4000 points Astartes vs. LatD

Codex Astartes vs. Lost and the Damned

The other day I played a game with my Codex Astartes (NetEA) vs. EpicUK Lost and the Damned. It was a 4000 points game. Here is my list:

TACTICAL [450] - 6 Tacticals, Supreme Commander, Hunter, Rhinos
TACTICAL [275] - 6 Tacticals, Rhinos
SCOUT [175] - 4 Scouts, Razorback, Rhinos
SCOUT [175]  - 4 Scouts, Razorback, Rhinos
PREDATOR [325]  - 4 Annihilator, Hunter
ASSAULT [225] - 4 Assault Units, Captain
ASSAULT [225] - 4 Assault Units, Chaplain
TERMINATOR [400]  - 4 Terminators, Chaplain
DEVASTATOR [250] - 4 Devastators, Drop Pods
THUNDERHAWK [200]
THUNDERHAWK [200]
STRIKE CRUISER [200]
WARHOUND [275] - 1 Warhound Class Titan
WARHOUND [275] - 1 Warhound Class Titan
THUNDERBOLT SQUADRON [175] - 2 Thunderbolt Fighters
THUNDERBOLT SQUADRON [175] - 2 Thunderbolt Fighters

I faced a hoard of chaos cultists. I don't have the exact LatD list but it was something like this:

LORD OF BATTLES
SUBJUGATOR
QUESTOR
Mechanized Coven (Undivided) - Marine Champion, Chimeras & Land Transports, Hydra, Spawn
Altar Coven (Tzeentch) - Demagogue, Chaos Altar, 3 Leman Russ Demolishers & Spawn
Undivided Coven - Demagogue
Undivided Coven II - Demagogue
Korn Coven - Demagogue &  Mutants
Daemon Prince Coven (Slaneesh) - Winged Daemon Prince
Support Coven (Slaneesh) - Demagogue, 4 Fire support
BASILISKS
SENTINELS
THUNDERBOLT SQUADRON
THUNDERBOLT SQUADRON
2 Greater Daemons
3 Lesser Daemons

Deployment

I choose to play corners and choose the lower right corner, 

giving the LatD upper left which was cut of by a river.

The Marine blitz was placed in the bottom left corner while the LatD placed their blitz as close to the Marines as possible. The take and hold objectives were spread out, Marine objectives placed wide with one in the very top right if the picture and the other one by the bunker in the lower left. LatD objectives were placed more centered with one just below the lake and the other to the right in the picture, in the open by the buildings

I planned by orbital bombardment to hit the part of the LatD deployment zone that was on "my side" of the river and also where his blitz was. Devastator pods aimed for the ruin surrounded by the river.

On to deployment. Marines garrisoned Scouts in the center buildings and the upper right forest.  Tacticals, Annihilatros and a Warhound was placed in the center, my Supreme Commander below the small lake, and the last Warhound above the lake.

LatD garrisoned three Covens on the top right objective, the Daemon Prince Coven, the Support Coven and an Undivided Coven.

And two units on the lower left objective: Korn Coven and another Undivided Coven.

In the LatD deployment zone was the Mechanized Coven next to the Lord of Battles on the left side of the river. On the right side was the Altar Coven, Basilisks, Sentinels, Questor and Subjugator titans.

Turn 1

SM1: Marines win initiative and since the LatD had placed their BTS exactly where i planned my orbital bombardment I activate the Strike Cruiser. The bombs blew up the Altar (critical hit) and a good chunk of the Altar Coven. The Basilisks and Questor was also hit but got away with a blast marker.

SM2: The Devastators, who had landed as planned in the ruins, retained initiative and sustained fire on the damaged Altar Coven. They managed to kill the Demagougue and a few cultists, breaking the formation.

LatD1: The Basilisks sustained fire on my Annihilators, killing 3! breaking the formation. They retreated behind the buildings.

SM3: The Scouts in the upper left forest realized that they were way too close the the Daemon Prince and retreated with a double, putting a BM on the Support coven.

LatD2: One set of traitor Thunderbolts refuse to follow orders (CAP) and stand down.

SM4: The Tacticals double towards the T&H objective in the bottom left corner, putting a BM on the Undivided coven.
LatD3: The Questor fails to activate and regroups

SM5: Thunderbolts ground attack the Sentinels, killing 2 breaking the formation.

