1,500 pts Ulthwé vs Iron Hands - ITC Mission 3, Nexus ControlI played a close-fought game with my friend Kingsley and his Iron Hands. We played ITC Mission 3, the 4-objective game. I tested out some new units like D-Cannons again, and got to see some Primaris marines up close in action.
Army ListsBlazinghand’s List - UlthwéBATTALION + VANGUARD
+HQ+
(Warlord) Autarch on foot with Star Glaive, Relic: Faolchu’s Wing
Eldrad Ulthran
Warlock with Witchblade
+Troops+
5 Dire Avengers, 1 is Exarch with 2 Avenger Shuriken Catapults
5 Dire Avengers, 1 is Exarch with 2 Avenger Shuriken Catapults
5 Rangers
+Elites+
5 Fire Dragons, 1 is Exarch with Dragon’s Breath Flamer
5 Fire Dragons, 1 is Exarch with Dragon’s Breath Flamer
5 Wraithguard with D-Scythes
+Heavy Support+
Support Weapon Battery - 1 D-Cannon
Support Weapon Battery - 1 D-Cannon
+Dedicated Transport+
Wave Serpent with Twin Shuriken Cannons, Shuriken Cannon, Vectored Engines
Wave Serpent with Twin Shuriken Cannons, Shuriken Cannon, Vectored Engines
Wave Serpent with Twin Shuriken Cannons, Shuriken Cannon, Vectored Engines
Kingsley’s List - Iron HandsBATTALION
+HQ+
(Warlord) Captain with Storm Bolter, Relic: Teeth of Terra
Lieutenant with Storm Bolter and Chainsword
+Elites+
Venerable Dreadnought with 2 Twin Autocannons
5 Reivers with Bolt Carbines and Grapnel Launchers, Sergeant has Combat Blade
+Troops+
5 Tactical Marines, 1 has Plasma Gun, 1 is Sergeant with Combi-Plasma and Chainsword
5 Tactical Marines, 1 has Plasma Gun, 1 is Sergeant with Combi-Plasma and Chainsword
5 Scouts with Bolters, 1 has Heavy Bolter
+Dedicated Transport+
Razorback with Lascannon, Twin Plasma Guns, Storm Bolter, Hunter-Killer Missile
Razorback with Lascannon, Twin Plasma Guns, Storm Bolter, Hunter-Killer Missile
SPEARHEAD
+HQ+
Techmarine on Bike with Power Axe, Conversion Beamer, Storm Bolter
+Heavy Support+
5 Devastators with 2 Lascannons, Sergeant has Storm Bolter and Chainsword, Armorium Cherub
5 Devastators with 2 Lascannons, Sergeant has Storm Bolter and Chainsword, Armorium Cherub
Vindicator with Storm Bolter and Hunter-Killer Missile
Vindicator with Storm Bolter and Hunter-Killer Missile
Going into this, I’m interested to see how things will play out. Kingsley didn’t bring any of his flyers this time around, but has 4 tanks and a Venerable Dreadnought, so my Fire Dragons and D-Cannons will have plenty of targets. I’m running a list with much fewer Wraithguard than normal—I have 18 in my 2,000 pt list, but only 5 in this list, meaning I have less durability than I am used to. I’ll have to hit him hard and fast if I want to win this.
Pre-GameFor Mission Selection, we used ITC Mission 3, Nexus Control. This is a standard 4-objective mission with progressive scoring, choosable secondary objectives, and a bonus point for ending your turn in control of all 4 objectives. Kingsley took a Warlord Trait that gave his shooting mini-rends, and I took the Fate Reader Warlord Trait to try to eke out a couple more command points. Eldrad took Doom, Executioner, and Guide. The Warlock went for Quicken/Restrain.
We rolled up deployment mode 3, which is basically “table quarters, but nothing within 9 inches of the center.” For Secondaries, I picked Recon (being in all 4 quarters), Big Game Hunter (kill models with 10 wounds or more), and Old School (points for slay the warlord, first strike, line breaker, etc). Kingsley picked the same secondaries as I did.
Deployment was fairly straightforward. I deployed my Wave Serpents full of Aspect Warriors and Wraithguard as far forward as possible, and put one D-Cannon in the backfield, one in the front, both out of LoS. Kingsley deployed his Devestators in a building, his scouts to my right flank, and his vehicles in the center, back from the front of his deployment zone.
We rolled off for first turn, and I won. I chose to go first, even though this can be disadvantageous in ITC, because I need to hit Kingsley’s lines with as few of his shooting phases happening at long range as possible.
Kingsley failed to seize.
The Game BeginsTop of Turn 1 (Ulthwé)My Rangers come in on my left-side near objective. I unload my Dire Avengers to start things off, having them Advance onto my right-side near objective and into range of Kingsley’s Scouts. My Wave Serpents Advance, the Autarch keeping up easily with his wings and Eldrad burning a CP on Matchess Agility to keep up. I want Eldrad outside the Serpents so he can use the Forewarned Stratagem when Kingsley’s Reivers come in.
In shooting, shots mostly bounce off of Kingsley’s hulls and kill a couple of ablative wounds on the Devestators, but the Scouts go down to the Dire Avengers.
