The Imperium retreats

Second game in a week, our response to the frustration of having to spend a lot of playing time wading through the 4th edition 40K rules book trying to find the right section/rule (partly a comment on the rules book/indexing system .. or lack of .. and also on the infrequency with which we play this rules system). Again Necrons versus Guard, the mission to hold the central objective - the ruined temple in the centre of the table.

Guard deployed on the left of the photo, Necrons on the right.

 Adrian chose to deploy his Monolith at the outset of the game rather than have it come in from reserve. I gained first turn.

A huge amount of firepower was directed at the Monolith in my attempt to eliminate it on the first turn. EVERY shot missed (and there were a lot)

Fore was also directed at the advancing Necron warriors from a squad of autocannon supporting the Guard centre.

 My plan was to stack the left and centre, with a strong merged squad held back from the temple in the woods to provide cover, but within 12" of the objective. As the Guard is know for its firepower I wanted to allow Adrian to take the centre, and soak his troops in fire from Guardsmen, autocannon, Heavy Bolters, and a lascannon. I had taken a special weapons squad equipped with flamers, mounted in a chimera, ready to assault the Necrons who I expected to take the temple. I held several squads in reserve, and had a unit of stormtroopers mounted in a Vendetta gunship. I expected to drop them in amongst the Necrons to assault them.

The left flank was stacked to allow me to apply pressure on the flank of the advancing  Necrons. I used two Rhinos to proxy for chimera apc's. The left most rhino held a veteran squad with three grenade launchers to provide some left flank firepower.

The central merged squad in cover, taking fire. The autocannon squad supporting them is on their left.

Two Sentinels with lascannon were on my right and engaged in a firefight with the monolith. One Sentinel has just lost its lascannon to Monolith fire

The Vendetta arrived, dropped the stormtroopers and tried to take out the Necron barge .. nope missed that too, even with three twin linked lascannon.

The Monolith advances supported by a swarm of scarabs

The Necron centre advances to the temple ruins

Heavy Guard fire fell on the Necron right, causing.. yep.. NO casualties at all

The Vendetta misses with all of its shots

One of the sentinels is destroyed by Necron fire from the Monolith

The Leman Russ comes under fire from the  Monolith ..no damage

Heavy fire eliminates the storm trooper squad, and the Vendetta gunship

A chimera advances, pops smoke, and discharges the special weapons squad, flamers at the ready.

The scarab swarm assaults the remaining Sentinel

 The temple ruins are now occupied by two squads of Necron warriors, and a unit of Wraiths. They attract a lot of fire as per the plan and .. nope .. no effect.

The temple ruins occupied

The Necron flyer arrives and attempts to attack the Leman Russ. There is a lot of fire hitting the Guard positions

I push the veteran squad forward. They bring a lot of G/L fire on the Necrons and fail to hit. They then assault, accompanied by the Company command squad.

The Special weapons squad advances into the temple ruins and swathes the Necron warriors with prometheum. Manny Necron warriors fall, .. and promptly get back up again.. sigh!!!

It's hell in there, but the Necrons are ... machines.. they don't care.

The ruins burn

The veterans sweep the Necron warriors away on the Guard left flank .. too little too late

The scarabs finally take down the second sentinel

While the Leman Russ destroys the Necron flyer.

The veteran squad, lead by the company commander (armed with a power fist) assault the Necron barge. There are Krak grenades flying in all directions. The Barge loses its armament but is still there.

The position is now pretty hopeless for the Guard, and the withdrawal begins. Can the Imperium ever halt the Necron advance? Probably not while I'm in command.

I'd modified my Guard list from the last game.. well more of a simplification really.  I took almost all of the heavy weapons out of the squads to make them more mobile/flexible. I added in a special weapons squad, and mounted it and the Veterans in chimeras. More mobile, but I failed to exploit that mobility.

I think the force is more flexible and easier to use, but the plan didn't work. I over-estimated the ability of the Guard shooting to take down the Necrons.

Have to keep on trying though.