When Doves Cry: Crypt Angels vs Dark Angels

Keep your grouping tight

It's All-Skype Fight Night

40K is definitely flavour of the month right now. Here's a third battle report, fought in nearly as many days, and it's one for the power armour fans out there. Marine on marine action, hot hot hot!


Kas and Kraken here. I'm fielding the Crypt Angels, Kas is taking the stern 1st Legion, in a competition to see who is the most angelic.

Into the Maelstrom of War, and we've Lost Contact today. So we start with no particular mission, and the more objectives we can hold, the more objective options will open up to us. Luckily neither of us are coming in with much of a plan, or, well, we both have plans, they just aren't very complex or nuanced.

Armies

Crypt Angels

Two detachments for me - I really wanted to try out Imperial Knights, and there was no way I'd have points for three in a 1000 point game. I squeezed a selection of Elites into a Vanguard to make up some Marine allies, and that was that.

Super-Heavy Auxiliary Detachment (House Taranis)

• Knight Warden (Avenger Gatling Cannon, Reaper Chainsword, Heavy Stubber, Heavy Flamer, Titanic Feet)

Vanguard Detachment (+1 CP, Crypt Angels Chapter, Chapter Tactics: The Flesh is Weak)

• HQ - Epistolary Naxramus, Terminator Librarian with Force Axe, Warlord Trait: Iron Resolve, Relic: Armour Indomitus, Powers: Smite, Might of Heroes and Null Zone
• Elite 1 - 5 x Vanguard Veterans with Jump Packs. Sarge has Stormshield and Power Sword, the rest have standard kit bar one with Melta Bombs
• Elite 2 - 5 x Sternguard Veterans, standard gear plus two combi-grav guns
• Elite 3 - 5 x Terminators, all standard gear

My plan is basically to run the Warden towards the enemy, firing as I go and then duffing things up with the big chainsword. All terminators will be held in the teleport chamber, ready to either snatch objectives or run in and hit things as needed, with the Stern and Van vets providing shooting or assault support.

About twenty minutes before we're due to play, I realise I haven't paid the points for the Terminator's equipment! Damn points values. I do appreciate what GW are trying to do with Power Values and so on, but it would a lot easier to work out if you paid a simple set points value for a model plus its basic, listed wargear, and then paid extra for any alternate wargear and so on. Hey ho - Kas got an extra 70 points to spend as a result, which meant he got some last minute reinforcements.

Dark Angels (they're still Crypt Angels, just using Dark Angels tactics having bitten them etc)

Vanguard Detachment (+1 CP, Chapter Tactics: Storm of Fire... Rite of War... xxxxx )

• HQ - Azrael  (+1 CP)
• HQ - Techmarine
• Troops - 6 x Scouts all with sniper rifles and camo cloaks
• Elite 1 - Venerable Dreadnought with double twin autocannons
• Elite 2 - Venerable Dreadnought with double twin autocannons
• Elite 3 - Dreadnought with double twin autocannons
• Fast Attack - Darkshroud w/ Heavy Bolter
• Heavy - Whirlwhind w/ vengeance launcher

So playing a shooty army, I naturally took the shooty tactic; but told Kraken the wrong one. It's okay though: we forgot to use them until most of the way through the game; so I had not used it, nor used the one I instructed or the one intended. AND with all that said... apparently, Dark Angels are not Space Marines. So they aren't even allowed this chapter tactics anyway! Guess DA players have to wait for their own book.

I think Rites of War is your Warlord Trait, which you'd wrongly selected when you really wanted Storm of Fire. Didn't make any difference, though, as you say!

I struggled in building this list; not being able to get everything I wanted in and balancing with troop tax of one description whilst still getting enough command points.

I settled on a Vanguard detachment and going dreadnought heavy. Initially one of the dreads was actually some wannabe-servitors, but when Kraken gave me a bonus 70 points, they were replaced with an ordinary rifledread.

The plan was simple. Clump everything in a group to maximise Azrael's bonuses and shoot with everything we've got. Try and kill enough to then rush for objective scoring. 

I was scared by the knight and so was going to have to concentrate on that.

