21.5k Apocalypse Game

[Jolemai]

Originally posted over on my Blood Angels blog, I thought I'd share my group's last Apocalypse game with you all. Note that despite all the participants, the review is written with a BA slant...

Apocalypse 2015 review

An Imperial Guard and Space Marine force operating out of the planet Envillie in the Brown system have been corrupted by the ruinous powers. A strike force of Blood Angels and Redemption’s Fists Space Marines have been sent to purge the Chaos force, however, upon reaching Envillie intelligence about the size of enemy force was found to be incorrect. Six omnipotent Titans of the Machine God had also been awoken and coerced to the cause.
Within the Brown system and close to Envillie is an Eldar Webway Portal. The Farseers of the Biel’Tan have being watching the war on Envillie progress and have seen that the Mon’keigh are outnumbered and outmatched. With the planet being so close to Eldar Maiden World space it has been deemed too much of a risk to let Chaos take the planet and so they decide to balance the sides...

Teams

Team Order ~ 21.5k
Eldar, ~ 11k including two Revenant Titans and one Phantom Titan

Redemption’s Fists Space Marines ~ 3.5k

Blood Angels ~ 6.5k including one Super Heavy and one Imperial Knight

Team Disorder~ 21.5k
Chaos Space Marines ~ 5k including one Chaos Knight

Astra Militarum and Space Marines ~ 6k including one Super Heavy

Astra Miliarum ~ 10.5k including two Super Heavies, four Warhound Titans and two Reaver Titans

Schedule

Board size: 8x6

Friday night: Deployment (and pre-game stuff)

Saturday: Turns one and two take two hours each. Scheduled break, then turn three (two hours each).

Sunday: Scheduled break. Turns four and five take 90 minutes each.

House Rules

- All models including fortifications must be painted to a battle ready standard (minimum of three colours) and based (where appropriate).
- Unnatural Disasters won't be used
- Skyshield Landing Pad can't be used to give Super Heavy's or Gargantuan Creatures 4++ save.
- Invisibility causes anything attacking the unit to be at BS1 and WS1 rather than snapshots
- Each players army is considered to be Allies of Convenience with other players armies on the same side.
- Players with more than once army in their force follow the normal rules for allies.
- Warp charge points will be generated per side. So 1D6 + whatever the side generates from units.
- All models must be WYSIWYG.
- Strategic assets or stuff that allows you to get terrain, units, etc can only be used if we have the correct and painted models to represent them.

Report

Deployment

Team Order won the roll for deployment and first turn. The Warmaster, Eldrad Ulthuan, opted to deploy just over a quarter of their forces including all five Super Heavies. Team Disorder deployed up to a half of their force including all ten of their Super Heavies. It was then that Abaddon invoked the power of Khorne and with a yell of “Blood for the Blood God” seized the initiative…

Turn One

Popping counter measures our firebase activated their Shield Generator asset and the Eldar used their xenos trickery to shroud their entire force. Whilst the hated enemy advanced and some reinforcements arrived, their firebase pounded away from a distance. Earthshaker Cannons blew up Bastions, Warhounds fried those on the SkyShield and Titans Weaponry fired upon the Phantom. Despite landing many hits that were true, (and on many a heretic that had teleported too close), only 11 HP were removed. A Callidus found skulking around the Guard HQ and was quickly dispatched.

Now the forces of order could respond. Amidst the Pods arriving and troops Deep Striking in, the Paladin, Jolemai, advanced on the left flank but failed to charge a Warhound by half an inch. Meanwhile, its sister Warhound was detonated by the Phantom’s pulsar. The twin Revenants moved out to play havoc and further psychic madness bolstered the Titan’s saves. Then the Marines got to work with the missiles, knocking down Void Shields on various Titans. With the defenses of the Reaver, -][- REDACTED -][- down, our ancient Cerberus neutered the beast rendering it’s two Laser Blasters and Double-Barreled Turbo Laser inactive.

Turn Two

The second turn began as did the first, with those hungry for blood advancing and reinforcements arriving. Laughing at the carnage, whichever Chaos God was watching respawned the Hellbrute pack around the Phantom so they could continue to play with it. Having now become a priority target, the Cerberus was destroyed by a striding Mars-pattern Warhound while the Chaos Knight, hungry for carnage, closed in the Imperial lines. Some particularly fearless heretics even charged a Revenant. Once again, the direct followers of Chaos suffered from “friendly fire” – perhaps not all had been deceived/betrayed on Enville?

