Tau incursion into Renegade Chaos Marine homeworld

[Warsmith Aznable]

First of all, this was my very first Warhammer battle ever, and my partner hasn't played in a long time, so we probably made all kinds of errors. If there is anything glaring from the following pictures and descriptions I'd appreciate someone pointing it out.

 

The scenario was a 200 point game of Kill Team played on a 4x4 table with lots of terrain features.

 

Chaos Space Marines - Champion with six Space Marines in a Rhino

Tau - (don't have exact figures in front of me) a bunch of Fire Warriors, two Gun Drones and a Battle Suit.

 

Pre-Game

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j91/montismo/WH40k%20Kill%20Team/csm001.jpg

 

/tl;dr/ : Chaos Space Marines, sitting around being awesome.

 

/story/ : Fyrd-Sergeant Fjolnir of the Bone Eaters squad of the 4th Wælheim Free Company listened to the standard mounted to his pack snapping in the breeze as he watched the gas giant Wælheim slowly rising on the horizon, menacingly orange with black stripes and storms swirling across its surface. He stood a few paces from the squad’s Rhino, and around him the five dismounts ringed out in a defensive pattern on the side of the hill, black and orange power armor mimicking their namesake planet, white death’s head helmets shining in the afternoon sun. Movement from the Rhino caught his attention, and he looked to see Huscarl-Leftenant Byrlindi stop as he emerged from the Rhino’s side hatch and pause, head cocked as he listened to the command net, listening for a moment before nodding and stepping fully out to face his squad’s standard bearer.

 

“Good news, brother?” Fjolnir asked. “Word from Jarl-Captain Bolverk on the xenos?”

 

“Aye, Fjol.” The Huscarl nodded, raising a clenched fist before him. “The Jarl has just sent word. A Tau vessel has washed in from the warp. The Fleet ran it down, but it managed to drop some Agitprop teams. Huscarl-Leftenant Atrithi and his Blood Riders picked up the trail of one of their squads.”

 

“Indeed?” Fjolnir was interested. The Tau were from the other side of the galaxy, wholly unexpected this far from their home. “I envy the Blood Riders. I have longed to take a Tau skull since I first learned of their ridiculous ‘Greater Good’.”

 

“You will get your chance, brother.” Huscarl-Leftenant Byrlindi assured him excitedly, gesturing in the direction of the top of the hill. “The xenos have spotted Atrithi’s riders and are trying to head into the mountains to lose him. They are heading straight into our AO, and will be here any minute. The Blood Riders won’t beat us to the battle this time!”

 

“Excellent!” Fyrd-Sergeant Fjolnir fondled the handles of his chainswords in delighted anticipation. He didn’t have to wait long.

 

“Contact!” Herjar-Brother Thrassar called out from his vantage point near the top of the hill, down on one knee with his boltgun surveying the terrain below. “Xeno troopers and some kind of walker, moving straight in on traveling overwatch. And… two little floatie things…”

 

Byrlindi bounded up to kneel beside him, watching the squad of Tau moving cautiously between the hills toward their position. After a moment of observation to assure that there were no unseen elements he ordered the Bone Eaters into the Rhino with terse commands and excited gestures. The squad piled in and the Rhino rumbled to life, Fyrd-Sergeant Farmatyr up in the cupola pulling back the charging handle of his twin-linked bolters and swinging his guns to face forward. The Rhino spun on its tracks and headed down into the valley from the covered side of the hill, racing at full speed on the Huscarl’s orders. Inside the the machine the Chaos Marines checked their weapons and power armor, joining in the slowly rising Battle Chant raised by their standard bearer, Fjolnir.

 

Round One

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/tl;dr/ : Chaos Space Marines pile into Rhino and haul ass across edge of table, using cover and speed in an attempt to outflank the Tau. The Tau Fire Warriors proceed at combat speed in valley while the Battlesuit moves from his position on the side of the hill to the valley floor out in front of the Fire Warriors.

