1500pts: Imperial Guard vs Grey Knights

[Frost89]

Army Lists:

Imperial Guard:
CCS, vox caster, Missile launcher


PCS 3x flamers, 1x vox
IS meltagun, Autocannon, power weapon, vox caster, commissar with PW
3x IS meltagun, autocannon


PCS 3x flamers, 1x vox
IS lascannon, vox, commissar
3x IS Lascannon
2x HWT 3x Autocannons


2x LRBT with LasCannon
1x LRBT demolisher


Grey Knights:
(i can't remember my opponent list too much but it was something along these lines)
Coteaz
Vindicare assassin
3x acolytes with stormbolters, 3xmelta and 2x jockaeros each
2x rhino
1x chimera


3x venerable dreads TLAC psybolt

Mission: capture and control
Deployment: Pitched battle

Full batrep in 6 hours, cast you votes!

[Frost89]

Vox:"Multiple signals incoming, sir! Inquisition transport ships are landing one sector northeast our position"

The vox caster crackled with static noise waiting for the Colonel response

Colonel: "Captain, mobilize the guards. We should better be prepared to receive our guests on our terms rather than wait for them to slaughter us"

Captain Kaufmann: "But, sir, with all due respect, the Inquisition is..."

Col: "Stop that nonsense Captain. When we faced those Daemons incursion last month, we shouldn't have survived. They think that who survive might be tainted or corrupted by chaos and the Inquisition shall purge who is. The problem is that innocence proves nothing. We shall fight for our lives, because i will not die because i served the Emperor at the best of my possibilities"

Cap K: "Roger that, sir"

Col: "Mobilize 4th assault platoon and 17th heavy platoon. Entrench near those hills and be ready to fire. You'll be assigned three Leman Russes: don't waste them"

Cap K: "Yes sir!"

The battlefield has plenty of room for both tactical maneuvers and solid firebases options. An ancient pillar in the middle of the open fields blocks firelanes and offers a protected path to close in the enemy forces.
Hills at the opposing corners offer a protected place to hide infantry and set up ambushes, and forests in the other 2 corners offer solid cover positions to dominate the valley.

Cap K: "On the double, men! dig those trenches! Sweat is cheaper than blood! Move, Move, Move!"

Guard Dawkins: "Here they are! Get ready!"

Guard platoons are deployed between the hill and the opposite forest (covering the guard objective), allowing at least 2 of heavy platforms to control the valley ahead at all times. Platoon commanders and heavy weapons teams are deployed on the flanks, supported by one leman russ each. The demolisher is placed centrally, behind the 4th assault platoon.

Grey knights deploy centrally, near the forest at the north east sector of the battlefield. Transports ahead and venerable dreads just behind. One squad of acolytes is deployed on the objective, above the northwestern hill, supported by a vindicare assassin.

Guard goes first, GK failed to seize the initiative even with the reroll.

IG turn 1

Cap K(over the vox): "Lieutenants, begin flanking maneuvers. Use the Russes as mobile cover to protect your advance. Everybody else, OPEN FIRE! Target their transports first!"

All at once, every long range weapon platform roared to life, blasting away with everything available. The once silent valley is now filled with autocannons rhytmical racket, lascannons sizzling discharges and battle cannon blasts.

PCSs and battle tanks advances along the table edges, forcing side shots on the enemy vehicles. Platoons and HWTs stand still and open fire with 10 autocannons and 4 lascannons

For sure the Inquisition patrol didn't expect such an high volume of fire, and casualties were many. 1 rhino wrecked, the other and the chimera has been immobilized. Vindicare assassin has been killed by a perfectly placed Leman Russ cannonade

Cap K: "Good job, men! Keep their heads down!"

GK turn 1

Guard Fredrik: "INCOMING! watch out for enem..."
That warning ended in a long scream while the enemy dreadnoughts retailate the opening salvo from the Guard gunline. Psychical enhanced shells poured down the trenches, scything down everybody caught in the open
Guard Rynn: "They're slaughtering us! I don't wanna die!"
Commissar Marrik: "Stand strong, men! The emperor is with us! We cannot fail to serve him. If you're not going to serve him, you're going to serve me, as target practice."
Guard Rynn: "Ssir, y-yes sir!"

