9th Edition .- First Battle - The usual suspects

 So! 9th has dropped and it was time to test it out. Wimaro and I would go at it again with the same armies that are quickly becoming each other's nemesii.... nemesisis.. nemesis'... enemies!

1000 pts Incursion

Wimaro running his usual forces, 3 starweavers, 3 troupes, solitaire, troupemaster and shadowseer along with 3 skyweaver bikers. A small hard hitting compact force.

I was running a horde of guardsmen - 6 squads, 2 veteran squads, 2 chimeras, 2 mortar teams, and a hydra along with 2 company commanders. 

Turn 1 - Guard

I won the roll off and went first. Orders were barked out and re-rolls given. My lines opened up the  starweaver on my left flank. Autocannons, stubbers, heavy bolters all shot out in to the dusk light, missing or failing to wound. Those that found their mark were saved by the flickering invul save of the alien craft. One lucky soldier fired his missile launcher into the darkness and BOOM found the mark doing 5 damage. The remaining lasguns finished off the final wound and killed an occupant in the ensuing crash. 

Elsewhere, the hydra took out 2 sky weaver bikers. 

 The dusk light was ominous and forboding. Trooper Jensin could barely make out the shapes of the buildings in the fading light. Before he could finish his though the gunner in the chimera spotted something in the distance. Thunderous fire exploded out of the tank. The chugging autocannon, the rattling boom of the heavybolter and the staccato of the stubber all mingling into a deafening roar. He peered through his missile scope and in sheer instince just fired. A huge explosion in the distance lit up the landscape.  

Turn 1 - Harlequins

Wimaro faced down a horde of guardsmen but ran straight in with his forces and attacked. He blew up a chimera and caused 5 casualities to an advancing squad. Not the best turn all round. He kept some of his forces back to hold and objective behind the ruined tower.

Turn 2 - Guard

The Harlequins were in front of me now. I opened fire and downed the remaning starweavers, but only after far too much firepower. Awful hit rolls and awful wounds rolls followed by good invul saves meant I'd dumped all my firepower onto the two vehicles. The clowns would be mowing through my men in short order.

Turn 2 - Harlequins

Close combat! woo. Men were sliced and diced but it mattered not - there were plenty more where they came from. A solitaire appeared and killed my mortars. They were in amongst me now. Steely courage and decent rolling is all that would save me now.

Turn 3 - Guard.

So.. I outnumbered Wimaro's clowns by about 8-1 almost. I fired what I could fire into the various pockets of harlequins but this would be a turn for the ages. A monument to mediocrity, a hallmark of shitty rolling, an epic tale of failure that would ring down through the ages.

Here's the thing. Harlequins aren't all that scary. T3, 4+ save. It's VERY overcomable if you have the weight of numbers. I had tonnes of men and about 50-60 attacks in close combat resulted in two wounds.... TWO! It was a game-breaking moment. Epic fail. 

Turn 3 - Harlequins

Quick turn, solitaire kills the warlord and 15-20 men die. Still have about 50 on the table along with a hydra.... BUT twas the end....

I conceded with 50+ men and a hydra on the table.... but why? WHY?

Conclusion!

For the last 2 turns Wimaro had been pressing the attack. My slow guardsmen were only contesting one objective while Wimaro had been scoring victory points. This was the big change I didn't anticipate or understand well enough. You score your victory points at the BEGINNNING of your turn, during the command phase. Meaning you have to be reactive to your enemy. Knock them off their objectives in your turn so that their next turn they aren't scoring.

At this point Wimaro had 29 victory points. 5 in turn 2, 15 in turn 3 and 6 for slay the warlord and 3 for a secondary which involved killing as many men as possible. I only had 5 points. With turn 4 about to start I'd score no points as I was either to far away or bunched up at the back. 

Barring another dismal turn of not hitting or wounding anything, I'd most likely table the remaning troupemaster, solitaire and 6 clowns... BUT tabling doesn't win you the game and it wasn't guaranteed either.

