Smash That Captain: Space Marines vs Militarum Tempestus

A long-awaited moment for me, Kraken - my Tempestus Scions, the Hagan Lampreys, return to the field! And to double the glory, they find their long-absent nemesis opposing them. 

Yes, it's General Kasfunatu and the Crypt Angels!

After a recent thrust back into 40k (5 games in 36hours) I was hankering for another fight. Kraken had my Primaris falling off the painting line, and so it was time to try them out.

Let Old Foes Reunite!
It's All-Skype Fight Night!

Armies
Hammer Time - Crypt Angels

The Crypt Angels were going to pay heed to their Founding Chapter and borrow a relic (and strategem or two) from the Blood Angels book.

Kraken had my Primaris and so wanted to take an army that could be fielded (or at least closely represented) by what he had.

These Angels were dying of thirst and going to be a combination of fast attacking thirsty melee Captain and a decent amount of plasma fire (high power from the slow hellblasters) and fast from the jump pack wearing Inceptors. Supression fire was to come from a max unit of Aggressors.

My second character was going to be a librarian and when I found I could shield him in a Dreadnought casing: I did.

Troops were filled with two groups of standard Intercessors and a set of their less evolved tactical brethren.

Battalion - Blood Angels trait

• Captain with Thunderhammer and Jump pack (replaced with relic: Angel's Wing)
• Librarian Dreadnought (relic: Veritas Vitae)
• 6 Tactical Marines - 5 bolters, Lascannon
• 6 Intercessors - Autobolt Rifles
• 6 Intercessors - Autobolt Rifles
• 6 Aggressors - Boltstorm Gauntlets and grenade launchers
• 5 Cataphractii Terminators - Combi-bolters and Power Fists
• 4 Inceptors - the Plasma Pistol version
• 6 Hellblasters - Heavy Plasma Incinerator

Points: 1500 | Battalion - extra relic: 7 CPs

Everybody Expects - Tempestus Scions

There have been a few extra bits painted up since their last outing, but the Hagan Lampreys aren't bringing anything particularly surprising. The main additions are a big flag and an extra unit of Scions, courtesy of my Van Saar gang. Probably my favourite change in the new FAQ is the one that lets my Vox operators bring hotshot guns instead of pistols, so they can finally contribute to the shooting!

At short range, the amount of firepower I can sling is impressive. And it's a super-manouverable army even before you consider the transports. Almost everything can drop from orbit, for starters. 

This is deceptive, though, as half the force needs to be on the table. Then there's the problem that against Marines, I lack range somewhat. The bulk of my firepower comes in at 18" or less, and I can only use my Tempestus trait (sixes give you extra shots) at half the range of whatever weapon I'm firing. 

So I need enough of a gunline to last at least one turn so I don't get tabled early! The vehicles are there to provide that, really, as they can carry enough troops to satisfy deployment requirements. 

Backing the Scions are my usual Inquisitors, one in Terminator Armour and one in slick threads. A cheap selection of Daemonhosts and acolytes, then the first outing for a Techpriest with Servitor squad, and just enough left over for a Callidus Assassin. Plenty of stuff with some hefty kicks, although all a little on the frail side. 

Battalion - Tempestus Scions

• Lord Commissar, Warlord with Master of Command Trait, Plasma Pistol and Power Sword
• Tempestor Prime, Rod of Command, the Laurels of Command
• Tempestus Command Squad - Plasma Gun, Melta Gun, Platoon Standard, Medipack
• 10 Scions - Vox, 5 Hotshot guns, 4 Hotshot Volley Guns, Sarge with bolt pistol and chainsword
• 10 Scions - Vox, 5 Hotshot guns, Melta gun, Plasma gun, Grenade Launcher and Flamer, Sarge with Plasma Pistol and Power Sword
• 10 Scions - Vox, 5 Hotshot guns, 2 Plasma guns, Hotshot Volley gun, Melta Gun, Sarge with bolt pistol and chainsword
• Techpriest - Laspistol and Power Axe
• 4 Servitors - 2 Servo-arms, Multimelta, Heavy Bolter
• Taurox Prime - Taurox Missile Launcher, 2 autocannons
• Taurox Prime - Taurox Gatling Cannon, 2 Hotshot Volley Guns, Stormbolter
• Valkyrie - 2 Heavy Bolters, Lascannon, Hellfire Missiles

Vanguard - Inquisition

• Ordo Malleus Inquisitor -  Daemonhammer and Plasma pistol, Smite and Dominate
• Ordo Malleus Terminator Inquisitor - Force Staff and Storm bolter, Smite and Terrify
• 3 Acolytes - Bolt pistols, bolter, plasma gun, chainsword
• 3 Acolytes - Bolt pistols, 2 bolters, chainsword
• Daemonhost

Assassin Vanguard - Ordo Assassinorum

• Callidus Assassin

1500 Points - Battalion + Vanguard: 9 CPs

Why not 8? 3+5 Battalion+1 Vanguard -1 Auxiliary; or are assassins special?

