Tanks A Lot: The Scourged vs Astra Militarum

 Here's one way to cut down on the 10th Ed admin...

All the tanks, all the time!

I recently hosted Monkey for a 1500pt battle. This time, he left the Space Wolves at home and brought out his Astra Militarum tanks. I responded with the most armoured heretics I could muster for some heavy metal wars.

(Note: we bumped the points to 1580, so Monkey could bring his Chimera and go full mechanised. In return, I got two Chaos Spawn. Lucky me.)

Astra Militarum - Combined Regiment

• Tank Commander
  Vanquisher battle cannon, Lascannon, Heavy bolters, Armoured tracks
• Commissar
  Bolt Pistol, Power sword
• Regimental Enginseer
  Enginseer Axe, Servo-arm, Archeotech pistol
• Infantry Squad
  Chainsword, Grenade launcher, Lasguns
• Hellhound
  Heavy flamer, Inferno cannon, Armoured tracks
• Leman Russ Battle Tank
  Leman Russ battle cannon, Lascannon, Heavy bolters, Armoured tracks
• Leman Russ Battle Tank
  Leman Russ battle cannon, Lascannon, Heavy bolters, Armoured tracks
• Leman Russ Demolisher
  Demolisher battle cannon, Lascannon, Multi-meltas, Armoured tracks
• Leman Russ Executioner
  Executioner plasma cannon, Lascannon, Plasma cannons, Armoured tracks
• Leman Russ Punisher
  Punisher gatling cannon, Lascannon, Heavy bolters, Armoured tracks
• Chimera
  Chimera multi-laser, Lasgun array, Heavy bolter, Armoured tracks

Chaos Space Marines - The Scourged

• Dark Apostle
  2 x Dark Disciples, Accursed crozius, Bolt pistol, Mark of Tzeentch
• Sorcerer
  Force weapon, Bolt pistol, Infernal gaze, Mark of Tzeentch
• Warpsmith
  Exalted weapon, Flamer tendril, Melta tendril, Plasma tendril, Mark of Tzeentch
• 20 x Cultist Mob
  Brutal assault weapons, Autopistols, 2 x Flamers, Mark of Tzeentch
• 10 x Cultist Mob
  Cultist firearm, close combat weapons, Cultist grenade launcher, heavy stubber
• 5 x Legionaries
  Accursed weapon, plasma pistol, bolt pistols, boltguns, missile launcher, chaos icon, Mark of Tzeentch
• 5 x Chosen
  Accursed weapons, boltguns, bolt pistols, 1 x combi-weapon, Mark of Tzeentch
• 5 x Havocs
  Accursed weapon, boltgun, 2 x Havoc lascannon, 2 x Havoc autocannon, Mark of Tzeentch
• Helbrute
  Twin lascannon, Missile launcher, close combat weapon, Mark of Tzeentch
• Helbrute
  Twin lascannon, Missile launcher, close combat weapon, Mark of Tzeentch
• Chaos Predator Annihilator
  Predator twin lascannon, 2 x Lascannons, Armoured tracks, Mark of Tzeentch
• Chaos Vindicator
  Demolisher cannon, Combi-bolter, Armoured tracks, Mark of Tzeentch
• Chaos Rhino
  Combi-bolter, Armoured tracks, Mark of Tzeentch

Mission and Deployment

We picked a scenario that is both simple and classic: Multiball! Five objectives spread out across the table, and each player scores 1VP at their end of their respective turns. Every round, you roll for an objective, and that one scores D3VP!

From left to centre, the Imperial lines were arrayed: Demolisher, Tank Commander (backed up by the Enginseer), Battle Tank, Executioner, Battle Tank.

On the right hand flank were the Chimera (carrying all the infantry), Hellhound and Punisher.

Facing them (and mostly trying to hide behind things) was a small Cultist Mob, Helbrute, Vindicator, Warpsmith and the Dark Apostle leading the large Cultist Mob.

In the centre was the Rhino loaded with Legionaries and Chosen, the Havocs hidden behind a building, then the Predator, another Helbrute and the Chaos Spawn.

Astra Militarum won the roll-off for first turn. Load up!

Turn 1

The bonus objective is the central one, and the Imperium sound a general advance. The tanks move to get shots onto The Scourged, and begin (wisely) with the Helbrutes. 

When the dust settles, both daemon engines are destroyed. It could have been a lot worse, but the Demolisher whiffed against the Predator.

For good measure, the Punisher and Hellhound race forward to unleash their anti-infantry weapons on the large Cultist Mob, taking out about 15 of them.

The only downside in a pretty solid first turn is the bonus objective only rolls 1, so that's a lead of 3VP.

The Scourged have a lot to do with the tanks that remain, so it doesn't help that the Predator misses all of its shots against the Demolisher. The two Chaos Spawn scamper up the flank, under the cover of this (somewhat timid) artillery duel.

The Vindicator has better luck, knocking out the Executioner for the heretic's first engine kill. The Havocs take aim at the Battle Tank currently on the choke-point of the central objective, and reduce it to a single wound.

