Vitritian Interregnum: Game 4

Ankor Thrume processed the rotting, particle-laden air through the grille of his augmetic filtration units and gazed at the burning skyline of Grestian Bay, the Heretic forces had broken through the noble Skitarii's initial attempts at containing them in the Outlands. They had tracked the Chaos forces movements across the dried ocean floors of the planet and waited as they set up a base of operations in Grestian Bay, confirming the blessed Magi's hypothesis that the next clue to the Omnissiahs artifact was buried somewhere within the vast sprawl of once majestic trading concourses and coastal palaces. It was his duty to ensure that they did not escape again, the vast campaign of orbital bombardment and Precision Airstrikes had been in service to this end, crippling the lesser forces of the unaugmented human infantry that stood in his Maniples direct line of advance, and ensuring that all avenues available to other traitor armored groups or fast reaction infantry were mired in chemical fire, rubble, and debris.

His true target was finally revealing itself, clad in ceramite and gripping chainswords, backlit by the white glow of centuries dead city. Thrume would have grinned if he still had a mouth; he pulsed deployment orders to his Maniple across the noosphere. The Battle was nigh

 

Centurions of Innocence 5th Company [Chaos Space Marines]

Points: 753

Legion: World Eaters

HQ

[Warlord] "The Lamb"  Chaos Lord 

        - Trait: Violent Urgency

        - Mark of Khorne, Plasma Pistol, Ul'o'cca the Black Axe

Daemon Prince

        -Hellforged Sword, Mark of Khorne, Talisman of Burning Blood, Wings

Exalted Champion

        -Mark of Khorne, Gorefather, Plasma Pistol.

Troops

Chaos Cultists

        -9 Cultists W/ Autogun, 1 Cult Champion, Mark of Khorne

Khorne Berzerkers

        -3 Berzerkers with Bolt Pistol and Chainsword, 

        -1 Berzerkers with Plasma Pistol and Chainsword

        -1 Berzerker Champion with Plasma Pistol and Power Fist

Khorne Berzerkers

        -3 Berzerkers with Bolt Pistol and Chainsword, 

        -1 Berzerkers with Plasma Pistol and Chainsword

        -1 Berzerker Champion with Plasma Pistol and Power Fist

Elites

Helbrute

        -Mark of Khorne, Power Scourge, and Reaper Autocannon

Possessed 

        -5 Possessed, Mark of Khorne.

Skitarii of Forge World Metallica [Adeptus Mechanicus]

Points: 744

Forge World:  Metallica

HQ

[Warlord] "Ankor Thrume Uh-8"  Techpriest Enginseer

        - Trait: Learnings of the Genetor (PA)

        - The Omniscient Mask

Techpriest Manipulus 

        -Trait: Divinations of the Magos

        -Magnarail Lance, Mechanicus Locum 

Troops

Skitarii Vanguards

        -4 Vanguard with Radium Carbines

        -1 Vanguard Alpha with Radium Carbine

Skitarii Vanguards

        -4 Vanguard with Radium Carbines

        -1 Vanguard Alpha with Radium Carbine

Skitarii Vanguards

        -4 Vanguard with Radium Carbines

        -1 Vanguard Alpha with Radium Carbine

Elites

Secutarii Hoplites

        -9 Secutarii Hoplites with Arc Lances, and Mag-Inverter Shield

        -1 Hoplite Alpha with Arc Lance, and Mag-Inverter Shield

Secutarii Hoplites

        -9 Secutarii Hoplites with Arc Lances, and Mag-Inverter Shield

        -1 Hoplite Alpha with Arc Lance, and Mag-Inverter Shield

Sicarian Ruststalkers

        -5 Sicarian Ruststalkers with Chordclaws and Transonic Razor

        -1 Ruststalker Princeps with Transonic Blades

Fast Attack

Sydonian Dragoons

        -3 Sydonian Dragoons with Phosphor Serpenta and Taser Lance

Dedicated Transport

Skorpius Dunerider

        -2 Cognis Heavy Stubbers, Twin Cognis Heavy Stubber

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So, myself and Chris are back at it again, with our Chaos versus Adeptus Mechanicus narrative slow-grow campaign. This time, the mission was a pure and simple Kill Points game, with deployment along long table edges, as it was likely to be the last game we played in 8th Edition, it felt appropriate to use the "classic" game setup.

