Welcome to game 15 in our ongoing (occasional) campaign. Following the routing of the Chaos uprising from Ameti Hive, the Chaos forces have been on the back foot,
caught in the surrounding countryside they have been kept off balance by ongoing Imperial strikes.
All that has now changed, with reinforcements arriving form orbit following a successful incursion by a Chaos war fleet into the Triskelion system.
Troops and heavy armour have been deployed and now the battle is joined.
Imperial forces race to secure a strategic bridge to deny it to the enemy. The renegade forces meanwhile, seek to seize the bridge for themselves….
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Exalted Captain Faruz looked out from the cupola of his salamander carrier as it raced across the open fields.
He could already picture the idols he would raise up to his fell gods on this very land, built upon the bones of those who opposed the will of chaos.
His driver called out from the hull below “My lord, the bridge approaches”
Faruz looked forwards and saw the road they traveled on dip ahead, meeting a low steel bridge spanning a swift river.
His eyes narrowed as he saw dust clouds on the far side, thrown up by another force closing with the bridge.
“The accursed Imperials seek to claim our prize!” Faruz tapped his vox-bead
“All units! Full speed – we must take the bridge before the enemy!”
The growl of the salamander’s engine raised to a roar as it lurched forwards in a cloud of black exhaust smoke. The race for the bridge was on…
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The field of battle. The Ranger forces are deployed to the lower left. The Church will advance down the road. The renegade forces are arrayed across the top of the map.
Newly deployed Chaos armour moves up
Are those….horses?
The objective bridge
Why yes, those are horses (snort!)
The Chaos forces race forwards to the bridge in an attempt to deny the Imperials their prize
Renegade Sentinels advance in cover
Imperial Sentinels shadow them on the far bank
More Sentinels and the Church forces, backed up by Arbites units, move up the road
Arbites and Ranger transports swing around to the left flank
The Renegade forces hold a strong position on the bridge approach
Fire from the chaos forces blasts one of the sentinels
The Penitent Engines reach the bridge and are subjected to heavy fire from the renegade side of the river
Let faith be your shield!
The flanking force approaches the river bank
The position of the forces
Chaos infantry deploys across the bridge approaches
Go horsey! (snigger)
Everything is converging on the objective
The penitent engines begin to cross the bridge under punishing fire
Renegade units target them with heavy weapons as they advance
One of the church constructs immobilised on the Imperial side of the bridge
As is an Arbites Repressor as it attempts to ford the river
The weight of fire begins to tell on the penitent engines
Their rash charge is checked and then destroyed by the renegade forces
But their sacrifice has allowed the remaining Imperial forces to close
Arbites deploy on the bridge itself and engage the renegade infantry
Rangers deploy on the approach to the bridge and take up firing positions
Heavy weapons begin to take a toll on the chaos armour
Shock and awe
What’s this? Mounted cavalry? Ho ho ho…
Renegades fall to Arbites shotguns as more chaos forces deploy into the fray
The Chaos Salamander fries the Arbites with its heavy flamer
The lone sentinel on the left flank keeps up the good fight
It aint’ easy being green
The renegade sentinels lurk in the woods, but can’t score a hit
Enough of this horsing around! Give them a taste of shotguns men!
Chaaaarge! The renegade cavalry strikes home
And suddenly the Imperial side isn’t laughing anymore as they go through the Arbites like wheat before the scythe
The Ranger sentinels in the centre knock out the command Salamander
Ranger infantry cut down Ogryns and renegade troops
Pour it on men!
Exalted Captain Faruz leads the rest of his force in a counter attack to push back the Imperials
In a wonderful act of payback, the Arbites Repressor flames the renegade command squad, avenging its troopers. Capt. Faruz is wounded, but does not fall
The Ranger sentinels link up and pound the remaining renegades
As do the Ranger infantry
Captain Faruz realises his gamble has failed – his force is in tatters. He withdraws to the last operational transport
Forwards for the Emperor! Rangers storm the bridge
The Sentinels drive off their opposite number
The bridge remains firmly in Imperial hands
Imperial Victory!
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Captain Faruz stared at the rapidly diminishing view of the bridge as he rode the last transport out of the battle.
He could see the hated Imperials crossing the bridge in force and setting up defences.
He pulled his gaze from the galling sight as his vox operator handed him a newly received set of orders.
Scanning the text, a slow, cruel grin slid across the commander’s scarred features. Here was an opportunity to wash away the stain of his failure in the rarest blood of all.
“Signal all forces in the area to converge on our position” he ordered the vox operator.
“The gods have provided us a new way to punish the slaves of the False Emperor! Glory! Glory to the dark gods!!!!”
His roar was taken up by the troops huddled in the transport. It seemed the ruinous powers favoured him yet….
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Well that was a fun game. Sandy did a great job on the table set up and
DC's newly minted Renegade armour looked awesome.
Moment of the battle - the Renegade cavalry striking home against the Arbites. I guess we'll be taking the horses more seriously from now on.
Next battle – Target of Opportunity. The High Ecclesiarch finds himself in a sticky situation during a secret field trip….