Here it is, sans pics. I'll get around to fixing the tags later.
Well, I'll be dipped. Two games in one month? I feel like if I write batreps for all of my games I'll get more of them in if this trend continues, so here we go. Gothgar came by the house and christened my brand new gaming table with a brutal 2000 point match that I had an absolute ball playing. As you'll see from the photos, the empty beer bottles also started to collect as the game went on, so it was a pretty enjoyable evening all the way around.
It had been half of a standard year since Yadon Napthal and the remains of his Space Marine Chapter had been driven from their homeworld of Monody. His waking hours were filled with memories of his beloved Chapter Planet being overrun by Greenskins, and on the rare occasion that he slept those memories became all too vivid dreams. The majority of his time was spent on the bridge of the Monody Ascendant, scouring star charts for a world suitable to temporarily settle upon until the Hands of Vengeance reached sufficient strength to reclaim the Planet they had so shamefully lost. For six long months this had been the case until one day the Chapter Fleet, with innumerable refugee ships in tow, translated from the Warp in they Hyemal system. This nearly lifeless cluster of planets was named for the Death World Hyemal III and Chapter Master Napthal knew the system well as the barbarian tribes of this icy planet produced warriors without equal, and of these warriors a surprisingly high percentage (some would estimate a staggering one-half percent) could withstand the trials and achieve full Battle Brother status within the Hands of Vengeance. The strike cruisers that had been sent into the system ahead of the main fleet contacted Napthal's battle barge, and delivered the grim details of their reconnaissance.
Hyemal III had been completely infested with Orks and the human population had been effectively eradicated; picts of the planet's surface corroborated the Scouts' reports with brutal clarity. For the embittered Chapter Master, this was simply too much to bear.
"Ready your Souls and Wargear," he growled over the fleet's command frequency, "We will reach Hyemal III in eighteen hours, brothers. We will cleanse it of Xenos and reclaim it in the Emperor's Name."Mission: Capture and Control
Deployment: Spearhead
Gothgar's List:Ghazkull Thraka
Mek with KFF
5 Mega Nobz: 1 Combi-Rokkit, 2 Combi-Scorcha; Battle Wagon w/ RPJ and Deff Rolla
Shoota Mob: 19 Boyz, Nob w/ PK and BP
Shoota Mob: 19 Boyz, Nob w/ PK and BP
Slugga Mob: 18 Boyz, Nob w/ PK and BP
5 Lootas
13 Lootas
9 Lootas
Deffkopta with Buzz Saw
Battle Wagon: RPJ and Deff Rolla
Battle Wagon: RPJ and Deff Rolla
Battle Wagon: RPJ and Deff Rolla
My List:Chapter Master Yadon Napthal(counts as Vulkan)
Ashurbunipal(Librarian): TDA, Storm Shield; Null Zone, Vortex of Doom
Tactical Squad: 7 Bolters, Melta Gun, Missile Launcher; Sgt w/ Combi Melta and Power Fist; Drop Pod
Tactical Squad: 7 Bolters, Melta Gun, Missile Launcher; Sgt w/ Combi Melta and Power Fist; Rhino
Scout Squad: 2 BP/CCW, 2 Shotguns; Sgt w/ Combi Melta and Power Fist
Land Speeder Storm w/ Heavy Flamer
Terminator Assault Squad: 4 TH/SS, Sgt w/ TH/SS
Sternguard Veteran Squad: 6 Bolters, 4 Combi Meltas; Drop Pod
Venerable Dreadnought: Heavy Flamer, XA; Drop Pod
Land Raider: XA, MM
I won the roll to go first, but deferred to my opponent.
From left to right, the battlewagons contain: Ghazkull and Meganobz(Objective is right behind them and the Deff Kopta is too), Mek and Slugga boyz, Shoota Boyz, Shoota Boyz. The Lootas are lurking on two levels of the far building and the bottom level of the closer one. I keep everything but my Land Raider with the Terminators and Librarian in it in reserve and my objective is about 6 inches in from the corner of my table quarter. The Deffkopta scout moves toward my table quarter. I decline to seize the initiative.
Turn One!Top: The Wagons containing shoota boyz make their difficult terrain checks and zoom to Gothgar's left, beginning the trip toward my objective. Ghazkull's wagon creeps toward the center of the table, and then something wonderful happens (at least for me). The KFF Wagon fails its terrain check and is immobilized, even with the re-roll! Ouch. The Lootas in the tall building stay put, but the small squad nearer the center of the table move further into the ruins to their right.
With nothing but a Land Raider to shoot at, the smaller loota squad runs up to the second floor of the ruin and it is now my turn.
