Another battle! This time against the World Eaters and their new codex. This is my first time against a melee-focused army ever, really, so it was quite the learning curve! Learning points from an Astra Militarum perspective:
You just have to accept some units are there to be a speed bump.
You have to strike a balance between spreading your forces out so they don’t get caught up in the melee all at once, against the need to keep them close to benefit from auras, orders.
Tanks firing into melee is really, really fun.
Here’s Commander Spades report…
To the High Command,
I, Commander Spade of the Vilniaus 39th, report with pride and honor on our most recent engagement against a vile detachment of Heretic Astartes, who sought to advance towards their objectives. Our brave forces, comprising the Vilniaus 39th, Mordian Iron Guard, Death Korps of Krieg, Imperial Navy Breachers, and Militarum Auxila Bullgryns, intercepted these heretics with valor.
We deployed mostly in the centre and the right, with the courageous Death Korps taking the left flank on their own. The enemy amassed in the centre and on our right, their twisted forces consisting of drug-fuelled cultists, heretical space marines, and grotesque, mutated armored monsters known as "eightbound."
Our forces arrayed for battle. Not pictured: the Death Korps of Krieg on the left, hidden by a building.
The battle commenced with the deafening roar of our tanks and infantry. Our concentrated fire devastated their ranks - with an entire unit of Eightbound being destroyed - but at the cost of the noble breachers who fearlessly engaged in close quarters combat. Their sacrifice shall be forever remembered!
The Imperial Navy Breachers sell their lives dearly to try and buy time for the rest of the troops. Note: this turned out to be a terrible tactical decision. Moving swiftly on!
The heretics closed in, engaging in a ferocious melee with our centre lines, and our Bullgryn on the right. Our Leman Russ Punisher valiantly felled an enemy commander, firing it’s gatling cannon at point-blank range, but casualties mounted as we held our ground. Difficult decisions were made, including ordering fire directly into close combat, but every sacrifice was made in the name of the Imperium.
The enemy closes in. Despite frantic bellows of ‘First rank, fire! Second rank, fire!’ It becomes apparent the vicious enemy infantry will meet our lines. Fix bayonets!
The Bullgryns brace for a charge from mutated Eightbound on the right flank, and the centre is engaged by a variety of foes, including the Leman Russ Punisher directly buy the enemy commander.
Suddenly, we were beset by more daemonic mutants. As the Death Korps reported being overrun and killed to the last man, our Leman Russ Punisher fell, followed swiftly by Captain Tread's tank. The melee raged on, leaving a scene of carnage and destruction.
One of the last pictures of Captain Treads tank before being destroyed. In it’s last act, it managed to fire it’s battle cannon across the board, wiping out almost half the enemy cultists in a single blast! The command squad disengaged to allow the infantry to finish off the Eightbound with well-aimed las fire.
In the aftermath, nearly all forces lay decimated, including my own command section. While the enemy held a slight advantage in terms of objectives held, by the end only a weakened horde of cultists and a single commander remained. We withdrew to fight another day.
Surveying the battlefield, we make a tactical withdrawal with our remaining forces.
Fear not, for we shall return and eradicate this heretical menace from the galaxy!
For the Emperor!
Commander Spade
Vilniaus 39th Astra Militarum
My first battle against such a melee-focussed army, and very exciting! I certainly learned a lot around how to anticipate and plan against threat-ranges of melee-focussed enemies, and also that I certainly need more tanks!
Until next time…
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