We managed to squeeze in another game of Warhammer 40,000 9th edition this week using the new narrative play rules.  I think the crusade rules are fast becoming our favourite part of the new edition of Warhammer 40,000, so read on to find out how the nefarious Death Guard and vengeful Adeptus Custodes faired in their first battle.

“Like a golden blade slicing through the fabric of the Materium, the Adeptus Custodes Strike Cruiser “Contempt” breached the barrior between the warp and realspace and accelerated towards it’s target – Mortisk IV an industial world that had fallen to the inexorable advance of the Death Guard several months ago. 

As Imperial reinforcements begin to muster in nearby systems in anticipation of the inevitable counter offensive, Shield Captain-Commander Aetheus Tybaris leads his Shield Company – “Wrath of Terra” in a lightning raid to disrupt the supply lines of the IVXth Legion”

The Mission

We decided to play the Incursion mission – Sabotage.  This is a mission designed for 50PL, perfect for our new Crusdade forces.  There are four objectives representing weak points in the enemies supply lines.  The Adeptus Custodes, playing as the attackers, receive 20 victory points for each objective they can destroy over the course of 5 battle rounds.  The Death Guard, playing as the defender, will receive 20 victory points at the end of the game for each objective that remains at the end of the 5th battle round.  In addition, the force that destroys more opposing units in the battle round will earn an additional 10 victory points at the end of that battle round.

To destroy an objective, an Adeptus Custodes unit can declare that they will peform the Sabotage action at the end of the movement phase.  This action is completed at the end of the Adeptus Custode’s turn and the objective marker is destroyed and removed.

Before the battle begins, both sides select two Agendas in secret before revealing them to their opponent.  Survivor and Assassins were selected for the Adeptus Custodes and Priority Target and Lord of the Warp were chosen for the Death Guard.  These agendas would grant additional experience points to the Crusade Forces after the battle.

The Crusade Forces

Adeptus Custodes – Shield Host Wrath of Terra

Shield Host – Dreadhost

Shield Captain-Commander Aetheus Tybaris 

• Allarus Terminator Armour with Castellen Axe and Misericordia
• Captain-Commander Trait – Indomitable Constitution
• Warlord Trait – Superior Creation

Custodian Guard – Squad Uriaxes

• 2 x Guardian Spears
• 2 x Sentinel Blades and Storm Shields

Allarus Custodians – Squad Borsa

• 4 x Castellen Axes and Misericordia

Contemptor-Achillus Dreadnought – Thursk

• 2 x Twin Adrathic Destructors

Pallas Grav-Attack – Talorn

• Twin Arachnus Blaze Cannon

Death Guard – The Plagueridden (Mortarion’s Chosen Sons)

Chaos Terminator Lord Dolgoth Foulgoit

• Balesword and Combi Bolter

• Relic: Allywther

• Warlord Trait: Arch-Contaminator

• Containmanted Monstrosity

Malignant Plaguecaster Grimmal Barfspewer

• Psychic Powers: Blades of Putrefaction & Miasma of Pestilence

Plague Surgeon Dr Rotgar Spleenz

• Alembichal Narthecium

Noxious Blightbringer Moros Sepk

Plague Marines ‘The Revolting

• Champion: Plasma Gun & Powerfist
• Plasma Gun

Plague Marines ‘’The Unclean’

• Champion: Powerfist & Boltgun
• Blight Launcher

Myphitic Blight-Hauler Knarg

Plagueburst Crawler Spatterblight

• Entropy Cannons
• Accelerated Entropy

“Dolgoth Foulgoit looked up across the industrial complex and laughed aloud, the phlegmy rumble of his bloated chest causing Gorg to topple from his perch upon the Terminator Lord’s rusted pauldrons.  Grimmal was right again it seemed, for he had known the Corpse God’s lap dogs would soon arrive.

‘Pleh…let them come!  Nurgle is generous with his gifts, let us in turn share them with these deluded fools”

Deployment

Dolgoth Foulgoit ordered his entire warband to fall back towards the decrepit industial compex in order to better consolidate his hold on the two rearmost objectives, content for the moment to cede control of the forward supplies to the Emperor’s guardians.

