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Hail Fraters! After a very, very long hiatus, I have decided to return to Warhammer 40k and have decided to give 9th edition a try. I have not played 40k since the early days of 8th edition, where I soured in the skewed Codices, stratagems everywhere, command point optimization and where it seemed that the way to go was to have as many overlapping auras as physically possible. Having talked with friends who also gave up on 8th, we have decided to give 9th a spin - specifically 9th Crusade rules. To that end, I have gone and bought the 9th Rulebook second-hand, and have also closed a deal for the current 9th Dark Angel Codex second hand. That leads to the first question: 1) Are there any other rule books I need? (Because GW has NEVER been nice enough to have all the rules in one place...) As for the starting armies - since I have no Codex, it is still a bit in the wind, as to what will constitute the initial Crusade force. As I have been collecing Dark Angels since 1992 - and then only seriously since 2001, I could field an army of painted Firstborn...but then what would be the purpose of this thread? Instead I have decided to try out the new toys on the block: the Primaris usurpers. Therefore I spent January 1st putting together all the Primaris that I got in the Dark Imperium starter box back in what, 2017? I only ever managed to finish one of them - a lieutenant, but almost finished the Gravis Captian, the Ancient and the Hellblasters. They are therefore probably the ones that will get done first. Below you can all see what I have to work with for the Crusade coming up: As for their background, it is still a work in progress...but I know that the Firstborn Termintor Chaplain is there to provide spiritual advice to the good, newbie Gravis Captian (and not at all to supervise, monitor and surveil him). My friends will be playing, respectively, Necrons, Sisters of Battle, Grey Knights and Black Templars. In other words - lots of power amour saves. I am really looking forward to painting some Dark Angels again, after not having painted any in years. Till the Sword is reforged! Faithfully, Master Ciaphas

This tank is for my Nurgle warband, with: 5x Raptors warpsmith plasma and hammer havoc 5x Terminators (Ranged) 10x legionares ( melee) Dark Apostle ( melee) 5x havocs Exalted Champion Terminator Lord What should I arm it with ? It's mostly shooting into SM and CSM, and in a Crusade force. Thanks

Hi all! There are quite a few topics on the process of creating xenos armies here, even in a separate forum there are very few of them. Therefore, I decided to dilute the crowds of SM and CSM a little with blue-skinned guys in big robots. In general, it all started with the fact that we decided to gather and play Crusade with a small group of friends. But all the armies have guys in power armor, for this reason I decided to add a little variety and collect tau for myself. And at the same time, he shares with you the process and news from the battlefields (but this is still far away). To start, I decided to build and paint one Fire Warrior and one drone to try out the color scheme I came up with. These are small steps towards a great good. I was pleased with the result. Everything turned out pretty quickly and looks detailed. A little later I will try out the color scheme on big robots.

After what I learned in post like this one(https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/380780-tactical-squads-10-or-20-members/#comment-5994700), I continue making list for my SoH, adding more infantry and taking away tanks like Predators (Nice tanks but a bit fragile even in squadrons). This and of course, I'll be happy with any comments and advices: ++ Crusade Force Organisation Chart (LA - XVI: Sons of Horus) [2,999Pts] ++ + Expanded Army Lists + Expanded Army List Profiles:: Exemplary Units On, Legacy Units On + Allegiance: + Allegiance: Traitor XVI: Sons of Horus + Rite of War: + Rite of War: The Long March (SoH) + HQ: + Centurion [95Pts] . Master of Signals: Artificer Armour . . Bolt Pistol . . Chainsword: Chainsword . Master of Signals (HSS) Centurion [105Pts]: Librarian, Psychic Discipline: Biomancy . Librarian: Artificer Armour . . Bolt Pistol . . Force Weapon: Force Sword Praetor [344Pts]: Chosen by Dark Gods (Traitor only), Warlord . Command Squad . . Legion Chosen: Bolter . . . Bolt Pistol . . . Power Weapon: Carsoran Power Tabar . . Legion Chosen: Bolter . . . Bolt Pistol . . . Power Weapon: Carsoran Power Tabar . . Legion Chosen: Bolter, Pair of Lightning Claws . . Legion Chosen: Bolter, Pair of Lightning Claws . . Legion Chosen: Bolter, Pair of Lightning Claws . . Legion Standard Bearer: Bolt Pistol, Power Fist . Legion Praetor: Artificer Armour, Bolt Pistol, Paragon Blade + Elites: + Apothecarion Detachment [185Pts] . Apothecary: Artificer Armour, Bolt Pistol . . Power Weapon: Power Sword (Tactical) . Apothecary: Artificer Armour, Bolt Pistol . . Power Weapon: Power Sword(Tactical) . Apothecary: Artificer Armour, Bolt Pistol . . Chainsword: Chainsword (HSS) Contemptor Dreadnought Talon [570Pts] . Contemptor Dreadnought: Combi-Bolter, Gravis Melta Cannon, Gravis Power Fist with in-built ranged weapon . Contemptor Dreadnought: Combi-Bolter, Gravis Lascannon, Gravis Power Fist with in-built ranged weapon . Contemptor Dreadnought: Combi-Bolter, Gravis Lascannon, Gravis Power Fist with in-built ranged weapon + Troops: + Despoiler Squad [164Pts]: Inductii . Despoiler w/ Options: Bolt Pistol, Power Maul . Despoiler w/ Options: Bolt Pistol, Power Maul . Despoiler w/ Options: Bolt Pistol, Chainaxe, Legion Vexilla . 8x Despoilers (collective): 8x Bolt Pistol, 8x Chainaxe . Legion Despoiler Sergeant: Bolt Pistol, Power Armour, Power Fist Tactical Squad [213Pts] . Legion Tactical Sergeant: Artificer Armour, Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Power Fist . 13x Legionaries (collective): 13x Bolt Pistol, 13x Bolter, 13x Chain Bayonet . Legionary w/ Options:: Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Chain Bayonet, Legion Vexilla Tactical Squad [213Pts] . Legion Tactical Sergeant: Artificer Armour, Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Power Fist . 13x Legionaries (collective): 13x Bolt Pistol, 13x Bolter, 13x Chain Bayonet . Legionary w/ Options:: Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Chain Bayonet, Legion Vexilla Terminator Cataphractii Squad [315Pts]: Legion Vexilla . Cataphractii: Chainfist, Combi-Bolter . Cataphractii: Chainfist, Combi-Bolter . Cataphractii: Combi-Bolter . . Power Weapon: Power Sword . Cataphractii: Combi-Bolter . . Power Weapon: Power Maul . Cataphractii: Combi-Bolter . . Power Weapon: Power Sword . Cataphractii Sergeant: Combi-Bolter, Grenade Harness, Thunder Hammer . Cataphractii w/Heavy Weapon (1 in 5): Plasma Blaster, Power Fist Terminator Tartaros Squad [250Pts]: Legion Vexilla . Tartaros Sergeant w/Lightning Claws: Grenade Harness, Pair of Lightning Claws . 5x Tartaros w/Lightning Claws: 5x Pair of Lightning Claws + Fast Attack: + Sky-Hunter Squadron [150Pts] . Legion Sky-Hunter: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Multi-Melta . Legion Sky-Hunter: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Multi-Melta . Legion Sky-Hunter Sergeant: Bolt Pistol, Multi-Melta . . Chainsword: Chainsword Sky-Hunter Squadron [150Pts] . Legion Sky-Hunter: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Multi-Melta . Legion Sky-Hunter: Bolt Pistol, Chainsword, Multi-Melta . Legion Sky-Hunter Sergeant: Bolt Pistol, Multi-Melta . . Chainsword: Chainsword + Heavy Support: + Heavy Support Squad [245Pts]: Lascannon . Legion Support Sergeant: Bolt Pistol, Power Armour . 5x Legionaries (collective): 5x Bolt Pistol . Legionary w/ Options: Bolt Pistol, Legion Vexilla . Legionary w/ Options:Nuncio Vox, Bolt Pistol ++ Total: [2,999Pts] ++ Created with BattleScribe Thanks in advance.

