Word Bearers vs Chaos Daemons, 05.05.2023

My very first game during the event, started on Friday at 10PM. Keep this in mind while judging my in-game decisions, and also while judging the pictures taken at lamp light.

I hid from all the psychic shenanigans and flamers.

The daemons hid as well. Very easy on this very crowded table (built like this on purpose).

Daemons, turn 1

The Daemons had first turn (much to their chagrin) and they flooded up the board.

Word Bearers, turn 1

Move up and take the objectives.

Bikes and Terminators on the left.

As expected, shooting does very little against Tzeentch daemons.

Banners up, ready to take it in the face.

Daemons, turn 2

The daemons obliged, screaming out to assault the bikes.

Flamers jumped up (a lot, more than I expected) and hosed down the Possessed. Last time I experienced Flamers, it was pretty light. However, this time, they were buffed up and wounding on 2+. The Possessed were dying left and right.

Completely forgot about the reserves and the +2 charge Keeper. Poor cultists.

The Great Unclean One made a very long charge against the poor Possessed, murdering them. I think I had two left, which however rolled a 1 on morale. At least that.

Word Bearers, turn 2

I had the Raider shoot the Keeper with everything, then charge in with the Daemon Prince and the Chosen. Unfortunately she survived everything, then murdered the Chosen and regenerated her wounds.

The Dark Apostle did his thing, wiping out the Flamers and killing the Exalted Flamer all in one swing.

Terminators charged in, but lacked the volume of attacks to destroy all the Horrors. More wounds for No Prisoners is nice, but I would have preferred to take the objective.

2 surviving Chosen. Yay.

The Rubrics flamed the GUO, dealing some damage but then thinking better of the charge. Unfortunately, I was in range for Heroic Intervention.

Daemons, turn 3

The Screamers flew back to take out the biker.

Daemonettes taking the objective.

Bloodthirster charging the Possessed and the Apostle.

Hero Dark Apostle resisting.

But the Rubrics died.

Looking bad for the Word Bearers. I had lost 3 of my main hitters, with the daemons loosing none of their greater daemons.

Word Bearers, turn 3

Land Raider still shooting the Keeper. Still doing nothing. Hero Cultists blocking it in.

Rubric Sorcerer not managing to jog enough to smite the Bloodthirster.

Terminators killing the remaining Tzeentch daemons, taking the objective, then raising a banner in turn 5. Is this their first time doing good?

Battle round 4

Mostly mop-up for the daemons, taking out my backfield stuff.

The Apostle went down fighting, but not enough to kill the Bloodthirster.

Battle round 5

I saved what I could, retreated where possible, and made some more points.

Conclusion

I made a very bad decision running the Possessed forward and letting them eat all the shooting. I learned a lot about daemons, being surprised over and over at the damage output of random units. I rather should have turtled, screened the deep strikers out of my zone, and countercharged. But that's boring, right?