Crusade Battle #5 Scout for Survivors

Well, I definitely need to work on getting my blog posts up on a regular schedule, just looked up the last one and it's almost a month between my last crusade update. This battle would have been on the day I posted the last one. Now I have the #6 one too as Pilon and I played this passed Friday. 

Either way, on with the battle!

With the push back from the last battle, the Stoic Partisan was broken. The ritual had been successful, and the Khar Sorvi was able to repair a doorway into the warp via an abandoned webway. This was no small feat for the High Stormwarden Oktai Thunderlord. But once the Librarian mended the wraithbone, a shudder of psychic warp energy enveloped both armies, battle sisters would scream in terror as nightmarish imagery was poured into every corner of their mind. Even the centurions weren't immune to the depth of madness that washed over the battlefield, daemons were everywhere, whispering dark secrets in their ears, driving them from their duty. Canoness Praxima was able to rally some of her troops to sanity. "We must gather our sisters, and drive off these false illusions that have corrupted their minds!" Scanning the horizon, she spotted the Khar Sorvi readying themselves for another bout. "Take cover!"

Stoic Partisan - Patrol Detachment

No Force Org Slot

Repentia Superior Thessa - 2PL

HQ

Canoness Praxima - 3PL

Troops

Battle Sisters Squad Alwyn - 7PL

Elite

Sisters Repentia - 6PL

Dialogus - 2PL

Fast Attack

Seraphim Squad - 4PL

Stoic Partisans Ad-Mech - Patrol Detachment

HQ

Tech- Priest Manipulus Advectius Volo - 4PL

Troops

Kataphron Destroyers - 7PL

Total: 35PL

Khar Sorvi - Patrol Detachment

HQ

Librarian - 5PL

Primaris Chaplin - 5PL

Troops

Tactical Squad - 10PL

Elites

Redemptor Dreadnought - 9PL

Fast Attack

Inceptor Squad - 6PL

Total: 35PL

We decided to do Recon Patrol, which has at least half of our total armies in reserve. The objective of this mission will be to capture objective markers that were spread out between the four quadrans of the table. Each player's command phase, they would score 5 points for holding one or more, two or more and more objectives then their opponent. Additionally, both forces could do a recon sweep action at the start of movement and while wholly within one quadrant. They would gain VP based on the reconnoitred quadrant, 5 for 2, 15 for 3 and 45 for all four.

I swear I heard that objective could be claimed by your army by touching it and would only turn over if the opponent's models claimed it, even if you walked away from it. I believe I saw that on the community page, but can't find the rules for that specifically in the rules. If anyone knows where to find it in the rules let me know. As we couldn't find solid rules for my imaginary rules, we stuck with 8th edition rules.

Stoic Partisan - 35PL

Khar Sorvi - 35PL

The dust had settled from the psychic discharge, only a few soldiers were strong willed enough to endure looking into the warp and letting it smile back from the depths. Those that did formed up into their tightly knit squad and took cover. Alwyn shook her head, she felt the probing fear still lingering in her mind, paranoid of the blurry forms of what she assumed to be daemons, she ordered her squad to attack the Space Marine tactical squad.

Turn 1 deployment for Khar Sorvi

Turn 1 deployment for Stoic Partisan

A pulled out view of the battlefield

Probably one of the best combinations of Scared Rites.

Battle Sisters and their Canoness move into first quadrant to search for their sisters in arms.

Alwyn's Battle Squad hails bolter fire into the Tactical Squad, killing one marine.

Tech-Priest Advectius Volo's last remaining stread of humanity inside of his metallic frame shudders as the psychic energy enters his mind, but the emotion of what could be described as fear were quickly overwritten by the cold logic of his computer brain. With a sense of neutrality restored, Volo and the Kataphron Destroyers take aim at the tactical marines, eliminating 5 more.

Tech-Priest Advectius Volo sings the praises of the Omnissiah

Librarian moves closer to the Tech-Priest

Tech-Priest Advectius Volo can't help but be smitten by the dashing young Librarian

Combing the battlefield, hoping to find their comrades, Alwyn ends up finding the enemy's Chaplin. Hellish laugher echoes off the dilapidated buildings, the half mad Primaris is clearly possessed by unearthly beings. "Sisters! We must cleanse this corrupted mockery of what used to be our battle brother!"

Chaplin coming out of reserves behind enemy lines.

