After months of war, the system of Wiebelich was on its knees. The worlds that made up the system had been cut off from the rest of the Imperium by massive warpstorms for nearly a year, barely able to communicate with the might that supported them. In the meantime, renegade marines had appeared on every planet; striding across the fields and cities of the once peaceful system and raising hideous mobs of crazed traitors, while burning the loyal.
Though various of the Astartes had managed to break through in order to assist the beleaguered planetary defences, the war was not going well. Unnatural warp entities had been seen in many battlefields, and entire continents were suddenly cut off by screaming dervishes of foul sentient energy.
Aliens had been seen on the monastery world of Kossen shortly before it had been enveloped in warp energies and sucked entirely from realspace. The loyal Space Marines in the system could only assume that these Eldar were somehow causing the rifts, and attacking the Imperium. Once the system was secure, they would hunt down the remnants of the xenos scum.
But now the storms had abated somewhat. A relief force of Blood Angels had made their way within solar orbit, and the fresh bloodlust in their eyes inspired the weary Space Wolves that had borne the brunt of the combat so far.
Now there was a chance. If the head of the renegade serpent could be cut off, then they could quell the uprising. With their rituals abandoned, the Astronomicon would blaze its way through the warp once more, settling the system and allowing reinforcements and supplies to arrive. As their battlebarges moved towards the world of Wiebelich V, surrounded by blockades of gunships and strange energies, the Space Wolves and Blood Angels prepared themselves for the final battle.
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To farewell 6th Ed, the boys and I decided to play one last game under those rules before settling in and trying out these new 7th Ed rules. As I've been tying all my battles over the 6th into one story for my army, we decided that this was the final fight for the star system that had been under attack by Chaos. Either the system would be saved or lost, but then we would be fighting in a new system come 7th.
What better way to see out an edition than with a giant battle? So we made up 5,000 pts per side, 2,500 per army and rolled Big Guns Never Tire. Clearly the Imperium was hoping to destroy some key elements of the Chaos force, giving time for reinforcements to arrive, while Chaos was going to finish off the last threats in the system before finishing the job. We agreed to ignore First Blood for this mission.
Here's the battle.
Combined Forces of Chaos.
Slaaneshi Daemons.
Keeper of Secrets - Warlord: Infernal Commander; Psychic Power: Terrify; Gifts: Unbreakable Hide, Lash of Despair.
Herald - Locus of Beguilement, It Will Not Die, Etherblade.
Herald - Locus of Beguilement, Dark Blessings, Etherblade.
15 Daemonettes - Alluress, Rapturous Standard, Instrument.
15 Daemonettes - Alluress, Rapturous Standard, Instrument.
4 Fiends
10 Seekers - Alluress, Rapturous Standard, Instrument.
Daemon Prince of Slaanesh - Wings, Armour, Lash of Despair, Rage gift.
Soulgrinder of Slaanesh - Phlegm Bombardment.
Allied Chaos Lord of Slaanesh - Powerfist, Lightning Claw, Sigil, Steed of Slaanesh.
15 Allied Marines of Slaanesh - 2 Meltas, Icon of Excess, Champ with Claw.
8 Allied Bikers of Slaanesh - 2 Meltas, Icon of Excess, Champ with Lance.
10 Allied Havocs of Slaanesh - 3 Lascannon, Icon of Excess.
Black Legion
Abaddon the Despoiler
Dark Apostle - Hand of Darkness, Eye of Night.
35 Cultists - 3 Flamers.
35 Cultists - 3 Flamers.
10 Marines - 2 Meltas, Veterans.
10 Marines - 2 Flamers, Veterans.
10 Chosen - 5 Plasmaguns, Veterans, Rhino.
5 Terminators of Khorne - 3 Combimetlas, Chainfist, Powerfist, Poweraxes, Veterans.
Heldrake - Baleflamer.
3 Obliterators of Nurgle - Veterans.
Defiler - Twinlinked Heavy Bolters.
Vindicator - Havoc Launcher, Combibolter.
Forces of the Imperium
Space Wolves
Rune Priest - Terminator Armour, Power: Prescience. Warlord: Night Fighter.
