Fresh-Faced New User
Scotland
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The Armies
War Dogs Space Marine Chapter
Third Captain: Jacobo Skulltaker
[See Kor’Sarro Khan, Moondrakken]
205
Third Company Command Squad
Company Champion, Company Standard, Three Power Swords, Space Marine Bikes
280
Third Company Chaplain Gaius Stormbreaker
Melta Bombs, Space Marine Bike
140
1st Squad, Squad Tartarus
Full Space Marine Bike Squad, Power Fist, Two Meltaguns, Heavy Bolter Attack Bike
300
2nd Squad, Squad Sparta
Full Space Marine Bike Squad, Power Sword, Flamer, Meltagun, Heavy Bolter Attack Bike
285
3rd Squad, Squad Olympia
Full Space Marine Bike Squad, Power Sword, Two Meltaguns, Heavy Bolter Attack Bike
290
1500 Exactly
Hive Fleet Medusa
Tyranid Prime
Bonesword/Lash Whip, Rending Claws
95
Zoanthrope Brood
Three Zoanthropes
180
Tyranid Warrior Brood
Three Warriors, Rending Claws
90
Tyranid Warrior Brood
Three Warriors, Barbed Stranglers, Spinefists
120
Termagant Brood
30 Termagants, Fleshborers
150
Termagant Brood
30 Termagants, Fleshborers
150
Hormagaunt Brood
30 Hormagaunts, Adrenal Glands
240
Gargoyle Brood
10 Gargoyles, Adrenal Glands
70
Trygon Prime
240
Carnifex
160
1495
The Terrain
Due to lack of me taking a camera with me to my local store, I am afraid I must make do with a simple text and narrative idea. I do hope you will forgive me for not keeping up with technology but I never feel safe taking anything expensive into town lol.
We used a standard four by four City table for this battle, with seven buildings, spread in the shape of an actual street, four down the right hand side, starting exactly six inches from the centre, and the other three placed on the left, six inches from the centre, and six inches apart. Looked pretty good in my opinion.
To add to this, and give more cover, we included a wrecked Leman Russ Battle Tank, it was a modification, to echo the pre-made Rhino which is featured in my WD Space Marine events, as well as the Tyranids and Chaos. It was placed on the left, but closer to the building to give the idea that a battle had been fought before the War Dogs arrived.
To cover the rest of the field, we scattered barricades, and trees throughout the open areas, and added two more destroyed vehicles to the mix, the basic Space Marine Rhino this time. As this was a narrative campaign my friend had longed to start, we added more to the field, and moved crater templates throughout the field, each with a large plume of blackened cotton wool to represent smoke, and the rules of line of sight applied to this plumes, to show the effects of the previous battle. He had been longing for the chance to start his campaign, so meh, his story and rules lol.
Objective:
For the Objective, we chose for Deliverance, recusing the trapped Imperial Governor, and his retinue inside a Chimera in the centre of the Tyranid deployment zone. In-game terms, we agreed that the Chimera shall be classed as Immobilised, until I get a Marine within two inches of it to effect repairs. The Marine must be unengaged for a full turn to do this, and we agreed that once in place, I would remove one Marine to show he was working on the Chimera. My goal was to get the Chimera from his zone, and back into my own within Six Turns. Easier said than done.
Deployment
With my objective to rescue the Governor, Darren (My friend and opponent) placed the majority of his force around the Immobilised Chimera, but spaced his Synapse creatures evenly to maximise the Synapse Field. The Trygon however, remained off board to munch through the earth at some point.
With a nice 12” runway in the centre, I decided to place my Captain and Command Squad alongside Squad Tartarus in the centre, ready to drive up the middle to get the Governor home, Squad Olympia I placed on the right flank, with my Chaplain, hidden from view of the Zoanthropes, and a threat he would have to consider. Squad Sparta I placed on the left flank, for the same reasons, as I didn’t want to present too many Marines to a Brood of Zoanthropes. And with that, the War Dogs readied to ride to war, secure in their plate, against a foe who was without number, an average day in the life of a Space Marine.
I’ll post up the report shortly, I am now munching through food.
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Fresh-Faced New User
Scotland
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Before I forget, we rolled our Warlord Traits, using the Command Traits.