Primaris Chaplin charges in, only to be ripped up by bolter fire.

I believe this was the start of turn two for the Sisters of Battle and if I recall, I used one of the Stratagems that allowed the Battle squad to fall back and shoot. Which finished off the Chaplin.

Battle Sisters holding the objective in the first quadrant

Mylanthra and her Seraphim Squad regain their sanity, descending onto the battlefield, ready to preform miracles like the proverbial angels they are.

This would probably one of the first times the Seraphim didn't used their Deadly Decent Stratagem, which increases all pistols to 12" range and lets them shoot as they deep strike. Judging from my notes, it looks like they might've used the Recon Patrol action, but that is an action for the beginning of movement and not the end, when the Seraphim could be deployed. Ooops!

Librarian charged the Kataphron Destroyers the turn before.

Librarian Oktai Thunderlord used his psychic mastery to envelope himself in a whirling twister of wind, calling on the Storm Wreath to deflect all incoming ranged attacks as his slammed into his quarry. Debris filled gusts clogged the sensors of the Kataphron Destroyers.

Sisters Repentia return to battle in the 3rd Quadrant, with the Dialogus and Superior.

Alwyn continue to search the area, suddenly, a whooshing sound from above caught her attention. She titled her head up to the sky. All the horrors of the warp couldn't prepare her mind for the awe inspiring sight of the massive form that blotted out of the sun as it dropped. A dense cloud of dust kicked up from where it landed, it's heavy bipod legs creating a crater beneath it. Canoness Praxima yelled, "Alwyn, steel your nerves, we have faced insurmountable odds before, this is nothing we haven't face a dozen times before." Before them, the dust settled, the whining of metal on metal could be heard as the Redemptor Dreadnought's form stood up from it's braced landing position.

Seraphim staring down the Inceptors that land before them.

The Dreadnought turns it's back on the Battle Squad, their boltguns ineffective against the titan.

Volo returned fire at the Dreadnought, but all his mechanical mind could think of was how finely crafted this machine, and how he wished to study such beautiful design, this would be his final thoughts as the Dreadnought slayed the Tech-priest in combat.

Deadnought consolidates into Destroyers.

Across the battlefield the shrill screams of redemption are heard as the Repentia Squad fly into a berserker rage, falling onto the Dreadnought hoping to cleanse their previous transgressions against their Order.

Oh boy what a crazy battle that was! I don't think I'll ever be able show that again! No really, I guess I was a bit too excited about the Repentia successfully charging into the Dreadnought. They got re-rolls to charge from the Superior, re-roll failed hit rolls when they charge, wounds of 6 gained an additional -1 AP and they could re-roll 1s for wounds. I believe they dealt like five 6s, then like 4 regular wounds at their normal -3 AP doing 2 damage a piece.... sooo here is the aftermath!

Dreadnought didn't explode

Repentia squad lose some numbers to the Inceptors and the Librarian hidden in front of the Destroyer

Superior Heroically Intervenes into the Inceptors

One Inceptor is killed, as well as half the Repentia

What remained after a bloody combat.

Canoness Prixima was pleased to see that her sisters had recovered from the madness that had gripped them. But this wouldn't be the last time they would see the Khar Sovri, and as much as she wanted to continue to search for the fallen order, she knew that the Stoic Partisans needed to recover. Another skirmish would be suicidal with so many at half strength. She vowed to continue searching out the traitor Chapter.

I believe the score was 40 for the sisters to 10 by the end of the battle. I was able to use Recon actions quite a bit, and the slow rate of enemy dropping in definitely helped. I am glad I got to see the Repentia in action since Pilon usually takes them out first in most games. I maked them as my Marked for Greatness, giving them the battle trait fleet of foot, just to make sure they can really get into combat quickly. 

Next on the Hobby Desk

Looks like I will be writing up the Warcry Campaign game Rachel and I did last Thursday. As for painting, I switched to do some easy Necromunda barricades and objective markers, then I can show off the Cawdor gang in style. 

Goliath Gangers - Once Blind

As all Goliath gangers are meat heads that are bred for hard labour in some worker's union manager's

nightmare of a refinery plant that are also jacked up on drugs to continue their existence in said labour sites. I figured weight lifters would be a good source for names. But decided to use wrestlers for inspiration instead, as I have more of an interest in the material, I also used some feuds to make up the backstory to the characters as well.

