The Imperial Navy hits the table, a 40k battle report with 12 flyers

Why?  Why not? 

A change in work schedule had seen me MIA from my local 40k league for the last two and a half leagues, and as a way to say hi to friends I had missed, as well as announce my return to a favorite game, I decided to play the first game in our new league with the silliest, most min-maxed list I could devise.  Now, I wasn't specifically looking for a competitive list, but the new League Organizer had stated he was running this league at 2000 points, with ALL the rules and ALL of the IA units (40k only, not apoc of course).  What better way to learn the rules than to jump right in with both feet.  So, picking up the gauntlet tossed my way, I decided to field this simple, no allies, double force-org army:

Company Command Squad (HQ slot)
Company Command Squad (HQ slot)
Veteran Squad with Shotguns (Troop slot)
Veteran Squad with Shotguns (Troop slot)
Veteran Squad with Shotguns (Troop slot)
Veteran Squad with Shotguns (Troop slot)
2x Vendetta Gunships (Fast Attack slot)
2x Vendetta Gunships, carrying one veteran squad (Fast Attack slot)
2x Vendetta Gunships, carrying one veteran squad  (Fast Attack slot)
2x Valkyrie Gunships, carrying one veteran squad  (Fast Attack slot)
2x Valkyrie Gunships, carrying one veteran squad  (Fast Attack slot)
1x Vulture Gunship with a pair of Missile Pods (Fast Attack slot)
1x Thunderbolt (Heavy Support slot)

After all, if you have it, why not play with it?  Fortunately, these were all acquired well before GW's lack couple of price hikes.

Now, I'm still learning the new rules for 40k.  Indeed, I didn't learn that "You lose if you have no models on the table at the end of any game turn" until right before the game.  Fortunately for me, although my opponent was fielding a well-built and balanced IG/SM army, I wasn't facing any colossi or drop pods, and only a single Vendetta. 

This post will be continued.

This list is bad and you should feel bad for running it

As someone who's never played a single game of 40k before, I can just tell that this will be an amusing write-up lol... I'm replying so that I can catch the outcome(s) of this list

Okay, the report.  And slight editing to the army list, for clarity.

My opponent, who is a good player and a better sport, was fielding (from memory):

Lord Commissar
Veterans with 3x plasma rifles in a Chimera
Veterans with 3x meltas, in a Chimera
Veterans with 3x Grenade Launchers, demo pack, in a Chimera
Hell Hound
Vendetta
Medusa mortar
SM Librarian in Terminator armor with Storm Shield
5x Storm Shield/Thunder Hammer Terminators
Land Raider Redeemer with Multi-Melta
10x Tactical Marines with Plasma rifle and missile launcher
Land Speeder with Multi-Melta and Heavy Flamer
Aegis Defense Line with Quad Gun

For Warlord Traits, he his units received Move Through Cover, and Stealth (Ruins).  This made me nervous for all of 5 seconds, because to the high number of ruins on the table.  Then I rolled "All out-flankers receive acute-senses."  So, all valks and vendettas decided to outflank, enabling them to ignore his stealth bonus.

We were playing with 4 objectives, 2 of which ended up in my deployment zone and two of which were in his.  My right-flank objective turned out to be a Scatter-Field, increasing the cover save of the Command squad holding it to a 3+ base.  The other objective was by the only bit of blocking terrain I had, and halved the distance for anyone charging the unit holding it, further protecting the Command squad holding that objective. 

One of his objectives gave the unit holding it Sky-Fire, and the SM combat squad with the missile launcher promptly camped on it.  The other objective attacked him (or something like that) but he passed all of his saves, and the other SM combat squad (with P.rifle) camped around it.  Both objectives were in two ruins, and his Aegis Defense line was long enough to wrap around both objectives and the ruins they were in.  His Quad Gun deployed between them, the Medusa next to it, and two of the Vet squads filled in the spaces around the objectives, guns, tank, and SM squads.  Very tightly packed on my right flank, but all of it covered by the defense line and the cover from the ruins.  The remaining Vet Squad remained in their Chimera and, flanked by the Hell Hound, deployed across from one of my objectives, and both of the other (empty) chimeras and the Speeder deployed on the far left flank in order to see my other objective around some blocking terrain.  The Land Raider, with Terminators and Librarian, deployed center, enabling it to rush either objective.

I was in plenty of danger, having only 10 (rather squishy) models on the table first turn, especially if my opponent siezed the initiative.  However, A.) it was extrememly thematic, B.) I was being silly anyways, and C.) my opponent failed to seize the initiative.  So, onto first turn.

