Tallarn Commander's Chaos (More League Game Photos)

[Dr_Ruminahui]

6 hours ago, Tallarn Commander said:

The banner was inspired by the army symbol employed by Dr. Ruminahui's Emperors Children. 

 

"Slaanesh cares not from where the perfection flows" - that's how the expression goes, right?   Looks great, and its an honour to have an homage in your army.

 

Your conversions looks great - particularly like the photo of the 2 defiler's together.  With yours being pretty much the right size, it looks like the official model, but the viewer on a bad drug trip.  

 

Thanks for the battle summaries - its always great to hear about your table top adventures.  Some beautiful armies you faced, the necrons and the blood angels (the finished models, anyway) in particular.

 

You do seem to be missing some photos, though - where you put "Rapture Takes Aim" there is no photo, and at "Warp Talons Finally Eliminate Belisarius" the picture seems to belong under "The Chicken Walkers Mop Up", which also doesn't have a photo.

Edited July 15 by Dr_Ruminahui

[Tallarn Commander]

Thank you Dr. Ruminahui! 

 

I shall add those photos tonight.

[Tallarn Commander]

Hello everyone,

 

Last month I brought the Nights Lords to the 2026 Tacoma Open Narrative Event. I had a wonderful time there as I always do!

 

A photo of my army

 

 

Here's my list

 

Short Version of Army List

Spoiler

SHORT ARMY LIST 1--1000 Pts

CHARACTERS
☆ Duvalier Nightfall, Counts-As Harkon Worldclaimer (90 pts)
☆ Lady Esmerelda Hoth, Warpsmith (60 pts)

BATTLE LINE
● 2nd Squad, 10x Cultist Mob (50 pts)
● Reavers, 5x Legionaries (90 pts)

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS
● Dragonne, Chaos Rhino (75 pts)

OTHER DATASHEETS
◇ Death From Above, 5x Raptors (110 pts)
◇ Bat To The Bone, 3x Chaos Bikers (70 pts)
□ Eternal Damnation, Chaos Vindicator (185 pts)
□ Rapture, 6x Noise Marines (145 pts)
♤ The Crows, 5x Renegade Raiders (110 pts)
Total=985 points

 

The narrative event lets you bring 2 separate army lists so you can change things up if you want to.

 

My other army list dropped the bikers, Noise Marines, and Raiders and added a Master of Executions and a Chosen Squad.

 

 

SHORT ARMY LIST 2--1000 Pts

CHARACTERS
☆ Duvalier Nightfall, Counts-As Harkon Worldclaimer (90 pts)

☆ Decimus, Master of Executions (70 pts)
☆ Lady Esmerelda Hoth, Warpsmith (60 pts)

BATTLE LINE
● 2nd Squad, 10x Cultist Mob (50 pts)
● Reavers, 5x Legionaries (90 pts)

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS
● Dragonne, Chaos Rhino (75 pts)

OTHER DATASHEETS
◇ Death From Above, 5x Raptors (110 pts)
□ Eternal Damnation, Chaos Vindicator (185 pts)
♤ The Ravens, 10x Chosen (250 pts)
Total=1,000 points

 

 

Excessively Long Version of Army List

Spoiler

HOUSE NIGHTFALL
    Long ago there was a noble family, the house of Nightfall. They lived in an age of peace and stability established by their world's ruler. Their ruler was Konrad Curze, the fair and just lord of the garden planet Nostramo. And then one day, a corrupt and weak emperor sent an assassin to slay the Lord Curze. The vile assassin succeeded. The emperor then destroyed the paradise that was Nostramo. House Nightfall managed to escape. But since that day they have never forgotten. Vengeance upon the emperor will be theirs!

     House Nightfall is a mercenary and merchant house, sort of like a Chaotic Rogue Trader family. It is made up of descendants of those who fled Nostramo before it was destroyed. The House's Council of Eight owns and operates over a dozen star systems, a score of void ships, 3 warbands of Night Lords Chaos Marines, a free company of Chaos Knights, and 9 regiments of Renegades and Heretics Chaos Militia and Traitor Guard.


EXCESSIVELY LONG ARMY LIST WITH  NARRATIVE  BACKSTORIES


CHARACTERS

☆ Lord Duvalier Nightfall, counts-as Harkon Worldclaimer, warord, attached to Dearh From Above=100
     Chaos Lord Duvalier was once a Nostroman law officer trying to punish criminals on the darkened city streets. Duvalier was elated when Night Haunter came to power and gladly joined the ranks of the Night Lords. Duvalier revered Conrad Curze for his successful campaign against crime. But, over time, Duvalier became concerned at the Legion's human rights violations against civilians. He was going to be a key material witness in the Emperor's trial of Nighthaunter. Then the Horus Heresy happened and Duvalier felt obligated to join with his fellow Nostromans against the Imperium. Since that day he has become gradually corrupted and is now just as vengeful and bloodthirsty as other Nostromans.
Duvalier hates what he has become.
     He was wandering the verse and one day stumbled across House Nightfall. Delighted to find descendants of Nostroman refugees, he married into House Nightfall and has has been promoted to second in command of 3rd Battalion. The irony that 3rd Battalion includes some former Nostroman crime Lords that he once arrested is not lost on Duvalier.

☆ Lady Esmerelda Hoth, Chaos Warpsmith, flamer tendril, melta tendril, plasma pistol, Forge Weapon=60
   Lady Esmerelda Hoth is an ambassador dispatched from the Dark Mechanicum to aid House Nightfall. The two Chaos factions have enjoyed a long and fruitful alliance: the Warpsmiths provide daemonic technology and House Nightfall provides mercenary fighting prowess. Hoth has teamed her daemon engine "monster menagerie" up with House Nightfall because she received a vision from the Dark Omnissiah. In the vision she joined with the Night Lords to consecrate Imperium-held worlds in blood.
     She secretly is aiding the "Black Nebula" faction within House Nightfall's Council of Eight. Esmerelda hopes that her efforts will destabilize House Nightfall's easternmost star systems. Systems which are coveted by Esmerelda's Dark Mechanicum superiors. Although lately she is begun questioning this mission and she may even ally with House Nightfall as a double agent.

