This will be my third Blood Angels vs Astra Militarum battle in 9th Edition, lost the first two… so, I am due a win?

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We decided to start on 10CP for this game – which is correct for this points level – having 6CP just seems daft.

Cadian Gallery

Full army photo shoot using my new Samtian 60cm x 60cm x 60cm Lightbox.

Cadian 1,750 Points List

Imperial Commander’s Armoury -1CP

Tank Ace -1CP

Total 8CP = 10 – 1 – 1

• A Callidus Assassin
• Weapon Expert Tank Ace Vanquisher Tank Commander, Old Grudges Warlord with Kurov’s Aquila, Augar Array, Hunter Killer Missle and a Lascannon
• 2x Demolisher Tank Commander with Augar Array, Hunter Killer Missle, Lascannon and Multi-Meltas
• 3x Squads of 20 Conscripts
• Infantry Squad in the Valkyrie
• Infantry Squad with Autocannon
• Night Shroud Astropath
• Psychic Barrier Astropath
• Mental Fortitude Astropath
• Platoon Commander with the Relic of Lost Cadia
• Platoon Commander
• Valkyrie with Hellstrike Missiles, Multilaser and 2x Heavy Bolters
• Vulture with Punisher Cannons and a Heavy Bolter

Secondaries

• Priority Targets
• Engage on all Fronts
• Retrieve Octarius Data

Cadian List Summary

Relic of Lost Cadia

While this is usually taken for facing the forces of Chaos for that re-roll of all hits and all wounds, here it only applies for hits of 1 and wound rolls of 1. I want to use this on my first turn to maximise damage while still being able to move my Cadians and get line-of-sight onto enemy targets.

The re-roll of 1s to wound is nice to have too, especially if I can focus down some infantry with my Demolishers who would be wounding them on 2s with re-rolling 1s.

Vanquisher

Not taken a Vanquisher for a long time and for good reason – they are poor! But today I hope I can make this guy shine through the use of the above relic and Overlapping Fields of Fire. This Tank Commander has no Sponsons and will sit back with his massive range and snipe any Vehicle that ventures out from behind cover with the Vanquisher Cannon and Lascannon.

Vulture & Valkyrie

Two new toys come to the battlefield in the form of my newly completed Valkyrie and Vulture!

I want to score Engage on all Fronts with these guys along with the infantry in the Valkyrie. The Vulture’s task will be to mop up victory point scoring infantry in the enemy’s backlines, while the Valkyrie might take off the odd wound or so from a Vehicle – but I do not have high hopes for its shooting!

Blood Angels 1,750 Points List

• Terminator Captain
• Chaplain with Jump Pack
• Chapter Master in Terminator Armour
• Tactical Squad
• 2x Squads of 5x Intercessors
• Company Champion
• 5x Death Company Marines
• 5x Sanguinary Guard
• Terminator Squad
• Death Company Dreadnought with Heavy Flamer, Meltagun and Blood Talons
• Baal Predator with Heavy Bolters and Assault Cannons
• Sicaran Venator

Secondaries

• Priority Targets
• Assassination
• Grind Them Down

The Mission – Priority Target

We both took the missions specific Secondary. The Priority Targets were the A and B objectives both in our respective deployment zones.

Score 3 victory points if you control either of the Priority Objective Markers (see above) at the end of your turn, or 5 victory points if you control both of these objective markers at the end of your turn.

Blood Angels vs Astra Militarum Deployment Gallery

Turn 1

I hardly moved my infantry at all in this first turn and this was a mistake I think. I did use the Relic of Lost Cadia in this turn for my re-rolls of one for Hit and Wounds. The Leman Russ all moved to get line-of-sight through the centre of the table to the Sicaran Venator.

My Vulture and Valkyrie moved up towards the enemy Deployment Zone – their shooting was extremely meh. Which I sorted of expected – the Vulture killed a single Intercessor and the Valkyrie did nothing.

My shooting went as I wanted though with the Tank Commanders, A Demolisher got the Sicaran Venator down to 6 Wounds, I popped Overlapping Fields of Fire on it and the Vanquisher took the final wounds. Mission Success!

My final Tank Commander went or the Baal Predator and got it down to 3 wounds.

The Blood Angels came back at me by taking several wounds off each of the Demolisher Leman Russ – Heavy Bolters are no joke! The Death Company Jump Pack guys got into my Pskyers and killed one – which was annoying!

Turn 2

I extended my Callidus’ Reign of Confusion into the second turn for 2CP. She did good this game and Lance spent 10CP over the course of the first two turns after my 4+ roll went off 4 or 5 times in total. I will also say here that she came on this turn, killed the Chaplain and then died from the Dreadnought’s ranged weapons. Her shooting can be really good and I somehow rolled 3 sixes for the Leadership check vs the Chaplain, which then did 3 wounds to it, making the melee kill pretty easy.

I finished the Baal Predator off this turn and started to move my Conscripts up the battlefield – but not all of them at this point – another mistake in hindsight.

My aircraft shooting was poor again and I killed a Primaris Marine or two. With the Ball Predator, dead my Vanquisher did not have any decent targets so they opted to try and obliterate a Primaris Marine or three.

The Blood Angels got into combat this turn with my Valhallan styled Conscritpts who hit back and killed a single Tactical Marine! The Sanguinary Guard came in and charged my Vulture taking off half its wounds. The Terminators with the Terminator Captain came in too in my Deployment Zone and absolutely ruined my Infantry Squad with the Autocannon with their shooting and then killed the Vanquisher in melee.

My other two Tank Commanders also fell this turn to Primaris Bolter fire and melee attacks from Intercessors.

Turn 3

I made another mistake here, I kept the Vulture in combat with the Sanguinary Guard so it could shoot them, this was a mistake because;

1. The shooting did nothing
2. I should have just run away to the other end of the battlefield to kill things
3. Staying sealed its fate at the end of my turn

My Valkyrie released its Infantry Squad onto the enemy’s Priority Target and went into Hover Mode to get that +1 to hit. It should maybe have run too. My Conscripts were now moving up the battlefield, but it was too late for them. My Psykers were not enough buff and stop them from falling to the enemy too.

The Blood Angels were now just crushing my Troops as they moved to my Deployment Zone and all the objectives.

Turn 4 & 5

I was tabled in turn 4 which left the Blood Angels to mop up the VPs in turns 4 and 5.

Blood Angels vs Astra Militarum Summary

Well, an absolutely terrible outcome after the rather promising start when taking out the Sicaran Venator!

I think I just made too many mistakes in the end and was outplayed by Lance we kept to the mission while also prioritising the right targets. My downfall came from;

• Not moving my Conscripts up earlier and being too precious about them – which is so backwards. They are Conscripts!
• Targetting the wrong units earlier on, the death of the Sicaran Venator was nice and probably saved a Tank Commander from dying – but…
• Focusing on the Troop choices is better in the long run as it stops the enemy from scoring the Primary and reduces their volume of fire that so easily kills my Troop choices.
• My Flyers were used poorly, it was my first time with them – I have learnt things in this game!

Final Score

Astra Militarum – 48
Dark Angels – 97

Blood Angels Victory