Battle Logs

Friday 7th September 2018
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Now that the experimental rules for the Dropfleet Commander Dreadnaughts have been released, along with the pre-orders for the models themselves from TTCombats's website; it's time to have a think about which version you're going to assemble.
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Using the experimental rules, and Proxy models, my gaming friend Mark Roberts and I ran a game.
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I used my UCM Perth Battlecruiser as proxy due to it's similar tuning fork shape, and Mark chose his Dragon Battleship as Proxy.
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We played the Station Assault Scenario, with battleline approach in opposing corners of the board. Here are the rosters:
Dreadfleet - 1481pts UCM – 15 launch assets
SR30 Flag battlegroup (450pts) 5AV Admial
1 x Washington Supercarrier – 450pts - S2
SR15 Line battlegroup (264pts)
3 x Saratoga - 264pts - M
SR5 Line battlegroup (105pts)
1 x Berlin - 105pts - M
SR10 Line battlegroup (172pts)
2 x Athens - 172pts - M
SR8 Pathfinder battlegroup (298pts)
6 x Taipei - 234pts - L 2 x Jakarta - 64pts - L
SR6 Pathfinder battlegroup (192pts)
2 x N'Orleans - 64pts - L 2 x N'Orleans - 64pts - L 2 x N'Orleans - 64pts - L
Dreadfleet - 1472pts Scourge - 10 launch assets
SR 30 Flag battlegroup (500pts)
1 x Nosferatu - 480pts - S Av 4 - 20pts
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SR10 Line battlegroup (245pts)
1 x Chimera - 105pts - M 1 x Hydra - 140pts - M
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SR10 Line battlegroup (180pts)
2 x Strix - 180pts - M
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SR10 Line battlegroup (190pts)
2 x Yokai - 190pts - M
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SR6 Pathfinder battlegroup (192pts)
2 x Gargoyle - 64pts - L 2 x Gargoyle - 64pts - L 2 x Gargoyle - 64pts - L
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SR6 Pathfinder battlegroup (165pts)
3 x Incubus (exp.) - 165pts - L2
Turn1:
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All ships on both sides creep on slowly, trying to suss out the opposing Admiral's tactics. The UCM try an anti-clockwise sweep of the board, leaving only the Saratoga death group on the opposite flank. The Scourge mostly stay in a clockwise rotation of the board, committing all but the Yokai to the an intercept flank.
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The Washington trundles on, testing it's toes in the void at the board's edge; keeping a keen Port lookout.
The Nosferatu sneaks on and drops down a layer and waits inside a dense debris field. Small parts of the gigantic ship plink off, reducing the hull by 2.
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Turn2:
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The opposing Admiral's tactics seem to have been analysed, and forces are committed. The UCM Strike Carriers make a play for the Space Stations by double thrusting whilst the enemy are still at range.
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The Washington pulls ahead, keeping a good clear distance behind the rest of it's fleet - ready to provide CAP for the groups ahead. The Nosferatu continues it's deadly prowl forwards, still lurking on silent running.
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Turn3:
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A bright flash from the cloaked Nosferatu reduces one of the New Orleans to dust, the first fatality of the conflict. Thousands of soldiers perish as they sit ready in their drop ships. The Saratogas open up on a couple of the exposed Gargoyles making a play for a space station nearby, the scourge ships vaporise in a flash of burnthrough success.
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The Nosferatu launches bombers against the two Athens who have closed in to face off against the Strix formation.
The Washington launches all of it's fighters, may of which make it through the debris field and defeat the bombers squadrons with impunity.
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Turn4:
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This turn sees a concentration of the Scourge fleet on the UCM Close Action Squadron comprising of many Taipeis and Jakartas. The Strixs go in for the kill, but the combined Point defence from all the ships in the group put up a wall of flack, and only 2 ships from the formation are lost. The Scourge Destroyers slice though the debris of the Gargoyles and turn 2 of the Saratogas to floating wreckage; the third only just escapes having survived receiving critical damage.
Ships start disappearing from the board as engagement ranges become close. The Berlin takes a hammering from a nearby Strix, which explodes in a big way - The distortion bubble envelopes the exposed Strix and they both fall away.
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"Weapons Free" is called from the CIC of the Nosferatu, and the Close Action Squadron is erased from the board without even firing a shot.
The Washington now becoming more and more isolated, sees a number of targets giving off large spikes goes weapons free itself. Within moments the 2 Yokais are ventilated by the multiple mass driver shots, and the husks fall away to the planet. All 15 Launch of the bomber squadrons go after the main prize.
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Turn5:
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Turn 5 sees the Scourge Destroyers and Gargoyle contingent mop up the remaining UCM strike carriers; whereas the tank battle onboard the stations rages on furiously. One of the Athens falls victim to a well placed Scald close action from the Chimera, and the other limps away with it's armour cracked. It takes a plink at the Nosferatu before the behemoth reduces it to ash. The remaining UCM strike carrier fires a wild shot at the remaining heavily damaged Strix and scores a hit; an unlikely hit but an important one. It's last act was to clear the path way for the Washington.
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Nosferatu goes weapons free again, and scores a huge 22 points of damage on the Washington, badly damaged and horribly crippled, it loses it's port-side facing weapon group; along with a D3 special order damage.
The Washington goes weapons free, and puts a heavy toll of damage on the Nosferatu. It takes an extra 2 damage from the D3 roll - leaving it at 1hp left - The primary core on the Nosferatu is ruptured, and the ship has a terminal 3hps of damage per turn - however it wont be enough to end it before the end of the game. The UCM admiral counts on his bombers will finishing it off at the end of the turn.
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The UCM bombers overwhelm the Nosferatu's fighter screen and point defence and do a huge amount of damage. The second level of critical damage is done, and the orbital decay from the previous critical damage is resolved. The Nosferatu fails to slow its descent and burns horribly in the atmosphere; slamming into the unpopulated mountain range below.
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Turn6:
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The last remaining UCM strike carrier is picked off by a good shot from the Chimera, as it goes weapons free as the last roll of the dice in the game against the remaining 1hp of UCM forces in orbit. The superior armour and veteran point defence gunners on the Washington dispel and eliminate all incoming firepower. The Washington lives, but it's fleet has been wiped out. Scourge win a Pyrrhic victory, routing UCM out of the system for another time.​
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