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First round of a campaign at my local FLGS was done today. And a fine battle report it makes!

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A tremendous crash echoed through the ship as bulkheads shattered and air locks sealed, the damaged frigate venting its air (and crew into space.) Valhalla's Fury began a slow turn, seeking to bring its gun batteries to bear on the approaching Tyranid mass. A salvo fired... and yet the ship kept on coming.

The Captain ground his cigar into his command chair, knowing the end of his ship, and his own life was near. With the loss of this ship, it was extremely likely the fleet would fall too, and the Ryanids would descend en masse onto the planet below. The Tyranid beast accelerated, approaching ramming speed as flecks of life tore of it, preparing to tear into the ship and devour the crew before a second salvo could be fired.

Suddenly, reality tore as a hole in the Warp opened, spewing forth a pair of Space Marine Strike Cruisers. The duo's engines flared, and seconds later gun batteries tore into the enemy transport. It flew the force of the impacts sent it reeling off course, and combined fire from the three ships ended the life of the biomass within.

The loss of the ship seemed to be the turning point. Tyranid ships all across the previously roaring space combat turned, and propelled themselves back into deep space to lick their wounds.

Task Force Steel Raven had inadvertently found their way into a warzone. The Eye of Corax and the seemingly aptly named for fighting the Tyranid Menace Shadow in the Warp were merely a turning point in one battle.

The pair of cruisers had been skipping across the galaxy, falling in and out of time and space for what was now nearly a decade for those aboard. Though they had fought Xenos and saved the lives of Imperial citizens before, never once had they set foot and a world as war torn as this. Tanza Prime, a flaring hot spot near the eye of terror. Tyranids, Chaos Scum, Tau, Eldar.... hordes of friendly Imperial forces. The war had begun mere months ago with the Tyranid invasion, and had escalated ever since.

There were reports from below of combat being picked up even now, with Battle-Brothers from the Blood Angels, Dark Angels, and Imperial Fists fighting Xenos, Chaos, and traitors.

Shadow Captains Garrick Vortellis and Jacen Ferrax merely glanced at each other through their vidscreen as the Captain of Valhalla's Fury filled them in on the situation below. Moments later, Raven Guard Drop Pods and Thunderhawks descended to the planet below, moving to support beleagured Planetary Defense Forces and break the stalemate.

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Strategy sessions with Imperial Guard Generals on planet had left a sizable company of Raven Guard guarding a holy shrine to the Emperor until targets of opportunity opened for Captain Ferrax's rapid strike forces to slice the head off one of the opposing armies. Captain Vortellis led an armored Company along with three of his venerable brothers encased within armored Sarcophagi to the shrine and commenced the holding of the hill.

It wasn't long before the roar of enemy engines hit the horizon. A light shone upon one of the Dreadnoughts, and a Lascannon suddenly sent it reeling. The foe went unidentified, but the Raven Guard held them no quarter. The battle was begun.

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Raven Guard Task Force Steel Raven:
Captain Garrick Vortellis, The White Shield - Relic Blade, Artificer Armor,

Storm Shield

Dreadnought - Plasma Cannon, Missile Launcher
Dreadnought - TL Lascannon, Missile Launcher
Dreadnought - Assault Cannon, DCCW s/ Heavy Flamer

10 Tacticals - Combi-Melta, Meltagun, Missile Launcher, Rhino
10 Tacticals - Combi-Flamer, Flamer, Missile Launcher, Rhino
5 Scouts - Power Fist, Combi-Melta
5 Scouts - Power Fist, Combi-Melta

Land Speeder Storm - Heavy Flamer
Land Speeder Storm - Heavy Flamer

Predator - Autocannon, HB Sponsons
Predator - Autocannon, HB Sponsons

Dark Angels Doublewing:
Master of the Deathwing
Master of the Ravenwing

5 LC Terminators in a Land Raider
6 Shooty Terminators with an Assault Cannon

Full Ravenwing Bike Squad w/Meltas and Attack Bike
Smal Ravenwing Bike Squad w/Meltas

Scenario:
Defender deploys all units with 24" of his short board edge, no reserves allowed. D3+2 Objectives

Attacker does not deploy, moves in from opposite board edge.

Ship Log: Entry 15.1
Vortellis:
This is the seventh world since our first jump into the unknown went so horribly wrong. And yet some things never change. I pray here before this shrine of the Emperor, and know I am blessed for surviving the taint of the warp for this long. My brothers and I hold this part of the line. There are no Guardsmen to help us. We are behind enemy lines, and are merely lucky that no one has come to assault such a holy site. And yet... I know they will be here soon. My sword shines almost red in this light. Blood is near. And the firepower of my brothers WILL be enough to end it.




My Deployment

Dark Angels Turn 1:
Land Raider rolls onto the board, fires aforemention Lascannon shot with Searchlight help. He stuns the PlasDread, so it won't be shooting next turn.

That's all that happens.

Raven Guard Turn 1:
Some units shuffle around, and the Lascannon Dread hits, Pens, and Explodes the Land Raider.

Captain Vortellis fistbumps the Combi-flamer Sergeant.


The Terminators lacking a ride

Ship's Log: Entry 15.2
A righteous blow is struck! All I could see in this accursed night is the glow of that searchlight. From the roar, of its engines and the blast of its weapons, I know that it could only have been a Land Raider. Our accursed traitorous brethren must be here.

I must congratulate Brother Artemis on that fine shot however. Near maximum range, guiding only off that light... it seems that his skills remain sharp even as his life is sustained by the Machine Spirits.

