Battle Report: Week 2, Escalation League

BA VS. Necrons

Welcome to week two of our escalation league. This week you will find an amazing twist on turn 6 of this game.


Here are the army lists...

Blood Angels (Player: Me):
Troops:
- 5-man Assault Sqd w/ 1xMeltagun, Sgt has PF in Twin-Linked Lascannon Razorback (190pts)
- 5-man Assault Sqd w/ 1xMeltagun in Twin-Linked Lascannon Razorback (165pts)
Fast Attack:
- Baal Predator w/ AS and HB Sponsons (145pts)

Necrons:
HQ:
- Lord w/ Ressurection Orb
Troops:
- 16x Warriors
Heavy:
- 1x Heavy Destroyer


Setup:
Campaign stuff: BA played low initiative card and still got to choose the assault on a planet.

Board: Snow covered with some hills and grass
Mission: Annihilation (Necron played a card that changed mission to Annihilation)
Deployment: Pitched Battle, BA went first and Necrons failed to seize.
Necrons deployed warrior and lord in a bunker and the destroyer behind it.

Scout moved the Baal predator to get LOS and in range with Hvy Bolters.

Round 1:
BA-Moved up Baal Predator and unloaded on destroyer killing it.
Necrons-shot out of the fire point (we had decided that since the bunker had a large open slit and four angles that each angle counted so he could shoot out each with two warriors. They shot the Baal and failed to glance.

Had a talk with the player and I had the game. I could have scooted 18" and stayed out of range of his warriors the rest of the game and won. But because it wouldn't have been a fun game for either of us, I said let's just play for fun. This was his 2nd or 3rd game of 40k ever. This is very important...read on.

BA:1, Necrons: 0

Round 2:
BA-Shot TL LasCannons on both rbacks at the bunker and failed to glance or pen.
BA-Baal Predator moved further around the back (where the access point is located) and failed to rend the bunker.
Necrons-Realizing the predicament, they decided to come out, and run toward mid-table so they could get close to range at rbacks.

BA:1, Necrons: 0

Round 3:
BA-Baal predator unloaded in the warrior squad knocking 2 or 3 down.
BA-rbacks moved up (because that would be fun to get them into assault with the warriors), I immobilized one of my rbacks trying to go through difficult terrain and the other made it through ok. Shot down another 1-2 warriors with the lascannons on the rbacks.
Necrons-Of four down warriors, two got back up.
Necrons-shot at closest rback and stunned it.

BA:1, Necrons: 0

Round 4:
BA-Baal predator unloaded again doing absolutely nothing (wounded 6 times and he saved them all)
BA-rbacks unloaded dropping another 2 warriors.
Necrons-Moved up and shot smoked rback doing nothing.


BA:1, Necrons: 0

Round 5:
BA-rbacks unloaded 5-man assault squads and also shot lascannons knocking down a couple.
BA-both assault squads assaulted crons. PF whiffed against the lord. Lord whiffed against sarg. Won by 2, crons passed leadership.
Necrons: Lord killed PF sarg. Unfortunately, I wasn't thinking and let him target my sarg so he never got to attack back with the PF. Somebody watching us said he could target the sarg and I somehow forgot. Most likely because I am used to running IC's with power weapons with units so I messed up and let it happen.

BA:1, Necrons: 0

Round 6:
BA- Even combat
Necrons: Lord rolled well, killing 3 of my marines. BA lost combat and rolled a 9 and an 11. Since both squads take the -3, they both fell back. Crons consolidated within 6" of both squads.

Rolled for game to continue...and it ended. In the missions section under 'Ending the Game', it states that any units falling back when the game ends are considered destroyed.

BA:1, Necrons: 2

Yes, BA can lose! Hindsight, I should have called the game on turn 1 and took the win, then played another game for fun and as a learning game for my opponent. Instead, I just made it a fun game for both of us and lost. Heh. You would be amazed; there were about 15 people at the table snapping pictures to post somewhere. I grabbed a couple too. Here they are:

Ahh yes, a closeup of their defeat. A stout reminder that we all are fallable.


Thanks for tuning in.
-Pav