First battle report for my new Legiones Astartes list, see here for the thread for it.

Mike took:
8 Tactical marines + 2 extra Heavy Support marines, Drop Pods 400
3 Leviathan Dreadnoughts + Drop Pods 300
4 Terminators + Supreme Commander 450 (BTS)
4 Sicaran + Hunter 375
5 Jetbikes - 250
5 Jetbikes - 250
Fellblade - 300
4 Recon marines with Rhinos 200
2 Xiphons 250
Strike Cruiser Spaceship 200
10 activation 3k list.

I took:
6 Knights Palladin 500
6 Knights Palladin 500
10 Skitarii + Magos (SC), Gorgon, Minoris (with AA weapon), Hydra – 525 (BTS)
6 Leman Russ - 400
10 Skitarii 225
10 Skitarii 225
5 Sagitarii - 175
4 Robots and 3 Rapiers - 150
4 Robots and 3 Rapiers - 150
4 Robots and 3 Rapiers – 150
10 activation 3k list.

I’d originally planned to take Steel Legion for the first playtest as a classic generic list but I ran low of time the night before so stuck with the same Skitarii army that was in my case from a previous game with someone else a couple of weeks before.


We decided the green toxic waste ponds terrain would count as marsh but also be dangerous terrain. I garisoned a couple of formations in the thing at the start, a little in from the edge so the marines would have to take dangerous terrain if they moved in.

Sicarans moved forward and shot a Skitarii formation.

Jetbikes moved forward and shot and killed all 3 rapiers in a sentry formation, the remaining robots fled broken.



The Night Lord’s Strike Cruiser flew over the battlefield and unleashed a deadly barrage, striking 3 Leman Russ and a robot and the second template went over to hit the 5 Sagitarii. Russ were fine but a robot died and a couple of Sagitarii died breaking their formation.

Next drop pods crashed down and unleashed a hail of Deathwind attacks.

3 hulking Leviathan Dreadnoughts deployed next to a Skitarii formation on the left flank.

A large 10 strong marine formation drop-podded down next to the toxic waste pools.

Leviathan Dreads retained and assaulted the Skitarii formation near them.

They killed 4 while return attacks bounced off their tough armour and the broken Skitarii fled.

Think I may have failed to activate a formation at this point.

The large marine formation engaged the Skitarii in the toxic waste, moving slowly and carefully to avoid the worst of it. They killed 5 and I got 2 in return. Skitarii fled.

It was time for a counter attack so I doubled my main Skitarii formation up next to them and shot them.

2 Xiphons (models are Fire Raptors but what Mike had) came on and shot the Russes, placing a BM.

Knight Palladins engaged the large marine formation with support from my BTS formation. I didn’t cause as much damage as I’d have liked as not everyone was in range but I won the combat.

Another Jetbike formation moved up and shot my BTS.

Knights on the left flank shot the Leviathan Dreads and finally killed one.


End of turn 1 shot.


Night Haunter (represented by a Terminator unit with SC upgrade) and some Terminator friends teleported in. Their teleporters were on the fritz and they unluckily came in with 3 BM.

Jetbikes sustained on the Skitarii BTS.

Night Haunter and his Terminators had fun with them next and slaughtered all but 2 of my BTS in a one sided assault.

Russes killed one more Leviathan, the surviving one broke and ran.

Jetbikes moved around and shot the Knights Palladin in the back with crossfire to Night Haunter.

Recon shot the sentry formation with their sniper rifles.
Knights on the left flank moved up and killed a Sicaran.

Russes shot and killed a couple of Recon.


Xiphons shot the Knights.

Fellblade shot the Knights on the right with crossfire to the Jetbikes, breaking them.

Leviathan dreadnought moved onto the onjective and marshalled to clear it’s BM.
Knights on left assaulted the Sicarans and won.

Jetbikes nipped around the side of the building and killed the last couple of broken survivors from my BTS.

Sentry broke the Recon.

A few rallied Skitarii survivors moved up to contest the objective and shoot the Leviathan Dreadnought.

Xiphons shot and killed one of the Sentry formation on the right by the objective.

Russes moved up and finally killed the Leviathan Dread.

Night Haunter engaged the Sentry formation then and they broke and ran, meaning he captured the objective and won the game therein in the last activation.


Game ended turn 3 in a 2 – 1 victory for the Legiones Astartes (T&H and BTS for the Legiones Astartes and T&H for the Skitarii).

Post game thoughts:
Overall we both felt the list seemed fine and a good representation of a marine legion. Leviathan Dreads are tough and nasty but there are only 3 in a unit for 300 so they are pricy – will need to test them more.

We both thought Jetbikes seemed too good currently. On top of being fast infantry them having two shots and both AT and AP ability feels quite strong. We discussed various options and I have ended up switching to the unit being armed with a single “Triple Heavy Bolters 30cm AP3+”. This then encourages / enables the unit to double more as a -1 for doubling isn’t as signifigant. Previously it was more worth it to sustain which seems unthematic for the unit.

My next Legiones Astartes playtest is planned for next week and I’ll be using the army myself this time against Oliver, not sure yet if he’ll be using his Steel Legion, Tyranids or Orks.