Wolves vs Puppies
This batrep is brought to you by Riven, the forum name of one of the cave regulars. Riven was kind enough to document a game between Sheri's Space Wolves and Dan's Vendolan Guard. - GMR
The company of Harald Deathwolf has received the tragic news that some of their favorite puppies (guardsmen) may not be prepared to face the onrushing assault of Chaos! In order to remedy this woeful lack, the Wolves have decided to imitate a Chaos attack. Unfortunately, they may not have informed the guardsmen that this is just a training exercise... after all, how can you practice defending a surprise attack if you know it's coming?!
Saturday afternoon, the cave. I convinced Sheri to play a 1v1 vs Dan’s guard (the three of us will get many a chance to play among us in the future, after all.) Sheri wanted to put her Stormwolf on the table again, and Dan wanted to play the inverse of his last list, this time putting every hull on the table our house rules would allow.
They rolled the Covert Objectives game from Maelstrom, Hammer and Anvil. Sheri had never played Maelstrom before, so the game was to serve as her first foray into it. We use the Maelstrom objective cards, which is a much easier way to generate than to continue rolling dice – a real time saver. For simplicity's sake, no one chose to use army-specific objectives.
The Claws of the Fell-handed
Bjorn, drop pod (Warlord)
Murderfang
Iron Priest
Wulfen x5
9x bloodclaws w/ meltagun, power sword in a rhino [troops]
+ Wolf Guard Pack Leader w/frost sword and storm shield
9x bloodclaws w/ meltagun, power sword in a stormwolf [troops]
+ Lukas the Trickster
5x skyclaws w/meltagun, power maul [troops equivalent]
5x fenrisian wolves
5x fenrisian wolves
2x Lone wolf in terminator armor w/power sword, combi melta
Land Raider Crusader
Vendolan 1st Armored Company
Dan took the Armored Fist formation and a CAD.
Tank Commander Pask, Russ, Punisher, multimelta sponsons (aka “Markov”)
+ Russ, Eradicator, plasma cannon sponsons
Russ, Punisher, heavy bolter sponsons
Russ, Battle Cannon
Russ, Battle Cannon
Techpriest
+ Servitorx1
Techpriest
+ Servitor x2
Lord Commissar w/power fist, Death Mask (aka “Constantine”)
Armored Sentinel w/lascannon
Armored Sentinel w/lascannon
Vets, grenadier, in chimera. 2X meltagun, 1x heavy flamer
Vets, grenadier, in chimera. 2X meltagun, 1x heavy flamer
Vets, grenadier, in chimera. 3X plasma gun
Vets, grenadier, in chimera. 2X plasma gun
Deployment
Wolves deployed first. Sheri chose to go hard on the left side, putting both Rhino and LR there, flanked by Murderfang. Both wolfpacks held the right side of the line. All other forces were in reserve. The Wulfen and the Iron Priest were in the LRC.
Dan countered by deploying his tanks at the back of his zone, putting Markov in the center, screened by 3 chimeras. The punisher took the right, and battle cannons and sentinels sat on the flanks, along with a single squad of vets. One sentinel deployed right on top of Objective 4.
Dan declined to seize.
Turn One
The opening move was Bjorn’s arrival, a risky deep strike into the back right, screened from Markov by his drop pod. Sheri chose to rush everything else forward, flatting out all transports and running the wolves and Murderfang. She was unable to score any objectives, so held on to them for the next turn.
Dan countered hard against Bjorn. He attempted to roll his corner Russ into the building, but immobilized on a piece of terrain. All other forces mostly held position. During shooting, a squad of melta vets cleared away the drop pod, and Markov turned all his guns on the venerable dreadnought. Thanks to the ruin, Sheri was able to make 5 of 7 cover saves, leaving one hull point remaining. Dan just managed to finish him off with a shot from the immobilized Russ in the corner – giving Dan Slay the Warlord, and letting him breathe again. The dreadnought nearly lived through a first turn in his tank back line, and absorbed the majority of his list's first-turn shooting. Dan finished his turn by taking shots at the wolves with his sentinels and chimeras, killing two, and dropping a glance on Sheri's rhino.
End of turn: 0 to 4
Turn 2
To make up for last game, Sheri made a bevy of reserve rolls, with only one Lone Wolf staying off the table. She decided to press hard on the left flank. The Rhino and Land Raider rolled forward and discharged their passengers into Dan's deployment zone, while the Stormwolf zoomed up behind them to offer fire support. The Lone Wolf outflanked into the back left corner. After debating the merits of deepstriking her Skyclaws into Dan's deployment zone, Sheri opted to land them near the Sentinel, but scatter sent them right into a clear spot in the middle of Dan's tanks. Ooops!
