Yo, Kenny from Next Level Painting here with my series of Battle Reports from the NOVA open.
You guys voted from me to play Blood Angels at that event over on the Forge the Narrative website, so here it is!
Game 1 Imagine the disappointment of drawing Tau round one with my Blood Angels. It had been my most difficult match up in play tests.
My opponent was a college student named Phoenix. His list was
something like:
2x skyrays
1x hammer head
2x riptides
a few units of kroot
a few units of fire warriors
a few units of pathfinders
a super commander with crisis/missile suits in tow and marker drones
My list was:
1850 Pts – Blood Angels Roster – Blood Angels Nova
HQ: Librarian in Power Armour
1 Librarian in Power Armour,
HQ: Mephiston, Lord of Death
1 Mephiston, Lord of Death,
Elite: Terminator Assault Squad
1 Terminator Assault Squad, 0 pts
4 Terminator with Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield,
1 Sergeant,
Elite: Sanguinary Priest
1 Sanguinary Priest,
1 Brother Corbulo,
1 Sanguinary Priest in Power Armour, Jump Pack
Elite: Furioso Dreadnought
1 Furioso Dreadnought,
Heavy Support: Stormraven Gunship
1 Stormraven Gunship, Extra Armour
Heavy Support: Stormraven Gunship
1 Stormraven Gunship, Extra Armour 5
Troops: Assault Squad
7 Assault Squad,
1 Assault Marine with Flamer,
1 Assault Marine with Flamer,
1 Sergeant, Melta Bombs Power Sword
Troops: Assault Squad
7 Assault Squad,
1 Assault Marine with Flamer
1 Assault Marine with Flamer
1 Sergeant, Melta Bombs Power Sword
Troops: Assault Squad
3 Assault Squad,
1 Assault Marine Flamer
1 Sergeant
1 Razorback
___________________________________________________________________
this is the bottom of turn one, BA lose the roll for first turn, thus give up first blood but stay hidden enough to avoid being tabled. I combat squad all the units in order to maximize the survivability and ability to stay hidden. the mission is KP however, so it is a risky tactic.The squad survivors are making moves to retaliate against the infiltrating kroot.
squads gladly give up first blood to take cover behind this razor back
squad survivors use flamers to break the kroot for 1 KP
kroot arrive from out flanking reserves and crush the survivors of my combat squads
The Ba stay hidden from marker lights and go to ground vs the riptides and weather the volleys
We use Corbulo’s “all seeing eye” to re-roll reserves on a storm raven and bring both in.
After “power of the machine spirit” combined with las cannons and blood strike missiles the ravens destroy the hammer head and sky ray on his flank collecting 2 KP. mean while the assault marines stay put.
Phoenix decides not to “intercept” and starts positioning his riptides and crisis suits to take down a raven, but the skyray will be missed.
He fails to bring it down. Stripping away all but one hull point . He then rolls poorly on his assault jump on the commanders unit.
The Furioso disembarks, and collects 1 KP
As do the Terminators and friends
Then this happens, Mephiston collects 2 KP
Corbulo and company collect 2 KP
Phoenix tries to kill Mephiston and brings him to his last wound. He scoops up another KP before going down to the combo of marker lights and Riptides.
The Storm Ravens score another KP by killing the last Skyray
These guys are making a dash for cover now that the Riptides will be distracted
The Game Ends with survivors from 2 assault squads alive,priest,both ravens, the dread, terminator/libby/corbulo. Roughly 12 to 5 KP in the Blood Angels favor.
About the Author: Kenny Boucher
Kenny Boucher
Job Title: Master of Miniature Artistry & Podcast Writer
Socials: @NextLevelPainting
About Kenny Boucher: Tabletop gaming since the late 1990s; Kenny joined the Spikey Bits team in 2011, communicating his vast knowledge in articles about how to paint miniatures and more.
Kenny Boucher is not just a name but a brand synonymous with top-tier miniature painting in the world of tabletop wargaming. As the creative force behind Next Level Painting, Kenny has earned his place as a respected authority in the hobby community.
Along with Rob, he co-founded and co-hosted the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes. His unparalleled skills, innovative techniques, and engaging tutorials have made him a go-to resource for hobbyists looking to elevate their painting game.
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