War Dogs Captain Skulltaker, The Dust of a Thousand Worlds
Tyranid Warrior Prime, Master of the Vanguard
The city-scape blew past Captain Jacobo Skulltaker, commander of the Third Company of the War Dogs Space Marine Chapter, people were still fleeing the advance forces of the Hive Fleet closing on the world of Jentos, the PDF had failed miserably in protecting the planet, indeed, the Capital City of Imotak had practically fallen by the time the Third had landed on the planet. Barely an hour after his men cleared the Star Port and the surrounding area of the Tyranids, the Captain had received word from one of the few regiments of PDF that had managed to hold its position that the Governor Elect Bauros MacKenzie had fled with his personal guards from the Palace in a Chimera. The moment he knew what to look for, Jacobo ordered his forward sentries to locate the Governor, which they had done, before being driven back from their positions by swarms of the Tyranids. Mounting his bike, he drew his heavy two-handed power sword from its sheathe at the side of his powerful machine, and raised it to the sky, roaring the War Dogs battle-cry of “No blood, no victory!”
The cry was taken up by the thirty five other Astartes now riding with him, the sentries had managed to tag the Chimera, which was no long mobile, barely a kilometre away from them now, behind him rode his Command squad, the banner snapping in the wind, and beyond them rode three entire squads of War Dogs, as well as Chaplain Gaius Stormbreaker, his bleached helmet shaped not in the style of a skull, as was preferred by other Chapters, but in the shape of a hound’s head, snout and fangs. Smoke filled the street the Astartes rode upon now, fires burned in places, and ruined tanks littered the road. A flicker of movement caught the Captain’s eye, and he pulled hard on the brakes, his brothers behind him doing the exact same. A seed-like lump had struck the wall, and would’ve struck him had he not reacted as he did, and ferocious vines spread outwards, snapping and clinging to the stonework. A mighty roar sounded from further down the street, and through the flickers of smoke, Jacobo Skulltaker could see he foe at last, a mighty Warrior Prime.
“Squad Olympia, take right, drive their flank back and surround the centre, Squad Sparta, take the left, Tartarus with me!” he ordered, before gunning his engine again. With practiced ease, Squads Sparta and Olympia peeled off the main street, Chaplain Stormbreaker joining with Olympia for his own reasons. The War Dogs of the Emperor were coming, and their foe would fall before them.
Turn One
Space Marines
Movement:
I pushed my Captain and Command Squad as far forward as I could, and kept Squad Tartarus roughly six inches behind, I also pushed my other squads up as far as possible, trying to keep out of sight of those damned Zoanthropes. Managing to squeeze out the entire 12” movement, I happily ended my 1st movement phase.
Shooting
Against my better judgement, I decided to not shoot with my Captain and Command Squad, instead I turbo boosted them another 12” towards the enemy, arriving barely six inches from them. Squad Tartarus however, began the shooting, but were only able to target the Termagants in the front, an effective shield of too many limbs. With nine bolters I killed a fantastic one gant. Ones galore, pfft, the Heavy Bolter attachment however, managed a grand three for three, which is more than the entire squad got at any rate.
Both my other squads turbo’d forward, unfortunately leaving Squad Olympia in sight of the Zoanthropes. Unable to charge, and nothing else, I ended my turn on that note.
Turn One
Tyranids
Movement
Darren, in all his annoying habits, kept the Synapse Field even as he advanced to my Captain, while keeping his Zoanthropes far enough back to not be threatened by any CC. The Gargoyles fluttered between the thropes and Squad Olympia, while the gants and gaunts practically surrounded Jacobo Skulltaker. After moving enough models, he called the end of his movement, and started to take dice from the pile to prepare for his shooting…. And I could see it all hitting Jacobo simply because he was the only one painted with black armour other than Stormbreaker.
Shooting
Lots of dice, and not much wounding in all honesty, maybe a dozen I believe is was. After failing four saves, and loving the Feel No Pain thanks to the Apothecary in the Command Squad, Darren uses Warp Lance from his Zoanthrope Brood. One suffered Perils of the Warp, while a second failed the test. The third however, aimed for Jacobo, and because of the angle of the Chimera and other nonsense, the Captain was the only model visible from the Command Squad. The lance hit the Captain, burning through his armour, until the Iron Halo kicked in to save the Captain from certain death. Darren snapped his fingers at this, hoping to keep my Captain from keeping the Move Through Cover Rule for 12”, enabling my Bikes to forget about Dangerous Terrain.
The Gargoyles focussed on Olympia, but were unable to harm them, their improved toughness and their power armour staving off the assault.