I... er... I don't have a good answer for that! Reading up on the rules a bit closer, I see that for the Execution Squad rule to kick in (if your Warlord has the Imperium keyword, you can take Assassins in a Vanguard detachment and not need to fill HQs), I would need three assassins in the detachment. Foolishly, I thought I could just have a half-empty one, but that clearly makes no sense. Oops.

Terrain and Deployment

Some quick random dice rolls reveal we will be playing the Cleanse and Capture Maelstrom battle, the most straightforward of the lot. Draw up to three objectives each turn and get on with it! 

My snowy ruins are out in force tonight. I win the choice of deployment zones and go for a random roll, which leaves us with the Spearhead Assault. That's arrowheads in from the short edges, for the uninitiated, an aggressive set-up.

My plan is to put a reasonable number of boots on the ground, but be ready to go mobile and strike deep. So acolytes and one Inquisitor in the Valkyrie, the Gatling Taurox loaded with the shortest ranged Scions, and the Callidus and Terminator Inquisitor in deepstrike. 

Also my Tempestor and the Command Squad, because I want to wait a round or so before committing them to the fight. I don't quite know where the objectives might lead me, and having them spare to anchor up a line later seems like a good idea. 

This leaves me spread out across my deployment with pretty good anti-deepstrike cover. No sudden Terminator strikes early on, I hope!

My plan is to take out full shenanigans with my captain and try and take out the big flyer; and the librarian will be hoping for turn one charge too. The aggressors took the tip of the spear, intercessors in and marines took the flanks and the plasma team provides some shielding for characters.

I'm denied turn one deepstrikes now, but with the board being long decide that my very slow termies should be in the teleportarium, and the Inceptors are going to join them.

Dawn over the Crypt Angels starting position

The Crypt Angels get the first turn. I totally forget the handy new Strategem that gives you extra armour save, but I don't think I'd have taken it anyway. His army is down the far end, and I think I can weather a little long-range shooting for a turn!

Crypt Angels Turn 1 

My plan was to go for an alpha strike, and I realise the risk to my captain (and warlord) so plan to back it up with the psyker. 

The dreadnought stomps forward, then in the psychic phase casts Wings of Sanguinus to take to the air and move again, before psychically supercharging servos with Quickening for a bonus to the charge which he makes into a Taurox.

The Captain calls upon the Strategem "Upon Wings of Fire" (-1)*, jumps into orbit and lands with a superhero landing 9" from the Valkyrie. I throw all eggs into this and play "Descent of Angels" (-2) to give him a 3d6 charge range (rerollable from this relic Angel's Wing... which was also going to negate overwatch). He is also buffed with "Red Rampage" (-1) to add extra attacks. Inevitably the Captain makes it in and smashes the Valkyrie with his hammer, but a lucky couple of saves and the flyer is still standing. So for the "Honour of the Chapter" (-3) and he is swinging the hammer for another round (this time not buffed with rampage) but 8+d3 attacks, hitting on 3+, wounding on 2+ only allowing a 6+ save and doing 3 damage a time was going to be hard to shrug off.... But the Valkyrie almost did. When calling on the honour the captain needed one more hit through, Kraken rolled 4 dice and got 3 sixes, it was a good time to pull out a command point reroll and risk the chance to save. Unfortunately, for him: no and the valkyrie explodes taking some men with it.

Yeah, a whole squad of Acolytes! Who knew that explosive disembarking protocols were so costly. 

That's my command points over with. 

Due to a misread rule on my part and a forgotten rule on Kraken's (which we retroactively re-rolled with no impact on the game) I had a chance to gain CP back and Kraken had a chance to make my strategems cost more. When rerolled, I got some back and some cost more. The net outcome: I am still out of command points.

