40k Second Edition: Squats vs. Space Marines 750 Points

Orjetax

Member
This time out, I ran with the squats while my friend fielded his space marines.

I was reaching a bit to hit 750 but was eager to get squats on the table for my first time in many, many, years.

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I had a warlord with power axe and bolt pistol (represented by one of the unreleased second edition cyberslayers) and four hearthguard (two with plasma guns). They rode in a rhino graciously lent by my friend. I had a squad with a missile launcher and a lascannon, and another with a plasma gun. Both were lead by a hearthguard with plasma pistol (lots of plasma, a modeling more than a tactical choice). Needing to hit 750, I used an unpainted trike with heavy plasma cannon and three allied space minotaurs (ogryn with ripper guns).

The space marines consisted of two large squads and captain. Spread between the squads were a flamer (possibly heavy flamer? It never fired), heavy plasma cannon, and heavy bolter. The captain had a bolt pistol and power fist.

The middle of the board was clogged with line of sight blocking buildings, with less dense terrain on either side. Squats deployed with the brotherhood squads on the least dense side (the right), space minotaurs in the middle, and vehicles on the left.

Marines deployed second, in a clump directly facing the brotherhood squads.

The squat deployment:

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The view from the lascannon/missile launcher squad:

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Orjetax

Member
We drew mission cards, and both ended up with engage and destroy. A bad circumstance for the squats, who could yield up far more VPs than the two opposing squads and single character.

Marines won first turn and focused their fire on the lascannon/missile launcher squad, wiping them off the board. Thanks to some remarkable saves by the hearthguard leading the squad, they soaked up the entire turn's fire.

In retrospect, I had failed to take advantage of the "must fire at the closest target" rule. Should have forced my opponent to eliminate the much less useful squad with a single plasma gun.

On Squat turn 1, the remaining squats moved a bit over and took down a single marine. The minotaurs ran forward to enable an attack through the woods. The rhino, blocked from an easy path to the fight now, sped forward in an effort to (eventually) end up behind the marines.

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But the key action came from the trike, which sped up to a perfectly sized gap which enabled a shot on the marine squad with the heavy plasma cannon. The gunner aimed true, centering the blast template on the opposing heavy plasma cannon and also catching three bolter-wielding marines under the template. Unfortunately, for the squats, the maximum strength shot left the most valuable target untouched and vaporized only the three with bolters.

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Orjetax

Member
Space marine turn two went much the same as the first: all weapons turned on the remaining brotherhood squad and cut them down.

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The squat rhino continued to circle the battlefield and wound up on the space marine flank (I believe it also picked off a space marine with its twin-linked bolters).

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The trike, having fired last turn on maximum, set to recharging.

The minotaurs moved closer and let fly with their ripper guns. One missed entirely. A second scored two hits and a jam. The third . . . got threes on each of its sustained fire die! Only one space marine fell to the six shots.

Undoubtedly, the ripper gun is much scarier against orks, imperial guard, and other lightly armored foes. Marines having toughness equal to its strength and taking an unmodified save . . . That's tough work.

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Orjetax

Member
On their third turn, the marines failed to do much to the minotaurs, killing only one. The heavy bolter took out the trike gunner, unfortunately (the trike would spend the rest of the game getting to the opposite end of the field to at least deny further VPs).

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The rear marine squad turned its heavy plasma cannon on the rhino and caused an explosion in the crew compartment . . . the only consequence of which was one casualty - and one of the lasgun hearthguard at that.

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Orjetax

Member
With only one functioning ripper gun, the minotaurs used their third turn to charge the captain and the squad he had joined. The two surviving minotaurs won their respective combats, with a single marine pulverized and the captain wounded but making his save.

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The rhino dropped to slow speed to disgorge the warlord and hearthguard. The warlord popped a marine with his bolt pistol, the rhino's shooting was ineffective, and (I think) a hearthguard with a plasma gun took out another marine.

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Orjetax

Member
On turn 4, the marines eliminated a plasma gun wielding hearthguard. In hand to hand, the chapter master killed the Minotaur he faced with a flurry of blows from his power fist (the Minotaur suffered seven hits). The marines piled in.

The limited Squat shooting available was ineffective. But seeing the writing on the wall, the rhino recklessly gunned forward in an attempt to run down two marines in its path, though it would be also collide with an obstacle. The rhino did indeed splat one of the marines, but the second one dove out of the way. Striking the obstacle caused a hit on its treads (which were wrecked) and caused an explosion that destroyed the vehicle.

In hand to hand, the remaining space Minotaur was easily overwhelmed.

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And the game ended with both squads of marines depleted but standing firm and the squats in disarray. A clear win for the space marines. And as always, second edition was great fun to play.


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symphonicpoet

Moderator
Looks like fun was had. Classic stuff there and I must admit, I love your cyber-slayer. I see why you are using him for your avatar. :)
 

Orjetax

Member
symphonicpoet":179u1l2j said:
Looks like fun was had. Classic stuff there and I must admit, I love your cyber-slayer. I see why you are using him for your avatar. :)

Hah! Thank you. Yes, I'm a fan of that one. Definitely one of my favorite that I've painted recently. But inevitably fell prey to "favorite painted model didn't do much in the game" syndrome.


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