With further reinforcements arriving from Imperials and xenos alike, the fight was brought to the traitors. Jolemai assaulted his Warhound and destroyed it with ease, and with the void shields once again deactivated, the Phantom engaged the neutered Reaver and blew it to smithereens. Meanwhile, the trap around the Chaos Knight had been sprung and with firing happening on all sides, the beast’s corrupted machine spirit was released.

Turn Three

Turn three began in earnest with a tide of reinforcements arriving on foot for the traitors. Ranks upon ranks of arch enemy shored up their backline which pushed the rest further towards the meat grinder. Still the shells rained down, and still the supporting fire took its toll. Be’Lakor himself engaged a Revenant in combat whilst its twin was decimated through massed titan fire. The Phantom was taking fire too despite its defenses being shored up and fortuned, and had eleven HP remaining…

What remaining of the Imperial reserves committed to the battle and in a feat of craftsmanship that only few Chapters could have probably done, the Techmarines managed to patch up the Cerberus enough for it to return to battle… However, the damage to its primary weapon had yet to adequately recover and the second Reaver survived its touch. In a display of raw power, the Phantom detonated a third Warhound (in addition to a Shadowsword) and the final one was dispatched by our Sternguard under Captain Tycho’s direction. Mephiston, Corbulo and their entourage cleared up the mess around the now-downed Revenant (but left Be’Lakor alone) while the Jolemai carved his way through the Praetor with ease.

Turn Four

However, this had left the Paladin in no man’s land and completely at the mercy of the heretic’s guns. When the smoke cleared, Jolemai lay broken on the ground (fortunately, the pilot escaped to construct another machine…). With a roar of frustration at seeing his preferred quarry gunned down, Be’Lakor issued a challenge. How amongst the Blood Angels would answer the call? A Sergeant stepped up buying time for his squad but sadly was no match for the Daemon. Meanwhile, the guns finally took their toll on the Phantom and as it fell, it landed on the Cerberus rendering it obsolete once more. It was here that our Warlord was injured in combat. Our lord Dante and his advisors Astorath, Lemartes, a Sanguinary High Priest, a Librarian and a host of Death Company bodyguards almost withstood an Apocalyptic missile barrage but it was just too much. To add further insult, a new Praetor entered the field…

With that, the Wayportal crackled into life. Enlarged to an almighty size two more Revenant Titans strode through and entered the fiery cauldron of this battle. Their weapons sang death and joined in the counter fire, leaving the last Reaver Titan with one HP. It was then that the Vindicare revealed himself. Having waiting for the exact moment he cocked a Turbo-Penetrator round and let loose a shot that slowed time itself. As it struck true and assassinated the Princeps onboard, the Reaver went into catastrophic meltdown and suddenly, the board became much smaller… Whilst this was happening, Be’Lakor charged Mephiston. Despite an impressive nine STR 10 INT 9 attacks, the invisible Be’Lakor dodged the lot before striking down the Lord of Death but, the guns were being silenced. A small contingent of Scouts had entered the field and they were slowly destroying the traitor’s artillery.

Turn Five

The final turn began the same as the last did with the traitors pushing forward to claim as much ground and to do as much damage as possible. However, what little of the forces remained was now apparent and their shots bounced harmlessly off armour and the holo-fields of the dancing Revenants. Be’Lakor issued a challenge once more and only Corbulo remaining to accept it. Corbulo is said to be blessed by our Primarch and this certainly did his reputation no harm as he banished the Daemon from Enville and defiantly claimed the objective that lay before him.

With this, the Forces of Order pressed home their advantage by claiming the majority of the Objectives and by destroying the remaining Super Heavy vehicles. However, Abaddon had now presented himself. With both the Redemption’s Fists’ Chapter Master and Eldrad Ulthaun calling in their Finest Hours, the Chapter Master issued and All Out Attack on his squad enabling them to charge into Abaddon, whilst Eldrad sent the Avatar in who reached combat with a roll of eleven. As the bikes slammed in and a cheeky wound was caused on Abaddon, a challenge was issued to the Chapter Master. Being Invisible, he naturally accepted and neither warrior managed to damage each other. With that, Avatar bellowed something akin to amateurs in Eldar tongue and proceeded to rip Abaddon to shreds. However, Abaddon’s tale doesn’t end here. Eldritch blue light flooded the battlefield and Abaddon, along with the remaining Forces of Disorder vanished, leaving the day to the Eldar and Space Marines.

Final Score – Order 40:12 Disorder!

*** *** ***

Almost forgot, here's Strike Force Enville:

... and yes, hopefully one day soon I'll level up photography skills!

[Delta E.T]

A good battle with mates, with lots of cool explosions and last stands.

Perfect