I've been itching to learn and play some ITC rules and get the strategies down. For this battle report we have the Death Guard vs. Drukhari facing off in a 2000 point game using the ITC Scenario 1: Seize Ground.
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| Drukhari - Top of Round 1 - Movement Phase |
Special Rules - Seize Ground Bonus Point: If the player holds or contests 4 or more objectives at the end of their player turn, gain 1 point.
Drukhari List
This was a mishmash of models I've owned. I wanted to get a feel for them before I purchased the models I needed to shore up their weak spots.
Battalion (Kabal of the Obsidian Rose +6" to Rapid Fire, Heavy, and Assault)
- HQ - Archon: Blast Pistol + Power Sword + Helm of Spite + Phantasm Grenade Launcher
- HQ - Archon: Blast Pistol + Venom Blade
- Troop x3- Kabalite Warriors: Dark Lance + Blaster
- Elite - Incubi x6
- Fast Attack: Scourges + Splinter Cannon x4
- Fast Attack: Scourges + Dark Lance x4
- Heavy Support: Ravager + Dark Lance x3
- Dedicated Transport x3: Raider + Dark Lance
Battalion (Mixed)
- HQ - Haemonculae x2 - Tools + Stinger Pistol
- Troop - Wyches: Grave Lotus Combat Drug (+1 Str) + Razor Flails, Agonizer, Shardnet and Impalor, Hydra Gauntlets + Hekatarii blades
- Troop- Kabalite Warriors: Dark Lance + Blaster
- Troop- Kabalite Warriors: Splinter Cannon + Blaster
- Fast Attack: Reavers x5 + 1 Blaster + Painbringer (+1 Toughness)
- Heavy Support - Talos x2 + Macro + Ichor + 2x Heatlance
This gives the Drukhari 13 CP
Death Guard List
Battalion
- HQ - Typhus
- HQ - Malignant Plaguecaster + Pandemic Staff (+1 to Smite)
- Troop - Plague Marines x 8 + Plasma Gun on Champion and 2 other Marines
- Troop - Poxwalker x20
- Troop - Poxwalker x10
- Elite - Blightlord Terminators + Flail + Blight Launcher + Axes and 1 Sword
- Elite - Noxious Blight Bringer
- Fast Attack - Foetid Bloat Drone x2 + Plaguespitters
Battalion
- HQ - Lord of Contagion + Plaguereaper
- HQ - Malignant Plaguecaster
- Troop - Cultist x10 + Autogun + Heavy Stubber + Shotgun
- Troop - Cultist x10 + Brutal Assault + Flamer
- Troop - Poxwalker x10
Spearhead
- HQ - Chaos Lord (Warlord) Arch-Contaminator (Re-roll Plague Weapon Wounds)
- Heavy Support - Plagueburst Crawler x2 + Entropy Cannon x2 + Heavy Slugger + Mortar
- Heavy Support - Plagueburst Crawler + Plaguespiters x2 + Heavy Slugger + Mortar
This gives the Death Guard 13 CP
Let's get on with the game!
Round 1 - Top - Drukhari
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| Round 1 - Top - Drukhari |
The goal of the Drukhari movement phase was to get into position and form a gun line but also set up to possibly get the Seize Ground bonus of controlling 4 objectives and score on Recon.
The Haemonculae hold the back objectives while a unit of Kabalite Warriors grab their center objective and work to get line of site to a big target. The Reaver Bikes set up to get into position for the bottom left quadrant next turn while the Raiders at the top of the map do the same.
Units with Dark Lances get set to hold off the lumbering ball of death that will approach them. The Scourges with Splinter Cannons jet to the 2nd level platform in the center of the map and plan to set up a gun line while the Scourges with Dark Lances fly on top of a building to prepare a barrage of armor penetrating long ranged blasts.
Both the Wyches and Incubi Advance as far as they can to get into charge position in Round 2. The Archons head towards the top of the map to lend some re-roll to hit assistance to the Ravager and Dark Lance Scourges. The Talos moves up to get the Plagueburst Crawlers into Heat Lance range.
