Beefy Basement Batrep

As previously mentioned I went to Karl's with the express purpose of war.  We also stopped by his local GW store and got some stuff (luckily for me Karl jumped on the grenade that is talking to the overly annoying salesdude while I just looked around).  After that, there was war (and delicious chili).

We played 1850, My Necrons against the Imperial Guard (farty noise).  5 objectives, pitched battle deployment.  I took the following, 1 monolith, a squad of 17 Warriors with Cryptek (a transmogrification one), 2-4 base units of Scarabs, a 10 man immortal squad with guass, an overlord and a Cryptek (destruction), a 10 man squad of immortals with tesla, a 5 man Lycheguard squad with Lord, and a Cryptek (Storm), and a second Overlord on a Command Barge.

my robits

Karl took a bunch of dudes in 5 Chimera's, a Valkyrie, a Vendetta, and 3 Leman Russ' (2 battlecannon, 1 plasma), and a manticore.  Karl outflanked with the 2 flyers and 3 of the Chimera attached to his HQ's squad (he used the outflanking Al'Rahem).  No blob squad or heavy weapons teams!  A first in my battles against Karl.

Overview of board and Karl's deployment

I won the roll off and picked the side closest to 3 of the 5 objectives.  I started on 1, just off a second and not far from the third.  Karl started on one, and on the opposite side of a big terrain piece from a second.  I deployed mostly in the middle to avoid his outflanking, however being all bunched up in the middle proved to be a problem later because I couldn't really react quick enough to any of his moves.

My first turn involved me slowly moving up, capturing the second objective and having some very useless shooting.  I flanked my Catacomb Barge around my left side (aiming for his Command Chimera and Manticore) and most everything else stayed towards the middle.

At the top of Karl's phase I used my Solar Pulse to make it night fighting for his turn.  This proved to be fairly useful in limiting his shooting.  He took a lot of shots at my Monolith, but didn't really manage to do anything.  I believe a Scarab base got destroyed and perhaps an Immortal died (but than got back up at the end of the turn, this would be a reoccurring theme all battle).

On my turn most of my army again moved up going towards tanks or the middle objective.  My deathmarks deep struck in and my Overlord on pimp wagon flew over his Command Chimera.  Using the sweep attacks I managed to blow up the Chimera, opening up its soft center for further shooting from my Deathmarks and tesla Immortals.  I was unable to destroy the squad, but it began a rather slow retreat off the table.

Pimp wagon after popping Chimera #1

Karl's turn 2 saw his 3 Chimera and Valkyrie come in on my weak side (I just had the deathmarks and the Overlord on pimp wagon).  I know Karl wanted it split up so he could start pushing on my strong flank that had my camped warriors on an objective.  It wasn't what he wanted, but the massed IG parking lot that appeared on my left flank forced me to start wheeling my entire army around to face it.  It would basically take till the end of the game for me to get there, and I never was able to do anything with my Lycheguard unit.

Deathmarks, moments before the plasma shit storm hit their butts

In Karl's turn 2 shooting, freed of night fighting he was able to immobilize the Monolith, and kill a few immortals (who got back up).  On the side he just outflanked on things went better.  Everything opened up on my deathmarks wiping them out.  He also exploded my pimp wagon (and caused a wound to my overlord).

My warriors basically sat here the whole game and managed 1 immobilized result

By my turn 3 I had written off the left side Overlord, and just started trying to hold the two objectives I had and get ready for a push from the collapsed left flank led Karl's flyers.  My shooting started to prove useful as I glanced a few tanks and either immobilized them or caused them not to shoot (I believed I wrecked a battlecannon russ).  Nothing major, but I was starting to chip away.  My tesla immortals proved their worth by shooting an exposed veteran squad and completely destroying them (thanks to 13 wounds caused by 10 shots, gooooooo tesla!).  My left flank overlord popped another Chimera open, only to be greeted by yet more melta guard.