Unfortunately the impressive arrival was followed by mediocre shooting. In spite of all the firepower she had to bring to bear, she was only able to land a single glance on the Chimera, and another glance on Dan's Punisher Russ with the Skyclaws. The Stormwolf, Grey Hunters, and Lone Wolf in the corner largely whiffed. Also luckily for Dan, his formation let him re-roll the pen result from the Skyclaws, turning an Explodes! into a Shaken result.
The assault phase proved much more fruitful. The Wulfen ran and then multi-charged the Sentinel and the shaken Punisher, predictably wrecking both. The Iron Priest, who had broken away from the Wulfen, charged and wrecked the Chimera with his thunder hammer, dumping the squad of Vets.
Meanwhile, Sheri scooted her wolves onto objectives, between them and the Wulfen, managing to score a tremendous 6 points – the largest single-turn point swing of the game.
Dan had never played against Wulfen before. Suddenly aware of their threat, his army pivoted, with Markov and most of the army unloading on the Wulfen with withering firepower. Thanks to their location in the building, just one Wulfen managed to survive. Dan's remaining sentinel targeted the Stormwolf and shook it.
In the back corner, Dan's vets targeted the newly arrived Lone Wolf with las and melta, but only managed to land a single wound (from the sergeant's laspistol – fire every weapon you have; you never know which one will do the trick!)
Sheri's Skyclaws came under heavy plasma fire, but went to ground for a 4+ and made an improbable 8 of 10 4+ cover saves. I joked that it was their first time on the field, and they wanted to make an impression so they could show up again!
Dan ended his turn by tank-shocking Sheri's wolves off of an objective to score Supremacy, but only rolled a 1 on the d3 – a theme that would come back to haunt him over the game.
End of Turn: 6 to 5
Turn 3
Sheri's last Lone Wolf showed up, outflanking on the right behind the immobilized Russ. This time, she had more luck with her melta, landing a second immobilized result and wrecking the tank. Her Land Raider, now empty, rolled forward and wrecked a Chimera with its shooting. Sheri elected to keep the Stormwolf zooming (there was more ground to cover before she wanted to drop off the second unit of blood claws), and it unloaded on Markov's unit. The helfrost cannon managed to put a pen on Markov's companion tank, but thanks again to Dan's ability to force rerolls to the pen table, the result was merely a weapon destroyed.
At last in range to bring their full power to bear, Sheri declared a series of charges. The Iron Priest ate overwatch for her Blood Claws into Dan's veteran squad – literally; alas he failed his 2+ armor save and never made it into combat. However the Blood Claws closed in, killing 9, routing 1, and then cutting him down. (Editor's note: The Blood Claws benefited from Curse of the Wulfen this turn, gaining Hammer of Wrath and Furious Charge. - GMR) The Wulfen and the Lone Wolf both went after the Russ in the corner. The Wulfen graciously allowed the Lone Wolf to strike first, but after the other only managed a single glance, he finished it off with 3 pens from his thunder hammer.
Sheri's Fenrisian Wolves continued their backfield conga-line between objectives, giving her a single point.
Things were beginning to look a little grim for the Guard, so Dan called on Markov to do what he does best... target, delete. A single snapshotting multimelta blew Sheri's Stormwolf out of the sky, and an unlucky scatter brings it crashing down on the poor remaining Skyclaws. Squish! I guess those guys won’t be back next time! The Stormwolf was still full of Blood Claws, and in the resulting explosion, only Lukas and one other friend survive. Ouch! (We strongly suspect the Trickster may have jumped out the window without his parachute.)
The remainder of Dan's army split their fire, routing one squadron of Sheri's wolves, killing a pair of Blood Claws in the far corner, and putting a single glance on Murderfang. The Wolf Dread had just managed to lumber up onto the ridgeline in Dan's deployment zone, annoyed that HE didn't get a fancy ride like Bjorn did.
End of Turn: 7 to 6.
Turn 4
Having turned the left flank, Sheri chose to pivot her remaining forces towards the center. The Land Raider opened up with hurricane bolters on Dan's vets, hoping to clear a path for the lone remaining Wulfen to charge. Murderfang continued his slow advance, now joined by Lukas and Friend. In the backfield, the wolves failed to regroup, and Sheri chose to park her Rhino all the way back on Objective 1.
In assault, both Lone Wolves, having eliminated the Russes, chose to charge their respective Tech Priests. One cut his way free of the squad, and the other stayed locked in combat. The lone Wulfen daringly charged, managing to just squeeze through the bubble wrap to reach base contact with Markov's squad, landing four pens. Once again, thanks to the one remaining Tech Priest, Dan was spared an explosion, but Markov's friend was wrecked and he himself was down to a single hull point.