Shield Captain-Commander Aetheus Tybaris took one final glance at the holo-plynth before turning to join Borsa and the other Allarus Custodians on the Teleportarium Dias aboard the “Contempt”.  Uriaxes and his Custodian Guard squad had already reached the industrial complex and sighted the traitors.  Across the ferocrete yard the great form of Thursk could be seen amongst the ruins.  With an ear aching screech, Talorn steered the Pallas Grav-Attack vehicle alongside Thursk, expertly guiding the sleek craft between the tumbled chimneys and exhaust plumes of the rotted industrial complex.

Adeptus Custodes Turn 1

Uriaxes watched as the traitor Astartes fell back deeper into the industrial complex, leaving the closest supply depots vulnerable.  A veteran of countless engagements, Uriaxes could see the feint for the trap it was.  The traitors deigned to lure out their foe and then gun them down in the open – a stategy that would most likely have been successful had the Death Guard not been facing a Shield Host of the Adeptus Custodes.  Uriaxes activated the vox in his helm…

“Thursk…Talorn…the objectives are clear.  Advance and destroy.  We will provide covering fire”

The Contemptor-Achillus strode from the ruins and advanced towards the closest supply cache.  Overhead, the Pallas Grav-Attack vehicle raced towards the ammunition crates near the centre of the battlescape.  Uriaxes returned his attention to the ruins in front as the two members of his squad armed with Guardian Spears opened fire.  He snarled, as he watched the Plague Marines dig in behind the ruined walls of the complex and ordered his men to conserve ammunition – it would not be possible to inflict any casualties at this range it seemed.

Explosions sounded across the complex and Uriaxes glanced around to witness both the ammunition dump and supply cache detonate simulataneously.  Through the plumes of smoke he sighted the hulking forms of the Achillus-Contemptor and Pallas Grav-Attack vehicle amongst the flames.

“Uriaxes to Contempt, the first two objectives have been destroyed…”

Death Guard Turn 1

“See Gorg! See! I told you! They are fools! Pleh heh heh!”

Dolgoth licked what was left of his puss caked lips and began to chuckle to himself, it seemed the fools wanted to die and Dolgoth would gladly oblige.  He quickly began to order his forces to advance on the isolated Adeptus Custodes units.  The Plague Marines rushed forwards towards the golden form of the Dreadnought alongside Dr Rotgar the Plague Surgeon and Moros Sepk the Blight Bringer.  Dolgoth watch as the Blight Hauler too lurched towards the walker, a gargled squelching sound eminating from it’s fanged maw.  Confident that first blood would be his, Dolgoth himself turned towards the Custodes Dreadnought.

Grimmal Barfspewer, watched with disgust as Dolgoth and his retinue advanced on the Contemtpor Dreadnought.  Dolgoth was a fool to underestimate the Custodians but it was important that the enemy did not waylay the Death Guard’s ambitions in this System…Typhus had made that clear when he had ordered Grimmal to accompany Dolgoth to this world.

“Lucky for you Dolgoth, lucky indeed, that Nurgle has sent me, One of the Seven, Pox-crowned, The Great Scab, Foulest of Sorcerers, to watch over you…yes….lucky for you.”

Sickly green hued clouds roiled above the complex and a flurry of writhing maggots began to rain down across the battle scape.  With one hand pointed towards the wretching sky and a rotted finger pointed towards the Blight Hauler, Grimmal began to chant a gurgled prayer to his patron god and attempted to manifest Miasma of Pestilence.  But something was wrong, some unknown force worked against him, a blinding light filled his vision…Grimmal faltered, his chanting stalled.  He stumbled forward, hands glasped to his helm as brain fluid began to leak from the rents in his face plate.

“Nooo…this cannot be….I am the Great Scab!”

Grimmal steaded himself, closed the lids of his glazed eyes and focussed.  Whatever force opposed him it was weakening, growing feinter in his mind’s eye.  Grimmal looked up to see the Blight Hauler become surrounded in a cloud of revolting insects.

*Dave had to use a Command Re-roll strategem to avoid a Perils of the Warp 🙂

Shaken certainly, but not deterred, Grimmal then focussed his mind in an attempt to manifest Blades of Putrification on the Plague Marines.  Grimmal witnessed with some relief the blades of the Plague Marines begin to rust and rot.  He stood upright, panting with pained breath as a stream of filthy sweat dripped across his face within his helm.