It was at this point I realised my stupidity with relic purchases. I'd spent a CP on buying the second relic which was a chance to get CPs... I made a mistake and thought this was a roll when opponent spends... and so might have given me a chance to get CPs back; but it was in my phase and with the new FAQ that was capped at one a round. As I was always going to spend most, if not all, my CPs in first round, then this COULD net me 1CP, for the cost of 1CP. So let's just pretend I did not buy. 

In other combat the dreadnought is wounded on his charge in but still manages to smash the mini-tank to pieces and free its troops.

At the end of the turn, I have first blood and big game hunter done (and witchslayer and seize6 in my hand), no CPs, killed two vehicular threats, but have my characters in precarious locations... not a bad turn one. 

He's fast for such a big bloke.

"Hostile bogey at three o' clock!"
"It's just one guy, we'll be fine."

Objectives Scored: Big Game Hunter (1), First Blood (1)

Hagan Lampreys Turn 1

So that's why Smash Captains are a thing, then. Now I know. 

Okay, damage containment - at least there's a ton of gun pointing at Smash Captain now. Plus an angry psyker! Other than grabbing local cover, I don't move much. 

Oi! Where's our tank gone?

In the psychic phase, the Inquisitor smites the Crypt Captain and I roll nice and high for wounds. But the bouncing rat has a Feel No Pain save too, and shrugs off the damage entirely! Between this and his 3++ Storm Shield, even the massive torrent of fire that two squads' worth of Scions fling into him fails to bring him down, although he is at least scalded for half his wounds. 

The other Scion unit gets orders from the Commissar, Take Aim, and the hail of Volley Gun fire takes down half the Aggressors. The Missile Taurox helps with this, but also blasts half the wounds off the Psychic Dreadnought, and I finish that off with the Multimelta on the Servitors. It explodes! So the Techpriest, already reeling from the lack of fixable vehicles, is left on a single wound, and half his Servitors are gone. 

Smashy needs to get gone, so I charge him with the Inquisitor and the Acolytes. And it's a disaster! The Inquisitor's Daemonhammer could kill him with a single hit, and I get none. The Acolytes achieve very little to help, as expected, but the sheer volume of damage that Smash Captain deals back is way beyond my capacity to shrug off. It's not even worth trying to use the Acolytes ablative abilities, so the Inquisitor and one of his minions go down. 

In terms of Objectives, I've done nothing! Not a great draw, either. Objective 3 is likely out of reach, so I discard that. Priority Orders for Objective 5, which I hang on to for later. My current best hope is Area Denial, but with that wall of advancing Marines, I can't see it happening. 

Objectives Scored: None

Crypt Angels Turn 2

Captain's location was looking precarious. There were a number of angry guard pointing their guns and he was just one man. Charging did not seem a good option and so opted to break and take some cover in the tower, hoping to survive until reinforcements arrive.

I drawn thee Advance objective, so the majority of the army moves forward. The marines on one flank keep close enough to the objective to lay claim, whilst both the intercessors stomp forward either side of the tower on the other flank. The aggressors are whittled, but want to get closer before they get to plant feet and do damage and so mercilessly keep their advance towards the scions in cover.

The termies drop down to claim objective 1 and hopefully provide some covering fire to allow the Captain safe escape.

Shooting is not very effective. Kraken is cowering in cover and yelling strategems through his vox to ensure that they survive; but I manage to take the priest, scions and servitors on the west flank from combined terminator and hellblaster fire.

Having moved out of my deployment zone, I claim the Advance objective and another for securing an objective.

Objectives Scored: Leave deployment zone (1) (Total: 3)

Hagan Lampreys Turn 2

My new Objective is Kingslayer. Funny, I was thinking of doing that anyway! 

Time to drop the hammer. The last of my drop troops arrive, with the Command Squad shoring up the battered Scion line on my right flank and the Tempestor dropping in with the Volley Gun squad. The Callidus Assassin would be perfect to kill the Smash Captain, but I kind of need her elsewhere - she could potentially sweep out the Tac Marines from Objective 5, which would be worth a lot of points. 

The psychic phase is short, I don't even manage a Smite, but I make up for it in shooting. Smash Captain is finally wiped out by plasma and melta fire from the Scions. Even the Daemonhost chips in! And the Scions on the other flank drop all but the final Aggressor as well as starting to chip the Intercessors on the end of the line. 

In combat, I need to use a reroll to get the Callidus Assassin in, and she actually takes a bit of a pasting to Overwatch. Although she kills a pair of Marines, that's not really enough to be worthwhile, and I start realising I probably should have sent her in with backup. The Marines even knock another wound off her in retaliation! So I can't see her surviving another round, somehow. 