Enemy dreads and immob transports opened fire against the first line, killing 25% of the unit. The morale check is passed at the first attempt.
In the meanwhile, joakeros are enhancing the enemy armour and weaponry, with 2 acolytes with +12" weapon range and 1 with +1 armor save and 5++ invuln save.

The acolytes on the hill run behind it to get out of LOS

IG turn 2

Lieutenant Radvik: "Let's do this men! grab that Leman Russ and follow it! We'll be protected from enemy fire. We must reach the enemy base and purge them with our flames!"

PCSs follow the advancing Leman Russes along the table edge, gaining a 4+ cover save even if they're in the open.

Above the deafening noise of the battle, the Captain reaches for its vox caster and shouts in it:
Captain K: "First rank, begin the advance towards the enemy position! We shall bring them down under our boots! Second rank, support the advance and suppress the enemy!"

As the transports has been immobilized, the 4th assault platoon begin to march north towards the enemy objective, gaining cover behind the central pillar.

Lascannon shots keep pouring down to the now immobilized enemy transports, wrecking another rhino.

Leman russ gunner LeCuf: "Sir, look there! disembarked infantry in the open!"
Leman russ commander Ridley: "All guns, open fire!"

The following blast lands in the middle of the disembarked acolytes, killing half of them outright in a single explosion

Gunner LeCuf: "Kill confirmed, many casualties reported!"

GK turn 2

Commissar Marrik: "Do not falter men! Stand strong against our enemies, which cannot see the light behind our pure action! They will be punished by our strenght! NO STEP BACKWARDS!"

2 of the venerable dreads keep firing at the assaulting platoon, whittling down another 3 guards thanks to good cover saves.
The last one fired at the HWT on the hill.

Guard Blackstone: "Hit the dirt! That monster is aiming at us!"

One split second after this warning, a hail of autocannon shots poured down the gun emplacements, damaging one weapon and wounding both operators when the stored cartridges alongside the cannon blasted in every direction

Even if the chimera has lost a track, the weapon systems are still operational.

Leman russ commander Ridley: "What for Terra are they going to try? There is nothing that can wound this mighty tank. All power to the engines, move forward!"

The fire hatches open wide, showing a formidable anti tank arsenal aiming straight at the rightmost Leman russ.

commander Ridley: "Evasive maneuvers! go back! GO BACK! Fire smoke counterme..."

Three overheated energy rays slams the frontal armor of the battle tank, melting it with sub-nuclear energy. The heat carves a path inside the armor plates, hitting the ammo bay and exploding the whole tank inside out

The following explosion kills one of the Platoon command behind it.

The wounded acolyte unit run to hide behind the hill, reinforcing the enemy defences

IG turn 3

Cap k: "Damn you, Inquisitor, damn you! Heavy weapons, get back in the fight and do not hide like chickens! Bring that chimera down, we must destroy these meltaguns!"

Sergeant Errin: "You heard the captain! Fire at will!"

While the gone to ground autocannon team stood back up and rushed for the remaining guns, the 4th assault platoon reached fire position and deployed the autocannons. All four of them can draw fire lanes to the target and begn to fire. The crossed fire reached the already damaged chimera engine, causing a chain reaction, blowing it up.
Only 4 of the passengers stumbled outside the flaming debris of the chimera, including the wounded inquisitor, which was supposed to kill the innocent guards.

Cap K: "There he is! Kill him and the rest of enemy forces will receive an huge blow to their morale. We can turn the battle here, once and for all!

The remaining Leman Russ turret swinged some degrees, to bear upon the shattered survivors. The shell landed perfectly under the inquisitor feet, tranforming him and the remaining acolytes in a red mist.

Cap K: "The Emperor is with us!"

The wounded autocannon team, now ready to fire, targets the dread which has killed their friend in the last deadly burst

Guard Blackstone: "We hit! we hit! Die, you bastard!"

The incandescent lead spitted by the autocannons leave visible marks all around the dreadnought armor. After the dust settles, anyway, the enemy heavy guns are still operative, and still aiming on the heavy weapons.

The dread is immobilized

Guard Blackstone: "Oh, hell no!"

GK turn 3

The dreadnoughts keep firing autocannons at the advancing guard frontline and to the heavy weapons on the hill.