 

/story/ : The Battle Chant of the 4th was often sung in the barracks and mead hall of the Jarl’s fortress. Depending on how one emphasized the words or tone of the song it could be sung in a comical way, or as a funeral dirge, or even quite lewdly. But as the standard bearer called out the verse on the battlefield and the herjar sang their response while beating the fists and boltguns in time it was only a savage call for blood. Fyrd-Sergeant Farmatyr drew his chain sword and banged the hilt on the roof of the Rhino, singing at the top of his lungs even while he watched in the direction of the enemy. For an instant there was a break in cover and the old veteran looked down the valley straight into the face of the Tau Battlesuit. In that instant time slowed down and two things happened: Farmatyr’s helmet sensor’s confirmed his practiced eyeball’s reckoning that the Battlesuit was just out of range, and he raised his left hand and made the sign of the V as the two enemies flashed through each others’ sites. He laughed maniacally, the rhythmic chanting on the squad comnet causing his blood to surge as the battle frenzy arose within him.

 

Round Two

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/tl;dr/ : The Chaos Marines in the Rhino continue to maneuver around the backside of the hill at full speed. The Tau Fire Warriors begin to spread out, a few of them moving onto the hill. The Tau Battlesuit mounts the summit of the hill. There is still no shooting.

 

/story/ : Fyrd-Sergeant Fjolnir felt the frenzy of Khorne rising within him, and began to rock back and forth to reassert control of his body. He needed the hot rage of the Blood God, but as the squad’s standard bearer he also needed to keep his wits about him. Huscarl-Leftenant Byrlindi depended on him to help maintain squad cohesion. They were not like Huscarl-Leftenant Gapthrossnir’s Teeth Grinders squad, axe swinging lunatics all. No, the Bone Eaters were as disciplined as they were vicious, hardened and professional soldiers, not mindless killers.

 

“Make ready!” Huscarl-Leftenant Byrlindi called over the din of the Battle Chant, which was hanging on the very edge of degenerating into inarticulate growling, yet maintained by the same iron discipline that defined the Bone Eaters.

 

“Bone Eaters!” Fyrd-Sergeant Fjolnir pulled his boltgun around on its tactical harness in preparation for a dynamic disembarkation. “To Wælheim! To Wælheim!”

 

“To Wælheim!” came the enthusiastic response of the Chaos Marines, bracing themselves and readying their weapons. “Blood! Blood! Blood!” they chanted.

 

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j91/montismo/WH40k%20Kill%20Team/csm004.jpg

 

Fyrd-Sergeant Farmatyr held the butterfly grip of the twin-linked bolters with his left hand, waved his chain sword with his right and howled in the direction of the Tau Battlesuit as he caught glimpses of it dodging to the top of the hill and duck behind the power relays. His guns had no target, but his driver knew what to do. The accursed xenos wouldn’t know what hit them.

 

Round Three

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/tl;dr/ : Chaos Marines charge to the top of the hill and disembark on top of the Tau Battlesuit. The Battlesuit is gunned down by the Champion’s plasma pistol. The Fire Warrior champion down the hill and one of his troopers are gunned down by the Chaos Marines as well. The Tau respond with a barrage of fire that takes out the Chaos champion.

 

/story/ : “Blood for the Blood God!” the cry issued forth from the Bone Eaters as one as the Rhino spun on its tracks and dropped its ramps. Huscarl-Leftenant Byrlindi drew his power sword and plasma pistol and charged out. Fyrd-Sergeant Fjolnir followed close behind. In the 4th Wælheim you lead from the front or you were relieved of duty, usually being made more useful as blood food for the Jarl’s crops. Byrlindi plunged face first into battle, screaming the glory of the Blood God, of Wælheim and of his Bone Eaters. Dazzling plasma fire lanced forth from his pistol, slamming through the armor of the Tau Battlesuit, which had been caught flat-footed by the fury of the Bone Eaters charge. Byrlindi raised his power sword to the sky, “Skulls for the Skull Throne!”

