The 2nd Battle of Kerniksgrad - 1850 SM vs CSM + Daemons

[Sigil]

"In the name of Terra--> We are dying--> Please send assistance--> They are eating each other-->Praise the Emperor"

-Astropathic Relay, sent in all directions, Protocol Code: Imperial Governor 98326.23.XXIC, 786M41

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Hive World Bahdiran, Segmentum Tempestus, 801M41

The rolling avalanche of bolter fire ceased with the same disciplined unity with which it had begun. The remnants of the 12th Liberation Regiment – formerly 852nd Szawbian Fusiliers of the Emperor’s Imperial Guard – lay rolling in their own blood or else scrambling over their dead comrades in a mad dash away from the Astartes line. Their charge had been admirable, but ultimately insane in its foolishness.

Sergeant Rasca of Bastion Squad, 2nd Company of the Void Kings, removed his helmet. He handed it to Brother Ulleio and took the moment to survey the battlefield. Rasca felt the saccharine sting of the hive’s polluted atmosphere on his nostrils and breathed in the world’s wet sickness. Smoke waved from the eviscerated ruins of Kerniksgrad and the pools of acid-rain lingering amidst the muddy earth felt the touch of blood from the carpet of the slain. He toyed with the idea of giving the order to fire on the traitors fleeing the impossible landscape. He decided instead to conserve his command’s ammunition. Death would come to them all in time, the sergeant thought.
All around Rasca his battle brothers took the moment to reload and check their venerated weapons. The hiss of venting plasmaguns and the clang of empty bolt cartridges hitting chipped stone echoed through the still air. Rasca felt the click of the vox link in his ear.

“Brother-Sergeant.” Rasca recognized the voice of Brother Largo, put in temporary command of the other half of Bastion Squad and stationed in a Razorback transport half way down the line. He climbed to the top of a half-smashed stone statue in the rendered in the likeness of some angelic figure long succumbed to the trials of war. In the hazy distance he saw the Razorback below a slight decline, its twin-linked Lascannon still steaming from the heat discharge of battle.

“Go ahead, Largo,” said Rasca.

“Be advised, we have received word from the Indomitable in high orbit. Acheron and Caesare Squads are dropping in with elements of 1st Company in order to relieve us.”

Rasca spat corrosive saliva onto the field and his superhuman hearing pricked. The pitiful sound of fear escaping bloodied lungs ran through his head. He dropped from the statue in a rumbling thud of armoured weight. Rasca pushed a chunk of city aside to reveal the figure that had let out the sound. It was an officer. Human, weak. The Aquila on his breastplate had been crudely chipped away in an act of childish defiance against the authority which Rasca represented. Blood and metallic rainwater soaked his once proud uniform.