“…Nurgle be praised”

*Before shooting with his units, Dave declared the use of the Virulent Rounds strategem on the Plague Marines closest to the Contemptor-Achillus Dreadnought.  This meant that they would be re-rolling all failed wound rolls with their bolters.

A great rumble sounded across the battlefield as the grotesque Plagueburst Crawler belched forth gunfire towards the Contemptor-Achillus Dreadnought, sickly streams of green energy spewing from it’s Entropy Cannons to wash against the golden hull of the great walker.

“What are you waiting for you morons! Bring the cursed thing down! Gorg get out of my way I can’t see!”

Dolgoth added his own shots to those of the Plague Marines, the wet thud of their bolter rounds hammering against the Dreadnought’s Auromite armour.

*As soon as the Contemptor Dreadnought was chosen as the target for the attack by the Plagueburst Crawler, Jay used the Emperor’s Auspice strategem.  This meant that Dave could not re-roll any of the dice used in attacks against the Dreadnought.

Dolgoth’s laugh abated for a moment, a look of fear and awe crossing his palid features.  The Dreadnought still stood, not only that but it barely looked damaged.  The sound of a tortured engine brought Dolgoth back to his senses, a giggle returning to his lips as he watched the Blight Hauler level it’s weapons towards the Contemptor Dreadnought.  The giggle soon caught in his throat however as the Blight Hauler failed to land a single shot on target.

Dolgoth pushed Gorg out of his face again and looked across the battlefield to witness the rest of his fetid warband fail to land any damage upon the golden attackers, both the sleek grav vehicle and the Custodian Guard squad amongst the ruins seemingly unscathed.

“Pleh heh heh, Nurgle works in mysterious ways…we shall have to do this the old fashioned way! Gorg hold on tight!”

The Plague Marines charged out of the ruins to engage the Custodian Dreadnought.  They stumbled on the loose debris of the battered manufactorum, a few of their number slipping and falling to the ground, much to Gorg’s amusement.

*Dave had to use a Command Re-roll strategem to re-roll the charge roll for the Plague Marines.

Dolgoth was losing patience and this was beginning to affect his mood.  The power coils on his ancient Terminator plate moaned in agony as he charged forward towards the Dreadnought, overtaking the stumbling Plague Marines, his putrid Balesword raised and ready.

*As soon as Dave announced he would attack the Achillus-Contemptor Dreadnought with the Chaos Terminator Lord, Jay used the Emperor’s Auspice strategem once again, denying Dave the chance to re-roll any of the dice used in the attacks against the Dreadnought this phase.

Dolgoth was taken by surprise as the mighty war engine exhibited surprising agility for a machine of such size.  He hammered down blow after blow with his ensorceled blade but his mirth soon began to curdle as the great war engine parried and delfected each attack.  Dolgoth began to roar in frustration as the Dreadnought expertly evaded the futile attacks of his Plague Marines only to turn and disembowel three of his warriors with it’s massive war spear.

The remaining Plague Marines began to falter, they started to turn…

“YOU COWARDLY MAGGOTS! YOU WRETCHED PUKESPAWN! YOU PUSSBELLIED WORMS! Turn and fight or I’ll drench the ground with your innards!

*Dave had to use another Command Re-roll to reroll his failed morale check for the Plague Marines – luckily they passed this time 🙂

Adeptus Custode Turn 2

Talorn rotated the Pallas Grav-Attack vehicle on it’s powerfall grav engines to glimpse Thursk surrounded by traitor Astartes.  Talorn had to trust in the skill and armour of ancient warrior as he battled against a large portion of the Death Guard’s strength, he had his own mission to complete.  He diverted additional power to the main thruster engines and raced forwards towards the next mission objective, expertly navigating the confined environment of the runied factorium.

Uriaxes allowed himself a moment to observe the melee embroiling Thursk.  A century entombed within the armoured sarcophagus of a Contemptor class Dreadnought had done little to diminish the substantial combat prowess of the venerable Custodian, indeed if anything it had only improved his ability to enact violence upon the Emperor’s foes.

