Once More Into The Thirteenth: Thousand Sons vs Space Marines

Back on the tellybox - and no paywall this time!

I actually managed to get further than my garden to play against Winters SEO.

Last week, I made my seventh trip to the Deployment Zone TV studios and brought what has become my signature army - the Thousand Sons!

The Court of Miracles - Thousand Sons

Feeling a bit rusty with Thousand Sons after lockdown, I tried to keep it straightforward (ish). Big units of Rubric Marines and Scarab Occult Terminators, a Defiler and some Rhinos stuffed with Tzaangor. In addition to the two required Sorcerers, I took a third, since I aim to make a play for Psychic Ritual secondary objective (difficult, but entertaining to attempt).

And then an Outrider detachment of daemons, since the Screamers worked pretty well for me in my previous outing. I guess Tzaangor Enlightened with spears could achieve the same effect and not cost me 3CP, but Screamers have a bit more bite.

Battalion Detachment - Cult of Duplicity

• Arac Rapathwin - Exalted Sorcerer on Disc of Tzeentch (HQ) (Warlord)
  Force Stave, Inferno Bolt pistol, Frag & Krak Grenades,
  Powers: Sorcerous Facade, Prescience, Warptime
  Warlord Trait: High Magister
  Relic: Dark Matter Crystal
• Hemuset, the Osirion - Terminator Sorcerer (HQ)
  Force Stave,  Inferno Combi-bolter, Frag & Krak Grenades, Chaos Familiar
  Powers: Sorcerous Facade, Diabolic Strength, Gift of Chaos
• Tzeletor - Sorcerer (HQ)
  Force Stave,  Inferno Bolt Pistol, Frag & Krak Grenades
  Powers: Sorcerous Facade, Death Hex, Temporal Manipulation
• 9 x Rubric Marines (Troop)
  Force Stave, Inferno bolt pistol, 8 x Inferno Boltgun
  Powers: Sorcerous Facade, Tzeentch's Firestorm
• 9 x Rubric Marines (Troop)
  Force Stave, Inferno bolt pistol, 4 x Inferno Boltgun
  Powers: Sorcerous Facade, Glamour of Tzeentch
• 10 x Tzaangors (Troop)
  Tzaangor Blades, Brayhorn
• 10 x Tzaangors (Troop)
  Tzaangor Blades, Brayhorn
• 9 x Scarab Occult Terminators (Elite)
  Force Stave, 8 x Inferno Combi-Bolter, 8 x Power Sword, 1 x Soulreaper Cannon, 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, Combi-melta
• Rhino (Transport)
  Combi-bolter, Combi-melta

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

+ 23 Reinforcement Points

Points: 2,000 | Battle-forged + Battalion - Outrider: 9 CPs

The Thirteenth: Space Marines

A very narrative list (what else?) with lots of fast elements and some real punch waiting in the teleportarium. As a Thousand Sons player, I don't like facing fast elements (too easy to target my precious sorcerers, especially in this edition) and this army has nothing but them, so I'll have to stay on my toes.

And that packet of Chocolate Chip Hobnobs is a drop-pod for 1,400 calories (no spoilers, but they didn't survive the battle).

• Julius Snow - Chaplain in Terminator Armour (HQ) (Warlord)
  Storm Bolter, Crozius arcanum
  Warlord Trait: Iron Resolve
  Litanies: Litany of Hate, Canticle of Hate
  Relic: Benediction of Fury
• Morsus - Captain with jump Pack(HQ)
  Chainsword, Bolt pistol
  Hero of The Chapter: Imperium's Sword
  Relic of the Chapter: Teeth of Terra
• 5 x Scout Squad (Troop)
  Sergeant: Shotgun, Chainsword, 4 x Bolters
• 5 x Scout Squad (Troop)
  Sergeant: Shotgun, Chainsword, 4 x Bolters
• 5 x Scout Squad (Troop)
  Sergeant: Shotgun, Chainsword, 4 x Bolters
• 9 x Terminator Assault Squad (Elite)
  8 x Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield Sergeant with pair of Lightning Claws
• 9 x Bike Squad (Fast)
  Sergeant with combi-grav, 2 x grav guns, 9 x combi-bolters, 1 x attack bike with multi-melta
• 9 x Bike Squad (Fast)
  Sergeant with combi-grav, 2 x grav guns, 9 x combi-bolters, 1 x attack bike with multi-melta
• 3 x Land Speeders (Heavy)
  Heavy Bolter, Typhoon Missile Launcher
• Storm Talon (Flyer)
  Twin Assault Cannon, Typhoon Missile Launcher
• Storm Talon (Flyer)
  Twin Assault Cannon, Typhoon Missile Launcher

Points: 1,999 | Battle-forged + Battalion  - Hero of the Chapter - Relic of the Chapter : 10 CPs

Mission and Deployment

We played Eternal War - Strike Force - Front Line Warfare. This has four objectives on the 4x6' table - one in each deployment zone (along the narrow edge) and two in no-man's land.

We both chose the mission-specific secondary Vital Ground and, once I declared for Psychic Ritual, the narrative wrote itself - the Court of Miracles are here to enact some kind of maleficarum, and the Thirteenth are racing to stop them.

The Thousand Sons secondary objectives were:

• Vital Ground: 2pts for holding the centre objectives in my Command Phase, 3 for holding the one in the enemy deployment zone
• 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.)

The Space Marines' secondary objectives were:

• Vital Ground (as above)
• Linebreaker (as above)
• Slay the Warlord: (6VP for killing my Exalted Sorcerer)

It was a fantastically enjoyable game. As well as a top opponent, Winters is one of the nicest guys in the hobby and his battle reports are always worth a watch.

I feel I'm getting into the swing of 9th Edition now, although while filming the battle report, I was consciously aware that we had to articulate much more what the situation was in terms of victory points - you can't just look at the table and know who's winning or losing.

Anyway, if you've not seen it already, enjoy: