Another run out with 10th Edition Warhammer 40K. I used a similar list to my last two games in this Astra Militarum vs Dark Angels battle.

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This game was at Boards and Swords in Derby.

Astra Militarum 2,000 Points List

This is a slightly amended list from my game vs Iron Hands and then vs GSC.

I opted for no Lord Solar again, Scions for scoring, Catachans for Scout 6″, Armoured Sentinels for moving and holding an area and then 6 Leman Russ.

Changes

I made the following changes to the list;

• I dropped the Attaches, and thus the Astropath; this also means dropping the Command Squad. Saving ~100pts. The Astropath is nice and has served me well. It is fantastic at screening out those 3″ Deep Striking units. But those 3″ units can only shoot, so they shoot and then die from the firepower of 6 Leman Russ. Decent model placement can also mean baiting those units into poor positions and ensuring their demise.
• I removed the two Plasma Execution Leman Russ and replaced them with 2x Demolisher Tank Commanders, one with Grand Strategist. This would give me three orders spread across the four regular Leman Russ. Orders are not something I have used in this list, but I wanted to try it. Plus, it was an excuse for using the Demolisher, as it is of decent value when placed on the Tank Commander. The Demolisher is 200pts, and the Tank Commander Demolisher is 205pts.
• Removed the Rapier Laser Destroyer; it was just filling 35pts.
• Added in an Infantry Squad.

The List

• Demolisher Tank Commander with HKM, Grand Strategist Enhancement, Lascannon, and Multi Meltas
• Demolisher Tank Commander with HKM, a Lascannon and Multi Meltas
• 3x Leman Russ Battle Tank with HKMs, Lascannon, and Multi Meltas
• 1x Leman Russ Exterminator with HKM and Heavy Bolters
• 3x Enginseers
• A unit of 3 Armoured Sentinels with HKMs and Plasma Cannons
• 5 units of 10 Catachans with Vox and Flamer
• Infantry Squad with Vox, Plasma Gun and Lascannon
• 3 units of 5 Scions with Power Fist, Plasma Pistol, Melta Gun and Plasma Gun

Dark Angels

• The Lion
• 1x Apothecary
• 1x Captain
• 1x Lieutenant
• 3x Inceptors
• 2x units of 5 Hellblasters
• 1x Repulsor Executioner
• 1x Gladiator Lancer
• 1x Impulsor
• 1x Storm Speeder Thunderstrike
• 1x Redemptor Dreadnought
• 5x Heavy Intercessors
• 5x Assault Intercessors

The Mission

The random Levithan Cards were…

Turn 1 – Astra Militarum

I got the first turn. That is three games in a row now…

Everything moved up as intended. The Catachans with their Scout 6″ were now on all the objectives in No Man’s Land, and the Sentinels steamed forward, charging the enemy Heavy Intercessors, Captain and Apothecary, which had infiltrated forward.

That Scout 6″ also meant I could move to the middle and score Deploy Teleport Homers.

On the right flank, which you cannot see from the photos, I destroyed the Impulsor and one Hellblaster inside. It shot back on death, dealing a few wounds to a Battle Tank.

Turn 1 – Dark Angels

The Dark Angels now surged forward and started mowing down Catachans, one unit of which went into Strategic Reserve using the Reinforcements Stratagem.

The Repulsor Executioner deleted a Battle Tank in one go! While its other weapons were responsible for killing Catachans. The Battle Tank exploded, causing wounds to another two of my tanks and reducing an Enginseer to a single wound.

The Dark Angels scored well here for Purge the Foe, Kill 1, Kill More, and No Prisoners – excellent synergy with the Secondary and Primary.

Luckily, the Lancer whiffed on the left and did minimal damage to my Battle Tank.

Turn 2 – Astra Militarum

I drew Investigate Signals, which meant all my Scions came in along with my reinforced Catachans, scoring my 8VP.

I shuffled Leman Russ around for line-of-sight and took the right objective more robustly.

After the Repulsor deleted a tank in one go, it was time for it to go… the Exterminator lit it up for an extra AP. The Tank Commander removed it using its now AP5 Muti Meltas, AP4 Lascannon and AP4 Demolisher Cannon. It exploded, too! Just like mine! This caused wounds to his Redmeptor and Heavy Intercessor squad.

Over on the right, my Scions and Battle Tank killed a few Hellblasters, which in turn shot back and did some wounds to the Battle Tank.

I also got Extend Battlelines this turn, scoring me 5VP.

Turn 2 – Dark Angels

The Dark Angels drew Extend Battlelines this turn, along with Bring It Down.

The Lion, Storm Speeder Thunderstrike, and the Inceptors arrived at this turn. The Lion failed his charge into the Exterminator, thank The Emperor.

Bring It Down was scored over on the right flank after one unit of Hellblasters and Storm Speeder saw the demise of a Battle Tank.  The other Hellblasters vapourised a unit of Catachans with ease.

The Inceptors killed my five Scions in that back left corner. They went back into Strategic Reserve.

The Redemptor joined the combat under the gantries on the left with the Sentinels, Heavy Intercessors, Captain and Apothecary. This meant I lost the objective, but it was turning into a right slog and slowing down and minimising the damage of those enemy units.

Once again, the Lancer failed to finish off a Battle Tank!

Turn 3 – Astra Militarum

I drew Cleanse and Overwhelming Force.

After the Storm Speeder killed my tank on the right, it was only fitting I returned the favour – it was swiftly removed. The Inceptors went the same way, two dying from shooting and the last one being hacked up by a very angry Enginseer after the death of the Battle Tank in turn 1.

I cleared out the centre of Assault Intercessors and retook it using a single Enginseer. I had other Catachans moving up to secure it in future turns.

The right side saw one unit of Hellblasters finally removed, which killed some Scions on their death.

The Scions reentered the battlefield in the top left corner to try to chip wounds off the Redemptor. Between them and the Battle Tank, it was left with two wounds.

I managed to achieve both Cleanse and Overwhelming Force after taking over objectives.

Turn 3 – Dark Angels

Dark Angels drew Defend Stronghold and Capture Enemy Outpost, and the latter was replaced with Investigate Signals for a CP – a poor selection for this point in the game.

The Lion got his charge off and removed the two remaining Armoured Sentinels. Hellblasters lept from the ruins on the right, dashing towards the centre.

The Armoured Sentinels went back into Strategic Reserve for 2CP.

The Lancer finally killed the left flank Battle Tank.

Turn 4 – Astra Militarum

… and on they came. The Armoured Sentinels fired their Hunter Killer Missiles into the Lancer, removing it!

I drew A Tempting Target and Engage On All Fronts. The latter would be easy with my board control. The former would be tougher as the Dark Angels chose the left objective in No Man’s Land, which The Lion was on…

Forwards!

The Scions killed the last of the Heavy Intercessors and charged the Captain. Their weight of bodies meant I just took it back, scoring a Tempting Target.

The right side of cleared up of those final three Hellblasters.

Turn 4 – Dark Angels

The Lion finished the Enginseer on one wound for Assassination and then munched through 8 Scions for Overwhelming Force.

Turn 5

This was now just scoring. The Dark Angels only had The Lion left but could still score Behind Enemy Lines with him in the final turn, along with Kill 1 for the Primary.

Astra Militarum vs Dark Angels Summary

The list performed well again, maybe the best it has done. I used Reinforcements 3 times during this game and Smoke Screen once. Those were the only Stratagems I used.

I am not sure what to change in it at this point. It has enough Deep Striking units to score and enough chaff to die and then return to boost numbers once the Scions have come in.

Final Score

Astra Militarum – 100
Dark Angels – 84

Astra Militarum Victory