Bottom: The Sternguard come in right behind Ghaz's wagon, with one combat squad facing its rear armor the other combat squad just takes a position where it can pretty much shoot anything. Vulkan rode with them, but he pops out the back and prepares to harass some lootas. The Venerable Dreadnought drops down behind the Big Mek's Immobilized Wagon. The Land Raider scoots backward 6 inches.
In an unprecedentedly wonderful shooting phase the Land Raider blows up the center-right Battle Wagon, Sternguard Explode Ghaz's Wagon, the Venerable Dreadnought Explodes the KFF Mek's Wagon and Vulkan and the other Sternguard Combat Squad kill a handful of Lootas each, though they all make their Leadership Tests.
Turn Two!Top: Ghazkull and the Meganobz split up, Ghaz going after Vulkan and the Megaz setting up to assault the Sternguard. Slugga Boyz climb out of the rubble and advance on Gilgamesh, the Venerable Dreadnought that wrecked their ride. The recently dismounted Shoota Boyz roll poorly to get through difficult terrain, though plenty of them are in range of my Sternguard with their Shootas and Big Shootas. The remaining Battle Wagon continues its journey to my side of the table, though keeping a building between itself and my Land Raider.
Lootas knock the Storm Bolter off of one Drop Pod and Stun the other, all other orky shooting doesn't accomplish much.
The assault Phase sees Ghaz rolling three 2's to get to Vulkan, so he's not assaulting this turn. The Meganobz kill 7 out of 10 Sternguard, the three remaining from one combat squad have a rather dangerous run ahead of them as they fall back.
Bottom: None of my reserves come in. Oh well. Fleeing Sternguard continue to flee. Vulkan smashes through the walls of the lootas' ruin, preparing for an assault. The Land Raider moves to get a better firing position on the Meganobz.
The Land Raider vaporizes a Meganob and two of the fleeing Sternguard blast a couple more lootas from the damaged squad in the ruins.
In the Assault Phase, Vulkan charges the larger Loota Squad in the ruins and runs them down in a sweeping advance. He's feeling pretty good about himself right now.
The big picture at the end of turn 2:
Turn 3!Top: Ghazkull moves to chase down the remains of the Sternguard squad...
The Meganobz advance on the Drop Pods and the sluggas stumble toward Vulkan, only moving about 3 inches. The central Shoota Squad moves toward Vulkan and the Battle Wagon to my right stays behind the building. The Deffkopta sets up so it has clear lines of fire on everything that it might want to shoot at.
The Deff Kopta fires a missile at Vulkan but misses. One Loota squad shoots at a Drop Pod and shake it, while the Loota Squad and the Shootas all fire at Vulkan and take a wound of of him.
Predictably, Ghazkull and the Meganobz wipe out the Sternguard and Explode both of the Drop Pods! The Sternguard go down swinging though, and put two wounds on Ghaz. The Beast of Armageddon consolidates into the nearby building.
Bottom: The scouts come in, and since I roll a 3 they enter on my right-hand table edge, which happens to be the side with the Battle Wagon. The Scouts pile out of the Storm directly behind the Wagon, ready to unload the combi-melta into the rear armor. Vulkan comes down a level in the ruins, ready to finish off the Loota squad still lurking there. The Land Raider, out of range of anything particularly dangerous, simply pivots in place.
The Scouts wreck their target Wagon, and the Land Speeder's Heavy Flamer burns 7 boyz after they pile out. The Land Raider unloads everything onto the Meganobz(that's 2 lascannons, a Multi-Melta and a heavy Bolter) and kills one.
The Scouts assault the boyz that just piled out of the Wagon, killing one and at the end of the action only the Veteran Sgt. remains. In a somewhat disappointing assault, the Chapter Master charges 3 Lootas, killing one and then they proceed to pass their morale check. Those Slugga Boyz are a bit close for comfort.
Turn 4!Top: Ghaz stomps toward Gothgar's objective, while the Meganobz do the same. The Slugga Mob moves in to get a charge on Vulkan, the Deffkopta flies over to fire on the Storm.
In shooting, the combined fire of the Deffkopta, the Lootas and Shootas stun the Land Speeder Storm. Ghazkull and the Meganobz run, Ghaz makes it into the same building that Vulkan is in.
In the assault phase, the shoota boyz finish off the scouts. Vulkan kills off the rest of the Lootas but takes another wound from the slugga squad that charges him. Somehow, Vulkan wins combat and the sluggas lose a boy to No Retreat! saves.
Bottom: My tactical squad in the Drop Pod comes in and lands directly on Gothgar's objective, and they all aim their various guns at Ghazkull. Seeing an opportunity, the Land Raider shoots forward to bring the Librarian within 24 inches of Ghaz. The Stunned Land Speeder does nothing.
