Ultramarine Games

Since 6th edition began, I have been playing my Necrons almost exclusively. Despite the favoritism towards my first army, I have been eager to play my updated Ultramarines which I have been gearing towards competitive play. I believe that 6th ed. has been a good change for Space Marines. I think that there are a few units that are now very good, such as Thunderfire Cannons and Storm Talons. Also, since the key weakness of the Marines is the troop choices, the ability to ally, especially with Imperial Guard, make the marines able to utilize their better units and still be able to score objectives. Here is the first list I created:

@2000 points

Tigurius

2 Dreadnoughts with Autocannons

2 Tactical Marine Squads with Melta, Combi, and Missile in Rhinos

2 Storm Talons with Skyhammer Missiles

2 Thunderfire Cannons

IG Co. Command Squad

IG Platoon Command Squad

5 Infantry squads

Vendetta with Heavy Bolters

Manticore

The idea behind this list is to utilize the thunderfire cannons and storm talons by backing up the marines with guard. The Manticore adds to the type of damage the cannons do, and the vendetta adds a more anti-flyer punch. My tactical marines can split either in the rhinos or put the missile on an objective in the back. The marines have land raider preventative while not really being a threat on their own. The guard blob is lead by Tigurius. I know he is expensive, but I believe he is worth it. He knows all SM powers, has the gift of prescience which is essentially a comms relay. Funny it is called gift of prescience, but he cannot cast prescience because it is a divination power. Oh well! 

If Tigurius keeps his marine powers he has access to null zone which has never lost its usefulness. He can also cast gate of infinity, call upon any of the SM shooting attack powers and most importantly, give telekine dome, or a five up invulnerable save to the blob! If I decide these powers will not help, he can still sub out for 3 powers which can really help if I choose telepathy powers such as invisibility and hallucination, the two charge ones. You see, a regular librarian cannot make use of two powers a turn such as null zone and telekine dome. In fact even the upgraded mastery level 2 librarian only knows 2 powers and he is 150 points! For 80 more I get level three, more powers and the reroll for reserves. Lets see how Tigurius fared going against Dan and Will in my first two test games...

Ultramarines/IG vs. Daemons 

This game vs. Dan was a great matchup for me. Dan is trying out his new Daemon army. Dan ran many seekers and a large hound squad in addition to horrors and daemonettes for troops. He threw in a nurgle soul grinder for a tougher target. Since Null Zone is so effective against Daemons, I decided to keep the book powers. As you can see in the few pics I took Dan got close but Null Zone and the shooting was too much for his army to handle.

Deployment. Dan set up with one squad of seekers in reserve. He also scouted the dogs, as I chose to go first. The mission was objectives Nova Prep missions.

My manticore did a number on the dogs which are bloodletter models on the right. Null Zone combo with doubled toughness barrage meant dead dogs!

Turn 2 dans lage seker squad moved up and Null zone did its best work. My newly added offense did a number on his cavalry. His bottom turn was eventful as the seekers and soul grinder deep struck.

On the 3rd turn I drew the dreadnought to assault the seekers and tie them up for a round while the rest of the army shot at his troops. My forces were able to move up and take objectives. It was down hill from there. Dan, a great sport, handled his first game with the army well. Bad matchup, but I expect Dan to bounce back and make this army tough to beat.

Same list vs. CSM/Daemons

This game was against Lil Will. Will had beaten me for the first time recently and I needed to pay him back. Unfortunately, this was now the bad matchup for me. He had some invul saves on his oblits and drakes so I decided to keep book powers again. Also invul saves would really benefit the blob because of all the template weapons will can put out. He also had a soul grinder and zombie squads which he joined typhus to.He ran a bloodthirster and plague bearer squad to join in the daemon allies. Very similar list that will has been playing with before and I could not deal with it. The mission was 5 objectives with vanguard deployment.

Result: WIN!

Turn one, I am going second. Will shoots up a dread but I go unharmed otherwise. I move up my blob and attempt to pick off his plague marines with lasgun fire. I also

Turn 2. As the flyers come in the game vector strikes kill me big time causing both combat squad units in the rhino to be pinned! This really hurts as now I have two sitting duck units with drakes flying about.

My attempts at his flyers fail as he continues to make invul saves despite Null Zones effects

Turn 3 I begin to do some damage with my ignoring cover shots from the Thunderfire cannons. Here is where I made a grave mistake. Will believed that the ignore cover blast was Str 4 where I would need 3+ to wound his zombies. I believed that they were T4 so I assumed he was right. The wound on 2+ would have helped kill his zombies easily. These errors can cost you!

Last turn heroics could not save me. our game had to end early on turn 4 and I was unable to route a few zombies so I lost 2 to 1 objectives.

The blob turned out to be able to withstand heavy fire power. This army would deserve another chance, but it needed to be revamped to compete against these high toughness and armor armies. The lesson learned is always know your enemy. I will never forget zombies are T3 again!

Result: LOSS

Ultramarines/IG vs Space Marines/Tau

Ed is using a his Marines for the first time in a while, coupling them with the new Tau codex. Ed ran 2 Thunderfire cannons like me, a Librarian, 2 tactical squads with multi meltas instead of missiles like I run, and a terminator blob. He also stuck in a Tau commander with iridium armor and fusion guns. He also outflanked 2 Kroot squads and a stealth suit team. I knew this would be a blood bath due to all the offense we both put out. The key for my victory would be if I could kill the termies. I therefore kept null zone and the book powers again. I feel like it is my security blanket and I dont want to deviate yet.

I was running a similar force as before, but I cut a dreadnought out in favor of a chimera and meltas for my command squad. Since this game was 1850 points I eliminated the Manticore and also took off my heavy bolters on the vendetta. The mission was 5 objectives, quarters and then kill points in the Nova missions primer.

Ed made me go first and then stole initiative! In his turn one he mostly moved up with his force as it was out of range in night fight. He killed some IG with one Thunderfire cannon.

On my turn, I moved up everything to get in range of his Terminator blob. With the help of null zone and my meltaguns, I was able to kill 7 terminators and the Librarian. This was key becuase it was first blood and slay the warlord at the same time. 

He then failed his leadership and fell back. I also picked off a marine squad who ran off the board. What a great turn.

The termies would regroup and with the Tau commander they would reach combat with my marines. He attempted to take out all my small scoring units while I tried to negate his damage dealers. 

His Talons came on one at a time. He had 2. My flyers would then be able to deal with both his flyers and focus on gound units which the talons are best at. His outflankers were a distraction but I was able to deal with them promptly.

Ed also moved out to claim quarters and objectives.

I reduce the terminator squad down to nearly nothing before my turn three does them in for good. I see the game becoming mine as I eliminate his troop choices and biggest threats.

With less of his offense on the board I can now focus on killing the cannons and claiming objectives. The Thunderfires are tough to kill in cover, but enough lascannons and rending shots will eventually do them in. I also find that the hover ability on the talons and vendettas is a huge tactical bonus. Even after playing necron flyers who have the ability to drop troops off, hover is a great way to assure you always get the shots you need instead of being forced to fly off the board for a turn.

My dreadnought is able to pick off his final talon and the stealth suits finally die. This pretty much secures the game as the other fire power is put on his kroot and tacticals.

Final shot of the board after game turn 5.

Result: WIN

Necrons: 40-12-3

Ultramarines: 3-2-0

IG: 0-1-0

BA: 1-1-0

Overall: 40-14-3