LatD4: The Mechanized Coven double over the bridge towards the Devastators, killing two.

SM6: The Assault marines decide to use the opening the Thunderbolts provided by breaking the Sentinel scout screen and air assaults the broken BTS Altar Coven. They win the combat and only the fearless chaos spawn gets away. The Captain loose the rest of his formation and the Chaplain looses one stand. The broken Captain retreats to the center buildings.

LatD5: The Subjugator refuse to revenge his fallen comrades even with the help of the supreme commander, and removes BMs.

SM7: Thunderbolts ground attack the Daemon prince coven and manage to kill 3 cultists.

 LatD6: The Lord of Battles doubles up to the Mechanized Coven and crossfires the Assault Marine Thunderhawk. 2 hits, 2 saves.

SM8: A Warhound advances down the right flank and kills 3 more cultists from the Daemon Prince Coven, breaking them.

LatD7: The Support Coven fails to activate, takes a BM and moves into support range of the Warhound.

SM9: Realizing whats about to happen to the poor Warhound the second unit of Marine Scouts tries to even the odds in the pending assault by putting some blast markers on the Undivided Coven

LatD8: The Undivided Coven summons 3 lesser daemons and engages the Warhound. The Warhound looses both shields and one wound to massive supportive fire from the Support Coven. Unfortunately it goes to a second round and the Warhound is destroyed.

SM10: The Supreme Commander doubles up to defend one of the LatD T&H objectives, and kill a broken Sentinel with a shot from the Hunter.

LatD9: The second unit of Thunderbolts ground attack the broken Annihilators to no effect.

SM11: The Terminators air assaults the Questor sitting at the LatD blitz. It is wiped out for no losses to the Terminators.

LatD10: The Undivided coven garrisoned by the bottom left objective moves over the river to engage the Devastators. The Devastators are wiped out from the massive support fire coming from both the Mechanized Coven and the Lord of Battles.

SM12: The second Warhound retaliates with and advance and kills 5 cultists. The Coven is one BM away from breaking.

LatD11: The Korn Coven summons a Bloodthirster and engages the Warhound. The fails to get into CC and the Warhound breaks without taking any damage.

End of turn. The Daemon Prince and the Assault Marine Captain fails to rally.

 

Turn 2

SM1: The Terminators, who wants to get out of the Subjugators CC range, engage and kill the lone Chaos Spawn securing BTS for the Marines.

SM2: The Assault Chaplain retains and engages the Basilisks, wiping them out for no losses. LatD blitz is now held by Terminators and Assault Marines

LatD1: The Support Coven coming down the marine right flank summons a greater daemon and engage the Scouts blocking their advance. Two Scouts and a Rhino gets away for minimal losses to the LatD.

SM3: The remaining Annihilator doubles forward to put a BM on the Lord of Battles on the other side of the lake.

LatD2: The Mechanized Coven advances back towards their blitz and fires at the Assault Chaplain. Two of the Marines goes down and the lone Chaplain takes cover behind a nearby ruin.

SM4: Thunderbolts ground attack the Korn Coven and miss everything.

LatD3: The Undivided Coven in the upper right corner doubles threw the forest and kills the Hunter and a Rhino from the Supreme Commanders formation.

SM5: The Supreme Commander fails to activate and moves towards the Undivided Coven to support an upcoming assault.

LatD4: The Lord of Battles realizes what is about to happen and doubles towards the action. He kills the Razorback from the Scout formation.

SM6: The Scouts engage the Undivided Coven with support from the Supreme. It goes bad for the Marines and only a single Rhino gets away. The Undivided Coven breaks from their losses and flees threw the forest.

LatD5: The Undivided Coven in the river doubles to grab a T&H loosing two units in the water.

SM7: An empty Thunderhawk puts a BM on the Subjugator from a safe distance.

LatD6: Thunderbolts ground attack the broken Scouts on the right flank, a single Scout survives.

SM8: Thunderbolts go on CAP.

LatD7: The Korn Coven in the bottom left corner summons a greater daemon and engages the nearby Tacticals. It goes to two rounds and the Bloodthirster kills most of the marines in the second round. A single Tactical and his Rhino escapes the slaughter.

SM9: The second Thunderhawk land next to the Terminators to pick them up.

LatD8: For the second time the Subjugator refuses to move, even with the help of the Supreme Commander. It removes BMs.

