Master Ciaphas' Adeptus Titanicus

[Master Ciaphas]

Hail!

 

The mat is indeed from Deep Cut Studio. It is neat - but quite drab. 

 

All my bases (belong to us ;-) ) are done as Duncan "Two Thin Coats" Rhodes suggested in the now quite old AT18 Warlord painting tutorial on Warhammer TV YouTube channel. So  it is basically Stirland Mud and Battle Mire with Balor Brown drybrush, Screaming Skull and Agrax Wash.

 

Oh - and btw - I am having my second AT18 game on Saturday! Another 1000points of Astorum vs Gryphonicus - this time with Cerastus-Knights replacing the brokenly OP Acastus Knight-Asterius.

 

Cheers!

 

Faithfully,

Master Ciaphas

[Master Ciaphas]

Hail!

 

Right, then.

 

I have finished my first Cerastus Knight-Acheron as well as two Reaver Volkite CHOOM weapons...

 

 

Cheers!

 

Faithfully,

Master Ciaphas

[Master Ciaphas]

Game 12 – Adeptus Titanicus Battle – The Fulcrum Offensive

 

Having destroyed a Gryphonicus maniple, the Warp Runners push forward after reinforcing their advance with faster elements from House Tintaroth. Despite having suffered a devasting defeat, the War Griffons move to intercept the Loyalists.

 

Legio Astorum – Ferrox Light Maniple – 1000p

 

Honorum, Reaver-class Battle-Titan
-    Princeps Senioris (Will of Iron) 
-    Reaver Titan Chainfist, Melta Cannon, Vulcan Mega-Bolter

 

Pyladii Alpha, Warhound-class Scout-Titan
-   Vulcan Mega-Bolter, Vulcan Mega-Bolter

 

Avernus Maxima, Warhound-class Scout-Titan
-   Turbo Laser Destructor, Plasma Blastgun

 

10th Tintaroth Lancer Squadron, “The Paragons”
-    2 Cerastus Knight-Lancers, 1 Cerastus Knight-Acheron

 

Stratagems: Thermal Mines (2)

 

 

Legio Gryphonicus – Ferrox Light Maniple – 1000p

 

Trantor, Reaver-class Battle-Titan
-   Princips Senioris (Reckless Maverick)
-   Upgrade: Bastion Shielding, Plasmatic Binders
-   Titan Powerfist Laser Blaster, Apocalypse Missile Launcher

 

Terminus, Warhound-class Scout-Titan
-   Upgrades: Bastion Shielding
-   Plasma Blastgun, Turbo Laser Destructor

 

Fondatus, Warhound-class Scout-Titan
-   Upgrade: Bastion Shielding, Ranging Auspexes
-   Vulcan Mega-Bolter, Plasma Blastgun

 

House Raven Cerastus Knight-Lancers (2)

 

Stratagems: Blind Barrage (1)

 

 

Objectives:

Gryphonicus had Preserve the Past while Astorum had Virulent Messenger.

 

Battlefield:

 

Turn 1
Legio Gryphonicus becomes first player. Full Stride orders on the Cerastus Lancers and First Fire on Trantor. The Warp Runners give Full Stride to the 10th Tintaroth Lancers. Legio Gryphonicus try, but fail, to give Terminus Full Stride orders. 

 

 

Fondatus moves ahead to claim the objective; Pyladii Alpha mirror the move and claims the objective nearest the Warp Runners. Legio Astorum use their Thermal Mines, but it fails to do any damage on Fondatus. 

 

Terminus pushes it’s reactor, but gains two heat. In the Damage Control Phase, it suffers a Shield Collapse. 

 

 

 

 

Turn 2
Legio Gryphonicus again becomes first player and plays a Blind Barrage on Terminus. First Fire is given to Trantor and Emergency Shutdown is given to Terminus.  

 

 

The House Raven Knight-Lancers move behind the buildings in the center, preventing the 10th Tintaroth Lancers from engaging them. Honorum moves forward.

