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Sister Jessica?s finger slammed down on the communicator button, her eyes flashing hotly.

?For the last time,? she spat, ?This is an active installation of the Ecclesiarchy. No training maneuvers have been authorized and none shall take place! You are ordered to turn that Thunderhawk around and return to your Battle Barge at once!?

The Wolf Guard Battle Leader?s face on the monitor pulled into a tight grin. ?Listen, darlin?,? he growled. ?I?m on orders to retrieve that statue, and that statue is comin? with me. We?re trainin? here, and it?d be best if you stayed out of the way.?

Sister Jessica fumed. Violently, she stabbed her finger down on the button, but a hand closed over her wrist and gently pulled it away. Sister Megan Elizabeth frowned at the Wolf Guard Battle Leader.

?There is no reasoning with these fools,? she said quietly and calmly. ?They?re little more than animals, and only the Emperor knows why their blasphemy is tolerated. But I have little patience for the savages. Prepare the Sisters to defend the shrine. If the brutes make landfall, destroy them all as traitors in the name of the Ordo Hereticus. Purge the heretics from this hallowed ground.?

**************************************

The Interactive Battle Report is a regular feature of TWF, and the first installment here proved that it could work just as well on Dakka. A little background on the Interactive Battle Report, for those who don't visit TWF: Originally, a TWFer named jonpegg came up with the idea of posting a battle report in segments, only posting a turn at a time and letting people discuss the game in progress in between turns. The result is usually some great discussion over what is happening in the battle, tactica, where things are going right or wrong, etc.

The first 40k Interactive Battle Report featured Eldar vs. Kroot Mercenaries, and there was some feedback that the armies were a little too obscure for people to properly participate. In the interest of recognizing reader preferences, this battle features two more ?mainstream? armies.

This mission was randomly generated as OMEGA LEVEL TAKE AND HOLD. Jessica Dejong, a regular on TWF, agreed to command his normal tournament Space Wolf forces. For my part, I am in the baby stages of pulling together a full Sisters of Battle army, and had a list I wanted to try out. We took turns placing terrain.

The Sisters of Battle military installment is centered by the objective, a statue of St. Milano of Astrix V, housed in a level 2 shrine that provided 5+ cover saves to anyone in it, but counted as open terrain. The upper left of the field was the ?entrance? to the enclave, protected by a level 1 fortified wall that provided a 4+ cover save for infantry and was impassable to vehicles. A level 2 defensive emplacement served as area terrain in the center left of the field and provided a 5+ cover save, while the lower left was dominated by a level 2 pile of 5+ cover save rocks and the chapel of St. Milano (a 4+ cover save, level 3 building). A level 2 ammo dump provided a 6+ cover save in the lower center of the field. The right side of the field was covered by the military complex of the Sisters of Battle. A level 3 Manufactorium provided a 4+ cover save to the lower right, as did the level 3 Rhino wreckage. The level 3 Sanctorium stretched lengthwise across the upper right corner, while we decided that the level 3 Bastion and the level 2 water tanks in the upper right corner would be impassable terrain.

The Space Wolf army looked like this:

HQ:
Venerable dread - Assault cannon, smokes, extra armour - 163
Wolf Guard battle leader - Bolt pistol, frost blade, frags, wolf pelt - 85
Wolf priest - Plasma pistol, power weapon, wolf pelt, healing potions and balms, frags - 134

ELITE:
5 Wolf Guard bodyguard -
1 Powerfist, plasma pistol, & wolf pelt
2 Terminator armour, assault cannon & runic charm
2 Terminator armour, bolter/plasma & runic charm
Assigned to the wolf priest- 253
Mounted in a drop pod - 30

TROOPS:
8 Hunters - 3 Bolter & cc weapon, 2 fist & bolt pistol, 2 plasma pistol & cc weapon, 1 plasmagun - 201
Mounted in a rhino - smokes, extra armour, dozer - 63

8 Hunters - 3 Bolter & cc weapon, 2 fist & bolt pistol, 2 plasma pistol & cc weapon, 1 plasmagun - 201
Mounted in a rhino - smokes, extra armour, dozer - 63

7 Hunters - 3 Bolter & cc weapon, 1 fist & bolt pistol, 1 plasma pistol & power weapon, 1 plasma pistol, 1 plasmagun - 179
Mounted in a drop pod - 30

FAST ATTACK:
Land Speeder Tornado - 80
Land Speeder Tornado - 80

HEAVY SUPPORT:
Pred - Twin las, heavy bolter sponsons, smokes, extra armour, dozer - 143
Pred - Twin las, heavy bolter sponsons, smokes, extra armour, dozer - 143