Rune Priest - Terminator Armour, Jaws of the World Wolf, Level 2, Saga of Beastslayer, Wolf Tail, Wolf Tooth.
10 Grey Hunters - Mark of the Wulfen, Wolf Standard, 2 Plasmaguns, Rhino.
10 Grey Hunters - Mark of the Wulfen, Wolf Standard, 2 Flamers, Rhino.
Lone Wolf - Terminator Armour, Twin Wolf Claws.
5 Wolf Guard - Chainfist, 2 Combimeltas, Axe, 2 Swords, Twin Wolf Claws, Droppod.
5 Wolf Guard - Twin Wolf Claws, Landraider Redeemer.
5 Long Fangs - 4 Missile Launchers, Wolf Guard leader with Cyclone Missile Launcher.
Vindicator.
Vindicator.
Firestorm Redoubt.
10 Allied Legion of the Damned - Combigrav, Heavy Flamer, Meltagun, Animus Malorum.
Blood Angels
Dante. I don’t remember his Warlord trait.
Sanguinary Priest - Jumppack
Furioso Dreadnought - Powers: Wings of Sanguinus, Bloodlance, Droppod.
5 Sanguinary Guard
20 Death Company
Baal Predator.
Baal Predator.
Allied Coteaz. Power: Prescience.
5 Allied Grey Knights.
5 Allied Grey Knights.
10 Allied Grey Knight Terminators. Justicar Thrawn (?)
Allied Stormraven.
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The lauded members of the Astartes drove towards the ruined city on the horizon. All reports claimed the centre of the insurrection lay here, in the shadows and darkness that clung to the moulding stone. As the closed on the city, shapes began to make themselves visible. Tiny at the distance, human figures stood on the end of an open plaza, lifting themselves into silouette by the dozens.
‘By the emperor,’ murmured a Grey Hunter as he checked his boltgun was prepared. ‘There’s so many of these traitors.’
Over the top of a low building skittered an insectoid shape, but with huge arms that reached out towards the oncoming Space Marines. A Grey Knight laid his hand on the Wolf’s shoulder and shook his head. ‘These are no mere traitors. We are with you this morning, because they are heretics.’
A second spider-like machine crawled out of a copse of trees. From the humans standing around it, it was clearly nearly two stories tall.
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Deployment:
We rolled five objectives, and placed two on either battleline with one central. The Imperium set up first, creating a solid mass in the centre of their side of the field, and reserving a few units in droppods etc. Then Chaos formed up, completely filling our Deployment zone with cultists and a few heavier units, reserving some of the heavy hitters until later, and our deepstriking / outflanking units. My Havocs were in a ruined skyscraper. The Apostle was with the second unit of Cultists, on our right. The Long Fangs and the Warlord Rune Priest were deployed in the Redoubt.
Chaos attempted to seize but bottomed out with a 1. Coteaz didn’t even need to force us to reroll… Night Fight was in effect.
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As the approached, the mighty Space Marines focused their assault like a spear crashing through the throat of the enemy. Together they breached the heretics’ line, Droppods landing with a thunderous crash and belching their lethal payload onto the ground beside them, a mighty Dreadnought signalling is presence with a burst of psychic flame. Bounding through the ruins, his armour still crusted with the blood of his fallen brothers, a Lone Wolf came racing to the foe, closely followed by a roaring throng of the Death Company. Through the assault, not a word came from the ragged men standing in the ruins and shadows of the plaza. Finally, as the first shots rang out, a flame grew before one group of cult followers, resolving into a blazing image like a squad of marines, covered in bone.
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Turn 1:
Imperium - The battle began strong with the Furioso Dread, Wolf Guard and Legion of the Damned all dropping right in the face of the Chaos Horde. The Landraider shot forward and the bulk of their ground troops moved up to the objective in the ruins in the middle of the table. Unfortunately, all their big guns managed to perform poorly due to the bonus cover saves provided by Night Fight. One squad went to ground versus a Demolisher round. Chaos lost a few cultists at this stage!
