The Long War Battle 3

Emperor's Shields Counter Attack

Scenario Source: Battle Missions Book

Mission: Counter Attack (Space Marines)

Points: 2000

Armies: Emperor's Shields / Slaanesh

The Slaanesh army was victorious in the previous battle, so they cannot change their list. The Marines, having processed the after action reports, which detailed a Demon Princess ( or 3), have dispatched a Librarius Conclave to investigate, and if the reports are true, to send the foul creature back to the Immaterium.

Emperor's Shield's

Librarius Conclave

     5  ML 2 Terminator Librarians

1st Company Task Force

     10 Assault Terminators w/ Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield

     5 Terminators w/ Heavy Flamer

     5 Terminators w/ Heavy Flamer

Officio Assassinorum Task Force

     1 Callidus, 1 Culexus, 1 Eversor, 1 Vindicare

Slaanesh

Demon Princess of Slaanesh
Chaos Lord on Steed of Slaanesh
5 Slaanesh Chaos Spawn
Emperor's Children Sonic Dreadnought
5 Possessed Marines, Rhino
Maulerfiend
Vindicator
3 Slaanesh Obliterators
10 Chaos Marines w/ Mark of Slaanesh
Helldrake w/ Baleflamer

Setup

The Marines get the Orbital Assault rule, which allows anything that can Deep Strike, to do so on Turn 1. Slaanesh, since they are currently holding the ground over which so much blood has been spilled, get the Home Ground rule, which gives them Stubborn and Move Through Cover. The Marines decided to not Deep Strike, and most of the Slaanesh army is already Fearless, so Stubborn is of not much help. 

The Mission has Slaanesh set up more than 6" from the table edge, and each unit more than 6" from each other. The Helldrake we decided would be in Reserve, loitering in the air near the area. The Maulerfiend, well we forgot to deploy him, so he went into Reserve, even though he should have been on the board.

The mission is Victory Points. 3 points for HQ, 1 for Troops and Transports, 2 for everything else.

Slaanesh Deployment

Slaanesh Lord on snake-steed with her slaanesh spawn retinue.

Vindicator on the bridge again, with potentially good fields of fire.

Eversor Infiltrates 12" behind the Vindicator.

Culexus Infiltrates 1" away from the Demon Princess.

Vindicare is on top of the tower at the end of the street.

Right here, with pretty good fields of fire.

That's his view.

Turn 1 Marines

The mission gives the Marines first turn. The Librarius Conclave, with their Assault Terminator bodyguards march onto the battlefield. The two 5 man Terminator squads enter the battlefield in the middle of the long board edge close to the Slaanesh Lord.  The Callidus arrives 1" away from the Demon Princess, which is not the Warlord, to assist the Culexus. 

In the Psychic phase, the air was charged with the power of the Warp as the Conclave rattled off power after power. They Dominated the Oblits, buffed themselves with Iron Arm, Fiery Form and Force, and cast Vortex of Doom at the Slaanesh Lord, but it scattered and sent a Spawn back to the warp instead.

The Eversor moves into position to assault the Vindicator, firing his bolt pistol 4 times at the thing, to no avail. The Vindicare fired his turbo round at the Vindicator, taking 1 hull point off it.

The Eversor assaulted the Vindicator with his melta bomb, but only managed to Shake it, removing another hull point. The main event was the Callidus and Culexus assaulting the Demon Princess, and the Culexus Challenging her before she could issue one herself. The two assassins only took 2 wounds off the beastess though, settling for hurting her badly.

"What's the noise? Sounds like heavy steps..."

"I think me and my Murder Sword will look elsewhere for entertainment."

"Foul traitor!! Judgement is upon you!!"

The Loyalists have Slaanesh surrounded...though they are few in number.

Eversor apparently failed Melta bomb training.

Culexus and Callidus together can't manage to bring down the Demon Princess.

Low Leadership will hurt the Dominated Obliterators.

5 ML 2 Psykers, Bones of Osrak and 5 different Psychic Disciplines takes a while.

Our first ever use of Vortex of Doom kills a Slaanesh Spawn.