1848 points

The Order of the Blazing Heart looked like this:

HQ:
Sister Megan Elizabeth - 131
Cannoness: Inferno Pistol, Blessed Weapon, Cloak of St. Aspira, Frag
Grenades, Jump Pack

Sister Jessica - 112
Cannoness: Bolt Pistol, Eviscerator, Cloak of St. Aspira, Frag
Grenades, Jump Pack

TROOPS:
The Arm of the Emperor - 234
9 Battle Sisters, Heavy Flamer, Meltagun
Veteran Sister Superior Monica - Eviscerator, Book of St. Lucius
Rhino w/ Extra Armor and Smoke

The Iron Fist - 234
9 Battle Sisters, Heavy Flamer, Meltagun
Veteran Sister Superior Stacey - Eviscerator, Book of St. Lucius
Rhino w/ Extra Armor and Smoke

The Cleansing Fire - 200
9 Battle Sisters, Heavy Flamer, Flamer
Veteran Sister Superior Stephanie - Bolter
Rhino w/ Extra Armor and Smoke

The Purging of Heresy - 202
9 Battle Sisters, Meltagun, Meltagun
Veteran Sister Superior Stephanie - Bolter
Rhino w/ Extra Armor and Smoke

FAST ATTACK:
Holy Vengeance - 233
7 Seraphim, 1xHand Flamers, 1xInferno Pistols, Frag and Krak Grenades
Veteran Sister Superior Leasa - Eviscerator, Frag and Krak Grenades

Righteous Anger - 233
7 Seraphim, 1xHand Flamers, 1xInferno Pistols, Frag and Krak Grenades
Veteran Sister Superior Deidra - Eviscerator, Frag and Krak Grenades

HEAVY SUPPORT:
Burning Rain - 135
Exorcist

Emperor's Wrath - 135
Exorcist

Total: 1849

The Sisters would be starting the game with 10 Faith Points. The Space Wolf deployment zone was the lower portion of the field; the Sisters had the upper portion.

Because Escalation RULES (if only you could see my eyes rolling), the only unit in either army that could be deployed was the Wolf Guard Battle Leader. We both agreed that starting the game with only one model on the table would be stupid, so the table, after the deployment phase, looked like this:

So? Who got the better of the deployment phase? Which army is going to pull it out? How do you like the compositions of both armies? Now is your chance to discuss. This is the interactive part...so interact!

Hard to say much so far. I will say that I if I were playing I would have picked the bottom for my deployment if possible, so I think the Wolves have something going for them there. A little more cover for them to advance on the objective with. Good for them considering the Exorcists.

The sister's military installation is the top center rectangle? If so, it's too bad they don't really have any long ranged fire (aside from the excorsists) as that is a PRIME piece of real estate for a shooty army.

As for deployment... hard to say, as there's NONE going on.

Witchhunters Turn One

A tumbleweed. Some crickets. The faint tolling of the chapel bells.

Space Wolves Turn One

The morning sun rising over the Manufactorium. The chirping of birds. The vast empty feeling that absolutely nothing is happening, even though everyone knows very well something is about to.

At the end of Turn One, the map looked like this:



Wasn't Escalation a FABULOUS addition to 40k?!

Witchhunters Turn Two

The doors of the Inquisitorial Bastion creaked open, and the Sisters began to muster. Rhinos rumbled onto the field from the munitions depot north of the battlefield, prepared to repel the misguided Space Wolves by force, if necessary. Sister Megan Elizabeth (orange) and Sister Jessica (pink) swooped down between the transports, and Holy Vengeance hovered gracefully beside them. The lead Rhino expelled its smoke launchers, and the Sisters watched the skies for signs of the Marines.



Space Wolves Turn Two

The sky tore open as two huge mechanical spheres barreled into the ground, both drifting northwest enough to conveniently (for the Space Wolves) close the gap between the Bastion and the Sanctorium. They hissed open, and Grey Hunters spilled out into the open, followed by a mob of hulking Terminators and the Wolf Priest. On the far side of the field, Rhinos wheeled onto the field, and the Venerable Dreadnought Odin crept rather quietly (for a Dreadnought) into the shadow of the Manufactorium, flanked by a landspeeder Tornado.

The Grey Hunters immediately opened up on the Rhino before them, but with the thick smoke obscuring their view, they only managed to remove its stormbolter and stun the vehicle crew lightly. The Terminators and the Wolf Priest, however, had a clear view of the Seraphim, and unloaded with everything they had. Caught unaware, the blessed warriors were picked from the sky one by one, including Veteran Sister Superior Leasa. When the smoke cleared, only two Seraphim were standing. Knowledge of the presence of a Book of St. Lucius nearby helped them keep their wits about them, however, and they held strong, readying their Inferno Pistol and Hand Flamers.

