Arms and the Marn, I Sing: Ultramarines vs Militarum Tempestus

Let's play Battletech!

Mech combat - everybody loves it. That's why amazing films like Pacific Rim and all those arty, experimental Micheal Bay Transformers movies see such success, right?

Seeing as I've got Kasfunatu's Armigers kicking round the flat, may as well see how they handle on the field. Stylus and I are sharing them out generously (we both balked at the Dominus knight, it's just too big an egg for this size of battle), and seeing which ones kick the most ass. 

To the dropship!

Calgar's Fresh Blue, Maximum Protection

Kraken got first pick of the Armigers, and so I, Stylus, was left with the Helverins, I decided to go all-out for a gunline. Lascannons on the Razorbacks to pick off the big stuff, Assault Cannons on the Dreadnoughts to hose down the squishy humans.

For my boots on the ground, pickings were slim as most of the Crypt Angels had returned home, but I I did get to play with the legendary Chapter Master Marneus Calgar, so I was having that. A cheap Lieutenant to round out the aura bubble, plus three tactical squads to screen my heavy stuff.

The Helverins were House Hawkshround, though there were lacking a proper Knight to activate their best ability of counting-wounds-as-double. They did have access to a stratagem that would give me supporting Overwatch, so for a mere 2 CP, I would get to feel like a T'au.

Space Marines Battalion - Ultramarines

• HQ - Marneus Calgar in Armour of Heraclus plus two Victrix Honor Guard
• HQ - Primaris Lieutenant with master-crafted stalker bolt rifle
• Troops - 5 x Tactical Squad, sergeant with storm bolter, power fist and melta bombs, heavy with missile launcher
• Troops - 5 x Tactical Squad, sergeant with storm bolter, power fist and melta bombs, heavy with missile launcher
• Troops - 5 x Tactical Squad, sergeant with storm bolter, power fist and melta bombs, heavy with heavy bolter
• Elites - Venerable Dreadnought with assault cannon, close combat weapon and storm bolter
• Elites - Venerable Dreadnought with assault cannon, close combat weapon and storm bolter
• Dedicated Transport - Razorbacks with twin lascannons and hunter-killer missile
• Dedicated Transport - Razorbacks with twin lascannons and hunter-killer missile

Superheavy Auxiliary Detachment - House Hawkshroud

• 2 x Armiger Helverins with twin helverin autocannons and meltaguns

1500pts, 10CP

Badger's Bolter Bashers

I'm mostly taken by how much longer to type out my list is than Stylus's! The Scions can pack a lot into just over a thousand points. Still, that's a lot of armour and heavy weaponry I'm up against. Let's be honest, we're not Ultramarines.

It's not an usual list, all the stuff you'd expect from Badger's troops and not dissimilar to what I fielded at the 'Boot. A bit heavier in the weapons department, perhaps, with the Valkyrie in particular loaded for bear. Which it has to be - those Helverins have a handy anti-flyer strategem I'm going to have to look out for.

The main difference to the list, of course, is the paired Warglaives. If these beauties can make it into combat, they've probably got the edge over anything on the other team. And their anti-armour guns are pretty vicious too, so I'm fully expecting these two to take a hell of a beating as they turn up.

Hopefully the drop troops can ambush and counterstrike anything too busy dealing with the Warglaives to notice them!

Tempestus Scions Detachment, Tempestus Drop Force

• HQ - Badger, Tempestus Prime, Power Fist and Command Rod, Warlord with Grand Strategist and Laurels of Command
• HQ - Lord Commissar Bleeth, Plasma Pistol and Power Fist
• HQ - Primaris Psyker with Force Stave, Nightshroud and Psychic Maelstrom powers
• Troops - 10 x Scions, Sarge with chainsword, Vox, 4 x Hotshot Volley Guns
• Troops - 10 x Scions, Sarge with chainsword, Vox, 4 x Plasma Guns
• Troops - 10 x Scions, Sarge with power fist and plasma pistol, vox, 4 x melta guns
• Elites - Commissar with Boltgun
• Elites - 4 x Tempestus Command Squad with meltagun, Company Standard, medikit
• Elites - Ogryn Bodyguard with bullgryn plate, maul and slabshield
• Elites - Rein and Raus, usual gear including a fridge full of sandwiches and beer
• Elites - Techpriest Enginseer, omnissian axe and laspistol
• Flyer - Valkyrie, Hellstrike Missiles and Lascannon, 2 heavy bolters
• Dedicated Transport - Taurox Prime with missile launcher and twin autocannons
• Dedicated Transport - Taurox Prime with Taurox Battlecannon, stormbolter and twin autocannons

