The Red Giant - Susperia

Planet: Susperia.
Region: Eye of Terror.
Time has no meaning in the Warp.

Death Guard vs Thousand Sons.
2000 points.
Mission: Cloak and Shadows.

Poxus the Pestulent had roared in rage at being brought to this vile world against his will. Determined to prove his worth to Nurgle in order to return to his wars of conquest in the real universe, he marched his small war band through the ever changing wastes until his scouts reported movement. 
In what appeared to be the crumbled ruins of an ancient fortress he spied the fearsome Magnus the Red and his sorcerers plotting their own escape from Susperia. Eager to please the Plague Father, Poxus let rip a battle cry and charged forth with his marines in tow.

This match was a challenge from Marko who had pointed out that I haven't played against him for about three years, so I figured why not. That he is one of just two local players with Magnus just clinched it. I knew going in that I was not going to win this game but I wanted to play against a Primarch.

So we played the traditional long side to long side deployment. I was lucky to get the side with three objectives within close proximity and made sure to deploy close enough to grab them for Nurgle straight off the bad. It meant that the Thousand Sons would have to march forward and hopefully buy me some time. Marko had expected tanks and maybe my Knight but I wasn't going to risk him turning fire on my own guys - not realising that that particular power doesn't work on vehicles.

I had turn 1 and not much happened. I managed to inflict a couple wounds but not much else. Secured one objective. His first turn was far more effective. I lost one helbrute, a couple terminators and one terminator was transformed into a spawn.

Turn 2 and I had two secure objective 6 cards. Number 6 was in his deployment zone guarded by Rhubric Marines. I sent one Helbrute forward and my bike squad intercepted his sorcerer bike squad but combat was not with me. Raptors came in but deviated into a position that would lead to them being struck by superior firepower. My terminators slew the spawn that was their fallen brethren. Marko then proceeded to tear through almost everything I had. Bikes slain, and through copies psychic shenanigans I lost all but two terminators, both rhinos and my raptors lost half their number. I had lost half my army just down to psychic powers.

Turn 3 and my chaos lord challenged Magnus. I had hoped that I might be able to absorb a few hits and then strike back with the relic weapon pusbringer. Instead, Magnus instant death'ed my lord and cut the remaining terminators in half. Marko then preceded to immobilise my helbrute heading for the objective 6. My chaos marines and remaining raptors brutally cut down.

Turn 4 and I conceded. I had 9 models left. I had 3 victory points and Marko had 8.

Interesting game but very one sided. Perhaps in the hands of a less competitive player it would have been more fun. As far as I could see Marko was getting his rules right but the high psychic dice is the best way to play them and it hurt lots. At some point I'll challenge Danny and his Thousand Sons, and see how different that game will be.

"That spawn looks an awful lot like Barry!!!" 

Thousand Sons encircle and slaughter the Death Guard. 

 Magnus tramples across my sorcerer.

Deployment 

Chaos Lord and his retinue.

Scorched Earth - Tethys Ultima

Planet: Tethys Ultima.
Region: Ghoul Stars.
Date: 905.M41

Death Guard vs Necrons.
2000 points.
Mission: Scorched Earth.

On a cold dead barren world lost in deep space, the Death Guard have established a secret base from which to launch an attack upon the Imperial worlds of the nearby Dromid sector. Unknown to the sons of Nurgle, Tethys Ultima contains a dark secret. Far below it's windswept surface lies an expansive tomb complex. When construction of the Death Guard fortress disturbs the sleeping Necron forces, the Death Guard find themselves under heavy attack. The initial engagements cause massive damage to the Death Guard defences and their lord commands that if Nurgle cannot have this world then neither shall the Necron horde!

This is mostly likely the first time I have played against Necron under 7th edition and possibly not since the end of 5th edition. As I work through my missions list and Scorched Earth came up I decided to extend the offer of battle to Jon and his almost undefeated Necrons. I certainly have never beaten the machines in my 40K career so this should be a nice challenge.

I went for a fairly basic Death Guard Vectorium list with Heldrake Terror Pack for the aerial support. Jon's list was a Decorion with Judicator Battalion and Destroyer Cult. Maybe something else, my knowledge of Necron formations is a bit limited. Either way, as we deployed I felt somewhat outnumbered. With his reanimation and my feel no pain, this could be a long match.

Mission rules are random objectives (we rolled 3) which are worth 3vp at the end of the match to whomever controls them. Plus you have to roll for any area terrain. On a 1-3 that terrain is on fire causing it to be dangerous terrain. On a 4-6 it is thick with smoke increasing cover saves by 1. Lie of sight cannot be drawn across either of them. This gave the opportunity to hid for the first turn and coupled with my cloud of flies give me decent cover saves.

I set up first with my chaos marines and one terminator squad in transports. Everything else in reserve waiting for a good opportunity to drop in, cause havoc and hopefully seize an objective. Almost all of Jon's army started on the table with a couple flyers in reserve.

First couple turns went quite quickly although my opponent was able to pop one rhino, a helbrute and the land raider. A lost a couple models as did he. On my right flank the game became one of constant close combat as the five lightning claw terminators tore through necron machines and did a good job of making sure they stayed down. On my left flank I worried as there was a large flight of tomb blades bearing down on me.

