Campaign Phase 4, The Battle for Berat: Game 3 - Suicide Mission

 "When presented with the opportunity to turn the tide and destroy your enemy, you must take it. Even when there is little hope of survival."

 - Khan Turan Jorma,
Brotherhood of the Wind,
White Scars Legion

Campaign To Date:

It has been about 40 years since a combined force of Sons of Horus, Death Guard, and White Scars brought the Xhorik System into compliance during the Great Crusade. The major population centers of the largest continent were quickly brought under Imperial control in the typical fashion: a series of pinpoint attacks of overwhelming force by the Legions against the enemy's strong points, followed by rapid surrender. Due to the richness of the primary planet and the strategic location of the system on a sort of crossroads of warp currents, small garrisons of the Death Guard and White Scars legions were left on the planet to oversee the tithes of men and material to the Great Crusade and to help eradicate the threat of large ork populations in the eastern wastes.

With the advent of the Horus Heresy, the Warmaster ordered that the Xhorik System be taken to act as a way station for resupply on his long march to Terra. The Death Guard and their human allies on Xhorik Prime launched an attack on the White Scars and their allies, the Stratocracy of Kozar.

In Phase 1 of the campaign, the Traitors pushed the Loyalists from the war-torn border city of Bielyr in a series of bloody street fighting.

In Phase 2, the war escalated across the badlands of the Valbaara Plateau in several pitched battles. In the end, the Brotherhood of the Wind was defeated and their leader Praetor Zherdan was killed by the Death Guard.

In Phase 3, the Death Guard marched to the major Kozar city of Berat, fighting their way through a number of Loyalist counter attacks. In the end, helped by taking control of low-planetary orbit over the city in a void battle, the Traitors smashed through the outer walls of Berat behind the might of their super heavy Fellblade battle tank.
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Phase 4 is the battle for the Kozar city of Berat. The Traitors have broken through the gates and are working their way toward the city center block by bloody block in a brutal street fight. This Phase uses a number of special rules:

Campaign Points: CP are earned by playing games and by achieving secret secondary campaign objectives (drawn randomly each game and kept secret). They can be used to gain advantages in games. The player with the most CP at the end of the phase wins.

Normal games:
Win: 5 CP
Draw: 3 CP
Loss: 1 CP

Final Game:
Win: 10 CP
Draw: 6 CP
Loss: 2 CP

• Spend 1 CP to re-roll the die to deploy first or to re-roll the die to steal the initiative. Can only be used once per game.
• Spend 1 CP to include a unit that would not be allowed due to the Grinding Attrition or Street Fighting special campaign rules below. The point cost of the unit still counts toward the army total. Can only be used once per game.
• Spend 1 CP to re-roll the die to see if the game ends. Can only be used once per game.

(Costs are doubled for the final game.)

Hunter Killers: Due to the very dense terrain providing ample hiding places, surprise attacks are extra deadly. Units who used Infiltrate, Scout or Outflank can charge the on the first game turn or the turn they come into play. If they don’t charge, they gain an extra +1 cover save for their first turn in play (stacks with any bonuses they have already).

Street Fighting: Narrow streets, debris, billowing smoke and crumbling towers limit the ability to utilize large vehicles and artillery. Other than the final battle, a max of one total unit can be selecged with any of the keywords: heavy, artillery, flyer, or over 3 HP. In the final battle, everything goes.

Grinding Attrition: Other than Troops choices, any unit that is destroyed cannot be used in the next battle. If the next battle is the final battle, it can be taken but must start in reserves. Any unit that is selected as Troops choice can be used even if it was destroyed in the previous battle.

Named Warlord: Choose your warlord trait. Must be the same for the whole phase. Can also can always re-roll LD and morale checks. Other warlords must roll for trait.

If named warlord dies in battle, roll die:
1-2: debilitating injury: can't use in the rest of the campaign phase until final battle
3-4: major injury: can't use in next game
5: close call: no effect
6: Miraculous Recovery (Chosen of the Emporer/Horus/gods of Chaos): can use as normal and has an inspiring presence for the next battle: all units within 12" can use his LD.

The Revenant: Once warlord returns after dying in a game, he has Hatred (Traitors/Loyalists) for the rest of the campaign phase.

Our standard Terrain Rules are in effect.

PRE-GAME AND MISSION:

We played the Suicide Mission scenario from Horus Heresy Book VI. The Attacker (Loylaists) would score a VP for each scoring unit in the Defenders deployment zone at the end of each game turn. The Defenders (Traitors) would score 2 VP for each Attacker unit destroyed. 

We would also each be drawing a random, secret Campaign Objective from a pile. These are objectives that are not related to the specific battle, but are part of the overall strategic plan for winning the campaign phase. These cards are kept secret until they are either achieved or the end of the game and are worth 1 or 2 Campaign Points, as stated on the card.

The Traitors drew Silence the Big Guns: Destroy all enemy Heavy Support choices (2 CP)

The Loyalists drew Hold Ground: Select a terrain piece outside of your deployment zone and hold it at the end of the game (1 CP).