BATTLE LINE

● The Reavers, 5 Legionaries, 4 bolt pistols, 2 chainswords, 5 close combat weapons, 2 heavy melee weapons, plasma pistol, lascannon, icon=90
    House Nightfall's Chaos Legionaries are a motley collection of mercenaries, murderers, and maniacs. They have long furthered the interests of House Nightfall and are well paid in slaves, armor, and weaponry. During combat they skulk around the battlefield, avoiding a fair fight. They grab objectives, pepper the enemy with bolt shots, and then pounce where they are least expected, flaying the enemy alive with chainswords. They excel in terror tactics, slipping behind enemy lines to slit throats and terrorize the foe.

    Aspiring Champion Rosas is not a native son of Nostramo. He was a human space pirate, a reaver, who cooperated with House Nightfall on some raids over a millenia ago. The council of Eight was impressed with the guile, ferocity, and tactics of Rosas and his crew. The Council offered to transform Rosas and his entire crew into Astartes using gene seed the Pirates had themselves stolen from some unfortunate Imperial Fists. All the wanton Raiders had to do was pledge loyalty to House Nightfall.
     Rosas and his crew agreed. Those that survived the transformation if the "Mercantile Rituals of Blood" eagerly adopted the House Nightfall's tactics and strategic interests. The Reavers Squad is made up of the surviving members of Rosas' pirate band. The past few centuries have been good to them as they are now able to plunder, rape, and terrorize on a much grander scale than when they were mere humans.

     Ninja Joe was once the ancient and esteemed Keeper of The Lighthouse of Cabra. He maintained the light which guided the unholy through a dark corner of the Void. But it was a lonely life for Joe. He was occasionally visited by a random traveler or a friend. But he was usually alone.
     And so Ninja Joe meditated. He was one with his thoughts. And through his thoughts he pondered the martial arts. And he practiced. For centuries he trained on his own until he was a sharp obsidian blade. And he kept the light lit.
     One day a blue-clad stranger with a mechanical arm arrived. She was injured, saying her house had cast her out and she needed a place to rest. Joe agreed to aid the weary traveler. Joe learned the stranger was Lady Chamorro Nightfall, ex Chaos Lord, exiled leader of one of House Nightfall's three main families, and a former member of the ruling Council of Eight. She had been exiled from her House.
     Joe cared not for the politickes of House Nightfall. But Lady Chamorro enchanted him. The two eventually became friends and, over the months, lovers. When Lady Chamorro had healed she made him an offer. Her minions would take over the role of lighthouse steward. They would keep the fire lit in the chaotic darkness of the void. In turn, he would return to House Nightfall as secret lover and agent. He would be a set of eyes for Chamorro on the inside as she sought to reclaim her seat on the Council.
     He agreed. Through pluck and guile she convinced  House Nightfall's 3rd Battalion to take on Joe and herself as members. She now leads a squad of Chaos Bikers, Bat to the Bone, and Joe is second in command of a squad of Legionaries, the Harbingers. He is training his squad mates so that their martial arts skills are second to none. He regularly conducts secret missions alongside Lady Chamorro. The two form quite the deadly duo.

● 2nd Squad, 10 Chaos Cultists with autopistols and Brutal Assault Weapons=50
      The Nostroman 9th's rank and file cultists and Traitor Guard infantry are a diverse lot. Some fight for coin, some for Chaos, some fight against the fascist Imperium, and some fight for the sake of fighting. These combat veterans are willing to put their lives on the line as long as they receive their due from the Regiment's Paymaster.

2nd Squad Cultist Squad
     Back on her home planet of Gryf, Zeva saw something horrible and shocking. This look of sudden horror was frozen onto her face so now she bears a permanent look of surprise. To this day Zeva still suffers nightmares.
     When a House Nightfall recruiter arrived she immediately signed up for the Nostroman 9th Traitor Guard. Zeva wanted to put asuch distance between herself and Gryf as possible. She was recognized for her skills as a carpenter, Zeva had been a carpenter back on Gryf, and assigned to 10th Squad, a Pioneer Squad. She served admirably and was eventually promoted to corporal and earned command of the squad.
     Sadly, 10th Squad was destroyed during the "Slugfest in Ocean Shores." Zeva was the squad's only survivor. She was re-assigned to 2nd Squad while 10th Squad was being reconstituted. And she has chosen to remain in 2nd Squad. She is now second in command of the squad. She hopes that Sergeant Vicious Pete is either promoted or eliminated so that she can gain command of 2nd Squad. To that end, she has begun circulating rumors to the Atramentar that Vicious Pete is selling ancient Chaos artifacts on the black market. Little does she know, her rumor is the truth. But Vicious Pete has friends on The Council of Eight who watch his back. Zeva's catch phrase is, "I saw something nasty back on Gryph."

      Trooper Grok has found solace in the bottle. He is fast becoming a liability to his comrades.

     Kalros was once a loyalist lieutenant serving in a Devils Squad in the Catachan XVIII, the swamp Rats. He was as gung ho as the rest of his Catachan comrades.
     But one day on the Death World Planet of Lampros V during a fire sweep, he was ordered to torch a village of women and children, even though they were allied to the Imperium. Kalros refused. He was scheduled to face a firing squad, but bribed his guard and escaped. He survived on his own in the jungles of Lampros V for a decade. One day he came across a Nostroman raiding party. While he had no love of Chaos, he hated the Imperium with a passion. He joined the Nostroman 9th as a mercenary.

       Everblight, a latent psyker, has been hearing the whispers of the warp lately. He hopes to someday join the Nostroman 9th's Rogue Psyker Cadre.

      A native of the planet Mordian, Ygr is apalled at what she perceives to be a lack of discipline in the ranks of the Nostroman 9th. She aspires to become a Chaos Enforcer, a Chaos variant of a Commissar. Then she will be in a position to whip some order into her Traitor Guard brethren.