Honorum took aim at the House Raven Knight-Lancers and fired with its Melta Cannon. Through careful aim, it managed to hit the obscured Cerastus Knights, and immolated them both in a single volley. Fondatus fires it's Plasma Blastgun at Maximal Fire, killing the House Tintaroth Cerastus Knight-Acheron.

 

Avernus Maxima uses the opportunity to fire at Terminus, hitting it repeatedly in the body with its Maximal Fire Plasma Blastgun and the Turbo Laser Destructor, dealing critical damage, which results in a reactor leak

 

 

Turn 3
Legio Astorum becomes first player. A Charge order on the 10th Tintaroth Lancers fails, ending the orders for the Warp Runners. Terminus tries to restart it’s reactor, but fails. 

The two surviving Tintaroth Cerastus Knight-Lancers move into contact with Trantor.  

 

 

In the Damage Control phase, Terminus manages to repair it’s shields and raise a single shield. 

 

The 10th Lancers attack Trantor with gusto, piercing it’s body in multiple places, compromising it and dealing it critical damage. However, the might Reaver is still standing. In retaliation, Trantor demolishes one of the offending Knights, leaving only the Lord Scion, Heartbreaker, still in the fray. 

 

Honorum fires Melta Cannon, hitting Trantor in the body, damaging it, quickly following up with its Vulcan Mega-Bolter at Trantor, aiming at the body. Enough shots hit – and the damaged Reaver is cored, it’s metal heart torn out. Spinning around, it Wild Fires into Fondatus, dropping two of the Warhound’s shields, before falling into, and crushing, the last House Tintaroth Knight-Lancer, Heartbreaker, wiping out the Knight Banner. 

 

 

 

With the death of their Princeps Senioris, the surviving Legio Gryphonicus engines sounded the retreat, and fled the battlefield, saving their Warhounds to fight another day.  

 

Legio Astorum claim victory!

 

***   ***   ***

 

Another game - this time without the Knight-Asterius - and it was a lot more fun. Legio Gryphonicus was generally hampered by very poor dice rolls, whilst I had above average luck. Next time, I will probably be fielding a pair of Cerastus Knight-Atrapos, as they are almost done. 

Cheers!

[Lord_Borak]

Great report and a great looking board as well. 

[Mandragola]

A very good-looking game, and glad you had more fun without the Acastus. I also find Cerastus much more entertaining. 

[Master Ciaphas]

Hail!

 

Thanks for the comments! Yes, both my opponent and I had more fun without the Acastus Knight-Asterius messing things up.

 

In other news - I managed to finish my two Cerastus Knight-Atrapos:

 

 

And since I had two Knights out, I took them all out - so here is my painted House Tintaroth Knight Household:

 

 

Missing from the pictures are the last unpainted models, consisting of:

 

2 Cerastus Lancers

2 Cerastus Castigators

1 Cerastus Acheron

3 Questoris Knights

3 Knight Armigers

3 Knight Moirax

2 Knight Magaera

 

So much stuff still to do!

Faithfully,

Master Ciaphas

Edited March 13, 2023 by Master Ciaphas

[Lord_Borak]

Very pretty little Knight force you have there. It's a really nice colour scheme and certainly stands out. 

[Master Ciaphas]

Thank you, Lord_Borak! I am quite happy with them as well!

 

Also, my weekend plans got seriously derailed, so I spent some time Saturday evening and Sunday cleaning resin and putting together a box of Knight-Armigers, Knight-Moirax and a Dire Wolf.

 

 

When you have shaky hands, it is massively stressful gluing the baby knights together. But i managed in the end! Now - onto priming and painting.

 

Cheers!

[Lord_Borak]

Like it! I bought myself these kits on pre order. I haven't built them yet so it's nice to see what they look like built :D

[Mandragola]

Good stuff. I really like my armigers but they're insanely fiddly models to put together. Can't fault the detail of the kits. I find them pretty useful in games, though I run all melta/melee ones rather than helverins. Actually, they could come in quite handy in the new epic.

[Master Ciaphas]

Thanks! Yeah, the detail is amazing - but I was going slightly mad fiddling the pieces together!

 

Also - this showed up yesterday:

 

 

It is an arms race!