Emperor's Shields: 0

Slaanesh: 0

Turn 1 Slaanesh

The Slaanesh Lord and Spawn decided that a 5 man Terminator squad was a better opponent than 15 Terminators, so made off in search of them. The Oblits failed their Dominate check to move. The Vindicator was Shaken, so moved off from the Eversor trying to buy time. The Slaanesh Chaos Marines disembarked and fired their bolters at a 5 man Terminator squad, managing to drop four of them! Being Fearless from the 1st Company formation, the sole survivor did not run. The Possessed disembarked from their Rhino, but could not assault this turn. The Slaanesh Lord (Lady?), having found a suitable target, assaulted a 5 man Terminator squad with her Spawn. The Terminator Sergeant stepped forward in response to her challenge, and they traded blows, but neither could land a mortal hit on the other.

The Shaken Vindicator tries to outrun the Eversor.

Slaanesh Marines bolter down 4 of 5 Terminators.

The Demon Princess is no match for the Culexus in a Challenge. With the Callidus helping out.

The Slaanesh Lady and Terminator Sergeant engage in a display of martial skill.

Spawn unload an ungodly amout of attacks on the charge dropping two Terminators, but losing one of their own to Powerfists.

Emperor's Shields: 4 (First Blood, Demon Princess)
Slaanesh: 0

Turn 2 Marines

The Eversor spies a unit of Slaanesh Marines, his target of choice. He makes a beeline for them, makes a 16" charge and flips over the wall to land in their midst, cutting 4 of them down while evading their attempts to hurt him.

The Conclave and bodyguard advance up the road buffing themselves again, skirting the Vortex of Doom, Psychic Shreik the Oblits, and Dominate the Possessed, who get assaulted by the Callidus and Culexus, but their 3+ Invul save sees them through.

The Spawn and Terminators trade blows, with the Terminators slowly knocking wounds off the Spawn. The Slaanesh Lady continues her dance with the Terminator Sergeant, neither able to land a telling shot.

The Vindicare finishes off the Vindicator with another Turbo round, wrecking it.

Eversor fighting his way out of the corner.

Possessed can't catch a break.

The Lady and Sergeant show the onlookers how a real sword fight looks.

No foes within reach, and keeping an eye on that Vortex.

A bad scatter could hurt. Gate of Infinity would be handy right now.

Vindicare Turbo penetrates the Vindicator in wreckage.

Emperor's Shields: 8 (First Blood(1), Demon Princess(3), Oblits(2), Vindi(2))

Slaanesh: 0

Turn 2 Slaanesh

The Helldrake arrives from Reserves, looking over the battlefield and seeing nothing but 2+ armour and 4+ Invul saves. The Maulerfiend also arrives, attracted to the sounds of fighting, or of dying.

For the second turn the Sonic Dreadnought fires into the cluster or Terminators coming up the road at it, but the armour is too strong, and it can only look on as the Eversor continues to slaughter the Slaanesh Marines.

The Callidus and Culexus finish off the Possessed, and are ready to find other prey.

AP3 Baleflamer and nothing but 2+ armour. The life of Chaos.

Maulerfiend scans the battlefield and sees a distinct lack of armour.

Pouring long range firepower into the Conclave coming up the road.

The screams of the Slaanesh Marines are soothing to a Sonic Dreadnought?

Wounded but still good to go, the Culexus and Callidus look for their next targets..

Eversor slowly carving his way through some Slaanesh Marines.

Emperor's Shields: 9 (First Blood(1), Demon Princess(3), Oblits(2), Vindi(2), Possessed (1))

Slaanesh: 0

Turn 3 Marines

The Conclave and bodyguard eye the Helldrake, but have no answer for the winged beast.

They try to avoid the Vortex, but it is wandering back and forth across the road with them as they advance. It's kind of nerve wracking. 

The Culexus assaults the Possessed Rhino, explodes it, and takes a wound for her efforts.

The Callidus charges in to make a Glorious Intervention on behalf of the Terminator Sergeant, and takes on the Lady, woman to woman, but the fight is just as fruitless as before. Neither combatant can gain an advantage.

The Eversor finally takes a wound, but has cut the Slaanesh Marines down to three for his effort.

The Vindicare puts a Shield Breaker round into the back of the Sonic Dread, and it explodes in dramatic fashion. Flaming debris arc through the sky toward the Eversor and Slaanesh Marines, but patter into the rubble before it hits them.