Returning once again to the mission, Uriaxes ordered his squad to leave the cover they currently occupied and advance towards the ruins ahead of them.  The enemy held defensive postions inside the ruined factory but Uriaxes meant to storm the building and exterminate the traitors within like diseased vermin.  A countdown on the display in Uriaxes’ helm signalled the imminent arrival of the rest of the Adeptus Custodes forces.

“Keep up the pressure, we will be amongst the enemy in moments.”

A golden flash lit up the complex, followed moments later by a deafening thunderous boom.  Borsa and his Allarus Terminators materialised behind the enemies lines ready to begin their hunt against the Death Guard lieutenants.

Shield Captain-Commander Aetheus Tybaris opened his eyes.  In place of the cabling, power coils and Tech Priest attendants that had filled his vision mere moments ago on the Teleportarium Dias there now stretched a scene of roaring battle.   Aetheus looked to his left, his gene-wrought vision enabling him to pierce the smoke and fire to see Uriaxes and his squad rushing forwards under a hail of gunshot from across the complex.  He turned forwards.  Thursk was there, swinging and lunging with his mighty war spear as he battled the traitor Plague Marines.  Behind him Aetheus could see the hulking form of the Death Guard heavy support rumbling forwards.  Still Aetheus stood and searched, his mission target was here somewhere.  A snarl slowly crept across his face as he finally spied the grotesque form of Dolgoth Foulgoit.

“There you are you bastard…”

Within moments of materialising on the battlefield, the Allarus Terminators identified their target and immediately levelled their Castellen Axes.  Bolt rounds exploded against the Blight Bringer’s filth encrusted battle plate, knocking the beast off his feet.

Evidencing centuries of training and gene-enhanced reactions, Uriaxes and his squad sent rounds of mass reactive bolt fire into the ruins as they charged forwards towards the foe.  Uriaxes was pleased to see three of the enemy fall to the gunfire, there would be no escape for the foe this day.

Red runes lit the perimeter of Thursk’s display port, signifying enemy threats on all sides. Stabs of pain, like bolts of hot fire, spiked along his nerve-inteface and drove directly into his mind as the Plague Marines encircled him and jabbed their cursed blades into his exposed joints and cabling.  Behind them Thursk could detect the presence of the hulking Chaos Terminator Lord.  Thursk pushed forward, sweeping his great spear in a wide arch.  As anticipated, the Plague Marines leaped backwards to avoid the decapitating blow.  With a speed that caught the traitor Astartes by surprise, Thursk planted the great war spear into the ground and activated the Adrathic Destructors on his wrist gauntlets.  The ancient weapons discharged with a terrifying whine.  In the moments it took Thursk’s display filter to adjust to the blinding light of the weapon’s discharge the Plague Marines had been annihilated, dust motes slowly floating to the ground the only evidence of their existence.  Thursk reached for his war spear and turned to face the oncoming Blight Hauler and Plague Surgeon.

Despite their gene-fueled speed and the spectacular artifce of their Allarus Terminator plate, Borsa and his squad failed to charge the wounded Blight Bringer.  Borsa enabled the voxcaster on his helm and shouted a challenge into the maelstrom of the battle.

“You cannot escape us traitor! We are the Wrath of Terra, the Emperor’s Vengeance made manifest! We are coming and we will have your head!”

Shield Captain-Commander Aetheus watched with satisfaction as Uriaxes lead his squad into melee, charging up and through the ruined factorium to crash into the Plague Marines guarding one of the remaining supply caches.

Aetheus turned to see Thursk obiliterate the remaining Plague Marines but already the traitors we’re rallying to swarm the vererable Custodian once again, amongst them Dolgoth himself.  Aetheus launched into a sprint, his own strength and that of his Terminator plate sending him hurtling across the battlefield to crash into the Chaos Lord.