 

But, to be fair, only one set is mine - the other two sets are going to mates of mine...

 

Cheers!

[General Zodd]

6 hours ago, Master Ciaphas said:

Thanks! Yeah, the detail is amazing - but I was going slightly mad fiddling the pieces together!

 

Also - this showed up yesterday:

 

 

It is an arms race!

 

But, to be fair, only one set is mine - the other two sets are going to mates of mine...

 

Cheers!

It’s only an arms race for the Warlords and Warhounds. Surely it’s a top hat race for the Reavers…?

 

 

 

 

 

I’ll get my coat…

[Master Ciaphas]

Hehe. Well, I suppose you are right! 

 

In other news - this happened:

 

 

Since I missed out on them the first time round, I made sure to get a copy this time. 

Faithfully,

Master Ciaphas

[Sword Brother Adelard]

Can you please check if the strats are up to date with the latest books?

Edited May 17, 2023 by Sword Brother Adelard

[Lost2Requiem]

On 5/17/2023 at 7:52 PM, Sword Brother Adelard said:

Can you please check if the strats are up to date with the latest books?

Hi. As far as I’m aware they do not contain the errata and are the same as when they were first produced. 

[Sword Brother Adelard]

Sad face emoji react

[Master Ciaphas]

Hail!

 

Managed to finish another three models yesterday; the list of gray waiting to be painted shrinks! Huzzah!

 

A Dire Wolf Scout-Titan

 

 

 

Two Cerastus Knight-Lancers

 

 

And together:

 

Cheers!

 

/Master Ciaphas

[Master Ciaphas]

Also - back in May or June 2023, I managed to play two multiplayer games - my 13th and 14th game. Game 13 was very brief, as the opposing team conceded after the Turn 1 First Fire Phase - and Game 14 was a bit longer - but ended with a thrashing Traitor Victory end of Turn 3. As "always" I played Loyalist Legio Astorum. 

 

I do not remember the lists - but the Traitors were Legio Mortis and Traitor Legio Gryphonicus with several mutations and maniple sheenanigans. 

 

I had brought two Vortex Missiles - which in hindsigt was far too much - and after the first game the Traitors insisted we reset and that I swapped them out for Warp Missiles instead - which I did.  

 

Game 14 saw the Loyalists cripple 1 enemy warhound and engine kill another. To the almost total loss of our own army. Neither of the two games were particularly fun, however. Sigh. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still - this means that in 2023 I did manage to play four games of AT18. 

 

Faithfully,

Master Ciaphas

 

[Lord_Borak]

Great looking armies and terrain. 4 games of AT isn't bad. My gaming group has moved to playing Heresy, so I've only managed 1 game this year (god that's bad). However with EPIC coming out they have at least rekindled some 8mm interest. 

[Master Ciaphas]

Thanks, Borak! I hope that 2024 will see just a few more than four games played, though! 

 

Any how - on the last day of my hols, before resuming work, I spent some time assemblying my last two Reaver-class titans. Lucius Praetorian and Divine Triumph will walk...some time in 2024. 

 

 

I dread painting all that trim...

 

They are both fully magnetized, though I still have to assemble a Melta Cannon, Reaver Chainfist and the carapace turbo laser. I have somehow managed to misplace that particular instruction booklet...

 

Having gotten this far, gives me hope that I will be able to finish all my remaining Adeptus Titanicus models, save the Warmaster Iconoclast, which is a massive beast of a model. 

 

Cheers!

Master Ciaphas

 

 

[Tar Aldarion]

Sounds like a well used last day off. Keep going, then. As we all probably know, the trim never seems as numbing afterwards.

 

Do you need a picture of the manual? I guess I should have one or ten somewhere...

[Master Ciaphas]

Cheers! Did manage to find it though, after looking through my hobby drawer. 

 

I also managed to fit in about 45min of cutting and cleaning, and finished up the last four weapons for my last, two Reavers:

 

 

All in all, it looks like this: 

 

 

Tomorrow, if the weather is good, I will get out the rattle cans.

 

As a further bonus, I found this thing, halfdone and languishing in the painting tray:

 

Evidently, it is a Conversion Beamer (mkIII "Can Opener"). Guess I can finish that tonight. 

