My third game of Warhammer 40K 10th Edition, and this time I used the new cards in the Leviathan box. My first was against GSC, and my second game was against Blood Angels.

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This game was at Boards and Swords in Derby.

Cadians 1,750 Points List

Unit 1

• Lord Solar
• Platoon Command Squad with Lascannon, Kurov’s Aquila, Medipack and Master – I forgot actually to field this unit
• 10 Cadian Shock Troops with Plasma Gun, Vox and Melta Gun

Unit 2

• Creed
• 10 Cadian Shock Troops with Plasma Gun, Vox and Melta Gun

None Infantry Units

• Banesword
• Regimental Enginseer
• 2x Demolisher Leman Russ with Multi Meltas and Lascannon
• 3x Armoured Sentinels with Hunter Killer Missiles and Lascannons
• Heavy Lascannon Field Ordnance Battery

My complete list is on Google Sheets.

Imperial Knights

• Knight Crusader
• Knight Warden
• 2x Armiger Helverins
• 3x Armiger Warglaives

The Mission

We both went for Tactical Objectives, drawing and discarding cards.

In the past, I have not been a fan of this game mode because you can draw cards and then be able to score zero points. Some of the objectives are impossible to score. For instance, in my list, pulling “Take the enemy’s Deployment Zone Objective” on turn one is impossible.

Let us see how this new version goes down…

Deployment

My deployment was a bit whack because I forgot I had the Command Squad with Lord Solar, so I thought his orders were limited to 6″. So I deployed thinking this. All bunched up.

The Leman Russ and Lord Solar were on the left, but I moved them after deployment using Lord Solar’s ability to the right flank.

I should also note my opponent forgot that all their Knights had a 6+ Feel No Pain. So we had both failed in some way throughout this game.

Still learning!

Cadians – Turn 1

I got the first turn!

And then proceeded to destroy exactly zero enemy units.

Multi Meltas now have a range of 18″ – which meant they could not shoot anything after I specially measured to get them within 24″ of an enemy Armiger! Sigh.

I did manage to do a lot of plinking damage on the Knight Warden. I got 5x Hunter Killer Missiles at it and 5x Lascannons from the Armoured Sentinels and the two Leman Russ. It ended on 6 Wounds after the las-beams and smoke trails had dispersed.

An Armiger took some damage but no kills, which was annoying as I had pulled No Prisoners this turn.

I used Kurov’s Aquila in this first turn and made all future uses of Rotate Ion Shields cost 2CP rather than 1CP. I am pretty sure it was very used again…

Imperial Knights – Turn 1

The enemy shuffled forward, and I lost two Armoured Sentinels this turn and a handful of Wounds on the Banesword.

The Banwsword was now on a 4+ Invunrable save at this point, thanks to the Enginseer giving it that save in Turn 1.

The Armoured Sentinels were destined to return via the Reinforcements Stratagem – so their demise was OK.

And enemy Armiger on the right flank razed an Objective in No Man’s Land, thus removing it from play, denying it to me and giving the Imperial Knights 5VP.

Cadians – Turn 2

I moved the Demolishers up to get their Multi Meltas into range this turn but did not move much else. The last Armoured Sentinel moved into the middle.

The Knight Warden died this turn. That was my first Knight kill.

No Armigers fell, though. More wounds were picked off, but no kills.

Imperial Knights – Turn 2

The Armoured Sentinel finally fell, and the unit went into Strategic Reserve.

Two Armigers on the right flank started to take Wounds off my Demolisher Leman Russ and got into combat. They were found lacking, though, and both tanks survived.

The Crusader Knight rounded a corner and deleted Creed and her unit with one sweep of its rotary cannon. Its Rapid Fire Battle Cannon went into the Banesword again – but did not do much. It is only Strength 10 going into Toughness 13.

After losing the Armoured Sentinels and Creed’s unit, this left the centre and my left flank open to the Knights.

Cadians – Turn 3

Cue… a new unit of Armoured Sentinels! They came onto the battlefield on the far left flank. Their Lascanons and Hunter Killer Missiles went into the Crusader, and it died between them and the Banesword. That was my second big Knight kill. The Armoured Sentinels then successfully charged the Armiger Helverin on the left flank to grab an Objective.

The Banesword also finished off an Armiger in the centre of the battlefield, and one of the Armigers in combat with the Demolishers was killed.

This left three Armigers on the battlefield.

Imperial Knights – Turn 3

I lost both Leman Russ Demolishers this turn. The 5+ Wound shots from the Armierrs finally take their toll and remove both from the battlefield.

Cadians – Turn 4

I Moved, Moved, Moved Lord Solar’s unit into the centre and finished another Armiger.

This only left one of the left near the Armoured Sentinels and one near a ruined building on the right flank.

Imperial Knights – Turn 4

Last ditch attempts from the remaining Armigers tried to kill my Heavy Lascannons and the Armoured Sentinels, but no luck.

Cadians – Turn 5

The Knights were tabled.

Summary

Despite being tabled, the game was very close until turn 4. I won by 12 points, and as you can see below, I scored 20 points in Battle Round 5, and the Knights scored zero.

I only won in that final turn!

This was a close game throughout, and I did enjoy this version of using cards more than any previous version.

You can discard one at the cost of 1CP at the start of your turn and discard another at the end to gain 1CP. It means you are rewarded for keeping a difficult card by scoring the VP or gaining a CP.

And Command Points are rare in these Warhammer 40K 10th Edition games. I tried to have 2CP at all times for Reinforcements, to be used on the Armoured Sentinels.

The Banwsword worked well, D6+6 shots are excellent, and having a guarantee of 7 Shots is nice. Lord Solar is a must-take as he gives so much benefit to those heavy-hitting vehicles.

Similarly, the Armoured Sentinels are a must-take for me. Being able to return for 2CP and grab Objectives and/or place shots onto unsuspecting enemy units is so valuable for an army which is traditionally very static.

Creed was a bit of a waste in this game. I took her for her 0CP Stratgem ability. The plan was to use it to get Fields of Fire for free. But an extra AP is not very useful when the enemy has a 5+ Invunrable Save and all your weapons are at least AP-3.  It would have only been good with the Heavy Bolters on the Banesword. Probably not worth the 110 points her unit cost me.

Scions would have been a good idea instead of Creed vs Knights for their Deep Strike ability.

Final Score

Astra Militarum – 61
Imperial Knights – 49

Astra Militarum Victory