The Long War Battle 4

Ahriman's Vengeance

Scenario Source: Battle Missions Book

Mission: Scorched Earth (Chaos Space Marines)

Points: 2000

Armies: Emperor's Shields / Tzeentch

The Librarius Conclave and their Assassin allies were victorious in the previous battle. While this might be a good thing most of the time, it seems to have raised the ire and attention of Ahriman himself, who has seen fit to put those Loyalist Psykers in their place. With a strong force of Thousand Sons, attendant Sorcerors and his own protege, Ahriman leads his forces onto the field.

Emperor's Shields

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

Tzeentch Combined Arms

Ahriman

Sorceror ML2

5 Chosen w/ 4 Plasma Guns, Plasma Pistol, Rhino

5 Chosen w/ 4 Plasma Guns, Plasma Pistol, Rhino

Aspiring Sorceror, 8 Thousand Sons, Rhino

Aspiring Sorceror, 8 Thousand Sons, Rhino

Aspiring Sorceror, 8 Thousand Sons, Rhino

Aspiring Sorceror, 8 Thousand Sons, Rhino

Setup

In this mission, some of the terrain is burning (Dangerous Terrain), and some of it is smoking (+1 Cover Save). We didn't have enough markers built yet, so the smoke indicates smoking buildings, and the tea lights indicate burning buildings.

There were three onjectives, centrally located. Tzeentch had to deploy first, and go first on a roll of 2+, which they got. Not sure again where the Marines are going to start their offensive from, the 4 squads of Thousand Sons deploy in a defensive ring around Ahriman and his protege, who is trying to not appear in pictures by hugging the bridge wall.

Tzeentch deployment, protecting Arhiman.

2 units of Tzeentch Chosen, with Plasma ready to hunt some Terminators.

Ahriman in the center of the woods, surrounded by his minions.

On the Marine side, they again deploy in  dense cluster, to provide maximum support to each other during the battle.

Ready to provide support to each other, the Marines form a short battle line.

The Vindicare has chosen his usual location. The view was great last battle. The Eversor is providing local security at the base of the tower.

Turn 1 Tzeentch

Both Chosen squads advance, disembark and pour plasma fire into the Terminator unit.

The green and purple Chosen of Tzeentch unleash plasma hell onto the rightmost Terminator unit, but only kill 3. On the other side of the battle line, Thousand Sons squads 1 and 2 disembark and try to gun down the Culexus, but dont even wound her.

The Sorcerer summons 10 Bloodletters, who arrive in the street, ready to pounce on the Conclave next turn.

Ahriman and his protege shuffle slightly, and ready themselves for the Loyalist first strike.

Turn 1 Marine

The surviving Terminator Sergeant and Heavy Flamer charge the purple Chosen, though the Heavy Flamer did not survive the Overwatch.

The Sergeant only manages to slay one Chosen.

The Eversor came out from behind the tower, charged the green Chosen, wiped them out, and consolidated back into cover.

Ahriman survives a direct hit from Vortex of Doom after the Conclave and retinue stick the landing from Gate of Infinity.

The Master of Magic surfing on a Vortex with quite the audience.

On the Tzeentch right, the two surviving Terminators from the plasma party, the Sergeant and Heavy Flamer, advance and charge the purple Chosen. Overwatch sees the Sergeant Look out Sir! a wound onto the Heavy Flamer, who dies, and the Sergeant accepts the Chosen Champions challenge and kills him.

The left hand Terminator squad advanced toward the objective in the building, trying to assault the Demons in the street, but failed.

The Librarius Conclave and their 10 man Thunder Hammer retinue successfully cast Invisibility on themselves, used Gate of Infinity to Deep Strike reight next to Ahriman, and cast Vortex of Doom without scatter, then rolled a 1 on the D table. Serves them right for trying to out-psyker Arhiman.

The Vindicare targeted the Rhino that still held Thousand Sons squad 3, but failed to scratch the paint with a Turbo round.

The Callidus arrived with her fancy Infiltrate, Psy-flamed the Bloodletters, and then charged into them, killing 2.

