This past weekend, my cousin and I decided to try to get in a game during my children’s naptime. After talking about the game, we both wanted to play a fun game. He wanted to bring out his seldom used Tzeentch CSM army and I wanted to throw something together from the Blood Angels Codex using the Nightlords models I have built. We decided on 1,750 pts so we could keep the time down, but big enough to use the models we wanted in this “experimental” game.
I went through my models and came up with a mixed mech list so I could test which way I wanted steer with the army from here on out. I’ll probably just end up getting enough for several variant playstyles but at least this sounds good. Below is a quick rundown of our lists(points probably not exactly right).
Nightlords list using BA Codex
Reclusiarch(Kharn) with 8 Death Company(Khorne Berzerkers) – 1 powerfist all riding in a Landraider
Death Company Dreadnought(FW Nightlords Dread Proxy) with Blood Talons and Heavy Flamer
10 Assault Marines(Raptors) with jump packs, 2 Plasma Pistols and Srg with Plasma Pistol, Power Weapon
10 Assault Marines (Raptors) with jump packs, 2 Meltaguns and Srg with Powerfist
10 Assault Marines(Nightlord CSM) in rhino, 2 flamers, and Srg with powerfist, combi-flamer
10 Assault Marines(Nightlord CSM) in rhino, 2 plasmaguns and Srg with power weapon, plasma pistol
So a little mech, a little deepstrike trials, and a semi-hammer unit in landraider, and the DC Dread for Schlitzengiggles. I later learned that I should have taken some Sanguinary Priests.
Tzeentch-themed list using CSM Codex
Daemon Prince with wings, Mark of Tzeentch, Warptime, and Bolt of Change
Chaos Dreadnought with twin-linked lascannons and heavy flamer
3 Obliterators
8 Thousand Sons plus Sorcerer with Bolt of Change with Icon in Rhino
8 Thousand Sons plus Sorcerer with Bolt of Change with Icon in Rhino
10 CSM with Icon of Tzeentch, 2 Meltaguns, Aspiring champ with powerfist in Rhino
10 CSM with Icon of Tzeentch, 2 Meltaguns, Aspiring champ with powerfist in Rhino
So plenty of meched up invulnerable save wearing dustbunnies, with a prince, dread and oblits thrown in to make up for weaknesses.
As naptime neared we went and picked up my table from mother-in-laws and got it setup on top of the kitchen table and began to setup while nap was happening. We rolled a Seize Ground mission with 4 Objectives using Spearhead deployment. We set up the objectives pretty much in each quarter.
Setup of my units
Closeup of the CSM Setup
He won the roll-off for first turn and setup everything save the oblits that he would deepstrike later. He set up a rhino full of CSM on his nearest objective, and stacked most stuff near center table to circle around right side of building in center toward 2 objectives nearest me.
I set up everything except my jumppack squads. I put a rhino with the plasmaguns on my nearest objective and parked the other beside to head toward the one he had stacked. I sent the death company toward his weak side, hoping they could handle themselves while the jumppacks would support his heavy side. The DC Dread hid behind one of the rhinos.
Even though this was an objective mission I rolled for seize and actually got it. I wanted this army to try to get the upper hand early.
Turn 1
Game begins and I move forward everything, save the rhino with plasmagun guys camped on objective. I fire a lascannon from landraider and wound the daemon prince. Short turn for me but I’m almost there already.
CSM turn, he moves a few things around whiffs all shooting with Bolt of Change and his dread.
Turn 2
This turn I roll in both deepstriking assault squads. Descent of Angels makes this proposition a lot more reliable getting meltaguns up close. I strike one behind his rhino camped on objective, using the plasma pistols to shake it. The other dropped in close to 2 full rhinos, wrecking one with the meltaguns. The dread is still walking and running forward. This turn the landraider would be in assault range of daemon prince so I charge forward disgorging the raging lunatics. Reclusiarch causes 2 unsaved wounds, while the regular death company throw out 17 wounds from 7 guys. This was pretty awesome to see against a T5 model. They would be insane against anything normal. The powerfist guy was pissed as he just stood around powering up for nothing.
