Lord_Ikka

I'll be doing an overall battle report for the first month in the next couple of days. It won't have a lot of pics because I'm terrible at that (though I will have Tabletop Battles tell me to take one each round from now on), but I'll try to make it somewhat entertaining. Wondering if people would like more story-like telling or more technical, standard battle reports. Maybe a post of each?

Going to add on to my vow of a 6-man Word Bearers kill-team, because they're close to done and I need to get this guy painted for a Crusade campaign next week. I, Lord_Ikka, vow to paint for the month of April one Cypher model.

It is pretty good. I haven't been into Crusade at all before this and the upgrades and twists really add to the gameplay.

A quick look at my Forgotten Crusade force. As of now (4/21) we are in our fourth week of Phase 1 of the Nachmund Campaign, about to go to Phase 2, each phase being four weeks. I don't intend to add anything to this force, as we are doing a growing-style crusade with increasing points limits (1k/1k/1.25/1.25/1.5/1.5, etc..) going up to 2k for the start of phase 3. Unless something changes and we go beyond the 2k, I think I'm good at where I'm at, but you never know... Total Crusade Supply Point Limit - 2250 Used Supply Limit - 2250 Crusade Force Characters Xaphan the Castigator - 3x Dark Apostle (75pts): Bolt pistol, Accursed crozius, 2x Close combat weapon The Eligor - Chaos Lord in Terminator Armour (95pts): Combi-weapon, Exalted weapon Sar Ornias - Master of Executions (80pts): Axe of dismemberment, Bolt pistol Cypher (90pts): Cypher's bolt pistol, Cypher's plasma pistol Battleline Squad Hamaliel - 5x Legionaries (90pts): Bolter, 4x Bolt pistol, 2x Heavy melee weapon, 3x Chainsword Other Datasheets Squad Belgor - 5x Chaos Terminator Squad (180pts): Reaper autocannon, 4x Combi-bolter, Accursed weapon, Chainfist, 3x Powerfist Squad Furlac - 5x Chaos Terminator Squad (180pts): Reaper autocannon, 4x Combi-bolter, Accursed weapon, Chainfist, 3x Powerfist Squad Varcan - 5x Chaos Terminator Squad (180pts): Heavy flamer, 4x Combi-bolter, Chainfist, 4x Accursed Weapon Squad Urial - 5x Chosen (125pts): Icon, 2x Combi-weapon, 3x Boltgun, 2x Plasma pistol, 3x Bolt Pistol, 5x Accursed weapon Squad Neferus - 5x Chosen (125pts): Icon, 2x Combi-weapon, 3x Boltgun, 2x Plasma pistol, 3x Bolt Pistol, Powerfist, 4x Accursed weapon Squad Abalim - 5x Havocs (125pts): Plasmagun, 4x Lascannon, Powerfist, 4x Close combat Weapon Squad Kushiel - 5x Havocs (125pts): Plasmagun, 3x Heavy bolter, Missile Launcher, Chainsword, 4x Close combat Weapon Squad Xelith - 5x Raptors (90pts): 3x Plasma pistol, 2x Bolt pistol, Powerfist, 4x Chainsword Squad Rafael - 3x Chaos Bikers (70pts): Icon, 3x Combi-bolter, 2x Meltagun, 3x Chainsword Squad Tellan - 3x Chaos Bikers (70pts): Icon, 3x Combi-bolter, 2x Meltagun, 3x Chainsword Sauriel - Chaos Predator Destructor (140pts): Armoured tracks, Havoc launcher, Predator autocannon, Combi-bolter, 2x Lascannon Mestema - Helbrute (130pts): Close combat weapon, Helbrute fist with combi-bolter, Twin lascannon Morax - Helbrute (130pts): Close combat weapon, Missile launcher, Twin lascannon Dedicated Transports Urval - Chaos Rhino (75pts): Armoured tracks, 2x Combi-bolter, Havoc launcher Gambriel - Chaos Rhino (75pts): Armoured tracks, 2x Combi-bolter, Havoc launcher Current Crusade Battle Honors Xaphan - Fleet of Foot Trait, Conversion Field Relic Squad Belgor - Grim Survivors Trait Squad Urial - Trusted Hounds Trait, Hate-Fueled Butchers Trait Squad Neferus - Fleet of Foot Trait, Hate-Fueled Butchers Trait Squad Abalim - Despoilers Without Mercy Trait Squad Xelith - Stealthy Arrival Trait, Take to the Skies Trait Squad Rafael - Cavalry Outriders (Lost via Devastating Blow against Votann) Squad Tellan - Evasive General Gameplan/Tactics I'm running Renegades and Raiders from the CSM book, so every ranged weapon is Assault and I get +1 AP vs targets on objectives. It is a very, very aggressive detachment and kind of not how I normally play things, but I like it and it has been really fun to ram Bikes and Chosen at the enemy. Both Chosen squads (Xaphan w/Urial) getting Fleet of Foot is extremely helpful, as it allows them to re-roll Advance rolls, do Actions even if they have Advanced, and can't be Overwatched if they have Advance that turn. So they are extremely fast for infantry and can do pretty much