Daemons.....

Played a game today vs Chaos Daemons. Was keen to test out the Fast vehicles and the shooty goodness.

1500pts again, his list was as follows:

Fateweaver

Ku'gath

3 Flamers

3 Flamers

8 Bloodletters

1 large unit of Plaguebearers (I forgot to note how many)

Soulgrinder with 3 guns.

He started off with the plaguebearers, fateweaver, 1 unit of flamers and Ku'gath on the table. Soulgrinder, 1 unit of flamers and the 'letters in reserve.

Mission was Bases and deployment was quarters.

He went second so I deployed both my Vindicators on opposite sides of my deployment zone, the Rhino and one Razorback to the right with 2 attack bikes, the 2nd Razorback near my base in my corner, and the Death Co. with the last Bike to the left. Everything moved 12" and spread out with the Vindicators covering both my base and the midpoint of the table. The bikes, DC and Rhino and Razorback made pincer movements round the flanks whilst still covering the centre of the board with their weapons.

He brought down Fateweaver on his base along with his Plaguebearers who scattered in front of the ruins his objective marker was inside. Ku'gath came down next to my objective. The flamers came down next to the Vindicator and bike which were going towards the middle of the table via the left of my deployment. The Flamers scored a 'Shaken' result on the left side Vindicator.

Not having much experience against Daemons, apart from with my Grey Knights, which is almost an auto-win, I am going by recommendations. And I am told that the key to beating them is much like the old Nids. Work your way down the food chain. Greater Daemons > Daemon Princes > Scoring units. So with that in mind... I moved 2 of my attack bikes into position to fire at Fateweaver, the Death Company RB moved forward 12" towards his objective, Fateweaver and the Plaguebearer unit. They would be charging Fateweaver next turn and taking him down! The first Multi Melta attack Bike attempted to fire at Fateweaver but was out of range from across the board. The 2nd took aim and scored a wound. He failed his invulnerable on a 1. He failed his re-roll on a 1. He then took his leadership test... double 6! He is gone! What luck! Something I won't see in another 1295 games!

I fired everything else that could shoot at Ku'gath and dropped him down to 4 wounds.

His turn 2 and his Soulgrinder appeared. He plonked it down right in the centre of the board next to my Vindicator, attack bike and his Flamers. His second unit of flamers also came down next to my Rhino, Razorback and 2 Attackbikes which were progressing around my table edge toward the right flank. He managed to drop one of the Bikes down to one wound with the newly arrived flamers, weapon destroyed on the left Vindicator and strip a wound from one of the attack bikes in the process with his other Flamers after the Soulgrinder missed with it's Blast weapon. Ku'gath charged a Razorback and managed to wreck it.

My turn 3 and the DC disembarked and moved towards the Plaguebearers. The Heavy Flamer killed 2, and as he removed them from the side closest the DC, I got flashbacks to the Salamanders game and stopped shooting at them! The weaponless Vindicator formed a shield wall next to the ruins of the objective marker to protect the DC Razorback. The functioning Vindicator nearest my table edge fired and missed at Ku'gath. Assault Cannon fire took another wound from Ku'gath. The Assault Marines who had gotten out of the wrecked Razorback fired their Meltagun and reduced him to 2 wounds. As they were suffering from Red Thirst I decided to charge them into combat, hoping the Sergeant with his Lightning Claw would succeed in taking that 1 wound needed to kill him. I succeeded in causing 0 wounds. He killed 2 in return. They passed their No Retreat saves. The Death Company charged the big mob of Plaguebearers and killed 2. He managed to kill 1 back. He then lost another one from No Retreat.

His turn and the Bloodletters didn't show. He moved his Flamers to flame multiple units and advanced the Soulgrinder towards the weaponless Vindicator ready to crush it. His units of Flamers managed to kill 2 attack bikes and drop the last one down to 1 wound but not managing to glance the weaponless Vindicator. Soulgrinder only managed to score a Shaken on the Vindicator with no gun. More Plaguemarines died. No DC died. Ku'gath again took no wounds and killed another 3 marines, leaving just the sergeant. Soulgrinder assaulted the Vindicator and did nothing to it.

I drove my remaining Razorback round the side of the ruins with the Plaguebearers and DC fighting over home base. The Assault Cannon and the last remaining Meltabike took shots at the Soulgrinder but did nothing. The Rhino with the Librarian and Corbulo in span round and made a beeline 18" for my home objective in order to hold it as the last of the Assault marines would be dying shortly. The sergeant duely obliged and dropped down dead. I dropped a Vindicator shell on the Flamer unit near my table edge. 2 died. The sergeant of the Assault squad duely fell down. More plaguemarines died, and 2 fell down from No Retreat leaving only 4 left.

His turn and the Bloodletters turned up near my home objective and ran 2" into a wider spaced group. The Soulgrinder charged in to my Death Company, and the lone Flamers remaining had a go at glancing the Vindicators 1 each with no joy. Ku'gath walked towards the Vindicator nearest him and burped, but didnt manage to glance either. Soulgrinder charaged the Death Company, and killed one. The DC killed 3 Plaguemarines. 1 left.

My turn 5 and the Vindicator with the gun drove 12" up to Ku'gath and contested my home objective, ignoring him completely and focussing on the 8 Bloodletters. Pie plate hit and wounded all 8! 6 fell down. GREAT SUCCESS! Rhino races forwards closer to the home objective but still not close enough. Now all I needed was the Meltabike to take one last wound of Ku'gath... but he missed. In combat the Assault Squad got out of the Razorback and charged the last Plaguemarine on home objective. They killed him and all I needed to do was take down the Soulgrinder with my DC Power Fist, but failed to penetrate.

His turn and he ran the Bloodletters into the ruins next to my objective to contest. He flamed and charged both Vindicators with his 2 remaining solo Flamers to no avail. The Death Company and Soulgrinder were still going at it, and this time he killed 2, leaving just the Power Fist marine. He swung back needing 3s to hit, but only managed a 2 and a 1! ARGH! So he had Bloodletters and Ku'gath contending the objective in my deployment zone with my Vindicator. I had the Death Company and a full strength assault squad contending his base, vs the Soulgrinder which was just within 3".

Unfortunately the game ended. I was sure I could have definitely killed the 2 remaining Bloodletters and Ku'gath with my Rhino full of marines and the last Meltabike. He would have killed the last DC member with Fist, and continued contesting. I should have sent the Rhino to assist the Death Company with the Thunder Hammer sergeant inside, swinging at St9 on the charge with a re-roll unused from Corbulo, and sent the Razorback back to home base to clean up. That being said I was INCREDIBLY lucky to remove Fateweaver so early. An enjoyable game. Fast Vehicles ROCK against Daemons. Fear of the Darkness and Shield do not! Haha.