 

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j91/montismo/WH40k%20Kill%20Team/csm006.jpg

 

The Tau Battlesuit crumbled backward, collapsing in a heap, oily smoke issuing from the glowing holes scorched through its armor. Fyrd-Sergeant Fjolnir raised his boltgun, as did the Herjar-Brothers rallying around the banner he carried, and fired down into the startled Firewarriors. Fjolnir hesitated as he peered down the sights of his boltgun. There! One of the xenos bellow was frantically gesturing to the others, attempting to bring some order to their formation. The boltgun bucked in Fjolnir’s hands, and an instant later the commander of the Tau troopers exploded in a shower of gore.

 

Fjolnir grunted with satisfaction as the spray of blood that had been the Tau commander settled over the battlefield. He smiled as he saw that these Tau were still going to put up a good fight. Despite the loss of their heavy support and commander they still maintained the discipline to form a gun line at the bottom of the hill. The grin turned into a determined grimace as the enemy opened up with their rifles, laying down a hail of fire at the Bone Eaters assembled on top of the hill.

 

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j91/montismo/WH40k%20Kill%20Team/csm007.jpg

 

“Blood!” Huscarl-Leftenant Byrlindi screamed. Fjolnir set his shoulder into the fire, turning his face away from the oncoming slugs, a couple of which pelted like hail stones against his pauldrons. As his commander began the battle cry he had chosen that moment to look toward him. Byrl drew the majority of the fire from the xenos scum, and his battle cry was cut short as the commander went down under the withering fire.

 

“For the Blood God!” Fyrd-Sergeant Fjolnir finished the call for his downed commander, shaking his fist defiantly as he witnessed his battle brother fall to enemy fire. As the ranking Fyrdman and the squad’s standard bearer he was now in command.

 

Round Four

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j91/montismo/WH40k%20Kill%20Team/csm009.jpg

 

/tl;dr/ : Chaos Marines re-embark on the Rhino and charge down the hill, setting off their smoke. Tau leave a small blocking force and pull their gun line back, laying ineffectual fire on the Rhino.

 

/story/ : Fjolnir shouldered off a barrage of fire, looking behind him at the Bone Eaters. The squad snarled in maddened anger at the loss of the Huscarl, and Fjolnir knew that if he didn’t assert command and impose order the Herjar-Brothers would sweep down the hill without discipline, exposed for too long to the deadly fire of the xenos.

 

“Bone Eaters!” Fjolnir raised his boltgun above his head and backed toward the Rhino’s drop-ramp. “Bone Eaters mount up to charge!”

 

“Blood!” a Herjar-Brother moved to rush past him, and Fjolnir reached out and grabbed him by the lip of his power armor’s protective gorget, dragging him back into the Rhino.

 

“Mount up for a charge or get dropped from the Rolls!” Fjolnir leveled the only threat he dared carry out on the battle field. He knew the Army of the False Emperor had Commissars shoot disobedient troopers, but he would not do that. The Herjar-Brother allowed himself to be thrust into the Rhino, regaining control of himself by returning to singing the Battle Chant, rocking in time to the song.

 

“Farmatyr! Ramps!” Fjolnir called up to his brother Fyrdman, who raised the ramps. The Rhino commander anticipated Fjolnir’s next command, or simply didn’t care enough to wait, and the Rhino began to spin before the ramps were fully secured.

 

“To Wælheim! To Wælheim!” Fyrd-Sergeant Farmatyr pointed his chainsword at the Tau gunline at the bottom of the hill and the Rhino roared to life, churning down the slope at full speed as shoots spanged harmlessly off the front armor. Farmatyr felt the battle ecstasy fill him as he closed with the enemy, slapping the control rune that activated the smoke launchers. The grenades arced out over the battle field and smoke filled the area in front of the xeno position. “Blood! Blood! Blood!”

