Friday 4 March 2016

Mr Resistance - Day 2





I'm back again for my battle report of day 2. Ill go over my last 2 games then reflect on the list I took and how I could better it. Sorry it's taken a while, I thought you would prefer the podcasts first.


Before setting up I always take a look at my opponents army list. I check for anything out of the ordinary, is there building demo dedicated unit, does he have very few on the ground scouring units.


Game 4 - Bunker Assault
Mark Dodridge - Resistance


Marks list was good and he had managed to squeeze in some of the newest resistance models. The Sappers. We had similar lists, but different loadout. He had Sappers instead of my vets in Battle Buses. We both had Lifthawks full of Resistance fighters. Mark had put his commander in an Alexander, and also purchased a Thunderstorm to join him in battle. I was not looking forward to this ground fight, that is a hell of a lot of firepower coming. He also had a full squad of ATV's in a kraken. I didn't fancy going into any Bunker too early. 

In turn one I send my Vets full speed towards the left Focal Point, along side the embarked Jacksons in the Lifthawk and the Squad of Cyclones. The aircraft hid behind a very tall building. I send my Thunderstorm on its lonesome towards the right hand FP. Mark had deployed his Alexander quite central to him, and the Thunderstorm and Lifthawk full of troops to the left FP. All of our AA went for the middle of the board. With Marks troops going for the same FP as mine they would basically cancel each other out. He also deployed his sappers into a building just outside of the FP on his side.

Mark got activation on turn 2, he proceeded with activating these sappers. They fired at the Occupation Vetern's Kraken and destroyed it like it was made of paper, soggy wet paper. I was so shocked and horrified, but a great move by Mark. He managed to kill the Buses but 3 of my bases survived. They spend the rest of the game foot slogging all the way back to the FP they just drove past in my home quarter. With a retaliation activation I chose the Cyclones/Gun Wagons battlegroup. Wagons unloaded on his troop's Lifthawk-FAILED, Cyclones stayed hidden and fired the missiles at the building the Sappers where in-FAILED!!!!! falling masonry. I kept the Cyclones back because I had been able to spot via the Scout ATV's. I also needed all the antitank I could get, now the Vets wouldn't be doing the normal drive bys. Mark deployed his troops into the left hand building, before my pathfinders could trash there transport( I got both Pathfinders turn 2). I now had no way to remove those troops unless I wanted to fight CQB, but that would have been a evenly bloodied fight. I held them back to see what options the future turns may bring. Worst case I'll match his troops with my last turn of the game. 

Turn 3 and the sappers where at it again. They blew my other squad of Gun Wagons out leaving one alone. I must buy some of these pesky guys, they are horrible. His Thunderstorm took out 3 of my other Wagons.  What the hell, I was loosing all sorts of stuff. My Thunderstormy tried to get in range of the Alexander and failed, so started some urban renewel at the building blocking the view/range. Marks ATV's struggled to get out of his kraken. He had blocked movement with his Thunderstorm. He also got his Gunwagons out. My Cyclones caused some wounds to his Thunderstorm which got the Scout ATV's disruption, hoping to slow that firepower down a bit. 

Turn 4, was operation kill his Thunderstorm. Even my pathfinders had a go, One died trying. My boss still couldn't get any decent shots and was in a real shitty position. I had managed to kill a Gun Wagon that Mark was sending towards my home FP. The building that was in my way was still not destroyed. This is where the game took a big turn. My Cyclones came out of hiding as they would now be very far away from any AA (the ones gunning it for my home FP. They unleashed all the missiles and barrage weapons towards the enemy's hovering fortress of death. Joe dice struck and it was ungracefully removed from play. They Cyclones had done there job, I'm glad too as I was out of missiles on them. My Sappers then decided to pick on his commander, who couldn't shoot for shit. The whole game he only managed to kill some Freeriders that didn't know what to do with themselves. My Vets were able to get into my home FP but just quickly had a little cheeky shot on that building blocking my boss and actually dropped it.