everything while Advancing with their natural Advance and Charge rules. Truly *chef's kiss*, of a pair of units. They've been my main source of scoring in the games, as they will run up and do actions, or provide a distraction for the bikes/raptors to do actions. For those of you that haven't looked at Nachmund Gauntlet, you should. It is a very interesting take on how to play the game, primarily with two mechanics- Tactical Reserves and Surgical Deep Strikes. These will be implemented for my Crusade starting in Phase 2 (we have a lot of new players so wanted to ease them into regular games before changing it up) and I'm looking forward to it! There is also a ban on the Rapid Ingress strat, though there is a Trait to give it. Tactical Reserves: Instead of deploying your army like normal and putting various units in Strategic Reserves, Nachmund splits up your army into Waves, one Primary and a minimum of 2 Reinforcement Waves (though you can have 3 if you want). Deployment is done by placing all your Primary Wave on the battlefield (no placing anything in Reserve). Then Turn 2 you bring in one of your Reinforcement Waves during your Movement Phase (just like with normal Strategic Reserves, including Deep Strikers). Turn 3 you choose another Reinforcement Wave and deploy it- your remaining Reinforcement Wave, if you have one, is not used for the battle. For each point limit, you have 3 stances that you can choose from, these will change the points limits of your waves. Alpha stance places more points in Reinforcement and less into Primary, Beta places points "evenly", and Gamma does the opposite of Alpha by placing more points into the Primary Wave. For 1k it would be this Alpha (P- 400pt, R- 300pts), Beta (P- 500, R- 250), Gamma (P- 600, R-200). So you will play your full points amount with the Primary and both required Reinforcement Waves, but for the most options it is good to have a third wave so you can possibly choose a group more likely to help. You do have the option of putting your Reinforcement units closer than 9" to an enemy unit in your Deployment Zone, but those models can't be placed in Engagement, must be placed with 1" of your battlefield edge, and are automatically Battle-shocked. Tactical Reserves is basically a mandatory use of Strategic Reserves but with some twists. My example Tactical Reserves is this (for 1500pts, Beta Stance - P-700, R- 400); Primary Wave composed of Xaphan and Chosen, Cypher, Havocs (dependent on enemy whether anti-tank or infantry), both Bike squads, and the Predator (695pts). I have Wave A (370pts) with Sar Ornias and Legionnaires in a Rhino, and the second Chosen Squad. Wave B (365pts) is the Eligor and Terminators plus the Raptor Squad. Wave C (385pts) is both Helbrutes and the second Havoc squad. So, the basic gameplan is to deploy the primary fairly aggressively with Xaphan and the Chosen posed to Advance with the bikes either supporting or flanking depending on enemy/Agendas (like Secondaries), with the Havocs and Predator holding the backline. Then I'll bring in Wave A in turn 2, the Legionnaires and Chosen used to support my first wave and get into decent flanking positions. Turn 3 is where I have the real decision to make- if the game is going ok, I'll bring in Wave B for Deep Strike shenanigans and objective grabbing, but if I'm losing badly then it's time to hole up and bring in Wave C so that I can try to do as much damage as possible to the enemy. Surgical Deep Strike: A once per turn ability. One Deep Strike unit can now set it up at 3" away from enemies, rather than 9. However, there is a 2d6 test to do this and each enemy model within 9" of your unit gives out a -1 modifier to the test (excluding units with 0 OC or Battle-shocked). On the test, 4+ and you're all good. 3+ your unit takes a Battle-shock test. 2+ your unit is Battle-shocked. 1 or below, not good- you roll on a d6 Mishap table that starts off at getting d3 Mortal Wounds and Battle-shocked, and it goes up to d6 Mortal Wounds, Battle-shocked, and the unit cannot Shoot or declare a Charge that turn. So it can be a powerful ability to set up a unit fairly close to the enemy, but you have to balance that out with the possible downsides. I have a feeling that my Terminators will be doing this mostly, but only to get a 1/2" advantage on charge rolls and hopefully not taking more than a -3 penalty on the test. We'll see how it goes!