 

Through the haze of the smoke Farmatyr saw two Tau Fire Warriors and the strange floating machines move forward and set themselves. Behind them he could just barely make out the forms of the Tau gunline hastily withdrawing. The frenzied tank commander reached over and excitedly knocked on the death’s head helmet of his driver and pointed at the two Fire Warriors with his chainsword. The driver understood well what his TC desired, and recklessly pushed the accelerator pedal to touch the floor, the Rhino rocking and bouncing dangerously down the hill.

 

“Blood for the Blood God!” Farmatyr screamed as the Rhino bore down on the small blocking force, who continued to bounce slugs off the front armor.

 

Round Five

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j91/montismo/WH40k%20Kill%20Team/csm010.jpg

 

/tl;dr/ : Rhino attempts to run down Tau blocking force. Tau Death or Glory! stuns Rhino. Chaos Marines pile out and exchange fire with the Tau Fire Warriors, losing two Marines and managing only to take out a Tau Gun Drone.

 

/story/ : “Dammit Farmatyr!” Fyrd-Sergeant Fjolnir cursed into the Fyrd comnet while he and the remaining Bone Eaters bounced around roughly in the back of the Rhino. “Get your driver under control!”

 

Up in the cupola Farmatyr shoved his chainsword down into his TC compartment and clung to the grips of the twin-linked bolters. The teeth jarring ride disoriented him as the Rhino careened down the hill at the two xenos. His driver had developed an acute case of target fixation, and Farmatyr cursed vehemently as a rough bump caused his helmet to slam forward into his mounted guns. The standard bearer yelling into the comnet was doing nothing for his humors either.

 

“Khorne take your damned head, get her under control!” He growled at his driver, but it was too late. One of the xenos broke, jumping out of the way, but the other remained raising a defiant fist while he sent slug after slug toward the Rhino driver hunkered over his controls in his hatch. At the crucial moment one of these threw shrapnel into the driver’s face, momentarily blinding him. It was just long enough of a loss of control to make a difference.

 

In the troop bay of the Rhino the five remaining Bone Eaters slammed forward against the bulkhead. Fjolnir clamped down on a string of curses and deadly promises aimed at Farmatyr, his driver and the mech section in general, knowing that reorganizing his troopers was crucial to survival at that instant.

 

“What in the name of Slaanesh’s diseased balls was that?” an unidentified Herjar-Brother exclaimed, with just enough hint of worry in his voice to alarm the Fyrd-Sergeant.

 

“Out! Out! Out!” Fjolnir ordered, slapping the emergency release rune that dropped all the Rhino’s ramps. “You’re in a coffin now, boys! Go! Go! Go!”

 

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j91/montismo/WH40k%20Kill%20Team/csm011.jpg

 

Fjolnir was first out of the Rhino, taking the side door closest to the enemy. He stumbled from the tank and the mass of his battle brothers piling out behind him shoved him into a tree that the Rhino had come to rest immediately next to. Looking quickly toward the front Fjolnir saw that the steep angle of the Rhino’s descent had caused the front blades to bury themselves in the rocks and dirt of the the hill. He saw Fyrd-Sergeant Farmatyr struggling to pull himself erect in the gun cupola.

 

“Farmatyr!” Fjolnir yelled. Slugs were ricocheting off the front armor, but the old Fyrd-Sergeant moved slowly and deliberately, clearly stunned, as if the hail of gunfire were only harmless insects buzzing by his face. A strange humming noise filled Fjolnir’s ears and a threat rune activated on his Heads Up Display in his helmet.

 

“Fjol! Down!” Herjar-Brother Thrassar shoved the standard bearer to the side and raised his boltgun, pumping two rounds into a Tau Gun Drone, destroying it. Thrassar reached down to pull his battle brother back to his feet, and the hail of fire from the Tau gunline struck behind him into the cluster of confused troops piling out of the Rhino, killing two Bone Eaters.