     Apocalypse is an expert vox officer. He is also quite proficient in maintaining firearms of all types. He has earned the nickname Apocalypse because, through his work as a gunsmith, the Traitor Guard bring Apocalypse to Imperium-held worlds.

     Killshred was born a beastman mutant in a loyalist village. Fortunately the village hid him and raised him with love. When Killshred came of age he rewarded the village by leaving. The Villagers no longer feared a random Inquisitor showing up. The young beastman eventually fell in with the Nostroman 9th. He sometimes wonders how the villagers are faring. But he knows he can never return.

     Once Marox was stranded and surrounded by a squad of Imperial Guard. He ran out of ammunition and almost died. He vowed that would never again happen and now he carries a crate of shotgun shells with him at all times.

     Vlad is unsatisfied that his ork warboss, Greenklaw, has hired his warband out to a bunch of Chaos mercenaries. He believes "Even though we're orks we ought to have some standards on who we work for." He is planning to betray Greenklaw and lead his fellow orks in a mutiny against House Nightfall.

     Crowheart is the banner bearer and chief Curze rememberist of the Nostroman 9th's Midnight Companie. He has read all the tomes he can find about The Night Haunter and interviewed House Nightfall members old enough to have me Curze. He has come to the conclusion that Curze, while a deeply flawed individual, was just what was needed to reveal the hypocrisy at the Empire's core


DEDICATED TRANSPORTS
○ Dragonne, Chaos Rhino, armored tracks, Havoc Launcher, combi-weapon=75
     Dragonne manuevers the Night Lords around the battlefield. It delivers its deadly cargo and then provide fire support with bolter rounds and Havoc missiles.
     House Nightfall's Warpsmith Cadre suspects that Dragonne is tainted. Her walls sometimes seep blood and odd cries emanate from within during the darkest of hours. Tarot readings of the Rhino's machine spirit indicate that these are auspicious signs. Although some say the Warpsmiths are not to be trusted.

OTHER DATASHEETS
● Death from Above, 5 Chaos Raptors, powerfist, 2 heavy melee weapons, mutation, 1 chainsword, 2 plasma pistols, 4 bolt pistols (110)

     The Raptors scream down from the aethers, with chainswords aglow and eager to flay the enemies' skin. Each has joined the Chaos Raptor Cult and has now merged with his or her unholy jumppack.

Death From Above Raptor Squad
     Raptor Aspiring Champion Macabre Harvest is a rarity among House Nightfall's Night Lords for three reasons.
     First, she is a worshipper of Slaanesh. Most Night Lords do not worship Chaos. Instead they see Chaos as a tool to be wielded. But Macabre Harvest regularly sacrifices victim in the name of Slaanesh and hopes to someday become a Slaaneshi Sorceress. Consequently, the Atramentar, House Nightfall's security arm, keep a close warch on Macabre Harvest to ensure she does not corrupt her fellow Chaos Marines. The Atramentar, if left to their own devices, would execute Macabre Harvest. But she is under the protection of the Ars Daemonica faction of the Council of Eight.
     Second, Macabre Harvest was never human. She was once an Aeldari Ranger, a scout for her craft world. But she went rogue and eventually found employment within House Nightfall. Her fierce nature and proven combat ability ability convinced the Council of Eight that Macabre Harvest should undergo the Mercantile Trial of Blood, the series of tests and transformations House Nightfall applies to a mortal to make them an Adeptes. Macabre Harvest, despite her weaker Eldar constitution  managed to survive these trials. She became a Legionary in the Jackals Squad. After years of service as a Jackal, Macabre Harvest was promoted into the House Nightfall Raptor Cult. And, years later, after serving as a rank and file Raptor, the  Ars Daemonica faction on the Council of Eight pulled some strings. And, lo and behold, Macabre Harvest was promoted to Aspiring Champion of her own Raptor Squad, Death from Above.
     Macabre Harvest is secretly serving as a spy for the daemonic faction. She uses her worship of Slaanesh to aid her spycraft. Someday she hopes to become a great sorceress. And, who knows, perhaps someday a seat on the Council of Eight will be hers and she will then be able to truly serve Slaanesh.
     Third, as a long-lived Eldar, Macabre Harvest once met Conrad Curze back before the Horus Heresy. She is tight-lipped about what was said during her exchange with the dour Primarch. But rumors abound that he foretold how the Rogue Eldar Ranger would someday become a Night Lord. At any rate, she uses the fact that she once met the Night Haunter as a way to impress other members of House Nightfall and as a way to gain political capital.

     Helcaster is a sort of psychic blank. He has no mentalist powers of his own. But whenever a psyker comes near him they are unable to use their powers. Helcaster also forces nearby psykers to hear the screams and maddening silences, and cacophonic symphonies of the Void.
     Any Psyker who remains near Helcaster for any length of time is doomed to go mad. House Nightfall's leadership will often send Helcaster and his fellow Raptors on missions to incapacitate and eliminate enemy seers. Many an Iron Priest or Aeldari Witch has been stunned and then massacred by the Helcaster and his Raptor brethren.
     House Nightfall gains greatly by Veil Walker's wanderings. She is the only one who can enter the dimension of their allies Ur Xenos species. She is the only one who can locate and beseech the great Doom Rider for aid. And she seems to know a great deal about the comings and goings of rival Mercantile and mercenary houses.

     Nightsoul is not a Heretic Astartes per se. She is a young Witch from another dimension. She stole an artifact, a magical Claw, of great sorceress power from her mistress, the infamous Baba Yaga and then she fled to another dimension. Nightsoul stumbled across a Chaos Raptor and killed him in single combat. She then hoodwinked House Nightfall and used her glamor and witchcraft to pass herself off as a Chaos Raptor.
     Will Nightsoul attempt to eliminate other members of House Nightfall? Will she attempt to find allies and ingratiate herself into House Nightfall? Or will she leave and wander the verse? She does not know. She only knows that someday Baba Yaga's Hounds will find her scent.

