The Doom of Ulpia - Mission #2 Game

Scenario: Crucible of War - Meat Grinder (1500 points)

Attacker gains 1+D3 CPs for offensive stratagems for winning previous scenario.

Restrictions

• Only the same types of units are permitted as for mission 1, but they no longer have to all fit transports.

Victory conditions

• Major Victory: The Defender has at least one model remaining at the end of the battle. The Attacker has no models in the Defender’s Deployment Zone.
• Minor Victory: The Defender has at least one model remaining at the end of the battle.
• Minor Defeat: The Defender has no models remaining at the end of the battle. The Attacker has no models in the Defender’s Deployment Zone.
• Major Defeat: The Defender has no models remaining at the end of the battle.

Imperial Fists

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Imperium - Space Marines) [90 PL, 1500pts] ++

• Captain on Bike (Lexandro) [6 PL, 136pts]: Combi-plasma, Thunder hammer, Twin boltgun, Warlord
• Lieutenant (Mouga'ry): Lightning Claw, Master-crafted boltgun
• 9-man Scout Squad [10 PL, 135pts], 9x Sniper rifle
• 5-man Scout Squad [6 PL, 65pts], Heavy bolter
• 2x 10-man Tactical Squad [9 PL, 139pts] Flamer
• 10-man Tactical Squad (Quiet Aaron) [9 PL, 147pts]  Space Marine Sergeant: Chainsword, Grav-pistol, Space Marine w/Special Weapon: Flamer
• Apothecary (Kristov) [3 PL, 55pts]
• 5-man Devastator Squad [8 PL, 105pts], 4x Heavy bolter
• 2x Predator [9 PL, 180pts]: Predator autocannon, Two Lascannons
• 2x Rhino [4 PL, 74pts]: 2x Storm bolter

Chaos

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP

• Chaos Lord, Plasma Pistol, Power Sword, Warlord: Exalted Champion
• Dark Apostle
• 5-man Khorne Berzerkers, 2x Plasma Pistol
• 7-man Plague Marines, Plasma Gun, Champion: Plague Sword
• 16-man Chaos Cultists
• 20-man Chaos Cultists
• 5-man Chaos Space Marines, Heavy Bolter, Champion: Plasma Pistol, Power Axe
• 10-man Chaos Space Marines, Heavy Bolter, Plasma Gun, Champion: Power Fist
• 7-man Chosen, Mark of Khorne, Icon of Wrath, 2x Power Axe, Champion: Power Axe
• 4-man Chaos Bikers, 2x Flamer
• Chaos Predator, Twin Lascannon, 2x Lascannon
• Chaos Vindicator
• Defiler, Havoc Launcher, Reaper Autocannon

I rolled a 3 on the D3, giving me 4 additional CPs for scenario-specific stratagems.

Map

The Fists decided to make their stand in this former public square, in the shadow of a ruined Imperial Basilica. The high ruins overlooking the empty square favored overlapping fields of fire.

With shouts, cries and wailing horns, the Traitors gathered...

...revealing the valiant defenders.

On the roll of a die, the first turns goes to the traitors - just after the preliminary bombardment. It doesn't do much, except hitting Apothecary Kristov and knocking him out before the game even starts.

Chaos, turn 1

Hooting, the Cultists rushed towards the Imperial lines. Their Chaos Marine overlords followed in close behind.

With the crackle of lascannons and the thunder of the demolisher cannon, the chaos warmachines opened fire, intent on crippling the loyalists' tanks - to some degree of success. The Defiler missed all its shots, even after activating its Daemonforge.

Concentrated small arms fire took its toll on Quiet Aaron's squad, positioned front and center.

The Cultists then hurled themselves at the Fists. Their charge was answered with walls of fiery death. Still, they rushed on. Once the Fists were busy fighting off the Cultists in melee, the Khorne Berzerkers, Chaos Bikers and Chosen charged as well.

Imperial Fists, turn 1

The Heavy Bolter Scouts fell back, regrouping on the uppermost floor.

Sergeant Aaron, the sole survivor of his squad, also fell back, seeking cover behind the tanks. 

The Rhinos drove backwards, allowing the infantry to open fire on the traitors.

The Cultists on the right died to bolt pistol fire.