 

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j91/montismo/WH40k%20Kill%20Team/csm012.jpg

 

Fjolnir shook his head and surveyed the situation. Farmatyr returned to the comnet letting loose an impressive string of curses as he waved his chainsword at the Tau who were trying to climb up the front glacis of the Rhino, swinging the butts of their rifles at Farmatyr just as ineffectively. More fire poured into the Bone Eaters from the Tau gunline, but the Marines hunkered down and shrugged it off. Struggling to put his situation into context, Fjolnir received inspiration through the squad comnet as the surviving Bone Eaters raised their voices in the Battle Chant once more.

 

Round Six

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/tl;dr/ : Chaos Marines roll a 6 for their run and get within assault distance of the Tau gunline. In the ensuing melee the Chaos Marines lose one of their battle brothers, but the Tau are pummeled in hand to hand, fail a morale test and are slaughtered in a Sweeping Advance as they attempt to flee. The only surviving Tau unit is a Gun Drone that was too far away to Pile In!, which deactivates without any Tau to command it.

 

/story/ : “Bone Eaters!” Fyrd-Sergeant Fjolnir slung his boltgun and drew his two chains swords, relishing the screaming buzz as he touched their activation runes. “Follow me!”

 

“To Wælheim! To Wælheim!” The Herjar-Brothers stowed their boltguns and drew their pistols and chainswords for the charge. “Blood! Blood! Blood!”

 

“Blood for the Blood God!” Fjolnir felt the blessings of the Blood God, felt the weight of the divine frenzy settle through him, spreading through his body from the direction of the icon banner he bore on his back. His world turned red and black, vision narrowing to only the Tau gunline on the valley floor. Now he could let go. Now he could give himself to the blood lust he had held inside himself with iron bands of will. Now the blood would flow, and he tasted it in his mouth as he revved his chainswords and pounded across the field with super human speed, his brother Bone Eaters at his side.

 

“Skulls for the Skull Throne!”

 

Fjolnir sprinted across the field, racing his brothers to be the first among the xenos scum. To his right Herjar-Brother Thrassar caught his eye and his battle brother pumped his chainsword into the sky toward the mighty orange and black gas giant Wælheim. Fjolnir shared this joy with his brother, this moment as they jumped into the abyss of battle madness as they hung at the apex of their leap before the plunge. “To Wælheim! To Wælheim!” he cried.

 

“Blood! Blood! Blood!” Thrassar yelled, and in the next instant the world became a blur. Nothing existed but the sound of whirring chainswords, barking bolt pistols and the sweet sound of Tau armor and meat being ground to pieces and the red, red color of the battle field.

 

“Khorne take you all!” Fjolnir screamed, chainswords lashing out at the panicked Tau who tried to scramble past him to safety. “Sig oder Wælhol!”

 

And suddenly the field was quiet. In one instant their world had been a screaming red chaos of death, and in the very next three Marines stood covered in blood and gore, bodies heaped around them in the deathly quiet valley.

 

“Who made it to Wælheim?” Fyrd-Sergeant Fjolnir asked, looking around in a daze, his body turning cold and starting to shake as the adrenaline and hatred in his body was used up and gone.

 

“Brother Sigtyr.” Herjar-Brother Thrassar knelt down and turned the dead Marine over. A Tau combat knife was wedged under the chin of his death’s head helmet, hot red blood pouring out and pooling in the crevices of his power armor.

 

“We will add his name to the Honor Chant, and sing praise to him in the mead hall tonight.” Fjolnir said. “And for the others.”

 

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j91/montismo/WH40k%20Kill%20Team/csm014.jpg

 

“Aye,” Thrassar agreed, revving his chainsword so the autocleaners could scrape the blood and gore from the teeth and gears before it dried, saving himself some hard work when they got back to the Jarl’s fortress.

 

“Brother Fyrd,” Farmatyr called over the Fyrd comnet. Fjolnir turned around and regarded the Rhino. The driver had the Gun Drone on the ground and was tearing its circuitry out of a jagged hole in its topside. Fyrd-Sergeant Farmatyr had worked his way back to the top of the hill.

 

“Farmatyr?” Fjolnir revved his own chainswords before sheathing them as he walked across the battlefield toward the Rhino.