First blood had gone to the Space Wolves. Training exercises, indeed. Grimly, Sister Megan Elizabeth waved one mailed hand, and the Sisters of Battle advanced to war.



(In the picture above, the grey models are normal Grey Hunters. Models in green have plasma guns. The yellow Terminators have assault cannons. The blue base is the Wolf Priest. Cyan models have power weapons, while magenta models have power fists/plasma pistols.)

Heavy firepower from the Space Wolves. They came out swinging! What?s next? What would you do? Discuss!

Ouch! Losing the seraphim really hurt! The space wolves did pretty well this turn. They got a good chunk of their reserves in, and most of them are fast enough to get into the thick of things quickly...all except the dred. But there's also an opportunity for the sisters in turn 3. Right now the SW army is split. The two drop pods do a good job of limiting access to that back corner of the field. That could give the sisters trouble later on if they try to move out and claim quarters, but for now it will help keep the grey hunters in rhinos away.

What the sisters need right now is some really good reserve rolls. If they can get enough units to come in, they can shoot the heck out of the termies and hunters up in the corner, and maybe, just maybe, eliminate that chunk of the wolves army before the rest can bring their power to bear. The old divide and conquer. If the sisters can't kill them with shooting, then charging in some seraphim and tying things up in CC will stop the rest of the SW army from having LOS through that corridor. But it all comes down to reserve rolls. I just don't think that even 3 squads rapid firing 60 boltgun shots will take down everything up there, especially not the termies.


'Course there is one other option. All the sisters are still in their rhinos. The sisters player could drive them around to the other side of the building and hop them out there. That would screen them from the termie assault cannons and let them shoot the drop pod grey hunters and the speeder without having to worry about the termies charging in next turn.


SteveW

Ouch is right, that was a nasty 'first' turn.

The wolf player just took the initiative with a vengence. He's basically traded his two drop squads to buy the rest of the force some time to get into position. He's blocked off the most direct path to the objective from the bulk of the sister's force, did a bit of damage, and has forced Xtapl to make a big choice next turn. Gutsy move. I'm not sure I would have gone that route, I think I would have dropped on the objective and made the sisters come dig me out. Still have to see how it'll play out.

Xtapl has (er... had) one heck of a decision to make next turn. Those three sisters squads are more than capable of wiping the droppers out with divine guidance. The problem there, is that's an extra turn that the wolf player has to secure the objective. I think I'd still opt to wipe the podders out (since there will be no help coming in to save them), and generally use the pods to hide my forces for the turn. If a Rhino or two gets popped, it's not a huge hit since the objective is within walking distance (and the units left to come in, a Rhino the other Seraphim and the two Exorcists, should be able to keep the other wolf forces busy until the gals in the upper right get free to reinforce a big push on the center). Ignoring them and going for the objective might seem like a good idea, but passing on such a golden opportunity to gut such a big portion of the wolf force just can't be passed up.

Should prove to be an interesting report. Can't wait for the next installment.

Kev

Wow! Im really stunned. Another of these great peaces. My army (SW) included. And seemingly a veteran commander. Im really looking forward how this is going.

The SW army list seems to be made by a quite experienced player, therefore my guess is that the SW will win this game. I love the offensive use of thouse pods arriving a bit too early. Most likely the SW players mixed forces would have cooperated better in non escalation missions, but with the established Pod Wall the sisters might struggle to win the fight for the objectives now.

It will be interesting to see the next turn because it can decide a pretty big chunk of the game. I think the Sisters player has to try and do something about the podders because he doesn't want to leave the assault cannons up there able to pick off his exorcists when they come on. Right now if he chose to dismount he would outnumber the wolves, but I'm not sure that will be enough. The podders brought in a tremendous amount of firepower in the assault cannons and the plasma they are carrying. Another thing interesting is exactly how the sisters are boxed in. If they choose to try and go around via the bottom route they will be facing the Landspeeder and the ven dred both equipped with assault cannons. If they choose to try and leave over the top, it appears that they will have farther to travel to get to the objective and will be exposing themselves to more fire from the drop pod termies. Great opening moves for the Wolves, it will be interesting to see how the Sisters counter.

By request, here?s a key to the map:



Witchhunters Turn Three

Righteous Fury floated down out of the sky, alighting on the top of the Manufactorium. They drifted slightly toward the north, out of line of sight of the Dreadnought. Rhino doors flew open, and a legion of Battle Sisters stormed out into the morning sun, bolters locked and ready.