Assault
All the gaunts and Warriors in range, and the Carnifex all closed for combat, although only the CC Warrior Brood and the gaunts got into combat, after some pretty poor charge rolling for Darren. Still, that’s a lot of bugs. Utterly surrounded, and outnumbered, the battle began at close range. Thanks to the increased T from their Bikes, the Command Squad didn’t worry about much other than the Warriors. After a flurry of dice rolls, the gaunts failed to kill a Marine, mostly for the saves and the Feel No Pain, which is a fantastic rule that I am in love with. Jacobo Skulltaker claimed two of the Warriors, with the special rule for Moonfang, and injured the third, while the Command Squad slaughtered eight gaunts. After my Marines had finished their attacks, Darren had his Warrior attack with a lovely five dice. The Warrior, apparently angry at the fact the Command Squad killed so many Gaunts, manged two rending attacks, reducing the Squad’s effectiveness quite badly.
Despite the wounds inflicted, numbers and loss of life resulted in my Squad and Captain losing combat, but due to their natural Space Marine awesomeness, they refused to flee the xenos.
Turn Two
Space Marines
Movement
With my Captain and Command Squad engaged in what would surely become a protracted melee, I moved Squad Tartarus forward in support, close enough to rapid fire, and close enough to engage the enemy should the need arise. Squad Olympia charged forward, once more, bypassing the main melee in the street, and getting clear lines of sight on the Zoanthropes. Squad Sparta I moved far enough forward to see the flank of the Termagants planning on surrounding the Command Squad and Captain during the next turn, a small avenue large enough for three Bikers to ride through touching base to base. With my Squads repositioned, I ended the phase, praying to the Dice Gods for a good round of shooting.
Shooting
With no need to Turbo anyone, I began shooting with Squad Tartarus, aiming at the Carnifex that was amply named “Cuddles” with its Talons. Measuring up, the Carnifex was just at the edge of Rapid-fire Range, which they proceeded to execute. Heavy calibre bolts struck the massive creature, joined with the heavier rounds from the heavy bolter, all in all, the Carnifex was severely wounded, losing 2 wounds which I was pleasantly surprised with.
Squad Olympia fired at the Zoanthropes, not hurting it at all with regular bolters, and the heavy bolter managed to score two wounds, both of which were saved by its blasted Warp Shield. Squad Sparta however, fired into the rear of the Termagants, killing seven. It was a reasonable phase in my opinion, the Carnifex was half dead, and caught behind the unit of gaunts unable to get into combat, perfect for another round of shooting.
Assault
Squad Sparta leapt into the gants in front of them, readily using the area they cleared with their bolter fire, managing to get seven battle-brothers into combat. With the charges complete, we entered the combat, starting with my Captain against the Warrior and gaunts. With considerable skill, Third Captain Jacobo Skulltaker managed a single hit, and once more, I fall in love with the might of the Khan’s Moonfang, managing the 6 required for the kill. Dancing on the spot, I watched the gaunts attack without fear, managing a grand six wounds in total, resulting in another of the Command Squad falling, which was the Company Champion of all things. With my attacks back, I killed four for four, happy with the outcome. The gaunts lost, but due to the Synapse, they didn’t run, instead they took the addintional three losses like the pros the Tyranids often are.
Squad Sparta however, made a grand entrance, charging forth with fist and combat blades, and the heavy machines they rode, their twenty attacks butchered the majority of the horde, leaving a mere thirteen to struggle against them for another round, even after another two fell to their loss of the combat. All said and done, a sizeable hole was forming, which I am pleased with, unfortunately, the Command Squad was taking a battering.
Turn Two
Tyranids
Movement
Before the actual movement, he rolled for the Trygon, bringing the beast behind Squad Tartarus, which wasn’t that nice a surprise for me.
Taking the hint from the firepower arrayed against the Carnifex, Darren moved the beast away from the melee, and around the side of the building, keeping it literally on the edge of the Synapse range from the other unit of Warriors. His Prime was creeping around behind Sparta, and the grin on his face told me that this wasn’t good for me. He’d pincered Sparta and Tartarus nicely, and Olympia faced a Carnifex, Gargoyle and Zoanthrope brood. The free unit of Termagants scuttled forward, to get in range of Tartarus, all ready to try to end the supporting squad, and get back to killing the Captain.
In order to keep the Carnifex under control, Darren moved his Zoanthropes closer to Olympia, extending the field just enough to make his Carnifex that much more intent on killing the War Dogs.