“Relief,” Rasca said as he knelt down in the blackened war-mess. The man’s face was wide as the twin moons of this stinking world. He tried to crawl away from the Space Marine but for his leg blown away in the charge. Rasca grabbed him by the neck. His words heard over the vox as well as to the insurrectionist. “Does this seem worth the effort?”
Rasca slide his combat blade from its sheath. In one motion he took the traitor’s head, barely registering the satisfying crack of the spine beneath the layered ceramite of his gauntlet. He stood to his full height. “Advise our Lord to visit his assault on a more deserving foe.”
“Aye, Brother-Sergeant,” said Largo’s static transmission. Rasca raised the dripping head over his shoulders.
“Void Kings!” He shouted down the Astartes line, speaking the first words of the chapter’s ancient warcry. “Who walks with us?” Helm speakers tuned to maximum, the amplified response of the battle line echoed through the corroding metal of the hive at a deafening volume.
“Death walks with us!”
Rasca threw the head full force in the direction of the enemy as the last of the rebels disappeared into the mist. “Death!” he chanted, and his brothers joined. “Death! Death! Death!”
The smell hit Rasca like a krak grenade. Even with his genetically enhanced constitution, it invaded his senses like a belch from hell. He turned to Ulleio and retrieved his helmet just as an unearthly low buzz began to permeate the Void Kings’ chanting.
It was like growing thunder from the wild. Rasca drew his bolt pistol from its mag lock. Warning runes flashed in his retinas as his target reticule scanned the mangled hive. The buzzing began to take a on a pounding rhythm and to the confusion of the Astartes it fell in line with their own chants. Slowly the battle cry began to fade leaving only the heathen noise which boomed from across their firing lines.
As Rasca’s helm fed information into his neurological system, the sergeant recognized the brazen heads of armoured vehicles crushing the twisted metal in the distance. Strange banners marred their surfaces which - to the anger of the Space Marines - were visible as recognizable patterns. Rhinos. The engines of the putrid machines snarled their heretical challenges.
In the thick mist, massive beating insect wings poked out from the indented hive spires. Creatures whose existence was a rabid defiance of reality marched from the mouths of destroyed habs brandishing malign weapons of rot.
The sound that fed the march of this new enemy became increasingly articulate as if spit from a gangrenous mouth split by curling lips. “Death,” it spoke. A mockery of their battle cry as much as the enemy themselves were a mockery of the Imperium and all that it – all that they - stood for.
“Death,” laughed the betrayers. “Death,” came the answer of the Archenemy. The traitor Astartes bared their ancient and sliming bolters in the direction of the Void Kings.
Rasca sneered with a mixture of eagerness and spited rage. “Largo,” he voxed.
“Receiving, Brother-Sergeant.”
“Belay that last order.”
Largo clicked his vox link in response. Rasca stepped ahead of the line and raised his chainsword to the dying sky. The sound of bolters snapping to firing position cut the sickly air.
“Ave Imperator,” he voxed to his command.
“Ave Sancti,” they responded.
And the killing started.

A report of a game played the other night. My Space Marine chapter against the heathen Nurgly grossness. Enjoy! Sorry about the unpainted stuff, and the Mega Nobz standing in for Obliterators

The Mission:

BAO Scenario 1

Primary: Modified Emperor's Will - 4 pts if achieved, 0 if lost/tied
1 objective in each deployment zone

Secondary: Modified Maelstrom - 3 pts if achieved, 0 if lost/tied

1 Hold Maelstrom Obj 1
2 Hold Maelstrom Obj 2
3 Have a Scoring Unit within the Enemy DZ
4 Destroy an Enemy Unit
5 Destroy an Enemy Unit\
6 Have at least 3 of your and none of your opponent's scoring units in your DZ

Dawn of War Deployment

Blue circles (the farthest on the right was supposed to be blue > are primary, 1 and 2 respectively. Green in the centre are secondary, with 1st being above 2nd

Lists:

Void Kings

HQ:

Chapter Master Alvaro Tyrannon
Shield Eternal, Thunder Hammer, Auspex, Digital Weapons

Librarian Luscio
Force Sword, ML 2

Elites:

Braxis Squad (7 Sternguard)
Veteran Sergeant Ferion
3 Combi-meltas
Drop Pod

Twice-born Brother Vandor (Dreadnought)
Twin-linked Lascannon, Heavy Flamer

Troops:

Acheron Squad (5 tac)
Brother-Sergeant Daloro, Combi-plasma
Plasma gun
Drop Pod

Bastion Squad (10 tac)
Brother-Sergeant Rasca
Plasma Cannon, Plasmagun
Razorback, twin linked lascannon

Caesare Squad (10 tac)
Brother-Sergeant Vronus, combi-melta
Multimelta, meltagun
Drop Pod

Heavy Support:

Dragus Squad (devastators)
Brother Sergeant Kallus
Missile launchers

Executor Squad (devastators)
Brother-Sergeant Orsilo
Lascannons

Alfarion Battery (3 Centurions)

Brother-Sergeant Casaro (Grav Cannon/amp, omniscope)