 

“The Huscarl still breaths.” Farmatyr informed him.

 

“Truly?” Fjolnir trotted to double time. “He is viable?”

 

“If you want to move out now.” Farmatyr said slowly.

 

Fjolnir stopped, Farmatyr’s meaning clear to him. Jarl-Captain Bolverk would need a new Huscarl if Byrlindi journeyed to Wælheim this day. Fjolnir wouldn’t be guaranteed the promotion, but as a senior Fyrd, a proven battle leader and member of the Bone Eaters he knew he stood a good chance. He also stood a good chance of being drowned in the bog below the fortress if it was discovered he had allowed the Jarl’s favored battle brother to die. He quickly made his decision, switching to the squad comnet.

 

“Bone Eaters, gather the dead!” Fjolnir reached the Rhino and began dragging a fallen Herjar-Brother into the troop bay. “The Huscarl needs an evac, double-quick!”

[Gavin]

Nice story, well written.

 

I'm assuming you were the Chaos Marines?

 

I didn't see anything wrong, but I'm also not well versed with the rules and mechanics of play myself.

[Warsmith Aznable]

I think I like writing up the stories from the games I play almost as much as playing them. Coming up with the background fluff for my CSM renegades has played a large part in drawing me into the game, really. I'd just about collect and paint the models even without anyone to play with, probably. I'm still just a big kid, I guess.

[Darius Macab]

that was a pretty good battle report. however, it would have been nice to have a bit more info on what was actually happening rather than the story (i realise that there might have not been much happening as it was a kill teams game)

 

also on the rules front because in kill teams each model counts as a different unit only one model can ride in a transport at a time, not the entire squad.

 

that was about it for me.

 

DM :D

[Solid Zaku]

I completely agree, Max, most times the fun of it is the story that unfolds, in lieu of the gaming minutae. The pics were a plus. I will say that you're probably not making any friends over in Fenris...

[Warsmith Aznable]

I completely agree, Max, most times the fun of it is the story that unfolds, in lieu of the gaming minutae. The pics were a plus. I will say that you're probably not making any friends over in Fenris...

 

 

You'd think I'd be all over the Space Wolves for as much as I am into the Norse mythos, but for some reason I just don't like them. It's weird because I sort of do like them, but I can't imagine myself building a Space Wolf army. Maybe it's the wolf wolfie mcwolferson effect of it all, I don't know, but I picture a Space Wolf waking up in the morning in his wolf pelt covered bed, getting up and scratching his butt through his wolf skin underwear, trudging over his wolf skin carpets to get his coffee mug shaped like a wolf's head and filling it with "Fenrisian wolf-mead-coffee" and sitting down to read his morning Wolf Times over a nice bowl of Wolf-O's. They're like Smurfs with this stuff, seriously, and it's a bit distracting.

[DarkKnightCuron]

I completely agree, Max, most times the fun of it is the story that unfolds, in lieu of the gaming minutae. The pics were a plus. I will say that you're probably not making any friends over in Fenris...

 

 

You'd think I'd be all over the Space Wolves for as much as I am into the Norse mythos, but for some reason I just don't like them. It's weird because I sort of do like them, but I can't imagine myself building a Space Wolf army. Maybe it's the wolf wolfie mcwolferson effect of it all, I don't know, but I picture a Space Wolf waking up in the morning in his wolf pelt covered bed, getting up and scratching his butt through his wolf skin underwear, trudging over his wolf skin carpets to get his coffee mug shaped like a wolf's head and filling it with "Fenrisian wolf-mead-coffee" and sitting down to read his morning Wolf Times over a nice bowl of Wolf-O's. They're like Smurfs with this stuff, seriously, and it's a bit distracting.

 

If it means anything to you, this is kind of the same reason I don't really get into Space Wolves as well, but I love Norse/Viking Mythology and whatnot. I think most Space Wolf players tone down the whole 'wolf' thing and embrace more of the Valhallan feel, especially the veterans.

 

Edit: Awesome Battle Report though! :P