Warhammer 30k - Tide of carnage

Mechanicum Taghmata vs Legion Iron warriors

Forces 1200 pts
Legion Iron warriors
-Lord w terminator armour
-5x terminators
-Contemptor
-10x Veteran legionarie  (with snipe)
-10x Veteran legionarie (with snipe)

Mechanicum Taghmata
-Magos
-2x Castellax autonomica
-2x Castellax autonomica
-2x Vorax autonomica
-1 Domitar autonomica

Objectives
-Take control over the battlefield. Your own deployment zone is worth 3 Vp, the zone in the middle is worth 5 VP and the opponents deployment zone is worth 7 VP
-Slay the warlord. Killing the enemy warlord is worth 1 VP.
-Last man standing. The player with most surviving units gains 1 extra VP.
The battle last for 5 turns.

We decide to size down the battlefield to 120x120 cm as were are playing 1200 pts. The roll-off to decide whom starts is won by the Mechanicum.

Turn 1
The Iron warriors start strong by siezeing the initiative! The Legion marines push forward and the Contemptor takes a wound of a Vorax autonoma with  its autocannon. In return the Castellans moves forward on all flanks and inflict a hullpoint on the Contemptor.

Iron warriors Contemptor

Castellax

Iron Warriors

Turn 2
The Contemptor and the marine squad takes out one of the sneaky Vorax in shooting followed by an assault from the Contemptor. The second Vorax is killed in the melee and the Contemptor consolidate slightly backwards.

Vorax and Contemptor

The Castellans on the right side hit the lord with a well placed multimelta shot, and the lord rolls a "1" for "look out sir" -  instantly being slain by the shot.

Melee battle

Contemptor victorious

The captain is shot dead

Turn 3

With the skill "snipe" the Iron warrior legionaries on the right side manage to take down the huge Domitar, as it fails a handful of saves. Its better to charge than be charged and the Contemptor rush forward in an attempt to crush the Magos with its chainfist. It inflicts two wounds, but the Magos pass its 3+ inv save.

Closing in for the kill

The Castellans move forward and after shooting, all terminators but the lightning claw armed is killed. In the following assault the terminator inflict two wounds in melee on the charging Castellans - but they roll 2! 6:s for their 6+ inv save. The last terminator is then slain. The Contemptor scores another two wounds on the Magos but he once again pass his 3+ inv save. In return, the Contemptor loses a hullpoint.

Last man standing

Turn 4

The Marines on the right side use snipe to take down one of the Castellans. In melee, the Contemptor scores another two wounds on the Magos, which saves both hits. In return the Magos hits the Contemptor with a rending attack, scoring a penetrating hit that destroys the dreadnought.

Open fire!

The now free-from-melee Magos and Castellans on the left side move forward and kill all but the sergeant marine. The last Castellan on the right flank is now within 12" of the enemy and must chose to engage battle protocols. They move towards the veterans and open fire, killing 3 marines. It successfully makes a charge, but defensive fire wounds the Castellan, witch is then killed in the assault.

Bring down the beast

Ridiculous firepower

Turn 5

The lone surviving legion sergeant run to hide behind the factory. The veteran legionaries on the right side attempt to reach the enemy deployment, but they roll a 2" for running and stay in the contested mid zone.

The right flank

The last surviving sergeant from the left squad is "out of sight" but we agree to give the Castellans a chance to hit hit through the openings in the ruin to put the game to test. He is wounded four times, but fails his 2+ save.

Last to die.

With both players having a unit in the mid zone, and the Mechanicum gaining an extra two victory points for the secondary objectives, its a victory for the Martians this time. But sleep with one eye open, the warriors of Olympia never rest.

Conclusions

Snipe is ridiculous powerful. But the Mechanicum have a ridiculous amount of firepower that "standard" marines cannot save against, so in this match up, I was a bit surprised that the victory could easily have gone to the Iron warriors - had the Magos failed one of six 3+ saves, or if the last sergeant was still alive. 

Heresy era is amazing thought, as all the best "fluff" of Warhammer is put on the tabletop, using the heroic models of our childhood books.