Pythos-Narrative Campaign 9-8-18

[TiguriusX]

My name is Tigurius X and I hail from the Macanese tribe of seafarers on Fenris

No, not THAT Tigurius...

It is a bit ironic that I share my name with a renowned psyker given my thread in life

I am known as the executioner wolf and the bane of psykers.

I served under Jarl Egil Ironwolf until that thrice cursed campaign in the Athelaq Sector. My pack was decimated when the Aeldari turned their witchfire against us but I was able to avenge them when I hunted down the offending Warlock. After I cut his thread I ground his spirit stone to dust. A fate well deserved for one who turns on his allies.

After losing my pack I parted ways with Egil and began my second life serving in the DeathWatch.

I became an expert in hunting all types of foul Xenos. Kill it with fire if you want it to stay dead friend.

I mastered the Purgatus Tactics and learned you need speed to strike the head from a snake. Boarding shields and jump packs can get you in position to deliver the crucial blow. I am particularly fond of hunting Aeldari psykers and would have gladly let my thread run in this life. However, news reached my ears of Magnus, Jarl Egil and Fenris itself...

I returned to the Aett to pay my respects to Jarl Egil as well as seek my own vengeance.

I bent the knee to the Old Wolf and offered my particular set of skills.

The Old Wolf accepted my unorthodox force of executioners and assassins. Did I forget to mention I had developed a fiercely loyal following in my time hunting Xenos psykers and did not return alone?

The Old Wolf was needed on Cadia but he sent me on a hunt across the void sea...the details of which are known only to myself.

We are Task Force Tigurius and we begin our hunt on Pythos

Game 1

30 PL Patrol Detachment

++ Patrol Detachment (Imperium - Space Wolves) [30 PL, 637pts] ++

+ HQ +

Wolf Lord-Tigurius [6 PL, 129pts]: Jump Packs, Saga of the Hunter, Storm shield, Thunder hammer, Warlord
. The Wulfen Stone: Relic of The Fang

+ Troops +

Grey Hunters [4 PL, 96pts]: 4x Chainsword
. Grey Hunter Pack Leader: Power axe
. 4x Grey Hunter w/Bolt Pistol

+ Elites +

Wolf Guard [9 PL, 180pts]: Jump Packs
. Wolf Guard: Combi-flamer, Storm shield
. Wolf Guard: Combi-flamer, Storm shield
. Wolf Guard: Combi-flamer, Storm shield
. Wolf Guard: Combi-flamer, Storm shield
. Wolf Guard Pack Leader: Combi-flamer, Wolf claw

+ Fast Attack +

Cyberwolves [1 PL, 15pts]: Cyberwolf

Cyberwolves [1 PL, 15pts]: Cyberwolf

+ Heavy Support +

Long Fangs [9 PL, 202pts]
. Long Fang: Plasma cannon
. Long Fang: Plasma cannon
. Long Fang: Plasma cannon
. Long Fang: Plasma cannon
. Long Fang: Plasma cannon
. Long Fang Pack Leader: Chainsword, Plasma gun

++ Total: [30 PL, 637pts] ++

Game 2

100 PL Battalion

*Assassin exception for narratives

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Imperium - Space Wolves) [85 PL, 1550pts] ++

+ No Force Org Slot +

Trophies of Fenris (1 Relic)

+ HQ +

Iron Priest-Yanno [5 PL, 91pts]: Helfrost pistol, Servo-arm, Tempest hammer

. The Armour of Russ: Relic of The Fang

Wolf Guard Battle Leader-Ghrond [5 PL, 114pts]: Jump Packs, Storm shield, Thunder hammer

Wolf Lord-Tigurius [6 PL, 129pts]: Jump Packs, Saga of the Hunter, Storm shield, Thunder hammer, Warlord