ARMY SELECTION: 2000 points

Traitors - Pete

Death Guard

• Preator Wolfgang: terminator armor, volkite charger, paragon blade, digital lasers, Fearless, It will not Die
• Tactical Support Squad Folterer: 7 marines flamers, sergeant with artificer armor. Mounted in a Rhino APC with a pintle mounted heavy flamer.
• Tactical Squad Toddestraffe: 20 marines with close combat weapons, sergeant with power fist and artificer armor and Apothecary Gerhard
• Tactical Support Squad Blitz Schock: 7 marines with volkite calivers 
• Heavy Support Squad Feuer Sturm: 7 marines with missile launchers and Apothecary
• Contemptor Dreadnought Friedrich with multimelta, melta gun and close combat weapon

World Eaters

• Chaplin Zungarz: Artificer Armor, plasma pistol, refractor field, crozius arcanum
• Tactical Squad Hell Hounds: 17 marines – 16 with bolters, bolt pistols and chain axes. 1 sergeant with artificer armor, power fist and plasma pistol
• The Red Butchers: 1 Devoured with dual chain fists, 4 Butchers with dual power axes
• Land Raider Phobos Flesh Grinder: side sponson twin-linked lascannons, twin heavy bolter, armored ceramite, machine spirit 
• Contemptor Dreadnought Delrog the Diabolical with twin-linked lascannon and chainfist

Loyalists - Phil

White Scars Brotherhood of the Wind 

• Khan Turan Jorma: jetbike, paragon blade, cyber hawk
• Skyhunter Squadron Khujaa: 6 jetbikes,  2 x volkite culverin
• Outrider Squad Tsujen: 5 Outriders with plasma, sergeant
• Tactical Squad Temgar: 10 marines with close combat weapons, sergeant has power glaive, artificer armor
• Tactical Support Squad Khoer: 8 marines with plasma guns
• Recon Squad Chono: 10 marines with recon armor and camo cloaks, sergeant with power fist and artificer armor
• Ebon Keshig: 10 terminators, 8 power glaives, 2 power fists, 1 melta gun
• Sicaran Omega Tank Destroyer Flamespear: lascannon sponsons
• Primaris Lightning Strike Fighter Ariunbold: twin-linked lascannon, 6 x Kraken Heavy Penetrator Missiles, Battle Servitor Control, Ground-tracking Auguries, Ramjet Diffraction Grid

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BATTLE:

The Suicide Mission

The battlefield from the south.

White Scars Rhino

 FINALLY - about two years later than I expected, I have a Rhino for my White Scars! My poor marines have hoofed it around the battlefield for far too long. It is time to give them the mobility fitting a White Scars unit.

My White Scars infantry will be riding in style... and finally able to keep up with the rest of the army.

Primaris-Lightning Strike Fighter Ariunbold

The Primaris-Lightning Strike Figher Ariunbold:

I went with grey since that seems to be the standard color of jets. I'd like it to fit in with either the White Scars or with the Drop Troops as Imperial Navy support.

Campaign Phase 4, The Battle for Berat: Game 2 - Subterranean Clash

"These corridors have become tombs; these chambers crypts. Beneath the streets of Berat, there is only death."

 - Sergeant Albrecht,
Death Guard Legion

Campaign To Date:

It has been about 40 years since a combined force of Sons of Horus, Death Guard, and White Scars brought the Xhorik System into compliance during the Great Crusade. The major population centers of the largest continent were quickly brought under Imperial control in the typical fashion: a series of pinpoint attacks of overwhelming force by the Legions against the enemy's strong points, followed by rapid surrender. Due to the richness of the primary planet and the strategic location of the system on a sort of crossroads of warp currents, small garrisons of the Death Guard and White Scars legions were left on the planet to oversee the tithes of men and material to the Great Crusade and to help eradicate the threat of large ork populations in the eastern wastes.

With the advent of the Horus Heresy, the Warmaster ordered that the Xhorik System be taken to act as a way station for resupply on his long march to Terra. The Death Guard and their human allies on Xhorik Prime launched an attack on the White Scars and their allies, the Stratocracy of Kozar.

In Phase 1 of the campaign, the Traitors pushed the Loyalists from the war-torn border city of Bielyr in a series of bloody street fighting.

In Phase 2, the war escalated across the badlands of the Valbaara Plateau in several pitched battles. In the end, the Brotherhood of the Wind was defeated and their leader Praetor Zherdan was killed by the Death Guard.

In Phase 3, the Death Guard marched to the major Kozar city of Berat, fighting their way through a number of Loyalist counter attacks. In the end, helped by taking control of low-planetary orbit over the city in a void battle, the Traitors smashed through the outer walls of Berat behind the might of their super heavy Fellblade battle tank.
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Phase 4 is the battle for the Kozar city of Berat. The Traitors have broken through the gates and are working their way toward the city center, block by bloody block in a brutal street fight. This Phase uses a number of special rules:

Campaign Points: CP are earned by playing games and by achieving secret secondary campaign objectives (drawn randomly each game and kept secret). They can be used to gain advantages in games. The player with the most CP at the end of the phase wins.

