This battle report is Custodes vs Astra Militarum with the Custodes list being a tournament list! It was again Henry, who is new to Boards and Swords, so welcome Henry! It was somewhat of a practice game for the Custodes, putting this 2,000 point list through its paces vs the Astra Militarum.

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Astra Militarum – 2,000 Points

Starting CP: 12

Tank Ace -1CP

9 Power Level in Strategic Reserve -1CP

Patrol Detachment -2CP

I will have 8CP to start the battle with.

Astra Militarum Battalion – Cadians

• Vindicare Assassin
• Company Commander with Kurov’s Aquila and no Warlord Trait
• Plasma Executioner Pask with Multi-Meltas, Hunter Killer Missile and Lascannon
• Demolisher Tank Commander with Multi-Meltas, Hunter Killer Missile and Lascannon
• 6x Infantry Squads – 3 of these will be in Strategic Reserve
• Mental Fortitude Astropath
• Nightshroud Astropath
• Psychic Barrier Astropath
• Command Squad with 4x Meltaguns
• 2x Full Payload Manticores
• Special Weapons Team with Plasma Guns
• A Valkyrie containing one Infantry Squad
• A Trojan with Hunter Killer Missile

Scions Patrol – 9th Iotan Gorgonnes

• Callidus Assassin
• Tempestor Prime
• 5 man Tempestus Scions Unit
• Tempestus Command Squad with 4x Meltaguns

Secondaries

• Retrieve Octarius Data
• Engage On All Fronts
• No Prisoners

Cadian Stratagems of Note

• Overlapping Fields of Fire
• Hail of Fire
• Relentless
• Direct Onslaught
• Grenadiers
• Take Cover
• Defensive Gunners
• Experienced Eye

Scions Stratagems of Note

• Killing Zone
• Daring Descent

Astra Militarum Summary

Knowing that the Custodes are hard to shift, I went for high damage weapons that would wipe out their Elite Infantry if I was about to get Wounds through. And also put out high damage to their vehicles, which are -1 Damage and have a Feel No Pain roll.

I forgot my Heavy Weapons Team of Autocannons so swapped them out for a Special Weapons Squad of Plasma Guns at the last minute.

I also went for a fair few strategic reserves to grab objectives and allow me to score  Retrieve Octarius Data and Engage On All Fronts.

Custodes – 2,000 Points

• Trajaan
• Shield Captain on Jetbike
• 2x Telemon Dreadnoughts
• Venatari Squad
• 2x Contemptor-Achillus Dreadnought
• 2x units of Sagittarum
• A unit of Custodian Guard

Secondaries

• Bring It Down
• To The Last
• Engage On All Fronts

The Mission – Surround and Destroy

Neither of us took the mission-specific Secondary.

Custodes vs Astra Militarum – Deployment

Deployment pics below, the last pic, the overview is probably the best way of looking at how we both deployed.

Both were pretty spread out across the objectives in our deployment zone.

While I did not take my Aegis Defence Line in this game, we used them in the corners as barricades.

Also, this is the first time using these objectives from The Honest Wargamer. While they are pricey for 6 bits of plastic, they are really handy and they will be getting a lot of use. We never measured a distance from an objective marker once during the whole game. No disagreements or discussions on distance, it was just sorted.

Turn 1

I got the first turn and tried my best to put the hurt onto the Custodes while I was at maximum power.

My movement was minimal as usual, with some scooting around to see enemy units.

My Valkyrie went down the right flank and dropped its Infantry Squad off behind the barricade in that corner. They did Retrieve Octarius Data as intended. One dude fell out and died.

With the Valkyrie here, he went for some wild shots into Trajaan – two Hellstrikes into him on turn 1 could be amazing. But no, all failed.

Pask got one of the smaller Dreadnoughts, an Achillus, down to two Wounds. Which was awful because they have no brackets, so it being on two Wounds was the same as it is on full Wounds.

I damaged a Telemon with a Manticore or Trojan Hunter Killer Missile, I think. Either way, it was damaged by Cadian and I popped Overlapping Fields of Fire on it for 2CP. I then spent a further 2CP to use Hail of Fire on my Tank Commander.

My Tank Commander was now;

• Heavy 12
• BS3+ with a +1 to hit
• S10
• AP3
• D6 Damage

I did about 4 Wounds to the damn thing in total. It was not even bracketed after that salvo of pathetic. We both could not believe this! The thing should have been dead completely.

I weathered the firepower of the Custodes pretty well. Pask was untouched and the Tank Commander was blasted down to 3 Wounds. Importantly, he was not dead as I could use Relentless next turn to bring him back to his top bracket for 1CP.

A few infantry died in my Special Weapons Squad of Plasma Guns and I lost 6 guys from the Valkyrie Infantry Squad to the Sagittarum on their charge.