3 Grav Cannons/Amps

The Harbingers

HQ
Chaos Lord Grulgor
MoN, Sigil of Corruption, Bike, Black Mace, Power Axe

Sorceror
Bike, ML3, Spell Familiar, Force sword

Troops

5 Chaos marines, melta gun, rhino

5 Chaos marines, melta gun, rhino

Fast Attack

3 Chaos Spawn
MoN

Heavy Support
Maulerfiend

2 Obliterators
MoN

Obliterator
MoN

Daemon Allies
HQ

Great Unclean One
ML1, 2 Greater Rewards

Troops

10 Plague Bearers
Instrument of Chaos

Fast Attack

2 Plague Drones
Icon of Chaos
Plaguebringer
Lesser Rewards, Rot Proboscis

Heavy Support

Daemon Prince of Nurgle, Wings
ML3, 2 Greater Rewards

Space Marines turn 1:

SM Secondaries:

Have at least 3 of your and none of your opponent's scoring units in your DZ, kill a unit

CSM Secondaries:

kill a unit, Have a Scoring Unit within the Enemy DZ

Chapter Master and his sternguard retinue drop down right in front of the Chaos lines, hoping they can do some damage before they are inevitably killed by assaulting beatsticks. Caesare squad drops down to their left in order to melta the maulerfiend. Centurions move forward toward maelstrom obj 1, unfortunately out of range because their commander mistakenly thought grav cannons had a 30" range. Razorback heads for objective 2 but immobilizes itself on razorwire because Mechanicus.

We go where eagles dare!

Librarian casts invis on the sternguard, I rolled the dice so naturaly he periled but shrugs it off with a passed LD test and a wound for his trouble. Sternguard then open up with poison rounds killing two plague drones and bringing last one down to one wound with the help of the Chapter Master's Auspex. The Astartes need to take these freaks down before they call the GUO on in prime position. Melta tac whiffs against the maulerfiend in a disgusting show of gene-conditioning. Caesare squad managed one hit and a one to pen!

"Take the shot!"

Doing their part, the Lascannon devs also fail to do more than take two HPs off fiend. In their perch above the battlefield, the missile devs realize that they're not in the best spot for target selection.

"Are we winning?"

This means I fail to kill a unit but with all my pods down in his zone, its unlikely Ill be forced completely from the enemy backline and am almost guaranteed at least one secondary point.

CSM t1:

With the Plague Drones gon, Grulgor senses a moment for violence

The Daemon Prince swoops forward to take on my dreadnought who moved forward last turn. Lord and unit of spawn along with his sorceror lackey burst forward toward the Bastion squad, dug in on the primary objective.

"I will show you how iron can rot, mortal!"

The remaining Plague Drone is the one with icon that can bring in the greater daemon. He jumps up on the center building of the hive like the coward warp-thing he is. The sorceror psychic shrieks two cents to death. DP fails iron arm. Daemon Prince then rolls a one to pen the dread with his lance weapon. Oblits from across the field then decide to blast one HP off the dread and stun him.

"PUKE FOR THE PUKE GOD!"

Maulerfiend turns to charge the freshly dropped tac squad. All meltas fail to hit in overwatch. No krak grenades find their mark however the mauler rolls double ones on his two hits and we stay locked.

The Emperor Protects

My enemy failed to kill a unit while I remain in his DZ, scoring me a point and him none.

Secondary

SM 1

CSM 0

SM t2

SM: Have 3 units in enemy DZ, kill unit

CSM: hold Maelstrom obj 2,kill unit

Acheron Squad's pod strikes down by Primary obj 2 and takes up positions to fire on oblits on the extreme right of the Archenemy's flank. Bastion's Combat squad hops out of razorback to head for Secondary obj 2 on the other side of the table.

"Brother-Sergeant, why do they look like orks?" "Space magic, no doubt!"

Psychic phase is a bust as the warp-magic of the enemy denies everything. Sternguard with the Librarian and Chapter Master moves up and brings the sorc to one wound, puts one on the lord and drops both spawn to a single wound as well. Their eagerness to take away my primary objective will hurt them. Missile devs put a wound on the surviving plague drone. Razorback takes aim but rolls a one to wound. Plasma cannon from Bastion squad aims and scatters onto one of the spawn, ending it. Finally lascannons take out the plague bearer, giving me first blood and one of my secondaries.

"Annihilation to traitors!"