The Mechanicus Set up, along the town's outskirts, with the Dunerider on their far-right and filled with Sicarian Infiltrators, the core of the battleline comprised of Vanguard and Hoplites is a vicious prospect to attack, and the Sydonian Dragoons are a punishing unit that, if you allow them to survive will absolutely tear a hole in your forces.  Chris' Mechanicus force is very interesting, as its highly aggressive and close combat-focused, with aura debuffs from vanguard and truly intimidating damage output from their specialist units.

My Chaos forces set up within the heart of the town, I was attempting to get as far forward as I could, and overlap my Character's aura abilities onto my Berzerkers, which would be pivotal if I was going to overcome the Vanguard-Hoplite wall

I lose a Berzerker squad to the entire armies worth of Mechanicus fire, and move up my troops, using the cultists to screen my left from the transport mounted Ruststalkers, and positioning the rest in preparation for a charge

Both forces move forward aggressively, I think I made a critical error in this turn, with my placement of the Daemon Prince, I chose to go after the core of the Mechanicus forces, which hampered my placement of models and likely led to their encirclement and destruction in the coming turn. I was considering going after the Dunerider and its occupants with the prince, which may have been a better choice as it would have forced some of the Mechanicus' infantry to either commit to helping the Infiltrators, or at the very least would have slowed the Ruststalkers down

I committed the majority of forces into destroying the Sydonian Dragoons, (which are an excellent "distraction carnifex" im finding), this led to me killing that target, and damaging some Vanguard, but opening up the majority of my force to be counter charged by Hoplites. My hope was that I would have enough of my forces left after the counter attack, to be able to break out and continue my attack, this proved to be wishful thinking.

In the end, the Mechanicus' Counter-attack, consisting of both HQ characters, debuffing Vanguard, and the very hard hitting Hoplites did a lot more damage to my main forces than I was really hoping they would, and the Ruststalkers tore into my rearguard and really shut down the game. It was a textbook encirclement by Chris, and I do really need to be more careful with how I commit to different targets in Melee. I think that target prioritization really cost me the game here, but regardless it was a ton of fun to play, and i'm looking forward to locking blades again with Chris soon in 9th Edition.

Thanks so much for reading and I hope you all stay safe!

The Vitritian Interregnum: Game 3

Brother Sergeant Santius, strode over the discarded bodies of the Skitarii. The battlefield had a curiously perfumed smell, absent was the smell of blood and decay, replaced instead with the tang of hydraulic fluids and the cold stasis of long-dead flesh. It made his eye tick with the passionless nature of it, The Lamb, in particular, was despondent, as it riffled through the shattered corpses of the Mechancius footsoldiers looking for whatever its daemon addled brain judged significant enough to justify a ritual offering. He turned his attention from the possessed creature to the throng of human soldiery standing around the Cogitator Array that the Imperials had fought so hard to defend. It was an old piece of technology, a governing unit for this section of the outland promethium pipelines, it remained to be seen the significance of this seemingly innocuous terminal. 

"Report Lieutenant" Santius growled down at the leader of the Human throng. 

"My Lord, we have performed a cursory analysis of this Cogitator and noticed an abnormality. It appears this terminal is being used to mirror the signal output of a primary mainframe structure within the planet's former defense force headquarters. We are still trying to ascertain precisely why this terminal is running such a protocol, and have requested the honored Tech-Priests aboard the ship to send us specialists for this matter."  

"Very good, continue to fortify the area with reserve assets while we await the Mechanicus." Santius said to the human, mulling over the information he turned and began to walk towards the dilapidated bunker complex, when the Inter-squad vox erupted with the tectonic voice of Sergeant Ocan. 

"Santius, the 14th Rallen's pickets have reported massed Mechanicus armor moving a few kilometers away, with a speartip of specialist infantry advancing to the heights at marker 023045. I am already moving my squad to the location." 

"Affirmative Brother, we will join you shortly" retorted Santius, closing the link and grabbing the hilt of his chainsword

=========================================================================

This is the third game of myself and Chris' slow-grow narrative campaign, we've bumped the points up a little for this game moving up to 750pts.  The mission this time is Search and Destroy with 4 Objectives, and a classic 12" up off the long table edge deployment zone. 