The CSM this turn decide to disembark everybody and take down as many as possible before I could charge next turn. A Thousand Sons unit shoot down 3 of the deathcompany. While the two CSM units shoot down 2 raptors from each squad. The second Thousand Sons unit kills the remaining 8 raptors in the melta unit. He then begins assault, charging my Landraider with Dread, whiffing. Also he charged my remaining raptor unit with a CSM unit, killing some though units stay locked in. He also decides after seeing the deathcompany on the charge he should charge them instead. A full unit of Thousand Sons charge in. The Reclusiarch strikes first missing everything, while his sorcerer kills him outright with a force sword. The rest of the units kill 2 from each and stay locked in combat.
A lot happened in turn 2. His shooting was great and everything in army having invulnerable saves is pretty nice when you can roll them. I would have like a priest in there for the Feel No Pain bubble for the extra chance at living. They will definitely be in my next list.
Early turn 2
Turn 3
In my next turn I really had no shooting as most was locked in combat or had no targets. In combat the CSM squad takes down all but 3 Raptors who flee and regroup. The Death Company and Thousand Sons units are still locked.
In the CSM turn the Obliterators deepstrike in first, firing multimeltas at my Landraider, immobilizing it and taking off one lascannon. The CSM squad fires into remaining 3 Raptors taking down 2 before charging in and finishing off the last one. The other CSM unit meltas my rhino, causing it to explode, killing one passenger. His Dreadnought finally gets the drop on my Death Company, charging in and helping finish them off.
Turn 4
My turn again and I have a chance at some redemption at least. I leave the objective behind, moving up firing 3 flamers and bolt pistols, killing 6 CSM before charging in and finishing them off. My Death Company Dread charges a unit of Thousand Sons missing all attacks.
It’s looking grim for me now with only a couple units on the board and only having annihilated one of his units.
This turn he begins moving onto objectives on left side of board as all I have remaining over there is the dread. His obliterators fire plasma cannons at my flamer unit killing 5 before finishing the remaining 4 in combat. His dreadnought then charges my DC dread, exploding it in a massive ball of fire that kills 4 of his Thousand Sons, EPIC.
Turn 5
Well, this turn I’m hoping it’ll end as all I have left is an immobilized landraider and one rhino full of guys camping an objective. They remain camped firing a couple plasma shots from the hatch, missing of course.
For the second time this game, the TS dread fire frenzies, though this time destroying a CSM rhino, haha. This dread is my best friend this game, killing a rhino and 4 Thousand Sons. Another rhino runs for the contestation of my objective but immobilizes itself in some rough ground 5” away.
We roll and the game continues.
Turn 6
I fire from hatch again, causing 3 wounds on his obliterators.
Again the Thousand Sons Dread fire frenzies killing 1 CSM nearby. Somebody take that lascannon from him. The oblits then fire plasma cannons at my only remaining unit taking down 9 of them.
Again we roll, again the game continues.
Turn 7
My last model moves onto objective.
Obliterators then twin-linked plasma gun him, while a Sorcerer Bolts my last rhino.
Game finally ends with Tzeentch in control of 3 objectives and over half the army remaining, while the poor Blood Angels…er, Nightlords have only the immobilized landraider on the board. Wow, what a slaughter for the CSM.
End Game with only my Landraider and wrecked Rhino, and his having 3 objectives
My thoughts on the game.
Tzeentch themed Chaos armies are tough with all those invulnerable saves. His list was a well-rounded list ready to deal with most things I had. My list showed me that I need to specialize with either full- mech or full- jump pack. I think the mix hurt me, especially with reserves coming in so early. I probably should have hung back and let him camp the objectives before blitzing each one with larger parts of my army, annihilating that part of his before moving on. Instead, I split up hoping that each of my units could deal with each of his and got owned for the trouble. Was a great game, with lots of funny moments, especially the dread fire frenzying almost every turn. At least playing a game got the juices flowing on the direction I will head in with the Nightlords.
If you made it this far, congratulations that was a long one. I gotta figure out how to make these reports more concise.
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