This was my final game of 2021 – Cadian Leman Russ Only vs Death Guard in a 2,000 points game. It was another loss I am afraid, which is on par for the Guard at the moment it seems – see my Space Wolves game. I gotta change things up in 2022! Looked awesome though!

Never miss an article? Subscribe!

This game was at Boards and Swords, in Derby.

Cadian Leman Russ 2,000 Points List

Cadian Leman Russ Spearhead Detachment

Command Points

• Spearhead 3CP
• Imperial Commander’s Armoury 1CP
• I will be starting on 8CP

HQ

• Warlord Pask in Plasma Executioner with Plasma Cannons, Lascannon, Hunter Killer Missile and Superior Tactical Training Warlord Trait
• Gatekeeper Relic Battle Cannon Tank Commander with an Augar Array, Multimeltas, Lascannon and Hunter Killer Missile

Elites

• Platoon Commander with Kurov’s Aquila, Power Fist and Plasma Pistol

Heavy Support

• 3x Demolisher Leman Russ with a Lascannon and Multimeltas
• 2x Battle Cannon Leman Russ with a Lascannon and Heavy Bolters
• A Punisher Leman Russ with a Lascannon and Multimeltas
• A Vanquisher Leman Russ with an Augar Array, Lascannon and Hunter Killer Missile

Cadian Leman Russ – Stratagems of Note

• Shock Troops
• Vengeance for Cadia
• Overlapping Fields of Fire
• Hail of Fire
• Relentless
• Inspired Tactics
• Defensive Gunners
• Field Promotion
• Load-Fire-Reload
• Never Give Up! Never Surrender!

Battlelines Mission

Neither of us took the mission-specific Secondary.

Deployment

I tried to hide as best I could, with Pask and the Tank Commander on either flank to dish out orders.

Turn 1

I got the first turn, which was sort of bad for me as I had a lot of 24″ range weaponry that would be hard to put to good use by going first. This game was light on Psychic Powers and those sorts of tricks, it was mainly going to come down to the shooting.

I did get all my Leman Russ to be -1 to hit during this first turn by either placing them in the woods at the corners of the battlefield – or by popping smoke.

As for shooting;

• I did a few wounds to a single PBC – it was not bracketed
• Killed 2 Chaos Spawn
• Killed 4 out of a 5 man unit of Plague Marines

This amounted to one whole unit only, the Chaos Spawn. This included using Vengence for Cadia too.

In the Death Guard’s turn, everything moved forward a bit and Spread the Sickness was completed on an objective.

I lost two Leman Russ this first turn.

So yeah – another game like this.

Some of my Leman Russ could not shoot due to line-of-sight and range issues. But, 5 out of the 9 did shoot – killing the above models. Then I lost two Leman Russ in my turn, over 300 points worth of models.

From the Death Guard, only the three PBCs and the two Dreadnoughts with Volkite could shoot, so only a portion of their force. Yet, I lost 300+ points of models. Sad times.

Turn 2

The Deathshrouds, Foulblight Spawn and Demon Prince had moved up on the first turn, but the Deathshrouds meant that I could not shoot the winged Demon Prince nor the Foulblight Spawn. I set about trying to remove the Deathshrouds which I did with some concentrated fire from a Demolisher using Vengence for Cadia. With those gone, I focused down the Foulblight Spawn who died and left the Demon Prince on 2 Wounds. Sadly this still meant he was effective as being on full Wounds.

I swiped a few wounds from the PBCs, but could not kill them. The devil was in the device. D6 damage from a Hunter Killer Missile? Sure, here is 2, -1 to 1. D6 damage from a Lascannon? Sure, here is 2 again, -1 to 1. Again and again, the dice failed me.

I know I took a Vanquisher and this is not optimal, but even that was awful at rolling Damage, even when it did hit and Wound.

I also managed to remove 10 Pox Walers from an objective with the Punisher – which felt good. That is the right tool for the job.

The Demon Prince moved up and the Terminators arrived. Typhus arrived too in my back lines, but luckily the Terminators and Typhus failed their charges. The Demon Prince did not and promptly killed Pask in one go. I lost another Leman Russ this turn too, so that is 2 turns and 4 Leman Russ from my 9 already destroyed.

Turn 3

I was now into damage control. The Death Guard were moving up and my tanks were dropping.

The Demon Prince died this turn along with some more Pox Walkers. This was after doing some minor movement to stay on the central objective on the left of the below photos while remaining within 3″ of the objective. I managed to plink off the last few wounds on two of the PBCs, but their damage was already done against my forces. Now the Death Guard are in close combat range the PBCs are not needed as much. The damage is coming from elsewhere.

The Death Guard charge Terminators into my Leman Russ. I Overwatch against the Terminators, rolling three out of four 6s with my Multi Meltas! Wow! But, we then backtrack as my opponent meant to use a Stratagem called Relaptic Assault to Heroically Intervene with them – stopping my Overwatch.

We realised after the game that this could not have been used, using Relaptic Assault to Heroically Intervene is done in the enemy Charge Phase, not your own. So my Overwatch was valid and I could have killed a few of the Terminators. Their combat left the Leman Russ on 2 Wounds, so while it did not die it was in its lowest bracket.

It is also worth noting that the whole game the two Volkite Dreadnoughts have been plinking of Wounds on my tanks with their exploding 6s to hit and Mortal Wounds plus normal damage on 6s to Wound.

Turn 4

It is now severe damage control and more of the same Death Guard rolling into my tanks and them missing the shots they can take. The other Tank Commander is lost by this point and I am down to 4 out of my 9 Leman Russ.

Turn 5

By the end of the game, 3 of the 9 Leman Russ are alive.

Cadian Leman Russ – Summary

I am afraid this is another rather demoralising defeat for the Guard. It took the whole game to kill the only three T8 vehicles the Death Guard brought. The Dreadnoughts remained untouched for the battle.

In 2022 I think I need to drastically change up the way I am doing my lists.

9 all Cadian Leman Russ is fun, but is it that fun when you feel powerless to compete and get a close game? Warhammer 40K is a game of numbers and when you’re shooting with 2D6 shots that average to 7 shots, 4 will hit, 3 will wound and then 2 are saved? You’re left with not a lot of damage at the end of the equation – especially if the enemy has -1 Damage.

Spearhead CP

Is taking a Spearhead for 3CP worth it with 9 Cadian Leman Russ? I really am wondering. There were a few moments when I had an objective because I have ObSec and the enemy were Elite – e.g. Terminators. But is that worth 3CP? 3CP gets me;

• 3 uses of Vengence for Cadia… or
• A Hail of Fire use for 12 shots vs a Vehicle plus an Overlapping Fields of Fire – that is one dead Vehicle… or
• A Cadia Stands use plus an Overlapping Fields of Fire – that is a double shooting Leman Russ with Re-roll 1s to hit at +1 BS – again really handy

Final Score

Astra Militarum – 43
Death Guard – 75

Death Guard Victory