Warning really, really bad fluff and writing in general ahead. Readers should procure a bucket or other large container in case unplanned regurgitation occurs.
Honda and I played an 1850 midlevel mission (quarters although that didn’t come into play). He was testing out his DA deathwing concept and I was testing out my LATD list. We normally play EPIC so this was a bit new to us. Note, neither of us has played 40K in many months so both trying to remember rules etc. several times the urge to roll for formation activations and do FF’s or orbital bombardments almost took over. Some rules may have been broken, lists illegal etc. but not too badly and this game was both for testing and fun, not tournament level play or prep (what do you mean I can’t pick up your termies and pocket them? is that a new rule?)
Here we go:
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">“Librarian Gorian, we are approaching the location. We are now in bombardment range.” [/i]
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">“No. The arrogance of these inquisitors knows no bounds. We are Marines. The Emperor’s Chosen. We will deal with him personally so that he and his kind understand their error and do not cross our paths lightly again. Prepare for pod launch.” [/i]
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> [/i]
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Inquisitor Karl Tsun Chen, 2nd order of the Inquisition <st1:place w:st="on">Ordos</st1:place> Xenos, awaited below with his troops and his tanks. He was a punisher in his order. While other inquisitors investigated, searched, queried, his tasks were direct, linear. When there were others to be dealt with, xenos or human alike, he was called. [/i]
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> [/i]
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">This prey was more difficult. A marine chapter had crossed swords with his order, attacked a planet under their protection despite warnings from the <st1:place w:st="on">Ordos</st1:place>. Their open defiance had to be dealt with, in the harshest possible manner. An example was to be made of their antagonist, a Librarian in this chapter. [/i]
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> [/i]
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">His order would be called radicals and heretics if the true extent of their knowledge and dealings were known, so their power was usually hidden and only called to its full waxing in extremis. This was such a time. His master had sanctioned full use of all forces and oaths at his disposal, even those from those others his order dealt with across the Divide. Others would mistakenly call them Chaos powers but his order knew them as willing allies in the cause to protect humanity from its foes. These other powers had responded to his request, promising many allies, led a by a winged champion of their kind. [/i]
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> [/i]
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Now the moment was at hand. [/i]
Our players:
Really radical Inquisitor Karl and his merry band of men
(LATD List)
*Inquisitor Karl-army commander (archheretic U) with power weapon. Hero of our play
*Champion of Law. Allied Demon prince with super uber 2x powers including being really big, demonic speed (wings help), and something called a dreadaxe muahaha.
*3 traitor squads (two full size), with lascannons and plasma or melta
*2 Rosskovski tanks (Leman Russ) aka hey did you hear something?
*full size demonette squad, pretty pretty but have a bad attitude
*5 demonette cav under the FA slot. Looking amazingly like converted Dark Elf Cold Ones.
*War Altar (Defiler) with dirge and indirect. Ignore that big gun and lets charge?
*Two peacemakers (obliterators) how are they oblits when they look like converted GK’s?
*Wolfen boys (bloodletters). Really bad attitudes. Its probably all the greenstuff and wolf heads
From the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Bad</st1:placename></st1:place> Acting:
(Space hulk, RT, 3rd edition termies and GK terminators living together all under one roof)
Squad 1: Librarian, 2 x assault cannons, 2 x storm bolters
Squad 2: Sergeant, 2 x assault cannons, 2 x storm bolters
Squad 3: Sergeant, 2 x assault cannons, 2 x storm bolters
Squad 4: Sergeant, 2 x missile launchers, 2 x storm bolters (changed to AC’s in game)
Squad 5: Sergeant, 2 x missile launchers, 2 x storm bolters (changed to AC’s in game)
Squad 6: Sergeant, 4 x storm bolters, 3 x chainfists
Quick deploy: In my quarter one full strength squad on each flank in ruins. A smaller squad in the trees in the center. One tank on each corner facing outward. Army commander joined with the left squad. Dirge within rang of the center squad. Champion near the center squad hiding behind trees like a monstrous girly man. Tanks were on each flank. The war altar wa in the rear, evidently the ogres pulling it tired out. The idea was to form a bulwark to take the hits while my demons and Champion counter assaulted. I didn’t think it would actually work.