Terrain and Deployment

Here's the field plus numbered objectives. I lost the roll-off for objective placing, which meant I got to pick deployment, which is quite a big bonus in this sort of game.

Yes, realised that afterwards, and might be tempted to burn a command point to lose that roll off in future.

Mind you, if you lose it, you start deploying second and are thus less likely to get the first turn unless your army is much smaller. Swings and roundabouts. And bolters.

Anyway, I went with a Spearhead Assault and took the left-hand side as you're looking at it. I didn't realise (I was mapping from orbit skype) that as we were playing with relatively small forces, the table was only 5' long, so these maps are a bit generous with lateral movement as a result.

4x4 was a bit small for 1000 and I found 4x6 a bit big. When we get quicker and go up to a more standard 1500-1800 range then we can open back up.

I slapped the Vanguards in the trees, on top of Objective 4, and the Sternguards in the house beside Objective 2. The Warden went in front of the trees, opposite what looked ominously like the light of a gathering Deathstar, and the Terminators start doing stretching exercises in the Teleportarium.

I put everything in a double 6" bubble of Azrael and Darkshroud. (note: The Whirlwind is not the other side of the building).

My smaller army means I'm done deploying first, and therefore get first turn. Unless Kas steals it on a 6!

Failed. It's too risky for a precious command point.

Crypt Angels Turn 1

Off we go with the Knight, stomping down the field and shooting. Alas, I'm firing into the twin bubbles of Darkshroud Stealth and Azrael's Giant Iron Halo (TM), and although I chip a pair of wounds off the Darkshroud, it's nothing the Techmarine can't buff out next turn.

The objective card I draw as my starter is to get a squad inside my opponent's deployment zone. Job done, thanks to the magic of teleporting! While they're there, the Terminators and Librarian decide to deal with the sniper scouts. A quick Smite, a round of shooting and two rather lucky long-bomb charges, and the scouts are all safely locked up in a cupboard in their cottage. Or so we shall assume, for the more squeamish of our readers.

First Blood to me too! Although I have also lost a Terminator to Overwatch fire. As I quite forgot I had given one an Assault Cannon, let's assume it was him. Idiot.

That was horrifyingly efficient. Two objective points up and I'm one unit down. Okay I did not expect much from the snipers, but at least a go.

Dark Angels Turn 1

My movement phases are going to be pretty uninspiring. With every Kraken unit in a building or wood apart from the knight; and the knight being my biggest concern: I open fire with everything I have got and use all my abilities (see locker room) and managed to knock it down 25%... not enough to be impactful.

Well, 33% - I'd kissed 8/24 wounds goodbye. So if I wasn't any slower yet, I was also fairly worried about getting in out of the rain asap. Rust, you know.

Crypt Angels Turn 2

New objectives - Advance, Take and Hold Objective 2 and Big Game Hunter. Well, I'm not advancing anywhere. The Veterans are deploying their Storm Loungers and enjoying the fireworks from afar, thanks. And Kas doesn't have any models with ten or more wounds, so my trophy wall will have to wait.

Well at least that's something!

The Knight is looking a little the worse for wear, so I'd better try and get into the relative safety of close combat as soon as I can. He advances, but quite slowly - I roll and then re-roll a 1, but it's looking reasonable for a charge.

Wiping Scout Squad off themselves, the Terminators head for the gunline. The Librarian buffs the Terminators with Might of Heroes, thinking that the extra toughness strength and attacks will be handy if we make it to melee.

Which we don't. Shooting is a bit of not much, although the Termies manage to wing the nearby dreadnought by sheer weight of fire. Then they fluff their charges, although at least they don't get hurt by the Overwatch fire.

The Knight also fails the charge - he's eight inches off, and I get six with a five-one split. CPs to the rescue, and so he makes it in, taking another pair of wounds to autocannon fire as he charges the junior dreadnought at the front.

Amazingly, I fail to kill the little pest in the ensuing fight. Azrael's magic hat saves the Chainsword attacks, but I clip a couple of wounds off by kicking the can in the shin. I score points for taking and holding Objective 2, then discard Big Game Hunter, and that's me done for now.

