Anti-Ork army for Death from the Skies scenario

[Michael Moser]

Thursday I'm playing Logan in a Scramble scenario. Scenario runs like this: Logan's Orks ambush a Space Marine landing site while my Flyers are busy refueling. My flyers roll every round to see if they get off the ground. Victory points are given for every unit destroyed, and D3 points for my (grounded) flyer. If my flyer survives I get D3+1 victory points bonus. Every time I kill Logan's Flyer, it goes into Ongoing Reserve (I still get a victory point), so I can get bonus points every time I kill his bomber.

That makes for certain problems. I need to run the Hunter tank to kill off his bomber every turn, basically. But there were no open Heavy Support slots in my initial list before I saw the scenario:

HQ

• Librarian "Valerius" — psyker level 2, terminator armor, stormshield (130)

Troops

• Tactical Squad "3rd Company, 1/3 1st Tactical, Agrippa" — 10 men, flamer, missile launcher, veteran sergeant, chainsword, melta bombs; Rhino (210)
  
• Tactical Squad "3rd Company, 4/3 6th Tactical, Anaximander" — 10 men, flamer, missile launcher, veteran sergeant, melta bombs; Rhino (210)
  
• Tactical Squad "3rd Company, 7/3 14th Tactical, Zeno" — 10 men, flamer, lascannon, veteran sergeant, melta bombs (180)

Elites

• Dreadnought "3rd Company, 11/3 Dreadnought Auxiliary, Stilo" — powerfist with heavy flamer, assault cannon (130)
  

Fast Attack

• Stormtalon Gunship "Ardor" — skyhammer missile launcher (125)
  

Heavy Support

• Devastator Centurion Squad "9th Company, 4/9 1st Centurion Devastators, Coelius" — hurricane bolters x3, twin-linked heavy bolters x3 (190)
  
• Devastator Squad "3rd Company, 2/3 2nd Devastator, Anaxandridas" — 10 men, heavy bolters x4, veteran sergeant (190)
  
• Vindicator "Indomitable" aka "Badassiel" — siege shield (135)
  

With to get the Hunter in, I needed to get rid of one of my Heavy Supports. So, I got rid of the Vindicator (too short range), the Dreadnought and added the hunter and a land raider. Resulting in:

HQ

• Librarian "Valerius" — psyker level 2, terminator armor, stormshield (130)
  

Troops

• Tactical Squad "3rd Company, 1/3 1st Tactical, Agrippa" — 10 men, flamer, missile launcher, veteran sergeant, chainsword, melta bombs (175)
  
• Tactical Squad "3rd Company, 4/3 6th Tactical, Anaximander" — 10 men, flamer, missile launcher, veteran sergeant, melta bombs (175)
  
• Tactical Squad "3rd Company, 7/3 14th Tactical, Zeno" — 10 men, flamer, lascannon, veteran sergeant, melta bombs (180)
  

Elites

none

Fast Attack

• Stormtalon Gunship "Ardor" — skyhammer missile launcher (125)
  

Heavy Support

• Devastator Centurion Squad "9th Company, 4/9 1st Centurion Devastators, Coelius" — hurricane bolters x3, twin-linked heavy bolters x3; Land Raider Redeemer "Ruthless" — Extra Armor (450)
  
• Devastator Squad "3rd Company, 2/3 2nd Devastator, Anaxandridas" — 10 men, heavy bolters x4, veteran sergeant (190)
  
• Hunter "Agincourt" — storm bolter (75)
  

Was this the right thing to do? Could really use some feedback.

[Alex Hagerman]

It looks pretty good to me. Do you think he will have more boyz or cans? What is the hunters weapon? My thought is if you know it's going to be an attrition battle would there be anyway to get a firestorm redoubt instead to shoot his bomber down every turn, and be able to put a squad on it to get the save and make them harder to kill. Also is the redoubts save invulnerable or cover? If cover anyway to re-org and get a tech marine at base cost to make the redoubt give an even better save to keep your squad alive? Finally any reason to take 10 devastators? I personally would go with 5, the sergeant and then just the guys with a heavy weapon, that's just me though. Also will the cents be in the land raider? It seems like they have high firepower and toughness, I would put a squishier unit in the raider to keep them alive. It looks good, I think the amount of heavy bolters, hurricane bolters, and missile launchers will be nice.

[Michael Moser]

1. Do you think he will have more boyz or cans? — He will have lots more boyz. He only has three cans.

2. What is the hunters weapon? — Skyspear Missile Launcher (60", S7, AP2; Heavy 1, Armorbane, Savant Lock [misses are re-rolled the next turn as the missile homes in], Skyfire). Clarification about the Savant Lock: if you miss with a Skyspear the missile follows the target around until it hits. So on turn 1 I fire and miss. On turn 2 the missile I fired in the first round gets another try, and I fire a second missile, either at the first target or a new one. On turn 3, both missiles I fired previously get new chances to hit, etc. The only way to get rid of one of the missiles is to leave the table and enter ongoing reserve. Additional turns are taken at BS 2 though.

3. Also is the redoubts save invulnerable or cover? — Cover on the battlements. Inside a building if you're inside the building.

4. If cover anyway to re-org and get a tech marine at base cost to make the redoubt give an even better save to keep your squad alive? — Don't have a techmarine. Good idea, though.

5. Any reason to take 10 devastators? — Yes. Soak up wounds before losing the heavy weapons. Having to take 6 wounds before losing one heavy bolter might come in handy. Also, it gives me more rapid fire.

6. Will the cents be in the land raider? — Most likely for the first turn's movement, then they get out and shoot. They can't run (Slow and Purposeful), so they need the mobility. And the ability to weather an opening salvo from a looted wagon.

[Alex Hagerman]

All good to know. Do you feel like the hunter, the aegis, or the firestorm is the more sure bet at killing his bomber every turn? 

Good point with the devastators definitely a concern. 

What is the setup on the looted wagon?

If you get initiative will you go first or will you let him so that he can get closer for all your heavy bolters and missle launchers to be in place?

[Michael Moser]

I would trust the hunter more than the firestorm, because I'd be in control. He'd infiltrate his jetbike squad (defkoptas) to keep them closer than the Bomba to nullify the autofire. I know that the hunter would be better than the Aegis, by a long shot.

The looted wagon is a big piece of crap, except its boomgun: 36", S8, AP3; Ordanance 1, Large Blast. Armor: F11, S11, B10, open-topped.

I'd go first. Can't risk the bomber taking out either my hunter or stormtalon before I get at least one Victory Point for it.