Buffing themselves and ignoring the thing in the sky.

Trying to avoid the Vortex, and hoping it stays friendly.

Destroy a Slaanesh Rhino, and it explodes on you. Gah.

Callidus to the rescue. "Just watch this! I mean this! Wait, this!!!"

"Deadpool" Eversor does not like it when you put holes in him.

Emperor's Shields: 12(First Blood(1), Demon Princess(3), Oblits(2), Vindi(2), Possessed (1), Rhino (1), Sonic Dread (2))

Slaanesh: 0

Turn 3 Slaanesh

The Maulerfiend, unable to Assault last turn, hauls himself up the the top of the tower, and pounces on the Vindicare, who readies his trusty krak grenades. Needing 5+ thanks to the large disparity in Weapon Skills', the Maulerfiend can't land a hit on the Vindicare, who hits fine, but his krak grenade is not up to the task of AV 12.

After trading another round of slashes and parries with the Slaanesh Lady, the Callidus Hits & Run's out of combat, but readies herself to bound right back in again. The Terminator and the Spawn keep pounding on each other, but both are Fearless, so this is to the death!

The Eversor finally cuts down the remaining Slaanesh Marines, sees his colleague in distress, and Consolidates towards the Maulerfiend.

Close combat wrecking machine vs 1 krak grenade attack.

Trading stikes is ineffective, let's try charging again.

Why can't I shoot you with my gun of awesome?

Drenched in Slaanesh Marine viscera, the Eversor looks to help the Vindicare.

Emperor's Shields: 13 (First Blood(1), Demon Princess(3), Oblits(2), Vindi(2), Possessed (1), Rhino (1), Sonic Dread (2),                                              Slaanesh Marines)

Slaanesh: 0

Turn 4 Marines

The Vortex wanders over and eats  the Culexus as she is preparing to assault into the Slaanesh Lady. The Conclave, realizing they are never making to an enemy try to move away from the Vortex.

The Eversor moves to help the Vindicare, assaulting into the fray with his trusty melta bomb at the ready, and manages to strip a hull point, while the Maulerfiend can't hit either asassin and ignores the Shaken result.

The Slaanesh Lady finally kills the Terminator Sergeant, taking a wound in the process.

Emperor's Shields: 13 (First Blood(1), Demon Princess(3), Oblits(2), Vindi(2), Possessed (1), Rhino (1), Sonic Dread (2),                                              Slaanesh Marines(1))

Slaanesh: 2 (Culexus(2))

Turn 4 Slaanesh

The Callidus and remaining Terminators finish off the Slaanesh Lady, leaving the tardy Maulerfiend as the only survivor. The Eversor lands another melta bomb, stripping another hull point, while the Maulerfiend ignores the Shaken result. The Vindicare's krak grenade didn't work. Again.

The Vortex is circling the Conclave. It has only killed a Spawn all game...

Emperor's Shields: 16 (First Blood(1), Demon Princess(3), Oblits(2), Vindi(2), Possessed (1), Rhino (1), Sonic Dread (2),                                              Slaanesh Marines(1), Slaanesh Lady(3))

Slaanesh: 2 (Culexus(2))

Turn 5 Marines

The Vortex wanders into the back of the Conclave and kills the Librarian who cast it in the first turn. Karma. The Eversor lands the final melta bomb and finishes off the Maulerfiend. Other than the Helldrake, the forces of Slaanesh have been annihilated!!

Krak grenades=bad. Melta bombs =good. WS 8 vs WS 3 also handy.

Emperor's Shields: 18 (First Blood(1), Demon Princess(3), Oblits(2), Vindi(2), Possessed (1), Rhino (1), Sonic Dread (2),                                              Slaanesh Marines(1), Slaanesh Lady(3), Maulerfiend(2))

Slaanesh: 5 (Culexus(2), Librarian(3))

Summary

Well, that was horrifically bloody. The Conclave contributed very little to the battle, other than to shepherd the enemy to the assassins. And what a job they did. Just gutting everything they touched. Man, when they work, do they ever work!!!

The forces of Chaos need to rally, and they have called upon Tzeentch to deal with this Librarius Conclave. Ahriman himself has decide to teach these upstart Loyalists a lesson! 

See you next time, and happy gaming!