Lone Wolf Sentinel Pilot
Sitting on the roof of my house with a shotgun, and a six pack of beers
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The heat in the chimera was stifling even with the loading ramp and all the hatches open; the shade it offered from the afternoon sun was off set by its metal construction, sitting in the troop compartment. With the heat radiating from the walls, that were to hot to even lean against, it reminded Col Theodore Lynch of nothing quite so much as the large clay bread ovens his family had operated in his youth back of Jalvene. He would have remarked on the fact had the temperature not sapped so much of his energy, leaving only the most basic and necessary communication feasible.
A figure appeared in the hatch, he was stripped to stripped to waist, reams of sweat were trickling from his bald head onto his scared torso, the figure spoke in a ragged slow drawl, the heat was obviously effecting his ability to communicate as well.
“It will be at least another hour sir” Corporal Karmon said taking a swig from his flask. “Looks like we damaged more of the track than we thought”
“Thank you Otto” said Lynch as he unbuttoned another button on his tunic “keep me appraised” Karmon nodded and disappeared from the hatch.
It had been over a month since the 33rd Jalvene had last made contact with the Ork raiders. The Jalvene had been far from idle in that time, they had run patrols over and increasingly growing area, but to no avail. The Eastern Caravan were still being raided, it did seem to matter how many men they sent out into the desert or how many patrols they ran, they always seemed to be a step behind. They would arrive to scenes of massacres in which entire trade companies had been wiped out, their cargo looted, their vehicle stripped for scrap and even their bodies dragged away. There was a growing rumour among the men that the orks were taking to bodies, not only of the poor traders but their comrades as well, to eat. Lynch had tried to squash the rumours, but they did explain why the Ork had not been sighted near any of the known water holes.
They had been just leaving one of these ambush sites when Lynch command Chimera had hit a shell that had been buried in the sand, whether it had been buried deliberately or if the orks had just dropped it and the dessert had done the rest did not matter. The right track had been badly damaged and without a tech priest or the proper equipment the repair process was arduous.
“This is no way to fight a war” Lynch murmured as he closed his eyes and began to dream of past campaigns.
Lynch felt as if someone was shaking him.
“Sir! Wake up sir!” a familiar cried “the Col wants to see you urgently”
“Stop shaking me Neb” lieutenant Lynch cried “I’m awake throne damn it”
“Sorry sir” private Neb replied “but it’s urgent, Space Marines have been spotted. The Rooster has called a briefing”
“Marines? What are they doing here?”
Lynch and Neb stumbled out the back of the chimera which Lynch had been billeting in and ran to the command bastion. As Lynch stepped through the door Colonel Reuben Cogburn was in a heated argument with someone at the other end of the vox.
“My order are clear my Lord, I am to hold here until relieved” the Col was saying. A low growl more like distant thunder than a voice relied
“And I have told you Colonel to withdraw, now! Do not make me repeat myself again”
“But why my lord?”
“The astartes are not in the habit of explaining ourselves, Col” the thunderous voice said with distain
“Apologies lord, but without a direct order from sector command me and my men can not vacate this area”
“So be it” The vox went dead.
Col Cogburn turned to face Lynch, he looked like he was about to be sick.
“I can’t believe I’m about to say this Lynch” the Col said finding his composure again “prepare the men for immediate attack”
“Sir, what’s happened? Why are the Astartes attacking us?” Lynch stammered
“I don’t know Lynch, but throne helps us”
Hi All
Sorry about the long fluffy beginning kind of got carried away. This is a report of a battle I had last week it was my first 1500 at my FLGS and was against an ultra marine army. Apologies for the lack of pictures, those of you who have read my reports before are probably getting used to it by now. This is done from memory so may be a bit patchy as I was unable to take my normal amount of copious amount of notes due to time constraints, plus I’m not all that familiar with the marine codex.
