6th ed and sniping with devastators

I'd firstly like to make it clear that I am not responsible for any friends you may lose being a doosh and using this stupid ideas. However the examples of target units below, I think, show reasonable ways of setting up units with characters in (i.e. character at the middle at the back) and if someone is going to place a character at one end of the unit (possibly just joined and didn't have enough movement to get to a 'safe' possition) then i don't think it unreasonable to put a vehicle in the way of your tactical squad so it can only see the character on the end of the unit and 'snipe' him, if these opertunities arrise it would be hard not to take them. The first two situations below are not 'oppertunities' but attempts at breaking the game to a certain extent. Note, the rhino wall sniping isn't a new thing, i heard of people using it in 3rd ed.(or was it 4th, i forget)

Situation 1.

So the basic idea here is I want to take out lucius (at the back) from this chaos tactical squad with my devastators. Problem being i have to take out the 6 marines that are closer first....

Solution. Place the 4 missile launchers (or whatever really) together (with a few normal marines in front) with two rhinos to create a funnel so now they can only see two marines and lucius. If you were to achieve 3 wounds then the the marines are gone and one wound left to kill the character, who's only defence is a 4+ look out, sir roll and any invunerable he may have. Thoughts?

Situation 2.

This is similar but this time we're taking out a heavy weapon with the obliterators.

I won't be doing using this tactic, however i bet someone out there already plans to.

Situation 3.

Lets use lobbas as snipers...

Now this one isn't dirty, its just how the rules are written. I intend to build 2 units of lobbas for my orks (especially if i can take 6 heavy support at 2000pts). Sit them out of sight and use them to snipe characters. Let me explain...

When using an multiple barrage using indirect fire the wound allocation is done separately for each template placed and the wounds are allocated starting with model closest to the centre of the blast. that means if i target the plasma cannon marine in the photo below and roll a hit (1 in 3 chance, thats better than rolling a 6 with a sniper rifle) then I could potentially get 3 wounds that have to be saved by the plasma cannon first.

If the second was also then a hit i could place it on the sergeant and then potentially get 3 wounds on the sergeant (he still gets his 4+ look out, sir obviously)
For how cheap lobbas are I think it would be rude not to just for the cheeky little chance of being really useful, i think they may even be more useful than tellion.

deathwing cyclone missile launchers

The cyclones missile launchers were built using plasticard and bits from the chaos havoc missile launcher, drop pod eagle symbols, drop pod harnesses and some other random bits (search light bits i think). My core deathwing army is made up of 4x5 black reach terminators, 1 box of assault terminators, lysander (as belial) and the terminator chaplain.

Terminator Interigator Chaplain

Right, here is my third post of the day. I painted this chap last weekend to enter into games workshops national painting competition. The voting was a bit of a farse at the edinburgh store to be honest (it was mostly facebook votes but with no photos put up people were just voting for their mates). For me the winning wasn't as important (there wasn't really a prize) as comparing my painting to other folks miniatures, out of the enteries i saw and from speaking to the staff i would have placed my chaplain second to a very nice forgeworld Luft Huron model and placed the actual winner 3rd, but thats just me. Anyway, here is my effort.

The Traja Campaign

I have recently started a campaign with my friend Matthew using my Crimson Fists against his Imperial Guard. The campaign is loosly based around the campaign outlined in the warhammer 40K rulebook. The plan is to play 6 battles starting small (800pts) and escalating to a final apocalypse game. The result of each of the first five games will affect various things in the final battle. The winner of the final battle wins the campaign. We have also decided to write a narrative for the campaign so we are both going to write a battle report for each game which will hopefully develop into one big coherant story. Thats the plan anyway. We played the first battle on monday, it was an 800pt standard mission, sieze ground using a spearhead deployment. The mission was to recovery the missing supply containers. The winner of this battle would gain 3 bombarment shells for use in the final battle. We're going to play the second battle this monday coming which will be another standard mission, 1200pts, dawn of war, annihilation. The winner will become the attacker for the rest of the campaign. Here's what we've got so far....

The planet of Traja lies in the Reductus Sector under Imperial control. It is home to a relatively small specialist Imperial Guard regiment, the Drake Airborne. Recent unexplained warp anomalies in the sector picked up by the adeptus astronomica have sparked curiosity from the Imperial Inquisition. An investigatory mission drew blank when contact was lost and they failed to return. With ever increasing warp activity in the area the decision was made to call upon the resources and expertise of the Crimson Fists Space Marines.

A scouting force was deployed purely to observe and report any significant findings back to the high command. Reports of the society came back all but clear, their military forces seemed healthy but there seemed to be no cause for concern. However the space marine’s personal reports all suggested that there was an unwelcoming presence on Traja. Many of the brothers reported instances of incomprehensible ‘voices in the wind’ that could not be of human origin.

The Adeptus Arbites knew all too well that this had a faint aroma of chaos about it. They had seen huge uprisings in history seeded from less. The decision was taken to take a rather heavy handed approach and request a Space Marine strike force to be sent to take and secure control of the planet.

The mission, coordinated by Commander Vortae, was to take control of the capital city, Salus Atten, which should essentially ensure control of the planet ready to hand over to Inquisatorial control. The initial landing was scheduled to insert a spearhead force into the area around the city of Portalus, the neighbouring city to Salus Atten. Portalus stood many years before Salus Atten’s conception. It is strewn with a considerable number of revered holy sites, statues, gothic cathedrals and shrines, many of which were now in an apparent state of disrepair. With a sparser population and significantly lower military presence it was a suitable position to form the foundations of a full blown attack on Salus Atten. After securing the area around the landing site the plan was to assemble an attack force and proceed to advance on Salus Atten.

