1000 pts Wild Raven Space Marines vs 'Autocannon Hell' Imperial Guard

[darkspawn327]

I was aching to play a Drop Pod Space Marine list (long time Dark Eldar player), got my grubby hands on some and went at it! My brother normally plays Chaos, but decided to break out his 'Autocannon Hell' Imperial Guard.

Mission: Annhilation
Deployment: Table Quarters (the one that isn't pitched battle or Dawn of War)

Army Lists:

Space Marines:

-Librarian w/ Gate of Infinity, The Avenger
-6 Space Marines w/ 1 Flamer
--Sergeant has Powerfist, Bolt Pistol
-Drop Pod

10x Space Marines w/ 1 Meltagun and 1 Missile Launcher
--Sergeant has Powerfist, Bolt Pistol
-Drop Pod

10x Space Marines w/ 1 Meltagun and 1 Missile Launcher
--Sergeant has Powerfist, Bolt Pistol
-Drop Pod

Dreadnought w/ Heavy Flamer, Multimelta, and CCW
-Drop Pod

Dreadnought w/ Heavy Flamer, Multimelta, and CCW
-Drop Pod

Imperial Guard

-Company Command w/ Master of Ordinance and 1 Autocannon
Infantry Platoon 1:
--Command Platoon w/ 1 autocannon
--2x Infantry Platoons with 1 autocannon each
--1 Heavy weapon platoon w/ 3 autocannons

Infantry Platoon 2:
--Command Platoon w/ 1 autocannon
--2x Infantry Platoons with 1 autocannon each
--1 Heavy weapon platoon w/ 3 autocannons

Leman Russ Exterminator w/ sponson Heavy Bolters
Leman Russ Exterminator w/ sponson Heavy Bolters
Vendetta

PREGAME

Wild Ravens Space Marines win the die roll and elect to go second. The Imperial Guard set up in their corner, with Leman Russes on one side along the edge and the Company Command in the deep corner. There's a giant cluster of crowded Guardsmen in the rest of the deployment zone as well, without much room to move. The Vendetta is kept in reserve (only unit in reserve)

Space Marines set up nothing.

Imperial Guard Turn 1


All the infantry platoons consolidate, so there are two 20 man platoons. The IG break out into area cover, spreading apart slightly, but not much. The Leman Russes remain on the edge of his deployment corner. Nothing eventful, since all the Marines are in Drop Pods.

Space Marine Turn 1

The two Dreadnoughts Drop, along with the Librarian and his squad of 6 Marines. One Dreadnought drops next to the Leman Russ (they're side-by-side, so out of LOS of the other one), one Dreadnought right in front of a Heavy Weapons squad that is sitting in front of a Leman Russ, the Librarian dropping in front of one of the huge platoons.

The Dreadnoughts attempt to 'flame' the Leman Russes, massacring the Heavy Weapons squad in the way. Only one base remains. One Multimelta misses and the other manages to bust the Exterminator Autocannon off one of the Leman Russes.

The Librarian uses Avenger, and combined with the Flamer-wielding Marine, destroy about 8 Imperial Guardsmen from each of the two giant platoons. His jammed up deployment corner pretty much really hurt him bad here.

The storm bolters on the Drop pods wreck one of the infantry command platoons and they end up running away.

Imperial Guard Turn 2

The Vendetta arrives and slags the Dreadnought handily. I didn't expect for it to die so fast, but hey...

The autocannons on the surviving Heavy Weapon model, and Command Platoons fire at the remaining Dreadnought. Even with the Assisted Targeting command from the Company Commander, the Autocannons fail to even scratch the Dreadnought.

Annoyed, the IG fired all their remaining Autocannons at the Librarian's squad, along with 'First Rank fire, Second Rank Fire!' However, given that the untouched Heavy Weapon squad had LOS blocked by Drop Pods, the combined fire of the infantry platoon and a single heavy bolter from a Leman Russ killed 3 Space Marines.

Space Marine Turn 2

Both remaining Drop Pods enter play, one scattering far from its designated point in front of the Leman russ to behind my wall of Drop Pods. They decide to take some potshots at the Vendetta but the Meltagun misses.

The remaining Dreadnought finds itself unable to move, since the autocannon base and the Command Squad are in the way. The Heavy flamer toasts the Command Squad, slaughtering 4 from one and 2 from the other. The one that lost 2 fleed, the other did not.

The other Pod of entering marines dropped and hit the Leman Russ with the Meltagun, stunning it for a turn.

The Librarian's squad flames both Infantry Platoons again, targeting the squad in the front, but really destroying the unit in the back (due to angles). They then moved in to assault and kill off the remainder of one of the platoons.

The storm bolters on four of the Drop Pods roll well and kill one of the untouched Heavy Weapons team. They flee backwards INTO A DROP POD and are killed instantly. Ouch.