"They came in a shattering impact. Thunder and lightning rang from the center of our camp. All was quiet for a moment as we turned and saw a crackling dome of light fade into the air. From that dome came no sound, then the terrible roar of bolters. The bolts slammed into men near me, turning them into mere memories of living beings. Limbs sprang from torsos, heads disappeared. The firepower was well targeted in taking down our heavy weapons first, then moving on to the company bannermen and musicians. After the first shots came a new sound- the heavy tramp of armored feet and the teeth-grating buzz of power armor...but both were deeper than those I've experienced before in the company of the Emperor's Angels. They were seen then. Massive forms, more hunched and cumbersome power armor, clad in ebony and steel. Crimson wings and steel blades adorned their armor, and they moved without a single battle cry. No noise came from them aside from those of weapons and impact. They tore through our command squad and the Commissariat special forces. Lasblasts did nothing, power weapons were turned aside and blunted. These...monsters silently destroyed everything around them. I've fought beside our Astartes and against those of traitorous bent, in every battle there were oaths sworn and orders roared. Even the Enemy's forces spoke in blasphemous words, that were later removed from my soul by the confessors and others of your like. Not these men, if men they truly were. That was the most sinister thing of all, for even when one took a lascannon shot to his belly and was cored out like a grox he didn't make a single sound. I hope to never see their like again." -- Demi-Lieutenant Sigfur bon Friell, XIIth Davoi Blue-Korp, aftermath of the raid of Agri-Station Pilla. Report sanctioned by Inquisitorial Warrant. Squad Belgor The Suriel are a remnant of the Forgotten's more noble past. An order of fallen knights, now sworn to silence. Their skill in battle is well-maintained, for they are used as a hammer to crack any resistance to the Forgotten's plans. Teleporting into the midst of the enemy, the Suriel use their ancient Terminator armor to shrug off blows that would kill even other Astartes and coldly slay in a voiceless flurry of bolt, blade, and fist. Those wishing to join the elite brotherhood are taken before the Grand Master of the Forgotten, Beleth of Caliban. His heavy sword pierces their chest as oaths are recited and burning brands applied. Ritual stitches are sown through their lips and oath-papers affixed. The new brother's armor, created from that which was the dead and that which was taken, is bathed in clear water while he dons each piece. Then, ripping through the stitches mere moments from his helmet covering him, he speaks his last words. Squad Furlac "Forgotten we may be. Forgotten our lives were. Forgotten the crimes against us will never be. Vengeance is my purpose. Justice for our dead. Loyalty above all. I am the nameless, the voiceless. I am of the Suriel. Let the world mourn, for a new chapter has come." Squad Varcan

