Saim-Hann Vs. Inquisition Battle Report Warhammer 40,000

Not much of a battle report, more of a complete slaughter, but with important lessons to be learned. In the end what decided the battle before the dice were rolled was poor deployment- that is the focus of this post- deployment can and does win games!

1200 Points Annihilation

Inquisitorial Forces
1 Inquisitor Lord W/ Retinue
2 Grey Knight Units
1 Grey Knight Terminator Unit
2 Inquisitorial Storm Trooper Units
1 Temple Assassin

Saim-Hann Warhost “Windfury”
1 Farseer W/ Guide, Runes of Warding
2 Jetbike Groups W/ Warlock, Destructor
3 Vyper Groups W/ Starcannons, Shuriken Cannons, Brightlances

My opponent deployed spread out on the table and all the way back with all of his forces and put the assassin in reserve. Without reading ahead can you guys see the mistake in this based on our army lists above?

With this deployment there was no “unknown” for me to have to worry about or counter beyond the assassin and I had full range being untouchable at 36” with the vypers and shooting “12 with the shuriken cannon jetbikes and then moving back in the assault phase. By deploying long and far back I was able to start mid center and then gang up on one side and just pelt away. Assassin did come in and neural shredded assaulted one of my jetbike units wiping them out, but then she just dies washing out a kill point. By the end of turn six I swooped in finishing off my opponent with shuriken catapult and destructors with only his two storm trooper units left. Ok, time to switch sides and let yours truly have a go at playing the army- at leas this is how I would have…

Being annihilation the speed of Saim-Hann doesn’t matter as much with no objectives, that said I can’t allow any of my units to be isolated so they can be wolf packed by the jetbikes. Vypers are number one priority being both fragile for kill points and having the 36” range I can’t match. I would do my best to take second turn, taking the emperor’s tarot on my inquisitor to help win and pass the turn since last turn is key in annihilation.

Deployment is going to be key along with shifting some units around. Since I have my two troop slots filled I would have shifted the grey knights to fast attack so they can deep strike. I’m doing this because I first asked to see what my opponent was playing so I could write up a custom list on the spot to beat them based on the best models I have in my case. Just doing what my opponent did to me...

Next I would have either picked the far right or left of the table and castled up there with my storm troopers in the front and inquisitor and retinue behind them to get cover saves as the least for when my opponent shoots through my units- both units would have been deployed as far forward as I could to have more range on the board. Since the board had scarce terrain I would have interlaced the storm troopers in an “X” formation so both units get cover saves. This would negate the saim-hann star cannons and brightlances to some effect at least giving me the saves. Next up I would put my two grey knights, grey knight terminators, and assassin into reserve- this is the wild card to keep saim-hann guessing. After sain-hann deployment I would have used “a whisper in you ear” from the assassin to move the farseer more then 6” away from the vypers to cut down on a turn of guide. Game starts…

My castled block of units is to encourage saim-hann to stay at range pelting away to keep them at the 24”-36” range clustered. When my deep strikes come in (hopefully all at once or at least half) they land behind saim-hann catching the warhost in a wedge. Storm bolter shots on the grey knights target the vypers and my assassin targets a jetbike unit. In the movement phase my strom troopers move 6” and run D6 towards the warhost to further close the trap and get into single shot range next turn if the warhost sticks around to engage my dropped grey knights. If all my knights didn’t drop I would just keep bringing in whatever arrives behind the warhost followed by shooting or running with the storm troopers and inquisitor as needed. That is how I would have done it…