. The Wulfen Stone: Relic of The Fang

+ Troops +

Grey Hunters [4 PL, 70pts]: 4x Chainsword

. Grey Hunter Pack Leader: Power axe

. 4x Grey Hunter w/Bolt Pistol

Grey Hunters [4 PL, 70pts]: 4x Chainsword

. Grey Hunter Pack Leader: Power axe

. 4x Grey Hunter w/Bolt Pistol

Grey Hunters [10 PL, 98pts]: 4x Chainsword

. Grey Hunter Pack Leader: Power fist

. 4x Grey Hunter w/Bolt Pistol

. Wolf Guard Terminator Pack Leader: Storm bolter, Storm shield

+ Elites +

Wolf Guard [9 PL, 180pts]: Jump Packs

. Wolf Guard: Combi-flamer, Storm shield

. Wolf Guard: Combi-flamer, Storm shield

. Wolf Guard: Combi-flamer, Storm shield

. Wolf Guard: Combi-flamer, Storm shield

. Wolf Guard Pack Leader: Combi-flamer, Wolf claw

Wulfen Dreadnought [8 PL, 137pts]: Fenrisian great axe

. Blizzard Shield: Blizzard shield, Storm bolter

Wulfen Dreadnought [8 PL, 137pts]: Fenrisian great axe

. Blizzard Shield: Blizzard shield, Storm bolter

+ Fast Attack +

Cyberwolves [1 PL, 15pts]: Cyberwolf

Cyberwolves [1 PL, 15pts]: Cyberwolf

+ Heavy Support +

Long Fangs [15 PL, 292pts]

. Long Fang: Lascannon

. Long Fang: Lascannon

. Long Fang: Lascannon

. Long Fang: Lascannon

. Long Fang: Lascannon

. Long Fang Pack Leader: Boltgun and Bolt Pistol, Chainsword

. Wolf Guard Terminator Pack Leader: Storm shield

. . Cyclone missile launcher and storm bolter: Cyclone missile launcher, Storm bolter

Long Fangs [9 PL, 202pts]

. Long Fang: Plasma cannon

. Long Fang: Plasma cannon

. Long Fang: Plasma cannon

. Long Fang: Plasma cannon

. Long Fang: Plasma cannon

. Long Fang Pack Leader: Chainsword, Plasma gun

++ Vanguard Detachment (Imperium - Officio Assassinorum) [15 PL, 265pts] ++

+ Elites +

Culexus Assassin [5 PL, 85pts]

Vindicare Assassin [5 PL, 90pts]

Vindicare Assassin [5 PL, 90pts]

++ Total: [100 PL, 1815pts] ++

*Pics will be edited in after

Hoping this is a fluffy-ish force for my first ever Narrative event

Absolutely no named characters for me

Made a few selections for fluff as well

[TiguriusX]

Models in various states of completion. Everything is at least primed with no bare plastic (I like "gray" as my color so it may look like plastic but it is not)

Wolf Lord Tigurius formerly of the Deathwatch

*I fell in love with the large boarding shields when shopping on Ebay ages ago and had to have it. First ones I saw were deathwatch so it became part of my backstory

Tigurius returned to Fenris with his most trusted hunting companions.

Together these 4 have hunted down more Xenos psykers than they can remember.

When hunting it usually becomes a race against time for the target. If the target hides it is simply a matter of time before Tigurius and the Culexus run them down. If they decide to bolt the pair of vindicare snipers seldom miss prey once it has been flushed into the open

Logan Grimnar knows the danger that awaits Task Force Tigurius and has assigned additional assets to the hunt.

Tigurius believes in the boarding shield above all other forms of protection and he trains his newly formed Task Force in the proper usage

Tigurius also believes the only way to guarantee a dead Xenos is to reduce it to ash.

He formed his personal Wolf Guard retinue with both objectives in mind

Wolf Guard Battle Leader Ghrond excelled in boarding shield combat training and has been assigned to protect Tigurius as his personal champion

*Yes that is blue tack....will try to magnetize before Sat but not sure if I have enough time

Iron Priest Yanno and his cyber wolves were the best trackers Logan Grimnar could spare for this hunt

Iron Priest Yanno is also tasked with the care of Wulfen Dreadnoughts who are only to be unleashed if we run into unpexpected challenges

*These are my previous shield dread venerables...I still haven't bolted on the SB but don't care and never plan to use them

