A Battle Report!

This is a battle report for the Aftermath Campaign. This battle was waged on the planet Prox. As Lord Sentikan arrived in the Prox system commanding the Angels Sanguine 2nd Company, he dispatched a small contingent to destroy some traitors on the planet Prox.

I have been so long without a game of 40k, that I talked my wife into playing. She will only play small points values. So, she selected 500 points from my Imperial Guard. We will call them Traitor Guard for the Aftermath Campaign.

Army Lists:
Traitor Guard
-Company Command Squad: Regimental Standard
-Platoon 1-Command Squad: Platoon Standard
-Infantry Squad: Flamer, Heavy Bolter
-Infantry Squad: Flamer, Heavy Bolter
-Platoon 2-Command Squad
-Infantry Squad
-Infantry Squad
-Basilisk

Angels Sanguine
-Corbulo
-Death Company (2 men): Jump Packs
-Assault Squad
-Tactical Squad: 10 Men, Lascannon, Rhino

As I looked at the two armies on the table together, I felt like it couldn't be fair. My marines were seriously outnumbered. However, the exact opposite proved to be true. The small points value seemed to favor the marines.

Annihilation; Dawn of War; 500 points

The Traitor Guard won the roll and chose to go first. My opponent combined her platoons, and deployed one 20 man infantry unit along with the company command squad on a wooded hill. The platoon command squad deployed at the edge of the deployment zone in order to push my units back. I deployed a combat squad with the lascannon in some area terrain on the opposite side of the table. No one reserved any units. Everything would be coming on in turn 1.

Top of 1: The second platoon marched onto the table on the lefthand side. They obviously intended to overwhelm my combat squad. The basilisk came on behind the infantry on the wooded hill. It fired at the lascannon squad, but the night fight rules saved me. The forward deployed platoon command squad withdrew.

Bottom of 1: I drove on the other combat squad. I jumped in the Assault Squad and the Death Company using the Rhino to block line of sight. I tried to shoot the Basilisk with the lascannon, but the night fight rules stopped me.

Top of 2: The Basilisk laid a pie-plate down on my rhino which also covered my tightliy packed jump troops. However, it scattered off target. The platoon which entered on the left side of the table fired two heavy bolters at the lascannon combat squad. Power Armor saved the marines.

Bottom of 2: Lascannon penetrated the Basilisk resulting in a destroyed earthshaker cannon. I tank shocked the infantry squad in the woods, but the passed their morale check. The Death Company and the Assault Squad jumped forward and assaulted. I was able to assault the twenty man infantry squad with both DC and Assault Marines. Furthermore, two of the Assault Marines were able to assault the Platoon Command Squad. My marines won the assault by nine wounds. Both guard units broke and my marines cut them down as they tried to flee.

Top of 3: The Company Command Squad moved out of the woods in order to blast the DC with their lasguns. Power Armor saved the marines. The Basilisk backed into the corner and fired the Heavy Bolter at the Assault Marines. Power Armor saves the marines. The left flank platoon fired the Heavy Bolters into the lascannon combat squad. Bad Dice rolls and the power armor saved the marines again.

Bottom of 3: The DC fired bolt pistols into the Company Command Squad and followed with an assault. They won the combat and broke the squad. One of the DC was killed. However, the remaining DC cut down the Fieldmarshal as he fled the field of battle. One Assault Marine died jumping out of the woods. The Assault Squad assaulted the Basilisk resulting in a crew shaken. The lascannon combat squad moved out of their cover towards the platoon which had been firing the heavy bolters.

Top of 4: The Basilisk tank shocked the Assault Squad breaking their morale. They fled from the tank as it powered up its engines. The remaining platoon moved forward to gain rapid fire range on the lascannon combat squad. One Marine was killed in lasgun fire.

Bottom of 4: The Assault Marines regrouped and assaulted the Basilisk again. The Krak Grenades effected a Crew Stunned result. The Lascannon Combat Squad assaulted the platoon, while the DC and Rhino moved in close for assaulting on the following turn. The Combat squad won the combat by 3 wounds, and the combined infantry squad fled. The Tactical Marines cut them down as they fled the battle.

Top of 5: The Basilisk was stunned and could do nothing. The remaining Platoon Command Squad angled to fire on the lascannon combat squad. They were unable to inflict casualties.

Bottom of 5: Corbulo and Combat Squad disembarked. They, together with the DC and the Lascannon Combat Squad, encircled the Platoon Command Squad. They fired bolt pistols and assaulted destroying all the guardsmen. The Assault Squad managed another Crew Stunned on the Basilisk.

We rolled the dice for the end of the game, and the game would proceed to turn six.

Top of 6: The Basilisk was stunned and could do nothing.

Bottom of 6: The Assault Marines were finally able to take out the Basilisk. The result of this turns Krak grenading was Vehicle Explodes.

In the end, I had wiped out my opponent. So, according to the rules I won regardless of mission objectives. However, the Annihilation objective goes hand in hand with a wipe out. By my count, I won 6 Kill Points to none: 2 Combined Infantry Squads, 2 Platoon Command Squads, 1 Company Command Squad, and 1 Basilisk.

My Analysis: I honestly thought that the Guard would have an advantage, as they outnumbered me 55 guardsmen to 18 marines. However, the Marines were worth well more than twice their number in guardsmen. I believe that the low points value favors the marine. His superior equipment and statline really shine at this level. I found that the Power Armor was able to overcome the numbers of shots fired. Also, the Guard's flak armor is useless against even the most basic Marine weaponry. With jump pack troops, I had superior mobility.

My opponent may have done better to keep her troops together so they could support one another. Instead, she split her forces. This allowed me to take on half of her army at a time.

In the final analysis, I am sure that superior equipment and stats did more to win this battle than any tactics on my part.