Sister Megan Elizabeth led the charge against the Terminators, taking careful aim and dropping one with a well-placed blast from her Inferno Pistol. Quickly, the Wolf Priest covered the Terminator?s wounds with healing balms, saving his life. Below the Canonness, the Iron Fist prayed for Divine Guidance, and began to purify the Terminators with holy flame and bolter fire. Terminators started to fall under the weight of fire, and the Arm of the Emperor joined the prayer for Divine Guidance and added the weight of their own firepower. When the flames died down, the Wolf Priest was barely standing, heavily wounded, while one Assault Cannon-toting Terminator stood protectively over him.

The Exorcist loaded up a rack of missiles, and took aim at the Land Speeder. Holy fire engulfed the hovercraft, melting the assault cannon right off of the frame, and utterly destroying the thrusters. The speeder sank slowly to the ground, immobilized. The second Exorcist lit up the lead Rhino, blowing off its storm bolter, then immobilizing it. Hunters spilled out, entangled in the wreckage, and one poor sod burned to death in the blaze.

The Cleansing Fire turned their weapons on the Grey Hunters, but the Emperor had temporarily forsaken them, and they failed to receive Divine Guidance (always a double 6 when you don?t need one). The two Flamers combined to roast two Grey Hunters in their armor. The Purging of Heresy could no longer see the Hunters, and targeted the Drop Pod in front of them instead. The pod explodes in a massive ball of fire which engulfed many of the troops standing nearby. Sister Jessica dove for cover, her cloak protecting her from the worst of the blast. One unsuspecting Grey Hunter was hit with shrapnel and went down to the ground.

Sister Superior Stacey called out to her unit, and they charged into combat with the Grey Hunters. Both Serpahim launched themselves at the Terminator, while Sister Megan Elizabeth swooped in to lend support. The Wolf Priest countercharged himself into the Seraphim.

Sister Megan Elizabeth made short work of the Terminator, hacking him to the ground while the Wolf Priest brutally cut both Seraphim out of the sky. Sister Megan Elizabeth held firm, pressing in toward the Wolf Priest.

The Grey Hunters savaged the incoming Sisters of Battle, killing three of them and losing only one Hunter in return. Badly decimated by injuries, the Sisters grimly held their ground.

Sister Jessica swooped delicately overhead, and revved up her Eviscerator as she took aim at the remaining Drop Pod. Over and over, she swung at the Pod, until it exploded with a vengeance. Two nearby Sisters fell to the shrapnel, three Grey Hunters were hit by falling debris and were knocked out, and the Wolf Priest turned around, his eyes wide, as the drop pod?s control console flew out of the sky and crushed him.



Space Wolves Turn Three

A pair of Predators rolled onto the battlefield, and took up position on the left side of the compound. The second Landspeeder floated gently out of the sky, hovering just on top of the Manufactorium. The Venerable Dreadnought Odin punched its way to the top of the building, but accidentally immobilized itself in the process. The Wolf Guard Battle Leader crept up into the shadow of the building and prepared himself for battle.

Sensing they might be in danger, the Seraphim prayed for the Spirit of the Martyr to watch over them.

The Predators opened up on the Exorcist, but the obscuring rocks helped protect it somewhat, and the crew ended up only stunned. Tornado let loose on the Purging of Heresy from its vantage point atop the Manufactorium, and one Sister went down while the rest ducked for cover. The Dreadnought?s assault cannon whirred and its storm bolter popped, shells riddling the Seraphim. The Spirit of the Martyr guided the bullets away from all but one of the Seraphim, however.

The lone Grey Hunter sliced two Battle Sisters down with his power sword, and the shocked Sisters could do nothing more than circle the battered warrior and hope help would come.

The Wolf Guard Battle Leader charged up the stairs of the Manufactorium, utterly surprising the Seraphim as he rushed into their midst. Two of the Seraphim were on the ground before the unit recovered and began to fight back. The Wolf Guard Battle Leader was wounded, and the Seraphim quickly activated their jump packs and floated away to safety.



Bullets are flying, Sisters are dying, and neither side is any closer to the objective. What will happen next? Who has the upper hand? Discuss!

Seems to me that the upper hand definately goes to the sisters now. They still have all their vehicles and a better than 2:1 numerical superiority. They did what they needed to do in destroying the chunk of the wolves army that had them penned into the upper R corner. They went above and beyond by destroying both pods which actually took out more Wolves than it did Sisters. To add icing to all this the Ven Dread is essentially out of the game now that its immobile in the Manufactorum. The Sisters can load up head to the objective and make the Wolves come to them. I gotta say that Xtapl has some amazing luck. Despite the boxcars on Divine Guidance, it appears he was able to pen 6 both pods, had the Ven Dread miss his difficult terrain test, only stunned his Exorcist, and had the rolls go his way when it came to who suffered wounds from the flying debris from the pods. Especially considering it took out the wolf priest. Ouch!

