The first game in a while with Cadians vs Iron Hands – and this time we are using the new Tempest of War Cards!

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This game was at Boards and Swords, in Derby.

Cadians 2,000 Points List

Note – the two Battle Cannon Leman Russ with Multi Meltas are being used as Punishers. The Battle Cannon with Plasma Cannons is my Gatekeeper Tank Commander. All the Heavy Weapon Teams are Lascannons, not a mixture of Autocannons and Lascannons.

Desperate times call for playing with proxied models!

(Since this game I have finished the Punishers though)

Cadian Battalion Detachment

Command Points

• Tank Ace 1CP
• Imperial Commander’s Armoury 1CP
• I will be starting on 10CP

HQ

• Company Commander Warlord with Grand Strategist and Laurels of Command
• Company Commander
• Tank Commander with Gatekeeper, Lascannon, Plasma Cannons, Hunter Killer Missile and Weapon Expert Tank Ace

Troops

• 3x Infantry Squads with Vox Caster, Lascannon and a Melta Gun, Sergeant with Plasma Pistol and Power Sword
• 3x Infantry Squads with Vox Caster, Lascannon and a Plasma Gun, Sergeant with Plasma Pistol and Power Sword

Elites

• 2x Platoon Commander

Heavy Support

• 3x Leman Russ Demolishers with Multi Meltas and Lascannon
• 3x Leman Russ Punishers with Multi Meltas and Lascannon

Iron Hands 2,000 Points List

• Chapter Master
• Tech-Priest
• 2 units of 5 Infiltrators
• 2x Redemptor Dreadnoughts
• Primaris Invictor Tactical Warsuit
• 5 Bladeguard
• Gladiator Reaper
• Gladiator Lancer
• 2 units of 4 Eradicators

Tempest War Cards

Deployment

Turn 1

Luckily I got the first turn which meant I could blast the Warsuit sat 9″ from my DZ. I also killed two Eradicators this turn. Not a superb start, but killing the turn 1 charging Dreadnought was a good win.

I cannot remember all the cards I got and I did not take photos of each set on each turn either. As you can see from the blow cards some are very hard for the Guard; Capture Enemy Output – that would involve getting across the board and taking an objective off the Iron Hands. Others are easy like Investigate Signals. That can be completed by a Guard squad with ease.

I took some fire from the enemy but nothing too devastating. I lost a Leman Russ and one was wounded, both from Eradicators I am sure. I lost infantry too, which was no surprise given the number of shots the Marines can put out.

Turn 2

I carried on trying to get No Prisoners and also got lucky with other cards. It basically meant I could move up and bit and score points. Which was perfect.

Sadly I did not whittle down the enemy force much this turn though. A few Eradicators I think and some wounds on the Gladiators but nothing major. The Lascannon Heavy Weapon Teams I took were working well at punching and killing the odd Eradicator – which was nice. Normally I would not take these as they are 20 points and taking 6 is nearly a whole extra Leman Russ. But it was cool to see them do some work for once.

I lost another Leman Russ this turn, maybe two and more infantry but I was holding them back and moving away from the Bladeguard that would 100% ruin me.

Turn 3

I finally got some decent kills and downed both Gladiators in this turn. My strategy of moving away from the Bladeguard and killing anything that came at me was working. On one side, the left side, it was locked down and nothing was close. But the right side was a worry as a Redemptor kept coming at me along with the Bladeguard. There were some Infiltrators hidden that had come out now and a Punisher went for them. This was the first time the Auto Wounds of 6s came into its own – they all died.

Killing five 2 Wound models with S4 and a 3+ Save was never something I thought my force could do well. If I used Artillery it was too swingy, Leman Russ was overkill or rolled low shots. But now with the number of shots (40) and Auto Wounds on 6s this feels about right in terms of effectiveness.

The Iron Hands pressed on my this turn, getting closer but still no charges came.

Turn 4 & 5

We were now going through the motions to complete the game. I had killed an awful lot of enemy models and the final points came down to if The Iron Hand’s Redemtptrs could pincer my tanks and kill them for a few more VP. They could not and their 2+ Armour Save did it work.

Summary

Tempest Cards

The cards were good! I would use them again.

I think I was lucky with them though – I got a lot of cards which seemed very easy to complete for my force. Move to No Man’s Land, do an action. That is something the Guard can do well as their squads die and another squad comes in to do the same next turn.

Hammer of the Emperor

I loved this new mechanic for the Guard that was released in the latest Balance Datasheet. Auto Wounding on 6s to Hit made up for some of the random shots I was doing with the Demolishers and on the Punishers it was fantastic.

Even the regular infantry squads were doing some killing with their Lasguns. I had Consolidated two squads on turn one – so it comprised of;

• 2 Lascannons
• 2 Plasma Guns
• 2 Sergents with Plasma Pistols
• 12 Lasguns

WIth Laurels of Command working for full Re-Rolls to Hit with Take Aim on my Cadians and First Rank Fire, Second Rank Fire – they were awesome!

I cannot wait to field this again!

Final Score

Astra Militarum – 93
Iron Hands – 86

Astra Militarum Victory