Battle report: Ard Boys Round 2!
Roland Manarin and Imperial Guard vs “The Leafblower”
So Second Game Round 2 was against another IG player named Roland Manarin who was a great and fun opponent.
Roland’s list
Command platoon
Officer squad w/ Flamer and Astropath
Infantry platoon leader with flamer
4x Squads 10 guardsmen and an Autocannon x3 and one with a heavy bolter
3x Veterans with melta x2 and demo
1 Veteran w/ flamer and demo in a Chimera
2x Psyker battle squad in Chimera
Inqusitor with two mystics
Valkyrie
2x Vendetta separated to fly solo w/ veterns
2x Leman Russ in a squadron w. Lasscannon and Heavy Bolters
Leman Russ Demolisher and another Battle tank
2x Basilisk in a squadron
Scenario 2: DATS MINE!
Mission: Seize Ground (5 objectives)
Deployment: Pitched Battle
Deployment: I win the roll and deploy first. I setup on the back line with my Chimeras protecting my Medusa and my Hydras. I put my my pair of my Valkyries with Veterans on the left and right flank 12 inches on the line ready to do their scout moves. I set everything on the back line to take advantage of cover because I knew going against Guard I had to be prepared for reserves and for his Vendettas to come from the sides.
Roland deploys most of his army and kept his Valkyrie and Vendettas with Veterans off the board. He hoped to seize the initiative and try to take down his biggest threats as it was pretty much all or nothing in the second round. He deployed his Basilisk in the far corner and his other Russ in the other corner. He was trying to use his Guard troops as a screen so my veterans wouldn’t be able to get close enough to disembark within Meltagun range of his heavy choices. I did my scout moves and he wasn’t able to seize the initiative from me.
My Turn 1: I move my left Valkyrie close enough to deploy my Veterans on his Russ squadron to hopefully destroy one or if not both of them with Melta guns. I do the same on the right side to his Basilisk. I shuffle tanks forward and try to move close enough to objectives to sit on them. I start shooting at his Russ squadron with the veterans and they blow up one and stun the other. I throw my Demo charge and of course it goes right back on top of my veterans killing all but two! My other veterans hit the basilisks blowing both of them up as the +2 to the damage chart meant even rolling a 2 would nail em. Medusas fire at the Russ Squadron in front of the veterans who just killed themselves blowing up the last Russ. My Manticore fires and hits one of the Russes and hits part of the Command Squad, killing a Russ. The other Chimeras start shooting at troops and other squads and three more IG squads run off the board or die from fire. My two Veterans flee back 4 inches and Roland has most of his heavy hitters gone.
Roland’s Turn 1: Roland tries to recover from what he just lost but he only has some normal squads and one Psyker Battle Squad with a Chimera on each flank. He moves his Chimera away from the Veterans and regroups to the center and tries to establish fire lanes down the middle. He moves up his Veteran’s Chimeras to my Valkyrie to try and blow it up. He shoots and only immobilizes it so it drops to the ground. His other Chimeras kill some Veterans and he destroys one of my front Chimeras with my flamer Command squad on the objective.
My Turn 2: I fallback with my Veterans who only have a squad of two guys and they go back two inches….close enough for double pen range on Roland’s Chimera that just shot down my Valkyrie. My Veterans on the right get back in the Valkyrie. Medusa and more guys move up 12 inches to get close enough to grab and contest Roland’s objectives. One of the Special weapons squad that embarked into one of the Troops squads Chimera that were bunkered down on my Objective in my deployment zone move 12 inches. They moved up close to get in position to flamer his veterans if at all possible or demo charge the last Russ if I couldn’t kill it. My Manticore shoots and does nothing. My Medusa fires and scatters off the board. My Hydras turn and shoot guys out of a Chimera and the rest of the Chimeras shoot out another squad and the Psyker Battle Squad makes another squad run off. Finally his Chimera blows up from my two lone Veterans that were fleeing killing only 3 of the occupants and pinning them.
His Turn 2: Roland’s has lost 75% of his force and needs his reserves to come on the board but without his Astropath he is at a -1 which really hurts. He rolls and only one Vendetta arrives and it comes on the right flank. It shoots at one of my Chimeras and blows it up from the rear. Roland moves his Psyker Battle Squad Chimera farther back to the left corner and moves his other one to the center to get away from the Veterans in the Valkyrie.
My Turn 3: I move forward and away from his vendetta as I figure my Hydras will take care of it with side shots. I need to keep putting pressure on Roland and get him into the back corner. Special Weapon Squad in the Chimera gets setup to drop the flamers on the Veterans that just got out. I get in position to kill the last Russ with my Medusa and second Valkyrie. Roland’s other Chimera gets setup to be rushed by another Special weapons squad gunning for the Pysker Battle Squad. I start my shooting phase killing all of the Veterans with flamers. Medusa destroys the other Russ. The last Vendetta is stunned by my Hydras. Both of his Psyker Battle Squads Chimeras got blown up and they were stuck on the ground. After that turn Roland decided to call it as we were just going through the motions at that part.
Roland was a great and fun guy and after the game we had discussed about why he didn’t have his whole army in Reserve as I thought that is what he was going to do. He said in Ard boys it was all or nothing and he had to take the chance. Otherwise it was going to be a uphill battle form the start and he knew it. He was a great guy and wish we had more of them around in Austin.
~Round 3 Battle Report coming soon. The floor is yours generals.
