Battle Report - The Massacre of the 212nd Skitarii Binary

 The harsh wind blew across the brown rusty surface of Myceen, The stratego of the skitarii strode amongst his troops. He clenched his fists in frustration as he waited for word from his scouts. He peered out into the distance making out the shapes of the rough riders. 'Stratego, They are here, they have taken up position in the abandoned bastion'. The Stratego cursed. He thought he'd have more time. Several weeks ago his forces had clashed with Black Scorpions in the valley miles from here. They had fought over 4 ancient relics that had been unearhted by the shifting iron sands. His force was severely mauled but they had managed to salvage one of the relics. Now the Astartes were here to claim it back from him. The Magos of Myceen 5 had told him personally: secure the relics or don't come back at all. 'Ready the men, we are moving out'. He said a prayer to the machine god and hoped for the best. They would force the Space Marines off Myceen or die trying.'



The Armies:


212nd Skitarii Binary

A horde of conscripts would lead the way. Supported by two walking basilisks and a leman russ demolisher. Two squads of highly trained Stormtroopers have been drafted in to help the effort. Would it be enough?


The Black Scorpions 12th Battle Company:

The space marines would be up against a horde of guardsmen and warmachines. 5 tactical squads supported by 3 dreadnoughts, 2 predator destructors and a Vindicator. Chaplain with 2 assault squads.

The Battlefield:
A capture and control scenario with pitched battle setup. Each force had their base secured. The objective? Take the enemy base. This would be bloody!

TURN 1 - The Imperial Guard go first!


 

With a bellow from the commander the whole imperial line shifted forward, Only the men guarding the base stayed put, The massive wave of conscripts near the hill marched forward toward the space marine base under the watchful eye of the Lord Commissar, none daring to voice their fear or complain about the brown stains in their trousers.  

<- 'Sir? uhm.... we have incoming' The guard ready themselves.

The Rough riders sallied forth through a narrow pass behind the hill and readied their lances.

With the battle fully underway the guns opened fire. The two basilisks opened fire, one targetting the base. The coordinates were slightly off but struck the roof of the Razorback. The shell exploded shaking the vehicle violently but only shaking the driver. ( a measley 1 was rolled on the damage table). The second basilisk took aim and fired a shell at the Rhino by the base, striking with bone shattering force, but again managing only to stun the vehicle. Things were not going well.

'Sergeant... Armoured units spotted, calibrating sights' Space Marines on the bastion get ready ->

Several heavy weapons amongst the many squads took aim but their shots firing wildly into the distance. A lascannon gunner struck the front of the second razorback but the armour held and the driver was disoriented (again a 1 was rolled)

The demolisher thundered a shell into the rhino near the Imperial guard base, the giant shell stunned the crew.

The valkyrie pilot took careful aim and fired a powerful hellstrike missile only to see it miss and sear off into the distance. With the shooting phase over and not a single casualty caused things already looked grim.

The rough riders charged the razorback expertly placing krak grenades in gaps, exhausts and crevices. The razorback exploded with tremendous force, shrapnel flying through the air decapitating two unfortunate riders. The passengers however survived unscathed.

'The rough riders suceed in destroying the razorback but bite off more than they can chew'

 

TURN 1 - The Space Marines fight back!

The two dreadnoughts by the base walked toward the conscripts, The assault squad and chaplain moved forward along with the shaken rhino, moving dangerously close to the Imperial Guard base. The vindicator covered their advance. The Dreadnought in the middle also moved out toward the nearest squad.

Near the Space marine base the wave of 30 conscripts were out the open. The two Dreadnoughts cycled up their assault cannons and the predator took careful aim. The space marine line opened up firing everything they had into the imperial lines. More than half of the terrified concripts were torn apart by the torrent of fire.

The survivors of the razorback gunned down 4 rough riders while the two lascannons took aim firing at the basilisks, stunning one of them.

The second predator took aim and gunned down 7 hapless guardsmen in the centre.

The vindicator fired a shell into the nearby base but it scattered toward the valkyrie stunning the pilots with a violent blast.

With the 1st round over the space marines had caused some significant visual damage but the losses  did not phase the commander 'That's what their for!' He was quoted as saying.

'Private KN-17 trudged forward, his breath heavy in his gasmask. He could hear the Commissar bellowing commandes and screaming at those who stumbled or hesitated. Bullets were ripping through his platoon, great gouts of blood and chunks of flesh flew up into the air as his squad were torn apart, he remebered the words of the recruiter, 'Just keep moving' KN-17 was slipping and stumbling over the mangled bodies of his comrades, the last thing he saw was a monstrous mechanical walker cycling up its 6 barrelled cannon'

TURN 2 - Imperial Guard - Hopes begin to fade (Wait... what?.. already?)

As the smoked cleared the Imperial commander took stock. Their lines had been hit hard by they were by no means out of this fight. He took this personal squad forward toward the crashed lander. Several squads moved bravely forward into the fray. The two surrounded rough riders turned their mounts around determined to sell their lives dearly.

A full squad of guardsmen moved into the fetid swamp ready to block the space marines heading their way. They cheered loudly as 10 Storm troopers descended from the heavens, landing heavily in the midst of the swamp.

The Storm troopers arrive in the swamp!

The concripts took aim and opened up the assault squad by the hill squad. The wide-eyed conscripts fired their guns wildly missing and failing to cause any casualties. The Lord commissar showed them how it was done by blast a marine off his feet with a well aimed plasma shot.

Rockets and lascannons also opened up across the lines failing to hit or cause damage.

The imperial guard firmly in control of the Swamp!

The demolisher however scored a hit wrecking a rhino, the tactical squad inside piling out right in front of the waiting stormtroopers.