The Centurions of Innocence 750pts 

Daemon Prince of Khorne, with Wings, Warp Bolter and Talisman of Burning Blood

[Warlord] Chaos Lord with the Black Axe of Ul'occa and plasma pistol - Violent Urgency Trait

Exalted Champion with Berzerkers Glaive and Plasma Pistol

3x Khorne Berzerker Squads of 5 Men, Champion has a Plasma Pistol and Power Fist, Three Berzerkers with Chainsword and Bolt Pistol and one Berzerker with Plasma Pistol and Chainsword.

3x Mutilators 

Skitarii of Metallica Forge World 750pts

Techpriest Enginseer

Techpriest Manipulus 

3x 6 man Skitarii Vanguard units, Leader has a Taser-Goad, one man has a Plasma Culverin 

2x 10 man Skitarii Titan Guard Hoplites

5 Man Sicarian Infiltrators 

3 Sydonian Dragoons

I chose to deploy as far forward as possible for obvious reasons with the Daemon Prince nestled safely inside a bunker to avoid all the nasty Plasma fire and trying to be as wily as I could to not fall into the same baiting trap with my Prince as I could. Chris' Mechanicus are vicious in close combat, Hoplites have power close combat weapons and a 4+ Invuln in close combat, that paired with Vanguard's aura of -1 Toughness can be potent, and I couldn't risk having to deal with Dragoons on top of that. 

I consolidated my right most squad to hold my Homefield objective and act as a reserve if the Hoplites proved too much for the Berzerkers and Characters. All the other units moved boldly through the tight center alley of the table. The Daemon Prince smashed into the Dragoons, killing the brutal Mechanicus cavalry before they could tear a neat hole into the middle of my forces. 

Plasma fire and the Ranged attack from the Hoplites takes a gruesome toll on the advancing Chaos Marines. The Hoplites make a charge and attempt to assault as many of the Heretics as they possibly can finishing off several and dealing many wounds to the Chaos Lord, but unfortunately for the Mechanicus, I made a truly ridiculous amount of saves and the damage was not enough. In return, the elite Skitarii were put to the sword. 

The other squad of Skitarii moved to engage the daemon prince and would attempt to kill the rampaging Chaos monster, only to be answered with a handful of casualties for their trouble

The Mutilators Deep Strike at the start of Turn three to threaten the secondary Mechanicus home Objective

The Daemon Prince, Champion, and Lord alongside the two remaining Berzerker Squad Leaders sweep into the Vanguard, Hoplites and Techpriest Manipulus, freeing the Daemon Prince from his being pinned in combat, killing the Techpriest and tearing a vanguard unit to pieces. 

With my Command Cadre and Mutilators in his deployment zone, and a fresh unit of Berzerkers in my backfield to counter the arrival of the Infiltrators the Mechanicus Concede the game.

Centurions of Innocence Victory

The Vitritan Interregnum: Game 1

Vitritus is a former Imperial Manufacturium planet on the extreme eastern borders of the Urient Sub-Sector. It was rendered a dead world by Capital class weapons 450 years ago, by the expansionist Xenos Empire of the Septimanians. That perfidious alien race was rendered all but extinct by the might of Imperial retribution forces, but internal divisions about resettlement rights, and a century-long disagreement between the Sub-Sector Administratum and the Mechanicus over the proper composition, resourcing requirements and leadership of a recolonization and exploration fleet to rebuild those worlds devastated by the Xenos attacks allowed the planet to slip into the ever-growing sphere of influence of the so-called "Skinner Worlds" a clutch of Ork infested systems. With the sub-sector Navy not willing to kick the proverbial hornet's nest, without a significant build-up of military force to take on the likely tidal wave of Ork's responding to an incursion, Vitritus was left to rust away on the peripheries of Imperial space, until resources could eventually be sourced to return. 

When the War for Jornath erupted, threatening the Sub-Sector's primary trading conduits, the Imperium and the Orks of the Skinner Worlds poured resources into the fight, leaving the peripheries of their respective territories, empty of patrols. Opening these regions to predators of a far darker kind, the myriad forces of Chaos, led by the Renegade Chapter the Centurions of Innocence, wormed their way into the poorly guarded zones. In their reaving they learned of a small Mechanicus mission to the ruins of Vitritus, to revive a supposed piece of immensely potent archeotech to turn the tide of the war against the Greenskins.  It was no time before the 2nd Company of the Centurions of Innocence, and a strike cruiser packed with scum and traitors the sector over found itself in the sensor shadow of the Vitritan Sun...