 

Lastly, it also gave me an opportunity to remember my long abandonded Warlord-Sinister Psy-Titan:

 

 

Really, I should be finishing that thing off first...

 

Cheers!

 

/Master Ciaphas

 

 

[Master Ciaphas]

Game 15 – Battle of Decimus I

 

The Warmaster advances steadily on Terra, Humanity’s greatest bastion. In the centre of the Arch-Enemy’s line of attack lines Beta-Garmon, where countless lives are being spent to slow the enemy for but a little while. On the flanks of the Beta-Garmon flank, lies the war world of Decima. In an attempt to flank the Loyalist front, Horus has sent the Legio Mortis detachment “World Breakers”, to secure it. They are, however, opposed by the stalwartly loyalist Legio Astorum. Battle Group “Decima”. Led by the young and reckless Princeps Senioris, Adelle Beauchamp, the Warp Runners would either triumph or die, doing their duty to Terra!       

 

On January 7th, 2024, I had my 15th game of Adeptus Titanicus – this time probably my largest game of 2000 points.  We played a matched game, using the Open Engine War card pack, which dealt us the following:

 

Planetary Effect: War World

Battlefield Effect: Vox Ghosts

Deployment: Staggered Front

Primary Objective: Conquest

 

Legio Astorum – Battle Group “Decima”

Ferrox Light Maniple

Secondary Objective: Plant the standard

Stratagems: Machine Defiance (2), Blind Barrage (1), Experimental Locumotors (1)

 

Reaver-class battle titan “Tritus” (320p)

-       Turbo Laser Destructor, Laser Blaster, Volcano Cannon

-       Princeps Senioris: Reckless Hubris

 

Reaver-class battle titan “Honorum” (320p)

-       Gatling Blaster, Volkite Eradicator, Melta Cannon

 

Warhound-class scout titan “Avernus Maxima” (230p)

-       Turbo Laser Destructor

-       Plasma Blastgun

 

Warhound-class scout titan “Pyladii Alpha” (200p)

-       2 x Vulcan Mega Bolters

 

Dire Wolf-class heavy scout titan “Stella Umbra”

-       Neutron Blaster

-       Ardex Defensor Mega-Bolters

 

Auxilliary Titan

Warlord-class Battle Titan “Terribilis Vindicta” (500p)

-       Macro Gatling Blaster Apocalypse Missile Launchers, Sunfury Plasma Annihilator

-       Wargear: Bastion Shielding

 

Knight House Tintaroth Support

Questoris-class knight banner (150p)

-       3 Questoris Knights each w. 2 x Questoris Melee Weapons

 

 

Legio Mortis – Subjugation Force “World Breakers”

Venator Light Maniple

Secondary Objective: Pride in Precision

Stratagems: Titan Hunter Infantry (2), Dark Pledge (1), Tracer Cloud (1)

 

 Reaver-class battle titan “Reality Dysfunction” (370p)

-       Volcano Cannon. Apocalypse Missile Launcher, Melta Cannon

-       Mutation: Warp Conduit (Aetheric Tempest S10, 12"), Empyrian Shroud (-1 to hit)

-       Wargear: Marks of Conquest

-       Princeps Senioris: Rotten Heart

 

Warhound-class scout titan “He Who Walks Behind” (255p)

-       2 x Vulcan Mega-Bolters

-       Mutation: Preternatural Grace, Demonic Bile

-       Wargear: Remains of the fallen

 

Warhound-class scout titan “Sky’s Edge” (250p):

-       Vulcan Mega-Bolter & Plasma Blastgun w. Focused Capacitors

-       Wargear: Marks of Conquest

 

Warmaster-class titan “Redemption Ark” (1175p)

-       2 x Suzerain Plasma Destructors

-       Revelator Missiles m. Corrosive Payload

-       Shoulder Weapons: Missile Launcher & Melta Cannon

-       Reactor: Infusive Super-coolant

-       Wargear: Singular Purpose

-       Mutations: Frozen Soul, Regeneration

 

 

Turn 1

 

 

 

 

Stella Umbra infiltrates on the Astorum left flank, ready to attack the Mortis engines. She also carries the standard (secondary objective).
 