     There's a killer on the road
His brain is squirmin' like a toad
Take a long holiday
Let your children play
If you give this man a ride
Sweet memory will die
Killer on the road, yeah
Riders on the Storm
     -Riders on the Storm, The Doors, 1971

     Bad Tidings is doomed. He is slowly being transformed into an elder being from beyond space and time. The Heretic Astartes has experienced visions of what is to come and he is filled with dread. But if he were to tell anyone he knows he would be handed over to the Enforcers and Atramentar and quickly executed. Bad Tidings indeed.


◇ Bat to the Bone, 3 Chaos Bikers, powerfist, 2 chainswords, 2 meltaguns, 3 combi-bolters, icon=70

     The Chaos Bikers epitomize the Night Lords way of war. They prowl near the foe's flanks terrorizing the most vulnerable enemy units and avoiding a fair fight.

Bat To The Bone Chaos Biker Squad
     The Bat To The Bone Biker Squad is lead by Chamorro Nightfall. Chamorro Nightfall can trace her families' lineage back to before the fall of Nostramo. Her family was one of House Nightfall's founding families. Lord Chamorro was once the leader of 1st Battalion and she held a seat on House Nightfall's ruling Council of Eight. She represented her family, the Nightfalls, one of three families powerful enough to hold a seat on the Council.
     Alas, she was forced to abdicate her seat because of the infamous "Admech Fist" Incident. One day Chamorro developed psychic abilities. She believed her sorcerous powers stemmed from a biomechanical fist she had recently ripped from an Admech techpriest. In reality the powers flowed from the Chaos God Tzeentch.
     House Nightfall's Ataranentar and Enforcers suspected Chamorro was being tricked by Tzeentch and they conducted an investigation. House Nightfall, like most Night Lords, has a deep skepticism about worshipping the Chaos gods.
     Because Chamorro's warpcraft got results and she and the Nightfall family were quite powerful, the Atramentar treated her leniently. The Council issued "The Edict of Nantz." The Atramentar destroyed her "magical" fist. And they forced her swear to never proselytize other House Nightfall members to follow Tzeentch. In return, Chamorro was not executed. Instead, she was exiled and marooned on a place out beyond the Ghoul Stars.
     But, through a series of adventures. escapades, guile, and alliances, Chamorro has since returned to House Nightfall from exile. She has earned her current status as Aspiring Champion of the Bat To The Bone Chaos Biker Squad, 3rd Battalion. She still has the support of most of the Nightfall family and she is ambitious. She hopes to regain her position as Chaos Lord of 1st Battalion and to retake her seat on The Council of Eight.

    Nosferrus Navir was present long ago when Night Haunter founded The VIII Legion. Navir read The Tenebrous Path, great tactical work, and became obsessed with its author, the great Night Lords War sage Captain Malcharion. Navir transferred into Malcharion's unit, The 10th Talon, and learned from the master.
     And then Malcharion became a Chaos Dreadnought. Navir felt betrayed by what the the VIII had done to the war sage and so he went ronin. He wandered the verse for millenia, keeping to his own devices.
     He stumbled upon House Nightfall and saw that its interests, especially the interests of fallen Chaos Lord Chamorro, aligned with his own. He now serves House Nightfall as a Chaos Biker and is a loyal member of Chamorro's Biker retinue.

    The Night Lord Chaos Marine known as Guerrero Díaz was left in command of a captured Forge World of Seville during the Horus Heresy. Díaz depleted the surrounding systems to acquiring slaves and resources to supply Castillo.
     Díaz's reign as a warlord came to an end when The Imperial Fists arrived and lay siege to Castillo. The seige lasted for a century and bled both loyalist and rebel supply lines dry. In the end, Castillo managed to escape with a handful of his retinue and the VII Legion captured Castillo.
     Díaz wanderered the verse for centuries as a freeblade before encountering House Nightfall. He took refuge within House Nightfall and has served admirably as a mercenary warrior for decades. He has thrown his lot in with Chamorro, who he views as a ascendant power within House Nightfall.

□ Rapture, 6 Noise Marines, 2 Blastmasters. 4 Sonic Blasters, Mark of Slaanesh=145
     House Nightfall is no friend of the Chaos Gods. Like most Night Lords, they hold a deep skepticism towards the Chaos Gods. Chaos is a tool to be wielded against the foe not a power to which one should become enthralled. 
     As such, Rapture is a bit of an anomaly in a Night Lords warband: a squad of Slaaneshi worshippers who live only to create cacophony with their chaotic symphonies. They are distrusted by all and watched closely by House Nightfall's Enforcers and Atramentar. But no one can argue with Rapture's deadly results.

Rapture
    Tertius is a third-born son of Noise, with music he destroys

      Nocht is a depraved composer, bizarre symphonies does she concoct

     Ghalmek loves cacophonous tech, with notes the enemy he does wreck

     Halaskar is quite bizarre, but his music will hit you like a freight car

    Scoursoul likes to get lost in the music and lose control, in the arms of Slaanesh he lives to rock and roll

     Hellbolt's noise will give you quite a jolt, with hellish notes of music your soul will revolt

○ Eternal Damnation, Chaos Vindicator, Demolisher Cannon, armored tracks, Havoc Launcher, combi-weapon, Marknof Nurgle=185
     House Nightfall tactics emphasize speed and maneuverability. So House Nightfall commanders use Eternal Damnation, the venerable Chaos Vindicator, as a rapier. The tank races into position, lets loose with its fearsome cannon, and then the vehicles moves on before the foe can recover. Eternal Damnation often escorts Chaos Bikers and daemon engines on daring raids and punishing pincers movements.

 

♤ The Crows, 5x Renegade Raiders, 5 bolt pistols, meltagun, 4 bolters, 4 Reaver's Blades, powerfist (110 pts)

 

    Most of the Crows are former Space pirates, although some are sons and daughters of Nostramo. Many of them were once Red Corsair Raiders who left Huron Blackheart and went ondependent. They ply the trade lanes with bloody cutlass, rum, and song. House Nightfall has subcontracted them over the years to serve as scouts. Their experience in boarding operations allows The Crows to stealthily move ahead of the main force and serve as the Night Lords' eyes and ears

    Flesh Peeler was the Astral Claws' premier interrogator. His specialty was convincing his victims' to confess by peeling their flesh. By the time the Astral Claws went over to the side of Chaos, Flesh Peeler had long been a secret follower of Chaos. He was rewarded with command of his own Squad of Raiders, the Crows.

