Warhound Canis Praetor. It was Dawn of War deployment and the Imperials got first turn. We rolled D3+2 objectives, five of them - distributed around the battlefield - Honoured Imperium Statue, Emperor Statue, central Church, Underground Building entrance and the ruins. 3VPs for Objectives, 1VP for First Blood, Slay Warlord and Linebreaker and 3VPs for Superheavy and Big Guns Never Tire 1VP for each Heavy Support choice destroyed.

The forces were Relictor Space Marines and Grey Knight Allies vs Daemons. I had GK Termies, GK Strike Squad and a Brotherhood Champion along with my Relictors Librarian, Tac Squad, Scout Snipers, Leviathan, 2 Storm Talons and a Landspeeder in a Raptorwing, and a Skyhammer Annihilation Force. Oh, and a twin Turbo Laser armed Warhound - it was D fun or Vulcan Mega Bolter and Plasma Blastgun - I was worried about the Scorpion so went D... I think with hindsight it should have been massed shots.

Lord Halfpenny had the Greater Brass Scorpion of Khorne, Slaanesh Seekers, Slaanesh Fiends, Screamers of Tz, Bloodletters, Plaguebearers, Pink Horrors, Bloodcrushers, Herald of Tz, 3x flying Daemon Princes of Tz and Fateweaver.

LH promptly seized the initiative and I started to worry... the Scorpion could scuttle across the battlefield and tear into the Warhound. The Objective in the ruins was behind this wall.

I set up on the left flank with a Tac Squad and Landspeeder with Libby. 

The right flank was held by Warhound Canis Praetor and the Grey Knight Strike Squad

The Leviathan and Scouts held the centre to claim the central Church objective.

Daemon left flank was held by Pink Horrors, Herald of Tz, Seekers, Fiends, Plaguebearers and Daemon Princes and Fateweaver.

In the centre were the Bloodcrushers

The right was held by the Greater Brass Scorpion of Khorne and some Khornate Bloodletters, facing the Imperial might of Warhound Canis Praetor.

Daemon Turn 1 - Scorpion scuttled forward, everything in Daemons army came full forward, Fateweaver and Daemons all flew forward unleashing psychic blasts killing 6 Tactical Marines and Bolts of Change and Possession bouncing off the Leviathans Invul Shield. The Greater Brass Scorpion open fires on the GK Strike Squad killing two GK Strike Marines and a void shield off the Warhound - and then charges forward needing 14in on 3D6 and rolls 14 after Fateweaver intervened, re-rolling a die, getting the charge off on the Imperial Titan - the Titan kicked the Scorpion glancing him before the Scorpion struck back taking a surprisingly low 3 HPs. A lucky escape for the Imperial machine.

Imperial Turn 1 - The Skyhammer Pods came screaming down behind the Daemon Engine, Grav Devs opening up and in a poor round took 2HPs from 23 shots, the MM Devs along with the ML Devs taking a further 3HPs .... The Titan cannot be locked in combat so took a step back and at point blank ripped into the Greater Brass Scorpion ending its foul existence with an apocalyptic explosion, narrowly missing its own frame, glancing and taking a further HP - now on 5HPs, but gaining First Blood too.

The Assault Marines charged the Screamers of Tz, killing one in combat and one from bolt pistol shots, leaving 3 Screamers. The MM Landspeeder and the GK Strike Squad holding the Objective on the Emperors Statue and the mighty Leviathan Dreadnought open fired on the Bloodcrushers advancing towards them and killed 3 Bloodcrushers leaving 2 remaining. The Scouts fire was ineffective. The two survivors from the Tactical Squad opened fire with Plasma and Disintegration Gun killing a Fiend of Slaanesh.

Daemon Turn 2 - The Warpstorm showed how the Daemon Gods were not pleased with the demise of the Greater Brass Scorpion, and all Daemons had a reduction to their Invulnerable saves. The Daemon left flank all advanced towards the thinning Relictor flank, the Daemon Princes vector strike killed 1 Relictor Marine, 2 Scouts and 2 GK Strike Team. The Psychic shooting killed the remaining GK leaving just the Brotherhood Champion. Another Bolt of Change struck the Leviathan but failed to penetrate its armoured bulk.

The Bloodletters tore into the Assault Marines, wiping out one squad and the Bloodcrushers killed 3 Devastators for 1VP (Big Guns Never Tire - Heavy Support Choice).

Imperial Turn 2 - The Relictors Stormtalons arrived from reserve and the Librarian in true fluffy Relictor goodness summoned a squad of his own Bloodletters! Using Chaos against Chaos is a trait of the Relictors, and why they are deemed by some Excommunicate Traitorius - hence the reason the GK contingent was here keeping an eye on the Relictors force!

The Grav Devs opened fire on the Bloodletters killing six, the Warhound also targetted the Bloodletters and Screamers of Tz before they could use their Melta-bites, killing all but one Screamer and Bloodletter. The Assault Marines charged the remaining Screamer killing it with ease. Nearby the other Devastator squad in combat with the Bloodcrushers were trampled underfoot...

The GK Terminator squad also arrived but Deep Strike Mishap'd arriving next to the Titan instead of in the Daemon lines.

The GK's reduced the Invulnerable save of Fateweaver with Banishment, now with the Warpstorm a 6++. The Landspeeder shot and hit the swooping Fateweaver, but he still managed to save it. The GK Teminators shot at Fateweaver and winged him, taking a wound but he kept flying, passing his grounding test. Both Stormtalons concentrated their fire towards Fateweaver and vanquished him in a storm of Assault Cannon fire, gaining Slay the Warlord!

