40K VWMkIII - Round #1, Battle #9 - Death Guard versus Necrons

[Caluin]

Please see this thread on how to participate in these games. I want to stress to everyone that the mission means everything. He who stands the best way to score Victory Points should be the winner. All missions have the Infiltration, Deep Strike, and Victory Points special rules.

Mission Type - Take and Hold

Death Guard Chaos Space Marines

Headquarters – 167 points.
Chaos Lord:
Mark of Nurgle; Manreaper & Bolt Pistol; Daemonic Flight; Daemonic Strength; Daemonic Aura; Daemonic Visage; Nurgle’s Rot; Spiky Bits; Infiltration; Frag Grenades

TROOPS – 462 points
Plague Marines - Seven (7) men
Four (4) armed with Bolters and CCW
Two (2) armed with Plasma Gun
Aspiring Champion: Powerfist and Bolter; Nurgle's Rot
Rhino: Extra Armour/Smoke

Plague Marines - Seven (7) men
Four (4) armed with Bolters and CCW
Two (2) armed with Plasma Gun
Aspiring Champion: Powerfist and Bolter; Nurgle's Rot
Rhino: Extra Armour/Smoke

Fast Attack – 693 points
Plague Marines - Seven (7) men
Four (4) armed with Bolters and CCW
Two (2) armed with Plasma Gun
Aspiring Champion: Powerfist and Bolter; Nurgle's Rot
Rhino: Extra Armour/Smoke

Plague Marines - Seven (7) men
Four (4) armed with Bolters and CCW
Two (2) armed with Plasma Gun
Aspiring Champion: Powerfist and Bolter; Nurgle's Rot
Rhino: Extra Armour/Smoke

Plague Marines - Seven (7) men
Four (4) armed with Bolters and CCW
Two (2) armed with Plasma Gun
Aspiring Champion: Powerfist and Bolter; Nurgle's Rot
Rhino: Extra Armour/Smoke

HEAVY SUPPORT – 525 points
Predator:
Autocannon; Lascannons sponsons; Mutated Hull; Daemonic Possession

Predator:
Autocannon; Lascannons sponsons; Mutated Hull; Daemonic Possession

Predator:
Autocannon; Lascannons sponsons; Mutated Hull; Daemonic Possession

---------------------------------

Necrons

HQ: 185 Points
Necron Lord:
Resurrection Orb; Destroyer Body; Phylactery

Troops: 540 Points
Warriors squad – Fifteen (15) men
Fifteen (15) armed with Gauss Flayers

Warriors squad – Fifteen (15) men
Fifteen (15) armed with Gauss Flayers

Fast Attack: 408 Points
Destroyers Squad – Three (3) men
Three (3) armed with Gauss Cannon

Destroyers Squad – Three (3) men
Three (3) armed with Gauss Cannon

Scarab Swarms – Nine (9) swarms

Heavy Support - 625 points
Heavy Destroyers Squad – Three (3) men
Three (3) armed with Heavy Gauss Cannon

Heavy Destroyers Squad – Three (3) men
Three (3) armed with Heavy Gauss Cannon

Monolith:
Gauss Flux Arc; Living Metal

Phase Out: 10

Tactics:
I will utilise the speed of my Fast Attack to get into an effective position from which to open a constant hail of fire. My Monolith will preferably Deep Strike as close to the center of the table as reasonably possible without losing it. The Warriors will then come out. If I can't Deep Strike, I will simply move the Monolith constantly toward the center of the table. My lord will also support wherever things begin to get hairy.

Notes
Shots per turn:
30 Gauss flayers
18 Gauss Cannon shots
6 Heavy Gauss Cannons
3 Staff of Light shots
Gauss Flux Arc
Particle Whip
The Lord cannot be instant killed.

[TheWamp]

EDIT: Vote Changed at a lower post, but these points still mostly stand

They can quickly take out the heavy destroyers

Their plasma guns and powerfists will seriously hurt the necrons

There's enough of them that even the faster moving cron units will be trapped at the board's edge

Ther's a reasonable chance that they can destroy the monolith, thoroughly crippling the necrons.

[Tulugaq]

Death Guard Advantages

1) Plasma - ACK! Lots of it! I have had the experience of playing, at 500 points, with my Necrons against a standard SM list that only had two Plasma Guns.. and in the shooting phase, they would take out maybe 3 Warriors a turn. WBB can't cope with that much Plasma.

2) Mobility - They can get where they need to, when they want to. Whether it's CC, Rapid Fire stuff, objectives.. whatever. Those Rhinos will take them where they need to go.

3) Lord - If he gets into CC, he will wade through Necrons. Since he is an IC, it shouldn't be hard to "hide" him from shooting until he gets within that 18" charge range. I would have rather seen Speed on this guy, as it would guarantee a first-turn charge, but otherwise, very, very nasty, and potentially very, very effective.

