Welcome to game 8 in our ongoing campaign. This time up we have another urban battle, with the hard pressed Imperial forces attempting to make a fighting withdrawal to a prepared defense line, or risk be overrun by the rampaging chaos uprising.
As always, the previous games can be found here:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Gordy2000%27s_Battle_Reports
The situation – The Imperial forces in Ameti Hive are pulling back to more defensible positions following a major renegade attack. It is now abundantly clear to the Planetary Governor and the loyalist commanders that the uprising is much bigger than initially believed. Renegade militias, cultists and now zombies are assaulting all across the hive.
The Imperial forces must fall back in good order to prevent the chaos uprising turning the withdrawal into a rout……
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Phineas looked across the ruined workers habs from his vantage point atop a burned out manufactorum. His command staff has set up heavy weapons to cover the withdrawal of the Krieg infantry and PDF troops. Even now he could see the first units coming into view through the smoky haze that hung across the field.
As Phineas watched, more movement appeared at the edge of his sight. From the ruins he spotted renegade forces massing for an attack on the retreating guardsmen. He keyed his vox bead.
“Marshall Vosk – enemy units sighted. Your weapons teams have permission to engage at will”
With a crackle of distortion, the Marshall answered,
“They are still out of range Governor. Our troops will have to pull back further to reach their cover”
Phineas swore under his breath and leaned out over the parapet as he watched the imperial troops pulling back.
Faster…you must go faster……if the chaos forces overran them, all would be lost….
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Phineas and the command units look across the field towards the withdrawing imperial forces
Krieg infantry and engineers pull back by squads, front to the enemy advance
Slaaneshi cultists slink through the ruins, seeking to run down the retreating imperials
Cultists forces swarm forward
Followed by Renegade Infantry
PDF troopers, already shaken by the ferocity of the chaos attacks, move through the Krieg lines
Phineas curses in frustration as his heavy weapons remain idle and out of range
A shower of enemy shots fall amongst the PDF, breaking their remaining nerve and sending them fleeing
The Krieg engineers are made of sterner stuff and advance towards the swarming chaos forces!
The remaining Krieg units fall back by squad, providing covering fire to their comrades
The plucky engineers fight off a cultist charge with their combat shotguns
The Krieg units make it to the next row of buildings
Faster you dogs! They’re escaping!
The engineers continue to hold up the chaos left flank in a stirring display of courage
What trickery is this!? Mutated Catachans, fresh from the moon of Triskelion III appear behind the Krieg withdrawal, having slunk through the sewers to outflank the line of retreat
Beastmen, Khorne cultists and a cult command squad also race from the flank to cut off the withdrawal. Their rash arrival puts them in range of the Imperial heavy weapons…
Having held up the chaos advance for vital minutes. The remaining engineers pull back to heavier cover and continue to blast away at the cultists
The beastmen and cult command take casualties from the Krieg heavy weapons and command units
Back in mid field, the Krieg squad closest to the traitor Catachans fix bayonets and charge
For the Emperor!
Despite the vile mutations of the traitors, the guardsmen prevail and move closer to salvation
The remaining beastmen sweep towards the withdrawing units, aiming to trap them before they can escape
The cultists and renegade militia push forward to close the trap
The outflanking cult command squad members fall to the massed heavy weapons in the fall back line
The Krieg squad that overran the fallen Catachans find themselves attacked from the flank by the Khorne cultists
But in a tremendous display of fire discipline, the chaos force is wiped out by the Krieg guardsmen
The Grenadiers and a second infantry squad move through the last line of buildings. They pour massed fire into the Beastmen, wiping them out…
Before making a dash for the safety of the defence line
The Krieg units find the safety of the prepared defence line and the cover of the heavy weapons teams
The surviving engineers finally pull back, having single-handedly held up the entire chaos left flank and delayed the rest of the force.
Phineas send his compliments to the men for a job well done – the withdrawal has been a success
Marshall Vosk gives the order for a general retreat under the cover of the heavy weapons. The day is saved!
Imperial victory!
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Well, tricky to work out who to give the Krieg MVP to. The central infantry squad fought through a unit of mutant Catachans (geared for close combat) and then wiped out a very threatening Khorne cultist unit. Not bad for standard guardsmen (albeit with the Krieg bayonet drill skill of WS4).
But the winner has to be the Engineer squad. They fought off multiple charges with blistering overwatch fire (yay shotguns!), killed enemy units far in excess of their points cost and really allowed the rest of the force to get away. The sheer volume of fire they soaked up was impressive.
The chaos team was a bit unlucky not to do a lot more damage to the imperial infantry. The flanking units should have caught the Krieg, but were either overrun, or got within the heavy weapons teams umbrella and got shot to bits. One of those days when everything went the way of the good guys.
With the withdrawal a success, the Imperials can fall back to prepared defensive positions to hold off the chaos uprising.
But elsewhere in Ameti Hive, new forces enter the fray on Triskelion V….
Next game: Alien Abduction
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Gorosh hawked up a gob of phlegm and spat on the body of the fallen Krieg Engineer. The Imperial scum had held his rabble up for too long, allowing the worshippers of the Corpse Emperor to avoid his trap.
The Cultist leader turned to the figures kneeling in the dust a short distance away, their hands bound behind their backs.
The squad leaders who had failed to catch the retreating loyalists.
“You have failed me. Much worse, you have failed the gods. There is only one penalty” he rasped
One of the bowed figures tried to speak, but was viciously clubbed by one of the cultists guarding them.
Gorosh sneered and turned away as he walked back to his troops.
“Burn them” He snarled over his shoulder
A flamer wielding cultist stepped forward and opened the valve on the weapon as the bound figures cried out for mercy
Gorosh smiled as the pleas turned to screams and the crackle of burning flesh
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