*Jay used the Golden Light of the Moiraides strategem to ensure that the Shield Captain would make the charge

Dolgoth was caught unaware.  He had not seen the lone Custodian arrive, occupied as he was trying to battle the Contemptor Dreadnought.  It was only the excited squeals of Gorg that had alerted him at the last moment and allowed him to raise his own blade before the gold clad juggernaut had barrelled into him.  The force of the impact was immense.  It shattered ribs and loosed yellowed teeth from his jaw.  Dolgoth stumbled, and slipped back, the wind knocked from his wheezing chest.  Instinctively Dolgoth leaned towards the Custodian, an action that saved his life.  As Aetheus smashed forwards his great Castellen Axe followed in a sweeping arch, the blow intended to take the head from the enemy warlord.  Instead it rang against Dolgoth’s shoulder plate, but even the layers of rotten warp touched ceramite could not diminish the power of the Custodian’s attack.  Dolgoth was flung to the ground, his arm smashed underneath him.  A great rent tore through his ancient armour, yellow sparks flaring from the tear, bile and blood oozing from the wound to pool around the Chaos Lord’s body.

“Pleh…hmmphh….pl….pleh…heh..heh….Gorg….Gorg…come back….hmmphh….come back….I’m not dead yet”

*The Shield Captain managed to inflict a massive 12 damage on the Chaos Terminator Lord, but Dave made enough Disgustingly Resilient rolls to leave his Warlord on a single wound remaining 😀

Dolgoth was in no position to threaten the Shield Captain, focussed as he was on fending off blow after blow that the Custodian hammered down upon him.

“Master! Look out! hehehehee”

Dolgoth was flung forward into the groud by the Custodian Dreadnought’s next attack.  He blinked into the gore caked mud, spitting out blood, dirt and other fouler things,wondering how he was still breathing at all.  The warlord’s ancient armour had turned aside the Dreadnoughts blows, but incredible pain still flared in the warlord’s putrid body.

Uriaxes swung his Sentinel blade down, cleaving the Plague Marine in front of him from helm to hip.  Kicking the bloated corpse from his blade he turned to see the remaining traitor butchered on the blades of his squad.  Without slowing, Uriaxes leaped over the falling marine and consolidated into the cursed Plague Caster.

Amongst the clash of blades and cries of battle, the sound of a third explosion echoed across the industial complex.  Talorn had destroyed the third supply cache.

Death Guard Turn 2

Moros Sepk, Blight Bringer, rose to his feet, slabs of rotten flesh and corroded plate falling to the ground as he rose.  He needed to find cover, he was being hunted.

“Not the bell! Please…don’t shoot the bell!”

The Daemon thing that was Knarg had only a vague comprehension of what was happening.  His master’s servants were being slaughtered, it knew that.  It also knew that there as a good possibility it too would be slaughtered if things continued as they were.  It knew it was supposed to do something with the weapon limbs that grew from it’s body.  It decided it didn’t much like the shiny gold thing that had been careening around the place these last few minutes….it ached to even look at it.  It decided it would see if it could make that shiny gold thing go away.

Dr Rotgar surveyed the battle from beneath his filth encrusted hood.  There were bits of Death Guard all over the place.  Legs, arms, heads, guts….this was most pleasing.  It was quite obvious to him now that the Emperor’s servants would succeed in destroying the supplies the Death Guard had brought to this place, so it was very important that he try to make the best of a bad situation.  There were lots of new materials he could take from this, some he might even be able to use create ‘fresh’ supplies.  Dr Rotgar could also see that Dolgoth was in serious need of a doctor and began to move towards the ongoing melee to see if he could lend a hand.

“I’m coming Dolgoth, just try to keep all of your intestines inside your body whilst I put my gloves on please”

Grimmal Barfspewer was in two minds.  He had just witnessed the complete obliteraion of the Plague Marine squad that had only moments before been alive and…well…not ‘well’ but alive at least.  Now there were now four Auromite armoured warriors bearing down on him.  A voice inside him was telling him he should run, run as fast as his ancient gene-enhanced legs could carry him….the warriors in gold were death.  But if he ran now, he would surely meet a much worse fate at the hands of Typhus himself.

“No, I will not run.  I am a servant of the Bringer of Despair! The Lord of Pestilence! The Plague God! I am Grimmal Barfspewer and you will soon regret your folly in facing me….your pathetic corpse-god Emperor cannot protect you here!  Most Foulest of Foul, oh Great Unclean One, lend me your power!”

*Dave decided to stay in combat with the Custodian Guard squad so that he could try to manifest a few psychic powers.

