+ inload: 40k Battle report – Tensions over Neues Tremo part II +

+ This is the second part of a Warhammer 40,000 (8th edition) battle report. The first datasquirt can be found here [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]

+ There are six objectives; three on each side, including one on the board edge of each player. At the end of the third or subsequent turns, a commander can claim victory if he has achieved at least two of the following objectives, and the other commander has achieved fewer.

• Blitzkrieg: Capture the objective on the enemy board edge.
• Take and Hold: Capture at least two objectives on the enemy table half.
• Defend the Flag: Hold all objectives on the friendly table half.
• They Shall Not Pass: No enemy units completely within the friendly table half.
• Break their spirit: Completely destroy the opponent's most expensive unit (in this case, a Leman Russ squadron for Lamb's World [30PL]; and a unit of Vorax [24PL] for the Bezoans.

+++

+ The veteran Caef Whittaker commanded the Lamb's World 18th during the battle. +

+ Late turns and end of game +

+ The battle was in full swing. On the face of it, the Guard seemed to have the upper hand; having thinned out the Skitarii for fewer losses of their own. The sides had traded a flyer each (Valkyrie for a Vulturax); but the armour was otherwise largely unscathed – and the Guard's part thanks in no small part to the jury-rigging strategem and the ministrations of the Slav Nasr Enginseers repairing the damage caused by the Vulturax. +

+ However, early turns tend to favour the long-ranged Guard; and the Skitarii were getting into a position that would begin to favour them. Their armour and heavy servitors were all but untouched. It would perhaps be decided by whether the Guard could place the killing blow before the Bezoans got their specialists into position. +

+++ 

Aware that objectives must be taken, the Leman Russ squadron divided; two tanks pushing up the central road to see off the Archmagos and her Dunestriders and provide support for the advancing infantry. Their attendant techpriests scuttled along in the tanks' shadow.

In the centre, the Guard advance more cautiously, the weight of their lasrifle fire increasing at the barks of Caef Whittaker and his staff. The attached Ratling snipers take shots of opportunity, knocking down individual electropriests.

On the right, things were tense. The Commissar led an officer and his command squad forward, ready to engage the Vorax if the ogryns' strength failed. The remainder of the platoon tried to ignore the nearby melee and continued to provide fire support into the centre; mortar shells and sniper fire whistling downfield.

The Rapiers and heavy bolters, so far held in reserve, moved to shore up the right flank; ready to open up on the robots.

...but it was in the centre where the conflict would be decided. The electropriests rounded the corner of the shrine, haloed in dreadful auras that set the Lamb's Worlders' teeth on edge. The objective became contested.

Archmagos Toshiba snarls and orders her remaining forces forwards. The Kataphracts abandon the rearmost objective and lend weight of fire to the Dunestriders. The concerted fire from the Mechanicus forces all but knocks out the Tank Commander (centre of the Lamb's World army), and it crawls into cover, smouldering. In the centre, the electropriests reduce the melta gun specialist squad to dust and ash.

The surviving Vulturax, having warily moved back into the cover of the ruined manufactorum. The Guard infantry that are picking their way into the factory flinch as the hovering drone sends a glittering beam through a window. It strikes the Tauros Venator; which just about remains mobile.

The Guard's next barrage proves decisive, small arms and infantry support weapons causing heavy casualties to the Skitarii infantry, and the tanks and artillery destroying one of the Dunestriders and many of the heavy servitors.

The Guard shift to secure the objectives nearer their side. Whittaker himself pushes forward, urging the men and women under his command onwards with great bellows and encouragement.

As the smoke clears, the Guard infantry advance, claiming the manufactorum. The smouldering Venator sweeps in, heavy las-fire warding off the heavy servitors. Victory became clear; and the Guard cheered to see the Bezoans turn and pick their way backwards, retreating from the field.

+++

+ Objectives: 

• Blitzkrieg: Capture the objective on the enemy board edge. 
• Take and Hold: Capture at least two objectives on the enemy table half. [Lamb's World objective secured]
• Defend the Flag: Hold all objectives on the friendly table half. [Lamb's World objective secured]
• They Shall Not Pass: No enemy units completely within the friendly table half. [Lamb's World objective secured]
• Break their spirit: Completely destroy the opponent's most expensive unit (in this case, a Leman Russ squadron for Lamb's World [30PL]; and a unit of Vorax [24PL] for the Bezoans.

+ Outcome: Victory for Lamb's World +

+ Thoughts on the battle +

+ I think I held the advantage from a relatively early stage – but that the final result was flattering to my generalship. In truth, I suspect it was largely a combination of hot dice on my side, and familiarity with my army that told in the end. + 

+ This was the first time I've used a Manticore, and it was a lot of fun. The pressure you can exert with such long-range indirect fire was, I suspect, part of the reason the Vorax battle-automata were deployed opposite. As a result, I was able to bog down these heavy hitters with the ogryns. Had they been more centrally placed, I suspect I would have had to have been much more cautious in my advance with my infantry, as these robots would have chewed through squad after squad. However, hindsight is always 20:20; and had the ogryns failed to make it in, things might have been very different; allowing the Ad Mech to exploit the opening and achieve their Blitzkrieg objective. +

+ Perhaps the overall downfall of the Bezoans here was their inability to put pressure on a particular point. Fearing the heavy weapons of the Kataphractii servitors, I avoided the open ground; and the terrain then played to the infantry's favour, sheltering them while they moved up to capture the objectives. I though Lucifer216 did well to avoid the central road turning into a killing ground – despite me having twice as many big tank guns, he managed to keep his Dunestriders hidden and repaired, and drawing the fire of my armour. +

+ Anyway, a thoroughly enjoyable game against an ever-gracious player; and a visual feast. Lucfier216's Bezoans are a beautiful army, and I'm hoping we can get another game in soon. I'm told the Bezoans will be returning with heavier forces – and given what their light robots can do, Whittaker will have to pull something very special out of the bag to secure victory next time! +

+ END DATASCREED +