Hey brothers of the Eternal Crusade! I started a Primaris Crusade a long time ago. I painted about 10 models and didn’t follow through as I got distracted by my Krieg force. Now it’s a new year and my brother wants to join in on the 40k fun! He’d previously started his own Successor Chapter but has fallen in love with everyone’s favourite Space Crusaders! We have a deal, he’ll do the modelling and I’ll do the painting. True to form, I started with the model that I’d enjoy painting most! Here’s the Marshal (as yet unnamed) of the Promethean Crusade: Black Templars Marshal Black Templars Marshal Black Templars Marshal Gotta say the new Black Templars range is phenomenal and I can’t wait to do more! Thanks for looking and please let me know what you think.

Ok, I promise this will be the last time I update this model! I haven't been happy with my choice of head for this guy, and I wanted something to represent his Serpentine Fangs. The problem is that I couldn't find any models that were doing it for me. So, back to the 3D print solution! This handsome fella's head came from a collection of Vampire Heads by WildMesh, which I digitally kitbashed with some Butcher's Nails by Hellforged Miniatures. (I, erm, paid a lot more money for access to those Butcher's Nails than I'd like to admit...) I thought it turned out pretty well for my second ever digital kitbash! Buuuut you can barely see them in the photos. Ah well. Like the interior of a Rhino, at least I know it's there and that's all that matters... You may also notice his slightly ruddy complexion around the edges of his face. That's not just the lighting, but an intentional effect to demonstrate his Warp-born gifts. As if the scorpion tail wasn't enough... Anyway, I have definitely tinkered with this model enough! Next time will be something new, I promise...

12 August, 2022 Eager to collect as much loot as possible, greenskins have launched an all-out attack on the Cruentes' position in the industrial outskirts of Hive Prime. Our sources tell us that these greenskins call themselves the Death Skulls. This pleases Khorne. Leading the initial defence is Thrax Gorechosen, the Exalted Champion. He is accompanied by the Berzerker squads led by Validon and Dreior, as well as the Helbrute Xarian the Bloody Idiot and Bardûl the Wretched Fool. Lord Kratus is on standby on his flagship, The Eternal Warrior, ready to reinforce if needed. For Agendas, I chose Eye of the Gods to kill enemy characters, and Cull the Hordes because why not. Wary of the enemy's brutish firepower, the Cruentes deploy defensively, hoping to bait the greenskins into a foolhardy charge. With a reverberating Waaaagh!, the Orks fling themselves forwards, led by their Warboss. We are told that this huge brute is not, in fact, the leader of the group, despite their size and aggressiveness. This confuses Khorne. The greenskins with a penchant for pyrotechnics open up on poor Bardûl, who suffers terrible burns and flees the battlefield in mindless panic. Great, it'll take days to find him again... A couple of the greenskins open up on Xarian as well, who - on Kratus's order from orbit - launches a barrage of obscuring smoke. Regardless, one lucky shot does get through and succeeds in causing some significant damage. Grinning with glee, the actual enemy boss - an apparent field mechanic with a very fancy array of weapons - orders a hail of rockets from his large vehicle at Rhino II, knowing that the Cruentes have wasted their chance to screen it with smoke. Many of the shots go wide, but enough punch through the Rhino to disable it. Two Berzerkers are killed in the barrage. Gunning the engine of their truck, the burners hurtle towards Xarian, staggering him with their heavy ram. Despite this, Xarian catches his balance and stops the flimsy vehicle in its tracks, bringing his huge hammer down to wreck the truck's engine. The greenskins pile out, three getting tangled in the wreckage. Here is where Thrax's arrogance began my downfall. Not wanting to commit all his Berzerkers to a single charge, he order them to remain embarked while he and Xarian charged the greenskins in front of them. The Rhino accelerated in first, distracting the pyromaniacs for long enough for the pair to charge unimpeded. Meanwhile, Dreior's Berzerkers threw themselves at the greenskins in the midfield. In a spray of gore, the brutes were dismembered one by one by the frenzied Berzerkers... ...who then piled into the dimunitive greenskin slaves, only for one of the lucky gits to somehow club one of the (unwounded!) Berzerkers to death! Despite the success against the enemies in the midfield (ignoring that one ignoble casualty), Thrax's and Xarian's charge didn't go so well. The Warboss, Grog, dispatches the Helbrute with apparent ease and claims several useful mechanical components for himself. Thrax sweeps aside three greenskins with Gorefather (only a single 6 to wound - with rerolls - and my opponent passed a lot of Waaagh invulnerable saves). Things go from bad to worse: the flamer Orks pass their Morale check with insane bravery and fall back, the rocket-armed Orks blast apart the second Rhino with ease, killing three (!!) more Berzerkers, and Warboss Grog dispatches Thrax without breaking a sweat. The Berzerkers manage to inflict a bunch of wounds on the Warboss (that Fury of Khorne stratagem is gold), but a -1 to wound and a 1+ save makes him very, very difficult to hurt. Over the next turn, Grog would proceed to butcher the rest of the Berzerkers. Meanwhile, Kevdak the mechanic commander blitzes most of the Berzerkers in the middle. The rest were subsequently minced by their monstrous truck. Sensing that things weren't really going well, Kratus decides that now is a great time to finally teleport in. Failing his charge (even with a reroll), he's left facing the guns of every remaining greenskin. It's at this point that my opponent throws me a bone: Kevdak (or "Big Kev") howls a challenge to the Chaos Lord. No Ork is to raise their weapon to impede the challenge. (To be clear: it wasn't just for my benefit. My opponent wanted to force a leadership challenge between Grog and Kevdak.) In a familiar display of luck, Kratus's armour holds against the flurry of blows from the greenskin warlord, but barely. Finally, in my own turn, and with one wound remaining, Kratus cuts apart his opponent's armour to expose the greenskin inside. However, seeing his demise written on the wall, Big Kev unleashes all remaining firepower from his massive armour, with just one shot finding a chink in Kratus's armour. With that, the last World Eater falls. Result: 8-62 Loss Ultimately, this game was lost in my first turn, when I overestimated how much work my Helbrute and Exalted Champion would do. I think I had the right plan to hold one unit of Berzerkers back, but instead of spreading my charge out, I should've thrown the disembarked Berzerkers at the enemies in my backfield. I think they should've had a good chance to kill the Burnas and Warboss on the charge, when accompanied by the Helbrute and Champion. Ah well, lesson learnt. Xarian suffered an Angered Machine Spirit, so cannot benefit from stratagems. On the plus side, Kratus earned two Personal Glory points for killing the enemy warlord, and increased in rank. Khorne saw him fit to bless him with a Scorpion Tail for +1 Attack. Kratus's Personal Glory: 3 -> 4Khorne's Dark God Glory: 6 -> 5Cruentes' Warfleet Glory: 7 -> 7