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Moridyn As he moved last through the portal, Moridyn looked at the Xenos. It seems to sincerely wish their success, but who knows what goes on in the twisting mind of the Aeldari. He put the thought behind him. He moved into the dark, quickly switching off the actinic glow of his plasmagun's charging vents and mag-locking it to his chest. His shotgun came up instead, a weapon that would only outline his position when it finally spoke. The glow of the adept's globe cast dancing shadows among the statues. He waited, his body still and posed, shotgun ready for action.

So far I'm really enjoying Crusade (week 4, which is the end of Phase 1 of our campaign) and am probably going to continue playing it whenever I can, with whatever army I'm able. I wasn't super enthusiastic at first- why play with old models that have been sitting on the shelf for a half-decade, but it has turned out to be one of the better 40k experiences I've had recently. Getting to go back and re-do all my lore, turning the Forgotten into extremely angry, bitter Fallen rather than the noble knights that they were originally intended to be is just fun. Since the Forgotten were supposed to be Fallen hunters, I find it quite amusing that they are now Fallen themselves, though disdainful of the gifts of Chaos and those that use them too frequently. They are similar to Iron Warriors or Night Lords who look down on the corrupted as weak and foolish, everything is about their own misery and anger- they need to help from Neverborn deceivers. Which does mean as the Crusade goes along I'm going to walk a tight-line of not using some of the more powerful CSM Crusade options such as daemon weapons, ascending to Daemonhood, or even Chaos boons. Or perhaps the Forgotten will have to comprimise their honor to gain and advantage in the battles to come... Nachmund rules are really interesting as well. Phase 2 is when we will start using the Tactical Reserve rules (Phase 1 was to ease in new players to the general game/Crusade specific stuff like upgrading), so I'm pretty interested to try out the Reinforcing Wave reserve stuff and Precision Deep Strikes. I think my army style will play right into it, as I'm going heavy on termies, bikes, transports, and advancing Chosen packs, which will allow me a fast base list and reinforcements designed to keep hammering the enemy.

Xaphan the Castigator, Dark Apostle "Never forget our dead. Never forget the betrayals against us. We are Forgotten, those who will remind this stagnant Imperium that the past is not dead and buried, but alive and hating." Xaphan is the core of the current Forgotten warband. Charged by Grand Master Beleth to disturb the Nachmund Gauntlet, Xaphan is on a mission to destroy Imperial faith and morale. He believes that the Forgotten, in conjunction with the mercenary Night Lords and hedonistic Emperor's Children that they have as allies, will be able to disrupt and destroy key sections of the Imperium's defenses, thus making a larger incursion possible. Like all of the Forgotten's former Chaplains, the Dark Apostle known as the Castigator is a master orator with a deep understanding of the psyche of both soldier and civilian. Not the most tactical of leaders, he differs to both the Eligor and Sar Ornias in matters of battle deployment, while his words hammer the foe and steel the Forgotten. "I know what you are, for I was once like you. I too was seduced by the lies of the Imperium. I was there when the so-called Ecclesiarchy arose from the mud of delusion, from the grit of the homeworld of Man to control the vastness of the human spirit. I walked in the shadow of the Emperor, in the footsteps of his Sons. I witnessed their mistakes and misdeeds, their convenient truths and casting-away of knowledge for fear. I know what you are, and I will not forgive you for it. Do not forget the burdens of your past for we have come to bring our vengeance forth." -- Note, this is the current model for Xaphan. Another, more appropriate model has been ordered and will replace this one soon. -- The Eligor, Chaos Terminator Lord The wet impact of blades and fists tearing into flesh. Heavy, ponderous steps of hulking forms. Barking explosions of bolter fire and crackling flames consuming bones. These are the only sounds that come from the Terminator veterans of the Forgotten, the Suriel brotherhood. Oath-sworn to only speak to each other, they communicate in violence and mayhem. Their leader, the Eligor, is the one voice that communicates to the outside. Even then, his words are brusque and short, growled through heavy vox-interference and static. The Eligor is a mystery, seeming to have been at the side of the Forgotten's Grand Master since the Great Crusade itself. Though not a vocal man, he has keen insights tactically and is a master at the sudden application of pressure. Many a battle and raid have been brought to a swift end by him and his terminators descending in lightning teleportation strikes. "Be all means my Lord, we will burn them from the face of the galaxy." - The Eligor, responding to Belith's declaration of vendetta against the sons of Dorn Sar Ornias, Master of Executions "Crossing blades is considered by some to be an elegant way to know the depth of a warrior's knowledge and talent; a duelist is a master of form and fashion. I say dueling is just a fool way to attempt to control the chaos of battle- in real war talent and knowledge lose out to luck and brutality. Honor has little place in a war, your duty is to kill the enemy and protect your lord." - Sar Ornias, lecture to the Cambiel Brethren Sar Ornias is a veteran of the Long War. His experience is almost unapparelled among the Forgotten, especially in small-unit actions and targeted killings. He is a member the Cambiel brotherhood, an order of blademasters and former knights turned bodyguards, sworn to protect the leadership of the Forgotten at all costs. An Angel from Caliban, Ornias was among the many recruits from that forested Death-world to join a Knightly Order and slay great beasts. He now puts his expertise towards destroying the enemy's leadership, leading decapitation strikes into the heart of the foe's headquarters squads.