It was a capture and control, pitched battle mission
Jalvene 33rd
HQ = 145
CCS – Col Cogburn
Regimental Standard
2 x Plasma
Medic
Carapace
Troop 1 = 480
PCS – Lt Lynch
4 x Flamers
Chimera –HF/ML
3x Inf squad - combined
3x LC
Commissar - Genk
2x inf squad
2x AC
2x GL
Troop 2 = 155
Vets
Shotguns
3x Melta
Chimera –HF/ML
Elite
Marbo - Hondo
Fast Attack = 365
Devil Dog w MM
2 x sct sent w AC
2x arm sent w PC
Heavy = 290
Basilisk
Demolisher w HF
Marines – from memory sorry.
Land Raider w LC sponsons had storm bolter and another bolter on the front. –carrying:
5 termies, at least one had lightning claws, rest had storm shields and thunder hammers. In the squad was also a librarian and a hero (not sure of his name I want to say Sicarus, anyone?)
Dreadnought – AC, Flamer, power fist
Drop pod
Razorback w LC – 5 man squad with LC
Razorback w bolters – 5 man squad with Plasma
10 man squad – melta, missile launcher
I won the roll of and elected to go first. My deployment zone was as follows. On my far left was a bastion, in the middle way a small landing pad (which I chose as my objective) and to my far right was bunker like the one in the citadel terrain book all were equally spaced and in a line.
The middle ground had 3 craters grouped close together and slightly to left of the board. His deployment had a ruined church on my far right opposite the citadel bunker (his objective).
My deployment was pretty much a gun line with my armour on the flanks
the devil dog was to the left of the bastion basically on the very edge of the board with the melta vet deployed in front of them. My basilisk hides behind the bastion, but has LOS on his objective. To the right of the bastion I deployed the 30 man blob linking the bastion to the centre objective, my arm sents deployed directly in front of the centre objective. My CCS deployed behind the centre objective near the back edge. The second blob linked my objective to the bunker on the right and to the right of the bunker was the Demolisher with my PCS chimera next to it on the very edge. Marbo and sct sent stayed in reserve.
He deployed his land raider opposite my objective with the bolter razorback to its left. He deployed the LC razorback just behind his objective, it 5 man squad was dismounted and in the ruin. Everything else was in reserve.
He failed to seize the initiative, twice and the game started.
Jalvene Turn 1.
Both my chimeras move 12” and pop smoke. The devil dog follows hot on the heels of the melta vets trying to use them and the bastion for cover. The demolisher lumbers forward in an attempt to keep the chimera covered.
“Throne damn it we may not have started this fight but by emperor we’ll not stand by and be slaughtered” shouted Cogburn “Bring that landraider down”
The LC blob stuns the land raider but that’s it, the arm sent try for the razor back but don’t do anything.
“you men fire on those marines” FoMT the AC blob fires at the marines but don’t do anything.
The ground shakes and the air split by a deafening boom as my basilisk open up on the LC razor back hiding behind the ruins. The Earthshaker shell smashes through the Razorback wrecking it. The Demolisher inspired by the basilisk tries for the marines in ruins but misses.
Marines Turn 1.
The remaining razorback moves 12” towards my centre and pops smoke. The land raider uses machine spirit and fires a LC at my Devil dog stunning the crew.
A noise like thunder breaks through the din of the battle and all the guardsmen look up as a drop pod crashes directly on top of my objective and a veteran of 1000 wars steps out (turn one and I’ve got a dreadnought in my the middle of my gun line, I nearly cried). The dreadnought fires his flamer and assault cannon into the LC blob killing 7. “Stand, you scum. Stand and fight for the Glory of the emperor” Commissar Genk bellows, his stubborn streak keeping the Gun line solid.
The Marine in the ruin fire their LC at the PCS chimera on the right flank but the marines targeting sensors can not penetrate the smoke and he does nothing.
Turn 2
Jalvene Turn 2
Forgetting to role for reserves I star my turn.
Spotting that the remaining razorback represents a threat to my objective Col Cogburn orders the LC blob to remove it, BiD, the razorback explodes. Out of the burning wreckage walk five astartes without a scratch on them. The Col’s jaw drops.
I move my melta chimera 6” on an intercept course with the remaining razorback, but since it has been destroyed the vets and chimera fire on the Marines killing 3, the fail their leadership and retreat only to regroup as soon as they are out of 6” I hate marines.
