M31 Battle Report 8-1: The Beginning of the End (The Crucible of War)

   "We are but ghosts. We are already dead. Yet our hatred rips us from the grave. There is no victory, no hope, nor even survival. All that matters is that the blood of our enemies flows in torrents."

-Khan Muqal, Brotherhood of the Broken Blade 

Background

At the time this battle was fought in February 2025, we had been playing our Horus Heresy campaign for the Xhorik system for seven and a half years, starting in July 2017. We started with the First Edition rules and transitioned into Second Edition (by the time we fought the finale, the Third Edition was being released.) We played at least 38 battles spread over seven campaign phases, with the Traitors winning six of the seven phases. (See the M31 Campaign Summary Page for links to all the battles.) We decided to play one last phase to wrap up the campaign. 

At this point, it was not really a question of the overall campaign winner; the Traitor domination was so absolute it would be ludicrous to declare a Loyalist victory even if they won the final phase. Thus, we decided that the Traitors were victorious in taking the Xhorik system for Horus. The Loyalists would be fighting for honor, revenge, and to disrupt and bloody the Traitors as much as possible. This felt like a suitable storyline for the final phase: a hopeless battle not for victory, but to take vengeance on the hated enemy, to kill for its own sake.

After years of defeat, the White Scars had transitioned from the noble Brotherhood of the Wind, fighting loyally for the Empire of Mankind, to the desperate Brotherhood of the Broken Blade, consumed by their hatred and vengeance, fighting only for their desire to kill Praetor Wolfgang and Ghrodd the Slaughter Lord and as many traitorous dogs as possible.

Life was very busy during the time we played this phase and I was also busy writing battle reports for our M32 campaign, The War of The Beast. I am now catching up on battle reports from games played well over a year ago, sometimes missing the army lists and notes on the action. Hence, expect these battle reports to be shorter and less detailed than the earlier phases. The models look too good not to get some photos on the blog, and the campaign has come this far, thus it must be concluded.

Scenario: The Crucible of War

We decided to play all the scenarios from the Siege of Cthonia book for the 8th and final phase of the campaign.

Prior to deployment, three objective markers are placed. At the end of each of their player turns, the Active players scores 1 Victory Point for each objective marker they control. 

Secondary Objectives:

Slay the Warlord: 1 VP + 1 VP if the warlord is a Primarch

Giant Killer (Destroy super-heavy, knight or titan): 2 VP

Last Man Standing (have more units at the end of the game): 1 VP

Break Their Ranks (destroy a unit first turn): 1 VP  + 1 VP if it was an Elites or HQ choice

Game Length: 4 Turns

Belligerents:

World Eaters - The Crimson Path (Pete)

Ghrodd and his Rampagers

Red Butchers in a Land Raider Proteus

Apothecary Detachment

Tactical Squad [Tactical Squad]

Despoiler Squad in Rhino [Line]

Recon Squad [Line]

Contemptor Dreadnought

Predator Squadron

White Scars - Legion Recon Company (Phil)

Praetor Muqal and his Skyhunters

Recon Squad in Rhino [Line]

Scout Squad

Tactical Squad in Rhino [Line]

Tactical Squad in Rhino [Line]

Contemptor Dreadnought

Sabre Strike Tank Squadron

Sicaran Omega

Sicaran Arcus Squadron

The Recon Company combined with the V Legion rules meant I could either virtually guarantee going first, or setup second with a strong chance to seize the initiative. The Whtie Scars had somehow been outclassed in shooting, melee, and survivability by the Traitors for over seven years. I finally painted my Sicaran Arcus tank squadron before this game was looking forward to using their impressive firepower. I took a very tank-heavy army, hoping to gain the advantage in shooting, at least, since I knew I had no hope of besting the World Eaters in close combat. Knowing this battle was about claiming objectives every turn, I took three Line units in Rhinos (one that could infiltrate) to ensure I could quickly reach multiple objectives for early VPs. The plan was to whittle down the World Eaters as they approached, while my array of mobile Line units grabbed objectives. 

Battle:

Some key moments and themes from the battle:

The two sides converge around the site of a trainwreck. View from the south.

World Eaters' deployment: a mass of infantry, anchored by a Contemptor, with Predators on the north flank.

View from the north. A V Legion Recon Squad has infiltrated to the objective near the red fuel battery.

White Scars Scouts take an elevated firing position.

Sabre Strike Tanks with Neutron Blasters face off across from the XII Legion Predators.

Battle of Snipers: World Eaters Legion Recon Squad, The Butcher's Eyes, on the left, and White Scars Scouts on the right.

Praetor Ghrodd prepares to launch his advance.

View from the west. The White Scars center their battleline on the Sicaran Arcus, Skyhunters, and Contemptor, set up to clear the way for the two Rhino-mounted Legion Tactical Squads.

Khan Muqal and his Skyhunters lead the way for the V Legion.

Muqal orders a massed salvo!

The Sicaran Arcus Squadron easily wrecks the XII Legion Rhino, but finds several of their firing lanes blocked by the dense terrain and their own units.