This blog seems to be really messed up with formatting, some new lines using Headings for font, making it size 16 and bold. Other times indenting and not centering, usually weird stuff happens when I add pictures. Please don't adjust your monitors, it's just the demons in my computer trying to escape.

Once Blind gang

Lex Galan could have had it all, he was a rising star in Wasteland Wide Fighters. Surviving multiple fights against the likes of Nikita in the fighting pits, and spreading Goliath's influence throughout the harshest levels of the under hive. There was just one critical moment that cost him his title as leader of the gang. His gang was to stop any kinds of interruptions while House Goliath met with the House Escher to broker a large trade agreement. Stimm-elixirs are vital to the survival of House Goliath, with them the hulking laborers can toil endlessly in the refineries without much rest. But Lex and the rest of the "Butch Deadlifts" were busy taming their craving to escape the dredges of their harsh lives. Sting tried to convince the others that they needed to be alert for their duty, but they all ignored him.  House Orlock took advantage of their inebriated state, sabotaging refineries and looting their mineral deposits. The Over-Tyrant was furious, disowning all of the neglectful gangers that followed Lex. Sting was outraged at the outcome, he left Lex's gang without a word to his former leader.

Now an outcast, Lex Galan was miserable, still needing a fix of stimm-elixir to starve off the symptoms of withdrawal. After several fake highs from the drugs, and hitting rock bottom once while he wasn't able to find a fix. Lex came across preachers from House Cawdor called "The Divine Twilight". Tengus Astin was practiced at finding the down trotted of the under hives, speaking publicly outside of factories, neutral territories to the sick and unsupported in their daily lives. He would bring the light of the Emperor, giving them half truths that would bring them into House Cawdor. (more on him and The Divine Twilight next post.)

Listening to their teachings, he realized that he was part of a whole and that his addiction was greater then himself. Salvation wasn't in the stimms, it was in faith. With his new teachings fresh in his mind, which was now cleansed of his stimm-elixirs, he vowed to clean up House Goliath. His first target would be "The Four Headsmen." led by Flik Blair. Flik was a staunch believer in the continued stimm enslaverment of the rest of House Goliath, defeating his gang would be one step to taking down WWF as a whole.

Meanwhile, his fellow gang members that had been exiled with Lex were experimenting with other xenos drugs that might give them the same high. "Stardust" and "Emperor's Rain" were only a few of the drugs that Animal and Hawk were using between laboring in whatever refinery that would take them on. One of the side effects of the drugs was that it would change the colour of your skin and veins, making them glow in unusual colours. Some of the other gangers were worse off, unable to function with their addiction. Lex invited Animal and Hawk to his new gang, Once Blind. He would help them through their dependency, as the Emperor never turns away from those most in need.

Bruno and Steele were able to keep working in House Goliath. Steele gave a rousing speech, but the Over-Tyrant was unimpressed. It was only when Steele acted like an animal, biting chairs and spitting out stuffing into the Over-Tyrants face, that he would realize that "Steele" and "Bruno" would make great entertainment in the fighting pits and were hired back. Wasteland Wide Fighters had become corrupt and uncaring about the members of their stable, fellow members would die young from stimms or dangerous work environments. Bruno and Steele would leave the WWF in search of redemption for their slave brethren. Hearing about Lex's new gang, the Once Blind they decide to join him on his journey to dethrone House Goliath.

Lex was amassing his old gang to take on the champion of the Wasteland Wide Fighters, Flik Blair. They ambushed "The Four Headsmen" taking an early advantage in their fight, but the xenos drugs were no match for the real stimm infused gangers. Flik had Lex cornered, when Sting arrived, motivating his would be rival to fight back against Flik.Lex pushes back against Flik, injuring the champion, but before a fatal blow is struck. Larry Ginhand saved the leader of the Headsmen, throwing a smoke grenade at Lex

There was no sight of "The Four Headsmen", but Sting would now join Lex and the rest of the Once Blind to hunt down their former masters.

Lex and Sting, fighting together after a falling out.