     Grey Eyes' soul is as empty as his eyes. As a youth on Nostrami, his father sold him into slavery. He served in a local crime lords' family. Through hard work Grey Eyes eventually manumitted himself, he purchased his freedom. He then slaughtered his father and joined the VIII Legion.

   Red Moon was once a loyalist Astral Claw. But she heeded the call of Hiron Blackheart. Truthfully, she heeded the call of Slaanesh. In Slaanesh's service as a space pirate she was transformed into a woman upon one of Badab's red moons. Since then she has glories in war, blood, and ecstasy.

     During boarding operations Berask likes to sing sea shanties. His melodious voice fills enemy vessels with lines like "I've killed a hundred more, I've hauled in a mighty hold score. But ne'er a pirate was I made, until with tge captain's daughter I laid."

     For some reason, Spite thinks she is a pirate sailing Sol's Seven Seas back during the Age of Sail. She talks in the ancient brogue of a buccaneer and bandies about phrases like "Are ya savvy?" and "Shiver me timbers." Her fellow Crows are bemused at her insanity and impressed at her ferocity in battle.
 

Total=995 points

 

I brought the Felhammer Siege Host. That's always a fun defensive-oriented detachment. I love the 5+++ feel no pain strat!

 

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Game 1: Night Lords vs. Blood Angels

 

Game 1 was a bloody affair. I was tabled but I managed to kill  4 of his units. It was a fun game and I learned a bit more about how 11th edition works. My MVP for the game was Eternal Damnation, my Vindicator. It killed off a Redemptor Dread and chipped away at both Death Company and Sanguinary Guard.

 

 

The Crows infiltrate onto objective

 

I would have back-pedaled the Raiders on Turn 2 as a Sanquinary Guard Squad approached, but he had deeps-truck a unit behind them so they could not retreat. In 2,000 points games it's quite easy to screen out your backfield with cheap bikers and Cultist units. It's much harder to screen out your backfield during 1,000 point games.

 

 

Raptors and Duvalier Bounce Off A Baal

I think the next time I bring Raptors I'm going to try out the new 1 CP Murdertalon Detachment. The strat that gives you lance on the charge really would have helped here as I managed to bring the Baal down to something like 2 or 3 wounds. Lance would probably have killed off the tank.

 

Reavers Legionaries squad and a Crushing Impact Dragonne The Rhino vs. Death Company

 

 

Eternal Damnation's Last Moments

While swingy, my Vindicator was a lot of fun!

 

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Game 2: Night Lords vs. Grey Knights

 

Game 2 was an enjoyable game against the 2nd Founding. I was easily crushed. My MVP would have to be Duvalier and the Raptors who, thanks to their mortal wounds, managed to finish off a Grey Knights Terminator Squad.

 

GK "Baby Carrier" as my opponent called his model vs. Eternal Damnation the Vindicator

 

 

Beautifully-painted Termies drop down

 

 

 

Big Rumble in the Night Lords backfield

 

 

Bat to the Bone Biker Squad vrooms over and saves the Crows Raider Squad

Bikers do it all: screen, do actions, speedily grab objectives, throw grenades, and they sometimes kill stuff in shooting and melee

 

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Game 3: Night Lords vs. Tallarn Imperial Guard

 

My opponent and I had lots in common. We are both are casual gamers. We both went into this game having lost all of their 11th edition games so far. I had lost my first 5 games of the new edition and my opponent had lost his first 6 or 7 games. And we both play Tallarns. I have about 7,400 painted points in my Tallarn Imperial Guard army.

 

This was a fun, close game but, in the end, my opponent managed to win his first 11th edition game! Huzzah! His MVP would have to be his 2 squads of 10 Rough Riders. I love my Rough Rider Squads and, for 26 years, I've wanted to assemble and paint up a 2nd squad of them. Perhaps this game will inspire me to accomplish this goal.

 

My MVP was my Raiders Squad the Crows. They infiltrated onto an objective, and moved up when they had been relieved by some Cultists, chipped away at and killed sentinels, and completed various secondaries.

 

 

Horsies KO Dragonne

 

 

His horsies did quite well. But then again, so do mine.  

 

 

The Crows fight a sentinel

 

 

Charge of the Tallarn Brigade

 

 

 

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

On day 2, I activated my alternative list. I added my sidebar of Chosen and Master of Executions and dropped my bikers, Noise Marines, and Raiders.

 

During Day 1 my army lacked melee mojo. And on Day 2 I happily got more melee mojo from my Chosen.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

 

Game 4 vs. Imperial Fists

 

Game 4 found the VIII Legion facing off against the VII Legion. My opponent was very nice and very chill. He was running an old-school firstborn list (Legends were allowed at the Narrative Event, or more accurately, the event was so casual, no one cared if you ran legends). I loved it! It was like my games from about 2002 til Marines started getting ridiculously huge in 2017. A nice trip back to memory lane! The fight was a close one and our lists were sort of a mirror match. In the end, I managed to get my first win of 11th edition. Huzzah!

 

Board at deployment

 

 

The thin blue line

 

 

Imp Fist Captain and Tactical Marines

 

The green portal you see here was a hoot. One of my Chosen got sucked through the portal and ended up on another table being used by a Death Guard player who was fighting against Orks. Then on Turn 5 he was sucked back through the portal and he rejoined my army. Fun and zany things like this happened all the time at the narrative event. The three judges were always running around doing fun stuff. They ran a superb event. All 3 judges were also wearing very impressive cosplay costumes, one was from North Carolina, one was from here in Washington state, and I forgot where the third judge was from.

