Welcome to game 18 in our ongoing campaign. This battle, the Inquisition and the Church race to stop a Chaos ritual being enacted in the wilderness outside Hive Ameti.
Previous games in this campaign can be found here:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Gordy2000%27s_Battle_Reports
Mounted Inquisition, Guard and Sisters of Battle troops close in on an area of psychic disturbance, but the forces of Chaos have been expecting them…
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Inquisitor Bellerophon held on grimly to his restraints in the back of the Chimera as it bounced across the valley floor. His prognosticators had identified this wooded area
as the source of the disturbances in the warp. The walls of reality grew thin and the forces of the Ruinous Powers would eagerly exploit this phenomenon for their fell ends.
Matching pace with his force was elements of the 144th Antipodean rangers, as well of those led by Canoness Hespatia. Her Sisters of Battle had already put many heretics to
the sword and their piety and zealous fervour was a welcome addition to his strike force.
“My Lord, we approach the target area’ voxed the driver. Confusion crept into his voice “I see civilians in our path – what are they doing out here?”
Bellerophon knew the ways of the enemy. Any citizens in this area would already be hopelessly corrupted. They were beyond salvation.
“Increase speed driver – run them down” he replied. “We shall not be denied in the Emperor’s work!”
At his command the vehicle accelerated, the accompanying sister’s Rhinos matching its pace as they roared towards the figures shambling towards them…
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The field of battle – the civilians bar the way to the target area beyond
At the head of the valley, foul magics open a portal into the howling madness of the warp
“In Nurgles name, we beseech thee…”
The ‘civilians’ are somewhat less alive than they appear…
The Inquisitorial strike force approaches
“Run them down!”
But what devilry is this? Corrupted Dreadnaughts march from the portal
The Antipodean force spots the deadly walkers and pops smoke
The Inquisition force speeds on, headless of the danger
Squelch…
Strange creatures burst and scuttle from the woods…
The Imperial advance falters
More horrors emerge from the warp as the veil between worlds thins further…
And then, with a wet tearing of reality, a true monster appears
The Imperial force is assailed on all sides by the ambush
The Plague Hulk advances
Spawn and daemons make short work of the Inquisition transports
Bellerophon and his retinue find themselves beset on all sides
Spawn also slam into the Ranger APCs
Sister’s disembark and blast the nearest Spawn’
Retributors also
de-bus and set up a firebase on a nearby hillock
The Inquisitor and his retinue carves through the plague zombies, but now find themselves assailed by daemons
A Spawn charges the Retributors, but is cut down before it can strike
The Dreadnaughts fire on the Rangers Chimeras
The Spawn finish both armoured vehicles
But it is no mere guardsmen who disembark from the burning transports, but elite Antipodean Commandos
A Beast of Nurgle stalks the Sisters through the wood
The Imperial advance is hopelessly entangled in the Chaos ambush
The Sisters spot the skulking beast and purge it with bolters
The Commandoes burn the Spawn with righteous fire and Hellguns
Stamping the filthy Nurglings infesting the wood flat, the Commandoes head for the objective
Forwards for the Emperor!
But there is a lot of open ground between them and the portal
Whatever fell purpose the Chaos sorcerers intended, it seems it is complete. One by one they file into the portal
And to the enormous relief of the Commandoes in the open, so to do the Dreadnaughts
The second Commando squad is entangled in yet more plague zombies
The Sisters finish off the Spawn and rush towards the objective
Both the Commandoes and Sisters charge across the open ground – but the Plague Hulk still guards the portal…
The Commando with the Melta lines up the abominable construct – no pressure trooper!
The Second Commando squad finishes off the zombies – but is too far way to assist
The Emperor smiles upon the melta trooper and the Plague Hulk is banished to the warp…
Inquisitor Bellerophon finally dispatches the last of the daemons and finds himself on a battlefield ominously silent…
Imperial Victory(?)
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Canoness Hespatia gave the cold stone of the inert portal a speculative kick with her armoured boot.
“My Lady” Chastened Bellerophon “Please don’t interfere with artefacts of the Great Enemy, even if they appear dormant”
Hespatia gave the Inquisitor a look and then turned to supervise the burning of the enemy fallen.
The Inquisitor got down on his haunches and studied the glossy stone arch. His wyrd had already confirmed that the psychic anomaly had vanished,
leaving Bellerophon none the wiser as to the enemy's motivations for the ritual.
Whatever their plans, they had managed to complete their work before his force eliminated them.
The Inquisitor activated his long range vox and hailed his cruiser, hanging above them in orbit.
“Seneschal, this is Bellerophon. Urgent sending to Sector Conclave as follows: Enemy psyker activity and daemonic presence confirmed.
Escalate conflict status to Magenta Extemis. Request ultima-level support.”
Bellerophon paused a moment. His next request was no idle matter. But his hand was forced – the Ruinous Powers had arrived with all their unholy might.
He steeled his heart and spoke the words:
“Send me the Grey Knights”
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Next battle – Seize the Crossroads. A strong Imperial response to the summoning ritual encounters a significant enemy force as a strategic road junction.