Battle Report - Chaos Cometh

I found out this week that a new game store is open in Sparta, known as Legacy Games. While they primarily focus on video games and trading card games at the moment, I spoke with the owner about potentially opening the way for Games Workshop products. He said that first he wanted to determine the local level of interest in the product; he would provide a table for us to start gaming on and then gauge how popular the game was in the store. I definitely wanted to show my support for another store opening up, so Brandon and I went to play a game there on Friday, in support of Shane’s campaign.

I apologize in advance; we were playing in low light and were somewhat rushed because of a late start, so the picture quality is very low in some images.

Return to Castra II

The Mission

This game was a repeat of the mission from the last battle report. In this campaign the Tau Empire forces have varied in allegiance depending on which faction they are facing. For this mission I was staring down a Death Guard force led by Typhus himself, so I would be in the role of the defender. The same bunker system that I assaulted before was now being defended by another Tau Empire force. As a reminder from last time, we used the Crucible of War Mission on page 346 of the rulebook. Additional mission parameters were:
-Points Played
- Winner and Loser Victory Points Total

    O’Mal’caor powered his suit’s targeters as the human armor tore through the ruins in the distance. Hateful songs of worship tore from their loudspeakers, and gibbering mutations swarmed around the foot of each vehicle. Clouds of noxious gas billowed out across the battlefield as the decaying armor advanced.
    When the Imperials had fallen a few days past, Aun’ui Tai’go ordered negotiations for the safety of the Imperial workers sheltered near the bunkers. The servants of Chaos had responded by killing the Water Caste envoy and his Fire Caste bodyguards. These former allies now seemed hell-bent on ending the lives of these innocents in the name of their obscene god.
    A gasp of disbelief went up from some of the Shas’la as a shadow blotted out the sun. The wings of a monstrous creature unfurled as it swooped down on the battlefield, roaring from a phlegm-choked throat.
    “Their appearance changes nothing! Only the weak will fall prey to such attempts at terror!” the Commander yelled to his men. “This position must be held! These fools have slain an emissary in cold blood. Show them no mercy!”

Army Lists

Vior’la Tok’rhenna Shi - Threat Dissipation Contingent
Tau Empire - 2,000

 FORTIFICATION
Aegis Defense Line: Quad Gun

HQ
Commander: Puretide Engram Neurochip, Command & Control Node, Multi-Spectrum Sensor Suite, XV8-02 Crisis “Iridium” Battlesuit, Vectored Retro-Thruster

Ethereal: Homing Beacon

ELITES
XV104 Riptide: Ion Accelerator, Twin Fusion Blaster; Early Warning Override, Velocity Tracker

XV8 Crisis Team: 3 Crisis Shas’ui with 2x Fusion Blaster; 2 have Target Locks, 1 has Vectored Retro-Thruster

TROOPS
10 Fire Warriors: Devilfish transport with Twin Smart Missile Systems, Disruption Pod, and Sensor Spines

10 Fire Warriors: Devilfish transport with Twin Smart Missile Systems, Disruption Pod, and Sensor Spines

10 Fire Warriors: Devilfish transport with Twin Smart Missile Systems, Disruption Pod, and Sensor Spines

FAST ATTACK
2 Piranhas: Fusion Blasters; 1 has Sensor Spines

8 Pathfinders

8 Pathfinders

HEAVY SUPPORT
XV88 Broadside Team: 3 Broadside Shas’ui with Twin High-Yield Missile Pods, Twin Smart Missile Systems, and Target Locks; 6 Missile Drones

Sniper Drone Team: 9 Sniper Drones, 2 Firesight Marksmen

The Traveler’s Host

Chaos Space Marines - 2,000

I was unable to get an army shot for the Death Guard; these unit upgrades are remembered as best as possible.

HQ
Typhus, Host of the Destroyer Hive

Demon Prince of Nurgle: Power Armor, Wings, The Black Mace, Psyker (Mastery Level 3)

TROOPS
5 Plague Marines: 2 Plasma Guns, Rhino transport with Havoc Launcher

5 Plague Marines: 2 Plasma Guns, Rhino transport with Havoc Launcher

8 Plague Marines: 2 Meltaguns, Plague Champion with Power Fist

10 Chaos Cultists: Plague Zombies

FAST ATTACK
5 Chaos Spawn: Mark of Nurgle (These are represented in this battle report by the Ogryn Berserkers from Forge World)

HEAVY SUPPORT
Chaos Land Raider

Chaos Vindicator: Siege Shield

2 Obliterators: Mark of Nurgle, Veterans of the Long War

Pre-Game

The Tau forces deployed first; I set up my Aegis Defense Line in front of the main bunker to provide a second line of resistance before the primary objective. My Broadside Team went into this buffer zone, and then Pathfinder teams went onto the battlements of each section of the main bunker. The Sniper Drones deployed inside the primary bunker, and then the Riptide and the Fire Warrior teams deployed around the periphery of the building to make his automatic first turn Deep Strikers more prone to Mishap. The Piranhas deployed in the final gap around the building, and the Crisis Team went into Deep Strike Reserve as the one unit I was required to Reserve for the mission.