The angry marines climb out in front of the swamp

 The stormtroopers opened up on the chaplain and his squad killing four marines with accurate shooting. With all the shooting done the two rough riders charged into the assault squad by the hill. One space marine fell. The enraged sergeant avenged his fallen brother by slaying the riders.

TURN 2 - Space Marines - Take them down!

The Space marines were hungry to end this. They had taken relatively light casualties. The assault squad powered over the hill toward the waiting basilisks. The dreadnoughts thundered forward. The now unstunned rhino by the ruins powered into the midts of the wreckage disgorging its tactical squad. The chaplain and the remains of his squad jumped over the swamp and hammered into the imperial lines.

The razorback drove alongside the two other dreadnoughts now readied to take the fight to the imperials. The tacticals near the swamp moved toward the storm troopers lurking in the swamp. 

The Rhino disgorges its contents into the fray.

Again the space marines opened fire. The remaining conscripts along with the Lord Commissar were scythed down with brutal efficiency. Several Imperial Guad squads took further casualties from combined predator and dreadnought fire.

One basilisk was destroyed by a lascannon bolt and the other destroyed by krak grenades from the assault squad.  The tactical squad by the swamp pumped everything they had into the Storm Troopers killing 7.

In close combat the Chaplain his squad only succeeded in damaging the demolishers cannon. The stormtroopers were hacked to pieces by the tactical squad.

TURN 3 - Imperial Guard - The commander makes his decision.

With the imperial guard being hammered from all sides the commande makes the decision to fall back toward the Base. If they could hold on to it they could salvage a draw from this. His troopers began to move back toward the base.

Pew pew!

The second storm trooper squad arrived in the right place at the right time. They would surely reinforce the base and help hold the line

<- Captain Leroy Hotdog Zanzibar and his big toy soldiers arrive to save the day for the imperials

The shooting phase was short and brutal, those squad that were still combat effective did what they could. The commander and his plasma gunners poured everything they had into the tacticals hunkered down by the crashed lander. 3 marines were killed and one unfortunate plasma gunner, his smouldering remains a testament to the power of plasma weaponry.

 'The chaplain and his men die as they are gunned down by the stormtroopers'                        ----->

The Chaplain and his squad were shot in the back by the combined fire of the storm troopers and the banewolf. The men in the base shouted in glee at the heroic arrival of the storm troopers but their joy would be short lived 

TURN 3 - Space Marines - Take no prisoners

Enraged at the loss of their commander the Space marines prepared to end this. The Space marines marched forward into the fray closing the gap. The right flank was ready to fall.

'The commander of the skitarii faces impossible odds as the space marines close in'

 

 The assault squad that finished off the basilisks blasted the heavy weapons squad to pieces. The razorback and two dreadnoughts riddled the Commander and the remaining squads on the right flank.

 The Predators trundling through the ruins fired their autocannons at the banewold scoring 3 thundering hits! The banewolf's turret flew high into the sky as it exploded. The tactical squad in blasted the men in the swamp off their feet, the green fetid swamp now a dark red colour.

The Vindicator received word of the chaplains demise and was determined to even the score:

                                                                             'AIM!'

                                                                            'FIRE!'

                                                                           'The result:'

 The score would not be even until the last stormtrooper was dead. Ancient Vaul, the dreadnought in the middle took careful aim:       'Target aquired - attack pattern overkill 4-b v2.1'

A lascannon gunner also took a potshot at the side armour of the still active demolisher. The shot igniting the shells inside destroing the gargantuan tank. The noose was closing in, this battle was drawing to a close.

TURN 4 - Imperial Guard - We who are about to die salut you!

A devasatingly accurate shooting phase from the space marines had takin it's toll. There was little else to do but sell their lives as dearly as possible. Some toothless shooting took place scoring only one hit, one space marine fell clutching a gaping wound.

  

'The surrounded base puts up a brave, honourable fight'

 TURN 4 - Space Marines - Wrath of the space marines

The space marines closed in. unloading 35 space marines, 2 predators emptied their magazines and ammo drums into the ruins. with only 6 troopers left surrender was inevitable. The Battle was over!

The marine proudly displays the head of the Commander!

THE CONCLUSION

Sergeant Vorenus walked amongst the dead and surveyed the carnage. He saw the chaplain's limp body being carried away along with the relic into a waiting thunderhawk. The Skitarii had stood and fought bravely this much was true. His battle brothers had performed with ferocity and skill but something felt wrong. The adeptus mechanicus were usually allies but this time they crossed the line. Legion Master Kane had tried to negotiate the release of the relic but to no avail. All four relics were now with the Legion. Their importance was known only to the Mechanicus and Legion Librarians. Vorenus knew little of such things,but he did know the mad Magos Rikus would not let this transgression go unpunished. Vorenus was sure he had not seen the last of the 212nd. The Magos would be back....and the Legion would be ready for him. 

A brutal fight all together. This scenario was a tough one for the imperial guard. The imperial guard would have to defend their own objective as well as take another. The space marines were all mounted in rhinos or razorbacks and thus had a degree of mobility that the imperial guard did not. The game could have gone very differently were it not for the Dice Gods. The imperial guard had a dismal first turn scoring no casualties apart from a single razorback and stunning or shaking a few vehicles. The Space marines on the other hand rolled very well particularly in the 3rd turn with the destruction of the demolisher, banewolf, a full stormtrooper squad and approximately 20 guardsmen. In the end the Space marines had too much flexibility. They were able to leave 15 men guarding the base and use the entirety of the force to assault the imperial guard base.

A fun game for me, but a terrible game for the imperial guard player. Credit to him for fighting to the end and not giving up.

MAN OF THE MATCH

I'd have go with the vinidicator for the epic slaying of the entire stormtrooper squad in one go (aswell as other accurate shooting)

MORE PICS TO COME SOON!