Dissent in the ranks - Confrontation in the ruins of Plexis

Game 4 of our little side campaign about the heresy in the ranks of the Imperial Fists Legion. For a little background, have a look at this older battle reports.

Dissent in the ranks - A Heresy Era Battle Part 1 

Dissent in the ranks - A Heresy Era Battle Part 2

Dissent in the ranks - Supply grab Heresy Battle part 1

Dissent in the ranks - Supply grab Heresy Battle part 2

Dissent in the ranks - Wrath of Sigismund Part 1

Dissent in the ranks - Wrath of Sigismund Part 2

 

So now that you are up to speed, this is game 4 of our dissent and of course the future of the allegiance of the Imperial Fists Legion. This game was 2500pts, so was a very large game. As a consequence of that, this game did only go for 4 turns, due to time considerations. Still we managed to get all our full turns.

The Forces

Sigismund's Assault Force

Sigismund                                                                                                                          

Chaplain Akrida                                                                 

Crossius Arcanum (Power Maul)

Artificer Armour                                                               

Refractor Field                                                                  

Melta-Bombs                                                                    

                                                                                                                                              

Primaris Medicae Omni                                               

Terminator Armour                                                         

Storm Shield                                                                    

Solarite Power Glove                                                     

                                                                                                                                              

Legion Terminator Squad                                             

Thunder hammers                                                          

Storm Shields                                                                    

                                                                                                                                               

Legion Terminator Squad                                             

Storm Shields                                                                    

3 Thunder Hammers                                                       

                                                                                                                                               

Spartan Assault Tank                                                               

-Armoured Ceramite                                                      

Flare Shield                                                                         

                                                                                                                                              

Legion Tactical Squad (I)                                              

Powerfist                                                                            

                                                                                                                                               

--> Rhino                                                                             

--> Extra Armour                                                              

                                                                                                                                               

Legion Tactical Squad (II)                                              

Powersword                                                                      

                                                                                                                                               

--> Rhino                                                                             

--> Extra Armour                                                              

                                                                                                                                               

Legion Heavy Support Squad                                      

6 Missile Launchers                                                         

Scanner                                                                                                

+ 2 Marines                                                                        

                                                                                                                                               

Land Raider Proteus                                                       

-Armoured Ceramite                                                      

                                                                                                                                               

Land Raider Proteus                                                       

-Armoured Ceramite                                                      

                                                                                                                                               

Secessionist Forces

Legion Praetor

Digilasers

Solarite Power Gauntlet

Consul Master of the Fleet

Consul Librarian in Terminator Armour

Contemptor Dreadnought 

Multimelta, Dreadnought Close combat weapon

Contemptor Dreadnought 

Multimelta, Dreadnought Close combat weapon

Contemptor Dreadnought

2 Chainfists, 2 melta guns, Chassis Havoc Launcher

Legion Dreanought

Twin-linked Lascannon, Dreadnought Close combat weapon

Terminator Squad (10 man)

3 Thunder Hammers, Storm Shields

2 Chainfists

Powersword

Assault Cannon

The rest with upgraded Power Fists

Legion Veteran Squad (I)

(sniper special rule)

Legion Veteran Squad (II)

Heavy Bolter, Meltagun (Fearless)

Legion Veteran squad (III)

Unknown

Heavy Support Squad

5 Plasma Cannons

The Mission

For this game, we decided to do the mission cards thing again. It was good fun last time, and its great to have a fluid and dynamic set of objectives to obtain during the game. Plus I was looking forward to actually having some decent cards for this match.

Essentially Sigismund is forcing the Secessionists back, well into their territory. This game had big stakes, as the winner essentially had the sole ear of Rogal Dorn, and could take him in the next game. Sigismund was ready to dish out some justice and silence and heresy that would threaten his Primarch. Glory was just a bonus.

 With the forces set and me having failed to steal the initative. The seccessionist move forward.

 Secessionist Turn 1

The Secessionist move forward, ready to take the fight to the Loyalists. They move up towards the objectives in middle field.