Hello and thank you for looking at this little blog. It will be about my Forgotten, a Heresy-era Dark Angels force that has taken a bit of a journey to become what it now is- a Chaos Marine force in a local Nachmund Gauntlet Crusade campaign. This first entry is most likely to be the most boring, with no pics or lore or gameplay, just a winding story of how the force came to be. So, if you aren't interested in the self-indulgent personal history digression of a middle-aged hobbyist, feel free to pass on and wait until I get up some more entertaining content (no judgement). I'm currently forty years old, and started up 40k/wargaming in my early teens. Like many other players, my first models were Space Marines and for years I had an ever-growing collection of them. I was also young and dumb, so wound up becoming fairly obsessive in my hobby and began to buy up every "army of the month", sinking a lot of money into various boxes (whatever the equivalent to Combat Patrols were back in 3rd/4th ed) that got built but never painted. In fact, I don't think I ever had a full painted army in the first eight or so years in which I started the hobby. Anyway, I married my wife in my early twenties (around the beginning/middle of 4th ed I think) and realized that the hobby was too much of addictive obsession that was getting out of control; I decided to quit and got rid of almost all of my 40k stuff. Roughly $5k worth of stuff (probably something like triple/quadruple the value now) of models, books, and equipment were summarily thrown out or put into a box and forgotten about. Fast forward ten-ish years (roughly 2016-2017). I had stayed somewhat in the hobby space, reading the occasional BL novel and playing some of the various video games, but considered myself more of a PC/console gamer than wargamer anymore (was heavily involved in EVE Online and MWO). I was getting burnt out with PC gaming though, had recently stopped playing both of my big games and was looking for another diversion. I work night shift, so have quite a lot of time to research/read/do my own thing when work calms down and nothing happens- a coworker noticed me reading a BL novel and asked if I played. Chatting with him, I felt the urge to get back into the hobby. Rummaging around in my basement, I found a box that contained quite a bit of old SM stuff that had survived my purge and so I dug out some models. The HH rulebooks had just dropped, so I read through them and decided to create a force of Dark Angels, which were the Legion that I had liked for a long time. So I created my Dark Angels force, from the remnants of an old army and a lot of random eBay bit lots purchases/3rd party. I wasn't yet playing again, but the impetuous was there and I had begun to paint. After a year or so I had something like a 5k points worth army of painted DA, quite a bit of it magnetized, that was looking ok and I felt the need to start playing again. Then 8th ed 40k came out and I had another work buddy ask me if I wanted to play, so I left the HH sphere and made the Forgotten: a time-warped force of Heresy-era DA that were deployed to reinforce the Unforgiven in their fight against Chaos. My Dark Angels weren't really up to snuff in 8th ed, being worse than Primaris marines and not having quite the firepower needed to compete. So, they were regretfully put to the side as I began some different armies- Knights, Necrons, eventually a Primaris SM army. I had always loved my Forgotten, but they just weren't really something that worked on the battlefield for me, so they became more of a display army that I was proud of completing even if I didn't play them anymore. My hobby/gaming journey continued, as I attended some more competitive tournaments as a player and began to TO for a local store in small, 16-man tournaments myself. The tournaments I ran/run tend to be pretty casual, as the local scene isn't really competitive and I'm more interested in having the hobby grow/everyone have an enjoyable experience. There are plenty of more competitive tournaments/organizations close to us, but our local area is just not a strong one for competition. About two months ago I was at the end of a local store's grow league- playing my Imperial Agents/Inquisition themed army that got totally destroyed continually (but was fun because it is a great way to introduce new players to the game). Another player came up to me and asked if I wanted to join a crusade campaign he was going to start up. I'm always down for some more gaming, so I said yes even though the last time I had looked at crusade rules was maybe early 9th edition. So, I pick up the Nachmund Gauntlet book and got to learning what Crusade was and how it played out- turns out Nachmund had sort of Grand Alliances that piled together to fight for specific areas, rather than each individual army fighting for just itself. Then I got a message from the Arbitrator (necromunda term, but appropriate), who asked me if I had a Chaos army to play with. He wanted at least one experienced player to be each alliance's Warmaster and I was one of the most experienced players in the campaign. He was repping the Xenos faction and another experienced crusade player had Imperials, so wondered if I could handle Chaos. Now, I have a few armies, but not one that was really considered Chaos.... but I did have the Forgotten. So I said sure, I'll do Chaos and here we are. The Forgotten have now become Fallen, bitter veterans of a thousands-year long campaign against an Imperium that forgot their sacrifices and turned them into the enemy of convenience. They are uncorrupted by the Chaos powers, sustained by their hate and resentment.