Ah well, at least I'm off the mark! Seeing as the middle ground is all Mariney at the moment, I ditch Area Denial too. 

Objectives Scored: Slay the Warlord (1), Kingslayer (2), Defend Objective 3 (2 to the Crypt Angels)

Crypt Angels Turn 3 

The marines break from combat, they won't be able to shoot, but they provide an opening for Intercessor fire.  

The aggressor has found a safe spot (although most of his friends have died on the trudge) but it means he can deploy support anchors and fire twice. 12+2d6 shots from each man... if only I had more. 

Thank goodness you don't! 

The termies slowly stomp forward shooting scions as they do and the Inceptors drop from the sky in the only spot in backfield that they can arrive. They spy and inquisitor and take aim. Given where they have to land they can't risk the charge this turn and hope for something better next turn.

Objectives Scored: Witchslayer (Total: 6)

Hagan Lampreys Turn 3

My left flank is pretty slim, my right flank looking tattered. Armoured Crypt Angels are closing in on all sides. The first new Objective I have is to cause their morale to fail with Psychological Warfare. But they're Marines! They Know No Fear! 

And the other one is Boots on the Ground, a special Guard objective, which it ain't going to happen. I only have two Troops units left and I'd need three on objectives. Hah. 

Well, may as well try. The pitiful remnants of the Scions and Acolytes shore up my vanished left flank, while the Inquisitor storms towards the Inceptors. The Daemonhost and Tempestor clump up with the Volley Gun squad, and keep shooting. 

Psychically, I Terrify the Inceptors. Less morale, which is good, and no Overwatch, which is key! As the three remaining ground troops nearby fire overcharged plasma at the Terminators and fail to hit anything, although at least they don't kill themselves either. Four shots, four twos doesn't exactly feel like a no score draw, though!

Despite focussing fire from the Taurox and the Volley Gun squad, the wretched remaining Aggressor fails somehow to die. I pick off a single Hellblaster with an autocannon and then that's it. 

At least the Inquisitor does well, smashing three out of four Inceptors with his Force Stave. The survivor passes his morale check, though, so I'm still not scoring anything. So I ditch Claim Objective 5 and hope for better next time!

Objectives Scored: None

Crypt Angels Turn 4 

The Inceptor backs out of combat, and even combined with the Terminators and backup from a long range lascannon fail take out the Inquisitor; but he is wounded.

The hellblasters and intecessors and lone aggressor continue to pepper the hunkered scions leaving a single volley gun.

The Hellblasters are now starting to defend Obj4... can I hold it? 

Objectives Scored: None

Hagan Lampreys Turn 4

At last, an achievable objective! Er, kind of. It's Defend Objective 4, which is right in the teeth of the Hellblaster guns. 

Desperate times and all that, so everyone piles into the Missile Taurox so I can drive it at reckless speed into the Hellblasters. Shooting all misses or is saved, so I assault in as well, which leaves us with one model each within scoring distance of the objective. I'm not claiming it yet, but nor are they! 

In the top left, the Inquisitor fails to smite the Inceptor. Then he takes a wound to Overwatch before finishing the job in close combat, but he's a spent force at this stage. A spent force looking down the barrels of many combi-bolters...

Objectives Scored: None

Crypt Angels Turn 5

The marines mostly shift forward, but pivoting around the lascannon who remains still, lining up his shot on the Witch Hunter. Who finally goes down (for a victory point). 

Everything moves towards the center of the board shooting what they can as they do.

During the last round, this last bloody Aggressor saved a pair of Krak Missiles to the face! My only consolation is that his gallons of firepower haven't really achieved much through the game either.

Objectives Scored: Witch Hunter (1) 

Hagan Lampreys Turn 5

I'm not quitting! I could still just about Defend Objective 4, although it would take a miracle at this point! 

I keep tapping but not claiming; so have been holding my from taking either. It's all about that bonfire!

Everyone gets back out of the van, shoots as much as possible into the Hellblasters and then assaults them. Although it's overkill, I do also put both missile launcher shots on the Aggressor, and that finally finishes him. Ha!

It was overdue.

Overall, this kills two of them for a total return of a single wound on the Tempestor Prime. But importantly, I'm starting to hold the Objective. This is because I've got a single Scion on it, and he's ObSec, so it's not going to last. But I'm trying! And I discard another objective, just in case I pull out a last minute save next round. If there is a next round...