 

Tangle between Chosen and Tacticals

The Night Lords managed to win this fight

 

 

The Reavers Legionaries Squad approaches another squad of tacticals

I love the Horus Heresy models!

 

Luckily my Vindicator took out a bunch of the Tacticals, thus softening up the enemy before the Reavers charged in.

 

Blue vs. yellow skirmish

 

 

My Vindicator had a lucky Turn 1 shot and blew away his Vindicator. My opponent and I agreed that had he gone first and blown away my Vindicator, then he probably would have won.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Game 5: Night Lords vs. Kroot

 

Game 5 was a very fun game against a melee horde Kroot army that was incredibly well painted. I love Kroot! My opponent handily defeated me. He did a great job of explaining what his units did. But I have not faced Kroot since about 5th Edition or so, when they were a White Dwarf Chapter Approved army. I really had no concept of what his units were capable of despite my opponents clear explanations and warnings. It was a great game with lots of melee and bloodshed.

 

Kroooooot!

 

 

Krootox Riders

 

 

The Ravens Chosen Squad get jumped

I failed a 7ish inch charge (and re-roll) and then paid the price. Had I made the charge things might have ended differently.

 

 

Death From Above Raptors and Reavers Legionaries mop up on my left

 

 

Melee in the middle

 

 

In the end I really enjoyed Tacoma, as I always do. I was fortunate to face off against 5 rather melee-oriented opponnents. Since my lists lean towards choppiness, this makes for really fun games indeed. I'm really enjoying 11th edition--it's like GW smoothed out a lot of clunky 10th edition rules--and made the game a bit less clunky. 

 

I have to admit that I probably would not do the narrative event again though. I'll probably go back to the normal tournament next year. There are two reasons for this. One, they changed up the terrain. Every previous year's narrative event has had all sorts of fun and zany terrain--lava worlds, jungle worlds, crashed space ships, Tau cities, etc. This year the TOs just used normal terrain. Many of my opponents and I were not pleased about that. We wondered why GW made this change since no one who shows up for a narrative event really wants to play on official tournament terrain. Sigh.

 

The other thing is that, for some reason, I though that the narrative event was going to be 2,000 points each. Instead, it was only 1,000 points games. 1,000 points games are fun from time to time. But the heart of the game for me is in bigger points games like 1,500 or 2,000 points games. 

 

But I love the narrative aspect. The little events that happened was great. The cosplay was great. The way the missions all forged a grander order vs. chaos story over the course of the tournament was great. Twas a wonderful event and I'm glad I tried it out.

 

 

Enjoy the photos!

 

 

House Nightfall, "Ave Dominus Nox"

[kabaakaba]

Love your brs it's always nice and fun reading.

But where is defilers???

[Tallarn Commander]

Heh, I wanted to keep it casual since it was a narrative event. My opponents brought toned down army lists too so I would have felt bad bringing my Defiler.  

 

The league I'm in is pretty casual too so no Defilers there either.

 

But I'll bring 1 Defiler to tourneys since they are super good now, even at 330 points each.

[Tallarn Commander]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm participating in a Slow-Grow League at a local gaming store, Nomad Games in Edmonds, Washington in the United States. 

 

This is the third such league I've attended.

 

During the spring of 2025 I brought my Blood Wolves Chaos Marines to the league: https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/321042-tallarn-commanders-chaos-the-night-lords-play-some-league-games/page/20/#findComment-6098473

 

 

And during the fall of 2025 I brought my Nostroman 9th Traitor Guard to the league:  https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/321042-tallarn-commanders-chaos-the-night-lords-play-some-league-games/page/23/#findComment-6137981

 

 

This time around I'm bringing my Night Lords. I've tried various dispositions this edition, but for this league I wanted to try a classic, Purge the Foe. So I'm using the Creations of Bile Detachment, it's one I've really enjoyed over the years.

 

Here are some photos and comments of my first three league games.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Game 1: Night Lords vs. Imperial Guard

 

Night Lords 500 point list

Spoiler

1. Night Lords Chaos Marines

   ● Detachment: Creations of Bile

   ● Disposition: Purge The Foe

    

   CHARACTERS

   ☆ Hazzar The Child Skinner, Chaos Apothecary, counts-as Fabius Bile, warlord, joins The Reavers (100)

    

   BATTLE LINE

   ● 2nd Squad, 10 Cultists (50 points)

   ● The Reavers, 10 Legionaries (170 points)

    

   OTHER DATA SHEETS

   ◇ Bat To The Bone, 3 Chaos Bikers (70)

   ♤ The Crows, 5 Renegade Raiders (110 points)

    

   Total=500 points

 

 

Imperial Guard 500 Point List

Spoiler

Krieg, 500 Pts.

-Detachment: Grizzled Company

-Disposition: Purge The Foe

 

 

CHARACTERS

-Krieg Command Squad (60)

 

BATTLE Line

-Krieg Infantry Squad, 20 troopers (145)

-Krieg Infantry Squad, 20 troopers (145)

-Krieg Infantry Squad, 20 troopers (145)

 

Total=495 points

 

 

 

Since I'm a guard player myself I always enjoy playing against them. My opponent was also playing my new favorite detachment for the guard, Grizzled Company.

 

 

The board at deployment

 

 

The Crows Raider Squad infiltrates onto objective

I'm really enjoying infiltrating Raiders. The unit dies to a stiff breeze, but it is quite useful at racking up early game primary and/or secondary points. Someday I'll probably go back and paint up a Raider Squad for each of my 4 Chaos Marine armies.  

 

 

 

Krieg blob moves up and does actions on objectives

As you probably know, Priority Assets is all about doing actions on central objectives. This is something the guard are well suited for, although this would probably work better at higher points games.

 

 

The Night Lords Move Up

 

 

Bikers Consolidate Into the Krieg

 

 

And melee ensues

 

Krieg open fire

 

 

Unpainted Apothecary and the Reavers fight the guard troopers

 

 

In the end, the forces of Chaos managed to beat the foul Corpse Worshippers. My opponent was very fun to play against and quite sporting. We enjoyed chatting about how 11th edition is affecting the Guard. It was a really fun and quick game. 500 point games have their own tempo. And when you have so ew units, you really have to think about how to achieve secondaries and primaries.

