Bros Before Saving Throws: Bros And Saving Throws

Our good bro Clark is in town for a month or two. He and I have played more games against or with each other than anyone else, having played together consistently from the age of 13/14 to 23/24. He hasn't played 40k in over four years now. Over the last couple weeks we have played three games, two marines on marines and one marines on orks. The first two were a ton of fun and were pretty much draws. He narrowly won one, and I the other (1 vp for the win!). This game was a little different. He pretty much got tabled. Despite having lost most of his force by turn two, he stuck it to the very end! He is one of those guys who can have a good time while loosing miserably, taking small victories where he can make them.

Overall, this game was about luck more than any I have seen in a long time. His plasmas constantly overheated, his scouts missed most of their shots, his land speeder rolled a lot of 1's with its multimelta, his charge distances were a joke (a two inch and a three inch!), and he failed almost every armour save he was called upon to make. That said, we still had enough of a good time that I took some pictures! Here's a bit of a report.

1,000 point The Relic, 4x4 jungle and ruins table

He took:

Chaplain with plasma pistol Storm of Fire Warlord Trait

Ten man assault squad with two plasma pistols and a veteran with a powerfist

Two ten man tactical squads with plasma guns, plasma cannons, and a veteran with a powerfist

5 scout snipers with camo cloaks

Land speeder with heavy flamer and multi melta

Dreadnought with assault cannon and power fist

Astral Claws chapter tactics

I took:

Valthex

Ten vanguard vets with 4 melta bombs, two lightning claws, and a thunder hammer and storm shield on the sergeant

Ten man Tactical squad with a Lascannon, plasma gun, combi plans on a veteran

Ten man tactical squad with a heavy bolter, plasma gun, two grav pistols on the veteran (they got the poisoned 2+ bolts from Valthex)

Venerable dreadnought with assault cannon, powerfist, heavy flamer

Astral Claws chapter tactics

The First Turn:

I had set up Valthex and my tacticals in or behind the trench, which I bolstered. The Honor Thieves and Venerable Amru pushed up the center to intercept the enemy and prevent them from seising the relic. Brother Armon, "Lion Eyes," quickly prioved his worth by blowing up the Dark Angels Dreadnought (it is now the brown crater behind the assault marines in the picture!). This single shot not only took down the ancient, but killed a plasma cannon marine from the squad on the rocks nearby. An assault marine may have perished as well. The explosion was so big it was hard to tell! The rest of The Steel Spines and the members of The Tyrant's Arm moved up twords the relic. The Tyrant's Arm managed to take down a single scout!

In clarks turn the tactical squad in the center moved forward (they have not done so yet in this picture), as did the assault marines. Rather than risk droping thier charge chances, they elected not to shoot at The Honour Thieves. Instead the entire army shot at The Tyrants Arm. A single squad member perished, mostly because the plasmacannon marine shooting at them overheated! Off screne the land speeder moved through the jungle and nailed Venerable Amru with its multi-melta! It pened and I failed my cover, but Clark rolled a one for damage! The assault squad and chaplian charged The Honour Thieves, but snap firing bolt pistols managed to kill two of them! They then rolled a three for thier charge distance! There were a lot of critical one's that turn! Clark's abysmal luck and my exceptional luck began to sway the game early on!

Turn Two:

The Steel Spines advance, double timing it to run towards The Relic, intent on seizing it next turn. Amru snap fires at the landspeeder to no effect. Left behind, Valthex blasts at the landspeeder, his conversion beamer stripping off a hull point. The Tyrants Arm blasts at the tactical squad with the remaning plasma cannon, killing a marine.

The Honor Thieves roll box cars and charge into the assault marines, losing thier only Tiger Claw to the enemies snap fire!

The Honour Thieves slaughter the assault marines. The lighting claws of Retaliators Kathum and Cordoba in particular take a hefty tole, slaying three between them! The Chaplain challanges Retaliator Arkash to a duel and smashed in his skull with his Crozius, ending the heretic with the same brutal, bitter vengence that hallmarked his career.

Clarks Tactical Marines advance twords the relic and the beleaguered chaplain. The Scouts take aim at The Tyrant's Arm and kill one of them! One tactical squad kills a member of The Steel Spines with plasma fire, while the other steps up to charge The Honour Thieves. The Landspeeder moves out of the jungle and blasts at Amru. Clark rolls a one. The bad luck continues.

Led by thier brave, powerfist armed sergeant, the tactical marines charge in to save their chaplain. (They rolled snake eyes but were only an inch away!)

The Honour Thieves take down half the tactical marines! Though I have no photo of the combats end, the powerfist sergeant and chaplian manged to kill all of The Honour Thieves except Kathum and Cordoba! The Honor Thieves hold thier ground stubbornly!

Turn Three and Four:

Brother Armon proves his worth again by destroying the landspeeder in a sepectacular explosion, though Veteran Sergeant Nispul and Brother Dragars plasma fire helped! Valthex, Amru, and The Tyrant's Arm open fire on the tactical squad in the open, killing all but four of them in several abysmal rolls of amour saves by Clark. Cordoba and Kathum are crushed by the power fist veteran, but not before they tear the fearless Chaplains guts out! The remaining six marines Dark Angels on the left advance and manage to kill a single Steel Spine with their fire. The Scouts try to pick off Valthex but can't place a single shot!

The odds matter nought brothers! Take the Relic from the Heretics!

Turn Five:

The Steel Spines withdraw, taking the Relic with them. They blast at The Dark Angels persuing them, wiping out the three remaining marines! The Tyrant's Arm advances on the second tactical squad and wipe them out with the aid of Amru. Valthex tried to help but rolled an 11 to scatter! The remaining four scouts consider thier options. They try to down Valthex again, but to no avail.