The Drukhari unleash their deadly Dark Lances and manage to only damage the bottom Plagueburst Crawler with 6 damage. 1 CP was used to reroll a damage but it doesn't wound. The rest of the shots hit but fail to roll the 4+ needed to wound. The Scourges with the Splinter Cannons do the most work and are able to remove 10x Cultists at the bottom of the map which will hinder the Death Guard's ability to grab objectives by taking out a unit of their fastest infantry. Many Cultists are shot at the top of the map but they surprisingly make their 6+ Saves to live to fight another day. There are no Morale checks needed.
Round 1 - Points: - Drukhari:
The Drukhari score 0 points but they are able to wound a Plagueburst Crawler 6 Wounds and take out 11 Cultists.
Round 1 - Bottom - Death Guard:
With rotting limbs and their intestines dragging on the floor, the Death Guard army shambles towards searing hot gun fire. They focus on controlling the center of the map to gain the King of the Hill secondary objective and push to get valuable targets into Smite range. A Cloud of Flies protects the Plague Marines as 30 Poxwalkers shield them from any attacks. Typhus moves up into their center objective and scores 1pt for Born for Greatness.
The Smites are devastating, hitting on all 3 rolls from Typhus and the Malignant Plaguecasters, even beating a Deny the Witch from the Archon equipped with the terrifying Helm of Spite which can cause a Psyker to face the Perils of the Warp. They are able to take out 4 Scourges with Splinter Cannons.
The Plagueburst Crawlers launch their Mortars and take out a few of the very threatening Scourges at the top of the map with Dark Lances while the Plaguemarines finish off the Scourges in the center of the map.
Round 1 - Points: - Death Guard
The Death Guard score 1pt for King of the Hill for controlling the center and 1pt for Born for Greatness with Typhus controlling the center objective.
They lead the match Drukari: 0 - Death Guard: 2
Round 2 - Top - Drukhari
With blinding fast speed, the Drukhari race into their enemy's zone. The Reavers, Ravager, Raiders, and Talos under the bridge focus their fire on the Plagueburst Crawler but only manage to get it down to 3 HP. The Raiders at the top of the map go for the Plagueburst Crawler across from them and manage to bring it down to 2 HP.
After the dust settles, the Drukhari are only to kill 4 Cultist while damaging the Death Guard's Heavy Support Tanks. There were many wound rolls which failed and could have turned the tides of battle very quickly to favor of the Drukhari but alas, it was not to be.
The Wyches make their charge against the 20 Poxwalkers and are able to kill 12 but when they return the favor, it was decimating. With Typhus' boost to their Toughness and Strength and with the help of Blades of Putrification (+1 Wound) and the Stratagem of Veterans of the Long War (+1 to Wound) the Poxwalkers and their 16 dice are able to take out 7 Wyches which rise up and become more Poxwalkers and brings back their unit size from 8 to 15.
Round 2 - Points: - Drukhari
The Drukhari score 2pts for Recon and were able to kill enough to score 1pt for Reaper.
The score is now Drukhari: 3 - Death Guard: 2
Round 2 - Bottom - Death Guard
Now in position, the Death Guard unleash their unholy Smite barrage against the Drukhari. Combined with their fire power from the Plagueburst Crawlers, Foetid Boat Drones, and Plague Marines, they are able to wipe out a Ravager, 10 Kabalite Warriors, 2 Talos, 3 Wyches, and 4 Reavers. It was a brutal round for the Drukhari. One Death Guard Plague Marine armed with an supercharged Plasma Gun did fall to an exploding roll of 1.
Round 2 - Points: - Death Guard
One of the Talos fell to the power of Typhus which helped him score 1pt for Born for Greatness. 4 units were also within 9" of the center which gave 2pts for King of the Hill. The Cultist also ran forward and were able to get 1 point for Recon.
