Rain of Warpfire - Susperia

Planet: Susperia.
Region: Eye of Terror.

Death Guard vs Thousand Sons
2000 points.
Mission: The Relic - Fire & Fury.
Deployment: Search and Destroy.

A largest engagement ensued when Mortarion led his Death Guard into the flesh plains thus far unclaimed by any warlord. There they encountered his rival Magnus the Red, also leading his legion forth. As both armies prepared to face off for dominance, a great storm of Warpfire poured from the blazing red sky onto the battlefield.

This is a game against Marko that we had been planning for some time now but either work commitments or illness got in the way. Last week we finally managed to achieve that game.

I want to start off with a small caveat, I am not a sore loser. Even the most one sided game I can happily take something from it and come out happy. Unfortunately this game was not one of those. Much like the game I had some months ago against my friend Mike, the point of this game was supposed to be one of Primarch versus Primarch while the rest of our armies fought and died over the proper mission. A gentleman's agreement if you will. As you will read that is not how it turned out. I just wanted to put this forward now before anyone comments about "that is how the game is played" and calling me out as a sore loser, when that isn't the case.

With that done, enjoy.

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Unlike most of the games I play at the club in the last year, my opponent and I had not decided upon a mission in advance. All we knew was that we wanted to use the Fire & Fury battle zone. We rolled off and got The Relic, which I had not played for some time and so was rather excited to play. We rolled the Search & Destroy deployment which also does not come up very often. After picking sides we set up our armies.

I was lucky and secured the first turn. Everything bar my plagueburst crawl moved forward to try and get as close to the Relic as possible. I advanced Mortarion up so that we could get on with the main event of the night. Shooting wasn't very accurate but I did managed to do away with some tzaangors and some cultists. About the only time by plagueburst crawler actually hit anything!

This is where the game took the unpleasant turn. My opponent moved his units, cast the plethora of psychic powers that Thousand Sons are known for and then decided to ignore the point of why we set this game up in the first place. He proceeded to throw smites and open fire with almost everything into Mortarion successfully knocking quite a few wounds off him. More than a little irritated I asked my opponent why? His response being something like smug like "Tzeentch changes things" which quite frankly rubbed me the wrong way. He had obviously decided not to play to the narrative game that we had agreed and instead decided to go full competitive and out for the kill.

Turn two and I pulled a few units back as I realized that Marko had some scarab terminators and a terminator sorcerer in reserve. The main infantry, two plague marine squads and a 20 man block of pox walkers moved forward to grab the Relic. Mortarion prepared for the upcoming fight whilse trying to stay out of sight of the predator trio that Marko had brought to the game.

Marko's turn 2 was explosive. Using his psychic might he stripped Mortarion of his invulnerable save before smiting and unloading almost everything into him. I lost a few plague marines to heavy bolters and a few pox walkers fell. Magnus charged into Mortarion and cut him down. The only good bit was Magnus took a mortal wound from the exploding primarch.

From here I just became somewhat self defeating. Where the first two turns neither of us managed to hit with the flaming bits of warpfire plummeting from the sky but from here I don't think either of us bothered with it. I was just hoping for a quick defeat while Marko was going for the kill.

Over the next couple turns I did manage to get my hands on the Relic twice but both times Magnus charged the lucky unit decimating it. His terminators did drop down into my deployment zone where they blasted the plagueburst crawler and eventually dropped it with smite. Turn five however and Marko had tabled my entire force. This was one game that I was glad was over.

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After thoughts...

I find it hard to be objective about this game. When you go into something with an agreed to format and then your opponent ignores that, and proceeds to completely stomp you going to feel a bit pissed off. I must admit that my opponent has history and I am seriously considering not playing them again.

Would it have made much difference had we not made that initial Primarch vs Primarch agreement? I still think Marko would have won. He is just so much more competitive than I am. I would have probably made a very different list but against his psychic might I would still have had a hard time.

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+ HQ +

Lord of Contagion [7 PL, 117pts]: Manreaper, The Suppurating Plate

Malignant Plaguecaster [6 PL, 110pts]: 3. Plague Wind, 6. Curse of the Leper

+ Troops +

Plague Marines [13 PL, 231pts]: Icon of Despair
. Plague Champion: Plague knife, Plasma gun, Power fist
. 7x Plague Marine w/ boltgun
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun

Plague Marines [13 PL, 259pts]: Icon of Despair
. Plague Champion: Plague knife, Plasma gun, Power fist
. 5x Plague Marine w/ boltgun
. Plague Marine w/ melee weapons: Flail of Corruption
. Plague Marine w/ melee weapons: Great plague cleaver
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Plague Spewer
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Blight launcher

Poxwalkers [6 PL, 120pts]: 20x Poxwalker

+ Elites +

Deathshroud Terminators [11 PL, 180pts]
. Deathshroud Champion: Manreaper, Plaguespurt gauntlets
. 2x Deathshroud Terminator: 2x Manreaper, 2x Plaguespurt gauntlets

Hellforged Contemptor Dreadnought [10 PL, 196pts]: Havoc launcher
. Left Arm: Hellflamer, Hellforged deathclaw
. Right Arm: Kheres assault cannon

+ Fast Attack +

Foetid Bloat-drone [8 PL, 158pts]: 2x Plaguespitters, Plague probe

+ Heavy Support +

Plagueburst Crawler [8 PL, 152pts]: 2x Entropy cannon, Rothail volley gun

++ Super-Heavy Auxiliary Detachment (Chaos - Death Guard) [24 PL, 470pts] ++

+ Lord of War +

Mortarion [24 PL, 470pts]: 4. Blades of Putrefaction, Warlord

++ Total: [106 PL, 1993pts] ++

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.