Superheavy Auxiliary Detachment

• 2 x Armiger Warglaives with Reaper Chain-cleaver and Thermal Spear, one with meltagun, one with heavy stubber, nominally of House Krast

1500pts, 7CP

Mission and Terrain

Homebrew fight today. We both like Maelstrom missions, but we're going with good old reliable Cleanse and Capture. Because on top of it, we're layering the rules from Scorched Earth!

This means that all objectives are always worth 1 VP per round if you hold them. If you hold one in your opponent's deployment zone, you have the option of razing it for d3 VP. But then it's gone! Better hope you don't draw it next round...

CA 2018 rules for deployment, First Strike and so on, as is our custom. And I'm working on some new frosty ruins, so it's a polar battlefield!

Deployment

In what feels like no surprise at all, I lose the roll-off for deployment. So I'm setting up first and hopefully going first. At least it's not Hammer and Anvil again! 

Good old Dawn of War, so I deploy everything in transports and hedge my bets by having a Taurox and an Armiger on each flank, with all the characters and the Command Squad in the Valkyrie. Only the Melta Scions ready themselves in Deep Strike, hoping to ambush some of that tasty Marine army later on. 

Plucky sniper hobbits Rein and Raus deploy out on Objective 6, ready to split up and do what little they can for the war effort. 

It's castle-building time! Having just returned from a beach holiday, I should be very good at this.

As much as I want to exploit Calgar's awesome reroll ability, it would be foolish to put all my eggs in one basket. As luck would have it, the Helverins get no benefit at all from their Ultramarine chums, so I don't have to worry about keeping them close.

On the left flank, holding Objective 4, I put both Razorbacks, each with a Tactical Squad inside, and sandwiching Calgar, the Victrix Guard, the Lieutenant and one of the Venerable Dreadnoughts.

On the other flank, holding Objective 5, went the two Helverins, another Venerable Dreadnought, and the last Tactical Squad (when I belatedly remembered that this mission is about holding objectives, not just sitting on my gene-enhanced ass)

I was going to take some punishment in the first turn, but it would hopefully force Kraken to split his focus (or leave one of my very-dangerous shooting castles alone).

I get to go first, at least, so time to storm those castles!

Turn 1 - Scions

My first objectives are fairly promising. Hammer of the Emperor says kill a unit holding an objective, and Big Game Hunter doubles down on this if I can bop either the dreadnought or razorback up against my right flank. Then I just need to Defend Objective 6, which Rein already has. Easy money!

Most of the army powers forward, a Warglaive taking point with the Battlecannon Taurox on the left side. The Missile Taurox hangs back to provide fire, Raus hides behind the advancing Warglaive on the right, and the Valkyrie pulls its usual trick of zooming straight into close range of the enemy, taunting them with its relative indestructibility.

But that turns out to be pretty much all I can do. The two Warglaives both disappoint with shooting, their Thermal Spears hitting but failing to wound anything, the Valkyrie is too busy pretending to be Maverick to actually hit anything, and only the Missile Taurox connects, knocking a Razorback down past half wounds.

"Are you still shooting? I hadn't noticed."

Then I realise I've gone and neglected all the nice objectives (and therefore points) hanging about in my back line! Idiot. Ah well, time to repent later, and I've begun a defense of Objective 6 that's not going to be easy to stop. I have built my stadium, and the VPs will come. 

Objectives scored: Hold Objectives (1)

Turn 1 - Ultramarines 

Phew! I was just handed an ice-cold glass of strawberry-flavoured luck in that last shooting phase. So the objective cards decide to even things out by handing me a couple of stinkers: Defend Objective 1 and Defend Objective 6 - I don't have anything that can get to those objectives this turn, much less survive out there, even if I was inclined to try.

At least my third card is good: Secure Objective 5 - which I'm already on, and will gain a couple more points just for sitting on my two objectives.

Movement is minimal: my first Venerable Dreadnought (D1 in the map) lumbers forward to threaten the Taurox that has rolled into punching range. The Tactical Squad on that side also scurries on top of Objective 5, before I forget about it and forfeit two points.