Chaos - In retaliation, Chaos poured all its firepower into every target they could. Mobs of cultists blazed away at the undead Legionnaires; MarsNZ deployed the Eye of Night immediately, hoping to damage the Firestorm Redoubt but failing. He did manage to immobilise the Landraider, but neither the Defiler or the Soulgrinder could damage the Furioso. The Soulgrinder managed to blow up one of the Vindicators, but then we remembered it was owed a 4+ cover for Night Fighting. It saved, causing huge sighs of relief from the Imperial side of the table. Because the Wolf Guard were so close, Abaddon and the Khorne Terminators charged them, supported by the Fiends of Slaanesh.
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The Despoiler, greatest champion of Chaos, stepped over the massive armoured bulk of the Wold Guard, Drachnyen soaking in the blood and essence of the fallen soldier. Beside him strode the black armoured hulks of his own Terminator guard, singled out by Khorne with frothing fury. As a sign of his glory, running around and amongst his guards flowed sinuous Fiends of Slaanesh, their musk driving the Black armored monsters hate still further. Smiling widely, Abaddon led his hounds past a stone wall towards another group of Wolf Guard. As they came charging towards him, claws outstretched, he smiled and beckoned one to him, raising Drachnyen to the sky.
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Turn 2:
Imperium - The Storm Raven and a Baal Predator arrived. The Raven fired Mindstrike Missiles at the Keeper of Secrets, hiding at the back of the board, causing a wound. One Baal dropped too close to the Chaos army and mis-happed, returning next turn. Heavy firepower managed to drop the Soulgrinder and the Defiler. Dante and the other Blood Angels sat, waiting, on the far side of the central ruins. The Wolf Guard in the Landraider disembarked, hoping to hold off the Despoiler and his minions. The Legionnaires charged the Cultists and broke them, heading closer to the Havocs in the tower. Abaddon finished off the Wolf Guard and moved into the ruins.
Chaos - The Obliterators, both units of Daemonettes, Outflanking Seekers and Outflanking Bikers all arrived and came in on our right flank. My Daemon Prince leaped over the building he had been sheltering behind. The Warpstorm improved all daemon saves this turn. Combined firepower managed to explode the Furioso and the Vindicator, and suddenly there was a very large force massed by an objective on the Imperial side of the table. The Flamer and Melta equipped Chaos Marines managed to whittle down the Legionnaires further. Abaddon and his Terminators charged the second unit of Wolf Guard.
Turn 3:
Imperium - Last turn’s Baal returned, and managed to find its way into the back of the Chaos line this time. The other arrived also, dropping directly behind my Bikers and destroying three (including the Icon of Excess, which really frustrated me...) and other fire manages to take out both the Meltas in the unit. Coteaz and his Terminators begin to move around the ruins, towards the Daemons that are flooding the side of the field. The Stormraven continued forward, unleashing its weaponry on the Daemons clustered on our right flank. Between the various units on this side of the field, the entire Seeker unit is lost. The Legionnaires attempted to charge the Havocs in the tower, at which point we realised that they could not draw line of sight through the floors to them, meaning they were unable to do so. We backtracked and let him roll a run move up a level instead. The Imperium REALLY wanted to charge Abaddon with the Sanguinary Guard and Death Company, but there is no room to get into base contact with them. Instead they managed to destroy the couple of remaining Fiends.
Chaos - The Chosen appeared on the left flank in their Rhino, moving rapidly up to threaten the Vindicator and nearby Grey Knights. They were accompanied by a Vindicator moving on to block the line of sight of the Baal and line up a beautiful shot at the massive blob in the middle of the table. The Shooting phase began with the luckiest shot I have ever made, a Meltagun from my allied Slaaneshi Marines hitting, penetrating and exploding the Stormraven. The Baal in our back field was handily blown up by the Melta wielding Chaos Marines. The Vindicator killed about eight Death Company in one shot. The Daemon Prince moved up and used his Lash against the Grey Hunters Rhino, blowing it open. Unfortunately, the Hunters managed to mostly hide behind the wreck, meaning only one of my units managed to charge them. They struck first due to terrain, killing a couple of Daemonettes. Then my Daemons piled in. And killed every single Grey Hunter. The Bikers turned and attacked the Baal, though the Lord only tore off the Flamer and Immobilised it, not killing it. I forgot to roll the four other Bikers Krak grenades against the Tank. Abaddon finishes off the last of the Wolf Guard, alone now.