There was a change I could win, I had assasinate (kill characters, 9 potential points here), raise the banners high (do actions on objectives to more points) etc but it would require playing on for another 30-40 minutes and even then it was relatively unlikely and I'd need to wipe Wimaro, and then get lucky with orders to get my men up the table.

All in all! great fun, 9th is a bit confusing at times, the rulebook is unclear about a lot of stuff and being to eager to just play meant glossing over stuff. Either way - great fun and looking forward to the next game. I continue my tradition of ALWAYS losing the first game of a new edition - A proud feat I've managed since 2nd... good times!

Emerian Escalation - The Campaign Continues!

The Hive world of Emeria is a young hive world on the eastern fringe. It's great cities are surrounded by blasted, polluted ruins. They are dangerous places full of bandits, smugglers and strange creatures. The rest of the planet is largely wild forests, deep rocky canyons and jagged snowy mountain ranges. It is a place of superstition, mystery and rumours. There's talk of ancient temples, strange sightings and bizarre events. Recently, the smuggler hamlet of Goldun outside Hive Vivus has been mysteriously abandoned. It's inhabitants gone - The patrol sent to investigate it barely survived their encounter with strange ghostly aliens. 
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So! Here we are again, a new battle, slightly larger than last time, 750 pts! We'd be playing 'Cut off the Head' scenario where 3 characters are of vital importance. At the each turn after turn 3 you get 1 point for each surviving character, and 1 more point if that character is within the central objective, a communications array!

Wimaro's Harlequins:
3 Starweavers, each with 5 harlequins, some with fusion pistols, some with regular shurikens.
Lead by two 2 troup leaders and one dangerous Solitaire!

Rottimus' Guard:

Inquistor Drayk (Eisenhorn)
Colonel Chungus (Nork Deddog)
Shivaxi-01 (Counts as daemonhost Cherubael) (Eisenhorn can create a T6, S6, W6, 5A beast of a daemonhost - I thought it would be cool that an radical inquisitor somehow managed to enslave a Broodlord Genestealer for his own nefarious needs)

Two company commanders (Al-Faris & Hortin)
3x 10 man squads of guardsmen with heavy bolters, grenade launchers
2x 10 man squads of guardsmen with a flamer each
A plasma wielding veteran squad
A special weapons team with 2 flamers and a demo charge
2 Chimeras
1 squad of mortars

Dig in and wait!

Inquisitor Drayk peered out into the misty morning. They'd made good time getting here. The ancient eldar array in the distance was humming with activity. Drayk could feel it, his psychic mind reaching out hearing the strange vibrations emanting from it. It was otherwise unnervingly still... the sillouttes of the abandoned buildings slowly being lit by the coming dawn. The air was fresh and crisp. Captain Hortin of the local PDF was behind him, twitching nervously. 'My lord, we should move out and dig in around the objective, Tactica Imperialis states that in the event of...' A curt wave from Drayk silenced Hortin immediately.
'We wait! Dig in here... they will come to us.' Drayk's gravelly voice unnerved Hortin. He spoke with such surety. The inquisitor had arrived only days ago, bringing with him some famed Al-Kurdush Irregulars from the Helion System. These auxiliaries had made a name for themselves fighting alongside the Black Scorpions Space Marine Chapter. Hortin was in awe. A giant Ogryn by the name of Colonel Chungus also accompanied Drayk. Hortin was unsure if he was actually a Colonel but salute the towering creature anyway. A tall, tanned man named Faris commanded the irregulars. He stood patiently waiting amongst his men. Hortin was terrified. Drayk seemed unwilling to move out from their position and Hortin had seen the 'Bloodied 8' as they were called, men who had engaged this enemy before. Almost the entire platoon had been wiped out in minutes. He prayed to the Emperor that Drayk knew what he was doing.

The reavers cometh!

Turn 1

I deployed first and went first. I made sure to keep my force concentrated. Harlequins can pretty much go wherever they want so I had to make sure there were no gaps in my lines. Flip-belting Solitaires could too easily assassinate my characters!

My mortars fired and did nothing due to needing 6's to hit because of a crafty stratagem - and that was all that was in range.