Null Zone activates and the Tactical Squad fires 2 Meltas, 7 bolters and a bolt pistol at Ghaz. Calling the Waagh! to get a 2+ invulnerable save didn't save him, as the Null Zone Re-Rolls finished him. It was a tough call, because with the Melta guns he would have had a 4+ cover save instead of a 2+ that he had to re-roll if successful. Maybe someone out there with the math skills could tell me what the better move would have been. Also, the Land Raider kills another Mega Nob.
Vulkan dies in the assault phase, taking two sluggas with him. They consolidate toward the Drop Squad.
Turn 5!Top: The Slugga boyz and Mega Nobz advance on the Tactical Squad, the central Shootas, lootas and DeffKopta stay put. The Shoota Boyz that just finished off the scouts move toward the craters and wrecked rhino to their right.
The Lootas fire on the Tactical Squad, killing 2. The Shoota boyz and Deffkopta both fire at the Land Speeder Storm, and a big shoota manages a shaken result.
Meganobz and Sluggas assault the tactical Squad, killing all but 3 Battle Brothers and the Veteran Sergeant. They fall back toward my table edge. The sluggas consolidate back into the building and the Meganobz roll a one so they shuffle toward the Drop Pod a bit.
Bottom: My Tac Squad in the Rhino finally comes in, and parks on the objective in my corner. The Land Raider fails its dangerous terrain check, so the Librarian hops out to go after the Meganobz while the Assault Terminators decide to go after the Shootas. Thanks to ATSKNF the tactical Squad that was falling back rallies and prepares to take vengeance on the slugga squad in the ruin. The Land Speeder Storm turbo boosts toward my objective, hugging the table edge.
Rolling double-6's, the Librarian takes a wound from a perils of the warp check though he doesn't blow himself up with the Vortex of Doom. The Land Raider fires a Lascannon and Multi Melta at the Mega Nobz but rolls two 1's for the wounds. Oh dear. Bolt Pistols from the tactical squad into the sluggas are ineffective.
Luckily, my Terminators roll a 6 and manage to make it into assault (barely) with the shoota boyz. I lose a terminator, and due to some pretty horrendous rolling only 3 Shoota Boyz die. The tactical squad charges the sluggas, each side kills one member and so combat is tied. We roll to see if the game continues, and it does! As of this turn, the score is HoV 1- Orks 0
Turn 6!Top: The Meganobz move in to menace the Terminators and the shooting phase commences, shoota boyz that aren't in combat move through the terrain toward my objective.
Lootas and Deff Kopta fire at the Land Speeder Storm but don't do any damage.
Meganobz charge the Terminators and the Drop Pod but thanks to Storm Shields and the fact that every dead Nob counts as 2 for combat resolution the Terminators win combat again, though the Storm Bolter is removed from the Drop Pod. The remaining Meganob piles into the Terminators. The slugga boyz kill the rest of the Space Marines they are in Close Combat with, but a low consolidation roll prevents them from reaching the safety of the ruins.
Bottom: The Librarian moves toward the slugga mob and the Storm flies over to the shootas closest to my objective. The Rhino squad stays put.
In shooting, the Vortex of Doom kills 5 slugga boyz, the Land Raider doesn't shoot because I forgot to, the Rhino Squad shoots a Krak Missile at the Deff Kopta and misses. The Storm kills 7 shoota boyz with its heavy flamer, and they fail their morale check and flee.
In the assault phase, the Librarian finishes the remaining slugga boyz and the Terminators kill off the meganobz and win combat against the shootas who fall back safely since Terminators can't make a sweeping advance, but are under 50% and so they can't rally. We roll to see if the game continues, and it does not!
Space Marines Win! 1-0
Following the transponder beacon in Napthal's armor, Terminator Sergeant Erishkul found the broken form of his Chapter Master in a heap of rubble created by the collapsing of the wall that he had been thrown through by the Ork Nob. Still alive, barely, the venerable warrior that had fought so valiantly stirred as he was lifted from heap of snow, rebar and broken masonry with surprising gentleness by the hulking Terminator.
"What are your orders, my Lord?" boomed Erishkul's voice through his helmet speaker.
"Contact the fleet. The Iron Fathers are to begin surveying and fortifying this location," he paused here, spitting out a tooth along with a mouthful of blood and bile, "you and the rest of our planetside forces form a perimeter. This will be our beachhead; from here we will finish what we have started on this world."
"In His Name" replied Erishkul, turning to carry out Napthal's commands.
"This will serve", thought Napthal as he waited for one of the Chapter's apothecaries. This Death World would be the perfect anvil on which to temper the Hands of Vengeance in preparation for reclaiming their home.
