23/24 Epic League - Codex Astartes vs Steel Legion

First of in the 23/24 Epic league is the Codex Astartes in form of Blood Angles vs Steel Legions.

This was the lists that was used.

+++ Codex Astartes TP2018          2000p +++

Tactical Detachment 1                             325

6xTactical, 3xRhino, Chaplain                                        

Tactical Detachment 2                             350

6xTactical, 3xRhino, Hunter                                          

Devastator Detachment                            250

4xDevastator, 2xRhino                                         

 Scout Detachment                                 150

4xScout, 2xRhino                                         

Bike Detachment                                  200

5xBike                                          

Land Speeder Detachment                          200

5xLand Speeder                                  

Predator Detachment                              250

4xPredator Annihilator                          

Whirlwind Detachment                             275

4xWhirlwind 

                                    

+++ Steel Legion TP2018            1975p +++

Mechanised Infantry Company 1                      400

Imperial Guard Commander, 12xImperial Guard Infantry, 7xChimera, Commissar                                   

Mechanised Infantry Company 2                     500

Imperial Guard Commander, 12xImperial Guard Infantry, 7xChimera, 3xHellhound, Commissar                       

Rough Rider Platoon                              150

6xRough Riders, Commissar                                       

Artillery Battery                                250

3xBasilisk, Commissar                                       

Sentinel Squadron                                100

4xSentinel                                      

Warhound Titan                                   275

Warhound Titan                                  

2x Thunderbolt Squadron                             300

2xThunderbolt Fighter-Bomber                    

The battlefield was the hot outskirts of the ruined city of Nolus Minorus. A small city in the Angebergus eastern desert if it was not for that it happens to have the only source of water for several days march.

The Blood Angles had the highest initiative an decided to deploy in the ruins of Nolus Minorus. They deployed Tac Company 2 in the middle to have the hunter cover the entire army. It deployed the other tactical company to the left to protect the marine objektives and the devastators and the fast troops on the right to capture the Steel Legion objectives. 

The steel legions put their mechanized companies on the flanks the the rest of the troops in the middle.

+++ Turn 1 +++
===================================================
Unsurprisingly did the marines win the initiative but choose for the Steel Legion to go first due to lack of targets.

The Steel Legions started with a barrage against the Tac 2 Company. Killing one of the marines.

The Blood Angles decided to take the center bridge and choose to double up their predators. With not much to fire on they put a blast marker on the Rough Riders.

The Steel Legion sees an opening in the marines air cover with the Hunter suppressed they manage to sneak in a Thunderbolt squadron on the marines right flank and fire at the devastators destroying both their rhinos severely limiting their mobility.

The marins realize their mistake and marshal the Tac 2 company to get the Hunter back in operation. And move the hunter so in no longer is at the far back. 

The Rough Riders decide do contest the bridge and move toward the predators. 

On the marine right flank the bikes march up and hide behind a hill close to the Steel Legion objective.

This temp the Steel Legion to move up the Mech 2 company and hopefully fry the bikes with its Hellhounds. Unfortunately only one marine biker is killed by the flames.

The devastators double through the ruined park and fire at the Mech 2 company killing one Hellhound.

The Warhound join the fight on the bridge and utterly rips the predators to pieces with its Plasma cannon. Destroying three of them. The remaining breaks and hide far back at the marine lines.

But the marine player has a plan. The Landspeeders double up and get the Mech 2 company in a cross fire. However only one measly infantry is killed.

With the hunter moved to the side of the Tac 2 company it open up a fire free zone on the marine left flank that the other Thunderbolt squadron utilize to bomb the Tac 1 company. But they only manage to destroy one Rhino.

The central scouts decided that the do more use as a determent than move out in the open and stays on overwatch.

The likewise central Sentinels fail their activation and only manage a potshot at the bikes with no result.

The leftmost Tac 2 company move up a little and fortify them self in a ruin overlooking the big empty desert where the marine objectives are.

The Steel legion does not feel to move into this are just yet with both the scouts and tactical marines in an advantage position in the ruins on the other side and decide to just hold back.

Finally the Whirlwinds of the marines fire their barrage at the Mech 2 company that had been lured forward by the bikes. Killing one chimera and one infanteri and starting to stack up blast markers.

In the end phase most formations manage their rallying except the Mech 2 company that ends up keeping a big stack of blast markers. One of the Thunderbolts on the marine right was also shoot down by the Hunter while exiting the board.

+++ Turn 2 +++
=======================================================

 

The marines won the initiative and this time choose to go first.

They start with the Whirlwinds fire at the Mech 2 company killing another 2 infantry.
Then they retain the initiative and charge the mech 2 company with the bikers. Locking the dangerous Hellhounds in close combat and having the Landspeeders with supporting fire. The marines had hope that some of the opponents grunt would not make it to fire fight distance but in the end only one did not got close enough. Making it a really tight affair that took two rounds of fighting to resolve. In the end the marines came out on top breaking the Mech 2 company and only loosing two bikes in the process.



