Death Among The Hydrangeas: Blood Angels vs Thousand Sons

Let's Gardenhammer!

Blood Angels vs Thousand Sons. In the fresh air! In person!

Due to the easing of lockdown and a rare sunny evening, I'll get to play Warhammer 40k in person for the first time since March. We're playing in my garden and it's all very disconcerting. Do I have to look at my opponent? Talk to them? Is there any buffering that happens if I go to make a cup of tea?

Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to this immensely. My opponent is Rapid and his Blood Angels, it will only be my third game of 9th Edition, and I'm breaking loose my favourite army - the Thousand Sons.

The Court of Miracles - Thousand Sons

I've chosen the Cult of Magic (and its associated traits and relics), as that's the most straightforward one, and I won't have to overtax my brain as I re-acclimatise to the brain-melting Psychic Phase that comes with the Thousand Sons.

But everything else is a bit of an experiment: I've added two Rhinos to the list, since armoured vehicles or vast swarms seem crucial bits of kit in this objective-holding edition. I've also dug out the old Defiler, who got a double-boost in terms of points and no more penalties to move-and-shoot his heavy weapons. As a special treat, I even gave him twin lascannons, so he can really let rip.

And in the spirit of trying things out, I spend 3CP to bring in a Outrider detachment of daemons - there's mobility and punch in Screamers, which picks up the slack from the Thousand Sons (and frank, a shoal of them flying across the table looks cool).

Rounding out the list are squads of Rubrics, and Scarab Occult (only five this time - I was playing nice). Leading the army is Arac Rapathwin, a safe pair of hands. Backing him up is Guron the Unfavoured, who is so unfavoured, he got demoted from an Exalted Sorcerer to just a plain Sorcerer. I'm also going to assign him the difficult and potentially crucial task of the Psychic Ritual secondary objective, so he'd better not stuff it up...

Battalion Detachment - Cult of Magic

• Arac Rapathwin - Exalted Sorcerer on Disc of Tzeentch (HQ) (Warlord)
  Force Stave, Inferno Bolt pistol, Frag & Krak Grenades,
  Powers: Astral Blast, Prescience, Warptime
  Warlord Trait: Devastating Sorcery
  Relic: Arcane Focus
• Guron Sekra, the Unfavoured - Sorcerer (HQ)
  Force Stave,  Inferno Bolt pistol, Frag & Krak Grenades,
  Powers: Astral Blast, Temporal Manipulation, Death Hex
  Relic of the Thousand Sons: Dark Matter Crystal
• 9 x Rubric Marines (Troop)
  Force Stave, Inferno bolt pistol, 8 x Inferno Boltgun
  Powers: Astral Blast, Tzeentch's Firestorm
• 5 x Rubric Marines (Troop)
  Force Stave, Inferno bolt pistol, 4 x Inferno Boltgun
  Powers: Astral Blast, Glamour of Tzeentch
• 5 x Rubric Marines (Troop)
  Force Stave, Inferno bolt pistol, 4 x Inferno Boltgun
  Powers: Astral Blast, Glamour of Tzeentch
• 5 x Scarab Occult Terminators (Elite)
  Force Stave, 5 x Inferno Combi-Bolter, 4 x Power Sword, 1 x Hellfyre Missile Rack
  Powers: Astral Blast, Weaver of Fates
• Defiler (Heavy)
  Battle cannon, Defiler claws, Defiler scourge, Twin lascannon
• Rhino (Transport)
  Combi-bolter
• Rhino (Transport)
  Combi-bolter

Battalion Detachment - Daemons of Tzeentch

• Fluxmaster (HQ)
  Ritual dagger, Staff of Change
  Powers: Gaze of Fate, Infernal Gateway
• 4 x Screamers (Fast)
  Lamprey bite
• 4 x Screamers (Fast)
  Lamprey bite
• 4 x Screamers (Fast)
  Lamprey bite

Points: 1,500 | Battle-forged + Battalion - Outrider - Relics of the Thousand Sons: 8 CPs

From Dusk 'Till Twilight: Blood Angels

I've played against these Blood Angels a few times before, but this list has definitely crossed the Primaris Rubicon!

Lots of Phobos units in this one, including Suppressors (whose D2 guns scare me) and Eliminators (whose character-killing guns terrify me), along with some Infiltrators for early board control (they could be a staple in 9th).

Two squads of Death Company Intercessors, each with a thunder hammer, for some serious melee threat, and a couple of Impuslors to ride around in (although neither could afford shield domes, much to my relief).