Freshly dropped tac squad takes aim at the obliterators on the far side of the enemy's backline. Sergeant's combiplas and the squad's plasmagun light up. Plasmagunner gets hot and dies but 1 wound is are put on Oblits. Remaining cent kills a spawn as the Chaos Lord's unit continues to barrel forward. Stunned Dread snapfires at the charging Daemon Prince and misses.

In the assault phase the tac squad crack grenades the mauler to death after taking a wound or two. They consolidate and await the coming reinforcements from the Chaos host.

CSM T2

The Right Flank of Grulgor's Assault on Kerniksgrad

Both reserve Rhinos grind onto the field. One on the Space Marine's left flank and the other right at Primary Obj 2, where the sternguard are threatening to contest and Acheron Squad is battling the Obliterators. 1 oblit drops near the sternguard with a mind to drop a plasma blast.

GUO scatters to the building near Caesare squad with perfect range at the Chapter Master's unit. Lord breaks off from spawn and sorc, heading for the remaining cent while the later makes ready to assault Bastion's tac squad on primary 1. Farthest rhino flat outs to try and get to Maelstrom 2 and claim a secondary. Unfortunately, there is not much I can do.

Maelstrom 2 is by the razorback and the combat squad in the top left corner

Sorceror invises the Lord and psychic shrieks the missile devs to two launchers. The GUO attempts to flame the sternguard but the Librarian denies it. Again the DP fails iron arm.

Group of 2 oblits flame Acheron squad, killing them down to the sergeant who still stands there until a rhino's stormbolter takes him out. Oblit that dropped down by the Chapter Master tries to plasma cannon the tightly bunched sternguard but scatters off. CSM inside rhino miss a pod with their melta but both remain within their transports. The Daemon Prince again fails to hurt the dread. Enraged, the DP charges and shrugs off the hit from the overwatch but fails his charge distance!

Lord assaults cents and deals him a wound, Sorc and Spawn assault the tac squad holding Primary 1. Both squads assaulted take wounds and flee off the field. Sorceror consolidates backward toward Maelstrom obj 1 while the Lord ignores the Primary objective he just won and goes to attack the SM dug in on Malestrom 2. Unfortunately for the enemy, I still hold Maelstrom 2, however he manages to get a point for killing a unit. His backline is still choked with the Emperor's Finest and so I am still ahead by one. However, my chances of retaking my own primary objective are now almost zero.

Secondary

SM 2 CSM 1

SM T3

Secondary
SM Hold Maelstrom obj 1, hold malestrom obj 2

csm Have no Enemy units in your deployment zone, kill a unit

There's very little chance of me getting maelstrom points this turn, so instead I focus on securing the Primary Objective in my zone of influence and stopping the enemy from achieving his own secondary objectives, thus holding my lead.

Sternguard take up position to shoot at rhino behind the wall, CM stays behind to kill the deep striking oblit. Tac squad on the back structure moves a bit to get a better firing arc at the rhino as well, hoping to pop it so the sternguard can deal with the marines inside.

Psychic phase is again denied for the SM. Back tac squad fires its melta at the rhino, again only one hits from the two weapons and we manage to shake it. In a last second change of plans, the Sternguard take aim at the GUO and bring it down in a hail of poison rounds. The enemy back line is almost secured. Dread flames the spawn on Primary 1 to death. Lascannon devs wreck the rhino and the nurgle marines pile out. Tac squad at maelstrom 2 fire at the lord but he shrugs off the plas and bolt shots. Razorback fails to wound the Lord heading for maelstrom 2. CM charges the oblit which manages to wound him before going down. Lord Tyrannon of the Void Kings then consolidates back toward the Sternguard.

"I told you I'd hit something this game," said Brother Eradier as he cut the signum link. "You owe me a Coke, Brother-Sergeant."

CSM T3

"You worship but a bloated corpse, loyalist scum!" "...So do you!"

Plague Bearers come in on Primary Obj 1. Rhino moves to contest the Maelstrom 2, sandwiching the tac squad between itself and the Lord.