Sniper fire rains down on the World Eaters but with little effect.

The Grey Ghosts Recon Squad dismount and take the northern objective for the Loyalists.

The Traitors prepare to advance.

The Despoilers are forced to walk to the objective.

End of Loyalist Turn 1. White Scars get a VP for holding one objective and another for destroying a Rhino, but do little other damage.

The Land Radier Proteus moves forward and disgorges the Red Butchers.

The massive Legion Tactical Squad moves forward and takes the southernmost objective against no opposition.

The Despoilers leave their wrecked transport behind and move onto the central objective.

The Butchers get to work wrecking a White Scars Rhino.

Traitor Turn 1: A Sabre burns in the foreground as a general advance gives the XII Legion two objectives. With the destroyed Rhino, they earn 3 VP.

End of Turn 1:

White Scars: 2

World Eaters: 3

The Skyhunters advance on the Despoilers, planning to route them from the objective.

Tanks and sniper combine their firepower to bring down two of the Red Butchers.

Snipers look for weak spots in their foes' Terminator armor.

Despite the presence of their Praetor, Khan Muqal, the Skyhunters cannot overwhelm the Despoilers. Both sides inflict heavy losses. With a Contemptor about to join the fray, the White Scars elect to Hit and Run.

The Despoilers are left in control of the central objective!

Loyalist Turn 2, view from the north. The White Scars still control the northern objective.

Loyalist Turn 2, view from the south. 

Ghrodd the Slaughter Lord and his Rampagers leap from around the ruins and attack the V Legion Contemptor...

...and dispatch it with apparent ease. 

Traitor Turn 2: The World Eaters hold the central and southern objectives and have cleared most of the White Scars from the center.

End of Turn 2:

White Scars: 3

World Eaters: 5

White Scars Tactical Squad charges the remaining Despoilers.

I can't remember what happened here, but I think the Rampagers used the World Eaters Legion Reaction to charge the Sicaran Arcus during the White Scars turn 3 in response to being shot at.

The White Scars finish the Despoilers and claim the objective!

View from the south.

View from the north. The Loyalists hold two objectives.

End of White Scars Turn 3:

White Scars: 5

World Eaters: 5

The center of the battlefield is strewn with wrecked tanks.

After dispatching the Contemptor and Sicaran Arcus, the Rampagers turn around to engage the two White Scars Legion Tactical Squads near the central objective.

I believe the White Scars used Chasing the Wind here to move all their units away from the Rampagers to try to avoid their assault.

However, it seems they still made the charge distance to engage one squad.

Despite the presence of a Champion, the Scars had no chance in this melee.

The last Butcher chased the Recon Squad from the northern objective.

End of Turn 3, view from the south. The World Eaters hold one objective.

End of World Eaters Turn 3:

White Scars: 5

World Eaters: 6

The Champion stands alone, fighting to the death against the Rampagers. It looks like he managed to kill one before he went down.

The Sicaran Omega finished off the last of the Red Butchers near the northern objective.

White Scars Turn 4: The second tactical squad by the wrecked Rhino fights a futile melee with the World Eaters Contemptor.

The Rampagers claim the central objective and count as Line due to the Crimson Path Rite of War.

End of turn 4 and end of game, view from the south. 

View from the west. Khan Muqal rides away to fight another day while the Scouts slink back into the shadows and the Sicaran Omega withdraws.

The Traitors score "Last Man Standing" secondary objective for having more units at the end of the game.

End of Game:

White Scars: 5

World Eaters: 8

Post-Game

The plan was to bring a lot of firepower and use the first turn to whittle down the World Eaters from afar. Meanwhile the Recon Squad with Line would get early VPs while the Tactical Squads in Rhinos would grab the objectives late, after the World Eaters had been sufficiently shot up. I planned to let the Traitors have the southern objective and concentrate my firepower on two-thirds of their army, rather than spreading myself too thin.

It did not quite work out that way. The dense terrain really thwarted my tank-heavy force. I remember the Sicaran Arcus Squadron in particular really struggled to move around and draw line of sight with all their weapons the first few turns. This allowed the Rampagers to charge my center at full strength and the results were as expected: the destruction of the bulk of the White Scars forces.

The Recon Squad in Rhino served their purpose well, scoring three VPs before being chased off by the Red Butchers. The Sabre Strike tanks also did their job: they were never going to win the duel with the Predators, but they acted as a good distraction on that flank and kept the Predators out of the battle, essentially the same result from a strategic standpoint whether they won or lost the actual combat.  

The Praetor and Skyhunters were a big disappointment, unable to defeat a 10-man Despoiler squad, and then chased away by a Contemptor that they had no chance to defeat. The Sniper Scouts did OK shooting at the opposing Recon Squad and Red Butchers all game, but unable to get Line of Sight to any juicy HQ targets.

In my view, this battle came down to the dense terrain really neutralizing the White Scars' mobile firepower and allowing the Rampagers to rampage through the Loyalist center.