To Battle once more!

Suffer not the unpainted to live!

Scouts of the Incandescent Coyotes chapter of Space Marines were recently deployed to a planet secretly designated: FLGS. After surveilling the area for potential threats to the sanctity of the Imperium, they sent back reports of an order of the Sisters of Battle who appeared to have gone astray of the Emperor's Word, and were in need of immediate cleansing. 

A strike force was quickly assembled and immediately dispatched via a Thunderhawk Transporter carrying a Razorback and Rhino (both with troops embarked), as well as an escorting Stormraven Gunship with two 5-strong squads on board, Devastators and Assault marines respectively. 

The Transporter touched down for no more than 15 seconds, discharging it's cargo and lifting off quickly with heavy bolters blazing away for suppressive fire. The Stormraven disembarked the devastators in a similar manner (the assault marines exited the craft in flight). Deploying quickly the Coyote force discovered that the enemy were in fact the security detachment for some sort of Adeptus...Mechanicus operation? 

Immediately the Lt. commanding the operation detailed the 2nd Tactical squad sergeant to chew out the clearly erroneous reports from their wayward scouts. As for the Mechanicus, wondering why they were being subjected to suppressing fire from a clearly hostile Astartes force, the Skitarii marshal in-charge issued several blurts of binary at the marines, demanding an explanation for this outrage! 

The Lieutenant, his blood already up due to the adrenaline rush of a combat drop, as well as the fury generated by the scout squad's reports, decided on the fly that yup, that binary sounded threatening to him and since they were already here; let's get 'em!

...and here's how it all went down...

One thousand points per side, straight across the board deployment, 3 objectives lined up across the middle worth 1VP per turn (and only mildly even acknowledged during the game).

My army as a whole, with my opponent no doubt muttering the profane catechisms of rules comprehension at his tablet. I was expecting his SoBs, I had no idea he owned another army!

The Apothecary and 5-man tactical squad were both mounted in the razorback, keeping all of the painted minis together. The assault marines went into strategic reserve, and would arrive on turn 2. 

My Lieutenant and 8-strong tactical squad, both mounted in the Rhino as well as the devastators and scouts. 

 The scouts would infiltrate on my left flank.

Whereas the devastators would hole up in the ruins in the middle of the field. 

The Mechanicus's deployment (looks as though Mike's recitation of those catechisms aren't having the desired effect in this pic...).

Going first, both of my transports advanced with the Razorback and Devastators inflicting a whopping 10 wounds on the strider in front of them!

On the left the scouts advanced, blazing away along with the Rhino at an Evesor assassin that that appeared as if from nowhere, inflicting 2 wounds via massed bolter fire (of various types)

With overwatch proving as fruitless as their regular shooting, the Evesor charges the scouts but only manages to kill one with her neuro gauntlet. 

The damaged strider put a serious hurt on my Razorback, and so my squad disembarked and proceeded to roll a snake eyes with it's 2 meltaguns. Fuckers. 1 command reroll later and the Strider was down, though it wounded one of my marines and killed 1 or 2 of his grunts in the ensuing explosion. 

Sure, this looks fair. Note, that strider was armed the same as the other one, and not with the Icarus array as it is modeled with.

As such, Rhino go BOOM! Said boom inflicted 3 mortal wounds on my Lt. (ouch) and 1 on a tactical marine.

In my following turn, the tac marines first shot at and then charged the second walker, managing to scratch and ding its hull. 

The Lt. however went off and powerfisted the Eversor into pulp! So much so that the assassin's bio-melt down didn't inflict any further casualties. 

Quoting the Apothecary: 'Sorry guys, but I'm not going to have enough morphine to get any of you thru this...'

Bemused by the marines fruitlessly attacking it, the strider simply walked away and along with the Skitarii, they reduced this squad down to just 3 marines.  

In return I threw all I had at the Kataphron servitors, reducing them to just two!

At this point, I declared charges with my (up to then useless) assault marines, the few surviving tac. marines, and my Apothecary. However as it was a bit late, hotter than hell, and my troops had reached his gunline, Mike raised the white flag and we ended the game. 

I think VPs were only 2-1 in my favor, and whilst I would likely wipe out whatever I charged, I would no doubt suffer heavily in the following shooting phase. With already heavy casualties all around, it might yet still be a close run thing but who knows. Victory to the Incandescent Coyotes (the first out of their now only two battles)!

As always it was a fun game...well, aside from the mouth breathing idiot who kept wandering over to our table to regale us with his long history of gaming since the Indomitus era...

Just as an aside, if you ever encounter a sight like this across the table from you, kill it.

Kill it fast!