4) Predators - Hmm. NINE Lascannon shots per turn, three of which are twin-linked. Yeah. Can we say... goodbye Monolith? It's the only worthy target of the Predators, and they can wipe it out very easily, while the Necrons list has little to damage them in return effectively. Those Heavy Destroyers can get wiped pretty quickly, if they threatened the Predators (though, they will need a 5 to glance..).

5) Power Fists - Standard anti-Necron CC kit.. if they hit CC, they will hurt the Necrons an awful lot.

Necrons Advantages

1) Fast - They have lots of "Jetbike-moving" units in there, which can be effective.

2) Heavy Destroyers - These guys are the biggest threat, IMO, of the entire Necron list. If they can take out the Predators, the DG player will have almost no chance at taking out the Monolith.

Honestly, the DG list (which is all too familiar these days ) is simply too well equipped at dealing with MEQs for the Necron list to stand much of a chance.

I vote for the Death Guard.

As for fluff... the DG have the sacred number of units, have a Lord with Nurgle equipment, and is just generally very.. Nurgle-ish. I vote for the Death Guard for fluff.

[LordMortis]

I shall withhold my vote, but I would like for you all to notice that the Guass rules can make even the lowly warrior destroy one of those rhinos.

[TheWamp]

Originally Posted by LordMortis

I shall withhold my vote, but I would like for you all to notice that the Guass rules can make even the lowly warrior destroy one of those rhinos.

Didn't notice that they were in rhinos. Thanks.

That could cripple them, since the necrons can easily down those rhinos and smokes do nothing since they glance anyway. After that mass of fire brings down the rest

I vote Necrons

[LordMortis]

I have to say that my vote will go to the Necrons.
All that I am about to say is based off of the idea that the destroyers and Heavy Destroyers would shoot up the flanks and take out the rhinos before they reached the 'Cron battle line. The Destroyers and Heavy Destroyers would then proceed to wear away at the Death Guard infantry, taking out some of their number. Do remember that they can use their assault move to move away from the death guard and into cover. The monolith will allow the destroyers to move back into protection when necessary. The warriors would also provide a steady firebase.

This may not be the way the owner would play, but I can't vote based off of that, I can only vote based of the way I would play.

[High Priest Avion]

Originally Posted by TheWamp

Didn't notice that they were in rhinos. Thanks.

That could cripple them, since the necrons can easily down those rhinos and smokes do nothing since they glance anyway. After that mass of fire brings down the rest

I vote Necrons

The rhinos could cripple the death guard, but theres 3 and with the heavy destroyers having to worry about the preds would probably not fire. Then again theres destroyers so.....hmmm..... I'm going to have to agree with most others and say Necrons.

HPA

[JORMAGI]

I vote DEATH GUARD for the win

Even though I suspect that most of the rhino's will be tost by the end of the first necron volley, the death guard will still have at their disposal a core of hard troops that are idealy suited for taking the necron numbers down (plasma guns and powerfists). Plus those predators are going to need to be distroyed to take them out of the picture, no stunning glances are going to help with them. Those lascannon shots are going to take the monolith out quickly, or have an easy time taking down destroyers.

I give Necron for fluff though because mecanized Death guard just isn't very fluffy to me.

[Caluin]

Originally Posted by LordMortis

the destroyers and Heavy Destroyers would shoot up the flanks and take out the rhinos before they reached the 'Cron battle line.

Why would they reach the Necron battle line? Remember the mission - in this case, it is reach the center of the board. The only need one turn in the Rhinos to reach that.

Originally Posted by LordMortis

Do remember that they can use their assault move to move away from the death guard and into cover.

No they may not. That rule applies only to Eldar jetbikes and Jet Pack units. Neither of which the Necron units are classified as.

Originally Posted by High Priest Avion

The rhinos could cripple the death guard, but theres 3

There are five Rhino mounted squads.

Originally Posted by Lost Nemesis

4) Predators - Hmm. NINE Lascannon shots per turn, three of which are twin-linked.

Those Predators have Autocannon turrets. Six Lascannon shots, none of which are Twin-linked.

I just see a lot of inconsistencies in the way people are judging this battle.

[Grey]

I vote Death Guard to win the mission because they have the numbers and toughness to survive a take and hold mission, even if they were to walk to the objective and send their Rhino's ahead to get blown up by Necrons.

Wierdly though, while I normally hate heavy destroyers in necron lists as a waste of points, they might turn out to be useful here for dealing with all that high toughness power armour.

I give Necrons my vote on fluff because they took more than the minimum 2 10 man squads of warriors(heh. they took two 15 man squads instead.) and the nurgle boys are most certainly not fighting as Mortarian intended.