 

The Death Guard set up their secret entrance behind a small bunker, just at 24” away from the primary objective. The Demon Prince also rolled his Psychic Powers on Biomancy, getting Life Leech, Enfeeble, and Hemorrhage.

Turn One

The Death Guard started their push by rolling an armored column on from their short board edge. The Rhinos remained within a ruin to avoid being targeted, while the Land Raider and the Vindicator made Flat Out movements to gain more distance before the Tau reprisal. The Spawn leapt into action as well, running into the ruins beside the Land Raider to avoid incoming fire.

The Plague Zombies shambled through the secret entrance and took cover behind the building. Finally the Demon Prince and the Obliterators deployed by Deep Strike, with the Obliterators making a daring attempt to land in flamer range of the Pathfinders. However, both of these units scattered; the Demon Prince left the table, and the Obliterators landed on the Pathfinders. After Mishap rolls, both units were moved into Ongoing Reserve, a relief for the Death Guard.

With no shooting the turn moved to the Tau’s half. The Piranhas shot up the field and positioned themselves to block the Land Raider’s forward advance. The Commander used his Puretide Chip to give the Broadsides Tank Hunters. The Pathfinders used their Markerlights against the Vindicator to boost the Broadsides’ Ballistic Skill, and a moment later the siege tank was reduced to slag. The Riptide was able to overcharge his Ion Cannon and landed a minor hit against the Spawn, dealing them one wound. Smart Missiles from the Devilfish killed a single Plague Zombie.

Bunker Secure? Yes
Additional Tau Points: First Blood, <80% Casualties
Additional Chaos Space Marine Points: <80% Casualties
Turn One Score: 1-0 Tau

Turn Two

The Demon Prince makes his landing, only to be felled from the sky by the Quad Gun.

The Chaos reinforcements arrived automatically, with the Demon Prince ending up atop one of the bastions, and the Obliterators positioned in the trench directly in front of the Broadsides. The Chaos Land Raider moved forward to pass the Piranhas, staying slow enough to fire its weaponry. The Rhinos broke cover from behind their building and lined up shots with their Havoc Launchers while the Death Guard Marines shambled into position to fire on the Piranhas.

 

The Obliterators arrive in close proximity to the Broadsides.

O’Mal’caor opened fire with the Quad Gun on Interceptor mode, wounding the Demon Prince and sending him crashing from the sky to land atop the bastion. The Prince responded by unleashing Hemorrhage against the Pathfinders, killing four of them before the plague died down. The Havoc Launchers fired on the Pathfinders as well, but poor scatter saw them killing only one Missile Drone from the Broadsides. The two Plague Marine squads then fired their Plasma Rifles into the Piranhas, followed by the Land Raider’s firepower. When this didn't slay the Piranhas, the Obliterators turned and fired Assault Cannons into the Skimmers. Despite all this shooting and several Penetrating Hits, the Piranhas managed to Jink every single one of the damage results.

The Crisis Team deploys to stop the Chaos behemoth.

The Tau Empire received their Reserves, with the Crisis Team dropping in behind the Land Raider. However, a significant scatter saw them taking their shots through the building, ensuring that the Land Raider would receive Cover Saves against their Fusion Blasters.

Aun’ui Tai’go started the turn by invoking Storm of Fire; the Sniper Drones then left him in the bunker and exited to confront the Demon Prince. The Fire Warriors on the left flank deployed from their Devilfish to engage the Plague Zombies, while the team on the right advanced and disembarked to fire on the Obliterators. The Commander used his Warlord Trait this turn, which allowed everyone within 12” to reroll 1s on their To Hit dice.

The small team of Pathfinders targeted the Demon Prince to remove his cover save, but they were still shaken up by the effects of Hemorrhage, and only managed one hit. The second squad put a further five hits on the Prince, and then the Sniper Drones went to work. The flurry of Pulse fire tore through the rotten monster’s flesh and cut him apart, leaving a smoking corpse on the battlements.

 

The Demon Prince's corpulent form returns to the Warp after it is blitzed by the Sniper Drones.