5 August, 2022 Kratus once again lead a small Combat Patrol against the Death Guard, this time accompanied by his lieutenant, Thrax, Dreior's Berzerkers, and a small mob of Cultists. The mission was to punch through the enemy line to cause as much havoc as possible. For my Agenda, I chose to initiate yet another Blasphemous Ritual to earn some more Glory for Khorne. Unfortunately, I had been painting Kratus's model and completely forgot to bring him along, so a random Terminator will have to be his stand-in. This was my opponent's third ever game of 40k, so it was going to be another relaxed game with minimal pressure. Just throw some dice and have fun! In this mission, my opponent had to deploy his entire army first, and was forced to split it into three parts. I took advantage of this, by putting the bullet catchers highly valuable Cultists in the middle, backed by my Chaos Lord. My main push would be on the left flank, where the Berzerkers and the Exalted Champion Thrax would be able to overwhelm the flank and sweep around to the middle. I won first turn, and moved everything up the field. The Cultists began an Action in the middle of the board to raise some mighty skull piles for Khorne. I was going to use Apoplectic Frenzy on the Berzerkers to yeet them up the field for a first turn charge, but decided against it at the last minute. My opponent was only new to the game, and I didn't want that to be how he found out about such an ability. I told him what I could have done, and against his protestations I continued simply moving the Berzerkers. In his turn, he shuffled some Plague Marines on both flanks to get some shooting off, and left his Blight Hauler in the middle. When all was said and done, a few Berzerkers were slain and most of the Cultists were killed. I forget how many exactly (and didn't take a photo), but I think there were only 1-2 cultists left - but it was enough to keep their Action going. Khorne was evidently pleased with their sacrifice, as the action succeeded and I gained a Dark God Glory point (and a bunch of XP on the Cultists). In my turn, Thrax killed a couple of Plague Marines, continuing his trend of being completely incapable of rolling 6s to wound for Gorefather, even with rerolls. Thankfully, Berzerkers were more than enough to finish the rest. Meanwhile, Kratus bounced off the Blight Hauler. We both dealt just a few wounds to each other - I always forget how tough these damn things are! My opponent continued to string out his Plague Marines on the right and finished off the Cultists. While the Lord of Contagion swept around to take care of Kratus. Unfortunately, Kratus's knack for surviving against the odds abandoned him and he fell to the Manreaper. In my third turn, I declared the centre objective to be the Alpha objective, since I planned to move there anyway. The Berzerkers and Thrax moved up to wrestle the Blight Hauler off the objective...but I foolishly left my squishy Exalted Champion standing directly in front of the Lord of Contagion. This is a theme you'll see me repeat a lot! Wisely, my opponent charged the Champion and Berzerkers, killing the Champion. In return, the Berzerkers carved chunks off the character's armour, reducing him to just a single wound. In my own turn, the Lord of Contagion slew two more Berzerkers, and shrugged off their attacks. At this point, I was slightly ahead on points. Had my opponent just stayed in combat, there was a good chance I could finish the Lord and just hold the Alpha objective until the end of the game, maybe also shuffle over and add to the cultists' pile of skulls. So, weighing his options, my opponent initiated a Hail Mary charge with his last Plague Marines - and he made it. The sons of Mortarion finished the last of my Berzerkers to claim the objective. Result: 25-45 Loss Unfortunately, Kratus gained some wounds that would not heal after the battle, gaining the Deep Scars battle scar (cannot perform Actions, cannot Heroically Intervene). The Cultists also gained a scar, but I ended up just deleting them from my list to make room for other units. Despite losing, I still rolled well for my Chaos Points. Kratus lost a little glory for dying so ingloriously, but Khorne was pleased with the sacrifices and I made sure to keep my Warfleet in Favour. Kratus's Personal Glory: 4 -> 3Khorne's Dark God Glory: 4 -> 6Cruentes' Warfleet Glory: 7 -> 7

Bardûl, the Hand of Khorne Formerly a member of the World Eaters' elite Terminator squads, Bardûl rose to prominence when the former master of the Cruentes, Achaeus, descended irrevocably into madness. Leading his most trusted Terminators against the blood-maddened tyrant, Bardûl attacked Achaeus on his command deck. Despite grievous injuries, Bardûl pushed past his adversary's defences and rammed his chainfist into the Astartes's innards. He was not automatically granted leadership of the Cruentes, however. Seven more challengers claimed the position, and Bardûl dispatched every one of them even in his battle-weary state. He earned the right to command the Cruentes. Claiming his title as the Hand of Khorne, Bardûl claimed to be the mortal who would wield the Blood God's armies as a weapon, to spread bloodshed and violence across the galaxy. In battle, Bardûl is indomitable in his heavy Terminator plate, and actively seeks out the most powerful of the enemy champions to slay them himself. He has the Disciple of Khorne Warlord Trait, but currently has no Relics. Kratus, Terminator Champion Amongst Bardûl's most veteran warriors, Kratus leads his master's elite bodyguard. Kratus and his squad were dispatched to assist another Cruentes warband, led by Xarian Doomgore, where they quickly earned a reputation for brutality and bloody efficiency. When Xarian proved to be an inept commander and warrior, Kratus and his Terminators deposed the failing champion. Since re-integrating with Bardûl's warband, several of Kratus's warriors have been dispatched on missions - ostensibly to track down other Cruentes warbands, though in reality Bardûl is aware that the Terminators together pose a threat to his leadership. Kratus and his four Terminators have the Red Butchers stratagem applied to them, via the Specialist Reinforcements requisition. Validon, Berzerker Champion Validon is one of Bardûl's longest-serving Berzerker Champions, and has been instrumental to the cohesion of the Cruentes as a fighting force. He instituted a gradual change to the Eternal Warrior's fighting pits: instead of individual combat, the pits would focus more on squad-based combat. Through repeated training in this manner over hundreds of years, the instinct to fight in a squad of brothers became so ingrained that even in the deepest frenzy, Berzerkers would know to fight together. Validon leads nine Berzerkers, collectively known as the Bloodthunderers. Dreior, Berzerker Champion A newer member of the Cruentes, Dreior is a vat-grown gift from Fabius Bile's gene clinics. Implanted with false memories, he believes himself to be a veteran of the Long War, and despite his relative youth, he is a consummate fighter. He and his squad are often seen breaking through enemy lines and hunting down specific targets. Dreior leads four Berzerkers known as the Hunters. Gorm, Berzerker Champion Another long-serving member of the Cruentes, Gorm leads the newest inductees into battle. His strict command gives these initiates their first taste at combat, and puts them on the path to becoming fully-fledged Berzerkers of the Cruentes. Gorm's habit of consuming the flesh of the dead, however, often permeates through the ranks of those under his command. As a result, a significant number of Cruentes share his cannibalistic tendencies. Xarian the Bloody Idiot Once the champion of a whole Cruentes warband, Xarian - formerly known also as Doomgore - was deposed of his position after it was apparent that he did not deserve to lead. Originally, he was the lieutenant of a rival World Eaters warband, the control over which he seized through betrayal, before he pledged them to Bardûl. As a reward for bolstering the ranks of the Cruentes, Xarian was gifted with command of his own warband and a rebellious Daemon sword. The sword resisted Xarian's ownership at first, having not been seized through combat. However, after several battles, Xarian appeased the weapon by stabbing it through his own stomach. Amused by this attempt at sacrifice, the sword appeared to capitulate. It soon became apparent that the sword still had not deemed Xarian worthy. Even though its power had been unlocked, it still rebelled at some of the worst moments possible, often leading to Xarian's defeat. Out of frustration, several conspirators - including Kratus and his Terminators - turned on the champion, dismembering his body and burying the Daemon sword deep within the Eternal Warrior. Xarian was kept alive as an amusement, more than anything, and was interred within a dreadnought sarcophagus. Xarian is a Helbrute, armed with a plasma cannon and hammer.

