The Doom of Ulpia - Mission #3 Game

Scenario: Crucible of War - Sabotage (750 points)

Attacker can modify the variable game length roll by +-1 for winning previous scenario.

Restrictions

• Non-primaris power armored infantry and Scouts only. 
• The characters from the previous scenario cannot be included.

Extra rules

• If the Scouts survived Mission#1, they get added to the attacker’s army for free. (Nope.)
• If the Librarian or the Techmarine attempt to Sabotage the objective, each attempt is worth an extra Reward Point, regardless of the outcome of the battle. These units can attempt additional Sabotage using the “Extra Explosives” stratagem, but no additional Reward Points are awarded.

Victory conditions

• Major Victory: Objective is destroyed, enemy is completely destroyed.
• Minor Victory: Objective is destroyed.
• Minor Defeat: The score is 6.
• Major Defeat: Otherwise.

Imperial Fists

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Imperium - Space Marines) [51 PL, 746pts] ++

• Librarian [6 PL, 111pts]: 2) Might of Heroes, 6) Null Zone, Combi-plasma, Force sword
• Techmarine [5 PL, 85pts]: Boltgun, Chainsword, Servo-harness: Flamer, Plasma cutter, 2x Servo-arm
• 4x 5-man Scout Squad, 5x Shotgun
• 2x 5-man Devastator Squad, 4x Missile launcher

Chaos

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP

• Chaos Lord, Plasma Pistol, Power Sword, Warlord: Exalted Champion
• Sorcerer: Infernal gaze
• 5-man Khorne Berzerkers, 2x Plasma Pistol
• 7-man Plague Marines, Plasma Gun, Champion: Plague Sword
• 11-man Chaos Cultists
• 20-man Chaos Cultists
• 5-man Chaos Space Marines, Heavy Bolter, Champion: Power Fist
• 8-man Chaos Space Marines, Heavy Bolter, Champion: Plasma Pistol, Power Axe, Mark of Slaanesh, Icon of Excess

Sentries: 10-man Chaos Space Marines, Plasma Gun, Heavy Bolter,  Champion: Power Fist

We are only playing a 4x4 map due to the small army size.

Sentries

The Scouts relayed the position of the sentries to Codicier Mourdom. At the moment of the attack, the Aspiring Champion was giving instructions to two traitor marines right next to the tower. Plasma gunner and heavy bolter in elevated positions, the others were patrolling the grounds.

The enemy was on high alert (Sensors stratagem).

Attacker deployment

The Devastators arrived in a suitable position to overlook the entire square. Mourdom took Mason and three Scout squads to move in from the other flank, leaving the third Scout squad to hold the center.

Fists, turn 1

As stealthily as can be, the Scouts moved up on the clueless traitors. Mourdom supported the wounded Mason - neither wished to be left behind.

Expertly timing their impacts with the distant booms of the ongoing battle, the Devastators blew away several sentries without being noticed. (At least that's the only way I can imagine the Silenced weapons stratagem used on missile launchers.)

A group of Scouts thought to seize the opportunity and charge a traitor marine...

.. easily dispatching him with combat knifes from the back.

The infiltration was going well, with only 1 Sentry having any chance of seeing the intruders. We rolled off. I had a 3. The Fists rolled a 1. Command Point reroll. 2.

The traitor's vocalizers strained with the effort of shouting his fury. 

'Lapdogs of the False Emperor! DEATH TO THEM ALL!!!'

Chaos, turn 1

Cultists and traitor marines streamed out of nearby ruined buildings.

The Scouts were caught flat-footed by the barrage of sorcerous lightning, autoweapon shots and boltgun shells.

Howling their praise to the Dark Gods, herded by the Chaos Lord, the Cultists charged forward.

Screaming like the madmen they were, the Khorne Berzerkers hurled themselves at the Devastators right on the heels of the fusillade of the Plague Marines..

Fists, turn 2

The decimated Devastators retreated, as the Scouts raced desperately to save the heavy weapons teams.

Although their numbers were dwindling, the Scouts gave their best in the fight against the Cultists. Codicier Mourdom and Techmarine Mason were quick to join the fight, reaping Cultists left and right. To Mourdom's horror, the Sorcerer blocked all attempts to bring psychic doom on the renegades.

The Scouts unloaded their shotguns at point-blank range, annihilating the Berzerkers. The Devastators shot missile after missile into the traitors, finally charging the remaining Berzerker and beating him to a pulp with the butts of their weapons.

Chaos, turn 2

More Cultists joined the fight, supporting the Plague Marines. The Scouts died in a hail of autoweapon fire.

More traitor Marines showed up on the other flank, lending bolt shells to the fight.
Techmarine Mason shielded Mourdom as best he could, but not even his artificer armor could stand up to concentrated plasma fire.
Clips spent, the traitors howled their fury and charged.

Advancing inexorably, the Plague Marines charged the Devastators.

The Chaos Lord drove his crackling power sword into the knocked down Techmarine, incapacitating him.

Fighting to the last, the brave sons of Dorn held on.

Fists, turn 3

Codicier Mourdom decided to hold the enemy horde...

... as the Scouts tried a desperate charge into a lone Sentry, trying to reach the objective. Alas, the charge failed, and the Fists conceded.

After game

The already injured Mason's condition deteriorated to having major wounds.

The Fists suffered the first casualty of the campaign: Codicier Mourdom died, surrounded and cut down by traitors.

Afterthought

In hindsight, we learned that the attacking force needs to stick together, preferably in the middle of the deployment zone. That would have denied my charges - if not my firepower. And charges there were plenty, with both the Berzerkers and the Cultists making their 9+ inch charges from reserve.

Sounding the alarm obviously needs to be put off as much as possible. In our case, it hinged on a roll-off which the Fists couldn't win, not even with a reroll.

Shotgun Scouts seem like a bad choice - their higher power level combined with their shorter range guns makes them easier to spot.