Imperial Guard vs Space Marines

 Got to play a big 40k battle recently. 2000pts. My friend wanted to try out a Knight he had and I wanted the to flex my Shadow sword a bit also. So it was to be Guard vs Ultramarines!! The ultramarines were led by none other that Gulliman!! So a Knight and Gulliman...... Hmmm OK I brought all the tanks I had!!! The board was set the forces were set let's do this!

The Guard amass! 

The roll for who went first was crucial here. The knight and Shadowsword were facing off. Who would shoot first? I won the roll so had the first turn. I didn't make a note of exactly what happened but here's the jyst. The Guard moved forward, shooting was either great or bad. Infantry and sentinels didn't do much damage to the dug in  marines neither did the sponsors of my leman russes. The battle cannons faired better pounding a couple of squads causing casualties. The demolisher cannon equipped leman russ wiped a razor back off the table. The troops spilling out into cover. The hell hound had no one to shoot at so manouvered for a shot later on. The time was ripe for the Shadowsword to speak. The heavy bolters and Las cannons lashed the knight and then the volcano cannon fired. The knight was no more!! annoyingly as its Canis Rex the pilot pops out and you have to kill him first. 

The space marines were up next, bolters blasted  and most of my infantry died. The 2 librarians blasted the shadow sword and infantry with psychic powers handing out mortal wounds like sweets. The hellhound was blown to bits but didn't explode! Which was annoying. The guard tanks pounded away at the space marines causing more casualties. The attempt was made to remove the space marines in front of Gulliman. 50 odd heavy bolter shots, 2 battle cannons!!!! And still 2 space marines remained stopping the volcano cannon targeting Gulliman. Boo!!!!! The volcano cannon was forced to shoot the Vindicator rhino killing that out right. My hero of the game (the space marine heroes were those bleeding marines refusing to die so I could kill the primarch) was Colonel Stracken. Stranded alone the infantry dead, 8 space marine intersessors standing triumphamtly   in front of me. He charged forward, survived a hail of bolter fire  from the marines and engaged in close combat. After some incredibly lucky rolls Stracken killed all 8 space marines!!! Unfortunately the next turn he was then blown up by a krak grenade! Gulliman arrived in the centre of the battlefield and charged  one leman russ. Ripping it to shreds he attacked another. The shadowsword fell to more pyshic attacks and close combat attacks. We called the game there. Hard  fought battle, I think I took the win but if we had played on I  had no answer for the primarch.

Was great fun!! Shadowsword is very powerful so I have to pick where and when I play it. I think the knight would have battered the shadowsword had it gone first but that's the whim of 40k. First turn gives you such a huge advantage!! 

Good fun though!