With the Blogs feature unlocked, I have decided to move my previous efforts from the World Eaters subforum to my own little corner of the B&C. Here I plan to catalogue my force's trials and tribulations as we carve our way through our group's own sub-sector of space. War Zone Lalor is entirely a homebrew setting, with the background having been produced over three separate Crusade campaigns that our group has played over the past couple of years. Background The Great Rift It has been at least twelve, gruelling years since the Cicatrix Maledictum, the Great Rift, ripped the galaxy in half. With it, the Imperium was split in twain, designated the Imperium Sanctus and Imperium Nihilus. The Imperium Nihilus, severed from the light of the Astronomican of Terra, has endured a fate unknown. Even the Imperium Sanctus, under the studious protection of Lord Guilliman, is still beset on all fronts by every enemy imaginable. Previous Engagements in War Zone Lalor The Lalor Sub-sector lies within the Imperium Sanctus, in the Galactic North of the Ultima Sector. With the Realm of Ultramar secured by the Indomitus Crusade, elements of the Imperial liberators have been dispatched to the outlying sub-sectors. War for the Twins Breaking through the unstable warp routes to reach the Lalor sub-sector, the Imperial crusaders established a base of operations in the administrative heart of the region, the Geminid binary system. It was not long before the system became the target of a terrible invasion of heretics and xenos. Initially caught in defensive actions all over the system, the Imperial forces enacted a desperate last-minute gambit: a simultaneous trap for an enemy ambush and a counter-ambush crushed the invaders against all odds. With the enemy falling back in disarray, the forces of the Imperium consolidated their hold on their new garrison. Darkness of Rutil Before the dust could settle on the Geminid War, internal conflict arose within the forces of the Emperor. A wave of malaise and suspicion spread through the populace and soldiery, all the way from the bottom to the top. What should have been a great, celebrated victory was instead met with depression and anxiety through all facets of society. Several Imperial commanders separately noticed a psychic anomaly centred in the neighbouring Rutil system. With suspicion rife between the sub-factions of the Imperium, no one communicated this discovery to each other, as they each believed they alone could be trusted to investigate it. Sending small forces to the Rutil system, the Imperial forces each discovered that the warp surrounding the system was eerily quiet. Navigators, unable to detect warp currents, were driven mad. On the primary world of the system, small forces of Necrons, World Eater heretics, and renegade mining colonists were discovered. In the conflict that followed, it was discovered that some kind of warp-dampening technology employed by the enigmatic Necrons was causing the warp to fall dangerously quiet, while the Heretic Astartes were building massive monuments to reignite the empyrean once more. The conflicting effects were causing the unrest in surrounding systems. Setting aside all suspicion and paranoia, the Imperial forces joined for a joint push against the heretics and xenos, however they were successful only in demolishing the fell monuments of Chaos. The battle with the Necrons merely awoke more of the dangerous xenos, who completed the employment of their strange technology. The Imperials were forced to withdraw. The warp-borne malady was cured, though travel through the system was no longer reliable, and so it was quarantined. A Strange Servant With the strange warp-madness subsiding, Imperial forces recommenced the campaign to liberate the whole sub-sector. Responding to several calls for military aid, an Ultramarines strike force discovered a Rogue Trader lost in the void. Their vessel had been crippled and separated from the hulk it was using to transport vast amounts of material wealth. The hulk was known as The Most Dignified Servant and carried trade goods, relics and materiel. The Imperials decided that this materiel would be a great help to the war effort, and so agreed to assist the Rogue Trader in exchange for their materiel contribution. Locating this vast hulk, the Imperials boarded but immediately noticed that not all was as it was laid out by the strange trader. Relics and trade goods were loaded throughout the hulk, however the vessel was certainly not in full control by the trader. Clearly, very little effort had been taken to ensure that the vessel was sanctified, and it had become overrun by Daemons of Chaos, Death Guard heretics and Necrons. The Imperials found themselves surrounded and cut off in numerous sectors of the vessel, and only through the heroic efforts of the Deathwing were the rest of the Space Marines able to escape to safety. This was not before time, for as the last of the Deathwing withdrew, the Servant lurched into the warp, aiming directly for a nearby warp rift. It speared through the rift, opening a corridor to a previously isolated system. The Asturus System The *Servant's* departure left an opening to the Asturas system, which had been thought lost to the warp after the opening of the Great Rift. Dispatching a force from their base of operations in the Geminid system, the Imperials moved in to the Asturias system to assess the tactical situation. They found that the system's most populous world, the hive moon Janus, to be besieged by heretics and xenos over the whole planetoid. The majority of the world's populace resided in two hive cities, with smaller settlements scattered across the surface. Hive Primus was already in heretic control, flying banners featuring the tri-lobe of Nurgle and the skull rune of Khorne, however the fate of Hive Secundus was unknown. No military movements were detected in Secundus, and no vox traffic was coming from the city. Other settlements and fortified positions were barely holding out, some with only a PDF company or two fighting protracted campaigns against heretics, mutants and greenskins.

+++ incoming transmission +++ This is Marshal Ricard of the Memoria Crusade. Brothers, the is attempt 853 to reestablish contact with the fleet. We have been adrift in the void for longer than I can recount. However, I report our mission successful. We recovered several relics from the tomb world. Once we reconvene with the blessed High Marshal our crusade will continue anew. +++ transmission end +++

I want to discuss the abusive behavior I have received from certain moderators at Bolter and Chainsword. The worst one goes by the handle Brother Lunkhead and he has sent messages to me demanding I I do certain things so disgusting I will not post it online. I have had some counseling regarding this individual and the consensus is he is a sick person preying on people abusing his position. I have decided to no longer be a participant to this type of behavior - I will not be a victim any longer. I urge others to avoid this website.

To start I am going to try and do this blog to track my hobby progress better for the duration of the narrative Crusade league I am participating in. This Crusade is being run by Slowfuse one of the owner operators of Monument Hobbies and Pro Acryl paints. It is as much a narrative campaign as it is anything else and he is GMing the league while each person is recording their crusade points and writing a story to coincide with the league. I want to post the blog here to stay motivated to complete this project. I have wanted to do a sisters of battle army for a long time as I had a idea for one but kept putting it off. The crusade league offered me the perfect chance to start and hopefully finish this project. To preface this is the most custom army I have ever done. Normally I pick a GW army because I already like the models so I do not convert much, I personally hate building stuff and much prefer to just paint it. I am also trying to really push my limits as a painter and do the best job I can with this project. Anyhow Ill post the story so far then set a separate post for my goals and a third post to have all the images of the models as I complete them. With a final post discussing the different league games I have played so far and how then went. Edit - looks like I typed Drusilla with some Dyslexia letter swapping. I think I got them all but if not let me know. I changed the color on the forum page so I hope that makes everything more readable on a smart phone. Also I should preface that all of the Transmissions are the GMs story to the players in the campaign. the writing and story that is mine is everything else. I wanted to include the transmissions from the GM so you could all know what I know and see the campaign map we are using. In the bottom most map I am the only sister of battle icon so you should be able to see where my HQ and Strike force is at on the map. Currently we are trying to discover just what is going on with this world and gathering supplies to buy clues and other things later in the campaign. Right now my force as some minerals and gas to spend later but we as players do not know how to spend it yet. After each game we move our forces on the map and roll to explore the world and also pick what actions we are taking. So far I have just been all out exploring. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Aboard the Inquisitorial Class Strike Cruiser Ure Sata Haereticus - Jailum lightly knocked at the door to Inquisitor Drusilla’s private chambers. “Lord Inquisitor a low priority message has just been received by our astropaths.” No noise came from inside the chambers in response to Jailums statement or knocks. After more then thirty minutes passed by He began to fidget with his uniform and had to wipe away the sweat that was building on his forehead. He, like any same person, feared the Lord inquisitor. Her sometimes bizarre orders that could change from one nano second to the next were sometimes followed by odd dry spells where the crew would not see her for days as she cloistered herself in her chambers. All that could be overlooked, It was no stranger then any of the other ship captains or admirals he had served under in his career for the imperial Navy. As a void born he was used to eccentricity when it came to those in command. No, what he feared was the palpable power that rolled off her. Alpha class psyker was just a word to him before he was requisitioned to Serve on this ship. Standing in her presence was like having someone look through you and see every sin you had ever committed. It didn't matter where in the room you were standing from her, that power surrounded you and went through you. It did not help that the Inquisitor was tasked with finding and routing out the Heretic. Every bad thing you ever did being on display all the time to one of the Emperors hunting hounds would drive any man to bouts of nerves. Let alone also being aboard a ship that carried a full complement of Adeptus Sororitas who were dispatched to work with the inquisitor. Everywhere you turned aboard this ship you were under someone's watchful gaze lest chaos wurm its way on board somehow. Now he was tasked with delivering a communication to the Lord Inquisitor. Jailum was expected to stand outside the door and knock every half hour until the Inquisitor answered. If more messages came while someone was waiting outside the door they were to memorize them all and wait until they could all be delivered in the order they came in. Jailum had personally waited outside the door for twelve hours once but had heard of someone that waited for three days. Wiping the sweat from his brows one more time he knocked again. “I hate to disturb your meditations Lord Inquisitor, but you said to bring you anything that seemed… unusual.” The door opened and Lord Inquisitor Drusilla stood before him. She was fully armored in her inquisitorial power armor that hummed slightly out of sync with the rest of the ship's noises. It was perfectly maintained and spotless shining in the dull red orange glow of the corridor lights. Although she cut an intimidating figure, what truly set the Lord apart was that she was always blindfolded and always knew where to “Look” when she was listening or addressing someone. She held out her hand and waited. Jailum jumped and handed over the recorded message. She thumbed the pad and it played the message for her. +++ Magos Notation - Sector Detection - 110.M42 +++ +++ Priority Low +++ Notable fluctuations in Warp Rift cataloged as Hadex Anomaly. Extension of rift into Galactic Northeastern section detected by listening apparatus Cognix Virtus 183.00100 3 months sidereal past. Visual confirmation logged. Extended space toward void area - no system presence. Augur detection of Anomaly retraction or immediately upon reaching area 14h 28.6m, 24.031° (J2000) hereby designated Hadex De Duobus. Reaction defined as flaring of anomaly extension. Systems offline for approximately 1.0295 seconds due to influx of warp interference. Reaction noted as “pain” by local Astropathic Choir. No discernable data to quantify. Anomaly confirmed as retracting to original spacial dimensions immediately after reaction. Long Range Auspex scan by Cognis Virtus 183.00100 2.5 months sidereal past denotes new Celestial Entity of planetary and/or star disposition in Hadex De Duobus not previously noted on any chart or Augur sweeps. Confirmation data inconclusive. Entity or Entities not confirmed on all subsequent sweeps. Both or sometimes one body seem(s) to read at random intervals, with Cognis Virus 183.00100 systems in question. No return to normal up to current time. [3:09 PM] Observation - Hadex Anomaly confirmed to have “grown” at noted time. Subsequent flaring of warp rift at location noted confirmed on all systems. Resulting area of space showing undefined activity since. Area is under heavy influence of Arch-Enemy forces as activity surrounding the current Ultima Segmentum conflict continues to increase. No known enemy disposition or translations in the affected area. Query - Does Anomaly intrusion and retraction from this noted area of space have probability of altering realspace bodies? Response: Anomaly known to disgorge previously engulfed system bodies, but never in new locations. Observation - Area designated Hadex De Duobus noted as void on all historic charts. No celestial bodies on record. Query - Could noted area harbor celestial bodies not previously discovered? Response: Area traveled previously with no detections. Existence of undefined system not probable. Theorem - Listening Station Cognis Virtus 183.00100 malfunctioning after flaring of Anomaly. Warp interference caused minor system fluctuations that have disturbed proper ongoing operations. Action - Investigate / replace systems in Cognis Virtus 183.00100 to restore proper operations. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ As the message finished playing the inquisitor tilted her head towards the bulkhead and hummed softly to herself. Jailum had to blink his eyes several times as the beads of sweat dripped down into his eyes while he stood and waited for her to dismiss him. “Tell the captain and navigators to make all due haste to the system, Hadex Du Duobus, We will investigate.” Without waiting to hear a yes sir the door closed and Jailum was alone in the corridor again trying to remember how to breathe. It took some time before he turned and ran down the corridors to deliver the Inquisitors Orders. He was never betting duty shifts with the other bridge crew ever again. +++ Magos Notation - Detection Amendment - 111.M42 +++ +++ Priority Low +++ Support flotilla dispatched to restore operability to Cognis Virtus 183.00100 approximately 35 days sidereal past. Listening apparatus found operating at peak efficiency. No confirmed damage or tests out of norm for device. Upon reaching area, flotilla astropaths note fluctuations in the warp that match the coordinates of Cognis Virtus 183.00100 readings of celestial body appearance. Flotilla augurs / auspex readings confirmed existence of noted bodies and verified composition of one star and one planet. Reading taken approximately 2 days after Flotilla on station. Both bodies ceased to exist 12m 32s post scan verification. According to Flotilla Command, “They just disappeared”. During phenomenon, “whispers” of unidentified origin and content reported by Astropaths across the flotilla. This interference ended abruptly upon dissolution of planetary bodies. After 5d 14h 51s on station, Flotilla Command reported scan confirmation of both star and planet again and were able to notate probable celestial attitudes / locations / orbital definition of both. Again, whispers reported. Both ceased to exist approximately 4h 32m 15s post verification. Flotilla dispatched to area of note in order to obtain further information regarding this unknown system and what is causing this temporal instability. Data transferal of complete system information and recordings of “whispers” en route Observation - No scanning equipment shows any verification of this phenomenon, other than those local to the area in question. Query - What is the quality of Hadex De Duobus, such that entire celestial bodies may be unregistered from even the strongest of probes? Response : No previous recorded information can be found to match this irregularity. Observation - Should this system be found to exist in our material space, but not be visible to scan, we should bring it to the Arch Magos’ attention, as this could mark the existence of technology of the highest order. Action - Await Flotilla confirmation / exploration of anomalous area and review of inbound data. +++ Magos Notification - Alert Priority Delta - Requisition Inbound +++ Amendment to prior Dispatch - Contact with Flotilla lost as of 2 days 14 hours sidereal past. This occurred within 3m 32s of Cognis Virtus 183.00100 again reporting scan confirmation of system in Hadex De Duobus. No further contact has been made. Whisper data received. Encrypted report and source included with this transmission. Identified as incoming broadcast signals, but after initial review, no point of origin is verifiable. Data carrier similar to Holy Machine Code, but slightly altered or out of phase. Further investigation of noted recordings required. Small force gathered local for departure to Hadex De Duobus. I shall be leading this journey, as I am best suited for any updates or alterations to Cognis Virtus 183.00100 recording subsystems necessary for better interpretation of incoming signals. I do this without command authority on the basis of what can only be stated as dire need. The existence of any possible Holy Machine outside the known boundaries of Mechanicus influence must not be taken lightly. Escalating priority to Delta and notifying Tigrus Majoris. Broadcasting on wider channels, as without further data, no priority dispatch of forces may be obtained without Arch-Magos approval. I can only hope that other Imperial forces may heed this call. Query - Presume communication disruption due to anomaly. Yet… listening station broadcasts have not ceased. Perplexing. Could local disturbance prevent one and not the other? Response: Data insufficient. Action - Requisition of forces to be sent to Hadex De Duobus for clarification / examination of anomaly and securing flotilla and further data in support of my current journey. May the Omnissiah guide our hands. Inquisitor Drusilla marched down the corridors that led to the Ure Sata Haereticus on board cathedral. The Servitors and crew rushing to make way for her as her boots thudded to announce her coming. Her ornate power armor made every foot fall hit the deck with a resounding almost musical drum. All of the Sisters of battle on board wore their power armor unless it was being maintained or they were observing some holy rite that necessitated it to not be worn. Although they had the same armor It was the silence from the ship's crew at her passing that made her footfalls echo through the corridors with such force. With her comings and goings on the ship so observed she was not surprised to find the Canoness Waiting for her in full battle regalia in the ships cathedral. Natalia Roar was the head of the ships compliment of battle sisters. A full strike force from the Order of the