Normal games:
Win: 5 CP
Draw: 3 CP
Loss: 1 CP

Final Game:
Win: 10 CP
Draw: 6 CP
Loss: 2 CP

• Spend 1 CP to re-roll the die to deploy first or to re-roll the die to steal the initiative. Can only be used once per game.
• Spend 1 CP to include a unit that would not be allowed due to the Grinding Attrition or Street Fighting special campaign rules below. The point cost of the unit still counts toward the army total. Can only be used once per game.
• Spend 1 CP to re-roll the die to see if the game ends. Can only be used once per game.

(Costs are doubled for the final game.)

Hunter Killers: Due to the very dense terrain providing ample hiding places, surprise attacks are extra deadly. Units who used Infiltrate, Scout or Outflank can charge the on the first game turn or the turn they come into play. If they don’t charge, they gain an extra +1 cover save for their first turn in play (stacks with any bonuses they have already).

Street Fighting: Narrow streets, debris, billowing smoke and crumbling towers limit the ability to utilize large vehicles and artillery. Other than the final battle, a max of one total unit can be selecged with any of the keywords: heavy, artillery, flyer, or over 3 HP. In the final battle, everything goes.

Grinding Attrition: Other than Troops choices, any unit that is destroyed cannot be used in the next battle. If the next battle is the final battle, it can be taken but must start in reserves. Any unit that is selected as Troops choice can be used even if it was destroyed in the previous battle.

Named Warlord: Choose your warlord trait. Must be the same for the whole phase. Can also can always re-roll LD and morale checks. Other warlords must roll for trait.

If named warlord dies in battle, roll die:
1-2: debilitating injury: can't use in the rest of the campaign phase until final battle
3-4: major injury: can't use in next game
5: close call: no effect
6: Miraculous Recovery (Chosen of the Emporer/Horus/gods of Chaos): can use as normal and has an inspiring presence for the next battle: all units within 12" can use his LD.

The Revnent: Once warlord returns after dying in a game, he has Hatred (Traitors/Loyalists) for the rest of the campaign phase.

Our standard Terrain Rules are in effect.

PRE-GAME AND MISSION:

We played the Search and Destroy scenario from the Zone Mortalis Assault Missions in Horus Heresy Book I. It would be a simple of battle of Victory Points earned for destroying enemy units, plus the secondary objectives Slay the Warlord and First Blood.

This battle represents a White Scars strike force trying to make their way behind enemy lines via the large subterranean labyrinth below Berat. They are attempting to reinforce a Loyalist offensive that is planned to strike at the heart of the Traitor invasion. The Death Guard and their World Eaters allies are also roaming the underground, looking to clear it of enemy forces. Both sides are spread out as they creep forward in the dark passages.

We deployed in opposite quadrants with a 6" radius no-mans land in the center. The table was 3.5' x 5' instead of 4' x 4'. 

We elected not to draw Campaign Secondary Objectives given the smaller size of the game.

ARMY SELECTION: 1250 points

Traitors - Pete

Death Guard

• Preator Wolfgang: terminator armor, volkite charger, paragon blade, digital lasers, Fearless, It will not Die
• Tactical Support Squad Folterer: 7 marines flamers, sergeant with artificer armor. 
• Tactical Squad Toddestraffe: 20 marines with close combat weapons, sergeant with power fist and artificer armor and Apothecary Gerhard
• Deathshroud Terminators: 5 terminators with scythes and hand flamers

World Eaters

• The Red Butchers: 1 Devoured with dual chain fists, 4 Butchers with dual power axes

Loyalists - Phil

White Scars Brotherhood of the Wind 

• Khan Sorqan: Paragon blade, iron halo, cyber hawk
• Ebon Keshig Blackhawks: 5 Terminators: 4 with power glaives, 1 with power fist and bolter/melta combi-weapon
• Ebon Keshig Midnight Sun: 5 Terminators: 2 with power fist and combi-bolter, 3 with power glaives
• Tactical Squad Temgar: 10 marines, sergeant has power glaive, artificer armor
• Tactical Support Squad Khoer: 8 marines with plasma guns
• Recon Squad Chono: 8 marines with bolt pistol, close combat weapons, melta bombs, recon armor; sergeant with power fist and artificer armor

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Recon Squad Chono, The Wolfpack

Like the stalking hunters they are named for in the Chogorian language, Recon Squad Chono specialize in encircling and bringing down larger prey with coordinated tactics. They slip unseen through the smoke and rubble of the ruins of Berat before striking at a time and place of their choosing. Their prey are battle tanks and their fangs are melta bombs.

Recon Squad Chono, known to their battle brothers as The Wolfpack

Horus Heresy Campaign Phase 4, The Battle for Berat: Game 1 - The Break!

"Where your enemy applies strength, disappear like mist before a sword blow. Strike again where conditions are favorable."

 - Khan Turan Jorma,
Brotherhood of the Wind,
White Scars Legion

Campaign To Date:

It has been about 40 years since a combined force of Sons of Horus, Death Guard, and White Scars brought the Xhorik System into compliance during the Great Crusade. The major population centers of the largest continent were quickly brought under Imperial control in the typical fashion: a series of pinpoint attacks of overwhelming force by the Legions against the enemy's strong points, followed by rapid surrender. Due to the richness of the primary planet and the strategic location of the system on a sort of crossroads of warp currents, small garrisons of the Death Guard and White Scars legions were left on the planet to oversee the tithes of men and material to the Great Crusade and to help eradicate the threat of large ork populations in the eastern wastes.

