Madmen. Charging, snarling transhumans turned into raving beasts that spoke of nothing but blood and skulls. Revving chainblades and jagged steel swung from their gene-enhanced forms.

 

World Eaters. Astartes touched by the Chaos power known as Khorne. No strategy but to charge and hew. Unfortunately it would work this time, as the attack struck the Gardhird before an adequate plan could be implemented. The only thing left was to delay the attack and retreat with as many resources as possible. 

Skeldr and his companions appeared in a snap-hiss of teleportation energies. Foe-Ender smashed aside half-daemonic forms as the Linebreakers strained to divert the assault. Ironkin forms took devastating impacts from the daemon-kin and struck back with flaming plasma swords. Hearthguard shot blasts of shrapnel and plasma as they walked backward, covering their lesser-armored kin. This battle was finished, but the Gardhird had managed to salvage something from the debacle. 

 

 

Solbond Gardhird versus World Eaters

Mission - Gellar Generators 

World Eaters win, 40-30 (Votann were Defender, went 1st). Exhaustive Pursuits x 5, completed Prospecting Agenda x2.  

Gain the following Resources - 60 Galactic Intel from battle, 160 Energy Sources (from Pioneer Fleet asset, 16 Yield Points x10). Gain 1RP from mission.

 

Spend 100 Biomatter + 100 Energy Sources to gain Implant Refinery Asset (re-roll Out of Action test except for Vehicles)

 

Varrik of Ruunes suffers Battle Scar Battle-Weary (-1 to Ld/Battle-Shock, Desperate Escape, or OoA tests)

 

Units upgraded 

Seykyr's Hird gains Ancestral Fury (Unit gains Sustained 1 for melee attacks)

Farstryde Riders gain Saddleborn Assassins (Ranged weapons gain +1 AP vs closest unit)

Sondur-Oath Linebreakers gain Territorial (Re-roll to Wound rolls of 1 against targets on an objective)

 

Overall- 

Loss

Resources - 180 Biomatter, 90 Raw Minerals, 80 Galactic Intel, 80 Energy Sources

RP - gain 1, spend 1. Total is 1 

Supply limit - 2000 (using 1990)

Crusade points - Goes from 12 to 14

 

Battle Report

Mission - Gellar Generators (custom) 1500pts

    Custom mission, with five objectives. One placed in center, four placed in deployment zones by players. Standard control 1, control 2, control more for 5VP each scoring, but mission rules didn't allow Scout/Infiltrators and starting round 2 if an action was done on the center objective (finished at end of player turn) then the objectives in the opponent's deployment zone would turn off. Completing the action would also summon one or two units of Crusade Unbound Adversaries (basically Bloodletters) that are "NPCs" and move/charge the nearest enemy.

Enemy army - Daemon Prince with Wings, 6man Eightbound squad with Slaughterbound, 3man Eightbound squad, 10man Berserker squad w/MoE, 10man Berserker squad w/MoE (or Crucible champion, can't remember) in Rhino, 2man Chaos Spawn, Jackal squad.

Deployment - Enemy has Daemon Prince, 3man Eightbound squad, and the 10man Berserker w/MoE in Reserve (Prince and Berserkers have Deepstrike). Votann have melee Steeljacks and Hearthguard in Deepstrike.

 

Round 1

Votann turn 1 - Without Scouting moves, Votann can't do much turn one. One of the Kapricus punches a shot into the WE Rhino, but that is it. Sagitaurs deposit their cargo in the two deployment objectives to score Exhaustive Agenda (capture objectives that you haven't controlled yet), and the turn ends.

World Eaters turn 1 - As is standard for WE, mass of crazies run at the Votann. The Rhino drops off the Berserkers who rage forward and tag the shooty Steeljacks and the 2man Kapricus near the center objective with a long-bomb charge. A couple of each infantry squad die in Overwatch/melee, while the Kapricus die completely. Pioneers jump up at the end of the enemy turn. 

 

 

Round 2

Votann turn 2 - Lone single man Kapricus does the action on the center objective. Hearthguard drop down in the back of the enemy deployment to take out the Rhino in shooting (unfortunate because I wanted them to charge). Enemy deepstriking Berserker squad winds up in the middle of the containers on the left side after Rapid Ingress. Center remains a muddle as the shooty Steeljacks and Sagitaurs fail to kill off the Berserkers there, while the Berserkers on the left get hammered by Thunderkyn fire.

World Eaters turn 2 - 2 squads of Unbound show up, one on each WE objective. Daemon Prince drops down and charges the Sagitaurs, while the center Berserker squad finishes off the Steeljacks and the remaining left-hand Berserkers kill off the 5man Hearthkyn squad on the top-left objective.

 

Round 3

Votann turn 3 - Unbound move towards closest enemies, lower Unbound squad kills off two Hearthguard. Hearthguard fall back and with the help of the returning Pioneers clear off the Unbound near them. Melee Steeljacks drop down on upper enemy objective and kill off the Unbound there. Trokk's squad kills off the left Berserker squad and moves onto that objective. 

World Eaters turn 3 - Daemon Prince/center Berserkers kill off the Thunderkyn and Trokk's unit, completely wiping the left side of the board of Votann. 6man squad of Eightbound moves from the center objective towards the melee Steeljacks. 

 

Round 4

Votann turn 4 - Minor shooting kills off a couple of the Eightbound, but not enough.

World Eaters turn 4 - Eightbound kill the Steeljacks, battle is talked out from here- turn five nothing would have occurred as there isn't enough Votann shooting to kill off any of the remaining WE units, and the Votann units are too far away for WE to get to in time (even with Advance and Charge shenanigans).

 

Thoughts

Rough match, but pretty much turned out how I expected. The mission rules really didn't hurt/help either of us, as there was only one "turn-off" action completed and the Unbound didn't do much at all. Kinda funny how the mission wanted you to fight over the center objective to keep your home objectives still functioning, but both of our armies wound up in the enemy deployment for most of the game.

 

Basic plan was to stay in the center, be durable and kill at range, but it was pretty hard to be durable when I can't get Fortify until turn 3, and by that time the WE were already up in my face so much that I couldn't do anything about it. I'm thinking that I'm going to bring the Land Fortress in next game when we move up to 1750pts, and probably drop the 2man Kapricus squad for a single model and my Iron-master so he can tag along with the Thunderkyn and give them some help. 

Eh. I'm still happy with my Votann even though I'm getting pounded in this campaign (karma for going undefeated last time?), and I still love the models and lore. Looking forward to seeing how 11th shakes out though, and I'm most likely going to be running my combined Word Bearers/Night Lords army in the next crusade to motivate me to paint them all. Anyway, got to work on this Necromunda mini-diorama, so thanks for looking!