Game 2 - The Battle of Bifrost Spaceport

Scenario

The Bifrost Spaceport exists on one of the Moons of Jotunheim, controlling this is vital for the supply of resources in the upcoming battles. For the invaders, it would mean a much needed staging post for future operations.

The Storm Wolves cannot allow them to get this foothold ...

Scenario

The game is a 1000 point Crusade game played in Vanguard Strike deployment.  The following are objectives, 

• 4 x large circular landing pads worth 3 victory points each
• 1 x central control bunker worth 5 victory points [AV14 building]

The Spoils of Victory

As Imperial Guard won the last engagement they get the following bonuses,

Up to 5 officers/sergeants can be upgraded with bolt pistols and power weapons free of charge (they looted)

25% of their enemy must start in reserve, and suffer a -1 to reserve rolls

Storm Wolf Army

• Librarian with Invisibility and Fire Shield
• 3 x 10 Man Tactical Squad with Flamer and Missile Launcher, split into Combat Squads with one Heavy Bolter Razorback
• 6 Man Assault Squad with free Rhino
• Dreadnought with Lascannon and Missile Launcher 
• Predator with Autocannon and Heavy Bolter side-sponsons

Imperial Guard Army

• Company command squad
• Lord commissar with carapace armour
• Platoon command squad with chimera
• 2 x Infantry squad with grenade launcher
• 1 x Special weapons squad with 3 meltaguns
• Infantry squad with grenade luncher
• Infantry squad with grenade luncher,mortar
• Platoon command squad with mortar ,sniper rifle
• Veteran squad with flamer,carapace armour and chimera
• Vendetta

Tau Force Allies

The Talon have promised the Tau a favourable trade agreement if they assist in the upcoming campaign and so some are serving as allies ...

• Shas'el with plasma rifle,missile pod, multi-tracker
• 8 Fire warriors

Round 1

Lots of shots fired back and forward but apart from one dead Rhino, no other casualties ...

Round 2

Dreadnought taken down a hit point by a glancing blow from the Vendetta.  But that's not the worst of it, as a Special Heavy Weapon Squad with meltaguns make short work of the Razorback.  The Fire warriors and Chimera decimate the combat squad as they try to pile out.  Elsewhere the Assault Marine survivors from the dead Rhino in round one feel the brutal reality of "First rank ... Second rank", even with lasguns, this is going to hurt (two die).

The Space Marines seek revenge, bloodying the Special Heavy Weapon squad, whilst a sustained missile launched barrage whittles down the Imperial Guard infantry.

Round 3

It's round 3, and the Imperial Guard take the central bunker, and one of the landing pads.  The Space Marines are yet to claim one.  The squad caught out in the open weathers a hailstorm of fire, but thanks to it's powered armour is only slowly taking casualties, its still too much, and the squad is reduced to one man.

The Predator unleashes it's fury at the Fire Warrior squad, taking down its numbers, whilst a lone sergeant almost takes down a Chimera single handed.

Round 4

Lone sergeants luck runs our under a frontal fire from the Chimera.  The Lord Commissar leads a veteran squad into the nest of Space Marines, wrecking his Chimera in the attempt.  The combination of assault fire and power weapons annihilates the 5-man squad.

The final squad of marines come out of reserve, and takes revenge, with only the Lord Commissar remaining by the end of the turn.  Space Marines also manage to wipe out the last of the Tau Fire Warriors, whilst taking one of the landing pads.

Turn 5

The Vendetta drops the Platoon Command Squad on one of the Landing Pads.  The Imperial Guard now hold three, together with the bunker.  The Space Marines only hold one.  Meanwhile the remaining assault troops with the Librarian find themselves in an Imperial Guard kill-box facing 61 lasgun shots and 3 lascannon shots ... not even power armour can help ...

The Dreadnought manages to take down the vulnerable nearby Vendetta, whilst the Space Marine squad having killed the Lord Commissar race to catch another landing pad, but have to settle for contesting it.  

Turn 6

Imperial guard now hold the bunker and 2 pads, and contest another pad.  The Space Marines only hold 1 pad, whose numbers are now dwindling from a barrage of "First Rank ... Second Rank ..." fire.

Space Marines still keep piling on the pain back, trying to destroy the Imperial Guard held bunker but to no avail.  The Imperial guard are still in control as the game ends.

Final score

Imperial Guard hold 2 pads (6 points), the bunker (5 points) and got First Blood (1 point) and Slay The Warlord (1 point) = 13 Points

Space Marines hold 1 pad (3 points) = 3 Points.

Overview

Interesting use by the Imperial Guard player avoiding the use of the classic Imperial Guard tanks for sheer numbers of troops.  As a Space Marine player, despite power armour and boltguns, I just didn't have enough shots to stop his army who died in great numbers without losing effectiveness.

Best Space Marine Unit

To be honest no one unit really stood out in this battle, will go for the Predator just because it kept on causing pain to the enemy - mainly as it was largely ignored.  That said although it softened up units and did wipe out those pesky Tau, it lacked any overall effectiveness.

Best Imperial Guard Unit

The Platoon Command squad in the Chimera held it's landing pad from turn 1, whilst just pouring out pain, repulsing several Space Marine squads.  It made it look all too easy ...

What does this mean?

The Imperial Guard invasion force has secured an important foothold in the Ragnarok star system  together with vital access to resources.  Any hopes of a quick Storm Wolf victory is now dashed as the invaders establish themselves and secure their supply lines.