The 613th Cadian, massively outnumbered and under heavy fire, sent out a desperate vox call for reinforcements.  Heretical units backed up by Traitor Astartes (wearing loyalist colors in an attempt at deception) were rapid advancing on their position.  No Guard forces were close enough to answer the call, and the loss of such a vital location would be devastating.  But then a static-filled transmission was received.  The Imperial Navy would answer the call, and the combined boarding teams of the 52nd Cruiser division where even now screaming through the atmosphere...

First turn was for me was some minor movement in an effort to either back out of LOS or further into cover (and in one case to move my Warlord out of position as first possible casualty).

First turn for IG/SM involved a great deal of very accurate but ineffectual fire.  The Chimeras, Speeker, and Hellhound advanced at full speed, with the Redeemer cauutiously moving up, possibly to wait and see where it's rock-hard troops would be needed.  An above average number of shots where spot on target (even the medusa rolled to hit), but either my opponent rolled 1s to wound, or I made my gone-to-ground 2+ and 3+ cover saves.  The entire round resulted in a single casualty.

Orbital thrusters shut off and jet turbines bit the air while vectors were laid in, courses plotted, and target assigned.  The flight split, half of the first wave scissoring in from the flanks while the Vulture Gunship roared over the beleaguered defenders.  Noses and wingtips still glowing cherry red from the heat of re-entry, they poured a torrent of rocket and las fire into the enemy's position.  Frail figures where tossed about or incinerated by the rippling explosions, and even a pair of the traitor marines staggered and fell, but the enemy did not die alone, as anti-aircraft fire hammered one of the Valkyrie shuttles from the air.  A Traitor Vendetta screamed from the enemy's lines, dropping the other, while the remorseless horde cut down the survivors that crawled from the wreckage.

The vulture, 1 Valk squad, 1 Vendetta squad with a troop, and the empty vendetta squad came in for round two, saving me from an early tabling.  The Valks came in from my right flank, the leading (and empty) bird taking the interception shot from the Quad guns and loosing 2 hull points.  The Vendettas all came in from the left flank, and the Vulture, less concerned about movement and firing arcs because of its superior maneuverability (vector dancer is awesome), went right up the center.  The Valks slaughtered half of the melta vet squad, and dropped one of the marines in the plasma rifle squad, while the Vulture poured fire into the grenade-launcher vet squad, and killed a marine in the missile launcher squad.  One squad of Vendettas stripped a HP from the Redeemer, while the other vaporized a Chimera.

His second turn saw advancing of his vehicles (although the Redeemer again only moved 6 inches.  He forgot about the Machine Spirit).  The plasma vets, firing from their transport, kill the damaged Valk with the newly arrived Vendetta killing it's squadron mate.  Two of the Veteran squad survived the crash, but where incinerated by the Hell Hound.  First blood to him! 

The second wave scorched onto the battlefield, the second Division of Valkyries streaking past the craters of their fallen comrades while the Vendettas reaped a deadly vengance for their loss, tearing the enemy aircraft out of the sky and straffing the enemy tanks.  Not to be out-done, the Vulture and Valkyries again danced within knife-range of the enemy position, rockets gouging at the fortified position.

Turn 3.  The second flight of Valks again came in on my right flank and took the Quad Gun interception, again for the loss of 2 HP on an empty bird.  More rockets from them killed the remainder of the Grenade Vet squad, with the vulture forcing the melta squad to go-to-ground (he rolled great for his armor and cover saves, only 1 or 2 losses), while the P.R SM squad just weathered the fire.  One Vendetta squad killed the enemy vendetta, one killed the Speeder (it was in position to flamer the command squad next turn), and blew two weapons off the land raider (multi-melta and one of the flamers).

His turn was again plagued by bad rolls, with the sky-fire missile missing, the plasma rifle missing, and the medusa failing to hit.  Both the remaining Chimeras advanced, his right-most one getting dangerously close to my objective.  His Hell Hound kills a single guards man in the right command squad.

Their pass complete, the Valkyries soared past to loop around and land their troops to support the tattered remains of the Guard, while the Vulture shrieked through a hair-pin turn to fire on the enemy's rear.  The Thunderbolt, braving the fire of enemy guns, dropped his sights on an enemy chimera while the Vendettas worked to complete the destruction of the enemy's armor.

