Welcome to the third game of our Hellbringer campaign. This battle commences immediately after the conclusion of the 2nd battle (Planetstrike) as Imperial and Eldar forces launch a counter-attack to drive the Chaos forces from their landing zones before they can establish a bridgehead.
As requested previously, I’ve added army lists and a few “wider” battle shots
Army Lists: (as always, our lists are chosen based on what we have painted and what looks cool, rather than effectiveness)
Chaos
Unit Points
HQ
Mamon, Daemon Prince of Nurgle 185
Elites
Chaos Terminators 245
Nurgle Terminators 255
Troops
Khorne Berserkers 211
Chaos marines 140
Rhino 45
Rhino 45
Rhino 45
Chaos marines 140
Fast Attack
Raptors 175
Heavy Support
Obliterators 225
Chaos Landraider 240
Defiler 150
Strongpoint Spearhead (50%) 50
Mech Assault Spearhead 65
TOTALS 2216
Imperial/Eldar (from Memory)
HQ
Asurman (Counts As)
Lysander (Counts As)
Elites
Assault Terminators
Death Company
Troops
Striking Scorpions
Fire Dragons
Scout Snipers
Armour
Land Raider
Land Raider Redeemer
Falcon x 2
Fire Prism
Wave Serpent
Whirlwind
Eldar Spearhead with Archeotech weapons
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Baalor the Horned looked across the field and was pleased by what he saw. Imperial defences burned in the aftermath of his planetary assault, oily black smoke forming dark pillars over the ruins. The weakling marine and Eldar defenders had been driven before his forces or slaughtered where they stood. The Chaos Warlord kicked the helm of a dead Grey Knight lying at his feet. His daemonic allies had been pleased indeed when he had struck down their greatest enemies.
He watched as Plaguebearers cavorted madly through the destruction and Bloodletters dragged screaming Eldar crew from a downed skimmer. They were mindless things these spawn of the Warp, but they were useful enough.
A massive figure in baroque Terminator armour approached him and bowed low. “My Lord, reports of an armoured force approaching from the North. We count several marine tanks and Xenos skimmers. What are your orders?”
Beneath his helm, Baalor sneered. These pathetic servants of the corpse god were a pale echo of their forebears. Aligning themselves with Xenos to hide their own pitiful weakness before true Astartes warriors. Still, they were predictable enough, exactly as he had foreseen.
“Prepare a defence line using the remaining bastions as anchors. Have the Iron Mark prepare a surprise for them as well.” Baalor turned his full attention to the still bowed Terminator “Hold them here, no matter the cost. I have matters to attend elsewhere and I need Imperial eyes turned away from me. Do not fail”
Baalor gave a cursory look to the north and then turned away. His forces would hold here while he advanced with the true mission. Let the Imperial fools and their Eldar allies dash themselves bloody against his guns. He had a greater task to fulfil – one that would set this world and the whole sector around it ablaze…..
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The field of battle, looking from the South. The Chaos bastion (Objective) is in the foreground. The two remaining objectives are to the north – one behind the circular ruins and one in the rectangular ruins (chapel) at the far north-eastern board edge. Most of the action would take place at the northern end where the Imperial forces deployed.
Chaos Marines hold their objective and man the defence lascannon
A Chaos Rhino waits nearby for rapid redeployment
With a roar of mighty engines and the hum of anti-grav tech, the marines and Eldar arrive
The guns of the Eldar skimmers appear modified – perhaps some sort of new weaponry?
Marine scouts infiltrate close to their first objective
Energy beams and lascannon fire rakes the Chaos positions as the Imperial assault moves in. The defiler is hit and immobilised
Suddenly, from the Eldar flank, the ancient Chaos landraider, The Iron Mark appears, along with two rhinos (ancient, yet not quite finished…more weathering and detailing needed).
Return fire from the bastion lascannon destroys the Whirlwind’s launcher. The Defiler’s cannon fails to damage the landraiders.
In response, the nimble Eldar skimmers redeploy and unleash their archeotech weaponry
The modified weapons prove devastating. The first rhino is destroyed, spilling Black Legionnaires unceremoniously from the wreckage
The second rhino is also knocked out. The enraged Worldeaters are forced to advance on foot.
Finally, a single powerful beam slices into the Iron Mark’s tracks, immobilising it.
With a sound like the tearing of rotten meat, a rift appears in the fabric of reality, and Mamon steps forth. His stream of corruption melts most of the scout squad.
The dismounted berserkers hack their way through the woods in a frenzy to get at their enemies.