The demolisher and PCS chimera on the right move forwards towards his objective. The demolisher shoots at the marines in the ruin but misses again.
The Plasma sents turn around and fire at the dreadnought, I got really lucky with the scatter as I was effectively shooting at my own men, I reasoned it was worth the gamble, but only managed to shake it.
The AC blob shoot the drop pod but do nothing, but the CCS follows their lead and managed to blow it up. The resulting explosion however, 5”, engulfed one of the Plasma vets in the CCS and two of the AC squad.
The basilisk fires at the ruins and manages to blow up some dirt.
Marines Turn 2
The ten man squad come on and hide in the wreckage of the LC razor back and in the ruin, reinforcing the squad already there. Who fire their LC at the demolisher but it pings of the behemoths front armour.
The Landraider trundles forwards for the first time shooting at the melta vet chimera but only manages to shake the steadfast crew.
“we will teach these vermin to defy the emperors finest” and with that the termies burst out the front of the Land raider and assault the armoured sentinels. Exploding one outright and immobilizing the other, but being part of a squadron they both are counted as destroyed.
The dreadnought although shaken charges in the LC squad. (This assault was to carry on from this point on until the game finished; it slowly tried to grind away at the squad, who could do nothing in return to hurt it. Thanks to Commissar Genk and some unlucky rolling on my opponents part the blob held firm.)
Jalvene Turn 3
As the termies stomps through the wreckage of the destroyed sentinels one of them notices too late the ground moving next to them. From seemingly nowhere Hondo springs, he throws his demolition charge into the midst of the termies.
“not so tough after all Hondo” cackles, his revelry is short lived though, as the smoke and dirt clears it appears the Squad in un injured “son of grox” Hondo curses.
The AC squad open fire on the terminators ass soon as the smoke clears, shooting in the desperate hope they can stoop them reaching their line. Col Cogburn calls for disciplined firing and the squad FRFSRF. 4 AC rounds, 2 krak grenades and a bucket load of Las (two thirds of my shots hit and then two thirds again wounded best I’ve ever done with lasguns) Later 3 of the terminators ancient armour fails and they drop to floor.
The Devil dogs crew come to their senses and spurred on by duty charge 12” through the crater in the middle , passing the DT, to fire the MC at the landraider. However their courage does not pay of as the fail to even scratch the penetrate.
Te demolisher flanked move forward covering the flanks of the chimera, which also advances, and fires at the marine in the ruins and manages to kill two.
The basilisk crew panic at the proximity of the Landraider (now less than 12” form my objective” and direct fire the score a direct hit but fail to penetrate (I forgot to roll two dice here, might have helped but hey).
“Brothers! Enemy reinforcements to west” a battle brother cries before being torn apart by an Auto cannon round to the chest. The Scout sent appear next to the enemy objective but far enough away that they can not be assaulted and fire their AC in the mass of Marines and are rewarded as two sets of mark V armour are ripped apart.
The melta vet pile out of their shaken chimera and fire at the two Razorback survivors in an attempt to finish them off but do nothing.
Marine Turn 3
The reduced termies charge into the AC blob and rout them, I fail to get the double one I needed to keep them in combat, but my standard means I get a second chance, which I unsurprisingly fail. The squad fail to flee far enough and are cut down. The termies consolidate toward Col Cogburn’s CCS.
The two marines who survived the razorback explosion and the melta volleys assault the Vets, loosing one of their number for nothing in return. The marine sergeant holds his ground.
The dreadnaught continues to reduce the LC platoon, but thank to Commissar Genk’s guiding words they continue to fight on regardless of their inability to harm it.
The marines in the ruin fire on the ever closing PCS chimera but to no avail.
His land raider fires at my basilisk, for horrible moment we both think that he has managed to get a weapon destroyed, until I remember it’s open topped. He swears and I giggle, never been so glad of that -1 modifier.
Jalvene Turn 4
With the terminators closing Cogburn orders his squad to fire, the remaining plasma gun overheats and burn the veteran wielding it, luckily the medic is on hand with some burn cream and keeps him in the fight, but the terminators are unharmed thanks to their storm shields.
