Astra Militarum Codex: First Game AA Thoughts

Well, I’ve played a game.

in 1500 pts vs Tau I took the following:

Yarrick (warlord – relentless)

Pask in a LR MBT with a squadmember in same

1 platoon of PCS, two infantry platoons with missile launchers and a mortar platoon

1 vet squad in a chimers with flamers agogo

4 ratling snipers

1 scion squad with melta

1 taurox prime

1 vendetta

1 hellhound

My opponents had:

a commander with frag and plasma and two missile pod/tlplasma bodyguards (warlord – some kind of “get back in the fight rule)

two devilfish with 10 fire warriors each

a mob of kroot

two stealth teams with fusion

a piranah with fusion

two hammerheads

xv9 with fusion cascade

riptide with the ion cannon

a broadside

I did (as usual) stop taking pictures part way through, this time mainly because I don't know the new codex and I've played so few games of 6th i had to look up every damn thing we did.

We played crusade with night fighting turn 1 and the vanguard deployment.

The table was quite balanced and my opponent set up on an objective in the top left of the table, with units poised to threaten my “fort” and some suits in reserve..

 

The largest threat of the Hammerheads took the middle of his backline.

I deployed everything around my “fort” with 1 objective in my possession and one close by, the only units I deployed out were the snipers who infiltrated to threaten his broadside and harass his entrenched troops.

My colleague has a habit of putting his broadside on the tallest bit of terrain he can find.

The first few turns saw us both moving into midfield looking for opportunities to take objectives and thin the enemy horde. I took first blood when the Taurox, support by infantry platoon fire (two squads under the command of Yarrick) took out a stealth team that had infiltrated a tad too close for comfort.

  

The broadside took a hull point off Pasks russ, causing his subordinate to poop smoke and move to cover him.

The snipers pinged a few shots off the broadside but the shield drone took the sting out of them.

 

On the right flank, Kroot in cover were decimated by flames from the inferno cannon.

The battle raged for some time, tit for tat, feeling quite balanced, until my colleagues' deep strikers landed and were both put down, one by a tooled up veteran squad with flamers and shotguns, and the other by a rather determined platoon, although I had to break Yarrick away and assault with him.. twice..(bloomin cowardly tau running away form the powerclaw to shoot) to seal the deal.

 

Things further soured for my opponent when my vendetta survived his use of a battlefield emplaced skyfire weapon to take out a hammerhead, and the other tank fell to volley fire from the russes on the right.

Those actions were enough to turn the tide, and allowed me to mop up other forces with minimal losses, the game ended in turn six with me on three objectives, close to four; having also secured first blood, slay the warlord and got a unit into his deployment zone.

Now I know this wasn't an optimised list, it was basically what I had on hand and could mash a reasonable 1500 point list together with, but it felt quite balanced for a good while, and there were a few moments where dice rolls alone prevented me from being the guy starting to take losses and unbalance the fight.. all in all, quite optimistic that this raft of newer codices are both fun and more balanced than we have seen in a while.

I also accept that I went second, which in objective games is an advantage, but for the most part the new Astra Militarum codex seems to be well balanced. I haven't yet seen a wyvern in action though and knowing GW’s penchant for OP new models I expect this to be a bit on the fierce side.

Either way I enjoyed the game and I’m back painting units for IG again. going as far as to actually treat the platoon to a stripping and repaint to roll them into the regular army.

I managed a further game this weekend at Mr Zzzzz’s domicile, but will leave him to start the ball rolling on a post mortem there :) (pics are in the dropbox link I emailed you)

Lastly, if you’re reading this and didn't read this you might want to… not long left now to get your name on the roll for the drawing of this chap (or not):

In the paint (or not) of your choice; go, read and post if you want :)

Till next time!