A few of the long fang packs remembered old Tigurius and volunteered to join him. The overwhelming firepower they provide fit his battle doctrine perfectly but they needed to be trained in stealth

*I may send the plasma cannons on the hunt

Filling out the task force are a few packs of Grey Hunters

An assault pack Tigurius jokingly refers to as the lefties

An assault pack Tigurius jokingly refers to as the righties

And a pack trained to dig in and hold whatever they may find

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Your WIPs look promising. Sadly, the female Culexus looks much less intimidating without the original model's skull helm, and her Tau-looking helmet may make her a victim of misidentification and "friendly fire." Are the snipers Fenrisian auxiliaries, Necromunda gangers or mercenaries your Wolf Lord encountered during his time in the Deathwatch, or...?

[TiguriusX]

Your WIPs look promising. Sadly, the female Culexus looks much less intimidating without the original model's skull helm, and her Tau-looking helmet may make her a victim of misidentification and "friendly fire." Are the snipers Fenrisian auxiliaries, Necromunda gangers or mercenaries your Wolf Lord encountered during his time in the Deathwatch, or...?

 

My culexus is very Tau (the model is Tau and even has hooves).  However, there is good reason for it.

 

One of the missions Tigurius was assigned in the past was the elimination of a Tau research project into blanks.  The crazy bastards actually succeeded in acquiring human blanks and tampering with the DNA to create human/Tau hybrid blanks.  Tigurius seized all the assets and research and eliminated everything else related to the project.

 

The overseeing members of the Ordo Xenos decided to turn the Tau research into our weapon and left the hybrid blank(s) in the care of Tigurius (I have 3 of these models total)

 

As for my snipers I never really thought about them (just recently started using them in games).

 

I like to think they are mercenaries that were hired for a job that Tigurius simply kept around because they were good.  There was mutual respect for respective skills and eventually an unbreakable bond was forged. 

 

Also...Tigurius was not a typical deathwatch veteran.

 

He was a specialized kill-marine and basically operated independently like a pseudo inquisitor with his own retinue.

 

Why would they give him this flexibility? 

 

Because he gets the job done...

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Will you paint skulls on the human-Tay hybrids, and add pauldrons to change their silhouettes (very important at nighttime and other conditions of poor visibility), reducing the chance they'll be misidentified as Tau infiltrators and become victims of "friendly fire"?

[TiguriusX]

5 people showed up and 3 of them were space wolves (including myself)

 

Space Wolf #1

Torrvald Red Maker, Wolf Lord For Great Company, successor and once Claw Leader of Wolf Lord Hvald Red-Blade during the crusade and heresy.

 

On his journey in the first Great Hunt, some 200 years after the Emperor Ascension, his ship containing him and his Wolf guard battle leader Jackson. Went missing in the warp.

 

They’ve arrived off course and almost 10,000 years late on the world of Pythos. Where they received transmission of imperial assistance in reclaiming a lost world from their early years.

 

It’s been only a week while commuting in the warp, but all these battle harden sons of Russ, are eager to assist any imperial force in need.

 

Along their rosters includes veterans that fought on Prospero, Yant, Beta-Garmon, Axion, and various other battles in the Heresy. Such as the Ancient Sven, once siege breaker of For, during prospero. Where he almost lost his life, if it weather for his interment.

 

Much of the Great Company functions as the new formate, device by Russ after the reformation of the imperium and legions. We have blood claws, the newest and raw and no nothing of the legion of old. Grey hunters, the oldest fought in the scouring and heresy. Wolf guard and long fangs, the seniors of the pack, are true legionaries that seen life prior to the heresy.

 

Torrvald was known as one of the first thunderwolf Calvary riders, after the wars of the scouring.

 

Wuffen were those of the ill fated deathsworn packs that transform into their bestial form during transit.

 

Jackson shield is a relic while serving as a knight Errant of Malcador.

 

Lord Inquisitor Eisenhorn of the ordo Xenos, found out of the pack to the disturbance of the world and their mysterious origins.