With the advent of the Horus Heresy, the Warmaster ordered that the Xhorik System be taken to act as a way station for resupply on his long march to Terra. The Death Guard and their human allies on Xhorik Prime launched an attack on the White Scars and their allies, the Stratocracy of Kozar.

In Phase 1 of the campaign, the Traitors pushed the Loyalists from the war-torn border city of Bielyr in a series of bloody street fighting.

In Phase 2, the war escalated across the badlands of the Valbaara Plateau in several pitched battles. In the end, the Brotherhood of the Wind was defeated and their leader Praetor Zherdan was killed by the Death Guard.

In Phase 3, the Death Guard marched to the major Kozar city of Berat, fighting their way through a number of Loyalist counter attacks. In the end, helped by taking control of low-planetary orbit over the city in a void battle, the Traitors smashed through the outer walls of Berat behind the might of their super heavy Fellblade battle tank.
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Phase 4 is the battle for the Kozar city of Berat. The Traitors have broken through the gates and are working their way toward the city center block by bloody block in a brutal street fight. This Phase uses a number of special rules:

Campaign Points: CP are earned by playing games and by achieving secret secondary campaign objectives (drawn randomly each game and kept secret). They can be used to gain advantages in games. The player with the most CP at the end of the phase wins.

Normal games:
Win: 5 CP
Draw: 3 CP
Loss: 1 CP

Final Game:
Win: 10 CP
Draw: 6 CP
Loss: 2 CP

• Spend 1 CP to re-roll the die to deploy first or to re-roll the die to steal the initiative. Can only be used once per game.
• Spend 1 CP to include a unit that would not be allowed due to the Grinding Attrition or Street Fighting special campaign rules below. The point cost of the unit still counts toward the army total. Can only be used once per game.
• Spend 1 CP to re-roll the die to see if the game ends. Can only be used once per game.

(Costs are doubled for the final game.)

Hunter Killers: Due to the very dense terrain providing ample hiding places, surprise attacks are extra deadly. Units who used Infiltrate, Scout or Outflank can charge the on the first game turn or the turn they come into play. If they don’t charge, they gain an extra +1 cover save for their first turn in play (stacks with any bonuses they have already).

Street Fighting: Narrow streets, debris, billowing smoke and crumbling towers limit the ability to utilize large vehicles and artillery. Other than the final battle, a max of one total unit can be selecged with any of the keywords: heavy, artillery, flyer, or over 3 HP. In the final battle, everything goes.

Grinding Attrition: Other than Troops choices, any unit that is destroyed cannot be used in the next battle. If the next battle is the final battle, it can be taken but must start in reserves. Any unit that is selected as Troops choice can be used even if it was destroyed in the previous battle.

Named Warlord: Choose your warlord trait. Must be the same for the whole phase. Can also can always re-roll LD and morale checks. Other warlords must roll for trait.

If named warlord dies in battle, roll die:
1-2: debilitating injury: can't use in the rest of the campaign phase until final battle
3-4: major injury: can't use in next game
5: close call: no effect
6: Miraculous Recovery (Chosen of the Emporer/Horus/gods of Chaos): can use as normal and has an inspiring presence for the next battle: all units within 12" can use his LD.

The Revnent: Once warlord returns after dying in a game, he has Hatred (Traitors/Loyalists) for the rest of the campaign phase.

Our standard Terrain Rules are in effect.

PRE-GAME AND MISSION:

We played The Break scenario from the Chondax Campaign in Horus Heresy Book VIII. The defender needs to get scoring units to their Escape Zone. In this mission any unit with either the Legions Astartes rule or infantry type is counted as scoring, but they cannot be falling back or engaged in melee. The attacker needs to destroy enemy units in the first turn, destroy more units than the defender, and get his Warlord to the Escape Zone. Both sides can achieve Slay the Warlord.

This battle represents the Loyalists falling back after being defeated at the city walls at the end of the last phase of the campaign. Their goal is to save as much of their fighting strength as possible while the Traitors are aiming to utterly crush the survivors, preventing them from mounting counter attacks in the battle for the heart of the city of Berat. This battle follows immediately after the end of the last one and even the terrain at the "Traitor" end of the table was setup to look like the terrain just inside the city walls from the last battle!

Scenario Map

We would also each be drawing a random, secret Campaign Objective from a pile. These are objectives that are not related to the specific battle, but are part of the overall strategic plan for winning the campaign phase. These cards are kept secret until they are either achieved or the end of the game and are worth 1 or 2 Campaign Points, as stated on the card.

