Counter Offensive: Battle #1
On August 21 and 22 2004, Dream Wizards in Rockville, Maryland, hosted an event called Counter Offensive. Counter Offensive was similar to Fall From Grace in that there were no entry fees, no registration, and no tournaments: just show up and play. 

I could only make it for one day, but I decided to make the most of it, bringing along a Scout-heavy army, all part the “Fighting Tiger Recruitment Drive,” my effort to add heaps of Scouts to my already-too large Marine army. 

“Scouts & Such”
For the day’s brutality, I brought:

• Daksha Ram. Chaplain w/ plasma pistol
• “Tactical” Scouts. Two squads, each w/ Sergeant w/ bolt pistol and close combat weapon; eight Scouts w/ bolters; one Scout w/ autocannon
• “Assault” Scouts. Two squads, each w/ Veteran Sergeant w/ bolter-flamer; nine Scouts w/ bolt pistols and close combat weapons
• “Devastator” Scouts. Two squads, each w/ Sergeant w/ bolt pistol and close combat weapon; eight Scouts w/ sniper rifles; one Scout w/ heavy bolter
• Land Speeders. Three squadrons, each w/ two Land Speeders w/ multi-meltas
• Devastator Squad. Sergeant and Marine w/ bolters; three Marines w/ missile launchers; one Marine w/ lascannon; Razorback w/ twin-linked lascannons, searchlight, extra armor, dozer blades, and smoke launchers
• Predator Annihilator w/ lascannon sponsons and searchlight
• Vindicator w/ extra armor and smoke launchers

Fist vs. Claw
Mission: Rules of Engagement (special)
Opponent: Iron Fist (“vanilla”) Marines (Brian Collett)
Points per player: 2000

What happened? A few months ago, I was lucky enough to win against Brian’s Orks. He wanted a rematch, this time using his Iron Fists, a Space Marine Chapter of his own creation. Brian brought:

• Space Marine Leader
• Veteran Squad in a Land Raider
• Dreadnought w/ assault cannon and heavy flamer
• Three Tactical Squads,  each w/ 10 Marines (including one w/ heavy bolter and one w/ flamer)
• One Tactical Squad w/ 10 Marines (including one w/ a lascannon and one w/ a plasma gun)
• Assault Squad, including one Marine w/ plasma pistol and Veteran Sergeant w/ power fist and plasma pistol
• Whirlwind
• Devastator Squad. Sergeant w/ bolter and four Marines w/ missile launchers

The Iron Fists went first, their Assault Marines bounding forward—only to have the one with the plasma pistol fail a Difficult Terrain check and die, presumably falling into an icy crevasse. Brian’s Whirlwind missed its target, but his Devastator Squad kakked four of my sniper-rifle Scouts and the lascannon from his Tactical Squad brought down one of my Land Speeders.

On the Fighting Tigers’ turn, my Devastators fired on Brian’s Devastators, killing two of them. The sniper Scouts killed a Tactical Marine, an autocannon burst shook Brian’s Dreadnought, and my Speeders managed to shake the Fists’ Land Raider.

On Turn Two, Brian’s Whirlwind missed again and the rest of the Fists’ fire was ineffectual. Daksha Ram and one squad of “assault” Scouts killed four Tactical Marines while the other “assault” Scout squad charged the Fists’ Assault squad, killing one of them and preventing them from reaching the Tigers’ lines. Tiger fire brought down another of Brian’s Devastators and immobilized (and shook) his Land Raider. The Veteran Squad inside was having a very hard time of it….

On Brian’s third turn, his Iron Fists finally got in some good shooting. His Whirlwind pasted three sniper Scouts (pinning them) and his Devastator Squad bagged another. His Tactical Squads teamed up with his Dreadnought to go after my pesky Land Speeders, killing one, blowing the multi-melta off another, and shaking another. Another Tactical Squad gunned down three of my “assault” Scouts, forcing them to fall back. In melee, the Iron Fist Assault Marines hacked down four Scouts and lost one of their own. 

I responded by having my Devastator Squad fire again into Brian’s Devastators, killing another poor bastard with a missile launcher. More fire shook the Fists’ Land Raider and Whirlwind. Daksha Ram and the black-and-white “assault” Scouts counterattacked Brian’s Assault Marines, killing two and losing two. Everyone was still stuck in with the Fists’ Veteran Sergeant. 

On Turn Four, Brian’s Veteran Squad finally emerged from their Land Raider and started moving toward my lines. In close combat, Daksha Ram cut down the Assault Marine Veteran Sergeant and my “assault “ Scouts consolidated toward Brian’s Tactical Squads. In my Shooting Phase, my Vindicator killed six of Brian’s Veterans and my Devastator Squad killed another—that’ll teach ‘em to get out of their ride! The remaining Vets wisely decided to fall back. I fired on the Whirlie several times but didn’t even shake it—now it was free to paste some more Scouts next turn. One of my autocannons immobilized the Fists’ Dread, encouraging Daksha Ram and his Scouts to approach one of Brian’s nearby Tactical Squads.

As expected, the Fists’ Whirlwind fired again on Turn Five,  appropriately killing five Scouts. Brian’s Vets and Tac Squads aimed for my Land Speeders, which were buzzing his lines. The Dreadnought couldn’t move but it could fire a heavy flamer on my approaching “assault” Scouts, killing two and driving away one squad. Nevertheless, on my turn, Daksha Ram and the remaining “assault” Scouts wiped out Brian’s nearest Tactical Squad, claiming an objective for me.

The last turn was just mopping up, with the Fists unable to grab enough objectives. Translated into American football parlance, the Tigers “ran out the clock.”

Outcome: Tigers win. 
 
 

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© Copyright Kenton Kilgore, November 2004
 

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