Leader - Lex Galan

Ranged Weapon - "Krumper" Rivet Cannon
Melee - Axe 

Total - 230 credits

Ganger - Sting

"Renderizer" Serrated Axe

Total: 100 credits

Battle Brothers Hawk & Animal

 

Champion - Hawk

Smoke Grenade, Boltgun

Total: 180 credits

Champion - Animal

Stub/Plasma combi-pistol, Power Hammer

Total: 220 credits

Ganger - Hacksaw

Brute Cleaver, Grenade Launder 

Total: 135 credits

Bruno and Steele, fighting for their kin's freedom

Ganger - Steele

Fighting knife, Stub Cannon

Total: 90 credits

Juve - Bruno

Spud Jacker, Stub gun

Total: 45

Some of your eagle eyed readers might have noticed the new game mat I have to show off the Goliath. That's right, I picked up Rogue Trader used from a friend. It would be great to be able to use some of these models in necromunda. I would vote the Starstriders would be a better fit as the Gellerpox models don't really have much in the sense of ranged weapons.... well besides bile and sputtum which might be the most effective ranged weapons in 2020.

Gellerpox infected storm the bridge

Next on the Hobby Desk

I seem to be running a bit behind on the battle reports now. I have soon to be two crusade battles to post. As well as a WarCry campaign that Rachel and I played today. Not to mention the backstory for the Cawdor gang that has been sitting on my desk for ages. 

I blame it on working mornings, making me super lazy after work, but there is definitely time to get stuff done. Gotta stay motivated!

Crusade painting with a chance of Khorne

With Crusade games every 2 weeks, I felt like I needed to finish up a few units to make it look like a consistent army. Especially when one of those models was kitbashed and only a base for one of our games. I assembled the cherubs for the Battle Squad, just need to pain that one up to finish the squad. (and remove the chibi model that I use as a stand in.)

With the purchase of the Sisters Repentia box, I painted up 5 more Repentia to finish off the squad of 4 that came in the Sister premium box.

The Repentia Superior that came in the box I kitbashed into a Dialogus. I added a Grey Knights staff to distinguish her from her sister in similar cloth. Might add some litanies if I can find the bits.

The Tech-Priest Manipulus Advectius Volo is keen on using ancient technology, if a interface isn't readily available, then your secrets are all that much more secure.

A feat of technical might, Advectius has been able to run Doom on his mechanical augmentations. It plays on anything!

Skeleton keys and 3.5" floppy disks are the most secure in the grim dark due to their obscurity in the Imperium. It also is handy to save his progress on Doom.  

In typical Jon fashion, I got completely distracted by yet some more Khorne models. I think this was due to how small the Repentia girls were, I needed to take a bit of a break and do some muscle-bound, hard slab Khorne dudes. Also these models had been in my portable paint tool box for over a year I am sure. 

White Dwarf had a 3-6 player Warhammer Underworld game mode called Arena Mortis, which now they have up for Pre-Order as a full on box set that fleshes out the rules. I just was looking at the rules for it in the White Dwarf issue, seems like a fun game, letting you upgrade one member of a warband and fight over one objective in the center of the board. Seems like it could be a fun distraction and more options would have more replay ability.

As with all the Underworld warbands, Magore's Fiends can also be added to the Khorne Daemons I painted up earlier for Age of Sigmar.

Magore's Fiends ready to collect skulls.

Sepulchral Guard surrounding Magore's Fiends

With how quick some of the GW boxes go out of print, it becomes a bit of a hassle to track down even boxes that were released a year ago. I found one box of the Corpsewrack Mausoleum for Warcry (now boxed as Sigmar's Mausoleum and doesn't come with the Warcry rules and tokens) on multizone.ca They also had some of the bushido miniatures which seemed to be out of stock other places. 

I like to support locally when I can, but when stock is scarce, online is the way to go. I did pick up Blackstone Fortress Ascension locally, but that might be the next miniatures that start to go out of print. 

Another box that I'll pick up soon is the Apocalypse box, as at the time Pilon picked it up when it came out, but having my own box would be nice.

For Rachel's birthday, one of the gifts I purchased for her are some of the mouslings from Reaper Bones. A singing bard was the miniature she was really excited to get, it also came with a knight and thief. 

Rachel pulled out the rest of her mice, turns out she has about 20 of these little guys. Originally, we bought these to play some frostgrave first edition, and now there is a second edition out of the game. I believe she has about 7 that are close to ready to be based and clear coated, but I think she wasn't sure what base she wanted to do for them.

Next on the Hobby Desk

I had another crusade battle with Pilon, should get that up soon hopefully. As for painting, I spray primed a bunch of models as this weekend to work on through winter, the Corpsewrack Mausoleum being one of the sets I primed.