Dark Angels Turn 2:
The enemy Terminators run behind a nearby building. With a roar of engines, the first Ravenwing squad come in behind the Raven Guard position, using metla to obliterate the objective holding Rhino within. However, a one on the assault roll leaves the squad within safe.


Bikers ending a Rhino

Raven Guard Turn 2:
The two scouts speeders come in on opposite sides of the board, one rolling up to the Terminators, another rolling in behind the bikes. With nothing else to shoot at, the entire army poured fire into the bikes, before the AssCan Dreadnought assaulted them. Only the sergeant was left alive.

The scouts suicided into the terminators, spending their lives... to do nothing. Speeder torched a Terminator however, making up near half of the scout squads points.


Army ending the bikes (Speeder Storm represented by Typhoon Speeder)

Ship's Log: Entry 15.3
Their green armor shone in the dawn light, their cycles sending plumes of smoke into the air.

But they could not stand against the might of my company. Even now, Brother Sertis is about to pulp the last of the traitors beneath his mighty fist.I do send a prayer however, the the initiates who lost their lives attempting to hold back the enemy veteran's who emerged from the remains on the Land Raider. Their sacrifice will not be in vain.

Dark Angels 3:
Master of the Ravenwing and small bike squad come in. They attempt to finish off the lone Combat squad that had been popped out of the Rhino last turn. They almost do so, and then I purposefully fail the morale check, get swept, and leave the enemies open to my guns next turn.

Dreadnought picks up the biker sergeant, and splatters his organs over the remains of his squad.

Assault Termies continue to run, away from the speeder, towards the line of objectives.


Master of the Ravenwing eats a Combat Squad

Raven Guard 3:
As last turn. Entire army pours shots into the next Bike Squad, wiping it before the assault phase. Vortellis fistbumps his flamer sergeant again, which causes their Rhino to immobilize itself.

Speeder Storm by Assault Termies flames another one off the board. Made up its own points already.


Chasing the Terminators


Master of the Ravenwing Bites it


Ship's Log: Entry 15.4
Alas, my vehicle has stuck itself upon the mountain. It seems I will not be joining the fray today.

One of their commanders joined the fray, riding a vehicle of wondrous ability that must date back to the Golden Age. Alas, perverted in its use now, I feel no burden striking it from the sky with Autocannon and Bolter shell. Let the smoke from his death appease the Emperor, and grant mercy on the souls of the Battle Brothers slaughtered by the enemy leader. They. Will. Pay.

Dark Angels 4:
Master of the Deathwing comes on, and promptly surrenders because he and the Assault Termie squad are the only units of his left. I have my entire army, minus a Combat Squad, A 5 man scout squad, and a Rhino.

_________________________________________________________
MVP: Gonna have to give this to the Dreadnought that popped his Land Raider first turn. Without that, I would had Termies pouring over me, and might have caused this battle to be a challenge.

LVP: His army's luck. Came in piecemeal, one unit a turn, against my entire army. He literally stood no chance.

Thoughts: My army list worked quite well. I had plenty of firepower to deal with whatever he threw at me, and even if he had all come in at the same time I'm confident that I had enough varied units to eventually rip him down. I never felt in any danger in this fight.

That said, my normal army is Shrike led assault, or Vulkan led Drop Pods (still as Raven Guard.) I need to find a way to bring this same kind of firepower against any list.

___________________________________________________________

Ship's Log: Entry 15.5
Woe! What fates have intertwined to lead us to this moment? Valuable brothers, aged veterans... put to the sword beaneath their own brothers' weapons! I stood in prayer in the Shrine for hours with the remaining Commander of their force, both of us offering apologies and swearing vengeance on whoever had led us to this moment.

They will pay. By my sword, by our weapons... we will get to the bottom of what is happening on this planet.

Nice report, and I appreciate the pics. Wish I was there to see it for myself!

Thanks.

It really was a pretty epic board. The scenario was called beachhead, and the idea of assaulting a massive shrine on a hill was too good an idea to pass up.

You can't take 6 man Deathwing squads, 5 is the max.

Looks like it was fun though

I think the 6th might've been the master of the Deathwing, in retrospect.

They never actually got on the board before he surrendered, so....

I've got another game in two weeks, once my homework has been cut down for college I have a goal of one unit in my army painted a week. These all-primed army battle reports aren't nearly as impressive as I'd like.

The doublewing definitely didn't seem to work out lol

I love ravenwing for sure, just want a new DA 'dex so I can build one!

I shudder to think what Dark Angel armies will do with their new codex. Reasonably priced HQs, proper storm shields on terminators, Scouting Ravenwing bikes....

It's gonna be rough to beat.

DOUBLE POST.

quite an unlucky turn of events i might say....

getting that landspeeder popped first turn. bad luck.

i only recomend taking the one unit of terminators with belial (or even leave belial out, you have no reason to take him)

Take sammael as he is much more interesting to play with.

on the bikes possibly take a meltagun but also a plasma gun for the range and power that it has. (also has the possibility to rapid fire that bad boy).

take small units of bike (3x bikes and attack bike with multi melta, very nice

although this is a good Bat rep guys

You know, this battle report was made even better by the addition of flavour text. It's nice that you went to the trouble to do that.

Thanks. I've always enjoyed battle reports with commentary done in character, especially the humorous one of a few Ork players and Ailaros's nobleman commander ( forget his name)

While Space Marines don't lend themselves to humorous discourse as much writing about their badassery is always fun.

Also, new Battle Report up by the end of the week! Who will Steel Raven Paste into mush next?