In Calgar's castle, both Tactical Squads jump out of the Razorbacks and form a screen. I've now got a lot of small-arms on that flank and nothing to shoot at - unless I down the Valkyrie... but I've been suckered into wasting shots against that flying tank in the past.

Before deciding, I go for the easy choices: one of the Helverins targets the Warglaive ... and kills it.

What? What just happened?

Well, that was unexpected. My dice rolling was average, but unfortunately Kraken's saving rolls were absolutely appalling and one of his big hitters disappears in a puff of smoke.

That gives me a whole other Helverin to play with - I was expecting to have to use both on the Warglaive. While I'm thinking about his target, I throw all my small-arms on that flank into the Taurox, chipping off some wounds, then use a Flak Missile stratagem on the missile launcher marine to knock three wounds off the Valkyrie. 

That settles my decision: I put the second Helverin into the Valkyrie, using the Skyreaper Protocols stratagem to re-roll misses. I promised myself I wouldn't waste shots on the flyer, but (aided my encouragement from Kraken) I reason that, if I crack that, the entire command structure of the Scions are at my mercy.

And here's where luck swings the other way: the big bird makes its saves and only suffers three wounds. Putting good money after bad, I then target the Valkyrie with everything else: Razorback lascannons, hunter-killer missiles, bolters, assault cannons. I think someone may have even lobbed a krak grenade into the skies.

And at the end of it, the Valkyrie is left on three wounds. It's been a complete bust for Calgar's castle (his rerolls did nothing to help, the big dofus) and the only other thing I have to show for it is six wounds off the other Warglaive when I diverted the damaged Razorback's lascannon fire at something I had a chance of hitting.

In the combat phase, the Dreadnought does charge into the Taurox, and punches it down to its final wound - not ideal, but at least it won't be shooting next turn.

So a great start, a whiffy end, and four VPs to put me on the scoreboard. Though Kraken immediately pulls back by defending Objective 6.

Objectives scored: First Strike (1), Hold Objectives (2), Secure Objective 5 (1)Scions objectives scored: Defend Objective 6 (2)

Turn 2 - Scions 

That's not what you might call a promising start! Still time to turn it around, though, so let's see what we can do. 

My new objective is a special Guard one - issue at least three Orders. Badger can do this if I get his relic to work, but I may struggle to find enough people to shout at. It could happen, though, as Stylus points out that he can give himself orders, something I'd never considered before (because it makes no narrative sense!). So it could be worse!

Badger could be giving himself a mindfullness pep talk - there's your narrative.

I'm not sure he's really the Mindful type, but you're right - it'll do.

Without the Warglaive, the right flank is looking tatty. So the Taurox drops off the Plasma Scions then scoots back to Objective 3. After a lot of dithering (hit Calgar's Castle? Or try and take out a Helverin?) I decide on to support the right with the Melta Scions, who drop into the middle of the board and take aim. 

The Missile Taurox stays still, but the Volley Gun chaps jump out and advance to Objective 2 at the back. Bit of a waste of some tasty guns, but points win prizes!

Then everything jumps out of the Valkyrie, allowing the Enginseer to sticky-tape the engines back on, and line myself up for a big charge into the Tactical Squad chaff.

Before we charge in, though, there's ample opportunity for some shooting. The Plasma Scions and Melta Scions don't achieve all that much, alas - the former chuck a barrage of crack grenades into the Dreadnought (Grenadiers!) and achieve nothing with their plasma, then the Meltas only get a single hit through the nearest Helverin. At least that takes off five wounds.

The left flank is where it's at. Badger fails to get any extra orders out, sadly, so I discard that objective at the end of the round. He does mindfully tell himself and the Command Squad to just shoot better, generally, and it seems to work.

Between missiles, meltas and the hovering Valkyrie, the damaged Razorback and the Dreadnought both go up in smoke. So do almost half the Tac Marines, and those that are left are immediately charged by everything. Only the Enginseer hangs back, twirling a spanner ominously. 

Yes, even the Valkyrie charges! Tying up the remaining Razorback seems like a good survival option, although it somehow managed to ding a wound off the jet. How's that for a poor landing? 

In further whifforific adventures, the Warglaive utterly botches its round, killing a single Tac Marine and even taking wounds from those that remain. The Ogryn deals with a couple more, whilst the tattered remnants of the other squad get overrun by a tide of Tempestus Brass. 