And there is! Not because we rolled for it, but looking back as I map this out, I think we'd both lost track at some point and thought this was still turn 4. Hurrah for over-excitement!

I don't think we asked each other, but looking at both VP tallies, I think we both had a round with 0 scored and so did not write a total and so that is also why I might have thought we were in turn 4 only even if we had. (This means I also cleared an objective you think I had from one of the rounds... as I believe I was on 11 which is what you scored, I think it is just where they came from the is squiffy).

Objectives Scored: None

Crypt Angels Turn 6

I need to get a troop unit closer to the objective, and the Hellblaster don't want to be in combat anyway, so they fall back giving space for the Intercessors to sweep in. Everyone has to advance to claim a VP: so they do, even though this is going to impede accuracy. 

Not much left on the board.

Objectives Scored: All Advance (1)

Hagan Lampreys Turn 6

Well, it's a foolish last gasp. That new objective turns out to be Scour the Skies. Having already done so by grounding Smashy, I can't pull it off again.

And there are ObSec Intercessors all over this crucial final Objective! The Commissar Lord does his best, but there are just too many. Between a whiffed round of shooting from the Taurox and the Lord's rather average combat skills, I kill two of them. Not nearly enough, and this proves to be the final turn. In the nick of time, before I get perforated entirely!

Objectives Scored: Defend Objective 4 (Crypt Angels, 2), Linebreaker (Crypt Angels, 1), At Least I Wasn't Tabled (pride)

Result:  11-3 Victory to the Crypt Angels!

I had you as 4. But not sure where from, I think your 'claim' may have been a 'defend' as I had you getting 2 in one go at some point.

Locker/Crypt Room

Once more, my deployment and subsequent movement didn't really help me out. Okay, I wasn't really expecting the Smash Captain. I'd never seen one in the wild and didn't know the Crypt Angels were borrowing Blood Angels traits until the game started. Maybe I'd have screened my lines better with that in mind? Having my planned advance stymied so brutally certainly kept me on the back foot from turn 1!

The Crypt Angels mechanically were built as hybrid models from multiple ranges so I could justify a variety of MEQ lists and have never written them their own Strategems/Relics/Rules; so do 'borrow' from another book at one point or another. Fluff wise, the Crypt Angels parent chapter (originally) was most likely Blood Angels anyway (Kasfunatu being the vampire of my Fantasy armies and Mordheim gang) and so was appropriate choice too.

Absolutely! I should have asked you earlier which Codex you were running, really. 'Marines' covers a lot of sins!

The Smash Captain did perform well; and I had come to terms with him not surviving passed turn two long before the game started.

I wonder how I would have fared if did not have the first turn. The advance/smash and strategem spend was effective, but costly; and what would I have weathered if the Guard had started.

And you'd think I'd have learnt that lone assassins fare poorly in this game by now! If I'd send the Inquisitor Terminator and command squad with her, I'd have probably managed to get Objective 5. Plus Kas would have had to split his attention more to drive me back off it, rather than letting him trudge grimly towards my end of the battlefield. Those final turns might have been a bit easier in that case. 

I am liking the assassins. My recent T'au game against Guard saw me face a Vindicare too. Agreed, sending alone where I could turn a unit of shooting on her was a thorn not a barrier. 

But I think my main problem here is not using my Orders to better effect. I keep taking full voxes and traits and so on to use them, and I never really seem to get them working to full effect. A pure Scions list isn't, in fairness, the easiest list to use this with. The shorter range of their gunnery means its harder to just castle up in order and shoot, but I really should be trying to do that harder. 

You were more unlucky than you should have been on secondary orders though; and failed to get a lot off.

Otherwise, I just got outranged and outshot by the Marines. Good to see them performing well, slogging forward and shrugging off shots with their armour. 

For me, I think the Aggressors were a riot. The long board slog did not suit them brilliantly and would favour a screening unit (or distraction unit) to get them into their relative short range so they can stand and fire with everything. By the time I had them in effective range and could stand still: I had one left.

And always a pleasure to battle General Kasfunatu, it's good to have you back!

Good to be back. Very enjoyable. I have another one lined up for next weekend too against Stylus.

*Post-FAQ, I think this costs 2 CPs now. One day, 40K will be available in a single PDF that is always up to date and possibly even free. Until then, we live with our errata.