Astra Militarum vs Space Marines

Astra Militarum (My Army)

• Company Commander & Platoon Commander
• 3x Infantry Squads (10-man each)
• Ogryn Bodyguards
• Armored Sentinel
• 2x Heavy Weapon Squads (Lascannons & Mortars)
• Leman Russ Battle Tank
• Basilisk Artillery

Space Marines (Opponent)

• Captain & Lieutenant
• 2x Tactical Squads
• Assault Squad
• Devastator Squad
• 5x Terminators (Deep Strike)
• Predator Destructor
• Drop Pod (Tactical Squad)

Turn 1: Space Marines Go First

My opponent won the roll-off and elected to go first. This was significant because of his Drop Pod.

What Happened:

• Drop Pod Arrives: His Drop Pod landed very close to my Leman Russ, deploying a Tactical Squad with meltaguns
• Shooting Phase: The meltaguns fired at my Leman Russ... and both missed! The Devastators in his deployment zone fired at my forward Infantry Squad, killing 3
• Predator: Fired at my Lascannon squad, killing 2 of the 3 teams

Key Takeaway (Newcomer Tip):

Going first is powerful in 40k, especially with deep strike units. However, my opponent made a mistake: he dropped the pod too close without considering my screening units. Also, dice happen - those meltagun misses were crucial.

Turn 1: My Astra Militarum Response

Now it was my turn, and I had a Drop Pod Tactical Squad 6 inches from my Leman Russ. Time to respond.

My Orders & Actions:

• Orders Issued: "First Rank Fire!" to the Infantry Squad near the Drop Pod, "Take Aim!" to my remaining Lascannons
• Infantry Squad: 30 lasgun shots (with FRF, SRF!) into the Tactical Squad. Killed 5 Marines, including both meltagun carriers
• Leman Russ: Battle Cannon into the same Tactical Squad. Killed the remaining 4 Marines
• Lascannons: Fired at his Predator. 2 hits, 1 wound - damaged but not destroyed
• Basilisk: Indirect fire onto his Devastator Squad. 3 hits, 2 wounds - killed 2 Marines
• Mortars: Also fired at Devastators. Killed 1 more
• Sentinel: Advanced on the left flank to claim an objective

Why This Worked:

I concentrated my firepower on the most immediate threat (the Drop Pod squad) and eliminated it completely. The Orders system made my Infantry Squad far more dangerous than it would be otherwise. This is the Astra Militarum way - massed firepower wins games.

Turn 2: Space Marines - Terminators Arrive

My opponent's Terminators arrived from deep strike. He placed them behind my lines, near my Basilisk and Mortars.

What Happened:

• Terminators: Fired their storm bolters at my Mortar squad, killing all 3 teams. Then charged my Basilisk
• Assault Squad: Jumped forward and charged my forward Infantry Squad
• Predator: Fired at my Leman Russ, scoring a penetrating hit that reduced its BS
• Close Combat: Assault Squad killed 5 more Guardsmen. Terminators destroyed my Basilisk in combat

What Went Wrong (For Me):

I had screened my front against deep strikes, but my rear area was vulnerable. The Basilisk was isolated and the Mortar squad had no protection. The Terminators took out two of my most valuable units. Lesson learned: screen all valuable units, not just the front line.

Turn 2: My Counter-Attack

I had lost my Basilisk and Mortars, but the Terminators were now exposed. Time to punish them.

My Orders & Actions:

• Key Decision: I pulled my Ogryn Bodyguards back to deal with the Terminators. This was the right call - Ogryns can actually fight Terminators
• Shooting Phase:
  • Leman Russ fired Battle Cannon at Terminators: 1 hit, 1 wound (saved by invulnerable)
  • Lascannons fired at Terminators: 2 hits, 2 wounds (Terminators now at 3/5 models)
  • Infantry Squad 2 fired at Assault Squad: FRF, SRF! killed 2 Marines
• Charge Phase: Ogryns charged the Terminators
• Close Combat: Ogryns vs Terminators was brutal. I lost 2 Ogryns, but they killed 2 more Terminators, leaving just the Sergeant. The Sergeant killed the last Ogryn, but was now alone

The Turning Point:

While the Ogryns died heroically, they eliminated the Terminators as a fighting force. The Sergeant was left alone and would be easy pickings next turn. More importantly, I had protected my Leman Russ and Lascannons, which were still operational.

Turns 3-4: Attrition & Objective Control

The game became a battle of attrition, but I had the advantage in numbers and firepower.

Key Moments:

• Turn 3: My remaining Lascannons destroyed his Predator. My Leman Russ finished off the last Terminator Sergeant
• His Assault Squad finally broke my forward Infantry Squad, but was now down to 2 models
• Turn 4: My third Infantry Squad (held in reserve) arrived and claimed an objective on the right flank. My Sentinel claimed the left objective
• His Captain and Lieutenant tried to retake an objective, but were met with massed lasgun fire from my fresh Infantry Squad. Both died to weight of fire

Why I Won:

By Turn 4, I held 3 objectives to his 1. He had lost his Captain, Lieutenant, Predator, Terminators, Devastators, and most of his Troops. I still had my Leman Russ, Lascannons, two full Infantry Squads, and my Sentinel. The writing was on the wall.