With their lines shaken and driven back, but not disrupted, the Fists opened fire. They obliterated the Chaos Predator and the Berzerkers, and took a toll on the Bikers and Chaos Space Marine squads as well.

Chaos, turn 2

Outflanking reinforcements! The Cultists appear on the right flank.

The Chaos lines move to envelop the Fists.

The Cultists open fire on the Heavy Bolter Scouts, hoping to drop 1 or 2 with their low quality auto weapons. To everyone's surprise, the Scouts all die.

The Chaos Vindicator opens up on the center Predator, which gets demolished with a thunderous BOOM!

With shouts of 'Death to the False Emperor!', the Traitors wade in, hindered by the cunningly placed Rhinos serving as roadblocks.

The Chosen gang up on Sergeant Aaron, knocking him to the ground.

Captain Lexandro intervenes heroically, beating the Chaos Bikers to a pulp with mighty swings of his thunder hammer.

Imperial Fists, turn 2

The leadership of the Fists retreats. Kristov and Mouga'ry hop into the blue rhino as it drives away, and Lexandro joins them, driving back the traitors intent on chasing them. Aaron stays in combat, being stunned and knocked down. Once again, the bolters open up, killing Chaos Marines and chipping wounds off the Defiler.

Chaos, turn 3

The square resounded once more with cries of 'Death to the False Emperor!', as the Chaos Marines charged in - although no reinforcements showed up at this time.

The Defiler went into the yellow Rhino, intent on finishing what the Cultists started. Chaos Marines assaulted the white Predator. Plague Marines - having failed their charges for the first two turns - now assault the Tactical squad in the building. The Chosen, ever seeking glory, assault Lexandro.

The Fists fought and died. Except Lexandro. He showed the Chosen how close combat is supposed to be done.

Imperial Fists, turn 3

Lexandro covers the escape of the blue Rhino, still carrying Kristov and Mouga'ry.

Chaos, turn 4

The Chaos infantry moves every forward, intent on clearing the Fists out of the ruins.

The back lines are reinforced by a Chaos Lord, bringing his personal Predator.

Close combat continues. The sniper Scouts, having killed the previous Chaos Lord and seriously wounding the Dark Apostle, are now locked in combat with said Apostle and a lot of Cultists.
A surviving Aspiring Champion assaults Lexandro, who is knocked down.
Plague Marines slowly make their way up the ruins, killing the Fists inside.

Imperial Fists, turn 4

Mouga'ry and Kristov continue their escape, while the rest of the Fists die in close combat.

Chaos, turn 5

The square belonged firmly to the traitors. Chaos Bikers and Cultists return, too late to do anything. But...

...the escape of the blue Rhino was intercepted by Khorne Berzerkers and Chaos Chosen, using my last CPs for Outflanking Reinforcements.

Having killed off the last of the Devastators, the Plague Marines assault Lexandro, while the Cultists gang up on the remaining Scouts.

Soon, the square is well and truly in the hands of the Renegades.

The reinforcements shoot and charge the Rhino, destroying it. However the ruins made it impossible to be surrounded, so the lieutenant and the apothecary manage to survive the destruction of their transport.

Imperial Fists, turn 5

Intent on fighting on to the bitter end, the remaining characters shot and charged the Berzerkers.

Lexandro was finally brought out of action...

... just as the other two managed to not kill the Berzerk squad, and sit in combat seriously wounded.

The situation was bleak for the Fists. One more round, and their survivors would surely die to bolter or blade. The game continues on a 3+... 

...and it doesn't!

Minor victory for the Imperial Fists.

Quiet Aaron escaped without a scratch - Astartes physiology does wonders! However, Captain Lexandro suffered major wounds.

Afterthought

Although the mission seemed an overwhelming victory for Chaos, that was mostly due to me getting first turn. Had the Fists got a turn of shooting beforehand - and if I had the same bad rolls for (not) getting reinforcements - it could have gone either way. As it was, a major victory was pretty much out of the question by turn 2. However, my opponent played to the scenario, and made sure something survived to the end. I had luck getting a lot of extra Command Points, and I preserved them for Outflanking Reinforcements to the last round.

Other than that, I had a better feel of Chaos Space Marines this time, and I brought a toned down list, in line with the restrictions my opponent faced. This resulted in a fun and mostly balanced game, although we were exhausted by the end.