Yeah, the acts of faith really shined this turn.  I think that was the coffin lid being positioned over the wolf player.  Now, as long as Xtapl can put those last couple of nails in...

The Sister strategy at this point should be "don't mess up".  Again, in his shoes, I think it's time to mount up the four squads up top and head for the open ground on the left (while hiding from the Preds).  The following turn, rush everything forward and dare the hunters to move an inch toward that ugly firepower.  Exorcist 1 should try to line up a shot at the speeder as should the Seraphim, Exorcist 2 needs to move so the Preds can't get any stationary shots on it.

The wolf strategy at this point is to gain as much ground as possible toward securing that objective.  If that speeder lives through the turn, and if there's a potential roadblock with the Rhinos, then that's the target of opportunity that it has to go for.  If not the speeder, then at least the right-most Pred.  The hunter squads need to push to the objective, using the Rhino to help shield the now disembarked squad.  Pred shots are going to really depend on what's available, but if given a chance to maneuver to get clear lanes of fire across the table to where the Rhinos will be coming across then that's the best bet.

Good stuff, can't wait to see what happened next!

Kev

Question: I thought dreadnoughts didn't immobilize themselves in difficult terrain. They're walkers. (But my rulebook isn't handy, so I can't answer my own question.)

Correct, unless the building was also classified as dangerous terrain.

Walkers are vehicles, but take difficult terrain like infantry.

*Taps foot impatiently waiting for either more discussion or next turn.

More discussion? Well, personally, I think this is Xtapl's game to lose at this point.


Just for kicks and grins, I'll opine on what the space puppy player should do. First, he should move the remaining speeder to the left behind terrain. It's job, from now on, is to stay alive for the rest of the game and jump on the objective in the last turn. He should move predator 1 to the center and take up residence in the center corridor to the objective. Should disuade any rhino's and other such from using that approach, and persuade the sisters to disembark and walk to the objective. This allows for more chances to shoot them up, as well as slowing them down. The other predator should move up the board to deny the other approach to the objective... after popping (hopefully) the upper left sister rhino, of course.

He should then move the mobile rhino up and drop off it's troops in the center left trench. Prime real estate to shoot up the sisters as they approach the objective. The other hunter squad should move to the right and take up residence in the protective cover of the ammo dump (?!?!?!). They can cover the OTHER approach to the objective. Main strategy for the rest of the game... whittle down the number of sisters as much as possible as they approach the objective... then jump on the objective with the speeder and any other unit that is able in the endgame.

Right now though... the dread and all other units that can, need to eliminate those seraphim in the lower right. They are a dangerous distraction from the main sister force.

Oh yeah... and any of the wolves in the upper right that actually survive this next sister turn, should continue to sell their lives dearly.

Witchhunters Turn Four

Battle Sisters quickly climbed aboard speeding Rhinos, which carried them away from the burning Drop Pods. The Arm of the Emperor inched closer to the lone Grey Hunter as he growled at the remnants of the Cleansing Fire. Righteous Anger spread themselves out along the Manufactorium wall, taking careful aim at the Space Wolves on the roof.

The Seraphim wasted no time unleashing a torrent of fire at the Space Wolves, blowing their twin hand flamers across the rear of the Dreadnought, the Wolf Guard Battle Leader, and the Landspeeder pilots. Quickly, they followed up with a hail of bolt pistol shots. The shots ricocheted harmlessly off of the Wolf Guard Battle Leader?s armor ? then the Inferno Pistol melted his face off. He fell from the roof and landed in a crumpled heap three stories below.

The Exorcist drew a bead on the Landspeeder hovering just above the rooftops, and opened fire. Two missiles streaked toward the Speeder, but failed to find their mark.

Sister Stephanie and the last Battle Sister of her unit bravely clashed weapons with the Grey Hunter. In two quick strokes, he cut both of them down. Sister Stephanie?s cries of martyrdom rang across the battlefield, filling the other Sisters with Faith. Immediately, Sister Monica and her unit charged. The Veteran Sister Superior pushed her women aside and stood toe to toe with the Grey Hunter. His power sword shimmered in the dull morning light, but it was no match for the huge chainsaw Sister Monica was wielding. She deftly cut him into three equal pieces, and consolidated her unit?s position toward the open doors of their Rhino.