My terminator lord and his lightning claw terminators teleported in slightly back of where I wanted but they quickly moved up to grab the nearest objective. Even with the amount of firepower his tomb blades were pouring onto them I made nearly every armour save I could, something that never happens with my terminators. Because of that Jon was unable to push them from the objective and soon combat was joined.

The raptors were delayed my a mishap and had to come in the next turn. Their flamers did a little but soon enough they were torn apart by gauss fire and then Jon's lord crushing them. Disappointing as I hoped they would do better. The Heldrakes came in together and managed to do some damage to the tomb blades before their charge into the terminators but then had no choice but to fly off the table. They did very little the rest of the game and eventually both were shot from the sky.

As it hit turn 6 I was locked in combat around two objectives and Jon held the other completely uncontested. I pretty much figured that Necrons had won yet again until it was pointed out that his army did not have objective secured where as my Chaos Warband formation does, so when the game ended I was holding them. I believe that the score was very tight, 6vp to Jon's 5vp (he had linebreaker and first blood).

I am quite frankly amazed that I managed to survive as well as I did. We both made FNP and reanimation as expected but I think that the dice were more in my favour than his. Great game and I look forward to our next match up.

 Death from the skies!

 The Necron control the skies in the end.

The oncoming wall of death. 

Chaos Lord and his bodyguard hold this objective. 

The battlefield of Tethys Ultima.

My list was as follows:

Prepared Assault - Cadia

Planet: Cadia.
Region: Cadian Subsector.
Date: 999.M41

Death Guard vs Astra Militarum.
2000 points.
Mission: Prepared Assault.

Having learnt that the Cadian defenders were about to receive reinforcements through the valleys of the Draken Mountains, Typhus directed one of his lieutenants to halt their advance. The plan was to ambush them in the ruins of an old garrison outpost. What the mighty champions of Nurgle had not expected was a full armoured company of tanks rolling towards them. Both sides had prepared for a potential engagement however. Being the oncoming tanks was a detachment of basilisk artillery pieces and behind the Death Guard sat a company of Iron Warriors tanks. Battle was soon joined!

Ashleigh challenged me to a game a few weeks back, seeking another scenario from the Battle Missions book. His choice was Prepared Assault. I don't get to fight the Astra Militarum very often so I agreed happily. At 2000 points I knew that I needed to field the big Chaos Knight just in case I could stomp through the tanks and transports. I half expected a Baneblade or other super heavy tank but instead he fielded a massive force of tanks with only a couple chimera bearing troops. This was going to be tough.

The mission has three objectives in my deployment zone. Two centrally located and the third placed by my opponent who stuck it almost on the dividing line between us and on my weakest flank (we deploy before he places his objective). Basically I have to hold him off and win by controlling more objectives than him. With nothing being allowed in reserve, no Heldrakes these game - not that they would have done much - and no Valkyries thankfully.

Ashleigh had the first turn and barely moved his tanks forward. I suffered a hell of a lot of shoots but barely lost anything, a couple chaos marines and my Predator tank only. My Knight moved forward and took out a tank with a nice shot. Most of his army was out of range so I had to just sit there or move units into a better position. As the game progressed my Knight was able to get into his tank line and proved useless. Rolled a 1 on my impact hit, rolled two 1's on my rolling to damage with the D strength chainsword and then rolled 1's on my stomp. My luck had gone out the window and the Knight now sat in the middle of a lot of enemy firepower.

My opponent charged out with his Culexus Assassins but the shoot slew but a single chaos marine. I charged it with my Raptors and over two turns it wiped the Raptors out and only took one wound. He would fall eventually but it took a reaper autocannon to do it.

I started to rapidly loose marines holding the two main objectives. Eventually I was forced to hold one with my terminators but most of that squad died to ratling snipers. I did make a lot of feel no pain rolls but not enough to prevent the squad being whittled away.

The Knight soon stomped over a couple tanks but then died to the massed firepower into his back. I just could not make the 5+ invulnerable save. Unfortunately when it toppled it didn't land on anything of my opponent's which was a shame. Even the explosion failed to do anything.

I soon had to make a decision and I had to split my forces to try and push for a draw. Unfortunately I could not bring down the two tanks that had moved into my objectives. On the last turn one became a wreck but his troops jumped out and contested them. The game ended with Ashleigh's forces holding two of the three and contesting the third.

An interesting thing about this mission is the rules for the bombardment. The AM player gets two small bits of paper and the opponent gets one. During the shooting phase they can be dropped from 36'' and where they land it triggers a Str 8 AP 3 ordance barrage last blast. Rather random but fair enough. The first of Ashleigh's bombardment fluttered off the table and missed. Our remaining ones simply deviated into open ground and did nothing.

I should have expected a full on tank assault but even if I had, I don't have anything that could have taken them out at range. My meltaguns are more up close and personal. Although I needed the Knight, it could have done without rolling all those 1's.

Stomp the tank!

 The forces arrayed against me.

 Imperial tanks move into position.

 My chaos lord attempts to melta bomb the chimera but fails twice!

Starting deployment.