Dark Angels Turn 2

I back up an inch, but that's a third of dreadnought firepower not shooting. The techmarine runs around patching things up and then shooting continues on the knight. I am hurting it, but not quick enough. I needed a bit more punch. A primaris LT or captain for rerolls would have helped (see locker room).

Crypt Angels Turn 3

New Objectives - Area Denial, Take and Hold Objective 1, Something else that I forget because I can't do it. Area Denial is a ridiculous steal, the middle is totally free of bodies right now, and it's a free d3 VP to me!

Neither of us were there, it was a free steal for either. I am drawing cards for the other side of the board. Not looking good for me, and the knight and termies are there in my bubble doing their thing.

Shooting at this range can't help but knock a few wounds off here and there. Both Terminators and Warden shoot up the nearest Dreadnoughts, clipping a few but killing none. The psychic phase gets me a nice reliable pair of Smite wounds on the nearest Dreadnought, leaving it with but one, and I buff the Terminators again.

Then it's charge time, and the Warden is feeling cocky so charges both the nearest Dreadnought. I lose another pair of wounds to the twin Overwatch, but the Dreaddies are left looking a little wan in the face of the coming fight. Similarly, the Terminators swamp their foe, taking a little scratch from Overwatch, but then it's clobbering time.

Again, the Knight doesn't do quite as well as I'd hoped. But it's enough to leave both his foes on almost no wounds, and he takes none in return. The Terminators utterly murder their Dreadnought, and consolidate into the nearby Whirlwind.

Area Denial claimed, and if I only roll 1, it doesn't matter. Not like I worked hard for it.

Dark Angels Turn 3

I have two of three cards requiring me to be in the centre of the board and there are points for grabs if I can take out the warlord. 

So the shroud stamps on the accelerator and heads, slowly, for the centre. The engaged vehicles back up in different directions with the techmarine hastily hammer bits of armour back on.

Azrael gets ready to charge the warlord; it's going to be okay I think.

It's at this point we remember warlord traits (at this point, I still thought I was eligble as a space marine) ... and remember that all my shots which scored a 6 to wound would have been -1AP. Given I was needing 5 or 6 to wound anyway, there was likely to be a good chunk there. Damn.

Then I check something and kick myself as I re-read chapter master. Nadgers! All my to hit rolls could have been rerolled in the bubble. Expletive Expletive Expletive!

I concede. My shooty army was not going to hold up and I'd missed my chance (by my own double stupidity) and did not stand a chance against the knight now.

Result: 4-1 Victory to the Crypt Angels!

Lockorium

Hmm. It's a slightly hollow win, all things considered. If Kas's gunline had remembered how it worked, I reckon the Knight should have been a very great deal more injured by the time it reached the Deathstar. If it reached it at all! Which I think I would have, but maybe a turn later, and maybe a lot less effectively. All the same, I was lucky there were no dedicated anti-armour guns in Kas's list. A lascannon or two would probably have finished me off.

Still smarting. But it is my own fault. Will try this list again at some point... with the right rules. 

Mind you, the Termies would still have got there, and they proved just as effective. More so, in fact, with the amount of attacks they could fistpump out. Maybe I should have taken Assault Termies? Or no, actually, their firepower was also helping as they stomped slowly forwards.

It was combination of shooting all those rapid fire bolters were making a big impact.

I was lucky with Objective cards too, which confirms my suspicion of them as a random element. Although it's fun, the luck of the draw is likely to be conclusive in terms of winning. I like that area control gives you more chances, but all the same, I think I prefer the certainties of Eternal War missions. Kas drew stinkers, which was demoralising as well as inconvenient.

I quite like the random element, but yes there is the potential of easy points if the right cards are drawn.

Knights work well, it turns out. Although mostly as a distraction while the rest of your army gets to work. It was big and tough enough to soak up two rounds of his entire army shooting at it, even with the accidental rules nerf, and that's well worth the points by itself. Once it reached combat, Kas's shooty army was effectively neutered, so maybe taking a close combat guardian next time might be an idea.

I have played a knight once in 8th too but took a full out shooty one and kept it gunning any nids that came towards it; it was nice to see how terrifying it was in combat. 

Well, maybe next time I'll give him a proper beating! Until then, Kraken out.

A win's a win.