Battle Report 1850 CSM vs. Space Marines

With experiencing the obnoxiousness fliers could be in Game 2 of my first tournament and my Aegis Defence Line clipped out, I was anxious to field the Fortification. The Quad-gun is the better choice between it and the Lascannon, as far as I can tell. The Quad-gun suffers from less strength and range, but being 4 twin-linked shots meant it is likely to pay for itself fairly quickly, at least in theory. So I built my list up to 1848 points with the Aegis Defence Gun and Quad-gun. My opponent brought a force I'd been wanting to play against since I first started playing 40K, Space Marines with Imperial Guard allies. Onto the armies:

Chaos Space Marines
1848 total pts

HQ

230 Typhus


Troops 

142 Plague Zombies  +14 cultists

365 Plague Marines with Rhino (Havoc Launcher)  +5 Plague Marines, Meltagun x2, Power Fist, Icon of Despair, Melta Bombs, Combi-Melta, Gift of Mutation, Vets of the Long War x10

375 Plague Marines with Rhino (Havoc Launcher)  +5 Plague Marines, Plasma Gun x2, Power Fist, Icon of Despair, Melta Bombs, Combi-Plasma, Gift of Mutation, Vets of the Long War x10


Fast Attack

269 Chaos Bikers  +4 Bikers, Meltagun x2, Combi-Melta, Power Sword, Melta Bombs, Mark of Nurgle, Icon of Despair, Gift of Mutation, Vets of the Long War x7


Heavy

158 Obliterators  +1 Obliterator, Mark of Nurgle, Vets of the Long War x2


79 Obliterator  Mark of Nurgle, Vets of the Long War


130 Vindicator  Havoc Launcher, Siege Shield


Fortification

100 Aegis Defence Line  Quad-gun

----------------VS----------------

Space Marines
1849 total pts

HQ

200 Captain Cato Sicarius

100 Lord Commissar


Troops

227 Scout Squad with Sergeant Telion

210 Tactical Squad with Tank Hunters

155 Veteran Squad

155 Veteran Squad


Elite

220 Ironclad Dreadnought with Drop Pod

65 Guardsman Marbo


Heavy

125 Vindicator Siege Shield

100 Thunderfire Cannon

190 Deathstrike Missile Launcher


Fortification

100 Aegis Defence Line  Quad-gun


We deployed with Dawn of War and my opponent rolled the Conqueror of Cities Warlord Trait. Typhus got Weapon Virus and Plague Wind for Psychic powers. Nurgle deemed Damocles unworthy of an offering but Ebenezar became a Witch-Eater as Yuri morphed with his gun, giving him +1 Strength on his Twin-linked Boltgun.

Turn 1

I moved out first, slaying a few Space Marines as I went, getting a glancing hit off the Loyalist Vindicator with my Vindicator's Demolisher Cannon. The followers of the False Emperor returned fire, ending 1 of Damocles' cabal. My opponent's Vindicator glanced a Rhino, then the Thunderfire Cannon roared at my Bikers, blowing up the Rhino they were using for cover and killing 2 of Yuri's gang, who failed their Leadership and were riding away from the enemy. The Snipers opened fire on Yuri's Bikers, sending 2 souls to be fed on by the festering god they'd served though Telion failed to wound. The Space Marine Quad-gun, Lascannon and 3 Boltguns fired into Ruins and killed the Unit of 2 Obliterators.

Turn 2

Bad rolls for most of my army, though my Vindicator penned the Space Marine Vindicator, shaking its crew. Marbo appeared behind Zombies and Typhus. He killed 9 zombies and wounded my Warlord. The Dreadnought ended 2 Plague Marines, 1 of them holding a Plasma Gun in his death grip. My opponent's Snipers killed the Biker Icon Bearer, the Thunderfire Cannon destroyed 6 Plague Zombies, his Quad-gun exploded a Rhino and the Deathstrike Missile Launcher fired its payload, killing Ebenezar and his Icon Bearer. The Dreadnought then plowed through a Plague Marine as it Assaulted Damocles' Unit headed straight for the Chaos Champion. Damocles passed his Look Out Sir and one of the other Plague Marines took the slam.

Turn 3

The Bikers, which had been retreating, saw their Warlord in battle and regained their courage, wounding Marbo. The Obliterator could not fire upon the Dreadnought which was assaulting the Plague Marines, so it blew up the Drop Pod. Typhus challenged Marbo, who had no choice but to face the Lord of Terror. The Loyalist could not wound Typhus and Manreaper sliced into Marbo 7 times, dashing his lifeless husk to the ground.  Nurgle smiled on Typhus' offering and rewarded the Warlord with recovery from a wound. My opponent's Vindicator missed the Chaos Vindicator but his Snipers killed a Biker holding a Meltagun and the Thunderfire Cannon stilled a Plague Zombie. The Dreadnought pummeled 2 Plague Marines but Damocles was able to place a Melta Bomb on the Ironclad, destroying it.

Turn 4

The Chaos Vindicator roared with its Demolisher Cannon and destroyed the Imperial Vindicator. None of my other shots were as satisfying as my opponent was holed up tight in Ruins and behind his Defence Line. My opponent's Deathstrike moved onto the middle of the battlefield, then Snipers brought Yuri down. The Thunderfire cannon fired at Typhus but his Armor soaked the hits. The Space Marine Quad-gun, Plasmas and Lascannons finished the lone Obliterator.

Turn 5

Typhus attempted to invoke a Weapon Virus on the Snipers, but the Loyalists were able to Deny the Witch. The Chaos Vindicator glanced the Deathstrike Missile Launcher. The Deathstrike then moved itself direction in the Vindicator's path. The Space Marine Thunderfire Cannon killed 5 Plague Zombies and Typhus took a wound. We rolled to see if the game would continue but it did not. The Space Marines carried the day.

Final Thoughts

Was a fun time getting the Quad-gun on the field and killing a few Loyalists. I probably should not have been as aggressive as I was. In fact it would have been a far different game had I simply turtled on my Objectives. Once my opponent got First Blood though I had no choice but to push and hope for the best. Upon reflection of this game, I've decided to no longer put Typhus with the Plague Zombies. While he's a melee kinda Champion, it takes too long closing the distance with my opponent and the casualties taken have not been worth it. Instead I'll have him join another infantry Unit, one that can Deep Strike. Until next time, see you on the battlefield!