Wimaro pondered the situation, the goal was to survive and score points in the centre, but right now, he was out of range of everything I had. We could let the turns go by and basically wait it out but Wimaro decided to make the first move, moving forward into the centre and opening up with his shuriken cannons in an attempt to get First Strike. He mowed down a whole bunch of men but didn't manage to wipe the squad. I used a CP to 'Take Cover!' to gain some 3+ cover saves which helped.

Bold move!

Drayk waited. He could feel them closing in. He saw that horrible blur, he'd seen it before and it filled him with dread. He shouted as loud as he could. 'Incoming! Take Cover!, down down down!'
The air was filled with razors, slicing through the lines. Men screamed and blood flowed. Drayk cocked his bolt pistol.... they'd be among them in moments.

Turn 2

Wimaro had gambled and it hadn't paid off. He was now in front of an Imperial Guard gunline. I opened up with everything I had. I was using Cadian rules - Captain Horten had 'The Laurels of Command' Meaning on a 4+ I can give a unit an extra free order, He also had the Cadian Warlord trait meaning everytime I gave an order, I can roll a 4+ to let that order spread to a nearby unit. Basically meaning I can stack orders and really buff my men. Anyway, I brought down a Starweaver and then mortared the occupants killing 4 harlequins... not great.

Wimaro continued his agressive strategy, he moved a starweaver forward into my lines and unloaded his Warlord Troupe Master, The solitair also disembarked and flipped deep into my lines. Wimaro went right for the head - and engaged both my company commanders - He had to stop those orders.

His shooting took out a chimera and some more men here and there but the assault was were it was at. The Solitaire flat out MURDERED Hortin instantly. Slay the Warlord The Troupe Master however engaged Faris, my other commander. I saved lots of 5+ invul saves! and he took only 1 wound! Wimaro cursed his luck!

Hortin was panting, they were too fast, the chattering of autoguns and heavy bolters filled the air. Agonising screams intermingled with Faris' booming voice. A figure blurred in front of him. He barely had a chance to register it before a hot searing pain overcame him. Hortin doubled over and fell forwards into a pile of his own intestines, his face slammed into the hard ground, he tried to break his fall but bloody stumps were all that was left of his arms.... darkness took him. 

Turn 3

Ok! So Wimaro was in my lines, I had to fight back with everything I had. I disembarked my Plasma veterans, and generally just made some space to move around. My shooting managed to take down the Starweavers and a few more harlequins.

I had to get rid of the solitaire. I shot at it, a threw a 'Grenadiers' Stratagem at him, (10 frag grenades), lasguns, flamers... everything! He TANKED the fire. I think I managed to take 2 wounds off him in total.

I'd had to finish him off in close combat. Colonel Chungus, Drayk and..... SHIVAXI-01 was revealed. A mind controlled captured Broodlord! They all attacked the solitaire and did BUGGER ALL. Again Wimaro rolled an ungodly amount of 3+ invul saves.

The Troupe Master faired badly against Faris who managed to save 2 wounds with his 5+ invul. Faris was proving to be legendary. He even took a wound off the Troupe Master.

The Solitaire, Surrounded!

Wimaro then fought back with the solitaire and killed Drayk, which in turn means Shivaxi-01 stops functioning... UGH! Another intel character down too. Only Colonel Chungus remained.

Wimaro had 1pt for slay the warlord, at the end of this turn he'd score 3 points for having 3 intel characters alive and I only had 1 intel character left, Colonel Chungus...If Chungus died I'd lose. This mission doesn't have 'tabling' so even I wiped out Wimari I'd lose on victory pts 4-1, maybe 4-2 if I got linebreaker.... a dire position!

Wimaro used his Troupe Master to flip out of combat with Faris and engage Chungus along with the Solitaire. Wimaro then uttered the famous last words 'I might actually win a game finally!' With a BIG smile on his face.... oh the hubris! the HUBRIS!