 

 

.......continued below........

 

 

Night Lords, "The quick and the dead."

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Thanks for the battle report - very interesting.  Next time you see your opponent, tell him that a random guy on the internet thinks that his krieg are looking great, particularly the guys in the red pants and field caps.

 

And yeah, actions are really rough in low point games, even for armies with cheaper units.

 

I've been thinking about how I would model reivers to put them in my own chaos marines, given that the GW models are basically just marines with less trim, more fur and capes - and my army already has the last 2 covered and I'm not a huge fan of the look of the first.  Ultimately, I think the Slaanpat I did for my EC tormentors (on capes on legionary models) is the answer to make them recognizably different and stealthy - your making the models prone is a also great way to do that.

[Tallarn Commander]

Thanks Dr. Ruminahui,

 

Yes, the black and red scheme on the IG is very snazzy. I'll DM my opponent and tell him what you said.

 

Yes, I think your capes work nicely for making your Raiders sneaky. I'm still pondering how to kitbash my remaining Raiders--I might  use Chaosified Wolf Scouts for the Blood Wolves since they are fallen Space Wolves.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++==

 

Game 2: Night Lords vs. Ultramarines

 

I used the same list as above for my 2nd 500 point league game. 

 

I don't recall what my opponent had, but it seemed like a fun, fluffy Ultramarines list based around a squad of Victrix Honor Guard. Since I hang out at the bottom tables of tournaments so I've never gone up against Victrix before. They sure were choppy.

 

 

 

500 Points of House Nightfall's Night Lords

 

 

 

Chaos Legionary Dark Chorus chills in a building before the game begins

 

 

Chaos Biker Shard before battle

 

 

Victrix Honor Guard camouflaged in the ruins

 

 

Hazzar the Night Lords Apothecary survives the charge but his squad falls

 

I recently learned that since you join characters to squad before the game begins, Hazzar could have revived some Legionaries during my command phase using the Creations of Bile healing stratagem. In previous editions, he would have become his own unit once the squad died and he was unable to heal the squad. This is very interesting and something I'll have to remember. 

 

Victrix cull through some Cultists and capture my home objective

 

 

Victrix fail a charge against the Raiders who promptly run away upfield

 

 

In the end, the sons and daughters of Nostramo managed a win. Mostly because my bikers and Raiders kept running away from his units. And I kept getting lucky secondaries. This seems like a very Night Lordsy way to win a game.

 

 

I really enjoyed playing against my opponent. He plays a lot of Horus Heresy. So later in the summer, I'll drag my Nostroman 9th Traitor Guard out of mothballs and get in a game of Horus Heres. I'll use the (Renegade) Imperialis Militia list. At 3,000 points I can field a Nostroman 9th Militia with about 180 infantry, 3 heavy ordnance artillery pieces, 6 weapons teams, 9 hounds, 2 tanks, and 2 sentinels. The Horus Heresy rules for this army make it feel a lot like it used to back in 7th through 9th when it was the Vraks Chaos Militia force.

 

 

Night Lords, "Ave Dominus Nox"

[Kommisar_K]

Oh hey I remember being a couple tables over while you played that game!  Sounded like a lot of fun. 

 

You're right, the new character/leader rules are tricky. Does Hazzar (or Bile) have a bodyguard resurrection ability on his datasheet as well? (Totally not probing for re-evaluation of ye olde apothecary-hellblaster combo...)

 

Anyhoo, I love the chaotic look of your army on the tabletop. Good pics too, they really show off the riotous horde in action! 

[kabaakaba]

Thanks for BR, as always it's a pleasure to see your beautiful army fight against grey oppression of Imperium!(Hate unpainted armies, it's just a disrespect to opponent) 

 

[Tallarn Commander]

Thank you for the kind words, Kommissar and Kabaakaba,

 

With regard to characters and healing, since characters join the squad before the game they are the squad and so, as long as they are alive, they can heal some of their squad mates even if all of the squad mates are dead. This really helps apothecaries and such.

 

I've been busy so I haven't been able to post--a family member lost a leg, but they are recovering nicely. In the last month I have been able to get in 3 more league games. Here are some photos and comments.

 

All 3 games were very fun and my opponents were very nice! 

 

 

++++++++++LEAGUE GAME AT 1,000 POINTS: NIGHT LORDS VS. DARK ANGELS+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

The board at deployment

 

 

 

Bikers take out DA Chaplain after his Jump Pack squad is shot down by Obliterators

 

The bikers spent the rest of the game hanging out in a building. My opponent and I joked that the bikers had probably dragged the chaplain's corpse into the building and spent the rest of the game skinning him. 

 

 

Ezekiel and the Blade Guard

 

These bad boys took out a squad of my Chaos Termies before dying to Hazzar (counts-as Bile) and his Legioanaries.

 

 

Cat and mouse Manuevering by both sides in the early game

 

 

 

Inner circle approach the infiltrating Crows

 

 

The Crows were wiped out by midgame. But my opponent and I noted that, in retrospect, the Inner Circle would have been better off going for my main line rather than my infiltrators on an expansion, as this put them out of position til end game.

 

The Atramentar Termies drop in

 

 

Ozrk the Obliterator holds the enemy home objective

 

 

Atramentar chip away at Blade Guard

 

 

Inner Circle wipe out Rapture, my Noise Marines

Until their death, Rapture provided a solid amount of ranged fire support.

 

 

Hazzar and the Legionaries get revenge and take out the Inner Circle

 

The astute among you may notice that Cypher is hanging out with the Legionaries. This is not Cypher the special character, this is Cypher as a Legionary Aspiring Champion.

 

I re-based my old Cypher model from a 25 mm base to a 32 mm base just for this game.

 

My opponent and I thought it would be fun to include a Cypher model. If my opponent had killed him then my opponent would have gained a moral victory. And he would have taken the Cypher-Not-Cypher back to the Dark Angels Battle Barge for interrogation.