"I will savour the bile in your guts!" The view at Maelstrom Objective 2

Lord is invised again by the sorc. Daemon Prince life leeches the dread, finally taking it down and psychic shrieks one of the sternguard. Both nurgle marines shoot into the tac squad taking out the multimelta.

Oblits drop two plasma cannon blasts on the sternguard hiding behind the ruin wall hitting everyone. With miraculous cover saves only one goes down.

Lord charges the remains of Bastion squad at Maelstrom 2. He kills two but one valiant marine manages to put a wound on him by rolling double sixes! Praise the Emperor, for He protects his chosen! Lord Grulgor, the Rotking of the Ghamorus Cluster, saves his last wound. We're stuck in combat.

Secondary

SM 2 CSM 2

SM t4

SM Have at least 3 of your and none of your opponent's scoring units in your DZ, destroy enemy unit
CSM Hold maelstrom 2, destroy enemy unit

"Betrayer, your long centuries end here."

Chapter Master moves to charge the Chaos marines at Primary 2. Everything else holds position. Libby shrieks two wounds off the Daemon Prince bringing it to one wound.

Last two missile devs blast the sorc holding Maelstrom 1 into a pile of goo. Sternguard make the hard choice to fire at the oblits instead of the Daemon prince barreling down on them. Squad kills one and brings the last mutant freak down to one wound. The Librarian, evidently fed up with being constantly denied by the enemy's psychic powers and eager to pull his own weight, dispatches the final obliterator with a head shot from his bolt pistol.

Tac squad on the structure in the rear fires at far chaos marines who make all their saves. Lascannon devs fail to put hurt on the Daemon Prince as it prepares to charge the Sternguard.

CM wipes out the chaos marines on primary 2 with ease. In ongoing assault the chaos lord kills another two marines.

CSM T4

Its getting close. Either the Daemon Prince will wipe out the Sternguard and have a chance at securing Primary, or it will come down to Secondary as I have no way to get back to my own Primary Objective. All I can do is sit on his.

Daemon prince readies himself to charge the sternguard. Rhino immobilizes itself on the same razorwire the razorback had on turn one (YES!). Plague bearers spread out. DP shrieks two sternguard out and and kills another with life leech, bringing him back to 2 wounds (NO!). CSM move forward and take out another tac marine on the power plant.

Daemon prince charges the sternguard, taking a wound from overwatch bringing him back down to one. He slaughters two more veterans. The libby and remaining sternguard flee but the daemon prince can't catch them! He is open to enemy fire. Lord wipes the remaining tac marine from Maelstrom 2, scoring his secondary.

secondary

SM 3 CSM 4

SM t5

SM Have at least 3 of your and none of your opponent's scoring units in your DZ, kill a unit
CSM kill a unit, kill a unit

The brutalized Libby and sternguard shuffle away from the DP now that its out in the open. CM stays on Primary objective, not able to give it up now that the Plague Bearer's hold its twin on the other side of the board. Libby manages to terrify and shriek one wound off the DP finally bringing him down! Both dev squads combine fire to kill the Lord for Slay The Warlord. Pods take out one more chaos marine, finally scoring an unsaved wound.

CSM 5

Comes down to the chaos marines, only units able to draw a bead on the remaining unit to take the win by 1 in secondary as primary is still tied. The traitors manage to bring down the sternguard but not the libby!

Final score

Primary - tied
Secondary - sm 5 csm 4

SM: slay the warlord, first blood, both armies have linebreaker.

After Game:

Forgot to take pics in the end when things got down to the wire. I'm actually not sure now if killing the sternguard counts as destroying a whole unit, as the Librarian was an IC attached to him. In that case, my opponent would have won. Not that I care as the game was an awesome and close blood bath.

[markham82]

Thanks for the batrep.

 

I believe the sternguard counts as a unit destroyed even though the libby was attached to them.

[brother_contagion]

Loved the pre-game story! Great game too btw! Your Space Marines look great!

[TheDecay]

Great game! I was the Chaos player.

Those sternguard put in so much work that game, killing the drones, GUO, Prince, and Oblits. Crazy

We figured the score was actually 7-7 on the secondary if I get both my points off the sternguard unit, looking forward to the rematch!