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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
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| Dig in and wait! |
'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.
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| The reavers cometh! |
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.
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| Bold move! |
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.
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| The Solitaire, Surrounded! |
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.
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