The landing was successful, met only by insignificant quantities of local ‘gang’ militia. Portalus quickly secured and scout patrols deployed on an observation role to obtain more accurate estimates of resistance to come on entry to Salus Atten. The communications from the scouting party to base were distorted and the findings unexpected. The city had a significant military presence which had obviously now initialled preparations to defend the city from the recent threat. The quantities however of mobile artillery and sheer man power could be large enough to potentially launch a counter attack. Commander Vortae and his Space Marines would have to act quickly before the enemy could consolidate its full force, as a delay could carry the risk of being forced to defend against a counter attack, and therefore could compromise the mission.

Conditions were not ideal; Vortae had just received information that one of his supply drops had experienced difficulties and had failed, as yet, to be recovered. The supply canisters had been dropped annoyingly close to Salus Attem. Scouts were immediately sent out to locate the drop position, but being so close to enemy soil they anticipated a degree of resistance. They could not afford for these supplies to fall into the hands of the enemy. Master Cyrus was assigned command of a recovery task force to ensure safe retrieval of the supplies.

Battle I – Claiming missing supply containers

Master Cyrus headed up the recovery team alongside Sergeant Curtis and his tactical squad. They were closely followed by Sergeant Ransol’s Tactical Marines and a dreadnought, Brother Barsov, veteran of many a war, clad in a highly armoured sarcophagus and armed to the teeth with assault cannon, heavy flamer to barbeque the traitor and blessed with a dreadnought close combat weapon to crush the heathen. The force was supported by two lascannon armed Razorbacks for mobility and fire support. As they closed in fast on the confirmed supply drop site Cyrus received a report from the scouting party that more drop containers had been located and that they would secure the site 2 coordinates while the recovery force dealt with site 1. The scouts also reported unconfirmed sightings of local militia heading towards the recovery force, most likely local gang members.

On arrival at the drop site 1 coordinates the Space Marines split down into 4, five man teams and began to secure the area. Sergeant Curtis’ squad began to secure the first canister.

“Incoming!” the razorback tank commander yelled through his communicator. A cascade of heavy weapons fire began ricocheting off the abandoned communications shack which stood about 5 metres away. The squad turned its attention to returning fire. From the sergeants position he could see at least fifty guardsmen in the distance in urban camouflage supported by what he recognised as an Executioner class Leman Russ Battle Tank. These were not gang members. These were organised traitor guardsmen facing themselves off against the Emperors finest warriors. Brother Sercosa raised his missile launcher to his shoulder and took aim at the leman russ and launched a krak missile, hitting the tank but failing to even slow the behemoth trundling into firing range.

The Leman Russ began to unleash its autocannon shots in a successful attempt to slow the razorbacks advance. As Sergeant Ransols razorback came into view the Space Marines continued to advance to secure the objectives. Master Cyrus refused to allow these traitors of the Imperium to get their hands on the canisters.

Brother Barsovs sensors scanned the area trying to locate the currently unclaimed canister. It appeared that the enemy militia were positioned directly on top of its location. Did they even know it was there? The two razorback lascannons provided consistent covering fire to subdue the enemy battle tank while, assault cannon blazing, armour clad Brother Barsov took it upon himself to repossess what was rightfully his. The marines looked on in sheer admiration as this veteran tore limb from torso as if they were made of nothing more than bread, burning the heretics in the promethium inferno they deserved while not even acknowledging the numerous projectiles ricocheting off his sarcophagus.

On the left flank Master Cyrus and Sergeant Curtis were being ambushed by the Guard’s elite. A unit of battle scarred veterans immerged to be met by the well rehearsed return of bolter fire, burning promethium and even Master Cyrus’ adapted plasma cutter. As the failed ambush broke, Master Cyrus turned to the sergeant. “I’ll take care of this”. Sergeant Curtis could only smile as he turned his attention back to preparing the supply container for transportation. The Master of the Forge, power axe in hand, began to pursue the falling back unit solo, flaming and cutting them down as they attempted to retreat.

The traitor guard still however seemed to think they still had some fight left in them. They refused to stand down despite their sorry position and launched a counter attack down the right flank towards Sergeant Ransols combat squad. Ransol readied his fist for the inevitable onslaught. All the recovery forces fire power was immediately redirected to address this right flank assault. The traitors took yet more horrendous casualties so the guardsmen thought better of the situation, finally accepted defeat and began a hasty retreat.

The mission had been a great success. Master Cyrus and his recovery force had succeeded in recovering all of the missing supply containers without conceding a single injury, but what would you expect from the Emperors finest?

This was a good day for heroes.

Scratch Built Space Marine Dreadnought Drop pod WIP

This is my WIP three door dreadnought drop pod pictured next to an unpainted drop pod kit. It is slightly taller and ever so slightly wider than the kit which it needs to be to carry my ironclad dreadnought (it's not actually big enough to put the actual dreadnought model complete with base inside). It is almost completely made from 3mm foamboard so far except for the door hinges which are made from two different thicknesses of plastic pipe which fit snugly inside each other. The black pipe at the top is a pqd till roll tube. The next step, should i get round to it, is detailing which i plan to do with plasticard and possibly do detailing on the floor using double tred textured plasticard.