Battle Report: Jawaballs Horde Templars vs Fritz IG

Ok, Fritz and I decided to throw something new on the table last night. Sadly I forgot my camera so I got no pics or vid, but he made a vid which I will link here. We both decided to get out of our comfort zones a bit and try something new. Sometimes the best way to find ways to improve at what you are doing or having a problem with is to approach the situation from a new direction. In our case, I wanted to play a LOT of marines, and he wanted to get away from his Eldar for a bit. So here we go!

Jawaballs: 2k points of Black Templars
5 squads of 20 initiates and 20 neophytes with Fist and Meltagun (100 templars)
Helbrecht
Emperors Champion
Command Squad with Combi melta, Power Sword and Fighting Co. banner. (109 total)

Fritz: 2k points of Imperial Guard
60+ infantry
Creed
2 Chimeras
3 Russ with Plasmas, las and battle cannon
2 Basilisks
AP 3 Flame tank.
lascannon team
heavy bolter team
2 storm trooper squads with hot shot etc.
4 ogryns

You can see this matchup instantly throws something that neither of us are used to against each other. First of all, he is not used to having such fire power! He was dropping 5 pie plates a turn on me, plus 6 plasma cannons and a lot of las plas and melta love. I couldnt help but give him plenty to shoot at... it was tough to spread out 109 marines AND try to get cover saves.

Mission: Bases
Deployment: 12" table edge

I won first turn and took it. I was relying on getting a move then a run into cover, then on his shooting phase taking casualties and getting my "Angry Templar" move, then on my next turn hopefully being in assault. He planned on just sitting back and slaughtering me!

Turn 1:
As I planned, I charged forth 109 marines. I managed to move then run them all into cover. I had my base behind a terrain piece that blocked Los, and was within the minimal range of his Basilisks so that he could not indirect fire me thank god. I sent Helbrecht and 41 marines at his base, while the rest of my boys went after his armor.

On his turn, he focus fired all of his guns at a single squad... one of the two I sent to take down his armor, but only managed to kill 13 out of 20 of the guys in it thanks to cover saves. That squad would retreat and hold my base as best they could. He also tried to take down Helbrechts command squad, but only killed a lowly scout, and granted him the Rightous Zeal move all but guaranteeing him to get into assault next turn.

Turn 2:
I moved up my boys again, but would fall short on assaulting and allow him another round of shooting at me. I did manage to get close enough for some shots however, but did nothing. The best I could do was get my boys right up to an inch away from his to stop him from dropping templates on them. (Fritz tactic)

He took full advantage of his shooting, knowing full well that I would have dozens of angry templars in his ranks next turn if he failed to stop me. Sadly, the other of my two squads sent to take down his armor would be obliterated. My left flank was falling. Only 7 marines were left to defend. But this took a lot of his shots to do. He tried to take down helbrechts squad and only angered him. He did kill the banner and combi melta sgt, but the rest of the guys would get into assault.

Turn 3:
Time to die IG!
I assaulted just about every thing. One squad exploded a Russ with a melta shot and killed a load of guard which was my only shooting. Then I swept in for the kill. One squad assaulted the Lascannon team and 2 russ tanks, Helbrecht assaulted a squad of 10 guard, his command squad survivors assaulted another 10 men, the emperors champion assaulted another 10 men, and one last squad assaulted his ogryns. Luckily, only the ogrins folded on my charge and the rest of my boys were left in assault until Fritz's turn. Oh, and my base defenders fired some desperate shots at an advancing stormtrooper squad with pistols, killed 2 and they fell back! How lucky.

On Fritz's turn he would move up a chimera and hell hound towards my base and pop smoke. Those boys were not out of it yet. The only other squad he could shoot at was my templars that slaughtered his ogryns, and they caught fury... but 6 survived thanks to my spreading them like a pro. He piled in more guard onto one of my squads, and turned the tide in the center of the table by his tanks. But all of his other boys would fold, save for the ones fighting the Emperor's Champ. They would hold him off all game thanks to my uncanny ability to roll 1's. You know it is sad when the Emps champ is only killing 1 guardsman a turn.