The always-impressive Invictor Warsuit (and very nicely painted) gives some early threat, and the army is led by a Primaris Captain, Chaplain and Mephiston himself.

The only non-Primaris units are the Scouts, who may be slipping in relevance for other armies, but with combat blades and the Blood Angels' trait, they can be a melee threat.

• Primaris Captain (HQ)
  Master-crafted auto bolt rifle
  Warlord Trait: Soulwarden
  Relic: Decimator
• Chief Librarian Mephiston (HQ) (Warlord)
  Quickening, Wings of Sanguinus
• Primaris Chaplain (HQ)
  Crozius arcanum, Absolvor bolt pistol
  Canticles: Invocation of Destruction, Canticle of Hate
  Hero of The Chapter: Speed of the Primarch
  Relic: Adamantine Mantle
• 5 x Scout Squad (Troop)
  Sergeant: Bolt pistol, Chainsword, 4 x Combat knife
• 5 x Infiltrator Squad (Troop)
  Marksman bolt carbines, bolt pistol, frag & krak grenades
• 5 x Infiltrator Squad (Troop)
  Marksman bolt carbines, bolt pistol, frag & krak grenades
• 5 x Death Company Intercessors (Elite)
  Auto Bolt Rifle, Bolt pistol, Sergeant with Thunder Hammer
• 5 x Death Company Intercessors (Elite)
  Auto Bolt Rifle, Bolt pistol, Sergeant with Thunder Hammer
• 5 x Death Company Intercessor Squad (Elite)
  Stalker bolt rifle
• 5 x Death Company Intercessor Squad (Elite)
  Stalker bolt rifle
• Invictor Tactical Warsuit (Elite)
  Fragstorm Grenade Launcher, Heavy bolter, Incendium cannon, 2 x Ironhail Heavy Stubber
• Suppressor Squad (Fast)
  Accelerator autocannons, Grav-chute
• Eliminator Squad (Heavy)
  Bolt sniper rifle, Camo cloak
• Impulsor (Transport)
  2 x Storm Bolters, Ironhail Heavy Stubber
• Impulsor (Transport)
  2 x Storm Bolters, Ironhail Heavy Stubber

Points: 1497 | Battle-forged + Battalion  - Hero of the Chapter - Armour of Baal: 10 CPs

Mission and Deployment

We're playing Eternal War - Strike Force - Retrieval Mission. This has six objectives on the 4x6' table - one in each deployment zone (along the narrow edge) and four in no-man's land. The mission is to grab as much loot as possible without taking too many losses.

As well as the usual Primary objectives (in your Command Phase: 5VP for controlling one, 5VP for controlling two, 5VP for controlling more than your opponent), there is a bespoke secondary objective: Minimise Losses. Basically your army strength equates to however many units it contains and you score VP based on how much survives at the end; >75% (15), 75-50% (10). 50-25% (5).

We both have 13 units in our armies and both take it (leaving the percentage maths until the end of the battle). As a rule for myself, I'm always going to take the mission secondary while I find my feet in 9th Edition. It gives a proper taste of each mission (and gives me one fewer choices to make about picking secondaries!)

The Thousand Sons secondary objectives were:

• Minimise Losses (as above)
• Linebreaker: (4VP for having two units in the enemy deployment zone at the end of your turn)
• Psychic Ritual: (A straight 15VP if one character completes a Warp Charge 3 Psychic Action within 6" of the centre of the battlefield three times. It's a high-risk/high-reward objective, but as Thousand Sons, how can I not go for it?)

The Blood Angels' secondary objectives were:

• Minimise Losses: (as above)
• Engage on All Fronts: (2VP to have units in three table quarters and 6" from the centre at the end of the turn. 3VP to have units in all four quarters 6" from the centre.)
• Attrition: (4VP for destroying more units than the enemy that battle round)

Having blown a lot of my Command Points pre-game, I eschewed any deepstrike stratagems and put everything in my deployment zone.

All three Rubric squads went into the Rhinos (the bigger squad on the southern one, the two small squads in the central alley. The Defiler held the northern flank, with the Screamer packs tucked out of sight behind the buildings (they're fast, and easily shot away in the first turn).

The Scarab Occult Terminators deployed at the top of the tower, which might leave them stranded, but at least would offer a commanding view.

The two Sorcerers also went into the central alleyway, and the Fluxmaster was placed next to the northernmost pack of Screamers.