Space Wolves Turn Four

The Predators rumbled forward slightly, strengthening their position, while the Grey Hunters began to move through the rubble behind the dozer blade of the Rhino, which was completely wrecking the Chapel. The Landspeeder drifted off of the edge of the roof to remove itself from the Exorcist?s line of sight.

Righteous Anger prayed for the Spirit of the Martyr to protect them from incoming fire.

Lascannon bolts flashed across the battlefield as the crew of the Exorcist opposite the Predator was stunned once again. The other Predator targeted the Seraphim, as did the Landspeeder. Between them, they accounted for no less than eleven direct hits. However, the hand of the Emperor himself seemed to shield the angelic Sisters, and only two of them met their end. The remaining three held firm.

Both the immobilized Landspeeder and the Dreadnought combined their firepower on the Rhino opposite them. Bolts pattered off of the hull like gentle rain, until an assault cannon round sliced through the engine block and ground the vehicle to a halt. The Sisters inside unloaded quickly into the Sanctorium, although one unfortunate Sister was near the engine core when it detonated and was killed instantly.

The Space Wolves? Rhino dispensed its smoke launchers and waited. The battle was raging in full now. The training exercise had become a full scale war, but that didn?t change the mission. That statue was going to be recovered, one way or another.



Inching closer and closer to the sixth turn. Both armies have taken heavy casualties. What will happen next?

If I were the Sisters player, I would have gone over the area terrain created by the exploded Drop Pods rather than going around. By taking the long way around, the Sisters player will have a much harder time taking the objective.

I think that because of this mistake, the Space Wolves actually have a chance at the objective now (especially when you consider they have the last turn).

Thanks for this report. It is definitely one of the best battle reports I've ever read. Great idea!

Oy. The pups didn't move their predators far enough. Now the sister player is more likely to get to the objective faster due to their transports. They also didn't move the remaining mobile squad far enough. This will go badly for the wolf player. That was the chance to inflict many more casualties on the sisters as they approach, and it was missed. They also didn't move the speeder far enough. This leaves it as a prime target from those seraphim.


I'm calling it. Wolves lose.

It's a race, but I have to agree that the sisters need to mount up and sieze the objective, and possibly have the functional Organ Grinder see if it can take out either the mobile skimmer or one of the Predators to reduce the chances of vehicle fire reducing the battle sister squads below scoring size.

Cool. Report. Methinks the sisters are within striking distance of the objective but should really try to eliminate the skimmer threat. Capt K

Intersesting. The Wolf player started off playing VERY aggressive, then followed it up with a passive phase. The initial sacrifice will be in vain if he can't capitalize on how he funneled the sisters around. If he positioned the remaining forces well,especially those predators, he may have managed to pick them off a squad at a time. But at this point, I think he's going to be flanked and swarmed over.

-Hans

I agree Hans. The wolf player has/is squandering a wonderful opportunity right now. You'll notice the sister player has actually committed the cardinal sin of splitting his forces (to get around the pod wreckage obstacles), while his forces are still realitively concentrated... but he's playing WAAAAAY to conservative now. If you decide to go for "bold" in your opening gambit (which he did)... you should stick with "bold".

I've already called it. (Barring the Dice Gods crapping all over the sister player's rolling) Wolves lose... badly.

Witchhunters Turn Five

The Sisters? Rhinos barreled into the open approaching the shrine, while the Cannonesses took to the skies, advancing on the Space Wolves. The remnants of Righteous Anger leaped toward the Landspeeder, hoping to take it down quickly.

The Seraphim opened fire on the Landspeeder, Flamer fire glancing harmlessly off of the speeder?s hull, while the Inferno Pistol seared a giant hole in the Landspeeder?s hull, stunning the crew. It was the opportunity that Sister Deidra needed, and she placed a bolt pistol round neatly through the head of the Space Wolf pilot, sending the Landspeeder end-over-end into the ground at their feet. The Seraphim swooped down and hid behind the smoke of the wreckage.

Sister Megan Elizabeth?s Inferno round glanced fairly harmlessly off of the smoke-covered Rhino, shaking the crew so much they could not focus to fire.

The Exorcist launched off a pair of missiles which slammed into the immobile Dreadnought, rocking it backward and throwing off its targeting array so that it would not be able to fire for a while.

Sister Jessica revved up her Eviscerator and charged headfirst into the Space Wolves? Rhino. She hammered away at it, forcing the Grey Hunters inside to quickly disembark as she sliced the Stormbolter off and shook the crew. The Hunters kept their wits about them, and prepared to return the favor to the Cannoness.