Turn 5 and I had to send my Stormy back around another building trying to kill another one of those Gun Wagons, and towards the central FP bunker. I didn't managed to get any, but I did manage a nice couple of shots on his Alexander, causing 2 wounds. Mark did very well hiding the Gun Wagons and it was actually quite funny playing cat and mouse. I'm not sure what happened but in this turn there wasn't any Attack ATV's left. I think the Cyclones barrage had them pinned down. My Freeriders bolted for the right hand FP which Mark had managed to sneak in a squad of Resistance Fighters that were part of the Sappers battlegroup. His pesky Gun Wagons were still hiding and now contesting him a FP. I had very little that could get to them, I forced my Vets to abandoned there bunker. Marks last activation was shooting the Alexander at my Thunderstorm. I took a couple of wounds, but nothing close to finishing it off. He then landed its Lifthawk in front of it, causing it to either be in cover, or out of sight all together. I took a couple of wounds, but nothing close to finishing it off. I moved my troops Lifthawk forward into a good position for turn 6. I could place them either inside marks Home FP, close to where the Alexander was. I could go for the option of mirror matching his troops in the left hand bunker.

I won activation turn 6 and went straight for the Alexander. I had quite a bit of movement to get the stormy in line of sight for an attack. If I could finish it off, I could then send the troops into Marks home quarter rather then just contesting or getting a scrappy victory on the left hand FP. The line of sight was close, in .. but close. It was only fair that I asked Mark if he wanted to ask a judge if it was in fact a shot. Everyone should use a laser pointer. My Thunderstorm came through and scored 2 hits with 2 wounds, enough to finish off its not so allied brethren. My infantry then followed the plan and surrounded Marks home Bunker. Mark abandoned the Sappers building to be in range of the same FP. My Freeriders jumped into the bunker to the right that marks Resistance fighters had been occupying. My Veterans cunningly shot at the Gun Wagons contesting and killed 1 of the last 2 remaining then hopped back in the bunker. I couldn't shoot it with anything else. I held 4 FP and Mark held 1 and contested 3


Game result 8 - 5
With a +2 kill point Bonus.
Ending with a 15 - 5







Game 5 - Secure the Flanks
James Goddard- Resistance

Yay, I get to play another Resistance player.... Not. I was getting a bit annoyed with playing the same faction again, but wow was James's army different. NO COMMANDER?????, what the heck. Probably the only ever time I will play in a competitive game of Dropzone without one!. For it though he had a lot of extra points to spend on a vast array of extra rolling thunder. 2 Alexander, 2 Zhukovs, 2 Hannibals, all with Lifthawks with AA. Then 2 Lifthawks full of Infantry. Yeah scary and cinematically beautiful.      


picture courtesy of Egge from DZCSWEDEN.  


I had a bit of cracking last game of the tournament. It was a little bit of the game of my life, everything that could of gone right went amazing. Not including falling masonry in this, that was the worst thing ever.


James sent 1 Alexander and Zhukovs to one flank and the other Alexander and the Hannibals to the other. All still embarked and close to full speed close to the table edges. He send 1 Lifthawk of troops full speed towards the central building and 1 to his home Objective and got his troops in.
I deployed my Occupation Vets and Freeriders in my home building. My other troops went full speed also to try and get in that building turn 2 before James. I send the Thunderstormy to my right as there was more building cover and it was away from the Zhukovs. Cyclones shot their missiles at James objective building. Gun Wagons went full speed to get good coverage of the battlefield for turn 2.

I managed to get both pathfinders turn 1, which came on and decimated the Lifthawk which contained the Zhukovs. Unluckily for James they blew up mid air.

Turn 2 started and I won activation, my troops went straight into that central building. James pummelled my objective building, but my Vets took casualties but held on. I sent the Freeriders off for other adventures after not finding the objective. James deployed his tanks on the Focal Points he was gunning for. I went for a cheeky shot with a squad of Gun Wagons trying my luck on the troops Lifthawk, which would deliver James troops into the central building. They cause 2 wounds, he then disembarked them as quick as he could. My Cyclones unloaded even more missiles at his home objective hoping for some falling masonry... nope!!. The building had taken about 18 damaged by this point. My pathfinders finished the troops transport off and 1 died on the way out!.