The Blood Angels deploy aggressively with their vanguard units - the Infiltrator squads each forward-deploy in the craters, backed up by the Invictor Warsuit.

The two Impulsors line up on the deployment edge, each loaded with a squad of Death Company Intercessors and the Captain and Chaplain behind each one.

Mephiston holds the rear with the Scout squad. The Suppressors take up positions on the industrial station and the Eliminators hunker down out of sight.

Rapid wins the roll-off and decides to take the first turn.

Turn 1 - Blood Angels

Continuing the aggressive push, the two Impulsors collect their respective characters then race forwards to the middle of the field, before disgorging their Death Company squads with their Assault Vehicle rule.

The two squads of Infiltrators also move through the craters, though careful to keep one foot on the objectives.

The Warsuit also moves close enough to threaten the southern Rhino, and everyone else on the backline holds firm.

With my psychic powers in range, it's straight to the shooting phase. The Suppressors crack a few shots into the central Rhino and the Eliminators load Executioner rounds and take aim at the Exalted Sorcerer.

(we missed the errata that replaces their ability to shoot out of line-of-sight with the ability to ignore Look Out Sir! - either way, had we know, they could have been positioned for the shot)

I've been stung by those damn snipers before, and just as I was fearing for the survival of my warlord, Rapid rolled three 1s to wound.

The rest of the small-arms fire went into the Rhinos, taking each of them down to half wounds (I was failing a lot of 3+ armour saves), and then it was time for the Assault Phase.

Fortunately, the Death Company couldn't charge after disembarking, but the Warsuit charged into the Rhino and flattened it with ease. I lost one of my Rubrics climbing out of the wreckage, and made sure they deployed away from the 3" consolidation.

The other bold move was to charge the Impulsor into the Defiler, hoping to tie it up. But with no shield dome to protect it, the vehicle was flattened by the daemon engine's claws.

The Primaris Chaplain was still inside at the time, but Rapid used the new Emergency Disembarkation stratagem to jump him 6" behind the Death Company, so he was at least screened.

By the end of the first turn, we had traded a transport vehicle and were right up in each other's grill. With such an aggressive push, Rapid even scored an early 3VP for being engaged in three table quarters.

Objectives secured: Engage On All Fronts (2)

Blood Angels 2 : 0 Thousand Sons

Turn 1 - Thousand Sons

As my first turn began, I found myself in a target-rich environment, with a lot of units I needed dead (top of the list were the Invictor Warsuit and the thunder hammer-wielding Death Company squads).

I moved the Defiler to engage one of the Death Company squads, backed up by a pack of Screamers.

One of the squads in my remaining Rhino jumped out to secure my home objective, while the other squad move forward to engage the other Death Company squad, backed up by my two Sorcerers. the Rhino chugged off in the other direction, to block off any potential charges on their left flank.

The Terminators just walked to the lip of the tower, seeking good targets, and the other two packs of Screamers moved to engage the Warsuit (one of them was able to fly over him, taking off a mortal wound with their slashing attack)

Finally, I engaged the Dark Matter Crystal to jump the eight-string Rubric squad across the field into the enemy deployment zone. I needed Linebreaker, and was temping Mephiston to come in the wrong direction to deal with them, but my real motive was to ensure those Eliminators would give me no more palpitations.

And finally, finally, I used the Warp Portal Stratagem to jump the Fluxmaster right behind the Rubric squad. He wasn't going to do much good (other than lending a Smite when needed), but I now had two units in the enemy deployment, and would score Linebreaker from now on.

The Psychic Phase was brutal and direct: half the Eliminator Squad got taken down with mortal wounds, and on the other end of the field, all the Smites went into the southern Death Company, reducing them to a couple of models (with their ability to ignore wounds, they really die hard).

I also used Temporal Manipulation to heal the Rhino back to its top bracket, and threw Glamour of Tzeentch and Weaver of Fates on the Defiler, to make it extra durable (I failed with Prescience, of it would have been a full house of buffs).

In the Shooting Phase, the Defiler used Daemonforge and aimed its big guns at the Suppressors - but with Transhuman Physiology and some good armour saves, only one of them fell.

The linebreaking Rubrics gunned down the rest of the Eliminators with Inferno bolt rounds, and the Rubric squads in my lines whittle the injured Death Company squad down to a sergeant on a single wound - who then refuses to succumb to any other shots I can throw at him!

The Scarab Occult Terminators use Veterans of the Long War to target the Infiltrators, but the light cover of the crater saves all but one of them.