The Rhino had moved up to the centre objective and unloaded the Legionaries, so the objective was already mine, and what remained of the large Cultist Mob ran up to join them (hide behind a bigger rock).

I roll a little higher for my bonus objective, giving me a slight 4 : 3 lead.

Turn 2

The bonus objective falls in the Imperium's deployment zone, nicely secured by the Executioner. 

The light tanks of the right hand flank continue to roll up the Chaos line - the Punisher guns down the Havocs (that was a shock) while the Hellhound incinerates the Warpsmith (I was assuming that the Lone Operative would have kept her safe from enemy artillery - I hadn't counted on a tank charge!). The Legionnaires are also wiped out by the Demolisher, who has settled on smaller prey.

Both Predator and Demolisher take hits this turn, but both manage to hang in there. The Rhino is less fortunate (partly because it has taken a fair bit of damage from failing Dark Pacts) and is blown apart, spilling out Chosen.

Monkey also lets his bloodlust take over, and charges the single-wound Battle Tank into them, only managing to Tank Shock one of them, and getting torn apart for his recklessness.

In The Scourged's turn, the Chaos Spawn move up to threaten the Demolisher's objective, while the Chosen take a leisurely walk past the remaining Battle Tank, neatly avoiding the overwatch and hoping to charge it and steal the objective.

The Vindicator hammers the same Battle Tank, and then I let my bloodlust carry me away and put the crippled Predator's lascannons into the same target. This time, the Predator does phenomenally well and utterly destroys the Battle Tank, leaving me with nothing to charge and no way of getting on the objective!

The Chaos Spawn charge the Demolisher, but achieve nothing. The Cultist Mob and Vindicator double-charge the Punisher and make better progress, through a combination of Tank Shock and sacrificing Dark Disciples to inflict mortal wounds (i.e. stuffing them under the tank treads).

At the end of the second turn, I'm holding onto a 7 : 6 VP lead.

Turn 3

With plenty of armoured assets remaining, the Tank Commander finally finishes off the Predator, while the Hellhound completes its journey into the Chaos deployment zone and winkles out all of the small Cultist Mob. The Chimera backs up, ready to deploy the infantry squad back to the rear.

The Demolisher remains in combat, as it's now on the bonus objective, but can't make headway against the Spawn (at least they're resilient). The Punisher also remains in combat, but is smashed up by the Cultist Mob (which is now just the Dark Apostle) and Vindicator.

Free to move and fire in its own turn, the Vindicator swings around - sadly not far enough to grab a central objective, but near enough to train its cannon on the Demolisher, and wipe it out in a single volley (I love Vindicators).

The Sorcerer, Dark Apostle and remaining Chosen attempt to crack the Chimera, but this isn't 8th edition, where enough attacks and a plucky attitude would crack open a tank. The Sorcerer also distinguishes himself by rolling three 1s in a row to fail his psychic attack and nearly blow off his own head. Worst Sorcerer Ever. And I should know.

We're still scrapping over the objectives, but I'm running of units to place on them, and Monkey pulls ahead by single victory point 10 : 9.

Turn 4

The brave Vindicator is finally taken out by the Tank Commander (now the last Russ standing), who rolls onto the objective held by the Spawn (where they flail away uselessly once again).

The Chimera unloads its infantry squad, then backs off, so the Hellhound can get a better shot at the Dark Apostle, and cooks him.

The Infantry squad then open fire at the Chosen (doing little damage), and then charge, (doing even less damage). The Chosen are finally in a happy place (picking on weaker units) and cut down over half the squad.

With everything in combat, I can't even get on objectives. So it's just down to melee. One of the Spawn finally falls beneath the tank treads, and the Chosen take out all but one of the Infantry squad.

Turn 5

The lone survivor of the Infantry squad backs off with the Commissar, where they are promptly overwatched by the remaining Chosen, finishing off the squad, but only winging the Commissar. The heretics are then hosed down by the Hellhound.

The Tank Commander throws everything at the final Chaos Spawn - but he manages to cling on to one wound. So it wasn't a tabling!

The final two turns have racked up a lot of VP for the Astra Militarum, and it ends a convincing 15 : 9 victory for Monkey and the Imperium.

Back at the Locker Room

What a blast! Amid the damp and often confusing squib that is 10th Edition, it's nice to know that the truism still holds: you can still take random lists and play a simple mission to have fun.

With so much heavy artillery in play, the first turn was going to be key. Despite that, we both had very little armour (me, none) left on the table by the final turn, so it seemed to balance out. The deciding factor seemed to be who could grab what objectives - and that all important multiball.

I like playing against a tank-heavy Imperial Guard - there's masses of firepower, but just enough inaccuracy to give you a fighting chance (unlike, for example, a Space Marine tank utilising Oath of Moment).

I'm also enjoying the The Scourged's evolution as the armoured branch of my Chaos Space Marines - I've got a few more to add to them, and Monkey's promised me a rematch, so expect more armour wars to come.