Some shots are fired, but they only succeed in causing some light damage to Tactical Squad I's Rhino. The fearless Veteran tactical squad runs to secure the objective on the right flank.

Loyalist Turn 1

 The loyalists take stock of the situation and attempt to knock out some of the incoming threats. The Land Raider 'Indomitable', unloads the devastator squad onto the objective, where they take a very quick aim at the incoming contemptor's. The rest of the Land Raiders and the Spartan, lock sights on the contemptors, inflicting 2 hull points at the end. No other shooting takes place.

Secessionist Turn 2

The Sececcionist still surge forward, claiming more objectives and scoring well on their objectives. More shooting takes place, and the Devastator squad is wiped out. First blood to the Secessionists! The contemptor's attempt to charge the Spartan, but they all fail to make the distance.

Loyalist Turn 2

Seeing the approaching threat, and hungry for blood, Sigismund and his squad disembark and assault into 2 of the enemy contemptors. The Spartan and the Land Raiders line up and take out the 3rd Contemptor.

Seeing the approaching Veteran marines, the Huscarls decide to go out and protect the objective. 

The squad fly into combat and manage to batter one contemptor down, and would the other. They don't destroy it, so thy are locked into combat.

Secessionist Turn 3

Most of the Secessionists move closer to Imperial lines, scrambling for some objectives. In a surprise assault, the Veteran marines assault and destroy tactical Squad's II Rhino. They disembark, ready for revenge. Sigismund as his squad manage to destroy the last contemptor.

Loyalist Turn 3

Sigismund and his squad line up to take out the Sniper Veteran Squad (blue). The land Raiders and Spartan line up to take out the Veteran Squad with the Warlord in it. tactical Squad I also moves into position to take some shots at the enemy warlord's squad. Shooting wise, the Spartan managed to kill enough marines to get some shots on the enemy Warlord and slay him. The Land Raiders both open up on the approaching Terminators and manage to kill 2.

The Terminator Huscarls and Tactical Squad II assault the Veteran squad on the right flank. I roll terrible, and lose the combat. The Terminators stays in the fight, though the Tactical Squad falls back (safely). What I thought was a sure thing, turned out to be very close to a total disaster. Its now up to the terminators to hang in there.

Sigismund and his squad assault into the Veteran marines and wipe them out to a man. He falls back in the face of Sigismund, and Sigismund consolidates to hold the objective. 
 
Secessionist Turn 4

The Terminator's surge forward towards the stricken Rhino. The Veteran Marines (yellow) on the left flank moves towards the objective right near the Spartan. The Terminators assault the Rhino and unsurprisingly remove its last hull point. It explodes killing a few more of my tactical marines.

Combat between the Terminator Huscarls and the veterans in the right flank finally go my way, with the Terminator's wiping them out. They then consolidate towards the enemy Terminators.

Loyalist Turn 4

Time was called for this turn, so this was my last turn to get some points. I was at this stage 2 points down, so needed to earn 3 for a win. The Huscarls move towards the objective in the middle of the field, just making it into range to capture it. The Land Raiders and Spartan and Tactical Squad I manage to wipe out the last 2 Veteran Marines, netting another point.

Sigismund and his squad assault the lone veteran marine (blue) and mange to kill him which also was the final point needed. 

So the final scores are:

Loyalists: 7

Secessionists: 6

 

A very close win for the Loyalists! I felt I had some sub par luck this game, but still, a little luck swung my way in the end to get those final points. The the whole game I was trailing in victory points, so I thought it was going to be difficult to equalize without some decent mission objectives to get bumped up.

So with the conclusion of this game, Sigismund ensures victory for the Imperial Fists. Dorn will now come into the next game on the side of the Imperialists, ready to dispense some of his own justice. The next game should be interesting, as it will be 1000pts, with me getting a 'free' Dorn, and my friend getting a 'free' squad of Traitor Ultramarines, that need to escape from a complex. We will be using the Space Hulk tiles to recreate the complex, and as such there will be no vehicles. So it should be interesting for me, as I do like my tanks!