 

Legio Mortis wins priority and play Titan Hunter Infantry on the Astorum right flank. Astorum plays Experimental Locumotors on Honorum, while Mortis finishes with playing Dark Pledge on Terribilis Vindicta.

 

Mortis gives Split Fire to Redemption Ark, while Astorum gives Full Stride to Avernus Maxima. Mortis declines to issue further orders, while Astorum fails the next command check to issue a full stride to Questoris Knights, ending the command phase.

 

The Mortis engines move forward on narrow tip, with Reality Dysfunction, He Who Walks Behind and Redemption Ark in the centre, while Sky’s Edge is sent to guard the Mortis flank, against the Astorum right thrust with Honorum and Avernus Maxima. Umbra Stella moved swiftly forward and into a firing position in the rear of the Mortis Legio.  

 

 

In the Damage Control phase, all Titans manage to cool what reactor heat had been accumulated.

 

Once the shooting started, Pyladii Alpha was rapidly stripped of all its shields. Returning the favour, the Loyalist Warhound unleashed it’s Mega-Bolters at He Who Walks Behind, rendering it defenceless against the hurtful attention of the remaining Astorum engines. Umbra Stella missed its shot with the Neutron Laser, but its Ardex Defensor Mega-Bolters managed to strip three shields off Reality Dysfunction.

 

Zeroing in its weapons, the mighty Astorum Warlord, Terribilis Vindicata, unleashed its full arsenal at He Who Walks Behind. The storm of fire proved too much for the Traitor Warhound, which suffered catastrophic damage. A magazine detonation spun the dying scout titan round, whose Vulcan Mega-Bolters fired off into the chest of Redemption Ark. However, the powerful shells were but like a light summer rain, for all it did, and Redemption Ark, spared only a disdainful thought at the fiery demise of its smaller ally. First ENGINE KILL to Legio Astorum!

 

 

The supporting artillery fires into the engine war; the Questoris banner is dealt two direct hits, while the bombardment strips a few shields from Sky’s Edge.

 

Turn 2

Legio Astorum wins priority, and plays Blind Barrage on Redemption Ark.

Mortis plays Titan Hunter Infantry in the centre of the Astorum line.

 

 

Astorum gives First Fire to both Stella Umbra and Tritus. Mortis declines to give any orders. Astorum fails its command check to give Charge to the Questoris banner, ending the command phase.   

 

Legio Astorum continue the push on the right flank, with Honorum advancing into the industrial area, and Avernus Maxima clears it and turns to face Sky’s Edge. Sky’s Edge, meanwhile, lumbers a bit backwards. Pyladii Alpha tries to escape the Mortis engines and moves far to the left flank. However, in its haste, the Warhound’s Princeps overcompensates, and clears the covering building entirely, leaving Pyladii Alpha exposed. The Questoris Knights move around the building, ready to charge into the rear of Reality Dysfunction.

 

On the left flank, Stella Umbra fires its Neutron Laser – but alas misses the shot. In the center, Reality Dysfunction lets loose at Pyladii Alpha, killing the Loyalist Warhound. Its reactor explodes, and the ensuing devastation hits the Questoris banner, killing two of them, leaving the surviving Lord Scion shaken.

 

 

Vengeance is swiftly enacted, though, as Honorum strips the last shield off Sky’s Edge, and then kills it with a direct hit from the melta cannon and gatling blaster.  

 

 

Redemption Ark fires at Terribilis Vindicta doing very little damage due to the Blind Barrage. The Astorum Warlord fires at the Reaver, but does little but stripping its shields, greatly aided by Tritus.

 

Turn 3

Mortis win priority, and play Titan Hunter Infantry next to Terribilis Vindicta, as well as Tracer Cloud.

 

 

Mortis declines to give orders, while Astorum fails the first command check, thus ending the command phase. The Questoris Knight manages to remove shaken, and moves a bit closer towards the rear of Reality Dysfunction, ready to charge next turn.