Space Wolves Turn Five

The Hunters pushed toward the shrine, while the other Hunters made their way slowly though the rubble of the Chapel. Both Cannonesses prayed successfully for Spirit of the Martyr and prepared to defend themselves.

The downed Landspeeder rattled off a few shots at the Sisters through the windows of the Sanctorium, wounding one. Her armor protected her from the worst of the injury, however.

The Predator lanced off a Lascannon shot at the stunned Exorcist, but the shot went wide, giving the crew an opportunity to gather their wits.

The other Predator fired off at the approaching Sisters? Rhino, but managed only to blow the Stormbolter from the hull.

The Hunters near the shrine turned and popped off a few shots at Sister Jessica. The attack caught her by surprise, and despite the shield of faith surrounding her, a single bolt caught her in the thigh and dropped her to one knee, wounded. Immediately, the Hunters rushed her. Seeing the Space Wolves charging toward her, she prayed again for Spirit of the Martyr. Blow after blow bounced off of her shield of Faith; even the multiple Power Fists could not penetrate her armor. With a mighty swing of her Eviscerator, she lopped one of the Grey Hunters in half. To her surprise, the Hunters panicked and began to fall back more quickly than she could pursue. The Hunters? squad leader called after them:

?Come back! She?s just a girl!?

But it was to no avail. The Hunters were falling back.

Sister Jessica licked her lips and grinned. Just a girl, indeed.



The game is nearing the end now! Will the Sisters luck hold out? Will the Space Wolves? general throw his dice in the trash after the fiasco of his nearly-full Grey Hunters squad rolling boxcars on a crucial leadership test? Will either army have anything left at the end of the game?

Discuss!

I think that if the sisters roll well, they can immobilize or drop the preds this turn and keep the Hunters on the run, if not destroyed. Really, I think it's the sisters game to lose. Just keep up the skeer.

It's over but for the celabratory flamer and melta fires. There's 1 squad of sisters in a rhino next to the objective. There's 2 more squads in rhino's nearby. The predators are WAY out of position, and a squad of hunters has 2 different sisters unit's (the cannoness and the remanents of the seraphim) to ensure they continue to fall off the table.

To win, the wolf player would need his remaining hunter unit (the one that ISN'T running) to be fricken warriors of legend and beat off everyone from the objective. In the fluff... that's actually possible. In real life (where game mechanics rule) not too darned likely. The dice gods MIGHT smile on the wolves... but probably not. Xtapl just needs to NOT do something MONUMENTALLY stupid, and the game is won.

Witchhunters Turn Six

Sister Stephanie continued to guide the Purging of Heresy through the Sanctorium toward the objective, although they were moving at just over half pace while trying not to disturb the sanctity of the priests. Meanwhile, outside, the Iron Fist roared up to the shrine in their Rhino and quickly disembarked, surrounding the statue of St. Milano. Quickly, they were joined my Sister Megan Elizabeth, who bolstered their confidence with her presence. The Arm of the Emperor?s Rhino pulled up behind the first and attempted to shield itself as much as possible from incoming fire. Righteous Anger leapfrogged the shaken Dreadnought and advanced on the crew of the immobilized Landspeeder.

Sister Jessica gave chase to the Grey Hunters, screaming a host of litanies at them as they ran.

The Iron Fist rattled off a few shots at the Hunters in the Chapel ruins, but only a handful were in range, and they could not draw a clear bead. The Exorcist crew finally had the break in incoming fire they were looking for. Quickly, they opened up on the Predator opposite them, unleashing a salvo of rockets which pummeled the Predator?s hull. One rocket chanced directly under the Lascannon barrel, and blew the fuel core. The Predator exploded spectacularly.

The other Exorcist bounced a few missiles off of the hull of the shaken Dreadnought, rattling its cage again and shaking it further. Righteous Anger ducked to avoid the incoming missiles, then lit up the Landspeeder crew. A well-placed Inferno round caught the pilot directly in the chest, searing through his armor, out the other side, and into the Heavy Bolter gunner. Both Space Wolves slumped dead, tumbling to the ground.



Space Wolves Turn Six

The Grey Hunters continued to fall back, as Sister Jessica was looming far too close for comfort. They didn?t go far, though, and readied their weapons to put the Cannoness down. The Grey Hunters in the Chapel ruins continued to have difficulty navigating the smoke and flames, and advanced cautiously toward the objective.

The Rhino driver floored it, and trundled up the steps of the Shrine at the Iron Fist. Battle Sisters leaped gingerly out of the way as Sister Megan Elizabeth kept them focused.