The Traitors drew Silence the Big Guns: Destroy all enemy Heavy Support choices (2 CP)

The Loyalists drew Decapitate: Destroy all enemy HQ choices (1 CP)

ARMY SELECTION: 2000 points

Traitors - Pete

Death Guard

• Preator Wolfgang: terminator armor, volkite charger, paragon blade, digital lasers, Fearless, It will not Die
• Tactical Support Squad Folterer: 7 marines flamers, sergeant with artificer armor. Mounted in a Rhino APC with a pintle mounted heavy flamer.
• Tactical Squad Toddestraffe: 20 marines with close combat weapons, sergeant with power fist and artificer armor and Apothecary Gerhard

World Eaters

• Chaplin Zungarz: Artificer Armor, plasma pistol, refractor field, crozius arcanum
• Tactical Squad Hell Hounds: 17 marines – 16 with bolters, bolt pistols and chain axes. 1 sergeant with artificer armor, power fist and plasma pistol
• The Red Butchers: 1 Devoured with dual chain fists, 4 Butchers with dual power axes
• Land Raider Phobos Flesh Grinder: side sponson twin-linked lascannons, twin heavy bolter, armored ceramite, machine spirit 
• Contemptor Dreadnought Delrog the Diabolical with twin-linked lascannon and chainfist

Loyalists - Phil

White Scars Brotherhood of the Wind 

• Khan Turan Jorma: jetbike, glaive, cyber hawk
• Skyhunter Squadron Khujaa: 6 jetbikes,  2 x volkite culverin
• Outrider Squad Tsujen: 5 Outriders with plasma, sergeant
• Tactical Squad Temgar: 10 marines, sergeant has power glaive, artificer armor
• Sicaran Omega Tank Destroyer Kharvaak: lascannon sponsons

Kozar Army, Berat Garrison

• Force Captain Xhaer: plasma pistol, iron halo, familiar, Warrior Elite, Duck and Cover (Cyber Augmented)
• Platoon command squad: power fist, 3 grenade launchers, vexilla, vox,
• Medicae: 2 medics
• Infantry Squad Secondus: lascarbines
• Grenadiers Arnauts: 11 infantry with lascarbines, 1 plasma gun
• Fire Support Squad Septima: 6 fire teams with heavy flamers
• Recon Squad Decima: 5 infantry with sniper rifles and camo cloaks
• Recon Squad Tertius: 5 infantry with shotguns and a demolition charge
• 3 x Tarantulas with twin-linked lascannon

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BATTLE:

The Break!

The Loyalists fall back before the Traitors, making for the landing pads and the waiting Valkyries.

And a Shadow Grows Across the Galaxy: The Sons of Horus

It is time to start preparing for the next stages of the Horus Heresy campaign for the Xhorik System with the ultimate antagonists, the baddest boys in the galaxy, the most feared and respected of the mighty Legions, the first among their peers: the Sons of Horus.

Horus led his long march to Terra with his Sons in the vanguard. Even before the Heresy, the Warmaster ensured his legion were the most well equipped and best supported of the mighty Legions. Combined with their fierceness, cunning and rapid envelopment tactics, no world could stand against them.

This tactical squad is equipped with very long daggers. During the savage murder of their brothers on Istvaan, they quickly learned that slashing with chainswords, although extremely deadly to lightly-armored xenos and humans, was largely ineffective against power armor. They found that a well-placed piercing attack from their long daggers was more able to exploit the weak points in the armor such as the neck and underarms. They also have an affinity for daggers from their culture of gang warfare on Cthonia. This squad uses their experience of how to best kill marines as an advantage against Loyalist forces that have never had the opportunity to fight against their brothers outside of training exercises.

The sergeant is a native of Cthonia and a veteran reaver of the first company. Larger than most of his brothers, he is a natural born killer that loves to look his foes his in the eyes when he kills them so he uses a ventilator rather that a full helmet.

I spent the last five weeks painting up this 20-strong Tactical Squad with veteran sergeant, vexilla, and additional close combat weapons. All that is left to do is the decals. I had a few of them wielding their swords with the blades down, ready to deliver a stabbing blow to a neck joint.

Battle Report: The Blitzdreg Boyz vs Xhorik 87th Drop Troops

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Get turned to goo
Get burned alive
Get torn in two
Or three, or five!
My missing leg
I wonder why
If I ever get
Back home again
That recruiter's gonna die!

Adamson smiled to himself at his handiwork. The poem was painted brightly in white paint intended for marking mines upon the wall of the old mess hall. All newly landed recruits would surely see it on their patrols. Eventually some stuffy Inquisitor or Chaplain would hear of it and have the 'heresy' purged and destroyed. Humor had no place on the deadly surface of Xhorik Prime.

He smirked one final time at his own wit and turned back into the icy cold of late night mine sweeping. It was one of the lowest and least desired positions in the legion due to the risk of encounter with orks or genestealers and the blistering chill, but it gave a man the privacy to work his art. The lyrical displays he crafted across the North and West Sectors gave him and countless other terrified guardsmen a moment of mirth during an unforgiving and often short deployment on the war-torn planet.

The fighting had been intensive all across the Zone. Orks, who were normally ill-equipped to contend
with Imperial weapons, suddenly launched a reckless assault aided by explosives somehow within their barbaric possession. Although the "missiles" were often nothing more than warheads used as thrown weapons or attached to poles to create super-javelins, the effect was devastating. Self-inflicted ork casualties were high, but human were greater and the loss of heavy armor and weapons could not be ignored.

