**
For this rematch, my opponent is bringing all sorts of shiny new things like Vindicators, Mastodons and a Thunderhawk Gunship. On the traitor side, I have a demi-company and an armored company, as well as a Brethren of Iron consisting of two reinforced Thallax cohorts and a Kratos commander.
Last time, the loyalists fielded two Warhound Titans. I think it's high time my Legio Venefica walked a Legions Imperialis battlefield, so I'm bringing a Reaver Titan. Since the Abominatio Desolationis got blown up in its last battle with Legio Crucius, my legion will be represented by the Deos tuos non colimus, et thronum auream, quam erexisti, non adoramus, or the Non Adoramus for short.
That left me with 200 points to spend on allies, which is just enough for a Yat-Kha sub-cohort, the Glorifiers of the White Snow, and, from the 256th bomber wing of the 2773rd (Provisional) Air Group, a Marauder bomber.
**
With our armies picked, it was time to set up the terrain. We'll be fighting over Basilica Administratum 953371, so we placed that building in the center of the table.
I agree with Goonhammer that the pre-painted Gothic Sector terrain is truly excellent, and I appreciate the damaged and destroyed variants of the buildings.
For the mission, we rolled All Out War, meaning we freely place six objectives, and deploy right in each other's face. It promised to be absolutely hilarious. I set up my armor and the Auxilia on my left, the larger Thallax cohort in the center, and the Reaver on my right. My opponent sent his Marine tanks against mine, with the Mastodons and Auxilia armor sweeping left around the Basilica.
**
Turn 1 started with my larger Thallax cohort firing their jump packs and taking control of Basilica 953371 and with it, objective 3.
As they did so, the loyalist Mastodons swung around the basilica and unleashed their cargoes of Terminators and Contemptor Dreadnoughts.
The Terminators charged the Rapier battery, losing a stand to their overwatch fire, while the Contemptors attacked the Brethren of Iron's command Kratos. The loyalist Thunderhawk swooped down to add to the chaos, with assault marines spilling from its exits, and the traitor Xiphons barreled in on an intercept course, but their shots went wide.
On the traitor left, my spanking new Whirlwinds opened fire, blowing apart two loyalist Predators and causing the last one to turn tail and flee.
On the right, the Non Adoramus downed a shield from the nearest Mastodon with its gatling blasters, while the carapace-mounted Apoptygma missile launcher wiped out the Deredeo Dreadnoughts holding objective 2!
In the close combat phase, the Imperial Fist assault marines knocked out two Vindicators, and the Contemptors tore the Kratos apart. As the loyalist Vindicators lined up to blast the Basilica Administratum, the Thallax cohort turned its multi-meltas on the enemy tanks and destroyed all four.
At this point I have to say that the dice were outrageously in my favor: I was rolling hot and my opponent was missing shots and failing saves everywhere. I commend him for his exemplary sportsmanship in tolerating a frankly ridiculous run of bad luck.
Victory points:
Loyalists: 3 VP
Traitors: 16 VP
**
As Turn 2 opened, the Imperial Fists Mastodons swept forward, trying to bring their siege melta arrays to bear on the Reaver. However, I had given the Non Adoramus very simple orders: charge!
Meanwhile, the loyalist Kratoses took possession of objective 2, and destroyed my Land Raiders.
My Marauder bomber came in for its first proper bombing run, managing to kill some Imperial Fists assault marines.
The assault marines unsuccesfully stormed the Basilica Administratum, while the Terminators finally wiped out the traitor Rapier battery. The remaining loyalist Contemptors charged into close combat with the Reaver, which stomped them and damaged one of the Mastodons. However, the Titan exposed its rear armor to the guns of the loyalist Thunderhawk. Dodging fire from traitor Xiphons, it battered down the last remaining void shields and blew smoking holes in the Reaver with its turbo-laser destructor. With a terrifying groan, the Non Adoramus collapsed.
Loyalist tanks added to the carnage by knocking out an enemy Kratos and bringing the building by objective 5 crashing down, destroying the Veletarii inside. Return fire from the Kratoses blew up a loyalist Mastodon.
Victory points:
Loyalists: 12 VP
Traitors: 25 VP
**
The traitors may have had a victory point lead, but the tide was beginning to turn.
The traitor Marauder bombed the Imperial Fists Terminators, sending them falling back. Its twin Skystrike missiles homed in on the loyalist Thunderhawk but missed; however, the front turret gunner drew a bead on the massive Astartes flyer, and a lucky shot brought the Thunderhawk down!
Meanwhile, the surviving Mastodon knocked the enemy Xiphons out of the sky with its anti-aircraft weapons, and a lascannon shot from a Leman Russ brought down the Marauder. At some point I lost the Storm Eagle, and the sole loyalist Xiphon was also shot down.
The loyalist super-heavies opened fire on the basilica, damaging it severely while staying out of the range of the Thallax multi-meltas.
Victory points:
Loyalists: 28 VP
Traitors: 31 VP
**
As Turn 4 started, I knew I needed to grab several objectives or I'd lose the game. My ineptly executed assault on objective 6 had failed, and the last remaining loyalist Kratos and the Baneblade were sitting on objective 2. I'd have to dislodge them to stand any chance of victory.
Heroically, my last surviving Predator did its part by knocking out the Baneblade.
My Whirlwinds finally cleared the loyalist infantry from objective 6.
But in the center, the Basilica Administratum finally collapsed under the concentrated fire of the loyalist armor, burying most of the Thallaxes in the rubble.
As the surviving Thallaxes ran away, the battle finally came to an end. There was no way I could have caught the loyalists in victory points on the last turn, so I conceded.
Victory points:
Loyalists: 44 VP
Traitors: 37 VP
Secondary objectives:
Loyalists: +10 VP, total 54 VP
Traitors: +10 VP, total 47 VP
Game ends: loyalist victory.
**
It had become necessary to destroy the basilica to save it. With the loyalists standing victorious over the smoking ruins, the traitors beat a hasty retreat.
I have to say, I feel I made up for my extraordinary run of luck with the dice by playing quite badly. I misdeployed my Whirlwinds, didn't quite know how to use my bomber or the second Thallax cohort, and threw way too many resources at objective 6. My opponent, on the other hand, massed his forces effectively, and once he'd weathered the wrath of the dice gods, just plain beat me up.
Like our previous Legions outing, I thoroughly enjoyed the game. I think we're kind of mostly getting the hang of it, and only forgetting some of the more niche rules any more. I swear that one day I'll actually remember to use Master Tactician!
This game strengthened my opinion that Legions is, first and foremost, a game of firepower. Mobility and protection certainly play their part, but I have to say that the game is so entertainingly lethal that blowing up your opponent seems to be the key to victory. On that front, the Thallaxes were excellent, and when my artillery finally got where they needed to be, they did great work. My Kratoses were solid once again, and I really hope we get a heavy armor formation for the marines at some point.
I don't quite know how I feel about Titans just yet. I couldn't make up my mind whether to take a chain fist or a second gatling blaster on my Reaver, and with the scenario we rolled, I so wish I'd have gone for the chain fist. On the other hand, with a more conventional deployment, maybe the Titan would have lived longer, too. More experiments are in order.
To conclude, I need more artillery.
**
So that was an excellent game of Legions Imperialis! To repeat myself, I love this game, and not just because of Space Marine nostalgia. And luckily, there's more to come soon!
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