Sister Jessica, meanwhile, hovered near the Hunters and prayed for the Spirit of the Martyr.

The Venerable Dreadnought released a hail of smoke canisters into the air, obscuring it from view.

Bolter rounds and plasma bolts bounced harmlessly off of Sister Jessica as she wrapped herself in her cloak and shielded herself from the fleeing Hunters? shots. The Hunters in the Chapel, however, poured fire into the Iron Fist, and three Battle Sisters hit the ground. The Predator killed another of the Iron Fist, but Sister Megan Elizabeth and Sister Stacey held the unit in place. The battle was all but over, but the Sisters had to make sure the Space Wolves were driven completely from this holy place.



Witchhunters Turn Seven

The Purging of Heresy moved at normal speed down the length of the Sanctorium, nearing the doors to open ground. The Iron Fist moved out into the open, advancing on the Hunters in the Chapel, while Sister Jessica continued chasing the falling back Grey Hunters. The Arm of the Emperor entered the Shrine and unloaded from their Rhino.

The Exorcist launched off six rockets at the Predator, which rocked the tank on its tracks and shook the crew. The other Exorcist couldn?t even manage that against the Venerable Dreadnought, and its missiles pattered off the old Dread?s armor like gentle rain.

Righteous Anger turned in place and ripped off a round of fire into the Venerable Dreadnought. Most of the shots went wide, but even through the thick smoke, an Inferno bolt caught the main power line on the Dreadnought?s generator, and the ancient brute went offline.

The Arm of the Emperor prayed for Divine Guidance and received it. Setting their bolters to ?rapid fire,? they began to pour bullets into the ranks of the Grey Hunters. Five of the Grey Hunters were cut down by the incoming fire, and then the Iron Fist joined in the prayers. A torrent of Divinely Guided fire put the last of the Grey Hunters down for good.



Space Wolves Turn Seven

The shaken Predator hit the reverse gear, pulling back behind the rock pile. The Grey Hunters had finally fled the battlefield, aware of Sister Jessica?s presence and unwilling to challenge her again. The driver of the Rhino, the only other Space Wolves left standing in the Sisters? military installation, turned the vehicle on the spot and drove it straight into the Arm of the Emperor, through the unit, and directly into the Iron Fist. The Battle Sisters quickly leaped out of the way, as did the second unit ? but not Sister Stacey. She switched on her Eviscerator and beckoned to the Rhino.

DEATH OR GLORY!!!

Glory, indeed, as the Eviscerator sliced clean through the front hull of the Rhino, lopping the driver neatly in two and grinding the transport to a squealing halt. Sister Stacey allowed herself a small smile and looked around the battlefield. The Space Wolves had been obliterated from the area, except for one Predator which was rapidly retreating from the field.

The day belonged to the Sisters of Battle.

END GAME

We didn?t total up the points, because it was totally unnecessary. The Space Wolves had been nearly wiped out, and the Sisters of Battle had two scoring units within 12? of the objective.

A great game all the way around, against a great opponent. We both made some mistakes here and there, but overall, I had a blast and I think my opponent did, too. We?ve got a rematch planned, so we?ll see how that shakes out.

Thanks for watching and participating! Feel free to discuss the final two turns?

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Sister Jessica floated down gracefully next to Sister Megan Elizabeth. They both looked in silent shock and disappointment at the ruins of the once-beautiful Chapel. Stained glass covered the ground, and a servo crew had already begun to pull the wreckage of the Rhino from its interior.

?So much bloodshed over a misunderstanding,? Sister Jessica lamented.

Sister Megan Elizabeth placed a hand on Sister Jessica?s shoulder. ?This atrocity was not our fault. Pray to the Emperor in thanks that we prevailed. The holy shrine is safe and secure thanks to our efforts today.?

Both Cannonesses turned and laid eyes upon the unscathed statue of St. Milano. Each silently recounted the names of the Sisters lost in its defense, and gave thanks for their sacrifice. Their names would be burned into the stones at the feet of St. Milano, where their martyrdom would never be forgotten?

Well excecuted endgame Xtapl. The nail in the coffin was when the wolf player failed to follow up on his bold opening. He created conjestion, but failed to put units into position to exploit it.

Were it me, I would have "abandoned" the pods and deployed their contents on the OTHER side of the wall they formed (closer to the objective). This would have put a nice solid obstacle between those 2 squads and the majority of the sisters firepower. Having those 2 squads survive would have gone a LONG way to making it a closer game. As it was, the game was (figurativly) over by turn 3. And with no models (and no action) on the board for all of turn 1... that's saying something.

These reports are great, thanks for bringing this to Dakka.