Hondo in an attempt to save Col Cogburn fleets into the termie squad and drops the rest of the squad but is hacked to bits by the librarian and the hero, who then consolidate towards my CCS.
The LC blob continues to die and hold.
My Basilisk shells the ruins and kill 3 I think, the sct sent fire and get another 1 I think, but the real damage is done my PCS chimera. It’s finally right next to his objective and It unloads all 4 flamer templates and the hvy flamer from the chimera it self. "roast them out of their boys” Lynch yells, I get 23 hits. The dice gods were with me and the remaining marines were wiped out to a man. Putting me in control of the objective.
The demolisher that had been standing by to mop up survivors of the fire storm moves to cover the flank of the chimera, so if his Landraider has to get through it first.
The melta vets kill the lone sergeant for a loss of one of their number and they consolidate back to the hatch of their chimera. Ready to load up next turn.
The Devil dog flats out over another crater hoping to close range with the land raider, it passed the DT test but fails to harm the Raider.
Marine Turn 4
Lt Lynch hears a frantic message over his com bead. “The Col is down, repeat the Rooster has fallen”
The Hero and Librarian rip into the CCS wiping it out and then part ways, the librarian hops onto my objective effectively contesting it and the hero heads to the ongoing dreadnought fight.
His land raider turns and heads towards his objective in an attempt to contest, however in its haste it throws a track while passing over a crater immobilizing it a good 10” away. The furious marines inside vent their rage and fire at the PCs Chimera. A searing lance of Las blows the turret clean off the chimera.
Jalvene Turn 5
The melta vets pile back in their chimera, which ten move towards my objective. The vets fire on the move and all three meltas connect with his librarian reducing the wytch to a heap of slag.
Demolisher, Basilisk and Devil dog all fire on the stricken Landraider but fail to hurt it.
Lynch and his PCS jump out of the chimera and hide behind the ruins, blocking his landraiders line of sight.
Marines Turn 5
With no troops left, an immobile land raider with no LOS on my PCS, his dreadnaught still locked in combat and me controlling both objectives he forfeits.
Lynch sat in the smoking ruins of the old church surrounded by the chard remains of over a dozen marines tears start to role down cheeks.
“what’s wrong sir?” Private Neb asked hefting his flamer “We won, against astartes no less. Plus the medics say the Col and Hondo will pull through” Lynch looked up his eyes were blood shot but he met the trooper stare.
“We didn’t win Neb, no one won here. We are responsible for the death of the emperor’s angels. Today the imperium has lost.”
Playing 1500 is a lot different to playing 500, I enjoyed it a lot and the guy I played against was a good sport and was very patient with me. My army did really well considering I threw it together using pretty much all the models I have.
I think I’m going to drop the plasma from the CCS they didn’t really do a lot and I realise I was spending an additional 50 points trying to save them from their own guns. Those points can be spent better else where, like a second commissar for the other blob and maybe some melta bombs for both blobs. I was really proud of the LC blob as they held that dreadnought for 4 turns, there was 7 of them left in the end not including the Commissar, which is pretty much what I wanted them to do but it would have been nice to have been able to attack back. They probably get my unit of the match, they might have not killed much but they kept that dreadnought from doing anything else.
My armoured Sentinels didn’t do as well as I’d hoped but that probably because I put them up front. Think next time I’ll either hide them or put them in reserve.
I got lucky in this game, doing better than average with most my dice roles and my opponent doing worse that average. He just couldn’t get the dice he wanted, his librarian smited my AC blob at one point and only killed one.
I learnt a lot as well mainly that land raiders are gits, drop pods are not a gun lines friend and terminators with storm shields will die if you throw enough dice at them.
Questions to any one reading:
how many attacks does Marbo get on a charge? 5 of 6?
Do melta cannon get an extra dice for penetration at half range? And do you measure it from before or after the scatter?
Thanks for reading everyone hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Spankhammer
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33rd Jalvene Outlanders & 112th Task Force 6600 Points (last count)