Turn 2

Looking at the above moment overview for the Custodes you can see how this has gone. I stayed and shot and their whole line just move forward.

My Meltagun Command Squad jumped out of the Trojan and marched towards the uninjured Achillus on my left flank. My Valkyrie zipped across the backline.

I brought all my Scions in, into the centre of the battlefield to try and slow the enemy down and do some damage. The Callidus also came in to get Engage On All Fronts in all table quarters. The Valkyrie was bracketed from Sagittarum shooting in the first turn, this meant it could not get into the opposite table quarter fully. But the Callidus came in and did the job.

I had my first bit of luck here, the Vindicare missed. I did a Command Reroll and hit, Wounded on a 6 and smashed 5 or 6 wounds off the guy! The headshot rule then came in and he was left on maybe 2 Wounds I think. Glory to the Vindicare!

The Callidus then zapped him with her Neural Shredder! Trajaan was dead! Long live the Assassins of the Imperium!

I cleared out the right flank somewhat this turn, the heavily injured Achillus was destroyed, as was the Custodian Guard squad that was lurking nearby. The Achillus was actually taken down to one Wound by Pask and the Custodian Guard were nearly killed by Pask. The Manticore then finished off the Custodian Guard, but the pesky Achillus was on 1 Wound! The Scions stepped up with their 4 Hot-Shot Lasguns and chipped the last Wound off!

The Scion Command Squad did nothing of use. Sigh. The Command Squad from the Trojan reduced the other Achillus down to 6 Wounds, again, it has no brackets. So 6 Wounds is like full Wounds.

The Custodes now hit me back. Moving forward and killing all my Scions and my Tank Commander.

The Venatari Squad came in and did a load of damage to Pask, but failed their charge into my Infantry Squad. Thank the Emperor!

The Achillus then mowed into my Melta Squad, killing all but one! Wow, boys!

The Custodes were now striding across the battlefield and into the centre and into my units. :-(

Turn 3

OK turn 3, time to turn things back my way, now that the enemy was well and truly on me. To this end, I started to push out in the hope of clawing back some objectives from the constant push of the Custodes.

I Move, Move, Moved a squad towards the centre to get an objective, from the right flank. My three Infantry Squads came in this turn, centre left flank, my flank left and my right flank. I could not get them into position for Engage on all Fronts without completely sacrificing them and I could not get them into the other enemy table quarter for Retrieve Octarius Data. I was pushing forward though.

The Vindicare had no decent targets and was just popping shots at the Shield Captain and doing nothing.

Shooting wise, it was a bit meh. Pask failed to kill all the Venatari, in fact, he killed 2 of 5. Yikes, man! The last Achillus on the left refused to die too, it was on like 1 Wound! The same story for the Telemon in the centre that I wasted 4CP on in turn 1. It had limped all the way over to me the whole game. Refusing to yield!

More badness ensued for me in the Custodes turn 3. The Achillus mopped up my Meltagun guy, 2 Astropaths and a Manticore. Like a hot knife through butter – and it certainly did not cost the Custodes 4CP for the privilege! If the Manticore could just explode and finish it off… it did not.

The Custodes were just moving forward now and killing everything with ease. The Shield Captain on Jetbike moved up and over towards my newly positioned Infantry Squad in the middle. Killed them all.

I lost the Trojan too to the limping Telemon. If it could just explode and finish it off… it did not.

Turn 4

More of the same this turn as the Custodes tightened the screw. I did get the last Achillus this turn, I forget how. It matters not! It was dead! My last Manticore maybe?

That same Manticore charged the Telemon in an epic last stand, more to die and explode and kill it… it did not.

The Venatari were gradually making their way through my right flank now. Pask died to them through some combo on Strategems. The infantry was dead there now too.

Turn 5

It was all over for the Guard. My last hooray was using 1CP for a Turbo Penetrator Round on my Vindicare to kill the Telemon!

I had just my Vindicare left at the end!

Custodes vs Astra Militarum – Summary

Well, I was punished, in this game. But it was fantastic fun. Henry played well and was a Gent about it too.

I think I was incredibly unlucky at some points, not killing the Telemon in the first turn made all the difference. Those things just hurt anything and everything. It was dead from turn one I could. have focused on the other one and it would have really reduced the damage output of the Custodes for the entire game.

I forget to repair a Wound on the vehicles I was reloading with the Trojan. It is only 1 Wound, but here were points where the Custodes exactly killed my vehicles. The Demolisher had this I think. It had 3 Wounds left and lost 3 Wounds. Had I remember the repair, it would be on 1 Wound.

That would have forced another unit to fire it, saving something another unit of mine, or it would have survived for another turn – where I could have used Relentless again.

The best moment has to be Trajaan dying to my Assassins. For once, they did their job!

I am sure we shall meet again!

Final Score

Astra Militarum – 47
Custodes – 89

Custodes Victory