Turn 4:
Imperium - The Chaos Vindicator is taken out at once by the Long Fangs. Coteaz and his entourage charge and kill my Daemon Prince with ease. Finally the Imperium manage to send the Sanguinary Guard against Abaddon, though they find there is no room to send in the Death Company as well. I did not attack the Baal with my Lord in this Assault phase, though I think I should have as we were still in base contact. The Havoc champion kills the last Legionnaire in combat.
Chaos - Finally, the Heldrake arrives. It Vector Strikes the Grey Hunters Rhino, spilling them out, but fires through the Redoubts access port, killing a Long Fang with random allocation. The Redoubt does manage to knock off a Hull Point with Interceptor, but It Will Not Die brings that point back at the end of the turn. The Daemons moved forward, looking at the 5 man Grey Knight squad with glee. The Havocs in the tower manage to blow up the Vindicator on their flank, leaving the Chosen free to rapidfire plasma through the small Grey Knight squad in support. Coteaz and his Terminators weather a shocking amount of fire from the few nearby squads, and find themselves left with only a few models remaining. Thrawn goes down and never stands up again this battle. My Chaos Lord finished ripping open the Baal and turned to see what the Daemons were up to. Abaddon slaughters the Sanguinary Priest in a challenge.
Turn 5:
Imperium - The Grey Knights fired on the Daemons with everything they could, dropping all but the Heralds. Coteaz and the single remaining Grey Knight Terminator move behind the walls, managing to just contest the objective their power armoured brethren moved back from. Dante finally has no choice but to step forward to meet Abaddon’s challenge. After this round of fighting, they are both left on one wound.
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The Grey Knights fought with honour. They were the purest sons of Mankind, the only true beacon of hope left in the foul morass of the galaxy. Here was where they were most needed, fighting the cleanse a world of the sins that had led it to this damnation. Here was where they fough tthe daemon.
Daemons raced across the ground towsards them, unnaturally fast. A unit of Grey Hunters fought bravely, but fell beneath the long thin claws of the monsters. The Knights moved slowly back, lowering their Storm Bolters in a scything rain of fire.
Onwards came the daemons, dancing between the spurting death of the bolt shells. They fell, blasted backwards in a tumbling heap that vanished before it came to rest. Their slim beautiful faces twisted and tore in rage as they died.
‘I think that may be-’
Brother Phetrion could not finish his sentence before a swarm of bike mounted warriors burst from the smoke that coiled across the field. Though the Knights switched their fire, it was too late, in seconds the beasts were among them. In their midst rode an ornately armoured warrior, mounted on a daemonic steed. The red shine from his visor caught their eye, before he brought energy wrapped claws up in a whirlwind of death.
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Chaos - The Chaos Lord and Bikers charged the small Grey Knight squad. They kill them all. Abaddon finished off Dante in the challenge, rolling Icy Aura as a boon. We tried to clear the Hunter from their Objective, but couldn’t quite pull it off.
And with that, the game ended, about nine hours after we had begun.
Final Results:
Imperium - Big Guns (Soulgrinder, Vindicator, Defiler, Daemon Prince), Lone Wolf, 1 Objective - 8
VP
Chaos - Big Guns (Vindicator, Vindicator), Warlord (Dante), Linebreaker, 2 Objectives - 10
VP.
A Win for the Forces of Chaos!
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Few were left to witness the death of the world. Some hushed records in the Great Halls of Fenris say that Abaddon was last seen, laughing over the shattered bodies of the Blood Angels finest soldiers, as the planet itself broke beneath his feat. Twisted thorny vines grew about him, black and noxious, dragging the bodies beneath the surface.
The System of Wiebelich is found on no Imperial maps. The Ecclesiarchy claim there never was a monastery world known as Kossen.