In the Assault Phase, the Defiler crashes into the intact Death Company, assisted by the Screamers, who hit the Chaplain and Death Company together.

The Invictor Warsuit gets slammed by both packs of Screamers, and I grudgingly decide to charge a Rubric squad into the wounded Death Company sergeant. I can probably kill him, and it's far too dangerous to let him have free reign with his thunder hammer.

Which means I also have to go first with the Rubrics, as Rapid has plenty of CPs to interrupt and kill them all if I don't. It takes the Aspiring Sorcerer to do it, but they finally fell the last of the Death Company Intercessors.

Which leaves the other squad free to interrupt combat with Counter-Offensive, which they do and pile into the Defiler. However, the thunder hammer attacks either miss, or bounce off the boosted 4++ save. The other Intercessors do better - ripping off three wounds with their combat knives, but it's an opportunity missed.

The Screamers then divide their attacks between the Chaplain (who was too far away to concentrate all of them on) and the squad. They only manage four wounds on the Chaplain, leaving him alive on just one (that Belisarian Furnace saving his ass) - he then strikes back and swats all four Screamers from the sky!

The Defiler attempts some payback, but Rapid plays Transhuman Physiology on the Death Company, which preserves enough to keep two alive.

Around the Warsuit, I use the new Warp Jaws stratagem to add +1 to wound for one of the packs - but their hitting leaves a lot to be desired and, when all the wounds are added up from both packs, the Warsuit is alive on four wounds and smashes back two of the daemons.

For all that, I can't really complain about that counter-offensive. I've neutralised all my biggest threats, the Blood Angels are nowhere near getting Attrition this round, and I've even scored an early Linebreaker to nudge ahead in the lead.

Objectives secured: Linebreaker (4)

Blood Angels 2 : 4 Thousand Sons

Turn 2 - Blood Angels

What the Blood Angels had gained, however, was a considerable amount of board control, which pays off when they score the maximum 15VP for holding three objectives.

Taking command of the backfield, Sanguinius decides the Rubrics can't be left unchallenged, and leads the Scout squad to deal with them. The last two Suppressors jump away from the Defiler's arc of fire and land begin the central generators.

Against the Defiler, the Death Company drop back from combat (since the Defiler will go first this round, their chances of survival are slim), but the Chaplain lines up a charge, hoping to do some damage in his last act of glory.

The Captain jumps out of the Impulsor to take command of the injured Infiltrator squad, and the full-strength one just steps back to secure their objective. The last Impulsor also backs up to hold one of the south objectives.

In the Psychic Phase, Mephiston finds both his psychic powers foiled by the combined might of the Aspiring Sorcerer and Fluxmaster. This makes him very angry, which may not be a good idea.

In Shooting, the Warsuit blasts away two Screamers from the uninjured pack, and the Infiltrators and Suppressors hose down the foremost Rubric squad, leaving only the Aspiring Sorcerer on his feet.

And then comes the Assault Phase of Enormous Charges. In a dazzling display of sixes, the Scouts and Mephiston race to engage the Rubric squad, the Captain and Infiltrators hit the lone Aspiring Sorcerer and the Chaplain throws himself into the Defiler.

Two of the combats go as expected: the Captain dispatches the Aspiring Sorcerer before the Infiltrators even take a turn, and the Chaplain is promptly turned to jam once his attacks fail against the Defiler's invulnerable save.

But it's a different story for the Lord of Death. Despite using the Red Rampage stratagem, added to his own impressive statline and sword, Mephiston only cuts down three of the Rubric Marines (I had used the Indomitable Fires stratagem to boost their invulnerable save, which helped a lot.

In the ongoing fights, the Invictor Warsuit is finally brought down by the Screamers, though they've now lost control of the objective to the Infiltrators.

The turn ends with the Blood Angels most certainly engaged on all fronts, and clocking in a huge lead in primary objectives.

Objectives secured: Primary objectives (15), Engage On All Fronts (3)

Blood Angels 20 : 4 Thousand Sons

Turn 2 - Thousand Sons

Being pushed off most of the objectives, I only manage 5 VP for my primaries, but I've still got a lot of assets left of the field (this has been brutal - is it really only Turn 2?)

The two surviving packs of Screamers fly off to grab the two southern objectives, the Defiler moves menacingly towards the Death Company, my Exalted Sorcerer moves in towards the Blood Angels Captain and, with the Rhino to shield him, my Sorcerer moves within 6" of the centre to begin the Psychic Ritual.