Anyways, thanks for looking!

Cheers!

The Martian schism, Scenario 1

Agents within the Mechanicum gazed out into the maelstrom of war the Imperium of Man was descending into.  Guilliman had largely seized the Ultima Segmentum, and rumour had it that a great battle at Isstvan III saw the Warmaster declare his Secession from the Imperium of Man.  Within what remained of the Emperor's realm those Legions still loyal to the Emperor fought one another, much as the Mechanicum itself was warring internally.  These agents, the self styled Coniugatorii, sought a reunified Mars, independent of the rule of Terra or Macragge.  A meeting was to take place between prominent members of the Dark and Sundered Mechanicum to see if an accord could be made.
Keeping such an event from the eyes and ears of the likes of the Thousand Sons and Alpha Legion was virtually impossible, almost guaranteeing their involvement.  Suspecting treachery, the Sundered Mechanicum sought reinforcement from their allies the Iron Warriors and the scions of Guilliman.
Now the stage was set before all hell broke lose on Mars. 

Players:
The players that are needed for this scenario are:
1 Dark Mechanicum player
1 Sundered Mechanicum player
2-4 players from the following legions (if 3 or 4 players are present then they split their side's points):
-Scions of Guilliman
-Iron Warriors
-Thousand Sons
-Alpha Legion

Armies:
Players may choose to use an Unbound army or use any of the Age of Darkness Force Organisation Charts.  If a player wishes to use a Rite of War they must use the Age of Darkness Force Org. Chart.
Armies are chosen to an agreed upon size (2,000pts is recommended) with the following exceptions:
-No players may take fortifications
-The Mechanicum players' warlord(s) cannot be Lords of War .
-No Primarchs may be taken.

Deployment:
Sundered and Dark Mechanicum: Must deploy first placing their Warlord and 1 Troops unit within 12" of the centre of the table and not within 2" of an enemy model.  All remaining forces must be placed in reserve.
Mechanicum players pick a long table edge, from which their reserves will enter and  towards which fleeing units will move.
Legion Forces:  Each Legion player picks a short table edge and deploys within 12" of that edge. 

Mission Special Rules: 
Dark Mechanicum units are all Stubborn.  If a Sundered Mechanicum unit attacks a Dark Mechanicum unit, all Dark Mechanicum units will lose Stubborn but gain Hatred: Sundered Mechanicum.
Dark Mechanicum units may leave the table from their own table edge or a Imperialist table edge.  Units may not leave in the same turn they arrive from reserve. 

Sundered Mechanicum units are all Stubborn.  If a Dark Mechanicum unit attacks a Sundered Mechanicum unit, all all Sundered Mechanicum units will lose Stubborn but gain Hatred: Dark Mechanicum
Sundered Mechanicum units may leave the table from their own table edge or a Imperialist table edge.
Units may not leave in the same turn they arrive from reserve.

Night Fight is in effect for the first turn.

Victory Conditions
Primary
Dark Mecanicum:
-2VP for each unit alive in the Mechanicum deployment zone at the end of the game.
-1VP for each unit that moves off the Dark Mechanicum or Imperialist table egdes.
Sundered Mechanicum:
-2VP for each unit alive in the Mechanicum deployment zone at the end of the game.
-1VP for each unit that moves off the Sundered Mechanicum or Secessionist table egdes.
Imperialists: 
-1 VP for each Sundered Mechanicum unit killed
-1 VP for each Secessionist units killed.
-1 VP for each Dark Mechanicum unit that moves off the Imperialist table egde
Secessionists:
-1 VP for each Dark Mechanicum unit killed
-1 VP for each Imperialist units killed.
-1 VP for each Sundered Mechanicum unit that moves off the Imperialist table egde

 Secondary
Slay the warlord: each Legion warlord is worth 1VP.  Each Mechanicum Warlord is worth 3 VP