Adamson's company was only one of nearly a hundred brought in years ago to hold the city and ensure the mining economy's success. Orks were more of an oddity or amusement to the confident guardsmen posted upon the ramparts in those early days. The remnants of some ancient Waaagh! that fell apart due to lack of leadership, the savage Orks mostly screamed empty threats from a distance and threw stones. The last drop of fuel and the last bullet were spent long ago, leaving the once-proud warriors mired in stagnation.

However, new life had been breathed into the Klan. The surge of destructive violence was their
declaration of renewed ambition, as was the deep desire of all ork hearts. Blinded with their sense of
invincibility, the green hulks hurled themselves at the Imperial defenders with reckless fervor. The orks had a belief forged from generations of being downtrodden; any ork that kills a human goes to paradise with Gork and Mork in the afterlife. Clutching frag missiles in their hands, countless ork warriors dove into bunkers and down tank hatches to the deaths of everyone inside.

The face of war had changed. What was once literal target practice had turned into a fighting retreat.
Human morale was dangerously low. It was only the fear of being killed by your superiors that kept the men in line and on the walls. The common belief was: Orks will kill you, but the Inquisitor will torture you, then kill you. The only relief to be had was the hope that eventually the orks would run out of bodies to throw in the meat grinder.

Adamson shivered so hard, it hurt his back. The planet was cold enough when the sun was up. At
night, it was only his heat-chems that kept him alive. Some members of his squad foolishly gambled with the life-saving orange pills, but Adamson treasured and horded his. The little tablets increased his natural internal metabolism, bringing his body temperature up to a balmy 105 degrees but protected his brain from damage from fever. It meant he had to double his rations before a mission to fuel his overclocked body, but it was a welcome excuse to eat. Additionally, a layer of anti-freeze cream protected his exposed face and neck.

The dark was consuming and the silence defening, but no one dared make a sound lest they draw in
Lictors and Kommandos from the surrounding gloom. To his right, Adamson saw Shaw, shaking his 
head with mock disapproval at the poem he had just discovered. No doubt he would have something to say back at the bunk house. It was risky to continue the defiant displays but it was all that kept
Adamson’s soul from sinking into despair.

Several hours passed without incident, the team spotting and marking mines left by the Orks to keep
the guardsmen penned in their city. The work was boring, boring enough to allow Adamson a chance to create his next verse in his head. In spite of the harsh and grim task appointed to him, he could not keep from smiling.

Once had a friend
Since we were ten
Went in the base
But not out again
We heard him scream
We heard him cry
His only sin
Was asking “Why?”
If I ever get
Back home again
That recruiter’s gonna die!

The area around him was amply filled with short ruins unsuitable to host one of his creations, so
Adamson cast his vision all around to detect a suitable canvas. Not more than a few hundred feet away was a mostly intact silo, rising boldly amid the ruins like a silver Colossus. So far from base, only his brother and sister mine sweepers would see it but perhaps that was best to ensure its longevity, considering the especially blasphemous subject matter. No officer would venture so far into contested territory to object to the art. Adamson quietly regarded his personal liability and the punishment that awaited him for a moment but steeled himself with the thought that his life would shine more brightly than that of the average cannon fodder grunt.

Careful to scan ahead of where he stepped, Adamson hurried eagerly toward the ancient monolith, the excitement of his work urging him onward. A hundred thousand beasts with great powers to destroy existed just out of sight but only he had the power of creation . With great sweeping motions of his arm, he wrote out the rebellious verse across the side of the silo, a wide grin twisting his mouth into a shape unfamiliar to humans in the 41st Millennium. Each letter sent his soul soaring to new heights. The frustrations of a million dead men came to life on his silver canvas.

“Soldier! Cease immediately!” a booming voice thundered. Adamson spun around to see the face of his sergeant, red with fury. He was dressed in chameleon camo and had revealed his face to create the image of a ghostly head floating menacingly in the dark.

“Doing surprise inspections...” Adamson thought to himself. The Serge often did check up on his
subordinates while veiled in invisibility and the risk of being caught misbehaving always hung over them all. Those caught idle during work duties were denied rations for 2 days. Those caught misusing Imperial property were denied rations for 3 days. He didn’t dare to speculate what awaited those engaged in active insubordination.

“You... You... will come with me for an interrogation!” the Sergeant stuttered with rage. “We will see
how deep your traitorous thoughts go!” He brought his arm out from under his cloak to reveal the inferno pistol in his grip. The weapon clattered loudly in his trembling hand. The other mine sweepers watched in silence, frozen like statues. 

Adamson looked back over his shoulder at what was to be his final poem, pride and dread fighting for control of his heart.

Suddenly, the sergeant’s head and body shuttered violently and separated, ropes of hot blood spurting
into the freezing night from his rent neck, thick clouds of steam filling the air. His mouth screamed
silently, eyes staring in disbelief, as the weapon in his hand thudded into the snow. A huge mirage lurked behind him, a form twice the height as a man and impossibly silent, shadowy claws turning the head thoughtfully as tentacles probed. No one among the guardsmen stirred or allowed a sound to escape their lips. Adamson stood silent, his head turned away from the carnage. The sergeant’s body dropped to its knees and forward onto its chest, a wash of hot red covering the artist’s legs and boots.