The other flank does some charging too - there's a power fist amongst the Meltas that can achieve something. If it can reach, at least, and the dice fail me here, losing me a couple of Scions in the process. 

I spend 2CP here to give supporting overwatch with the Staunch Allies stratagem - it works out at 1CP = 1 dead Scion. I don't know how the T'au manage it.

I'd also spend 2CP to interrupt combat with the Tactical Squad against the Warglaive (in the hope of the power fist knocking it down a bracket) - but that did nothing too. Luckily marines have nothing useful to use CP on, because I'm spending them with abandon (Calgar's trait to farm them back is having no luck either).

The Plasma guys charge the Dreadnought, surrounding it and tying it up, but that's not really a great plan with a big punchy walker. All I do is take casualties, especially when it turns out I don't actually have the power fist I misremembered, and the sergeant is merely patting the great hulk with a chainsword. 

Points, at least! Quite a haul, too. I chuck the Chain of Command objective, though, I can't really rely on getting that. 

Objectives scored: Hammer of the Emperor (1), Big Game Hunter (1), Hold Objectives (3)

Turn 2 - Ultramarines 

With two Helverins still at full effectiveness, I'm feeling good about the game. Although I do feel somewhat hemmed in and I need to grab some objectives before the points run away from me.

I'd already ditched Defend Objective 6, so my two new cards are Secure Objective 1 (high command really want that one) and Lightning Strike (destroy an enemy unit entire within its own deployment zone).

My two Helverins go in search of fresh targets: one moving upfield, the other heading towards Objective 1 (if anything can defend it, it will be an Armiger). My Dreadnought is stuck in combat and my unengaged Tactical Squad is eyeing up the Melta Scions.

In Calgar's Castle, the last two Tactical Marines fall back, while Calgar sallies out with his entourage and the Razorback reverses out of combat.

In the Shooting Phase, one Helverin sights the now-unengaged Warglaive and blasts it to pieces - I'm 2-0 for Armigers at the moment!

And I've been unilaterally disarmigered!

The other Helverin doesn't have that many choice targets (what I really want is the Missile Taurox, but he's very well screened), so it finishes off the Battle Cannon Taurox (who conveniently retreated back into its deployment zone, so that's an easy point for Lightning Strike)

The Tactical Squad shoots another Flak Missile at the Valkyrie (why is it not dead?) and rapid-fires into the Melta Scions - but with Take Cover stratagem, their armour is proving resistant to my small-arms.

All the small-arms fire from the Calgar castle go into Badger - who is easiest to harm, and I'm hoping to soak wounds from the Ogryn Bodyguard in this way. Unfortunately, Kraken gets wise to this when the Ogryn reaches two wounds left, and Badger is left to face the music.

It sounds like this - doo-be-doo-de-doo, you're dead!

In combat, Calgar charges the Ogryn Bodyguard (this does put him closest to the heavy firepower, but I want to end the abhuman's threat before he can charge me), while the Lieutenant and the Victrix Guard hit the Psyker and Scion Command Squad.

In combat the Dreadnought mashes up some more Scions, clearing a path to get out. Calgar pummels the Ogryn Bodyguard with ease, and the Victrix carve up the Psyker (he was my priority, since his Smite is one of the few things that can threaten my S.

I also try a desperate charge with the Helverin against the melta Scions - taking a hit in Overwatch for my troubles. I don't achieve much, but they are far too intact to be left alone to shoot next turn. The other Helverin fails his charge into the squad (despite being right next to them, and my rerolling a 1 into a 1 for the charge)

I'm reasonably happy with that turn - I've taken out a lot of the heavy hitters, but I'm starting to trail on points and I still don't control much of the board

Objectives scored: Lightning Strike (1) Hold Objectives (2), Slay the Warlord (1)

Turn 3 - Scions 

All-new Objectives - Psychological Warfare, for one. Against Ultramarines, this is a tall order, so it goes in the bin later. Screw you, High Command, you're not the boss of me. And Hold the Line for two - I have two units already doing just that, and it's not a tall order for a short hobbit sniper (current achievements - nothing) to get back there and achieve. With a good roll, Rein grabs the points. And Defend Objective 4 for the last one - if I can wipe out those Tactical Marines, I'll steal it. And then I can blow it up!

Marneus needs dealing with. All that punching has left him exposed, and although Rein misses the shot, a pair of Krak missiles from the Taurox streak in and blow up not their target, but at least his nearest bodyguard. Before the last drops of Victrix land, Raus rushes in and chucks a hefty limpet mine at the noble Ultramarine!