Tesla Immortals and Lycheguard making their way to the left flank

On Karl's turn 3, things changed.  I was halfway across the table with 1 unit, still two turns away from my left flank (where most of Karl's forces were) and more or less out in the open with a majority of my troops.  On top of that Karl's Vendetta showed up on the exact same side of the board as everything else.  Karl opened fire.  It took most of his firepower from the left flank, but my lone Overlord was destroyed.  I managed to fail a few 3+/4+inv. saves and lose some Lycheguard.  I also lost a few immortals, and an entire scarab squad.  Although the losses weren't bad, they were starting to add up as Karl began to claim the entire left side of the board.  However it was after the shooting phase when things got real.  I could not be stopped on my reanimation rolls.  All my Lycheguard got back up, most of the immortals returned and in a soul-crushing reversal my Overlord got back up with his full three wounds! (I gave him a phylactery which gives him a d3 wounds back on his first resurrection roll).  I'm fairly confident I saw Karl's spirit slump its shoulders at this time.

On Turn 4 my shooting started to become effective.  By now both Leman Russ battle tanks were wrecked and I was closing in on the objective in Karl's zone with my second Overlord and immortal squad.  My warriors held one of the objectives in my zone, the tesla immortals held the other.  My Lycheguard were closing in on the left flank (which was now manageable thanks to a renewed Overlord) as were my remaining squad of scarabs.  Shooting was mostly ineffective (I believe my tesla immortals took a big chunk out of the squad Al'Rahem was in), but in assault my Overlord wrecked his third Chimera of the game and the scarabs blew up the Vendetta.

Mmmmm, Vendetta

Awww, Melta-vets again!

Karl's turn 4 would turn out to be the most important.  Unloading a few flamers into my scarab squad, he quickly finished off the unit.  My Immortals, Lycheguard, and Warriors took a few casualties each, and his Valkyrie moved to contest 1 objective.  Once again, as things started to look up for Karl they quickly turned.  I passed the majority of my reanimation rolls minimizing the damage Karl caused and allowing me to shenanigan my way closer to his deployment zone.  In assault Al'Rahem charged into my resurrected Overlord.  Karl relayed to me that Al'Rahem had an instanta-kill power weapon that once nearly killed a Daemon Prince.  What chance did my lowly initiative 2 Robot-King have?  As it would turn out the Overlord never got a chance.  In fact neither combatant got an opportunity to strike.  Before anyone got to swing, Al'Rahem failed his leadership test to mind shackle scarabs and blew his own head off.

Moments before he took his own life

Feel my balls on your brain?  That's 'cause I just mind-fucked you

After that, Karl called it a game.  I held 2 objectives and was closing in on a third.  Best case scenario for the guard was he could halt my advance and contest one objective and lose 1-0 (or maybe 2-1), worst case I push him off his objective, pull some squad stringing multi-objective taking BS out of my butt and win 5-0 (highly unlikely).   Although Karl had taken heavy causalities, he still had a few complete squads left, but it just wasn't going to be enough.  There were far too many robots left.

My Immortals snaking through a Leman Russ graveyard

I had a lot of fun.  It was a very competitive game until that last turn or so when I just couldn't fail a reanimation roll.  Karl and I talked afterword about the matchup and I think we both agree Guard have a tough time against Necrons.  The lists Karl builds are highly effective against marine armies because they negate their primary strength, armor.  The same is true for Necrons, the only thing is thanks to reanimation they don't care as much.  I think this allows me to take more time and not have to worry about getting in his face immediately.  The game becomes much more of a war of attrition and Guard have a tough time with that once they are out of their vehicles.

I'm really starting to dig the Necrons, I really like the synergy you can create with all the different units and wargear.  With even more new units coming out soon I think I am going to be sticking with the robots for a bit.

Don't go yet!  Karl and I also played a combat patrol game.  Orks vs. Blood Angels.  I never realized that you were allowed to take AV 12 vehicles or walkers if they counted as a troop choice in combat patrol.  You know what that means, Cheater Claw Dreadnoughts!  I took 1 cheater claw, 8 death company and a rhino.  Karl took 56 orks of various size and ability.

The game went quick, with both of us deciding that assault was the way to go we ran towards the middle of the board and fought.  I was nervous initially because of the sheer number of boyz Karl had.  I got even more nervous when the Cheater Claw Dread crapped out in combat and only killed 2 boys.  Luckily for me Karl's power klaw didn't do shit and the next turn the cheater claw took Karl to brown town.  After that it was all over, some running and some sweeping.

Moments before my cheater claw chews through a mob of boyz

I think the list Karl used would actually be pretty good for combat patrol, he just should of used his weaker units as a speed bump to slow me down and take pot shots at me while I advanced.

It was a good day, I can't wait to get in a few more games.  I might be taking some time off in May so hopefully some sort of nerd day can be arranged.