The Lictor continued about its brutal task, extracting information from the human leader’s brain through direct consumption of the brain matter. The sergeant’s face twisted and stretched horrifically as the interior of the skull was invaded and emptied. Adamson eyed the inferno pistol in the snow next to the expanding pool emptying from his former superior. He knew if he attempted to reach it, the Tyranid hunter would cut him in half before he could blink. His only hope was to appear so pathetic as to not be worth acknowledging or confronting.

With knees shaking from a combination of fear and cold, the artist took his first steps backward. His
visor highlighted the nearby mines and he could see that the Lictor was standing among several.
Perhaps he could stand with a mine between himself and the monster and lure it in to its explosive
demise. He moved agonizingly slowly, breath coming in ragged inhalations, trying to remain as
nonthreatening as possible. The distant field beyond was laden with mines. Finally, his path chosen,
Adamson bolted into the minefield at full sprint. The tyranid snapped to attention, spiking the empty skull into the ground and dashing forward with the speed and lethality of a predator making a killing blow. Adamson ran with panic hot in his veins, zigzagging between mines, eyes darting left and right. He prayed to hear the welcome sound of the monster’s fragmentation behind him.

Finally, a barely audible *click* followed by a massive explosion rocked the silent night air. Thrown
forward onto his astonished face, Adamson hurried to cover his head and curl into a desperate ball. The vibration of the overpowered ork mine sent thunderous tremors through the ground, detonating the nearby mines in a ring of horrendous force and noise. A huge ball of fire and shrapnel filled the sky. Shaw and majority of Adamson’s squadmates were liquefied by the ordeal, torn into red mist. The chain reaction of detonating mines expanded ever outwards, banging like the guns of hell. Sound waves rocked through the once-tranquil night in all directions. The artist himself was blasted with dragon’s breath but endured, rising after a few moments to survey the carnage. What had begun as such a pleasant night had truly fallen apart.

He could still hear the reverberations echoing into the distance. The night eventually returned to its
former silence, Adamson trembling with surprise and exhaustion. He was still alive.

Far off on the horizon, sirens whined to life and blared, search lights crisscrossing the dark sky. The
local legion was being roused. They feared an attack and would immediately mobilize for battle. Within moments, Valkyries screamed through the sky, searching for the enemy responsible for the commotion. All their searchlights could detect were dozens of smoldering holes and a single guardsman, waving meekly.

Adamson’s earpiece crackled loudly before producing a very stern voice, “Soldier, explain this
immediately!” The artist stammered to speak but his voice was gone from shock. “Nevermind. I will
perform an inspection personally!” the furious voice declared before logging off. Within moments, a
column of Imperial vehicles descended upon Adamson’s position, stopping just outside the minefield.
Dozens of troopers clamored out of their APCs and filled the field in a wave of well-drilled bodies. Finally, the Commander himself strode proudly onto the field, surrounded by armored heavy infantry.

"This carelessness is unacceptable!” the officer spat. “Minesweeper mortality has been only 10% since I took command of this company and I will not have some clumsy backwater planet ape ruining my numbers! You killed your entire squad! I’m going to have to file a report about...”

The Commander’s scornful monologue was cut short by a distant sound. His anger turned to fear
instantly. Engines, crude and loud, bellowed from far away. From beyond the horizon, the ear-breaking cacophony of smoke-belching steel began to build. Powerful gunshots and a chorus of deep, violent warcries began to fill the freezing air. Adamson felt his stomach churn in the throes of panic. What had begun as such a pleasant night had indeed fallen to pieces. It was still too soon to consider the night survived. In fact, the odds of his continued existence seemed to be ever diminishing.

The sight of ramshackle ork vehicles came quickly into view. They were crude but far beyond what 
anyone had seen greenskins utilize before. The orks themselves were painted bright red and showed
boundless enthusiasm for carnage, blasting flame and gunfire in all directions while howling viciously in their awful tongue.

“Men! Form ranks! We are under attack!” the Commander cried, his voice rising above the savage
wave of noise and smoke crashing upon the Imperials. With only seconds to spare, the guardsmen organized themselves to counter attack, with Adamson scrambling into place among the other humans.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

ARMY SELECTION: 1450 Points

Orks: Da Blitzdreg Boys - Bill

• Warboss Filgakk Skullsplitta: 'Eavy armor, shoota, power klaw
• Weirdboy: Mastery Level 2 with Warpath, Da Krunch, Frazzle
• 2 Meks with kustom mega blastas
• 3 x Meganobz with killsaw and bosspole
• 19 x Boyz with nob with klaw and boss pole
• 14 x Boyz with shootas, 1 x rokkit launcha, and nob with boss pole
• 17 x Grotz with Runtherd with squighound
• 10 x Kommandos with burna, nob with klaw and boss pole
• 11 x 'Ard Boyz with nob with klaw and boss pole
• Trukk with rokkit launcha
• 7 x Tankbustas with nob with boss pole
• Trukk with rokkit launcha
• 7 x Warbikes with nob with klaw and boss pole
• Warbuggy with twin-linked rokkit launcha
• Skorcha Trakk
• Killa Kan with rokkit launcha