End of Turn: Both the Daemon Prince and the Undivided coven on the right flank fails to rally and use their redraw move to advance down the field. The Daemon Prince sacrifices the remaining cultists in his formation to get a full 60cm move.

Turn 3

SM1: Winning the initiative the Supreme Commander realizes that a huge Korn war engine is about to crush him. Desperate to get away from the Lord of Battles he marches his formation back into the buildings.

SM2: The Warhound retains and sustains on the Undivided Coven holding the T&H. A single Demagogue gets away.
LatD1: The Korn Coven fails to engage the Annihilators. Instead they stretches out to hold two objectives.

SM3: The Annihilator moves up to an objective to block the advance of the Lord of Battles, putting  BM on the war engine in the process.

LatD2: Thunderbolts ground attack a lone Scout Rhino which had rallied. It survives but breaks.

SM4: Thunderbolts ground attacks the Korn Coven, killing a few mutants.

LatD3: The Support Coven summons a greater daemon and engages the lone broken Scout Rhino by the upper right marine T&H. They kill the Rhino and stretch out to also contest a T&H objective.

SM5: The second pair of Thunderbolts break the Korn Coven. They move back into the building in the lower left corner.

LatD4: Thunderbolts fail (with SC re-roll) to ground attack.

SM6: An empty Thunderhawk shoots the Mechanized Coven. It manages to miss all land transports (loaded with mutants). For some stupid reason I opted to land the Thunderhawk, still don't know what I wan thinking...

LatD5: The Mechanized Coven engage and kill the Tunderhawk. The lone broken Assault Chaplain feels a bit outnumbered.

SM7: The surviving Tactical marches to grab the lower left T&H

LatD6: The Subjugator doubles down the field to contest, putting a BM on the Tactical

SM8: The Assault Captain marches to hold the Marine blitz.

LatD7: Knowing that there is a Thunderhawk loaded with Terminators the Lord of Battles makes a bold move by moving back to the LatD blitz to hold it with a second unit. Doing so he opens up for the Marines to win by Defend To Flag and BTS. He manages to quickly take away that opportunity by killing an Annihilator with his battlecannons, breaking the formation.

SM9: The Terminators opts to clips the stretched out Support Coven. Only a few cultists get away for no marine losses.

End of Turn: LatD rallies both the Daemon Prince and the Undivided coven on the right flank but fail to rally the Korn Coven on the left flank. The Assault Chaplain by the LatD blitz rally, the Sout and the Hunter fails.

Turn 4

LatD1: LatD win initiative and the Undivided Coven on the right flank summons a few lesser daemons and engages the lone broken Scout. The Scout is wiped out.

SM1: The Terminators engage the intermingled Undivided Coven and Daemon Prince. They win with no casualties, only the fearless Daemon Prince escapes.

LatD2: The Mechanized Coven engages and kills the Assault Chaplain, securing the LatD blitz.

SM2: The Tactical in the lower left corner marshals and moves to hold both objectives on the left flank

LatD3: A lone Demagogue moves to contest the T&H and puts a new BM on the Tactical.

SM3: The Assault Marine Captain on the marine blitz go on overwatch.

LatD4: Thunderbolts ground attack and kills the Tactical and his Rhino.

SM4: The Warhound moves in to grab the LatD T&H, killing the Demagogue.

LatD5: The Subjugator advances to contest, shooting at the Rhinos in the Supreme Commanders unit (out of picture). He fails to take away their mobility with some bad dice rolls.

SM5: Thunderbolts puts a BM on the Subjugator, working on breaking it.

LatD6: The Lord of Battles moves in to contest the mid field T&H.

SM6: The second unit of Thunderbolts fails to ground attack the Subjugator. Taking away the last slim hope of a Marine win, since there is now no way of breaking both the Subjugator and Lord of Battles.

SM7: The remaining empty Thunderhawk kills some broken cultists to gain points.

SM8: The Supreme Commander fails to break the Subjugator.

End of the game

The game ended in a draw with the Marines winning the points count by roughly 500 points. A big thanks to my opponent for a great, and very bloody, game that was thrilling all the way to the end of turn 4.

I had some opportunities to win the game and some major mistakes, e.g. activating two units in the beginning of turn 3 without taking any objectives, might have cost me the win. Easy to see when reviewing the battle from my livingroom couch, not so much in the heat of battle...

Thanks for reading!