I leave my Rubrics in combat with Mephiston, as they need to stay put to cast spells and mortal wounds are my best hope. However, Mephiston counters all my spells, and only when I use the Great Sorcerer stratagem to cast another one do I finally chip away one wound from him.

My Exalted Sorcerer has better luck: he casts a super-Smite at the Blood Angels Captain, inflicting five wounds - which become six with his Devastating Sorcery trait, which is just enough to kill the warlord outright.

Elsewhere, the Defiler is buffed once again, and the front squad of Infiltrators are destroyed with a combination of mortal wounds and firepower.

The Defiler takes aim at the Suppressors, wiping them out this time, before charging into the reduced Death Company and killing them too.

Over on the other side of the field, I play Indomitable Fires before Mephiston can strike - which proves critical as it saves my Aspiring Sorcerer. Now out of engagement range of the Scouts, he elects to stay that way, and just squeaks past his Morale check to ensure I still have two units linebreaking.

Objectives secured: Primary objectives (5), Linebreaker (4)

Blood Angels 20 : 13 Thousand Sons

Turn 3 - Blood Angels

With so few units left on the table, and night fast approaching (note the dramatic lighting as the twin suns set upon this desert planet), the Blood Angels don't have much to do.

Mephiston has to abandon the fight and instead races back to secure his home objective. The Impulsor flies over to grab another, but can't gun down the Screamers contesting it.

The last squad of Infiltrators can only hold their objective, but at least the Scouts manage to dispatch the Aspiring Sorcerer with a krak grenade. They then charge into the Fluxmaster, who takes a couple of wounds from their knives.

Objectives secured: Primary objectives (5)

Blood Angels 25 : 13 Thousand Sons

Turn 3 - Thousand Sons

Heading into this turn, I'm holding onto a lot of objectives and a big advantage in material.

That said, the Fluxmaster doesn't fancy sticking around in combat, and so falls back to join the Screamers, who have also breached the deployment zone.

As the Psychic Ritual is passed for a second time, the last Impulsor is pounded with mortal wounds, before being gunned down by the Scarab Occult Terminators.

The Defiler trains its heavy guns on Mephiston, removing him in a puff of smoke with lascannons and battle cannon shots. It then charges into the last squad of Infiltrators and takes them out as well (he's had a good game!).

Objectives secured: Primary objectives (15), Linebreaker (4)

Blood Angels 27 : 32 Thousand Sons

Turns 4-5 - Thousand Sons

With night falling, and only three Blood Angel Scouts left on the field, Rapid concedes the game. It was a clear win for the Thousand Sons.

Out of interest (and at Rapid's instance, I should add - I didn't want to put the boot it), we calculated what would have happened if the game had continued:

I would have maximised points for the Primary objectives, and Linebreaker. I would also have successfully cast Psychic Ritual for the third and final time.

In terms of Minimise Losses, the Blood Angels didn't manage to do this, but Thousand Sons ended up with 8 of 13 units left, which is 75-50% of their strength.

Objectives secured: Primary objectives (25+), Linebreaker (3+), Psychic Ritual (15). Minimise Losses (10)

Blood Angels 25 : 85 Thousand Sons

Result: Victory to the Thousand Sons!

Locker Room

Wow, that was a brutal one! We both went in hard from the very first turn and it showed. I wonder if 9th Edition encourages this type of play, with its fixed turns and emphasis on grabbing territory?

Rapid and I discussed the battle afterwards - the early board control was a huge plus, but I think disembarking the Death Company squads was an error, as they could have been just as effective jumping out and charging in the next turn. I was impressed with the Impulsors (but they do need those shield domes) and the Invictor Warsuit - but once that had committed to the other flank, there wasn't much that could threaten my Defiler.

Speaking of the Defiler, what a game he had! I was generous with the psychic powers and stratagems, but he chewed through half the Blood Angels army by himself - not bad for a 170pt model! I don't think it's invincible, but like many things in the Thousand Sons, once it builds up a head of steam with psychic buffs, it can be a real menace.

I also fluked into a clever manoeuvre with my deepstriking Rubric squad. My main goal was to take out the Eliminators (once bitten by snipers, twice shy), but sticking a formidable unit in the back lines, with the Linebreaker objective in hand, drew away Mephiston to deal with it. While he was slaughtering Rubrics (or trying to), he wasn't able to deny any powers - or kill any units - on the other side of the board, and I think the Blood Angels missed him. He could have probably done a number of the Defiler, for example.

It was a fun game, and lovely to throw some dice in person once again. Looking forward to the next one!