The Tale:
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">“The ground fell out from under them as two pods slammed into the center of the squads, throwing everyone to the ground, barely missing private Levchenko and Daritz by less than a meter. Dust covered Inquisitor Karl and instantly the harsh bark of storm bolters, followed by the screams of dying and wounded men, filled the air. “Terminators!” he shouted, as he saw visages through the smoke and haze and pain, mowing down his men as they hugged the rocks for cover from the onslaught. “Pour it into them boys or we’re all done!” The scream of plasma guns, thunder of lascannons, and pops from rapid firing lasguns rose in response. Explosions ripped through the pods, and in the corner of his eye he saw a great winged figure rising over their shattered hulks towards the terminators. Cavalry swept passed his position towards them as well” [/i]
Turn One (hey where is everybody?): No movement whatsoever. I’m moving first for reference.
Turn Two (Are those drop pods in your pocket or are you happy to see me?): My demonette cav summons onto the left and are placed in a counterassault position. The bloodletters are summoned and are placed in the right in a reserve position. The two peacemakers (oblits) walk on the board as mamma didn’t raise no fool (aka too many people in two small a space as will be shown later). Two drop pods land in the middle of the formation and shoot up the two large squads. Fortunately they are in 4+ cover and save a good bit.
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Now it was the terminators turn to die. The creatures from the warp, summoned at the behest of his lord and master, answer the call of their ancient oaths. Portals to where some call hell open. Swift vengeances [demonette cavalry] pass through with terrible, keening cries that froze his blood. This is answered by roars from the ones his master esoterically calls “the left hansd of law” [bloodletters]. These huge wolfen creatures came through their own doorway into this world and lope towards the terminators with terrible burning axes. The winged avatar of his patron warp lord, ashimmer with silver and rage, descends upon the terminators as a killer angel, and smote them utterly. [/i]
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> [/i]
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Victory is achieved! His men begin to celebrate as the spectacle begins to unfold…his com mike beeps, but before he can order his troops down two more pods slam into the ground directly in front of him. This time he can see the terminators as they exit the pods, their assault cannons already cycling up. “Hold lads Hold!” he shouts. This will not be pretty... [/i]
Turn Three (Vengeance thy name is a hopped up demon prince and a passel of scantily clad ladies that look remarkably similar to Dark Elf Cold ones&hellip 
:
No new summonings Literally everything fires into the pods, and some into the termies. Oblits, defiler, two squads and a Leman (lascannon) fire into them. The pods are destroyed, just barely. Demonette cav moves around and make their charge into one termie squad. The charge is inspired and wipes out the termies (there were six power 6’s vs. 4 surviving termies). The Allied Lord utilizes his demonic speed, makes it past the wreckage and wades into the termies. As he is a character killer he takes out all the termies in his ZOD before they can respond. The bloodletters come around and connect, but Honda carefully pulls dead units from them so they can’t make assaults in their turn. They consolidate and remain locked in HTH, which is good as the Lord would have been target #1 based on the next turn.
Two more pods appear, with ten termies popping out. One terminator shoots up the surviving squad with the army commander. Using his leadership they manage to not break but take several more casualties (I’m beginning to like these 15 man units). The other terminator unit puts fire into the demonette cavalry in righteous payback, sending them all back to their demonworld. Combat continues and the surviving termies battling my Champion of Law get their final judgment from the bench. He consolidates towards the other pods.
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The hour was desperate. “follow me!” he shouts and leaps forward, his glaive keening with power. Too late he realizes they didn’t follow him. One is blinded by a flashlight aimed by one of the troops, and the terminator forgets to turn the power off on his power fist as he wipes his eye-a horrible way to die. It is a desperate as he single-handedly faces down these titans of yore. Fortunately, although powerful, they are slow and his skills allay him well, miraculously bringing down two of these titans. But the other two come on…for one moment a great shadow passes him. Behind him the great winged Champion of Law and the warpspawn wolfen have found new prey. [/i]
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> [/i]
Turn Four (slaughter the guilty. Wait who’s innocent again?)