=======================================

I wanted to take a bit of a break from the Orks, and work on a smaller more elite force to play around with. My immediate thought was to make one that was more ranged oriented, but alas the viscera of close combat took hold and I've made a choppy Chaos Space Marine force, around the World Eaters faction trait. 

My opponent for this slow grow league/campaign/narrative thing is my arch-nemesis Chris and his fearsome Metallica Adeptus Mechanicus forces. 

My Centurions of Innocence Strike Force.

Daemon Prince [Dark Mechanicum Bio Assault Drone]  with Wings, Warp Bolter, and Talisman of Burning Blood.

Chaos Lord with Black Axe of Ul'Occa,

2x Khorne Berzerker Squads,  Champion with Power Fist and Plasma Pistol,  Marine with Plasma Pistol, and an Icon of Wrath for each squad.

10x Cultists.

Chris' Adeptus Mechanicus of Metallica 

Techpriest Engineseer

Techpriest Manipulus (represented by an Infiltrator Alpha figure)

Sicarian Infiltrators 

3x Skitarii Vanguard Squads

Sydonian Dragoons Squadron.

The Ruins, of the Vitritan Capitol Fabricatorum Complex. 

We are using the Cities of Death rules from Chapter Approved 2018 for this game, and we rolled the "Decapitation" Mission from the same book which is a combined deployment map and objective overview. It felt appropriate, as it seemed reasonable that the Marine's first goal on the planet would be capturing/killing a Mechanicus ground commander to ascertain their progress in finding the archeotech, or just to cause havoc while the renegades begin their own search.

The Cult Mechanicus set up in the center field, I deploy the forces of Chaos in cover and close together to benefit from the Lord of Chaos aura ability while my berzerkers close in.

My Daemon Prince swiftly crashes into the Sydonian Dragoons, killing two of the clanking machines and wounding one. All other Chaos units advance towards the enemy.

The Mechanicus respond by surrounding the Daemon Prince with Vanguard, and the Manipulus lowering his toughness (a Vanguard special ability) and placing a character threat into the mix. The Sicarian Infiltrators and the Vanguard gun down the Cultists and move into the street.

The Last Sydonian Dragoon deals considerable damage to the Daemon Prince which is quickly finished off by Rifle Butts and Iron Mechadendrites. The Khorne Berzerkers hit the Vanguard and Manipulus and quickly exact a bloody revenge. The Chaos Lord engages the Sicarian Infiltrators in close combat and gains the upper hand thanks to the mortal wounds from his daemon weapon.

With Power Armored Madmen closing in, the Enginseer blurts out an Error-Abort Code onto the Skitarii Cohorts Noospheric Network. Chris Concedes at this point and Game 1 goes to Chaos.

-Your Favorite Madman-

AoS: The Unmooring of County Ledzuit

 The County Ledzuit was watched over by the family Henrich for over two centuries, in that time the county has seen a great deal, in 2084 beast tribes fleeing the scouring of the Sun Knights reaved through the coutryside, and in 2131 the lesser necromancer Yertari Ov had her occult rituals thwarted by an assembled party of Ledzuit militia and footmen of House Henrich. 

Nothing in its history would prepare the county for the strange event, recalled by later historians as the Unmooring. 

Investigation of Coll's Manor

It would begin with an unexplained forest blaze coming from the direction of Coll's Manor, a secluded estate, its Lord Barthe was singularly known as especially peculiar and reclusive, living for many years without incoming revenue off the bequeathed wealth of his deceased father. He had only a handful of working farmers and a pitiful assortment of roving livestock. Which is all to say that he was a recluse, and not well liked. Regardless, it was the responsibility of the Henrich's guard to look after all the people of the land and Barthe is nobility after all. 

The footmen, upon treading through the blackened and smoke wreathed remains of the fallen tree trunks came upon the blasted open shell of the Manor house.  A singular figure stood silhouetted by the still burning fires of the interior. Perhaps once it was the eponymous Lord Barthe,  now what stood before the handful of footmen was a malformed ghoul of weeping flesh and dripping muscle, crowned with a blasphemous helm of bone. Spotting the footmen the creature shambled forth, clutching an unnatural mace, which pained the eye to look upon for its otherworldly origin.  Unsheathing their weapons, the footmen moved to defend themselves, as the monster lumbered into striking range.  In a burst of impossible vigor, the thing lunged at them, bringing its mace below the guard of Jerik, smashing into his torso.  As the flesh began to sag and drip from the screaming footmen his comrades descended upon the thing, hacking, and stabbing with terrified abandon.  