The score is now Drukhari: 3 - Death Guard: 6
Round 3 - Top - Drukhari:
Things are not looking good for the Drukhari but this might be the turn that gives them a fighting chance. The rest of the Drukhari army pours all their shots on the heavy hitters of the Death Guard army. They are able to take out 2 Plagueburst Crawlers, 4 Poxwalkers, and 2 Cultists. A Plagueburst Crawler explodes and takes out a Reaver Bike and does 2 damage to a Malignant Plaguecaster and the Chaos Lord.
Round 2 - Points: - Drukhari:
With 2 of the Plagueburst Crawlers down, the Drukhari are able to score 2pts for Marked for Death. They also score 1 more point for Recon.
The score is now Drukhari: 6 - Death Guard: 6
Round 3 - Bottom - Death Guard
Turn 3 is a pivotal moment in the match. The Death Guard surely looked like they were unstoppable but now are now in danger of losing in ranged combat. Typhus was able to charge in and destroy a Raider and a Bloat Drone, after failing to shoot off the defending Haemonculae, was able to melee him to death.
Oh, the Death Guard finally deepstrike the Blightlord Terminators at the top right of the map but forget to deepstrike the Lord of Contagion which automatically dies. It was pretty dumb and a waste of 115 points. Duh.
Round 3 - Points: - Death Guard:
The Foetid Bloat Drone takes over the Drukhari bottom objective and the Death Guard are able to score a Seize Ground point. They have also completed the King of the Hill secondary along with getting 2 more points for Recon.
The score is now Drukhari: 6 - Death Guard: 10.
Round 4 - Top - Drukhari
Things look bleak for the Drukhari but they go all out this round and send in the Archons to battle in Melee. They are able to score 11 Poxwalker kills along with 4 Plague Marines and finally finish off 1 Foetid Bloat Drone. The Archons and Typhus battle it out but it is a standstill. The Shadowfield 2+ Invulnerable saves from the Archons hold off every attack.
Round 4 - Points: - Drukhari
With their firepower and melee skills, the Drukhari score 1pt for Marked for Death and Reaper. They also get 1 more point for Recon.
The score is now Drukhari: 9 - Death Guard: 10.
Round 4 - Bottom - Death Guard
This looks like an easy game for the Death Guard but the Blightlord Terminators fail their Charge and another Plague Marine loses his life to an exploding Plasma Gun. The bottom left Death Guard objective is also being threatened by a Raider with 10 Kabalite Warriors in it. The Malignant Plaguecasters were able to Smite their way out of a possible comeback from the Drukhari and take out the Raider which explodes.
Round 4 - Points: - Death Guard:
The Death Guard score another point for Seize Ground and gain the final Recon point.
The score is now Drukhari: 9 - Death Guard: 12.
Round 5 - Top - Drukhari
Not much happens here for the Drukhari. The Archons wildly swing at Typhus but are unable to wound him with 10 shots. This pretty much seals their fate.
Round 5 - Points: - Drukhari:
No points are scored for Drukhari.
The score is now Drukhari: 9 - Death Guard: 12.
Round 5 - Bottom - Death Guard
The end of the Drukhari is inevitable. The final insult to injury is when the Poxwalkers charge in and knock out the Shadowfield of the Archon Warlord and easily take him down. The loose units are cleaned up which only leave a Raider and a few Kabalite Warriors.
Round 5 - Points: - Death Guard:
The Death Guard score 1 more point for Seize Ground.
The Final Score: Drukhari: 9 - Death Guard: 13.
Final Thoughts
Drukhari Stratagems - Need to make use of them more. I was not too familiar with the Stratagems available but after looking at them, it doesn't seem like they would have changed the outcome of the game very much. Everything that the Drukhari needed to hit was able to hit but it was the multiple failed wound rolls which really hurt. None of the defensive Stratagems would have helped much as a majority of the wounds the Drukhari received were from Smite spams.
Drukhari Movement - The Drukhari probably didn't need to move so far up and should have kited the Death Guard more. Recon was the only secondary objective that could have benefited from a forward advance and would have easily been completed in later rounds with Drukhari speed. The focus should have been on taking out the Heavy Weapons threats of the Drukhari instead of controlling key positions. The area control would come later.