Shooting
Starting with the Zoanthropes, I am pleased to announce that one Zoanthrope killed itself with the Perils of the Warp, the same one that injured itself in the previous turn. The other two both aimed at Olympia again, using Warp Blast this time, managing to kill two Bikers. The Trygon decided it wanted to play next, and used its bio-electric charge thing to strike Tartarus from behind, injured six, and killing one, which I consider lucky. The other Warriors targeted Tartarus as well, their Barbed Stranglers causing another fatality.
The Gargoyles targeted Olympia again, once more proving the lack of ballistic skill hampers a small squad.
Assault
Leaping into combat, the second gants unit replaced the defeated Warriors, and the Trygon Prime leapt on Tartarus. The Carnifex, in all its glory ran straight into Olympia, desperate for the cuddle it had been looking for since the start of the battle, with the Gargoyles close behind to support.
And the Warrior Prime crashed into the rear of Squad Sparta, with that lash whip and bone sword looking ever so fun for my Marines.
With such a choice of combat, we decided to start with the Captain and the Command Squad, now swamped with Hormagaunts and Termagants, starting with the Captain himself, and I elected to start thinning the herd with the gants. All three attacks killed a poor bug before it could raise their fleshborers, reducing their effectiveness for a moment. The Gaunts, with their higher speed, directed themselves against the Command Squad, but were unable to wound any, thanks to Power Armour and Feel No Pain. The return attacks killed three out of four, once more winning combat, and causing a further two fatalities. The gants however, proved that numbers don’t always mean success when it comes to WS and higher T and saves, unable to even wound anyone of the squad, losing another one to the Fearless rule.
With the Captain and Command Squad still going, we moved onto Squad Olympia, with Gaius Stormbreaker. Striking out first, Gaius engaged the Carnifex in brutal close quarters, managing to scrape a wound off the beastie. The Gargoyles and the Bikers fought at the same time, with the higher T and armour once more proving a match for lesser bugs. Every Gargoyle fell in the return strikes, with an extra hit on the Carnifex, which didn’t wound. Enraged by its grevious wounds, Cuddles tore into the Chaplain, managing two wounds. The Rosarius showed its might by staving off death for the Chaplain, even as the Squad piled into the beast.
Squad Sparta however, did not fare so well. Knowing the Prime was the real threat, the Bikers struggled to engage it with their full strength, with its high number of attacks, it cleaved through two of the Squad and crushed the Attack Bike with ease. The Sergeant pulled a wound off the beast, even as the surviving members butchered two gants. The gants weren’t best pleased with this, and pulled another Biker to the ground and slaughtered him. Losing combat, my Marines barely held their ground.
Squad Tartarus had the more pleasant job of the Trygon Prime, and focussed on the massive creature rather than the gants. Striking together, the Trygon ate two Bikers, even as it lost a wound to a single Marine with a combat blade. The gants failed to harm anyone, leaving the Sergeant and his Power Fist to play. In a surprising turn of events, the Sergeant managed to hit both times, and wound it twice, evening out the combat, somewhat. After piling in, you could hardly see the black and red War Dogs from the sea of ork green and bleached bone.
Turn Three
Space Marines
Movement
Well that was short and sweet.
Shooting
Again, short and sweet lol.
Combat
Starting with my Captain again, I focussed on the Gaunts, their higher initiative was taking its toll on the Command Squad, and I wanted them out of the picture, managing another three for three kill with Moonfang. The gaunts again failed to wound anything, and the Command Squad evened up by taking another three out of the picture. With the gants managing to take a wound off Captain Skulltaker, both lost combat, resulting in the gaunts losing another three. Only two gaunts remained, but they were still there.
Squad Tartarus was next, and once more dished out the pain to the Trygon, which suffered another wound, while failing to kill a Marine. The gants attacked and did manage to take another Biker down. The Sergeant once more proved his worth, and dealt a killing blow to the Trygon, removing both wounds again. This surprise was well wanted, as the horde was overwhelming my compact and not so mobile army.
Squad Olympia slaughtered the Carnifex in short order, and consolidated closer to the Zoanthropes.
Squad Sparta fought valiantly, and lost another Marine to the bonesword of the Prime, and the Sergeant again avenged his man by taking another wound from the Prime. The rest of the squad unfortunately were unable to injure the beast. The gants they had charged brought a second man down, bringing the Squad to three men, and still refused to give ground.
Turn Three
Tyranids
Movement
Darren could see what Squad Olympia had planned, and brought his Warriors closer to the Zoanthropes, while moving them closer to the Chimera, but with the rest of his force engaged or dead, Darren proceeded to the Shooting.