Venomous Heart. A offshoot of the Order of the Valorous heart formed after warpstorms cut a Hiveworld off from the imperium. They were only found again after the Universe split in twain after the Arch traitor destroyed the Cadia gate. The storms around their world cleared only to find that half the imperium was cut off. She was sent to observe the Order and to see if any signs of chaos taint had crept into the order after so many thousands of years had cut it off. What she found was a Order that outwardly Looked divergent but inwardly their faith could not be questioned. In the two thousand years their world was cut off from the Imperium their order was the only thing that kept their small system of hive worlds from falling to the ever present threat of Chaos. Natalia Wore a veil that covered her face with a headdress made of talismans and trophies from her battles. When Drusilla approached she made the sign of the Aquila. Drusilla could see the faith of this sister as a Tangible thing in her warp presence. Like a golden light emanating from her. In battle she knew it would shine and fill the other members of the Order with the power to fight well past the limits of a normal human. “Canoness Roar, We will be arriving in the Hadex system shortly. You and a select company of your cohort will accompany me to the planet's surface. I have read the tarot and I expect the landing to be a harsh one. I expect you will be able to plan accordingly.” “How much resistance do you expect to find Lord Inquisitor?” “The Magos that sent the transmission had no details on that. But from my own premonitions and from what the ships Navigators have told me of the warp turbulence I expect to find we will not be the only ones interested in this world. The secrets that are there may be nothing and I hope that's true. Still I do not feel as though it will turn out that way.” “Very well I shall gather my forces and will be prepared to make planet fall on your order. If you will excuse me Lord Inquisitor I shall see to that now.” Drusilla nodded and turned on her heal ignoring the Canoness as she made the Aquila again. Things were starting to move quickly and although she was no navigator even she could feel the warp turbulence around them. If Drusilla’s reading were correct this may be a one way trip. The Ure Sata Haereticus Came into system and rushed for the world known as Hadex de Duobus, Or at least that is what the Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus called it. From his Transmissions Natalia Roar picked a landing zone for her initial strike force and the Lord Inquisitor to investigate from. It was made clear to her from the Navigators that Other ships were in system but they could not be identified or seen in real space. Something about the flickering warp in this area was keeping the ships from seeing each other in all but a echo in the warp. Natalia had prayed to the God Emperor and felt him pull her to the planets surface, much like the Inquisitors own readings. He wanted them to go to Hadex. With that in mind as soon as the ship reached an orbit that would allow their force to make a landing they rushed to the surface. Before her force left they were planing to land in what looked like a ruined hive city from her eyes. But it was hard to tell as the transmission was missing key data packets and could not make a clear image. All they had to go on was the crazed rambling transmissions from the lost Magos. That was not a lot of information to go on, especially when the lives of her sisters were on the line. However the Emperor and Inquisitor both needed her Order to be on this planet and she would go. It was no surprise to Natalia when the Plant blinked out of existence as their landing ship hit the upper atmosphere. With all the strangeness it was not a surprise but it was jarring as the landing craft rolled and shook. Warring claxons and red lights flashes as the pilots fought to right the ship before it slammed into the planets surface. Her power armour’s boots auto mag locked themselves to the ships floor as soon as the craft started the first roll. Saving her from slamming into the opposite bulkhead of the craft. She Looked left and right checking on the rest of the sisters in the craft. All of them were strapped in to their Harnesses, their powered armor also locking them down as the ship yawed to the left. Somewhere through the noise of the Claxons and engines whining she heard the Orders Dogmata start a Hymn, within second all the sisters were reciting it in time with her. As soon as Natalia Joined her voice to the choir the ship began to level itself off. The claxons were still firing but they were no longer rolling or pulling to one side or another. The pilot sent a vox message to her letting her know that they had to land the ship and that they were off course. They would not be able to land in the city as planned. The ship landed and although it was a crash it was not a bad one. At least in that there was no loss of life or equipment, Only the ship itself seemed to bear any scars of the perilous flight to the Surface of Hadex de Duobos. Natalia finished the Hymn with the rest of her force unlocked her boots mag lock and got up looking her sisters in the eye. “We are of course but our faith is strong. We will endure and push through this set back. Ready your holy weapons and set up our forward base here. Sister Jett, Lora, Cindy and Susan Ready your squads we will perform recon” ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ Natalia was moving south east around the outskirts of the ruined city. Her company had spotted movement from the east as they left their impromptu base camp. From a distance it looked like a force of Adeptus Mechanicus was also in the area. She could not reach them and had no sign of any vox in the area. This world had already been playing some strange tricks on their gear so it was possible they were simply unable to receive or send a transmission from the section of ridgeline they were in. Still She had a bad feeling and ordered her force to approach with caution. As Lora Lead her Paragon Warsuits over the rise to finally get the Admech into clear view she was glad she was so cautious. As soon as the suits rose above the ridge line the lights and sounds of the Mechanicus guns sounded out. The Warsuits paid no head to the suppressing fire but moved behind a building while laying down covering fire so Natalia and Squad Alpha could move into position. Natalia ordered Cindy to lead her squad of Zephyrim and Susan's squad of Seraphim in a outflanking maneuver while the rest of her small force distracted the admech. It still unclear what forge world this force was from but they would know soon enough. After Cindy voxed in that her squad was in position and ready Natalia tried one last time to signal the Mecanicus force in the hopes that they would stand down. With no response she gave the order and performed a attack from both fronts as she and the warsuits charged the lines. Cindy dropped from the heavens Glowing power swords crackling and pistols firing. They hit the lines of enemies at almost the same time. What Natalia discovered when her blessed blade ran through the first enemies she found was nothing but a shadow given form by the warp.The shadowy figures assaulted her and the sisters with weapons that were real enough but when her blades and those of the Zephyrim passed through the phantasms they fell to nothing. The injuries these phantoms could inflict were real enough but they were no match for her and her sisters faith. Soon all of the warp shadows were banished and she could see to the wounds that were inflicted on her troops. She would have to report back to Lord Inquisitor Drusilla. With all haste, Things were even more troubling on Hadex then she thought. Perhaps these shadows were the lost Magos? Or some other long forgotten force stuck between this world and the warp. She would pray and try to find answers in her faith. +++ Incoming Tranmission - Priority Alpha - Secure Channel +++ Sir! Anomalous readings are off the charts! The ######anet seems to be ####appearing from spac### Communi##### spotty. Wait! Helm! Full aft thru#### +++ End Transmission - Cut from Source +++(edited) +++ Intercepted Transmission - Source not identified +++ Contact with the fleet is still impossible. We were set upon by damn Xenos in the night. Enemy force repelled, suffered light losses, including one of our transports being "swallowed" by a mountain that appeared out of nowhere! What is happening here? The men are getting anxious, and I'm not sure how long we can keep morale if these issues with equipment and the psychic oddities continue much longer. We have dug in and set up base camp, but the landscape seems unstable. We may need to move eventually, but right now the focus is on finding as much fuel and other resources as possible, as we have no idea when or if the fleet will be able to resupply. Multiple enemy forces picked up on Scout Auspex. Movement erratic. Recommend further investigation, as we have received data showing signs of technology in remote locations across the polar region. Including latest map returns here. Scans don't show it, but these must be the source of all this craziness. If you are receiving, please keep an open channel active at this frequency. The Emperor protects! +++ End Transmission +++ Natalia had spent a week so far on Hadex the world pulsed and shifted. One other time after that first day they fought shadows but nothing with the substance of that first fight. Still no transmissions were coming to them from the Ure Sata Haereticus. As far as they knew they were cut off. They were resigned to scavenging for resources and looking for ways to repair their landing craft. Natalia and her Sisters were no strangers to this coming from a Hive City her order recruited almost exclusively from the gangs of the underhives. Like herself most if not all of her sisters were former Gangers forced to scavenge and scrape to get by while the city pumped out the necessary materials to keep the Order and the City's guard in the wargear they needed to fight off the tides of mutants and chaos that assailed their