Lone Wolves charge their respective Tech Priests. One murdered the squad; the other slew a single servitor, took two hits in return, tanked one on the invuln and the other on feel no pain. (Because Lone wolves kick butt!) The Wulfen ran and then charged between two guardsmen to hit Markov's friend in the face, doing two pens ( no explode, thank you Tech Priest formation), and then two more pens on Markov, that just shake him.
At the end of the turn, Murderfang's IWND kicked in. Sheri makes those rolls, but I never seem to get them to work for my Heldrake...
It's time – past time – for that last Wulfen to die, and Markov performs to the task, eliminating the threat. Dan's Vets hop out of their Chimeras to add to the screen, targeting the Land Raider in the process and wiping out its assault cannon. Dan's remaining vehicles open fire on Murderfang, but fail to wreck him, landing only a single glance.
In Sheri's backfield, Dan's plasma Vets hopped out of their ride and wreck the Rhino sitting on its objective. Plasma continued to serve Dan well, eliminating the Lone Wolf who cut his way free of combat. In the other ongoing combat, Dan assaults the second Wolf with Constantine. The Wolf manages to wipe the tech priest's squad; Constantine lands a wound on him, but it fails to stick.
End of turn: 9 to 7
Turn 5
Sheri's fleeing wolves at last ran off the back of the table and flee into the Vendolan wilderness. Don't worry, they'll be back. You know, another game. Arf, arf!!
Sheri's shooting at this point was really just down to the Land Raider. While hurricane bolters riddled vets and wiped out both threatening melta guns, she used Power of the Machine Spirit to target Markov, who is just barely out of alignment, allowing her to land the last glance she needs to take him off the table and gain Slay the Warlord.
Her Blood Claws continued to hover on the left field objective, while Lukas and friend assaulted one of the remaining Vet squads. The friend never makes it in, but Lukas was wearing his helmet. After killing a couple in close combat he routed the rest and cut them down. On the right, Murderfang charged the remaining Sentinel.
Wobbly model? I don't see no stinkin' wobbly model!
Dan's last Vet squad was able to clean up Lukas, the plasma gunner obliterating himself in the process. Them's the risk. The Chimeras continued their consistent fire on Murderfang, again just resulting in a glance. And in the very back, Constantine and the Lone Wolf continued to wail away.
End of Turn: 11 to 9
Turn 6
Game continues! Both sides now had so little on the table that became difficult to capture objectives. Sheri's Land Raider continued to clean up guardsmen in the center. Warming up for a charge, Murderfang fired all guns on Dan's Chimera, pinging it down two hull points – I guess there would be no charge after all. Meanwhile, in assault, Constantine finally put down the Lone Wolf.
Murderfang and the Blood Claws claimed 2 objectives for points.
Dan, likewise, was running out of units. Everything opened fire on Murderfang, who at last succumbed to three plasma shots to the back, and giving Dan the character kill he needed for points. The attendant Chimera moved up on his objective for another point, and Guardsmen conga-lined into Linebreaker.
End of Turn: 13 to 11.
Game ends! Both sides have Linebreaker – Sheri with Blood Claws and Dan with Vets, bringing the final score to 14 Space Wolves, 12 Guard. Because the game was so close, both sides agreed to play the final turn to see what would happen. Thanks to an unlucky draw of objectives for Sheri, Dan would have ended up with 2 more points, bringing the game to a 14-14 tie. However, this was not the “official” result... such are the whimsies of variable game length, where a single turn can swing so much!
Afterthoughts:
First Maelstrom game, first Land Raider, first time having a fully-loaded flyer shot out of the sky – I'll leave Sheri's thoughts on that battle to her to determine, but all in all, I thought it was a great experience! She really got a terrifying look at what Armored guard bring to bear, and once again, got to feel the power that even a small unit of Wulfen bring to the table, when properly delivered. (Nice to see a LR on the table for a change!) It was also her first game not fielding Thunderwolf Cavalry, which I feel will remain a rarity – she likes them too much! Additionally, she didn't field a psyker, and more than once was heard to wish she had one.
For his part, Dan got a lot of mileage out of his Armored Fist formation bonus, and Markov certainly pulled his weight – all but wrecking Bjorn, killing the Wulfen, blowing the Stormwolf out of the sky, and all in all more than making up for his points. It was certainly a change to see so many hulls on the field after Dan's more recent experiments with blob guard... a frightening challenge to any army that did not pack enough anti-tank!
A great batrep with lots of great photos! My thanks to Riven for providing it! Expect to see more contributions from Riven in the future. Having read the batrep, I'd have to say MVP of the game was that Wulfen with the thunder hammer. That sucker accounted for 3 Leman Russes practically singlehandedly, and set up Markov's command tank to be glanced down by Sheri's LRC. Make a note, Sheri, he deserves a name and a paint job now. - GMR
