40k Battle Report Tallarn vs Stygies Admech (Competitive 2000pt Battle Report)

So my mate plays Admech and having been busy the past month he could only speculate how good his list was. I had made changes since my last battle and wanted to see whether they were worthwhile.

We had a 2000pt game at our local gaming club. Here come the lists:

My List [12 CPs]

Tallarn (Astra Militarum)

+++Brigade Detachment+++

HQ

(Warlord) Company Commander 'Captain El'Houni' w/ Plasma Pistol, Power Sword, Relic - Blade of Conquest

Warlord Trait - Grand Strategist - 5+ to recover CPs and a once per game reroll on anything.

Primaris Psyker 'Gilbert' w/ Nightshroud and Psychic Maelstrom

Tank Commander 'Armour-Captain Idris' w/ Executioner Turret, Hull Lascannon, Sponson Multi-meltas, Hunter Killer Missile, 

TROOPS

Tempestus Scions x5 'Dune Vipers' w/ 2 x Meltaguns, Bolt Pistol

Infantry Squad  w/ Mortar Heavy Weapon Team, Sniper Rifle, Vox

(2x) Infantry Squad w/ Flamer, Vox

(2x) Infantry Squad w/ Grenade Launcher, Vox, Bolt Pistol

ELITES

Master of Ordnance 'Al'Khafeet' w/ 'Relic - Kurov's Aquila - Generate CPs on a 5+ when an opponent uses a Stratagem.

Platoon Commander 'Lieutenant El'Aurens' w/ Boltgun.

Command Squad w/ Lascannon Heavy Weapon Team, Sniper Rifle, Vox.

FAST ATTACK

Hellhound w/ Hull Heavy Flamer, Track Guards

Hellhound w/ Hull Heavy Flamer, Track Guards

Rough Riders x8 'Reza's Riders' w/ 2 Meltaguns

HEAVY SUPPORT

Leman Russ Conquerors x2 'Tanin' & 'Jahim' w/ Hull Heavy Flamer, Sponson Heavy Flamers

Leman Russ Stygies Vanquishers x2 'Sayad' & 'Mitraka' w/ Hull Lascannon

Basilisk 'Rashah' w/ Hull Heavy Bolter

Opponents List [7 CPs]

Stygies (Adeptus Mechanicus)

+++Battalion Detachment+++

HQ

Techpriest Enginseer (Warlord)

(Warlord Trait - regain CPs and gain CPs from opponent on 6+)

Techpriest Enginseer

TROOPS

(2x) Skitarii Rangers x5 w/ Transuranic Arquebus

Vanguard x 10 w/ Radium Carbines

ELITES

Fulgurite Electropriests x20

Sicarian Infiltrators x 5

FAST ATTACK

Sydonian Dragoons x5 w/ Taser Lances

HEAVY SUPPORT

Kastelan Robots x6  w/ Incendine Combustors and Kastelan Fists

Dunecrawler w/ Heavy Stubber and Neutron Laser

Dunecrawler w/ Heavy Stubber and Neutron Laser

Deployment was tentative. I had not played Admech a great deal this edition and new that my opponent had a lot of combat prowess. This in addition to the Stygies Infiltrate stratagem meant his Fulgurite Electropriest, Sydonian Dragoons and Kastelan Robots would begin the game 9" away from me. I had not accounted for the fact that they would also move if they had first turn. The stratagem allows them to be set up after the roll to determine who goes first, this was very strategically useful.

I rolled a 6 in the roll-off and my opponent rolled lower. I would be taking first turn!

Or not. It was horrible but my opponent seized on me as soon as I had rolled the 6 to go first.

The Admech lines. The two snipers with a clear view of the battlefield.

My lines. I made two mistakes here. I deployed with a slight gap between two units and also did not leave enough of a gap between my chaff (infantry) and tanks. This was due to my not realising that his units would get to move after their infiltration.

The Electropriests appeared on my right flank.

The Dragoons on my left and the Kastelan Robots in the middle. It was clear the Kastelans would be making a B-line for my central tanks.

The lay of the land at the beginning of turn 1. My Rough Riders were outflanking along with a Hellhound, Infantry Squad and Platoon Commander. The Scions were dropping in as per usual.

My opponent was in my face turn 1 with 3 extremely likely charges on the go.

The Vanguard and Infiltrator had masses of S3-4 firepower and wiped the Infantry Squads, as did the flamers on the Kastelans. During the Charge phase, due to the numerous flamers in the army a Dragoon and a Kastelan Robot were brought down in overwatch. 

The Infantry squad were wiped with most dead instantaneously as the Priests rolled per model on the charge and 6s caused mortal wounds. They likely would have fallen in the preceding fight phase anyway. Having wiped a unit in the fight phase the 19 (one died in overwatch) Priests now had 3+ invulnerable saves (Crazy!)

The Kastelan Robots destroyed the Leman Russ (which exploded, dealing 3 mortal wounds to ALL three other Leman Russes!) they charged and piled into the second after activating a stratagem, changing their protocols and allowing them to fight twice. Luck the Tank survived but barely. The Primaris Psyker struck back as he was caught in the combat and claimed a Robot with some awesome (lucky) dice rolls.

The Dragoons destroyed the Hellhound which naturally blew up and caused some minor damage to them but couldn't pile in very far.

It would be my turn next and after the loss of a Conqueror, the loss of shooting of another, the loss of a hellhound and 4 Infantry Squads I would have to hit back hard. 

The Rough Riders came on from my board edge, missed with their Meltaguns and then failed to do anything in combat (the Dragoon made a few 6+ invuns against the Hunting Lances). They were subsequently wiped when the walkers struck back with +2 to hit due to a stratagem. (This also meant their hits exploded into 3 hits per 4+ to hit roll - filthy!)

The combined firepower of what was left killed all but one Kastellan Robot who was charged and slain by Captain El'Houni and the Blade of Conquest.

The Snipers opened fire at the Warlord but could not hit him despite hitting on 3s with reroll 1s. They must have been intimidated by such a hero of the Imperium.

The other sniper giving a good view of the battlefield.

We played until turn 4, at which point we ran out of time. The board was looking grim from my perspective and the points weren't good either. The Admech had pinned me in position and I had no way out. In retrospect, it might have been worth outflanking more than I did just for the first turn protection. At the end of turn 4 all I had left was a Conqueror on 1 wound (which btw killed loads of infantry with it's flamers despite it's low wounds) and a Platoon Commander hiding in a building. My opponent's forward units were all dead except for a slightly diminished unit of Fulgurite Electropriests (they kick out so many mortal wounds it's mad). He still had his Rangers and Dunecrawlers, as well as the Techpriests.

The final score was 12-5 (or something along those lines) but a tabling turn 5 was quite possible. The Guard were defeated but I had learned many valuable lessons in that game that I would take forward as I get to know the army better. I look forward to our rematch! 

In terms of list optimisation, I felt the Master of Ordnance could be replaced with a Techpriest to help the vehicles survive a little longer and a single D3 wounds back is enough to bump up a statline level.

As my force included rare Stygies Vanquishers I would have my Techpriest be from Forgeworld Stygies (that and as a nod to my friend and opponent with his Stygies Admech)