The Steel legion strikes back with a barrage against the Tac 2 company hoping to silence the Hunter but only manage to kill one marine.

The Blood Angles see the opportunity to break the opponents spirit and chase after the routing Mech 2 company with his landspeeders. Killing five more units. Leaving it at just 4 left.

The Warhound tries to retaliate but with the plasma gun on cool down it only kill one landspeeder.

The lone surviving predator double up to support the now pretty lonely bikes in holding the objective.

The 2nd thunderbolt squadron had to stand down.

The Tac 2 Company advance to challenge the Rough Riders on the bridge but the emperor is not with them and all shoots miss.

The 1th thunderbolt squadron that now only consist of one plane unsurprisingly has to stand down.

The Scouts in the center decide that they do most use by stay on overwatch.

The Sentinels again fail the activation but this time manage to kill one bike and finally break them.

The devastators also fail their activation and decide to move out in the open with most targets eliminated on the marine right.

The Mech 1 Company Advance prepare so they are in range of the marine objective for next round.

The Tac 1 company sustain fire at them but does not manage to do any damage.

In the end phase does Mec 2 company rally but the lone bike fails.

+++ Turn 3 +++
===========================================================

The marines win the initiative again.

They try to finish of the Mech 2 company with the landspeeder but only manage to kill one of them and break them again.

The basisilsk sustain fire at the Tac 2 company and really hit home. Killing 3 marines and one Rhino.

The Tac 2 company realize that they are in danger and Marsal while firing at the Rough Riders that are uncomfortable close but miss them.

The 1st thunderbolt squadron tries to ground attack the predator but the last plane is shot down by the Hunter.

The predator sustain fire at the Sentinels but only manage to kill one.

The Warhound double. Leaving the guarding of the bridge and move up to contest the marine objectives. Fire at the Landspeeders and killing two of them.

The devastators double towards the warhound and also make it into the Steel Legion half of the board. They manage to knock one void shield of the war engine.

The Sentinels again fail to active. They move slightly to protect the other marine objective on the bridge.

The Scouts expect a Steel Legion move in the open desert and stays on overwatch.

The rough riders rush down from the bridge and charge into the Tac 2 company at the foot of the bridge. Everything goes the horsemens way and only one Rhino survives.

The whirlwind choose to fire at the Mec 1 company instead of the recently successfully Rough Riders. Destroying one Chimera and killing four infanteri. 

The 2nd thunderbolts stand down.

Tac 1 company choose to leave the security of the ruins and forestall the coming attack of the Steel Legion by occupy one of  the objectives. Throwing a few shots but misses.

The Steel Legion Mec 1 Company finally does its push and takes the other objective while shooting at the Tac 1 company. Killing 2 marines and one Rhino.

The score is at the end of turn 3 

0-0

Most of the formation makes their rally attempt except the Mech 2 company and the Tac 1 company.

+++ Turn 4 +++
======================================================

The marines win the initiative, again.

They start with trying to take out the basilisks with the landspeeders. But with only one landspeeder allowed to fire they miss and just suppress one of the cannons.

However it limit the following barrage from the basilisks at the Tac 1 company and only 1 marine is killed.

The marine player responds with a barrage from the Whirlwinds on the Mech 1 company. Killing 2 chimera and 2 infantry breaking the unit. Things looks grim for the Steel Legions right now.

What else to do than to end with a glorious charge. The Rough Riders charge the Whirlwinds. Wiping them out and is now controlling the Blitz. Suddenly things looks alot better.

The devastators sustain fire at the Warhound finally do some damage. Knocking down the shields and cause one damage.

The Sentinels keep up their trend and fail to active one final time. They stay at the objective.

The predator sustain fire at the warhound cause another damage and breaks it.

The 2nd thunderbolt squadron does a ground attack on the remaining rhino from the Tac 2 company. Killing it now having two victory conditions versus the marines zero. However they have no more formations to activate.

The scouts had to move from their cozy ruins where they have spent the entire battle and advance towards the rough rider that control the blitz. They kill 2. One to little to break them but they now contest the objective.

The marine player try to desperately find a way to get two victory conditions but is not able to reach the Rough Riders wile at the same time control all objectives and chose to remove the Sentinels from their objective and thereby get a  Take and Hold.

The game end 1-1 (Take and Hold vs Break their Sprit)

But the Steel Legions had suffered far bigger losses and the marines is crowned the winners.

The game long looked like a sure victory for the marine player that manage to break both the Steel Legion main companies. But doing so forgot the cheap Rough Riders that killed more then three times their value and almost won the game for the Steel Legions. Over all this was the glass cannons games where both the marine bikes and the Rough Riders hade some really good moments.