 

Patrol lore:

 

Inquisitor Eisenhorn, along with a small pack of grey hunters and an ancient battle tank, and a unit huscarl with a relic weapon on the eyes and ears of the Great Company. And to gather intelligence for the main force. In his time in trusting the lost pack, he managed to collect valuable information and records that contain something on this World, something valuable, since the imperium lacks anything on it for several reasons.

 

Main force:

 

We are here to honor the loyalist attempts to cleanse a memory from ancient sins. Now this world shale return to our glorious lord of mankind-the Allfather-, we the sons of Russ and true bloods of the VI legion, will reconquer this world again. Pythos will no longer be a chaos bastion, and with our side will liberate it from the hands of our archenemy and prevent its capture from Xenos and questionable loyalists with heretical ideals- like worshipping the Allfather against his wishes!

 

Space Wolf #2

Didn't write his back story 

He had Njal

We decided he was the primary response force sent to Pythos by Logan

I was plan B sent to aid if needed but primarily hunt down and execute the opposing command structure

 

The remaining armies were:

-Valhallan/Renegade Imperial guard

Octavius Carron held a particular hatred for space marines, ever since he witnessed the corruption of a space marine chapter. The knowledge would've gotten a lesser man executed, but Octavius was no normal man. A fervent servant of the Emperor, yet one that believed in a modified version of the Ecclesiarchy's teachings, Carron had come to believe that anyone superhuman, as evidenced by the numerous chapters that had fallen to Chaos over the years, and yet more that stood in question of their true allegiance, were nothing more than traitors to the pure strain of humanity that he had come to idealize in himself and his men. He was excommunicated from the local Imperial system for being deemed too radical in his beliefs, and for good reason.

 

His following was feverish, countless numbers of the faithful flocking to his cause in protest to the apathetic actions of these so called "Angels" of the Emperor. In a feat that most considered almost impossible, Carron had succeeded in killing an entire warband of Chaos Space Marines. Loyalist marines weren't far behind, and soon, even they were added to his tally of massacres. To Carron, they were nothing more than another abomination in the galaxy for the true sons and daughters of the Emperor to eradicate. Monstrous mutants that required culling, as evidenced by their willingness to try and utilize ancient Aeldari technology on Pythos.

 

Kill the Alien. Kill the Heretic. Kill the Mutant! Kill the False Angels of Death!

 

WE ARE THE ONES, WHO WILL TRULY KNOW NO FEAR!

-Chaos led by Sorceror Lord Luciferus

Lucificus, Sorcereor Lord of the Vengeful Revenants, pondered his current scheme. It had been long since he seceded from the Imperium for their damned treachery, and time in the warp had been unrelenting. 

He had sworn an oath of vengeance against the imperium of man, and many dark pacts were made to secure a daemon world in the eye of terror for himself, so that he may plot his revenge.

But now came another pact to make. The chance for Daemonhood was upon him, and he was promised that dark reward for only one thing in return: To re-open the Damnation Cache, and let daemons roam free on the death planet Pythos once more.

However, doing something of this magnitude is no easy task, but Lucificus had an idea of where to begin...

 

 

I'm not going to batrep every little thing.  I'll just highlight some things

 

Pythos is a warp/demon planet.  Odd stuff happens like animal attacks and warp disturbances.

 

Game #1 would be a focus on scouting to get information and find relics

Game #2 would be the conclusion

 

 

Game #1 was all 5 playing at once.  Each turn we rolled off.  Highest roll could choose to act or force another player to go.  Then you rolled again with remaining players and repeat until all have acted.

 

Was fun but took forever!!  We made it through 3 turns in 3.5 hours and ended the game to prepare for Round 2

[TiguriusX]

The beasts of Pythos (game #1)

We chose deployment sections and I ended up in a corner somewhat isolated from the other armies.

At the end of turn 1 the beasts appeared near the Chaos forces under Sorceror Lord Lucificus and his chaos cultists went to investigate.

They were unable to down the beast with shooting and decided to charge in (it was not a wise decision)

They were surprisingly aided in combat by a pack of SW#1's Grey Hunters who had the same bad luck

One of the mighty beasts was finally taken down thanks to concentrated plasma fire from a nearby Long Fang pack (mine)

Why did we persist against these beasts? They had squiggoth profiles FYI

Mainly for fun and RPG (I spent a lifetime hunting Xenos I couldn't resist chasing it down!)