The Culexus charged into Thousand Sons squad 2, killing 2 after dodging the Overwatch fire.

The Eversor came flying out from cover at the base of the tower, makes a 16" assault into the green Chosen squad, who wiffed their Overwatch, and gutted them in a single assault phase. He consolidated back into cover.

Turn 2 Tzeentch

Thousand Sons squad 1 sizing up the Conclave before engaging.

The Callidus and Bloodletters continue their dance, with the Bloodletters doling out 2 wounds.

The Vindicare's view of the action.

A city on fire.

Thousand Sons squad 4 moves to backup the Chosen.

Thousand Sons squad 1 shows their contempt for the Conclave and barrels into them.

Ahriman standing safe in the shadow of the bridge, wary of the wandering Vortex, orchestrating the destruction of the Loyalists.

Yet more Bloodletters arrive, though they mishapped on their way.

The forces of Tzeentch with a firm control on two of three objectives.

Thousand Sons squad 1 advance towards the Conclave, rapid fire their fancy bolters, and then charge in (No Overwatch), managing to drop a couple of Assault Terminators before losing 6 of their own.

Thousand Sons squad 2 continued their death dance with the Culexus, neither side being able to gain an advantage.

The Sorcerer  summoned a second unit of Bloodletters, but they Mishapped and ended up off in the corner of the battlefield.

The 1st unit of Bloodletters and the Callidus continue to hack away at each other to no avail. The Callidus also failed to Hit and Run, so was stuck in combat.

Ahriman cast Doombolt to pick off another Assault Terminator, but the Storm Shields mostly held.

Thousand Sons squad 3, still in their Rhino, moved onto an objective, and waited to be needed.

Thousand Sons squad 4 moves toward another objective, in the smoking ruin, while the remaining Chosen squad covers their advance.

The remaining Chosen of Tzeentch fire their plasma guns at the Eversor, putting a wound on him.

Turn 2 Marine

Outnumbered, but the center of attention.

Callidus trying to outdo the Culexus.

Kill the Daemons!!

The Eversor preparing his retribution of the Chosen for hurting him. And then there were no Chosen.

Invisibility, Gate of Infinity, Psychic Shriek and a failed Vortex later...still a lot of Thousand Sons left standing.
The Eversor made short work of the Chosen squad, not even having to dodge any Overwatch fire.

The Rubricon is serving the Thousand Sons well today. 4+ invul's are taking the edge of the power of Hammers and Psychic powers.

The Vindicare headshots Ahriman's protege with a Turbo round. No more summoning.

Terminators assault the Bloodletters, helping the Callidus extricate herself.

Great pictures of this turn! Realizing that the battle is starting to slip away from them with the continual Daemon reinforcements arriving, the Emperor's Shields hurl themselves at the enemy hoping to break them while they still can.

The Terminator squad moves off the objective in the ruins to help the Callidus deal with the Bloodletters, which wipes them out.

The Conclave throws everything at Thousand Sons squad 4, but only manages to kill one model. 4+ invul for the win. And failing to cast Vortex of Doom needing 2+ to harness warp charges, with a re-roll from the Bones of Osrak. Epic failure from the Conclave. Not being able to charge after Gate of Infinity means 450 points of Assault Terminators are completely wasted.

The Vindicare notices a head poke up just barely over the wall of the bridge. He snaps off a Turbo round, clean through the helmet of the Sorcerer, taking both wounds. Earned his points, almost.

The Eversor charges across the street, through wildly inaccurate Overwatch plasma fire, and slaughters the Chosen squad, then consolidates closer to the objective.

Turn 3 Tzeentch

Thousand Sons advance, rapid fire bolters and charge. Again. The Conclave retinue is getting very small.

4 Assault Terminators are trying to protecct 5 Librarians from the wrath of the continual assaults of Tzeentch.

Ahriman, after firing 3 Doombolts under the bridge, prophecizes a victory.

The Master of Magic has a slight headache after suffering a Perils of the Warp from a Doombolt.

The rhino, trying to move towards the objectives, throws a track as it enters the woods
 as the 4 Thousand Sons from squad 1 blast away at the Conclave through the tunnel.