At this point, the game was turning in my favor, despite heavy losses.

Turn 4:
Hellbrecht and his lone command squad survivor moved on Fritz's command chimera. My survivors of the ogryn fighters moved on his base and spread out if cover. They were my last troops in range to take the now undefended base. My base defenders shot a melta gun at his charging Chimera but he made a smoke save. Next turn they would have to deal with an AP3 flamer, storm trooper squad and chimera full of vets... gulp. I popped the chimera with Helbrecht's melta gun, then Hellbrecht and his marine charged Creed and his command. My last intact squad moved on his heavy bolters. In the assault, the Emperors Champ would kill a guardsman, while Hellbrecht and my boy charged... they killed a few guard. My other squad that was in assault with his tank defenders would be over whelmed though.

On his turn, he moved his hell hound into marine killing range on my base, and fried a few. He also moved his Chimera 12" into contesting range. I had 4 boys left holding my base. At this point we were running out of time but tried to hurry. Hellbrecht finished off Creed and the command squad and the Champ or should I say Chump killed another 2 guard... Jesus! My guys were holding his base and would have to weather more fire power, but at this point were getting cover saves against most of it.

Turn 5:
This would be the last turn due to having to go to the club. I was down to 12 guys. Hellbrecht, the Chumpian, 4 guys holding his base, 2 assaulting his heavy bolters and 4 defending mine. My base defenders moved to get a back armor shot at his chimera. My 2 boys slaughtered his heavy bolter team, and my boys on his base would go to ground. My boys hit his chimera... it was an auto glance... the worst I could do was glance if I was unlucky enough to roll snake eyes. But I am JAWABALLS! I will not be denied my glory. I had to pop that chimera, then assault the boys inside, then get back to my base and hold it. So I rolled to hit and rolled a 3. Close. Time to pen... the result? Snake eyes. What the Hell! How do I do it? Damn 1's. So any way, I would need a 6 to destroy it, which I rolled... vehicle destroyed, boys bail out, I assault and kill them all. My base defenders did their job. I killed his troops trying to take it, at least he would not be able to claim it.

On his turn, his hell hound would finish off my base defenders with the flamer. But my few guys on his base would suffer a LOT of punishment! Cannon after cannon roared at them, hitting, missing, making them scream for their mommies... 3 more would fall. It all came down to the last man. He had to make 2 cover saves. I rolled them seperately. 1st die, a 5. One more save to make. All of the emperor's glory was riding on one single marine's shoulders. a 4+ would grant victory. A simple coin toss would mean the game. All I had left at this point was 5 marines out of 109. It mattered not. The die rolled... and a 4 was the result. Victory Jawaballs!

So my 109 templars charged into shear brutality. Throughout the course of the game, 10 Basilisk shots would rain down, 11 battle cannon shots and countless Plasma cannon, Las cannon and las gun shots would pepper my boys. But it would not be enough! 109 Templars charged, 5 returned. But with the enemies banner over their proud shoulders. As for the Sergeant leading the squad fighting my Emperor's Champion, he was promoted and actually inducted into the Black Templars. They made 4 leadership tests and held off the champion in assault. He gets the hero of the game award.

There you go! A narrow victory for my Templar Horde vs Fritz's Guard. If I could survive that Basilisk/Battle Cannon hell, I think they may stand a chance against the more modern 6 chimera/3 valkrye lists. Most guys have given up their pie plates for more direct tank killing punch.

Think my templars are onto something? Think they can be a competitive tournament list? They really only work at 2k points. 1750 would reduce their numbers too thin, as guard lose much less then Templars do for 250 points. So I need the 2000 points to get them on the table. But it has been my experience that most tournament lists are heavy on tank killing and lack torrent of fire, so maybe they can do well. We shall see!

Up next... Jawaballs revamps his Blood Angels, with the help of Fritz and Black Matt... Justin, where is my shipment????j

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