Even with the creature lying in a pulpy mulch of gore, a rasping wet breathing could still be heard. The two remaining footmen breathed frantically with the rush of adrenaline that terror had brought them. Before the high could leave them they saw the other shapes in the trees, dozens, or possibly more smoke veiled figures limped silently towards the manor.  The footmen fled back to their masters in House Henrich, to bring word of what they had encountered. 

Battle of Fannhollow

As the might of House Henrich gathered, reports filtered in from around the county. Gibbering bands of the unquiet dead and maddening shoggoths of hateful flesh stalked the land as the impossible harbingers of a nightmare invasion.

With greater numbers and the lords roused, the guardians of sanity lent themselves to the defense of the land. The footmen and militia under Lord Henrich himself found battle within the still burning ruins of Fannhollow village, a particularly grotesque monster and his retinue of fleshy pus weeping knights met the men of house Henrich along the stream on the southern edge of the ville. 

With immense effort the creatures were battered down, each flesh thing taking dozens of grievous wounds to succumb to the damage. The unnatural leader of the force, in particular, was seemingly immune to harm, while using a blade of fused spinal vertebrae to scythe down any that stood against it. 

At the height of the fighting, as one, the creatures turned and simply withdrew from the field, as if called as one by a greater will to another more pressing concern. Lord Henrich marshaled his surviving men, and taking his most trusted personal guard with him, gave chase to the fleeing monsters, sending the rest of his retinue to gather as many additional fighting men as could be found. 

Ascent to the Ebon Pyramid

For hours the men of Henrich's household guard tracked the creatures through the woodland. Though night should have long since fallen, the woods were lit by a persistent baleful twilight. The origin of this light and indeed the source of the creatures themselves was at last revealed to the men of County Ledzuit.  A sinister obsidian pyramid stood at the center of a clearing surrounded by esoteric statuary, a ragged portal shone above the structure, weeping corposant and ichor, the doorway spat forth more of the horrors.  A pitched battle was already raging around the nightmare portal, barbaric knights of an unknown alignment hacked into the throng of creatures, each one of the armored warriors chanted a hymnal that burned the ears and made the skin itch with the sound of the un-words.   

Resolute to bring an end to the situation, Henrich and his footmen move into the pitched fighting. Banking on sword and shield to subdue the portal's unholy influence. 

In moments, the outcome of the fighting would be moved into certainty, the men of Ledzuit laid low a half dozen of the revenant creatures and came within reach of the chanting knights who were still crowded by a throng of the monstrous entities. As the Lord Henrich ordered his forces to support the strange men, an overwhelming stench of ozone flooded out from the weeping portal. Several of the men around the Lord suddenly dropped their weaponry and clutched their heads or fell to the ground screaming in total agony. In horror Lord Henrich watched as his men's skin melted away revealing a bloody goosepimpled hide, twisting spurs of bone reached forth from the skulls of the dying men.  Still screaming in agonized death, towering bloodsoaked monstrosities stood up from a pile of flayed skin.

In desperation, the surviving men crowded around their lord, resolved to die standing against the horrors. To their surprise, the bloody creatures turned away from them descending upon the twisted flesh monsters besieging the strange knights. In short order, the blood monsters defeated the revenants, and after a guttural order from one of the strange knights, they bounded up the black pyramid and into the portal. Silence fell across the clearing, the only warriors still standing on the grisly field were humans. The largest of the knights turned towards the huddled knot of Henrich's footmen, and held up his sword in salute. Before he and his attendant warriors followed the blood creatures into the portal.  

After the last of the knights had entered the portal, the tear in reality snapped shut with a wet sucking noise, that made all in the vicinity dizzy and nauseous. None of the creatures have been seen since, nor any of the knights despite through investigations by members of the Collogia Aracanis. The only clue was found by investigators in the charred remnants of the Coll Manor, an aged leather bound book untouched by the flames, with an odd tri-lobed symbol embroidered on its cover. The interior filled with barely conceivable word forms, only one word was discernable to those that viewed it, a phlegmy unpleasant word...

NURGLE