Imperial Guard Turn 3

The unshaken Leman Russ wheels around, firing its Autocannon and killing the other Dreadnought.

The Vendetta drops back 6" and fires its Lascannons at the Marines that deepstriked in front of it, killing two.

The Company Commander ordered 'First Rank Fire, Second Rank Fire' on the survivors of the large platoon. The Master of Ordinance also chanced his bombardment, but it scattered far, only hitting a Dreadnought and not managing to penetrate or glance. The Librarian's squad was whittled to only the Librarian, the Flamer Marine, and the PF Sergeant

The last Heavy Weapon base (thorn in my side!) and the two company command squads (the fleeing one having regrouped due to a command) fired at the unit of 10 Marines that just entered via drop pod, killing 3.

Space Marine Turn 3

The squad of Marines facing off against the Vendetta blow up a Lascannon with the Meltagun. A successive assault later, the Sergeant managed to destroy it with his powerfist.

The squad of Marines in the middle of the IG lines harassed by autocannons everywhere destroyed the Leman Russ that was down an Autocannon with its Meltagun.

The Librarian and his unit torched the company command platoon and the remaining infantry platoon. The commanding platoon fleed off the field and the few survivors in the infantry platoon were butchered in the ensuing close combat.

The combined fire of 5 storm bolters from the drop pods killed off that irritating Heavy Weapons Team and surviving infantry command platoon

IMPERIAL GUARD CONCEDES
--Space Marines 8 KP to Imperial Guard 2 KP

Things I learned:

1. Flamers coming out of a Drop Pod= mean. Very, very, very mean.

2. Rapid Firing Bolters= lots of kills against those low T, low save models. But with flamers and The Avenger, it should put the hurt on Marines too.

3. Dreadnoughts should always have flamers. I wish these guys lived longer, but they were huge fire magnets.

4. The Drop Pod is BS 4 and pretty good at killing stuff.

5. Never count on a Meltagun to kill stuff: make sure you can make the assault with Grenades/ PF as well.

Also it didn't help that my brother (the Guard Player) was rolling pretty poorly. Also the deployment style really forced his infantry in pretty tight. Note that he didn't play an Astropath or Master of Fleet or w/e that messes with Reserves since this is his normal IG list. Neither of us are fans of tailoring our lists to each other.

Thanks for reading, comments very much appreciated!

-Dark

[Grey2321]

How were you able to get a flamer into that 6-man tactical squad?

Aside from that, great report!

[The Prince of Excess]

Drop Pods can't fire the turn they DS so, a bit of a rules fudge there. Your list was pretty good, aside from what I assume is a Command Squad, either that or as Grey said you can't take a Flamer.

His list is pretty bad and it sounds like he deployed badly. I like Autocannons as much as the next guy, but they don't win games, especially on foot.

Good job exploiting his list, an all foot list was gonna have a hard time against Drop unless it deployed properly and had the right units.

[darkspawn327]

How were you able to get a flamer into that 6-man tactical squad?

Aside from that, great report!

Aaaaah my error! A bit of 4th ed. rules judgment remaining. My first go with Space Marines as well, so I may be able to use that as an excuse

Rep for pointing out my errors to both of you! Prince-I sat there for a minute wondering if Drop Pods could fire when they landed, but my brother said they were defensive weapons and should be okay. Thanks for clearing it up!

-Dark


--Gaaah can't give you more rep Prince, gotta spread some around first! Raincheck!

[The Prince of Excess]

The reason they can't is because the rules say a vehicle that Deep Strikes counts as cruising speed when it lands, so it may fire nothing. Just thought I'd give you the reason, some people might argue, which would be weird since they'd be arguing for your benefit.....

[darkspawn327]

The reason they can't is because the rules say a vehicle that Deep Strikes counts as cruising speed when it lands, so it may fire nothing. Just thought I'd give you the reason, some people might argue, which would be weird since they'd be arguing for your benefit.....

Ah cool thanks! Well I'm normally a Dark Eldar/ Eldar player, so I think my brother automatically jumped to "Fast Vehicle". Plus he had a Vendetta dropping that turn too so we had just checked and it said he could fire one main weapon. Ugh stupid gut reactions.

Also I kinda figure that if I can't keep that Flamer in the 6 man Tactical Squad, I may end up droppping the unit. Or adding a combi-flamer or something. Hmmm.

-Dark

[The Prince of Excess]

I'd recommend Sternguard with Combi-meltas. 3-4 of those will melt any tank and their ammo can kill anything else. Versatility is kind in Drop Pod armies, and they're the most versatile unit in the game, except maybe Obliterators.

[Meetha]

congrats on the win.. seems like the IG player deployed poorly.