Guard Blackstone: "Our guns are gone, we can't hold anymore!"
Captain K: "Do not you dare abandon your positions! you'll be accounted as traitors and shot at!"
Guard Blackstone: "I... I am sorry sir. We don't wanna die!"

The Dreadnought killed another HWT platform, forcing the last one to flee off the board

Commissar Marrik: "The opponent has been slayed by our migth, and he try to retailate with his puny forces! We shall hold this and everything else they may conceive!"

His roaring speech can be heard above the hissing autocannon shots falling all around his unit, slaying guards at every burst. The survivors are like frenzied, ignoring every casualty while fixing their bayonet for the soon to come glorious charge on the enemy positions

IG turn 4

Cap K: "This is the time to end this. Every unit, march forward to trench line Alpha, get ready to fire for effect on enemy comm relay"

Sergeant Carlsson: "Move, you maggots, on the double! Run to these damned firing position and get damn ready to shoot these bastards to hell and gone!"

Imperial guard line advances to reach better firing position, to be able to aligh the muzzles of their guns against those venerable dreads, which are causing so much troubles to the assaulting guards. Even with the commissar to bolster them, they will not last forever without proper fire support.

Lieutenant Radvik: "Ok lads, keep your flamers on the ready, we are near the enemy comm relay. If we shut that down, they won't call for reinforcements and we migh pull this off. GO FOR IT!"

Commissar Marrik: "THE TIME HAS COME! We shall teach those lost souls that they cannot mess with the Hammer of the Emperor! Fix your bayonets, fill your hearts with His light! ATTACK!"

*everybody* "FOR THE EMPEROR!"

The assault platoon has now reached the base of the hill where the opponent has its objective, and prepares for the next turn assault.

GK turn 4

A fanatical scream arise from behind the hill, followed by the rhytmical trumps of running boots. Before any guard can reply, guns at their hips, the last defenders of the comm relay climbs above the hill and shoot meltaguns at the Leman Russ right below. Even the mighty armour of the battle tank cannot withstand such high temperatures and melts almost instantly, revealing the unprotected engine to enemy fire. The following explosion is spectacular and rocked the ground below the Captain feet the other side of the valley

Cap K: "FINISH THIS, NOW! DESTROY THEM AT ONCE!"

IG turn 5

Lieutenant Radvik: "Fry them hard! They shall pay for this!"

Three spourts of flames land on the screaming acolytes, adding pain to their war cries. Only a few of them survive the flaming inferno.

Demolisher gunner Hudd: "Say goodbye to the Emperor for me, bastards!"

The short barrel of the Demolisher cannon angled up a little and lobbed a shell right on top of the hill, among the remaining enemy survivors, pulverizing the most part of them.

Every fire support unit discharged what was left of their magazines against the enemy defending the hill.

And then, suddendly, the imperial gunline went silent.

Sergeant Errin: "That's the signal, CHAAARGE!"

The remainders of the 4th assault platoons launched the assault on the remaining enemy units, pinning them with frag grenades before wounding them with bayonets and swords.
The defenders are wiped from the objective.

The opponent surrenders

GUARD WINS 2-0

[animated_shadow]

"On the double, men! dig those trenches! Sweat is cheaper than blood! Move, Move, Move!"
[/I]

Love this.

Very nice report and a convincing win. Seem GK aren't as impossible as the internets would have you believe.

++REP

[Frost89]

thanks
I must say that my opponent wasn't playing a top-version of a grey knight build.
he went for the more-firepower-less-durability route, but i guess he falled short

[Klajorne]

I enjoyed the style in which you gave your batrep. Only request I'd have to improve it would be a few photos. Otherwise, keep it up, awesome work.

[Frost89]

thanks! too bad the game was played online through vassal, so i can't make any pictures

[jboweruk]

Still a good storyline report, loved it. Rep to you.

[mr.darkness]

With vassal I have found if you take a logfile, then at the end of the game you can just flick through and take screenshots at the end of each turn or whenever.

[Frost89]

With vassal I have found if you take a logfile, then at the end of the game you can just flick through and take screenshots at the end of each turn or whenever.

Yes, but I discovered this too late. Anyway in my newer battle reports I have the screenshots. Thank you for reading :-)