Grimmal suddenly felt a new wave of power coursing through his decrepid form like a feeling of nausea flowing across his body.  Maggots writhed and squirmed from every oraface in his armour.  Brown sludge foamed from the boils on his face and the sound of seven hundred and seventy seven buzzing flies could be heard emanating from his throat!  With a bone cracking snap, the Plague Caster lifted his arm to point in the direction of the Plague Surgeon, manifesting Blades of Putrification on the Death Guard Apothecary.  As the ritual continued swarms of foul insects streamed from the sorceror’s mouth, streaking towards the nearest Custodian Guard.  They crawled over the warrior, creeping through the tiniest of  gaps and cracks in his armour to nibble and bite at the Custodian inside  The warrior, trapped in his own armour was powerless to fight this enemy.

The remaining Custodians raised their weapons, poised to cut down the foul psyker but they were too slow.  Another bolt of putrid energy blasted from the Plague Caster’s outstrecthed arm and into the poor, fly ridden Custodian.  The brilliant Auromite armour began to flake and then fall away like strips of rotten flesh from a diseased carcass.  Through the gaping sores in the Custodian’s plate could be glimpsed the warrior within, his body bloated and purple, a thousand tiny maggots bursting from his flesh.

Outside, the Plague Burst Crawler could sense it’s brethren’s desire to kill the gold shiny thing, the prospect of seeing one of the Anathema’s own engines sullied by one of it’s own daemon weapons pleased it.  Turning away from it’s master’s plight, the Daemon Engine trained it’s weapons on the Pallas Grav-Attack vehicle.  A combined volley from it’s own rancid weaponry and the Blight Hauler’s guns knocked the craft sideways causing it to swerve into the exhaust stacks of the nearby factorium.  Talorn wrestled with the controls, warning sirons blaring in the confined cockpit, as he struggled to level out the battered craft.

Dr Rotgar could see the smoking form of the Custodian attack craft careening through the ruined industrial complex behind him.  Reaching for a krak grenade on his belt, Dr Rotgar removed the arming pin and tossed the grenade in the direction of the stricken skimmer, but the grenade bounced from the Auromite hull to no effect.

“Drat! Well it was worth a shot I suppose….yes Dolgoth, keep your head on I’m on my way!”

Moros Sepk glanced over his shoulder to see the Allarus Terminators gaining on him, damn they were persistant.  It occured to him that he might possibly be able to outrun his pursuers if he put down this great big bell he had taken to carting around with him everywhere he went…no, we keep the bell he told himself.  He loosed a quick shot from his trusty plasma pistol but the damn bell messed with his aim and his shot went wide.

Knarg was easily distracted…it knew it wanted to kill a gold shiny thing but that little one was just too fast.  It thought it might stand a better chance against the big gold shiny thing instead…especially as the big gold shiny thing had it’s back to it.

Dr Rotgar watched with delight as the Blight Hauler sped past him to charge into the Custodian Dreadnought, spittle flying from the Daemon Engine’s gaping maw.  With the mighty war engine distracted, Dr Rotgar sprinted forward, eager to come to the aid of his wounded master.

Dr Rotgar watched in horror as the Contemptor Dreadnought turned and knocked the charging Blight Hauler aside.  He hesitated for a moment, awestruck at how fast the Dreadnought had turned to meet the Daemon engine.

“Impossible…”

Dr Rotgar leaped forward, looking for any kind of opening or vulnerable area into which to plunge his plague knife, but again the Custodian Dreadnought turned to meet this new attacker and Dr Rotgar was smashed into the side of the armoured container by a backhand blow from the Dreadnought.

Shield Captain-Commander Aetheus pressed the attack, Dolgoth could not be allowed to escape.  The traitor was badly wounded, his right arm hung awkwardly at his side and blood oozed slowly from a dozen cracks in his putrid Terminator plate.  Aethues landed several crushing blows in quick sucession but the bloated Chaos Lord remained standing, merrily laughing in the Custodian’s face.

“Pleh…heh…heh…heh…you think you have won?  You think I am defeated?  These wounds, they will heal.  Papa Nurgle has bestowed upon me many gifts , he is a most generous master and I am a dutiful servant…”

Aetheus snarled and went to move forwards again on the attack,  Dolgoth turned quickly, his sickly blade flashing out with sudden speed to cut a great rent across leg of the Contemptor Dreadnought causing it to fall to one huge armoured knee.