homeworld before the storm broke. The Sisters of the Venomus Heart made regular Pilgrimages to the underhive to test those that were faithful enough to join their ranks. Natalia was no stranger to picking through the wastes and junk heaps looking for food or scrap to live one more day. Here it was different here they were fully trained and tested warriors of the faith. They worked as a trusted Order for the God Emperor and so every task no matter how small was in his name. They were able to gather Ore and Fuel in short order. It was on one of the many recon Missions that they came across the Xenos force of Necrons. It looked like they too were searching the planet for necessary resources. Natalia did not hesitate to give her force the order to engage.They were able to strike them in a low land marsh set about with ruined and crumbling buildings. As they moved in the planet shifted and blinked separating her forces and putting them out of position from one another. Quickly Natalia read the battlefield to assess the new landscape after the planet realigned to realspace. She gave her orders and moved out with a prayer on her lips. The Multimeltas From Loras Warsuits made the opening remarks. Felling several of the large tripodal monstrosities. Squad Alpha moved to a forward position to try and grab the resources that were scattered around the battlefield. The Necron’s must have sensed her intention because as soon as they arrived at the resources they were surrounded by a swarm of metal clicking scarabs and In a tide of shadow that ripped a hole through space and allowed the large multi armed Lord to moved from one side of the engagement zone to the other in a blink of an eye. Natalia knew she had to think fast. The remaining tripod creatures were still rushing at her and the Warsuits. She ordered squad alpha to stay strong and had Cindy’s Zephyrim Redeploy too aid Squad Alpha. Once again Cidy showed the power of her faith as in moments they were across the field covering the distance in seconds. Their swords struck out and the Xenos fell.The Zephyrim Swords were not the only ones to find the enemies of the emperor however as Lora Led her Paragon Warsuits into a charge that left no room to question the power and skill of her squad. Soon the Necrons were little more then scrap with all but a few still on the field. Just as Natalia was going to give the order to Finish this fight the Necrons phased out as if they were never there. Natalia Took stock of the field, making sure there were no remaining Xenos lurking around. She ordered the remaining resources gathered and headed back to the Temporary field base to report what they had found. This world seemed to have enemies around every corner and she wanted her fellow Sisters and the Lord Inquisitor to be informed. ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Hi all, I thought I'd post a writeup of the Crusade game I played yesterday. As noted in the title, it's a text-based batrep as we didn't think to take pictures, but I do have an army shot that I took after the fact (spoilered for mobile convenience). We played Combat Patrol, so fairly small armies. The Khansu Reawoken: Disgraced Prince Rakzan, with the Immortal Pride Warlord Trait and the Guantlet of the Conflagrator relic (model doesnt have a resorb or warscythe so no good relics, and ive always wanted an excuse to try the conflagrator) Coldhowl, a technomancer with no upgrades at all. will probably change that as time goes on and i figure out how crusade works more Coldhowl's Boys, my converted squad of skitarii warriors The Red Butchers, a squad of 5 flayer immortals armed with gauss blasters Serasona's Bouncers, a pair of cryptothralls Serasona's Swarm, a trio of scarabs that will be expanded later the Night Lords: chaos terminator lord with axe and combibolter, the night lords precognitive WL trait, and a net that gives -1 Attack, to a minimum of 1 warp talons with lightning claws raptors with...something. I shot them off the board before they were relevant, and I only remembered the WT's loadout because they were particularly scary a squad of 5 CSM with a missile launcher a squad of 5 CSM with a plasma gun and a power maul Mission: Assassinate Night Lords won the first roll-off, and chose to be the defender. This gave him a larger deployment zone, and the first deployment choice, as well as Combat Restoratives for a 6+ FNP and IWND. He deploys his lord in the center of his deployment zone as he is required to do, and then deploys his close-combat squads fairly aggressively. The CSM with the missile launcher hangs out in a forest at the back of the table, and the CSM with the plasma gun acts as a sort of bodyguard. I deploy my scarabs behind the bastion thats roughly in the center of the table, and deploy my infantry and characters fairly aggressively. As the attacker, I get to choose who goes first, and I have to wipe out those melee squads before they can touch me, or I'm dead, no ifs ands or buts. Lightning claws will shred everything I have. First Battle Round: I have chosen Reaper as my agenda, since I figure I might get lucky and get one unit with two unit kills, or spread the kills fairly evenly over my squads and thereby get to choose who gets it. I reveal my first command protocol. It's Vengeful Stars, and as much as people like to dunk on them, I think this one is honestly one of the most important ones you can choose, especially if you have first turn. I'm playing a Mephrit Dynasty vassal, rules-wise (lorewise we're a vassal of my Naculan, who have some different codes but I do like the Mephrit code and the Naculan have used it in the past). I annihilate both squads of jump troops. My immortals are shooting at -3 AP, or -4 if they're getting sixes, and gauss flayers are actually pretty decent marine killers at -2 AP as well. My cryptek steals my immortals' thunder by sniping the last raptor, so he gets himself a tidy ranged kill. My scarabs hide behind the bastion, whereupon my opponent forgets they're there. On his turn, he moves up and starts shooting. Bolter and missile fire kills the immortals, plus a little help from demon shell from the chaos lord. (I roll really poorly on my defensive rolls this game, I think I made like 4 total saves? And I don't think I passed a single reanimation roll), and overcharged plasma gun fire blows up my crytpothralls--which at least had the added benefit of attracting the bolter fire from my warriors, as he didnt declare split-fire beforehand. Melee is joined quickly. I overwatch with my warriors, killing a CSM, and his lord rolls a 6 on a 10-inch charge before rerolling it with his precognition trait and spiking boxcars to charge in like a freight train. I decide to pile in with my overlord for several reasons, one of which being him telling me that he has a strat to prevent me from falling back, so there is no chance of me pulling my warriors back and then blowing him to hell with a tachyon arrow. Melee knocks Rakzan down to a single wound, but his invul save holds on at the last second. Three warriors fall to the CSM. I swing back, and the bayonets down another CSM, while Rakzan drops the hammer glaive on the chaos lord, knocking away half his wounds with two swift swings. I actually fail a morale test for the first time in quite a long time, as Night Lords have some nasty modifiers, and the Immortal Pride WLT doesn't do exactly what I thought it did, but I only lost one model to it. Battle Round Two: My turn rolls around again. I'm now in the protocol of the hungry void--the melee protocol, for all the good it will do me. My scarabs dart over the bastion, and position themselves for a flanking charge. Coldhowl lobs a few shots from his 'staff of light' towards the CSM in the back forest, but I'm not ignoring cover anymore and they fail to wound. Raksan triggers his gauntlet, but fails to roll any mortal wounds. Now it's charging time! The scarabs dive in on top of my target. I spend a CP to try and detonate one of the bases, and roll a 4 on the D6 the strat requires me to roll. Ok, so they get to blow up. I roll a D3 to see how many mortal wounds I deal to him. I. Roll. A. 5. The chaos lord dies in a shower of shrapnel and sacrificial scarabs, as he is unable to pass any of his restoratives rolls. And that right there is game! Slay the Warlord is worth 40 VP, and I got 10 VP for wounding him the previous battle round. He got 10 VP for killing a unit with his WL (the immortals he gunned down with daemon shell), and we both get 10 apiece for having painted armies, but the way the mission is scored makes it almost impossible for the defender to win unless he keeps his WL alive. We play out the rest of the battle round but the only thing left on the table for him at the end is the missile squad, who tries to knock my cryptek down, but I spike a 6 on his armor save and barely keep him alive to save him from an Out of Action Check. Post-Game: There is much apologizing for wiping a third of his army off the table in one turn, and disbelief at a scarab's blowing up actually doing something useful instead of being marginally better than their melee attack. Rakzan is marked for greatness, which in combination with battle experience and agenda experience (he slew the remaining two CSM locked in combat with me) gives him a battle honor! I opt to give him the +1 Damage melee weapon trait, making his glaive 1D3+1 damage. The Immortals (name subject to change) receive the 'veteran warriors' Battle Honor from the mission reward, giving them native to-hit rerolls of one. All OOA checks are passed with aplomb on my end--the CSM bolter/plasma squad fails theirs, and he opts for a loss of XP, bringing them back down to 0. All in all, I had a lot of fun. My crusade roster also includes a blob of 20 warriors and a royal warden, but I prepped for an objective game rather than a 'kill everything' game and somehow lucked into an opponent with MSU, which allowed me to practice defeat-in-detail. My opponent remarked that he'd forgotten that the scarabs existed, and that I outmaneuvered him with them, so I'm rather pleased with that. Let this be the first of many victories in the Khansu's quest to regain their former glory!