The actual game gave it as an objective in addition to hunting relics. The player who killed the most PL in round 1 would be auto granted first turn in round 2.

Killing this beast put me in the lead going into the final turn...

[TiguriusX]

Relics of Pythos (game #1)

6 Relics were waiting to be found but none of the 5 armies had any idea where to start. We had 3 turns of searching due to time constraints.

The way the rule worked was you had to end your move touching terrain. If the relic was hidden there it would be revealed after the movement phase. Anyone could get the benefit of the relic just by touching the terrain it was on. The relics had 1 reward per player so once you found it you moved on to the next. There was no obsec or contesting to prevent other players from getting their benefit.

The slaaneshi concert in the park apparently inspired their search and the forces of Chaos quickly found 2 of the relics outside of their ampitheater

After finding these relics the forces of chaos warp timed back into the ampitheater to continue their festivities rather than search on (Chaos found 2/6 relics despite getting those 2 on turn 1!)

Meanwhile the tide of conscripts quickly scoured the field of battle and recovered 5/6 relics.

The other space wolf forces were unable to maneuver through all the conscripts and each picked up 1/6 relics along the way.

Finally, my own SW force who started isolated in a corner had 0 relics going into the final turn but finally managed to run down 3/6. Although I brought down a mighty beast of pythos and had the PL kill lead for a while i finished up in 2nd place for both relics found and PL killed.

The funniest part of this mission was the tale of brave brave sir robin piloting the sicarin tank

The flash mob of conscripts appearing in the middle of this warp infested jungle world spooked the hell out of the tank driver. After being charged and suffering a single wound the tank fled from the intimidating mob of pedestrians directly into the jaws of a trap set by the chaos forces.

The kill granted the forces of Chaos the lead in PL killed points and they earned the bonus to take first turn in Game #2

[TiguriusX]

Warp gates of Pythos (game #2)

We split up for round 2 and I faced off against the renegade guard.

The mission was to find our way from the jungles of Pythos to the warp moon.

On turn 1 warp gates opened in our DZ and we raced for the objectives on the other side.

Not much to write here as his 150 Valhallan conscripts formed a wall of flesh to help him secure the objective.

My small force of elite Space Wolves just couldn't compete with the tide of guard.

Even though I managed to cut my way through his first wave they just kept coming (my reward for killing an entire 30 man squad was a stratagem to recycle them)

Pythos itself got in on the action. Every turn on the warp moon we were randomly scattered. After clearing his infantry my HQs scattered into the open and his manticore missile batteries which were previously left behind on the jungle world teleported onto the warp moon (relic bonus he earned in game 1) and obliterated my front lines.

My space wolf task force held on until the end as my vindicare assassins needed all the time we could buy them to finish their mission. In the end he ran down my vindicares but I successfully assassinated his HQs and cut the head off the snake.

My pair of assasins killed his psyker...ogryn bodyguard with a 2++ and the lord commander. This was my personal mission and had nothing to do with my assigned objectives but I left the field of battle satisfied.

[TiguriusX]

Post game we had a few ideas how to improve things

 

Time and objectives were the main issues

 

Instead of 1 player at a time "team" activate is probably best in the future.  Let an entire team of players around the board do a turn at once.

 

Another big suggestion was different objectives for each player/army including secret objectives

 

We honestly didn't have to bother playing my game to know his 150 ob sec guys would secure the goal and win

 

In future games a secret mission can be given to a player.  The GM really liked how I kept playing and was roleplaying my goal to take the head off the snake.  I didn't care how many guardsmen were around I had a singular focus on letting my vindicares do work.  If the leadership were removed I considered it a victory.  

 

As my first ever narrative I had fun and retelling this story has me laughing as well.

 

I need to get involved with some kill team games next and see if I like the shorter sessions those offer.

 

In the meantime I ordered a pack of intercessors (needed for my double battalion lone wolf army idea) and the SW kill team to assemble