Tonk! It's a good throw, five decent hits. The other Bodyguard can only look on in horror as the demo charge blows Calgar sky high. Good work - that was no half-fling!

Killed by a Ratling!?!

Sadly, I'm a bit short on other achievements. The Meltas run between the legs of the Helverins and hide in the ruins, the Plasma guys acknowledge their error and hide out in the top of the ruins from the Dread. What's left of the Command Squad back off behind the Valkyrie, along with Commissar Bleeth, leaving the Enginseer, junior Commissar and Raus to try and steal Objective 4 from the Tactical Marines. 

The charges are all good, but the remaining Victrix intervenes (his Heroes of Ultramar ability allows this). This is bad news, he's a nasty bit of work. As are the vengeful marines - my guys do okay, but the marines are tough nuts to crack, and their armour shrugs off a few hits. The Tac Sergeant is left standing to kill Raus for his earlier work (damn right he does), and the Enginseer takes a wound from the Bodyguard. 

This means I don't steal 4, which is a pain. But it's a decent round for points otherwise!

Objectives scored: Hold Objectives (3), Hold the Line (1), Slay the Warlord (1)

Turn 3 - Ultramarines 

Calgar lost! And to a Ratling! This is why I'm not allowed to play with nice things.

I'm still holding two orders regarding Objective 1, so as the Lieutenant assumes command, his new order from high command is Witch Hunter - the one I just killed last turn. Thanks, high command.

The battle for Objective 4 is becoming critical - it's one of my two reliable VPs per turn, so I can't let Kraken gain control and burn it. The Tactical Sergeant falls out of combat (but still keeping control of the objective, while the Lieutenant moves in to support the fight).

Elsewhere, the Helverin finally gets to Objective 1 - it's in a ruin, but he's close enough on the outside to claim it and start defending it. The other Helverin races upfield, as he's got nothing useful to shoot and Objective 3 is looking ripe for the picking.

Shooting is brisk enough: my Tactical Marines on Objective 5 gun down a couple more of the Melta Scions, the Dreadnought hoses down the Plasma Scions, the Helverin finally kills that Valkyrie, and the Razorback blasts off half the wounds from the Missile Taurox and guns down the last of the command squad.

The fight around Objective 4 is getting desperate, and anyone without an invulnerable save had best leave now. The Tactical Sergeant and Tech-Priest are taken out, leaving the Lieutenant and Victrix Guard facing a pair of Commissars - the objective is contested!

I make up for not scoring Objective 4, but finally getting Objective 1, and starting to defend it as well. Naturally, I ditch Witch Hunter

Objectives scored: Hold Objectives (2), Secure Objective (1)

Turn 4 - Scions

Overkill and Secure Objective 6 are now my orders. Well, the first one isn't a bad idea - if the Missile Taurox, who's been working overtime, can kill that Helverin, I've got a chance. Objective 4 is a taller order, but you never know. A decent round of combat could clear out those enemy characters yet. Rein puffs his way back to the objective he just left, rolling his eyes.

To help out with this, the surviving Melta troops nip on to Objective 1, depriving the Helverin of its objective, and then open up with the last melta. It's not a bad hit at all, but really I should have fired it second! That would have made it easier to score Overkill, although it's a moot point. The Missile Taurox gets a decent volley of hits in but doesn't really quite blow through. Eleven wounds, leaving it on one, so I risk a snipe from Rein. It's a six! A mortal wound! 

Then I remember he advanced to get that objective back, and can't do it. Lazy bloody halflings. 

The scrappy melee continues around Objective 4. We're down to a pair of characters each, and we're fairly well matched. Apart from armour, that is - the Victrix Bodyguard does some good work. Even though the Commissar Lord charges in to help, the damn marines are too steely to die even when punched with power fists. 

The Lieutenant makes a double-six to avoid the power fist damage - which would have been crucial.

Realising that Defending 4 is getting pretty unlikely now (even if I kill both characters, there's a Razorback who may well get snippy about it afterwards), I ditch it. 

Objectives scored: Secure Objective 6 (1), Hold Objectives (3)

Turn 4 -Ultramarines 

Two new orders and finally high command are singing from the same hymn sheet: Overwhelming Firepower (duh!) and Area Denial (only two melta Scions are preventing me there).