Bottom of Turn 1 (Iron Hands)Kingsley hops tac squads out of a Razorbacks, sending one at my Wave Serpent and one through the ruins onto an objective on my right. He repositions a Vindicator, and brings in his Reivers behind my lines. Eldrad Forewarns a Wave Serpent to shoot at the Reivers, but I only peel one wound off of them.
Kingsley’s shooting brings down one Dire Avenger squad and reduces the Rangers to 2 elves. HIs Vindicators, Lascannons, and Plasma crack open a Wave Serpent despite my use of Lightning-Fast Reactions, and kill 4 of the 5 Wraithguard that bail out of the Serpent.
His Tactical Squad charges the lone Wraithguard, losing a man on the way in but tying it up in assault. I lose a Ranger to morale.
Top of Turn 2 (Ulthwé)My remaining Dire Avenger squad puts itself on my right-side objective and strings forward from it to get shots on Kingsley’s Tactical Squad on his ruins objective. Fire Dragons hop out of their Wave Serpents and Advance to get good shots on the front Vindicator and Razorbacks. The now-empty Wave Serpents move to tag objectives. The left-side enemy objective is unclaimed, but I’ll need to kill Kingsley’s Tactical Squad in the ruins on the right side for the Wave Serpent to claim the right-side objective. My HQs all take cover under or near my Wave Serpents, and my rear D-Cannon moves up to come into range to shoot at the Reivers.
Psychic and Shooting go well. I destroy the Vindicator and reduce a Razorback to 1 wound remaining, and clear off Kingsley’s Tactical Squad in the ruins, giving me control of all 4 objectives for the turn (worth a bonus point!). D-Cannons kill 3 Reivers, leaving 2 alive. Those Primaris Marines are tough as nails. Wraithguard and the tactical squad remain locked in stalemate in assault.
Bottom of Turn 2 (Iron Hands)Kingsley brings his Techmarine forward to repair his Razorback and prepare for a charge on the Autarch. His Reivers move up to get a charge on my Ranger. Everything else remains still. His shooting is brutal, clearing out all my Fire Dragons and the Wave Serpent sheltering my Warlock. His Reivers also put a wound on the D-Cannon platform.
His Techmarine sticks the charge on the Autarch…
...but dies to the respectable power of the Star Glaive after rolling very poorly.
Top of Turn 3 (Ulthwé)My remaining Wave Serpent hops into cover onto the right-side enemy objective. My Dire Avengers reposition to get shots on the Reivers while tagging my right-side friendly objective. My D-Cannon platforms move up, and the front one gets close enough to tag the left-side friendly objective, which will be important if I manage to shoot the Reivers off it. Eldrad and the Warlock move to support my Wraithguard that has been stuck in assault for a while now. The Autarch flies forward to position for a charge on the exposed Captain and Lieutenant.
In the Psychic phase, Eldrad and the Warlock smite down a couple of the tactical marines fighting the Wraithguard. In Shooting, the weakened Reivers and the weakened Razorback are cleared out, leaving me with uncontested control of all 4 objectives again.
The Autarch sticks the 1-inch charge on the Captain and the Lieutenant. He damages the Captain, and takes a wound in response, but otherwise the fighting is inconclusive.
Bottom of Turn 3 (Iron Hands)Kingsley falls his remaining Tactical Marine back, and moves up his Vindicator to fight the Warlock and Wraithguard, claiming the left-side objective. His Razorback approaches my Wave Serpent on the objective, but isn’t in position to claim it.
His shooting brings down my rear Dire Avenger squad the Wave Serpent. However, my Warlock and Wraithguard stand strong. He charges them with his Vindicator, leading to inconclusive assault. The fight between Autarch and the Iron Hands HQs continues.
Top of Turn 4 (Ulthwé)Eldrad joins the Warlock and Wraithguard, smiting down the tactical marine and putting damage on the Vindicator in with powers and assault.
The Autarch finishes off the Iron Hands Captain with several well-placed Star Glaive attacks, but is down to only 2 wounds remaining.
Bottom of Turn 4 (Iron Hands)Kingsley has the Lieutenant Fall Back into the Razorback, and lines up shots on the Autarch. The Lieutenant in the Razorback reposition towards Eldrad and the Warlock. In shooting, he destroys the Autarch and the final D-Cannon platform.
Top of Turn 5 (Ulthwé)At this point, our armies are running on fumes. Eldrad and the Warlock, my only remaining units, carefully reposition themselves around the Vindicator. these powers need to go off if they want to win.
They destroy it with powers weaken the Razorback with powers and their pistols.
Bottom of Turn 5 (Iron Hands)Kingsley jumps out his Lieutenant to face my psykers.
Kingsley’s few remaining units shoot at Eldrad and the Warlock, but Eldrad survives.
Top of Turn 6 (Ulthwé)Eldrad and finishes off the Lieutenant and the Razorback with a mixture of their powers, shooting, and assault.
Bottom of Turn 6 (Iron Hands)Kingsley’s remaining forces, which are a Dreadnought and a few Devastators, destroy Eldrad, tabling me, and causing him to win by 2 points.
Iron Hands Victory!It was a hard-fought game, and every turn I updated my opinion on who would win. I've learned more about positioning my D-Cannon platforms and have a good amount to think about. This list has 13 fewer Wraithguard than my normal list, which I think made me a lot less durable, but it still stood up well.