Turn 3 I got a monorail, I linked my home objective to the central building. We both failed to find our home objectives, both buildings were also still standing with about 9 damage points each. I managed to get a covered shot on a Hannibal from the Thunderstormy that went full speed last turn to get some distance. The cyclones continued forward up the right hand flank with the stormy. Only having the barrage left meant they were just loitering around left to shoot the buildings or getting lucky. I needed a 5+ to wound any of James tanks. The central CQB was bloody but having a commander I had the card that gave me a save on one squad, which swung the battle in favour. No one failed fortitude and no objective found.

Turn 4. Sappers targeted the Alexander closest to my Stormy. It was a case of who moves first to get the shot but also be in range of a lot of stuff in return. Thunderstorm Custom vs and Alexander and a Hannibal. All capable of destroying each other. I think I did 2 wounds to the Alexander and 1 to the Hannibal. I took about 5 wounds back. James's infantry found the objective and flew off the board. My Vets also found the objective and passed it to the Battle Bus who in return gave it to the lurking Freeriders who hadn't activated yet and launched themselves off the board edge. The Vets joined the fight in the central building via monorail. The CQB was even bloodier, we nearly wiped each other out. I'm glad I had Vets as back up next turn as I had found the objective. When it came to the fortitude tests I was happy that I had a level 4 commander as I managed to pick up the extract with an objective card. My troops got in there respective transports and bolted for home. James got his infantry back from dropping the objective.


David vs Goliath???


Turn 5 James won activation and he had a tough choice. Activate Hannibal or the Alexander. The Alexander failed in its attempted to finish me off but left me on 7 wounds. My beloved Stormy shot back and removed both the tanks causing me any threat!!. Ouchy, James was not having the best of luck.
The CQB happened and the Veterans cleaned up. My troops Lifthawk flew off the board and the Freeriders came back on. James's other alexander destroyed 2/3rds of a Gun Wagon Squad, Kraken and the remaining Battle Buses which were trying hard to contest. James deployed his objective carrying infantry with a building over the focal point. That just claimed him that FP.


Turn 6 my Veterans lined the walls to take some sly shots, even taking wounds from the falling masonry and CQB they were still able to put 2 wound on the remaining Alexander. We did the smallest adjustment around the left FP that James had held of.


James claiming his hold of this Focal point



Game result 7 - 4
With a +2 kill point Bonus.
Ending with a 15 - 5



Over all I had 5 Fun and challenging games, all my opponents were great to meet, especially my new pal Barry ( when I can remember his name).

I was happy with my list. I thought I took a balanced list, if anything maybe a bit boring???. yeah I had 2 archangels but, they are not broken and they are expensive. I loved the synergy between the Cyclones and the Scout ATV's. I think the ATV's will work well with some of the new units coming.
Problem I keep having in my lists is that all the fun stuff is infantry based. Makes sense from an army that should be foot based from all that underground hiding. I would like to get Sappers, scout ATV's and Vets all in a balanced list somehow.

I hope you enjoyed this invasion bat rep and look forward to playing/seeing you at the next invasion.

love joe 
















7 comments:

  1. Great job taking the Bunker Assualt! It looks like it was thought for a while there...

    I have start playing with two squads of Sappers in Jacksons and Lifthawks and aanother Lifthawk with different types of infantry. They work really well and I love them more and more.

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  2. Gotta say that Resistance army was amazing to see. So many Lifthawks flying around, looked beautiful

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    1. I just wish that Hawk will come up with a new standard choice that can have Lifthawks...

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  3. That would be interesting. I'm not sure how many vehicle options are open to the resistance. I can't even logically think of any options other than more customised civilian vehicles

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    1. Maybe a light vehicle just as the Jackson and with some sort of AA... :P Egge had a idea in the new units thread at the Hawk forum.

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  4. Thank you for the very nice battle report !

    Lucky you with the Archangels ! ;) Double 6 in turn 1 for the last game enables you to destroy both of the Zukovs :) Amazing !

    Thank you once again, and greetings from the French community of DZC ! (www.dzc-france.fr) :)

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