 

In the end the force of the Night Lords managed a very close and fun win.

 

 

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++1000 POINT LEAGUE GAME 2: NIGHT LORDS VS. THOUSAND SUNS+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

 

Board at deployment

 

 

Thousand Suns--I really like the pinks and oranges

 

 

 

Bikers and Legionaries deploy

 

 

I started out by charging and killing 2 infiltrating robots in the middle. I was too aggressive--the robots were bait. I knew it but I charged anyway. The Thousand Suns Turn 2 clap-back took out my Legionaries, as you can see here

 

 

Then I brought in my Oblits and Noise Marines, and took out this clap-back units, a DP and a bunch of Tzangor thingies.

 

 

Then he counter-counter-punched with a cool big monster thingy with lots of tentacles that broke my middle-of-the-board units. This was a series of incredibly fierce and fun fights in the middle of the board. 40K at its finest!

 

 

Bikers and Noise Marines on my right flank

 

 

I brought my Atramentar Termie Squad down on the left to counter his Termie Squad

His termies won. In the end, I think I should have brought my Termies into the center.

 

 

It was a fun game indeed. In the end, the Thousand Suns defeated the Sons and Daughters of Nostramo.

 

 

+++++++++++++++++++++LEAGUE GAME 3: 1500 POINTS OF NIGHT LORDS VS. SPACE WOLVES+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

This was another really fun game. My opponent was trying something different. Instead of running the very popular 3 squads of 10 Space Wolves Terminators, he ran a dreadnought-heavy army. I love dreadnought heavy armies! 

 

1500 points of Night Lords

 

At the bottom left you can my Mutilators, a new addition to the list. And the figure primed white is "Kravekka Morne," my counts-as Kravek Morne.

 

 

Gorgeous Space Wolf Dreadnoughts and a Tech Marine and Iron Priest

 

I love Space Wolf dreads. I've never played loyalist marines. But if I did I'd play Space Wolves and I'd always include 2 or 3 dreadnoughts in my lists.

 

 

 

However, unlike the previous 2 games he easily crushed me without breaking a sweat. It was still a fun game though. I think I need some tougher line infantry, Legionaries supported by Hazzar (Bile) are fine at 500 and 1000 points games. But I think Hazzar needs to be joining Chosen at 1500 point and 2000 point games. And I need to add some durability in the form of Possessed into the list. Possessed really shine in Creations of Bile lists.

 

 

Scouts Surprise Cultists

 

I forgot my opponent had infiltrators in his list. If I had remembered this the I would have done a better job of protecting my expansion.

 

 

My opponents Phobos Marines deep strike on Turn 1. I took the bait and charged and killed em. This set him up nicely for the counter-punch. 

 

 

So I've lost 2 games because I took the bait. I think I need to work in a trading piece unit into my list. That way I can contest the middle during the early game without exposing my more valuable pieces. A squad of 5 Legionaries does this nicely, although small Possessed and Bikers Squads can fill this role too.

 

My Mutilators drop in

The Mutilators were too little too late and I didn't bother moving them. I just finished up the turn and conceded. But it was still a fun game.

 

Space Wolf charged at the top of Turn 2

They crushed the Night Lords!

 

My opponent was a good sport and he let us do a pretend match to see how Kravekka would fare against Logan Grimnar. Kravekka won the pretend 1 v. 1 fight. It was really kind of my opponent to stage this fight.

 

Kravekka vs. Logan

 

 

Here is another photo of my WiP Mutilator Squad, Anarchy. I hope to paint them up for a tournament down in Tacoma on September 26th.

 

 

And a WiP photo of "Kravekka Morne," my counts-as Kravek Morne

 

 

Anarchy and Kravekka will be painted up in the black and yellow colors of my homebrew warband, the Warpborn. I had hoped to paint them up for this summer's Call to Arms, but life got in the way, as it does. 

 

I have my last 2 league games this weekend. I'll be bringing more Creations of Bile, but at 2,000 points. I'll avoid bringing Defilers. Defilers are probably too competitive for this league, which is a bit more casual. So I'll stick with Vindicators and Oblits (and possibly Noise Marines) for my ranged support.

 

One thing I'll try in these 2 games that I've never tried before is a brick of 10 Chaos Terminators. I'm not sure how they'll do, but at least the brick will benefit from the Creations of Bile buffs. And I'll attach "Kravekka Morne" to the squad as well, her additional point of AP buff will help them out nicely.

 

And on Monday I hope to finish my Call to Arms pledge.

 

So next week I'll update this blog with those items.

 

 

House Nightfall, "The quick and the dead."

 

Edited 21 hours ago by Tallarn Commander

[gaurdian31]

Sorry to hear about your family member, but glad they are recovering well. Sounds like a great round of fun games!

[Kommisar_K]

Oof, I'll pray for your family member. Speedy recovery!

 

As for the games, yeah baiting and countercharge are such a big part nowadays. Often a game-changer if you can lure in one of an opponent's better units and take 'em out quickly. It's rough but very thematic! And then on the other hand there are the games where you're playing cat & mouse for a couple rounds... popping off snap shots, sniping across the board, & then charging forward into glorious melee. Those are so much fun.

 

Anarchy is looking sweet! 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Thanks for sharing - those do sound like fun games.  Your spacewolf opponent's army is very nice looking.  And I wish your family member a smooth recovery.

 

Your mutalators look wild - looking forward to some more closeups of them in the future.

 

Yeah, knowing when to go in is a real art in 11th, and really favours mixed shooting and melee armies, which I like.  And I agree, having small disposable units that are still killy enough to get rid of similar enemy units is pretty key to most lists - so I can't say whether your army needs more of those or the big chosen brick you suggest.  BTW, have you thought of doing your own take on a Masters of the Maelstrom unit?  With your penchant for conversions I'm sure you could make some really neat models for them.

 

Don't know if this is the right place to put this, but I love the cloaked figure with the banner you painted for CtA (this guy) - so characterful.  What's the base model?

Edited 20 hours ago by Dr_Ruminahui