I continue my push into the Scion's half of the board. The Dreadnough jumps on Objective 3 (although I'm not inclined to burn it yet, since no-one's going to push me off it) and the Helverin continues to march around the scenery, in search of a clean shot.

Shooting is straightforward: the Helverin in the ruins guns down the last two plucky Scions and the Razorback continues its tank battle by knocking a few wounds off the Taurox.

Back in combat, the two Ultramarine heroes cut down both Commissars and so ends the last of the Scion incursion - the castles still stand!

I think that put the last nail in the coffin - especially when I roll maximum points for Area Denial. Now, we're just going to see it through.

Objectives scored: Overwhelming Firepower (1), Area Denial (3), Hold Objectives (4)

Turn 5 - Scions

Well, my army is toast! But I've made a pretty good fist of things, and a decent draw of objectives here could still give me a fighting chance. Overwhelming Firepower is one of them, and Defend Objective 5 is the other. Oh, High Command - you give with one hand and jab me in the eye with a sharp stick with the other. 

Now damaged, the Missile Taurox fails to kill the Helverin by the skin of its teeth. Even Rein can't take its last wound, and the Volley Gunners at the back can't reach anything. They've been wasted, rather, although four VPs is still a solid contribution to the game. Maybe the Missile Taurox should have camped on the objective, though. 

With the Helverin surviving, my last achievable objectives are a bust, so I scrape a last few points and grit my teeth. 

And it's been a long time coming, but I finally get Defend Objective 1!

Objectives scored: Hold Objectives (2)
Ultramarine Objectives scored: Defend Objective 1 (2)

Turn 5 - Ultramarines

My last orders are Scour the Skies (bit late for that), Secure Objective 2 (no chance) and Hold The Line (already doing so)

My only actions this turn is for the Dreadnought to burn Objective 3 (for two points) and the Helverin to finally get that pesky Missile Taurox in his sights and put an end to him.

That Taurox was the MVP for the Scions - on more than one occasion, the question "Have you fired your autocannons yet?" filled me with dread)

Kraken rolls a 1 to end the game, and the remaining squad of Scions make their excuses and leave the 13th Legion in command of the field.

Objectives scored: Hold the Line (1), Hold Objectives (3), Burn Objective (2), Linebreaker (1)

Result: 17 : 28 - Victory to the Ultramarines!

Locker Room

Great fun - I don't often get to play a gunline, so that was a refreshing burst of dakka. After that abyssal first turn, Kraken did well to claw his way back into the game - and the mechanics of the mission really helped with that. Especially as his army was more mobile that mine.

I like using the Helverins (and the fact that their guns are only -1AP helps to keep them fair), and the Warglaives look good too (I'm informed that, with anyone but Kraken rolling the dice, they should be able to kill a tactical squad). Generally, Armigers seem like a nice addition at the level we play, without dominating like a Knight would.

Yes - they're all clearly powerful, but they fit this size of battle nicely. I'd lose all mine again gladly. 

I was generally happy with the way I played (except for Calgar - I'm such an idiot - although he didn't help by failing every one of his 4++ saves). I got suckered into targeting the Valkyrie again, but there really wasn't much else to go for (in hindsight, I should have prioritised the Missile Taurox), so their shots were essentially wasted anyway.

But a good game - I like the Maelstrom+Objectives style of battle. It does force you into some hard choices and you're not wholly at the mercy of the cards (stupid high command - I'd already killed that psyker!).

Well, that initial blast of bad luck scuppered my chances, I reckon! Honestly, who loses an entire Warglaive to a single round of fire? 

If either of the Warglaives had actually done anything, that turn two charge would have flattened out the Marine line, I reckon. Perhaps I should have brought in the Meltas on the Right Flank too? I was too worried about the long-range guns of the Helverins when it came to it, and wanted to at least try and deal with them. Canny play from Stylus, there, forcing me to deal with a split castle. 

MVP has to be Raus, for sheer chutzpah. The Valkyrie is still a great performer, of course, as was the Missile Taurox. And this army, well, I reckon it's a very strong list! The heavy armour really complements the Scions well. Or it should do, if my dice weren't, you know, shit. 

I quite liked the mission, too. Having to keep units back to hold objectives is interesting. I missed some early points for forgetting that, but the mix of Maelstrom cards with a clear objective-holding game works well. I'd play that again!

However, there's something more narrative brewing in the distance...