Turn four.  Finally arriving, the Thunderbolt takes the interception fire, losing 2 HP and an TL autocannon, but still manages to kill the left-most chimera by firing into it's flank (did I mention that las cannons now being +1 on the result table is awesome?).  The Valkyries fly off the table.  The Vendettas the remaining Chimera (and pin the squad inside of it as a bonus).  One of the Vendetta squads (with a scoring troop inside) drop into skimmer mode to move next an objective and strip the last hull point from the Redeemer.  And one Vendettas squad is left completely without a target, given how friggin difficult it is to move that many flyers around with only a 90 degree turn.  The terminators inside then bail out uncomfortably close to my left objective.  The Vulture pours fire into the missile launcher SM squad, killing another two and pinning them.

His turn four sees his Plasma rifle Getting Hot (but the SM making his armor save), His Terminators move up, but fail a nine inch charge (he rolled a 4, and we forgot that objective halved charge distance anyways), and his melta-gunners and medusa miss.  His Hell hound did manage to flame the command squad, but the Commander passed his 5+ invul save to remain the sole survivor.
 
The Valkyries complete their turn, losing another to anti-aircraft fire, but now positioned to support the valient commander standing alone.  The Vulture screamed over the enemy position to complete the destruction of the heretical troops threatening the right flank, and the Thunderbolt roared around to pour fire into the artillery.  The Vendettas swung about, lining up their next run, warning icons picking out the elite of the traitor legions as they advanced on the ground below.

Turn five.  I have a dilemma.  My opponent is holding two objectives, but I am currently holding none.  I have troops in place to grab the objective threatened by Terminators, but they would never withstand the charge.  And while I could drop into skimmer mode on the other two squads of Vendettas, it would leave my rear armor pointed at the melta vets and the plasma rifle squad at very short range.  So, I risk it, hoping for a turn 6.  I kill the Hell Hound, and the newly returned Valk (the damaged, empty bird being lost to interception fire) and Vulture slaughter the pinned plasma vet squad.  The Thunderbolt takes 2 HP off the medusa, stunning it in the process.  I move my warlord's squad out into the open, screening the Terminators from charging my hovering Vendettas squad, who managed to kill a single Terminator.  And one of the Vendettas killed the remaining two in the SM missile squad, leaving that objective unclaimed.

His turn, his SM squad leaves cover and starts to move toward his other objective.  His plasma rifle SM attempt a double tap, roll snake eyes, and dies from the Gets Hot.  The Terminators hammer my command squad into paste, so he claims the secondary objective for killing my warlord.  That's 2 for him.  He gives me the roll for a turn 6 and.... There is one!

Louvered thrusters shift, the vendettas sliding to a halt in the war-torn sky, cannons turning toward the Traitor Astartes.  No man, no single squad, could stand against the Astartes, and their armor was proof against anything the Guardsmen weilded.  But they were on the ground, while the pilots of the Imperial Navy were above them, and the weapons at their command were meant to sunder vehicles, and vengence flashed in their eyes as those weapons spoke.

Turn six saw the combined fire power of 6 vendettas and 20 veterans pour into the remaining 4 Terminators and the Librarian.  The Veterans managed to account to only a single Termy, but the 18 las cannons that followed put paid to the remaining 3 and the librarian.  The other vet squad was now firmly entrenched on my right objective.  The Valk and Vulture poured fire into the battered SM squad, killing another 2, though they passed their panic check.

His turn 6 was really only dependent on 1 roll.  He did fire his medusa, but it scattered too far, catching only the sole surviving commanding officer, who passed a 2+ cover save.  The important roll was the run roll for his remaining two SMs.  He needed a 5 to get within capture range of the other objective, which would give him the win (a tie for primary objectives, plus his secondaries).  Unfortunately, he rolled a 2.  We went ahead and rolled for a turn 7, which there was.

Turn seven resulted in the death of his medusa, quad gun, and remaining two space marines, as well as a vet squad getting into his deployment zone, firmly giving me the win with the primary objective and a secondary objective versus his two secondaries.


This game was fun for the silliness factor, but not nearly the "Instant Win" that everyone assumed it would be.  While my army was incredibly difficult to do damage to, the moving constraints of flyers made bringing my firepower to bear on the right targets extremely difficult.  Not only was moving that many flyers difficult, but you had to look three turns ahead to determine what you would be able to engage.  I promised the league at the beginning of the match that I would run this only once, but to my surprise I was invited to bring it again, and by my opponent no less!  (Secretly, I think he just doesn't want to be the only one who gets stomped by it).  I'm not sure if I will run it again.  Right now I'm trying to think of themed lists that focus on one factor (AV14, large blast templates, etc) and trying to spam the crap out of it; my way of underlining the new, over-the-top excess that is 40k 6th.