Mission: Timeless Vengeance
I had hoped to play the Psychic Equinox mission (victory points for manifesting psychic powers and summoning daemons? yes please!) against the Cabal Star, but the pairing system matched me with the Iron Hands player in the mission I dreaded the most. Another mission adapted from Wrath of Magnus and substituting the Thousand Sons for my Daemons, this mission had the opponent deploy in the middle of the board, then me moving my stuff in turn 1. I had to kill all his army; he just had to survive.
Deployment
Everybody inside their transports, and two Dreadnoughts on the field. The Assault Marines were the only unprotected unit at deployment.
Daemons, turn 1
I prepared a 3-pronged assault: The Cultists and Sorcerers moved up to assault the Marines (since they weren't reserves, the judge agreed to let me assault first turn). Kairos and the Screamerstar moved in the middle to cause disruption. The Horrors and the Heralds moved on from the opposing table edge. Their job was to provide warp charges, and not die.
For the first and last time during the tournament, the Cultists killed something.
I was most worried about the Dreadnoughts, so I sent the Screamerstar to tie down one of them, trusting in their melta attacks. Kairos unleashed a psychic barrage, but only managed to take off some hull points here and there.
Iron Hands, turn 1
Drop Pod Assault! Also all the marines get out of their transports and open fire.
Then hop back in and run away, except for one Rhino that was stunned.
Two squads of Cultists have been completely erased, but the Sorcerers survived. The Dreadnought then failed his charge.
Daemons, turn 2
I managed to wreck a Rhino and explode a Razorback with Kairos (way to use the D-shots) and force the squads outside. I assaulted one Dreadnought with Screamers and blocked the other behind a line of Cultists. The three Sorcerers formed a single unit and charged the Rhino-less Tactical Squad.
Summoned Plaguebearers ready to take on the multitude of vehicles in the right part of the table.
Iron Hands, turn 2
Command squad embarks in the empty Rhino. Tacticals move away from my Horrors as far as possible. With the other stuff locked in combat... there was not much else to do.
Daemons, turn 3
Kairos keep shooting at the command Rhino, but fails.
Screamerstar finally take down the Dreadnought. With all the It Will Not Die rolls made, it was a long fight.
Tired of goofing around, a Sorcerer possesses himself with a Bloodthirster.
The Plaguebearers take out a Drop Pod.
Iron hands, turn 3
Again not much to do for the Iron Hands player. He just started backing up with everything.
The Grav Cannons got out to shoot at my Bloodthirster, but my Jink save held.
Daemons, turn 4
I landed Kairos and shot at the command squad, leaving the Captain alive with 1 wound remaining and a 4+ Feel no Pain due to Warpflame.
Sorcerers have no other task now but to assault this Drop Pod with krak grenades. Although there are already some Plaguebearers summoned, waiting for the next turn to charge in.
On the other side, the vehicles are swarmed by Screamers. The Dreadnought fights heroically and slaughters a unit.
The Plaguebearers and the Bloodthirster take on the Grav Cannon Devastators.
The Screamerstar slashes the Captain, but he proves to be invulnerable.
After finishing the Devastators, everything moves towards the remaining Tacticals.
The Screamers manage to destroy the Drop Pod. The Dreadnought holds.
Iron Hands, turn 4
A Sorcerer dies to the Storm Bolter on the Drop Pod. The Tacticals and Captain fire into the Screamerstar.
Daemons, turn 5
The Plaguebearers assaulted the Drop Pod, but failed to destroy it.
The Screamers finally take out the Dreadnought. But it was close.
Surrounded on all sides, the Iron Hands marines had nowhere to run. They were annihilated by the combined fire of Kairos, the Heralds and the Bloodthirster.
Iron Hands, turn 5
There was a single model left on the board... the Drop Pod. In the assault phase, the Plaguebearers finally managed to destroy it - just before our time expired.
Aftermath
This match gave me the jitters. It was very intense, especially towards the end, when I had to give everything to kill as much as possible. Any number of rolls could have failed (looking at you Screamers, who barely killed a Dreadnought), leaving me with a defeat.
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