The Disintegrator Gun got hot but the power armour saved the marine, The Leviathan open fired with the Storm Cannons, killing two Seekers of Slaanesh.  The Titan fired its remaining Laser Destroyer, targeting the Pink Horrors and sent them all back to the warp!

Daemon Turn 3 - The Dark Prince Thirsts Warpstorm struck down one Scout and wounded a Bloodcrusher. The Herald of Tz shot the 'loyal' Bloodletters killing six and the Seekers of Slaanesh charged and wiped out the remaining Bloodletters with an unfavourable Instability Test. The nearby Fiend struck at the Relictor with the Disintegrator Gun killing him but the accompanying Librarian was steadfast in combat.

One Daemon Prince used Flicker of Flame wiping out the Grav Devs (for a Heavy Support VP). Another Prince vector strike attack on the GK Terminators killed one and followed up with a Bolt of Tz killing another. Nearby, the remaining two Bloodcrushers and single Bloodletter charged and killed the 5 man Assault Squad, in reply they dragged down a single Bloodcrusher.  The Relictor Traitor Daemon Prince, vector struck a Stormtalon but failed to damage it.

Imperial Turn 3 - A Stormtalon shot a swooping Daemon Prince reducing him to one wound.

The other Stormtalon shot at the other Daemon Prince but failed to wound him. The GK Terminators shot and wiped out the remaining Bloodcrusher. The Drop Pod auto-senses targeted the nearby lone Bloodletter killing it.

The Librarian lost his duel with the Fiend, giving the Daemons Slay the Warlord. The Leviathan was enraged and open fired all the Stormcannons wiping out the Herald. The remaining Scouts aimed at the fast moving Seekers and wiped them out - hooray for Scouts! This left just a Fiend on the Relictor right flank.

The Titan targeted the Plaguebearers behind the Church and killed seven of ten of the foul daemons.

At the end of turn 3, the Daemon forces were reduced to 3 flying Daemon Princes, 3 Plaguebearers and a Fiend.

Daemon Turn 4 - A Daemon Portaglyph spewed out 4 Pink Horrors adding to the depleted Daemon ranks. The Fiend charged the Scouts killing all but the Sergeant who fought on. The Traitor Relictor Daemon Prince fired a Bolt of Tz at the rear armour of the Leviathan but failed to glance. The red Daemon Prince vector struck and Bolt of Tz the Brotherhood Champion, killing the Hero of Titan. The final Daemon Prince struck the Lascannon Stormtalon shaking it.

Relictors Turn 4 - The Storntalons between them shot and killed the recently arrived Pink Horrors and the remaining 3 Plaguebearers.

The Leviathan opened up on a Daemon Prince in the air who had been reduced to one wound earlier, killing him outright for a VP. The Slaanesh Fiend remained tied in combat with the Scout Sergeant.

At the end of turn 4 just two Daemon Princes were left in the sky - could they risk landing to claim objectives as the Titan was tracking them.

Daemon Turn 5 - The Slaanesh Fiend remained in combat with the mighty Scout Sergeant. The Daemon Princes vector struck the GK's killing one more Terminator and took a HP off the Landspeeder.

Imperial Turn 5 - The Landspeeder claimed the ruins objective and snap fired at the nearest flying Daemon Prince but missed. The remaining GK Terminators claimed the Emperor Statue Objective, the Leviathan moved towards the centre Church Objective. One Stormtalon went into the hover over the underground bunker Objective, whilst the other claimed the Honoured Imperium Statue Objective and closed the Portaglyph with its Lascannons. The Scout Sergeant continued to exchange blows with the Fiend of Slaanesh! The Titan lacking any anti-air continued to track the flying Daemon Princes.

We rolled for end of game, but it went to a turn 6...

Daemon Turn 6 - One Daemon Prince vector struck the GKs and Bolt of Tz the Stormtalon, but failed to penetrate. The other Daemon Prince Flicker Fired at the other Stormtalon but the hail of shots failed to do any damage. In combat the Scout Sergeant bested the Fiend and forced an instability test which the daemon failed and evaporated before the Scout Sergeants eyes!

Imperial Turn 6 -  The hovering Stormtalons and Leviathan Dreadnought open fired at the Relictor Traitor Prince wounding him twice, the Titan moved up to the Emperor Statue Objective to pay homage to the Almighty...

We rolled for a turn 7, however the dice gods decided that enough was enough. The Imperial Forces claimed all five Objectives, for 15VPs plus Slay the Warlord, and First Blood and Linebreaker with a Stormtalon for 18VPs plus one Daemon Prince (Heavy Support) and the Greater Brass Scorpion of Khorne for a further three, making a total of 22VPs. The Daemons claim Linebreaker with a Daemon Prince, Slay the Warlord and two Devastator Squads (Heavy Support Slots) for a total of 4VPs.

A decisive Victory for the Imperials and ranged D... 

Conclusions

Great fun by all. Seizing the Initiative certainly livened it up a little! Some might say that Ranged D made the outcome inevitable, however looking at what he actually did, far from it. He was ineffectual for 3 turns as he cannot target flyers, with hindsight a Vulcan Mega-Bolter and Plasma Blastgun would probably have clipped and wounded the flying circus much better.

The fickle nature of the Warpstorm coupled with the GK ability to reduce the Invulnerable saves with Banishment psychic power led to the downfall of Fateweaver!

The model of the match for me was the Scout Sergeant, fighting and overcoming the Fiend of Slaanesh over 5 rounds of CC.

The Greater Brass Scorpion of Khorne was a lot less effective in CC with the Warhound than we both expected - only removing 3HPs. In turn, the return fire was somewhat overkill - perhaps next match up we will use Warhound Canis Bellum instead...