 

Terribilis Vindicta moves out of the tracer cloud towards Redemption Ark.

 

 

Tritus fires all its weapons and amasses a dangerous amount of heat but does very little, actual damage to Reality Dysfunction. In return, the Traitor Reaver titan tries to return the favour, and Tritus suffers an ungodly amount to damage – but luckily it is spread out over different locations. Stella Umbra finally manages to hit Reality Dysfunction, and though it manages to disable one of the Reaver’s weapons, the shock is not enough to force a shutdown.

 

 

Redemption Ark punishes Terribilis Vindicta, but just as the shields fail, Astorum deftly uses Machine Defiance, bringing the voids back up; not by much, but enough to force the Traitor Warmaster titan to use its last weapons to bring them down again.
 

Honorum, Avernus Maxima and Terribilis Vindicta all combine their firepower to bring the hurt to Redemption Ark. When the cannonade is over and done, the Warmaster titan has been stripped of its shields, as well as having suffered Critical Damage to two of it four points in the legs, as well as having three of its five weapon systems disabled.

 

 

Turn 4

Astorum wins priority.

 

Stella Umbra drops the standard in the Traitor deployment zone.  Tritus is dealt First Fire, while Honorum is also given the same. Avernus Maxima fails it command check, ending the command phase. Redemption Ark is given First Fire.

 

Honorum fires at the ailing Warmaster but misses with its melta cannon. Tritus also misses with its laser blaster.

 

In the damage control phase, Terribilis Vindicta restores one of its void shields, while Tritus suffers a plasma leak from its overheating reactor. Redemption Ark also manages to recover a single void shield.

 

Terribilis Vindicta opens fire at Redemption Ark, but despite stripping the Traitor of its shields, it does not do any damage!

 

In return, Redemption Ark opens up with its missiles, removing the Warlords shields, before firing the Suzerain Plasma weapons on maximal power, with fusion, and utterly destroy the Loyalist Warlord. The reactor goes critical, and three other titans are hit, but the damage done is negligible.

 

 

Stella Umbra moves a bit and fires Reality Dysfunction but misses its shot. Again.

 

Turn 5

Mortis wins priority and plays Titan Hunter Infantry on the center of the Astorum lines.

 

 

Reality Dysfunction moves forward, trying to get closer to the Astorum rear ground lines of communication. In response Tritus moves into contact with the Traitor Princeps Senioris.

 

Tritus again suffers a plasma leak, bringing it even closer to destruction.

 

Crying out for the loss of their Warlord titan, their greatest war engine, Honorum tries to claim revenge, but despite hitting with all weapons, it only manages to inflict another point of Critical Damage on the legs of the Warmaster titan. In the end, it is Avernus Maxima, who claims the honour of slaying the mighty Redemption Ark, silencing it for perpetuity.

 

Being locked in close combat, Reality Dysfunction and Tritus battle each other, and though heavily damaged, neither titan falls.

 

 

Stella Umbra fires at the last Traitor engine but misses its shot. Again again.

 

However, with only Reality Dysfunction left, gravely damaged, the battle has decisively swung in favour of the Loyalist cause, as Stella Umbra, Avernus Maxima and Honorum are all undamaged. With Tritus and the surviving Questoris Knight Lord Scion not giving up the hope of felling the Traitor Princeps in close combat, Legio Mortis are fortunate that a momentary shudder in Tritus, enables Reality Dysfunction to retreat.

 

 

The battle ends. Both sides have suffered dreadful losses. When the butcher’s bill counted up, the final score is 31 VP to Legio Mortis and 35 VP to Legio Astorum.

 

Decimus I stands, as Legio Mortis is unable to wrest it from Loyalist control. Battered and bruised, the Traitor Legio evacuate their surviving war engines. The Warmaster is forced to continue his meatgrinder assault on Beta-Garmon.

[Mandragola]

Great report. Well done on the win and on remembering to take photos throughout - something I always forget.

[Tar Aldarion]

Thanks indeed for the report! Sounds like the Warmaster soaked lots of fire, but still didn't break the game. How fitting that "war world" was provided.