“See Gorg! Already I feel new strength coursing in my bones! Nurgle be praised!”

Thursk had been caught off guard, coolent leaked across his bionic optics and blurred his augmetic vision.  A chime alerted him to movement to his right, one of the traitor Astartes was trying to rise to his feet.  With a great effort Thursk stood again and lunged his spear to impale the Death Guard Plague Surgeon against the armoured container.

“Be not concerned Shield Captain, I am hale.  Now let us end this!”

Uriaxes wasted no more time, he swung his Sentinal Blade through Grimmal’s levitating body.  The Sorceror disapeared in an explosion of filth that dripped from the walls  and fizzled off the Custodian Guard’s Auromite armour.

“Slay this abomination!”

Adeptus Custodes – Turn 3

Uriaxes stood still over the body of the fallen Custodian.  Remarkably, the warrior was still alive.  His jaw clamped closed in a grimace of pain and his one remaining eye, wide  and staring straight at Uriaxes.

“Your watch is over brother – you have served Him well”

Uriaxes ordered his squad to ready the explosives on the last remaining supply cache and then, reaching for his Misericordia, knelt over the dying Custodian.

Talorn had successfully managed to stabalise the damaged Pallas Grav-Attack vehicle.  He had to be careful to avoid another hit like that.  At least one of the Daemon engines was still out there, it’s signature was flashing on the green rune screen infront of him.  Talorn coaxed what power remained in the Pallas’ Engine Spirit and brought the vehicle out over the ruins to outflank the Plague Burst Crawler.

Thursk left the great war spear in the corpse of the Plague Surgeon and turned to face the foul Daemon Engine that had somehow managed to right itself and was readying for another attack.  With another ear piercing whine, the twin Adrathic Destructors bathed the Blight Hauler in a searing ray of disintergrating energy.  The daemon howled in agony as layers of ether-armour peeled from it’s form.

Borsa, raised his hand to halt his squad.  The target was up ahead, they had a clear shot.  In practiced sychronicity, the Allarus Terminator sqaud aimed and fired their bolters at the fleeing Blight Bringer.  The bolts exploded across the traitor’s back, ripping chunks of ceramite and rancid flesh from his body.  As he fell dead towards the ground, the sound of a bell tolling once, echoed across the complex.

Talorn swung around the factorium chimney stack and sent pulses of Arachnus Blaze cannon shots into the rear armour of the Plagueburst Crawler.  The armour of the huge tank rippled and throbbed, as if made of flesh but when the smoke cleared there was no sign of lasting damage.  Talorn tried to fire again but the guns were jammed, perhaps damaged when he had crashed through the factorium block.

“Engine Spirit, forgive me”

Out of options, Talorn had no choice but to trust in the armoured hull of his vehicle.  He gunned the engine and rammed his craft into the traitor tank, ripping a section of hull away from the Plagueburst Crawler and fouling it’s treads.

Shield Captain-Commander Aetheus circled Dolgoth Foulgoit warily.  It alarmed him somewhat that the Chaos Terminator Lord appeared to be recovering from the near fatal wounds he had inflicted upon him only moments ago.

Dolgoth could feel his strength returning, but he was not such a fool to believe he could withstand another blow from the Custodian such that befell him earlier.  He needed to escape this place, and quickly.

Knarg was dying, it could feel it’s host form dematerialising, in moments it’s essense would be sent reeling back to the Warp.  It was not happy about this.  It lunged forward towards the golden giant, teeth ready to rend the armour of the Dreadnought wide open so that it could feast on the soft innards for one last fleeting moment before it disapeared.  It became aware of a sharp spear impaling it’s engine form, it could feel it’s disgusting ether fluids leaking to the ground, it was not immediately aware of what had happened to it.  That was the last thought that it had before it returned to the Warp.

The Daemon engine exploded in a blast of putrid gore, sending rancid debris in all directions.  Aetheus raised his armoured gauntlet to protect his face but was thrown backwards by the blast.  He felt the ground shake as Thursk toppled backwards, himself thrown off balance by the detonation.