Shooting
Now Olympia paid the price for killing a Carnifex and the Gargoyles, with another round of Warp Blasts and Barbed Stranglers, losing two Marines. With that, we moved to Combat.
Combat
Darren chose to start with his Prime this time, and I watched as the two remaining battle-brothers of Sergeant Gregor Ironfist fell to the Prime. The Sergeant struck back, and missed once, and barely hit the second time. With a prayer to the dice gods, I rolled that single dice, hoping for a miracle to kill that blasted Prime. Alas, it was not to be, and the Sergeant’s sword bounced off the chitinous armour. The gants chose to strike, but the fury of losing his squad made Sergeant Ironfist wrath incarnate, and not a single blow landed upon him.
Moving on to the remaining Gaunts and gants bothering Captain Skulltaker and his two remaining Battle-brothers, the two gaunts died before Moonfang, as did a Termagant. The Command Squad managed two kills as well, before the gants struck back, and pulled Brother Xavior from his mount and tore him asunder, the Company Standard gripped in his fist even as he died.
Squad Tartarus proceeded to cleave through the gants, but lost a brother at the same time, and the bugs still refused to break.
With Squad Sparta effectively gone, and only performing a holding action against a CC heavy beast and handful of gants, and the Command Squad now consisting of the Apothecary, and the Captain still caught up in melee, we moved on to my Turn Four.
Turn Four
Space Marines
Movement
Olympia had one goal now. Crush the Zoanthropes, and they charged forward to perform this task, but they had to deal with the Warriors first. To do this, I moved them into a formation that would maximise their firepower and allow as many to engage in combat as possible.
Shooting
Squad Olympia fired the heavy bolter, two melta guns and five twin linked bolters unloaded into the Warriors. Rolling the Meltas first, I was pleased to see two Warriors vanished due to the double strength to toughness. The third suffered heavily, but managed to survive with one wound remaining. Grinning to myself, I ended the phase.
Assault
Charging Olympia into the lone near death Warrior was very satisfying for me in all honesty, and I am pleased to say that the Warrior was crushed beneath the wheels of eight Bikers and an Attack Bike. The Zoanthropes were vulnerable now, and nothing he could do to bring reinforcements to hold the vengeful Squad Olympia.
Captain Skulltaker and his Apothecary slaughtered four gants in the combat, but were unable to break their back yet, the Synapse field was still in place. Although barely fifteen of them remained, the pair had managed to reduce the horde considerably.
Squad Sparta was still holding its own, the Prime fluffing all its attacks, and the Sergeant aiming for the gants and killed two of them. Surprising us both, the gants and the Prime were still stuck with the stubborn Sergeant.
Squad Tartarus however, managed to break their foe, killing three and running them down, the poor bugs were just outside of the Synapse Field when the combat began much to my happiness.
Turn Four
Tyranids
Movement
Darren could see the end was in sight, he had to kill either Tartarus or Olympia before they crushed what remained of his once vast horde. Deciding on taking the more threatening Olympia, he stationed his Zoanthropes to target them, hoping for more luck from his usually crushing Brood.
Shooting
Rolling for Zoanthropes, Darren used two Warp Blasts again, this time both struck and caused two wounds each, killing a Melta gunner, and a standard Biker and the Attack Bike. Pleased with the outcome, we moved to combat once more.
Combat
Deciding on finishing the Captain, we started there, and watched as the gants were finally wiped out, freeing up my prime attacker. Unfortunately, I seemed to have forgotten about the objective until this point, and consolidated both Captain Skulltaker and the Apothecary towards the Chimera.
Sergeant Ironfist once more proved his mettle, surviving the attacks of the Prime, and lashing out to take that final wound off the Synapse beast! Darren shook his head at this, and called it. The War Dogs managed to pull the victory back to their half despite the scary monsters that usually crush them.
Conclusion,
With the majority of his army dead, and the Zoanthropes practically surrounded, Darren surrendered the field to me, we shook hands, had a hug and then went for drinks to celebrate the victorious War Dogs who have become quite a lovely sight in the local shop.
No Blood No Victory
The Most Valued Model of the Game went to Sergeant Ironfist, for his stubborn inability to die and for holding a Termagant swarm and a Prime in place. The veteran Biker will shortly be promoted to the War Dogs Fist Company, Vanguards.
I hope you enjoyed this, and I would appreciate any comments =]
I also apologise for the spacing, it looked alot better in Word.
Hayley
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SalamanderMarine 
200 points
1250 points
Tomb kings: 1000
2/0/3