The Black Legionnaires move forwards and take cover from the deadly Eldar tanks
And the Night Lord terminators follow suit, the Iron Mark now incapable of closing with the foe
Despite the damage, the Iron Mark still has teeth. Its lascannons immobilise one of the Falcons
The Salamander Redeemer moves up and prepares to scour the ruins of the advancing Chaos forces
Meanwhile, the Ultramarine landraider finds itself engaged with the Iron Mark, but neither can find a way through their thick armour.
They don’t build them like the used to...
Chaos infantry pushes forward through the ruins towards the central objective
Mamon closes on the last objective, dragging his festering bulk through the destroyed chapel
Eldar and Marine armour moves up to secure the threatened objectives, bringing all weapons to bear
Eldar heavy weapons wound Mamon, but the Daemon Prince advances unconcerned. The marine tanks fail to find their targets.
The battle hangs in the balance as the Eldar and marines move in
The Worldeaters reach the edge of the woods and lay eyes on their prey.
The Chaos reserves announce their presence. Raptors risk the uneven terrain and jump directly into the ruined chapel in support of Mamon
Deathguard terminators teleport behind the marine armour and aim their combi-meltas
Obliterators arrive from the warp and scan for targets. The bulk of the landraiders draws their attention
The infantry from the stalled flank attack ready themselves for an assault on the central objective
The meltas of the Deathguard burn into the rear of the Salamander redeemer. Born in fire, the mighty tank returns to the flames as its ammo cooks off. The transported Death Company stagger out of the wreck
The Obliterators add insult to injury and blast a lascannon off the remaining landraider.
As the marine line wavers, the Stormraven finally returns from orbit
The gunship starts its attack run as Striking Scorpions and Fire Dragons deploy into the chapel from their transports.
The Scorpions assault the wounded Mamon, who regards them benevolently
The lightening quick Eldar score wounds all across the Daemon Prince. Leaking pus and stinking fluids, the Nurgle daemon returns to the warp with a gargling chuckle
As the Scorpions strike down Mamon, the Fire Dragons unleash their fusion guns on the Raptors. Protected by the ruins, only one Raptor falls. The remaining Chaos marines eye the now exposed Eldar and rev their chainblades… the slaughter is brief and bloody
The Stormraven looses a barrage of missiles, melta beams and assault cannon rounds. Despite the weight of fire, only a single terminator and Obliterator fall
Distracted by their combat with Mamon, the Scorpions are caught unawares by the Worldeaters, who explode from the woods.
Outclassed, the sons of Asurman are wiped out to a man, with not a single berserker falling
In the centre, even the enraged Death Company cannot stand against the toughness of the Deathguard and their power weapons
Salvation arrives as the marine commander belatedly takes the field. The captain and his assault terminators rout the Deathguard and relieve the hard pressed Blood Angels
The Ultramarine landraider moves up to secure the central objective, but it does not escape the notice of the Obliterators
The Iron Mark finally loses the fire-fight with the enhanced Eldar tanks and marine landraider. The Dark Mechanicus will be busy this night…
Fresh from their slaughter of the Scorpions, the Worldeaters smash into the assault terminators and captain. The chosen of Khorne are indeed favoured this day, and soon only the marine captain stands before their axes
The Obliterators finally close with the Ultramarine landraider and wreck it with their short-range meltas. All three landraiders on the field are now destroyed.
The Raptors take heavy casualties from Eldar skimmer fire, but their faith in Chaos holds and they advance to contest the objective
The Stormraven moves in to intercept, but it is too little, too late. The momentum now rests with the Chaos force
The marine commander is struck a grievous wound by the Khornate champion. He is dragged clear by the remaining marines and evacuated by the Stormraven. The Eldar pull back and recover their wounded before fleeing. The field belongs to Chaos!
Objectives:
2 Contested
1 Chaos Held
Chaos Victory!
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Another touch-and-go battle that came down to the last turn. When the Chaos flank assault got wiped out by the Eldar archeotech weapons (my goodness those are effective) I thought it was all over. Luckily, having more units warp in kept the marines and Eldar occupied and gave me time to get my (now) footslogging force into the action.
MVP goes to the berserkers. I have to admit to some heroic dice rolling, but they just gutted the Eldar infantry and then did a number on assault terminators (no easy feat).
I was a bit lucky the scrum in the centre attracted the Stormraven and captain – if it had deployed to my objective (unmolested all game) I doubt the handful of Chaos Marines there could have stopped the terminators.
So, the Chaos side wins the Vital Objective stratagem for the
apoc game and go 2:1 up on the Marines & Eldar
Next battle – Kill Team. Chaos infiltrators and Marine + Eldar hunters battle it out across a blasted librarium.
4000+ 