Today, I had my first game in our crusade group. We are 18 players with the following factions: Imperium: Space Marines (Bellatores Aerea - Ultramarines Successor) Space Marines (Pit Hounds - Ultramariens Successor) Space Wolves Imperial Guard Night Lords (Apparently the player has an explanation for that, but I haven't heard it yet) 2 x Adepta Sororitas Dark Angels (myself) And one still undecided since he didn't have time to jump in at the beginning - I will be a jumper next week Rebels: Adeptus Mechanicus (Torchbearer, with Custodes mixed in) Adepta Sororitas Blood Angels (actually War Hounds, pre-Heresy World Eaters lost in the warp) Death Guard Genestealer Cults (Bladed Cog) 2 x Necrons 2 x Tau My crusade list: 1 RP - Relic: The Armour Indomitus 1 RP - Relic: Mace of Redemption 1 RP - Warlord Trait: Inexorable 1 RP - Specialist Reinforcements: Paragon of the Chapter - Brilliant Strategist 1 RP - Warlord Trait: Imperium's Sword HQ: Captain Duma, Primaris Captain with master-crafted auto bolt rifle, master-crafted power sword, Rites of Initiation, The Armour Indomitus, Paragon of the Chapter: Inexorable, Brilliant Strategist (115 pts, built for toughness) Interrogator-Chaplain in Terminator Armour Artemius Grohm, with storm bolter, Mace of Redemption, Imperium's Sword, Canticle of Hate (100 pts, melee support and oomph) Elite: Redemptor Dreadnought Nestor with 2 storm bolters, Onslaught gatling cannon, Icarus rocket pod, macro plasma incinerator (185 pts , fire support and lieutenant role via CP) 5 Deathwing Knights, squad Anafiel (235 pts, deep striking with chaplain to end overbearing threats quickly) Standard: 10 Intercessors with bolt rifles (200 pts, I decided to play a single squad because they will earn exp as if one even if combat squadded, and are more difficult to completely wipe out, i.e. more resistant to battle scars)Heavy Support: 5 Hellblasters with assault plasma incinerators, squad Larathiel (165 pts, for MEQ hunting, and overcharged WftDA backup vehicle popping) A second warlord trait is possible due to Specialist Reinforcements being interpreted as allowing the Paragon of the Chapter and similar stratagems, the organizers ruled that codices have precedence over the base rules. Last week I had a practice game against a Space Marine player from my own faction, since we were both severely out of practice, him having played last in 5th edition and myself only having played one or two games in 8th, last time was 2 years ago or so. It was a blast, and we learned a lot, and I ended up tabling him in turn 3. This week's pairings were as follows: Space Wolves vs Tau 1 - Space Wolves win Space Marines vs Rebel Adepta Sororitas - Adepts Sororitas win Space Marines vs Tau 2 - Tau win Dark Angels vs Blood Angels - This was my game. Read the results below List for game 1: Captain Duma 10 men Intercessor squad Redemptor Dreadnought Nestor 500 pts Opponent - Warhounds: 1 Smash Captain with Teeth of Terra, Speed of the Primarch and Imperium's Sword 4 Sanguinary Guard 5 Assault Intercessors with PF sergeant Contemptor Dreadnought with Multimelta 493 pts As you can see, I played against the Warhounds, represented by Blood Angels rules, which I find pretty fluffy, and he was a pleasant opponent. Like myself, he hasn't played a lot of 9th edition yet and was only marginally experienced in 8th. Again, we learned a lot together. We played the Tech Relic mission from Plague Purge, with additional hidden mission markers - You can investigate a terrain piece as an action until you find a piece of tech or similar. After setting up the four mission markers, my opponent first set up his Contemptor in a corner and I decided to completely deny him that flank and set up my Redemptor in the opposite corner. He proceeded to set up the rest of his army in the middle of his zone and I huddled up in my corner to make full use of my captain's aura. My intercessor squad was set up in two combat squads, one in cover and in range of one of the mission markers. I won the roll-off and took first turn. My agendas were Angels of Death (+3 exp for all units on the field if the enemy is tabled) and Know no Fear (+2 exp for each tally mark on successful morale tests) Turn 1 DA: In the command phase I activated Wisdom of the Ancients on the Redemptor to give captain & lieutenant rerolls to the whole huddled army. I moved one combat squad and the Redemptor up out of cover to give him a juicy target. The other combat squad searched the mission marker and uncovered the tech relic on a five, giving me the idiot ball. My intercessors took pot shots at his assault intercessors, causing a single wound. The Redemptor had line of sight to the sanguinary guard and completely deleted it thanks to devastator doctrine and good rolls on my part. Turn 1 BA: He moved up his captain into a LOS blocking ruin in the center board, and his assault intercessors towards my bait squad. His Contemptor trundled up from his awkward position and searched one of the terrain pieces on the way. His shooting consisted of five heavy bolt pistols, causing one wound on my intercessors. He then charged my captain with his, and reached my bait squad after losing one model to Overwatch fire. He decided to start combat off with his captain and I activated the Armour Indomitus so he bounced off after causing a single wound. I spent two CP to interrupt him at this point, and killed two of his assault intercessors, leaving him with only one to attack me, who managed to cause a single wound (after I saved a PF attack on a six) and losing me the wounded model. My captain's counterattack unfortunately failed to wound completely. His assault intercessors failed the morale test and he was left with only the sergeant. My morale test was automatically passed, giving me a tally mark for later. Turn 2 DA: Weee! Tactical doctrine. All my models were in engagement range, except the Redemptor. In the command phase I activated Wisdom of the Ancients again and put the Redemptor back into devastator doctrine with Brilliant Strategist. The Redemptor moved into position to attack his captain. Shooting in close combat with Fire Discipline wounded the assault intercessor sergeant once and failed to wound his captain, whom I subsequently charged with the Redemptor and crumped out of existence with five wounds and only two saves on his part. His sergeant managed to wound with the power fist, but I saved again on a six and killed him with the rest of the attacks, leaving only the Contemptor on the table. Turn 2 BA: He moved up his Contemptor, shot and killed one of my intercessors and successfully charged them from 11" range. They were killed unceremoniously but this left him wide open for my coming counterattack. Turn 3 DA: Still in tactical doctrine, and I again put the Redemptor into Devastator doctrine + Wisdom of the Ancients. My surviving combat squad of intercessors moved with the tech relic into firing position, and managed to take off 3 wounds off the Contemptor with their bolt rifles. The Redemptor only managed to cause two more wounds with an overcharged macro plasma incinerator. However, that was quickly rectified after I charged into close combat and ripped him apart, tabling my opponent after 1h20min. I used my remaining turns to search terrain pieces until I also had one of the rewards. Final tally: 100 VP for me The reward I found is an orb that gives an additional one exp per game to the unit I give it to. I decided on Nestor. 1 + 3 (Angels of Death) + 3 (Marked for Greatness) = 7 Exp for Duma - level up, he is now Keeper of the Unseen Ritual (1 Battle Tactic stratagem per game costs 0 CP) 1 + 3 (Angels of Death) + 2 (Know no Fear) = 6 Exp for the Intercessors - level up, they are now Impassive Sentinels (5+ FNP in range of mission markers) 1 + 3 (Angels of Death) + 1 (3 destroyed units) + 1 (artefact) = 6 Exp for Nestor - level up, he gains Enhanced Engines (+2 Move, +1 charge and advance rolls) Furthermore, as victor bonus, I get to choose a single weapon enhancement, with which I decided to upgrade my captain's master-crafted power sword to give +1 Strength (making it a Heavenfall Blade light) Next time, I'll probably remember to take pictures, but this time I was too excited for my first game of 9th I don't know yet what I will do with my next RP, since we will remain on 1000 points max games, but I will give it some thoughts. I might just raise my supply limit to have a bit more flexibility in the lists. Next week's pairings are as follows: Imperial Guard vs Death Guard - Death Guard win Night Lords vs Necrons - Postponed Adepta Sororitas 1 vs Adeptus Mechanicus - AdMech win Adepta Sororitas 2 vs Necrons - Necrons win Dark Angels vs Genestealer Cults - Dark Angels win I will be playing as a jumper, i.e. out of competition, earning no experience and not utilizing the exp and battle honors I already gained this week. There are some special rules in play that I will explain if they become relevant.

Hello, After setting up a couple of narrative based campaigns for my hobby group prior to 9th edition, I was very excited to utilize the new Crusade rules. Now that the upcoming Octarius Warzone have my ork players interested in gaming again, I thought it would be fun to host a narrative campaign with the group. I will be using this thread to blog my progress with the campaign as well as my own crusade force. Planning and House Rules Those of us who have played a few crusade games before would no doubt be aware that the starting a crusade army is quite restricting, and that you the player need to get more than a few small scale games under your belt first before building up to a larger army. While this is a perfectly good narrative tool, a good chunk of my players don't enjoy smaller games, and I personally felt that using small armies ruins the grandeur somewhat of a large scale conflict the warzone campaigns represent. With this in mind I've decided to implement a house rule which I feel should satisfy all parties: Buildup Reconnaissance So the first part of my great plan is to use the White Dwarf missions as something of a springboard. Starting from today, my group can create their crusade rosters, and play the previous months White Dwarf Flashpoint with said rosters until either the warzone book releases or we run out of articles (whichever comes last). As the White Dwarf articles describe fringe conflicts to the wider warzone, the battles are small scale and act as "side quests" for a player to achieve in preparation to the full warzone book. Send in the Strikeforce The second part of this plan is something of a safety net should players either not have the time or interest in taking part in the buildup reconnaissance (no judgements, as half of us are currently enjoying an AoS path to glory campaign), and that is simply giving players the choice at the start of the campaign to either use their roster made during the buildup reconnaissance, or to make a new roster with a power limit of 100, rather than 50 (but with the same 5 requisition points limit) which should give players enough to play with to make a large scale force that they're happy to play with. I have opted to make a buildup reconnaissance force, with the intention to play one or two of the special white dwarf games a month, which I will go into detail in my next post.