Colonel Chungus cried out with rage! Drayk had been run through and was lying on the ground, severely wounded. The two Eldar dancing about with impossible speed. Chungs reached out instinctively and grasped the Troupe Master by the throat. Chunguss reared back and then with all his might headbutted the master with a thunderous force shattering the Eldar's skull. In a rage Chungus swung his giant knife around wildly cutting the solitaire in half in a bloody spray. Panting, his picked up the limp body of Drayk and ran towards the Chimera. 

It was my turn to TANK. The solitaire and the Troupemaster only managed to take off 1 single wound. Chungus then headbutted the troupemaster to death! (Slay the Warlord) then shanked the solitaire to death with a huge knife. What a turn around! Wimaro had gone from sure victory to now total defeat.

The score was 3 to Wimaro (slay the warlord, +1 for intel character and +1 for being by the objective)

I had 2, Slay the warlord and +1 for intel character

BUT he had 4 harlequins left and 1 troupemaster by the objective... about 40 guardsmen and a chimera remained, more than enough to kill them and then Chungus could go get the objective.

The end score would be 5-4 to the Guardsmen! Without a hope of winning Wimaro conceded the remaining Harlequins withdrew into the darkness to fight another day.


VICTORY!

Conclusion:

Great game - Aggressive play from Wimaro that almost won him the game. He took 'Cut off the Head' very to heart and put everything into killing my characters. Colonel Chungus saved the day but just being tough.

Interesting development for the campaign and yet again the Mon'Keigh interrupt the Harlequins as of yet unknown plans.

Inquisitor Drayk will be back after having been laid low by the blades of the harlequins.

Back in Business, New Campaign, New Challenges and New Battle!

Will make this bit quick - Had a baby, stopped playing/painting, moved house, got a car and got busy being a family man #guile. 10 000 diapers later here I am, ready to pick up the hobby again with the little snippets of free time I have.

Started off small. 500 points against Wimaro (check out his awesome stuff here: https://www.instagram.com/craftworldeldar/?hl=en)

The plan is to play small games and build a narrative campaign organically from what happens in the games.

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500 points -
Eternal War - 4 objectives
Harlequins vs Imperial Guard
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Captain Kolt and Commissar Gneist paced back and forth. The 42 men of 1st Platoon, Echo Company stood at attention. Their uniforms immaculate and weapons shiny and ready for action. It had taken months but slowly the Korgen Planetary Defence Force had started to take shape. Korgen had enjoyed the protection of the Black Scorpions Space marine chapter for decades. Pirates, aliens and opportunists alike knew to stay away. Decades of relative peace had led to productivity and prosperity but severe neglect of the armed forces. Lazy commanders, unfit men, poor equipment maintenance and bad discipline all round. Kolt and Gneist were one of many teams sent here to batter them into shape. Orders from on high. All systems prepare for all out war. Kolt pondered his orders. Nobody knew why or what was coming, but he'd knew better than to question a strategy coming directly from a Chapter Master. Kolt silenced his worries. Today was the day! A baptism of fire for these men. Gangers had been reported to be using strange forbidden weaponry in the skirmishes outside the city. Search, investigate, eliminate and report back. The men piled into their chimeras and moved out through the gate.

 The chimeras trundled for hours along the desolate outskirts of the hive. The old hab-blocks and factories crumbling into dust from decades of caustic rain and howling winds. Only gangers, criminals, smugglers and outcast mutants eked a painful miserable existence out here. Kolt glanced over at the scarred, gnarled face of Commissar Gneist. 'The only familiar face on this forsaken planet' Kolt thought 'is that ugly mug'. 

The vox crackled into life, the commander of the chimera ahead reporting in. 'Captain! We're here, Goldun is empty sir, there's no one here'. Kolt jumped up, and slammed the door button lowering the ramp. He walked out into what used to be Goldun, a small hamlet that was usually bustling but it was deadly silent. No sign of the haggard merchants and ragged drunks, no music or smells of cooking. Kolt had a bad feeling. 'Mortar teams!, set up here with me, Gneist, move into the town and keep and eye open!

