Scorched Earth

[Brother Mord]

On a forgotten planet in a forgotten city the forces of Chaos burn and pillage. A band of Thousand Sons have drawn dubious allies to a secret cause with the promise of plunder and slaughter.

The forces of the Imperium responded after much of the world is in ruin, the goal of the Thousand Sons unknown. Who can see into the minds of the Heritics. The Imperials are bolstered by a force of Space Wolves, arriving suddenly and throwing the traitors into disaray.

The Chaos Lord, knowing his force cannot hold out with the forces at his command, orders a rearguard action. Throwing his mercenary allies into the frey. All that is needed is time to allow the main forces to withdraw.

The Lord is determained to put fire to the city and make the loyalists pay for every meter of ground.

The Imperials are determained to drive the heritic filth from the planet, distupting what ever foul plans they had for this former productive Imperial Planet.

Mission: Scorched Earth Mission from the battle book. Five objectives rolled, Deployment in table quarters. The game lasted 7 turns.

Chaos forces (from memory)

Chaos Lord: Teminator armor, mark of Tzeentch, Demonweapon

Sorcerer: Mark of Tzeentch, spells, usual weapons

Chaos Dreadnought

9 Thousand Sons (including aspiring sorcerer) Rhino

6 Khorne Brezerkers w/Rhino

6 Plague Marines, melta gun, power sword, plasma pistol for champion, Rhino

10 Chaos Marines with missile launcher and mark of Nurgle

12 summoned demons

Predator (twin linked lascannons and heavy bolter sponsons)

Space Wolves (from memory)

Wolf Guard Battle leader: TH/SS saga of the bear (?)

Wolf Guard squad (mix of terminator armor, power armor, various weapons, power weapons, hammers, shields, power fists, ect...)

3 squads of grey hunters with mixed weapons, 2 with rhinos

2 large squads of Blood Claws, lead by wolf guard, mixed weapons.

1 squad of long fangs

land speeder (MM/HF)

The battle ground:

All pieces of area terrain were either on fire (dangerous) or smoking (+1 cover). Of course all of the buildings with objectives in them were rolled to be on fire.

The forces of chaos started and moved through the city to come to grips with the space wolves.

Heavy fire was layed down on the long fangs set up in the ruins, killing some and forcing the long fangs to retreat, losing another to the dangerous terrain.

The Wolves responded by sending two rhinos on to skirt the outer buildings, heading for the distant objectives, while the wolf guard and one unit of grey hunters cut between the buildings to meet the heritics in the center of the burning streets.

The young Blod Claws kept near their closest objective, their veteran Wolf Guard leaders restraining them. "Easy Boys, You'll get a chance to bloody your fangs. Let the chaos filth come to us. They want what we have".

The Chaos Lord teleported near the statue of some forgotten Space marine hero and ordered his forces to attack.

The Thousand Sons exited their Rhino and let loose with their inferno bolts at a large unit of Blood Claws that couldnt resist moving forward. The Blood Claws took casualties and charged the Thousand Sons to avenge their fallen. Bloody close combat ensued.

The Blood Claws were wiped out but not before wounding the sorcerer and taking a few armored shells of the Thousand Sons down with them.

In the center of the city the wolf guard squad attacked a unit of demons that appeared before them. Despite all their training and power weapons only a few demons were felled, at an equal loss of valuable veterans. As the Wolf Guard battled with the horrors from the warp they heard cries of "Blood for the Blood God" as a squad of Khorne Brezerkers exited their Rhino, unable to contain their blood lust, and attacked the embattled Wolf Guard.

Bolter rounds were exchanged across city streets, Las blasts barrelled down the city avenues (ineffectually the entire game, blast that Nurgle infected piece of machinery, not one kill all game. Must of had slime in the targeting systems and corroded power cells. That's what you get for hiring plague marine mercenaries ;) )

During the exchange of fire the dreadnought goes crazy and blasts their chaos marine allies (Not fond of the Nurgle devoted marines I guess). The dread is put out of its misery by a long fang lascannon)

The other packs of grey hunters make a move for the far objectives held by chaos.

But one squad lost their Rhino and was easy fodder for an enraged Chaos Lord and Plague Marines. The Squad securing the objective at the base of the statue severly damaged the predator but was later destroyed by the demonic blasts of the Chaos Lords demon weapon followed up by a devestating charge by the lord. They fought well but were slain to the last. The rear objective was secured by the plague marines.

In the center the wolf guard were felled by the Berzerkers and demons. A nearby unit of Grey Hunters attack and avenge their brothers, at more loss of their battle brothers. But the unclean demons and Angron's sons are destroyed.

The weakened Thousand Sons (minus the sorcerer, who fell earlier) make a final push on the blood claws in an attempt to throw the Space Wolf force in disaray. Many Blood Claws were felled but the Aspiring Sorcerer was over whelmed by numbers and with out the guidence of the sorcerer the Ruberic marines slowley fell. The Blood Claws held their objective.

Final Result: Space Wolf victory (2 objectives to 1).

After a desperate battle the Space Wolves break the rear guard of the forces of Chaos. The bodies of Loyalist and Traitor alike litter the battle field.

There is no sign of the Chaos Lord and his remaining troops. What was the reason for their attack on this world? Did the Minion of Tzeentch accomplish his goal in attacking this world? Did the Space Wolves drive the heritics from this world early enough to disrupt their plans?

Blood Claws howled with victory in the blackened city streets. The more experienced Grey Hunters looked around at their prize. A city ruined and set ablaze. Bodies of Astartes in various colors lay everywhere. New Space Wolf marines and veteran Wolf Guard alike lay wounded or dying. At least some will return to battle after time to recover.

A high price was paid by the victors, the long war continues. A world set afire by the forces of chaos is returned to Imperial rule but will take many a long year of recovery before it can contribute to the Imperium.

[Gaius Atticus]

Cool pictures. It's nice to see a battle report with two fully painted, brightly coloured armies. Makes the whole spectacle look much better.

[Kierdale]

I have to agree with Gaius, painted armies really make battle reports so much better! And the photos are really good! Nice angles and shots.

Sounds like it was a very fun game too!

[razcalking]

Excellent battle report. Thanks very much.

[HJL]

Good to see some older models. Reminds me of playing my bro on the living room rug in 2nd ed!