Demonettes summon very badly-lose four as it deviates into the far right infantry squad with minimal space. Army commander breaks off from the surviving squad and moves to intercept the further termie squad. The Champion uses his uber 2x powers to demonically move like really far across the board into charge range of the termies. The bloodletters follow but I do not remember if they get into range. Squads open up shooting at the two termie squads. At least one is felled by a lasgun, how humiliating is that? Plasma fires burns at least one as well if I remember correctly. Army commander takes two termies down (only survivors in ZOD) and takes a wound himself from the sergeant and the other termies consolidate. The Champion charges and literally wades into the other termie squad-its definitely bad day at black rock time as evidently the chaos guy is perfect for taking out termies (this may have pushed into Honda’s turn also). He goes through them like, well genestealers through them. The driver in tank B asks the gunner if he hears something, almost like there’s shooting going on…
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Inquisitor Karl Tsun Chen, enforcer for his order in this subsector, has been ordered to this place by his master, to call this chapter to account. He stands bravely in the dust and the blood and the carnage, fighting against raging titan, his power glaive a whirlwind about him. Like a knight vs the beasts of old he stands. Behind him the winged avatar and the wolfen feast on their own prey. “Can no one stand against me?” The avatar cries to the heavens. As if in response arc lightning rips the air above the center of the troops. The shimmer of a teleport announces the arrival of their true prey, the Librarian and his escort. Another pod crashes into the ground to their far right, the terminators already mowing down troops. It is a good thing that the Inquisitor is locked in mortal combat, for his troops in the far right wail in fear of imagined terrors and break from the rocks. Several of the newly arrived vengeances also fold back into their own plane from the psychic assault of the Librarian. The trees protecting the center squad are cut down as the buzz saws of two assault cannons tear into them. [/i]
Librarian drop pods behind my lines (ok lightning teleport sounds more cool) right next to Tank A and in between the two right and center infantry squads and the surviving demonettes. A second unit teleports but deviates badly to the north and is only able to reach the northern squad in firing range and LOS. Librarian launches Fear the Taxman and breaks the northern squad. As they run the north termie units burns down several with fire (fortunately majority cover saves until they are literally out of the rocks). The demonettes take 4 losses from instability. The guys in Tank A think it’s raining outside, not realizing the rain drops are errant bolter rounds. Commander finishes off the termie squad.
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Inquisitor Karl, despite his grievous wound, feels the approach of the Librarian, the one he has been ordered to call to account. Karl turns and stumbles towards him. All the warp spawn creatures are drawn to the Librarian. The wolfen and surviving vengeances move quickly to intercept. The Librarian’s escort blocks their progress for a moment. The massive peacemakers, dwarfing even the terminators move surprisingly quickly through the trees to intercept the Librarian as well. The great winged champion, now bored with it all, seeks to test his strength fully and runs/flies towards the terminator unit to the north, alone. A thunderous boom echoes as one of Rosskovsky tanks fires its battle cannon for the first time this day. As he stumbles forward he sees movement in the trees. The juggernaut that is the war altar is dragged by its monstrous creatures towards the Librarian as well. They have all come to feed. [/i]
Turn 5 (yes, I’ll stop and get some milk on the way home honey).
Its Custer’s last stand cinema style. The defiler, oblits, bloodletters, and 2 demonettes move to bring it to the Librarian. Tank A figures it will clear a jam in its battle cannon and moves off. The Champion moves towards the other terminator squad, firmly believing in pushing his luck. The tank clears its barrel, efficaciously into the northern termie squad but to no effect.
Its clobberin’ time. The broken squad fires its plasma (I think hitting). Upon some discussion and agreement cinema now takes over. Instead of shooting the word for the day is Charge! The champion makes the distance to the northern termie squad and goes berserk-its not pretty up there. The Librarian’s escort is charged by the defiler from the bottom, two demonettes and three bloodletters which make it into ZOD. Two terminators vs. 6 S5 power weapon attacks are no bueno especially with my rolls on this day. The librarian is “charged” by the two oblits. The librarian is so shocked his strikes are poor and my oblits do their usual legendary 5+ saves, making two out of three saves. The librarian is so shocked he fails his psych test and no force weapon zap. What the two oblits due to him in their “rebuttal” is just wrong…
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The thunderhawk lands as swiftly as possible. Troops fan out, searching for the lost veterans. In the end they are found, or more precisely, their heads are found, in a perfect pyramid. Each bears the I of the Inquisition burned upon their forehead, with a similar coin on their tongues. Before them, left carved into a shoulder guard that the pilot recognizes as Libarian Gorian’s, is a message. [/i]
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"> [/i]
<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">“The Inquisition brooks no trespass.” [/i]
