Unforgetful Path #1 Epic Armageddon Imperial Guard vs Space Wolves

You might not ever thought about it that way, but my blog is quite similar to an actual Space Hulk! 
If it would have a name I think that "Unforgetful Path" would be most fitting.

How, you might ask?
Well, it's been going through the void of our immaterium (which we call the internet) for so many years in the scale of internet history one might call it millennia (well at least it feels like millennia to me!).
It's a construct made of many games and topics sometimes quite literally bashed together in the same manner as ancient ships and stations collided and fused into a single entity.
Its inhabitants are not as plentiful as green skin brutes or void fairing bugs. They are more like scribes analyzing and filing each new vessel that collides and fuses with the main body.
It holds inside different wonders of games long played.
Battles won and lost, all are inscribed here. 


Why the poetic intro?
As a Space Hulk is composed of a lot of different vessels some of which do not see any life for thousands of years so does my blog have many reports that were played and filed but which were deemed too ugly/boring/mundane or simply which game details faded into obscurity leaving nothing but fragmented details behind.

I kept these reports wanting to publish them one day when my erudition would allow me to paint even the most mundane picture as an art piece.
One of the popular applications recently started showing me reminders of the past games and I saw how much hobby progress I actually made from my very beginnings. 
Worry not, I am not planning to spam you with recaps of times gone by (at least not now).
The posts are available for your viewing if you wish to make a recap of my hobby journey. 
This is simply a lengthy introduction to one (of at least a few) older reports that were deemed unworthy to publish at the time.

With that out of the way, let's take a quick view of a lost report emerging from the warp!

Epic Armageddon Imperial Guard vs Space Wolves

Steel Legion (NetEA Army Compendium v2014) 3000 POINTS
==================================================

  • REGIMENTAL HQ + Sniper, Chimera
  • MECHANISED INFANTRY COMPANY  + Griffon Battery (3 Griffons)
  • SUPER-HEAVY TANK COMPANY 
  • ROUGH RIDER PLATOON 
  • THUNDERBOLT FIGHTERS 
  • THUNDERBOLT FIGHTERS 
  • SUPER-HEAVY TANK PLATOON 
  • DEATHSTRIKE MISSILE BATTERY 
  • ARTILLERY BATTERY 
  • ROUGH RIDER PLATOON 
  • FLAK BATTERY 
SPACE WOLVES:
  • THUNDERBOLT FIGHTERS 
  • GREAT COMPANY
  • WHIRLWIND + Hunter
  • TERMINATORS + LAND RIDERS
  • LAND SPEEDERS
  • PREDATORS 
  • FENRISIAN WOLVES
  • FENRISIAN WOLVES


The frozen wastes of  NON-Fenris once again witness Imperials battling Imperials.

Objectives are placed, Blitz objectives are outside of the camera view (Guard on the bottom edge, Marines behind the big rock on top. Take and hold objectives are placed almost in a line in the centre field. From left to right middle open ground, snow hill edge.
A single garrison of rough riders starts by holding one objective on the right side of the field.

Marines win the initiative but thread cautiously.
IG launches its Deathstrike missiles and kills a single Land Rider and Terminator stand. 
A lack of harder targets makes the strike feel pretty much wasted.



Mechanized company guards both the artillery and my blitz. All set up in a tree line which for the moment disappeared conveniently.


Super heavies and regimental HQ accompanied by some rough riders (proxied by marine bikers).
The bulk of the IG attack forces lies in cover behind the hills.

 

Predators jump out and attack the single super heavy without much success. Their fearless attempt will cost them their lives.


Fighters ground attack are intercepted by the enemy cap which is intercepted by my cap (now we know that you can not intercept an intercept, but the action is quite interesting to view). My intercepting Thunderbolts do nothing to the Intercepting Space Wolves Thunderbolts which (combined with ground AA) eliminate my initial fighters.

Only a year or two later can I say that I actually understand how to use these fragile fighters.


Not all is going as the guard would wish it. While the centre is advancing marines take for the flanks, surround the IG smaller formations and significantly decrease my activation count. Here we can see my left flank slowly surrounded by fast marine support units.



Here is the same situation on my right flank. Terminators in Land Riders wipe it entirely. 


With no air support, activations reduced to a third of the original count and the guard commander fixated on killing the enemy rather than the objectives the result is easy to imagine. Marines win with a tactical objective. 

I like this game because it is a very good example of how you can easily win with the Imperial Guard. Simply avoid the big blobs of units, kill the small specialist detachments to reduce the activation amount and outmanoeuvre them. Easier said than done of course!



Comments