TURN 1

Wimaro went first, moved his two Starweavers up and out of cover, right into my face. The solitaire moved close too. 8 fusion pistols took out the first chimera with a massive explosion! the 2nd chimera was wrecked too. The shuriken cannons wiped out the two mortar squads too with devastating effect!

I fought back! The remaining chimera took down a starweaver with concentrated fire. The harlequins that bailed out were subsequently singed to death by a flamer and lasguns!

Captain Kolt watched in horror. He saw something flicker in the distance, something impossible. Strange colours and flitting movement, sparks, little beams of light obscuring something closing in. something closing in fast! Before he could thing the mortarmen in front him began to collapse into chunks of bloodied flesh. Kolt dived to the floor as thousands of shards of metal fizzed through the air. Kolt felt a wash of searing hot air blast over him as he saw the lead chimera vapourise in a gigantic explosion. Purple, black and glowing, the jumped, dived and danced across the road with impossible grace. Kolt's only consolation was a gout of flame from 2nd squad that consumed the strange beings as they screamed in pain. Kolt gathered himself and began shouting orders. 'Ambush! Disembark, Firing lines, Firing lines! Supressing fire!

Turn 2

Wimaro closed in, the final chimera exploded without trouble. Fusion pistols making quite work of the tanks. 42 men had become 25 or so in one turn. Another few died to shuriken cannon fire and close combat eliminated a squad. My men were now in deep trouble.

I fell back with my two remaining squads, and used the orders to 'Get Back in the Fight!' They turned around and unleashed lasgun fire, and flame and autocannon, taking out the last starweaver and the harlequins. All that was left now was the solitaire and the troupe master which were now wounded.

REMAINING TURNS

The turns went quickly and involved me being charged, losing men, falling back and my commander ordering them to get back in the fight. Each time I managed to do damage, rapid fire lasguns against toughness 3 is effective. The solitaire went down with a grenadiers command point. The WHOLE squad can use their grenades. 8 d6 s3 shots against one guy! I eventually killed the troupemaster, but not before he laid low my brave commander.


Kolt was proud. His newly trained men were handling themselves well. Moving under fire, laying cover fire, moving back, throwing grenades to cover their retreat. Kolt could see Gneist in their midst directing them brutal efficiency in between popping off shots with his bolt pistol. The strange figures were unearthly, bounding and leaping in and out of battle, each slash parted a head from shoulders, severed an arm or gutted a soldier. The screams were deafening but Kolt could see, the alien momentum was faltering. Before he could issue another order and black clad figure leaped over the battle. Kolt could barely react before he was run through and his arm was missing. Searing hot pain struck him and he fell to the floor. As he lay there, his life blood flowing out, his men turned around and bathed both him and the dark figure in lasgun fire. The last thing Kolt saw was a grenade roll towards him and the wounded figure. 

Gneist and the survivors retreat.

Conclusion

Victory for the Guard... but at grave cost. A mere 8 remaining men... out of 44 soldiers and 3 chimeras. The lasgun is made fun of but it works. In hind sight Wimaro should have tried to take out my commander earlier, i should have placed my mortars somewhere much safer. I also made a mistake with my mortars. They are two wounds each, I used old school rules where I though stg 6 meant instant death. So they were removed a little early.

Fun game to open our narrative, a pyhrric victory. As for Captain Kolt, I used the character death table here: https://rottimus.blogspot.com/2012/09/crusade-of-vengeance-character-death.html to see what his final fate would be: I rolled out of a 12... a 4 - BUT a -2 modifier because he died in single combat against the enemy warlord. He DEAD!

'Get up and keep moving shouted' Gneist. 'It's a two day march back to the gates and there may be more of them. Move move move!' Gneist's legs were on fire as they marched back through the wastes. Kolt's had saddened him greatly. They'd served together for almost a decade. A good man. Two of his men were dragging several of the alien bodies along with their strange equipment. These were no gangers or mere waste-dwellers. These were Eldar... of some strange creed. Gneist knew little about such things but he knew the Black Scorpions would want to know alien filth were in their midst!