Now left with no Markerlight support, the Piranhas and the Crisis Team only managed to inflict a Glancing Hit against Typhus’ transport. However, the Land Raider was still blocked off from a direct route of advance. The Obliterators were then slain in a hail of fire from the Riptide and the Fire Warrior team; the other team killed off the Plague Zombies a moment later. Finally the Broadsides detonated both of the Chaos Rhinos as they split their firepower, cutting the transports apart.

The Crisis Team finished the turn by using their jet packs to be directly behind the Land Raider.

Bunker Secure? Yes
Additional Tau Points: First Blood, Linebreaker, <80% Casualties
Additional Chaos Space Marine Points: <80% Casualties
Turn Two Score: 2-0 Tau

Turn Three

The Land Raider moved around the Piranhas 12” and then made a Flat Out move, bringing Typhus and his Plague Marines dangerously close to the bunker complex. At this point my opponent realized he had forgotten to move his Spawn in the last turn; they moved out now to engage the Piranhas and get rid of them. The two Plague Marines turned to fire on the Crisis Suits; one squad would be rolling Snap Shots because of the damage done to their transport.

The Snap Shots managed to deal one wound to the Crisis Team, but the other squad failed to hit with three of their Plasma shots, and the fourth shot rolled a 1 to wound. Luck was definitely not with the Chaos Space Marines in this game.

The Spawn finished the Chaos turn by charging the Piranhas and tearing them to pieces with their hammers and siege drills.

Can the Crisis Team stop the Land Raider before Typhus crashes into the Tau battle line?

The Tau Empire forces moved to eliminate the encroaching Land Raider, for it would be on top of Mal’caor Mont’yr and his Broadside team next turn. The Riptide overcharged his Nova Reactor for an Ordnance shot with his Ion Accelerator, and the Crisis Team leapt into the fray to fire shots from behind. Thanks to the blocking nature of the Piranhas, they were able to get within 9” to fire the shots.

The Pathfinders marked the Land Raider for targeting as the Broadsides unleashed their payload on the Spawn, wiping them out in a storm of mutated bits and rocket detonations. The Crisis Team then slaved their Fusion Blasters to the fresh targeting data, rupturing the Land Raider’s reactor core and detonating the ancient behemoth in a fireball. Pulse Fire rained down from the Tau gunline as the Fire Warriors and the Riptide opened up on Typhus and his men. When the smoke cleared Typhus still stood, alone but defiant.

The Gun Drones from the Piranhas had detached early and been patrolling the perimeter of the bunker system. They now leapt forward with their jet packs and blocked the Traveler’s advance. Then the Crisis Team leapt 11” away from the pursuing Plague Marines, following Typhus’ advance up the table.

Bunker Secure? Yes
Additional Tau Points: First Blood, Linebreaker, <80% Casualties
Additional Chaos Space Marine Points: >80% Casualties
Turn Two Score: 2-0 Tau

Turn Three

 

In typical Death Guard fashion, Typhus keeps on coming, no matter the odds.

Typhus moved around the Drones and exited the crater left from his Land Raider, determined to land an assault against the Commander and his fire support suits. The surviving Plague Marines in the back field moved through the wrecks of their own vehicles, but were slowed sufficiently that they wouldn’t be able to launch a reliable assault against the Crisis Team. They fired their weapons, bringing down the wounded battle suit and wounding another. The Crisis Team passed their Morale check, and Typhus launched his assault.

Due to the positioning of the Broadside team, the entire Tau gunline was able to open fire on Typhus. The Pathfinders failed to produce any Markerlight hits, and one squad after another had their firepower bounce from Typhus’ diseased armor. Finally the Broadsides fired, cutting two wounds from the powerful Chaos Lord. Typhus then rolled his assault range to vault the Aegis Line and attack the Broadsides, needing a 6 to make the charge.

The dice fell as a 1, a 4, and a 5. The Chaos gods were clearly looking elsewhere today, for the charge fell short, and with that my opponent conceded.

Bunker Secure? Yes
Additional Tau Points: First Blood, Linebreaker, <80% Casualties
Additional Chaos Space Marine Points: >80% Casualties
FINAL SCORE: 5-0, Tau Victory

    With a whispered word of power Typhus disappeared from the field of battle in a choking mist. Mal’caor looked back on the bastion one last time, making sure the massive demon prince was no longer drawing breath.
    The last few warriors of Chaos were now disengaging and retreating from the battlefield. It had been a close run thing; the ancient vehicle’s armored hide had proven incredibly resilient. In the end though, the civilians had been spared from the clutches of these depraved lunatics.
    For now, it was enough.