Moridyn As the last one through the portal, Moridyn was wary. This was unlike the violent teleportation of the Mechanicum, a smoother experience that made his skin crawl with it's lack of feedback. Still, it allowed them to move faster towards their goal, which was acceptable if not ideal.

March Finished - Added 13 non-board appropriate minis (LW - 159, models - 93) 6 Word Bearers, 13 non-board appropriate minis End of month totals Total Leadweight - 140 Total Models - 74 Was a slow hobby month, just not feeling it. April is... similar? Been working on getting my Trench Crusade stuff ready for painting, plus building some other stuff for a friend. Should at least get the other six Word Bearers finished, and maybe start on my Necromunda stuff...

Interesting. Could very well be the single "new" model for the Drukhari codex, though I think most DE players would like a new set of Court figs as well. Does seem like an actual screw up, as the new Road Map has CSM cult legions, SW, Knights, GK, and BT as the next confirmed codices, and then Votann/other codex marines were the greyscale On the Horizon stuff.

That has become part of this project- to make each unit/model more "real" to me by actually thinking about them. Of course the project has bloomed from just about eight models in a HQ-esque kill-team to currently three kill-teams finished or in-progress, the original kill team finally finished as far as modeling goes, and some random stuff here and there. Apparently I'm not so good at sticking to one thing and staying there...

Kill-team 1, the Gyve squad of the Ebon Word, finished. Link here for full pics and fluff. Now onto the second kill-team, the Fated Sons!