Shield Captain-Commander Aetheus stood to his feet and looked around.  There was no sign of the Chaos Warlord, although Aetheus reckoned he could hear the sound of laughter on the wind.

*Dolgoth Foulgoit actually met his end at this point in the battle, his last wound lost when the Blight Hauler exploded.  Both the Shield Captain and Achillus also suffered a wound from the explosion, so we like to believe that Papa Nurgle spirited the Warlord away at the last moment.

Death Guard – Turn 3

It sensed it was now alone, it’s brethren and the mortal followers were gone.  It could not move.  It felt a horrible pain in it’s limbs.  Worse still it could sense the Anathema’s spawn all around it.  It felt fear.  It caught a sense of the shiny gold thing that had inflicted so much misery upon it and vomited forth fire from it’s Entropy Cannons but to it’s horror the shiny gold thing persisted.  It could sense it’s end…

Adeptus Custodes – Turn 4

Shield Captain-Commander Aetheus watched as Thursk rose once more to his feet.  Thursk has fought well today he thought, they all had…and yet he himself had failed.  Dolgoth Foulgoit had escaped.

From within his armoured casket, Thursk reviewed the signature feed on his auspex monitor.  Ahead, through the smoke, the last remaining traitor engine persisted.  This could not be permitted any longer.  Thursk levelled his war spear and loosed a volley from its integrated laser cannon.

In response to the gun fire came a rovolting howl, the abomination was in pain.  Good, it would know more before it’s end finally came.

Shield Captain-Commander Aetheus gripped his Castellan Axe and nodded towards Thursk.  Charging through the smoke they reached the miserable Daemon engine and dispatched it back to the waro. Across the battlefield could be heard one final explosion as Uriaxes’s squad detonated the last supply cache.

Result

With all four mission objectives destroyed the Adeptus Custodes secured 80 victory points.  In addition, they were able to destroy more enemy units in battle round 2, 3 and 4 earning them another 30 victory points.  The Death Guard failed to defend any objective and did not fully destroy a single Adeptus Custodes unit, they earned 0 victory points.  As per the mission rules, the victor of this battle is able to select a single Battle Trait of their choice to bestow upon a unit of their choice.

Post Game Book Keeping

Following a Crusade mission, players have the opportunity to update their Crusade Cards for each of the units on their Order of Battle that took part in this game.

First you begin by taking Out of Action tests for each of your units that were destroued in the this game.  There were no tests required for the Adeptus Custodes but Dave had to take a test for each of his Death Guard units.  Papa Nurgle must have been somewhat amused at the Death Guard’s performance today and no tests were failed.

Next you update the experience tracks for each of the units that participated in the battle.  Each unit receives 1xp for taking part and then a number of xp depending on how many units they have killed and whether or not they had successful achieved any Agendas.  In addition, a single unit can be selected from you army to receive the Marked for Greatness award, earning them an additional 3xp.

Grimmal Barfspewer, the Plague Caster, was able to earn an additional 2xp for completeing his Lord of Warpcraft agenda.  Squad Uriaxes, Squad Borsa and Thursk the Achillus-Contemptor Dreadnought each earned a number of additional experience points for destroying the Death Guard characters and completing the Assassins agenda.  In addition, Shield Captain-Commander Aetheus Tybaris earned 4 additional experience points for completing his Suvivor agenda.

When a unit has earned 6xp they go up rank, giving them the opportunity to acquire new Battle Honours (traits, weapon enhancements, psychic powers etc.).  Following this mission the following units ranked up were able to rank up

• Contemptor-Achillus Dreadnought – Thursk
• Allarus Custodians – Squad Borsa
• Malignant Plaguecaster Grimmal Barfspewer

In addition, as per the mission rules, Jay was able to select a Battle Trait for a unit of his choice.  He selected Shield Captain-Commander Aetheus Tybaris to recieve this reward.

Finally we made sure to update the combat tallies of each of the units (kills, battles survived etc.) as these carry over into the next game and then added any earned Requisition Points to our Crusade Force.

Check back on the site soon as we’ll be posting updates for each of Crusade Forces.  You’ll be able to find out how each force is faring in the Crusade and more about the individual upgrades and battlescars affecting each unit.

Published by captberk

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