Imperials: Xhorik 87th Drop Troops and Army of House Harkhathe

Land Forces - Pete (Horus Heresy Imperial Auxilia Rules)

• Force Commander Xhaer: Iron Halo, familiar, plasma pistol, power weapon
• House Harkhathe, The Hero Hammers: 15 Grenadiers with lascarbines and 2 plasma guns. Sergeant with augmented weapon
• Xhorik 87th, 2nd Company, Veteran Squad: 12 Grenadiers with 2 rotor cannons
• Xhorik 87th, 2nd Company, Recon Squad Gamma: 5 Recon Auxiliaries with sniper rifles and cameoline
• House Harkhathe: Support squad with 2 missile launcher teams and 3 lascannon teams
• Ordnance Battery: Medusa with 4 crew

Airborne Reserves - Phil (6th Edition Drop Troopers Rules)

• 2nd Company, 3rd Platoon
• Platoon command squad: Lieutenant Gjoka, vox operator, medic, 3 troopers
• 1st Infantry squad: 10 troopers with grenade launcher
• 2nd Infantry squad: 10 troopers with melta gun, vox
• 1st Special weapons squad: 6 troopers with 3 melta guns
• 2nd Special weapons squad: 6 troopers with 3 melta guns
• 2 x Drop Sentinels with multi-lasers
• Valkyrie Iliria with heavy bolter sponsons, multi-laser, rocket pods
• Tauros with grenade launcher
• 3 x Tarantulas with twin-linked lascannon

PRE-GAME AND MISSION:

The mission is Pillage from the Battle Missions book. Gain 1 VP for each objective you hold at the start of your turn as your forces pillage or salvage the valuable equipment throughout the battle. This represents the Orks continually looting and destroying the objectives and the Imperials continually salvaging usable gear. Both sides must grab what they can before a massive rad-dust storm hits and drives both forces back (random game length). Secondary objectives: Slay the Warlord (d3 VP) and Annihilation (d3 VP).

The battlefield is a partially ruined and abandoned outpost, but some key facilities still have functional tech. The objectives are an ammo stockpipe, a water treatment plant, a communications tower and a hatch leading to an underground missile silo. The armies would be approaching the battlefield from opposite corners on a 5 ft x 8 ft table.

Xhorik 87th Regiment, 3rd Company, 2nd Platoon Command Squad

Even though I have finished quite a few models for my Xhorik 87th army, it has been a long time since I painted any actual Elysian Drop Troops models. The last ones were the melta gunners. It felt good to get back to working on the core models for the army, even if they are very time-consuming to build. The fatigues are so deep and textured, it makes them fun to wash and highlight.

I'm happy with the way the lieutenant/platoon commander came out with his gas mask, officer's hat and power fist (Strength 6 - watch out!). Unlike the Force Commander this guy has a grav chute, as he makes the jumps right alongside his men, and is normally the first one out of the Valkyrie. In games using the Drop Troops rules, the entire platoon will either deep strike together or start on the table together.

I added a few more grenade launcher guys in order to have enough to equip the bodyguard in an Imperial Auxilia platoon command squad since there is no other use for them. They are not a great weapon against Space Marines since they cannot pierce power armor and they struggle to even glance Rhinos but they have style and you get a bunch of them with the Elysian infantry sprues so may as well use them.

The Auxilia command squad includes a standard bearer so I took the opportunity to paint one up. It does not seem very practical for a drop trooper to jump out of a Valkyrie with a banner pole, which is why they are not part of the regular Elysian Drop Troops list. I'm not crazy about the banner since the orange bird reminds me somewhat of a rooster... but orange is the regimental color. I thought about doing the bird white and the rope orange but that would look too much like the Imperial Aquila and not distinct enough. I do like the way the bone color fabric looks and the orange bird is growing on me. It has personality, at least.

I also had to paint a rifleman to make up for stealing a vox operator from my 20-man infantry squad (and you can never have too many basic riflemen).

I also took one of my vox operators and added a simple conversion I have seen others do to extend the antennae with a bit of wire. It is now a lot easier to spot the vox in the squad and it looks cooler. He will be part of this command squad. The vox caster allows deep striking units to land nearby without scattering and it allows artillery with indirect fire to draw line of sight from this unit to help reduce scatter if the artillery doesn't have direct line of sight. (He is not new so he is only in the last pic of the platoon command squad as it will look on the table.)

The lighting and glare are a bit harsh in the photos, especially the last one.

The five new models I painted: two grenade launchers, rifleman, standard bearer and lieutenant with power fist. 

Tauros Garage

New piece of terrain built from a cardboard box, cross-stitching mesh, plastic strips and some bits. I think it looks like a garage or shop for a few Tauros assault vehicles so I gave it a paint scheme to be similar to the drop troops and fit in with either desert or urban terrain.