Thousand Sons squad 3, still in their Rhino, move to block the advance of the Terminators, trying to
manifest Doombolt out the hatch but failing.

Other then the action in the pictures, the Culexus and the remnants of Thousand Sons squad 2 continue to batter away at each other. The Chaos Rhino combi-boltered the Callidus down, leaving the Terminators on their own.

Turn 3 Marine

The Eversor and Vindicare combine to kill a Rhino. Chaos still owns the objective,
 since the surviving Rhino is Objective Secured.

The smoking ruins provide 3+ cover saves.

The Terminators assault and destroy the Chaos Rhino blocking their path, and yet another squad of Thousand Sons extricates itself from the exploded transport. Being Fearless means no Snap Shots for them.

Waiting to weather the boltgun fire storm that is incoming.

After finishing off Thousand Sons squad 4, the survivors consolidate close to the objective in the smoking ruins, trying to figure out a way to snatch victory from the forces of Tzeentch with their dwindling forces.

At the end of turn 3, the Loyalists are in position to take possession of 2 of the objectives.

The Culexus finally got beaten down by Thousand Sons squad 2, and they Consolidated down the road toward the objectives.

The Callidus got gunned down in the street last turn.

The Eversor was torn between 2 courses of action. Assault Ahriman through the tunnel, but thought Ahriman had 2+ armour, or assault the rhino on the objective. Thinking the Rhino the easier target (incorrectly), off he went.

The Vindicare assisted the Eversor in killing the Rhino, stripping the last hull point.

The Conclave and Assault Terminators battled it out with the Thousand Sons, and put so many wounds on them with Hammerhand and Invisibility that finally they were able to wipe out a squad. They prepared for Ahriman's revenge as he stalked towards them through the tunnel.

Turn 4 Tzeentch

Survivors of Thousand Sons squad 2.

Survivors of Thousand Sons squad 1.

Thousand Sons squad 3, after boltering, assaulting and killing the Terminator squad.

Multiple Vortex of Dooms wander around the battlefield.

Thousand Sons squad 3 advancing unopposed down the street towards the objective on the right.

Turn 4 Marines

After challenging, and defeating the Assault Terminator Sergeant, Ahriman consolidates ever closer while the two remaining Librarians destroy the other Rhino in Assault.

Rhino on one objective, Thousand Sons squad 3 advance toward another on the left after boltering down the Eversor with Overwatch..

 Not shown in the pictures, is two of the Librarians used Gate of Infinity to jump into the street right in front of Thousand Sons squad 3, to try to wrest control of the objective from them.

The Eversor tried to assault the same squad to tie them up, but got gunned down by Overwatch on his way in.

The Assault Terminator Sergeant charged Arhiman, who promptly knocked him on the helmet with his staff and he dropped to the ground, a shrivelled husk in smoking armour.

The other Librarians assaulted the last Objective Secured Rhino so they controlled one objective.

Turn 5 Tzeentch

Although uneeded, the Bloodletters finally arrive, panting from their run from the far corner of the battlefield.
Thousand Sons squad 3 also dispatched the two Librarians in the street. (No pic)

Tzeentch in firm control of the field, with only 3 Loyalist models left.
Multiple Vortex of Dooms wandering around. Although annoying, only 1 kill all game.

Arhiman Doombolt's one Librarian, and assaults the last one.

 Turn 5 Marines

The Librarian and Ahriman trade blows, but while Ahriman loses the combat, he wins the battle as the dice decide there will be no more turns.

Summary

Emperor's Shields: 1 (First Blood)

Tzeentch: 7 (2 Objectives, Slay the Warlord)

Ahriman has shown his psychic mastery and annihilated the Librarius Conclave! With that, he gains control of the Bones of Osrak, but will need time to study the relic to figure out how to use it!

As I was writing up this battle report, I realized I have to take much better notes! Hopefully things will be a little clearer in the future.

Next up, an almost healed Lysander sends down a Sternhammer force to recover the bodies and talismans of the Librarius before they can be desecrated by Ahriman.

Until next time, happy gaming!