Introduction
The Salamanders advanced under an ever-shifting crimson sky. They were the spear, thrust into the enemy's rotten heart. Their battle-brothers had already engaged the enemy on the flanks. They would not have to wait long, now. Across the ruined cityscape, a towering monstrosity lumbered into view. Surrounded by its putrid kin, the Great Unclean One bellowed its challenge...
Mission: No Mercy
Deployment: Dawn of War
Chaos: 8 CP
++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Chaos - Daemons) [68 PL, 1,197pts] ++- Chaos Allegiance: Nurgle
- Daemon Prince of Chaos [9 PL, 180pts]: Malefic talon, Wings, Fleshy Abundance
- Great Unclean One [17 PL, 285pts]: Bilesword, Fleshy Abundance, Miasma of Pestilence, Plague flail, Plaguefly Hive, Warlord
- Poxbringer [4 PL, 70pts]: Miasma of Pestilence
- 2x Nurglings [3 PL, 54pts]: 3x Nurgling Swarms
- Plaguebearers [4 PL, 70pts]: 9x Plaguebearer,
- Plaguebearers [12 PL, 235pts]: Daemonic Icon, Instrument of Chaos, 29x Plaguebearer
- Furies [5 PL, 64pts]: 8x Fury, Mark of Nurgle
- Plague Drones [11 PL, 185pts]: Daemonic Icon, Instrument of Chaos, 3x Plague Drone
++ Patrol Detachment (Chaos - Daemons) [15 PL, 291pts] ++
- Chaos Allegiance: Khorne
- Bloodmaster [3 PL, 56pts]: The Crimson Crown
- Bloodletters [12 PL, 235pts]: 29x Bloodletter, Daemonic Icon, Instrument of Chaos
++ Supreme Command Detachment +1CP (Chaos - Chaos Space Marines) [29 PL, -1CP, 505pts] ++
- Gifts of Chaos (1 Relic) [-1CP]
- Legion: Word Bearers
- Chaos Lord in Terminator Armour [6 PL, 101pts]: Combi-bolter, No Chaos Mark, The Cursed Crozius
- Sorcerer [6 PL, 98pts]: Bolt pistol, Death Hex, Force stave, Infernal Gaze, No Chaos Mark
- Sorcerer in Terminator Armour [7 PL, 112pts]: Combi-bolter, Force stave, No Chaos Mark, Prescience, Warptime
- Chaos Terminators [10 PL, 194pts]: No Chaos Mark
- . Chaos Terminator Champion: Chainfist, Combi-melta
- . Terminator: Combi-bolter, Power axe
- . Terminator: Combi-bolter, Power axe
- . Terminator: 2x Lightning Claw
- . Terminator: 2x Lightning Claw
Imperium: 9 CP
### Supreme Command Detachment +1CP (Imperium - Inquisition) ###
- Inquisitor: Boltgun, Ordo Malleus, Power maul
- Inquisitor: Inferno pistol, Ordo Malleus, Power sword
- Inquisitor Coteaz
- Inquisitor Eisenhorn
- Summoned Daemonhost - Cherubael
### Vanguard Detachment (Imperium - Officio Assassinorum) ###
- 3x Eversor Assassin
### Battalion Detachment +5CP (Imperium - Space Marines) ###
- Chapter Selection: Salamanders
- Captain: Iron Resolve, Storm shield, The Shield Eternal, Thunder hammer, Warlord
- Vulkan He'stan
- 5-man Tactical Squad: Multi-melta
- 2x 5-man Tactical Squad: Flamer
- 10-man Tactical Squad: Combi-flamer, Flamer
- Dreadnought: Assault cannon
- Ironclad Dreadnought: Meltagun, Seismic hammer, Dreadnought combat weapon, Heavy flamer
- Terminator Assault Squad: 2x Storm shield, Thunder hammer; 3x Lightning Claw (Pair)
- Stormraven Gunship: Twin assault cannon, Twin multi-melta, Two Hurricane Bolters, Two Stormstrike Missile Launchers
Deployment
The Daemons arrived in formation, a line of Plaguebearers shielding their leaders. The Salamanders hastily closed ranks and opened fire. They Seized the Initiative!
Imperium, turn 1
Chaos, turn 1
The daemons were nowhere near as reserved, bounding forward, eager to get into combat. Witchfire split the air, taking down several Marines, but not destroying any squads.
Neither side had managed to inflict First Strike.
Imperium, turn 2
The Salamanders closed the distance, opening fire.
The Stormraven took to the skies, pounding the Great Unclean One with heavy weapons. It all seemed to be absorbed by its rotten flesh. At least the Plaguebearers fell in great numbers to the hurricane bolters.
Behind enemy lines, an Eversor Assassin awakened.
The Eversor charged, cutting down even more Plaguebearers.
Chaos, turn 2
The Furies retreated from the Eversor, and he gunned them down indiscriminately.
The Plague Drones turned their attention to the disturbance in their ranks.
Reality tore apart as a horde of Bloodletters descended upon the unsuspecting Imperials! Although they proved ineffective against the Inquisitors and Salamander Officers, they tore apart a Tactical Squad and a Dreadnought.
Inquisitor Coteaz was the first to react to the daemonic assault. He hefted his daemon hammer, and set upon the Daemon Prince towering over him. The monster was powerless against the sanctified weapon and fell quickly.
Imperium, turn 3
More of the lesser daemons fell to small arms fire, as the Stormraven disgorged its precious cargo.
Two more Eversor Assassins awakened, this time descending on the unsuspecting Bloodmaster.
The Salamanders pushed their assault, pressing the daemons on all sides.
The Ironclad and the Captain laid into the Great Unclean, blow after blow glancing off ineffectively.
The Terminators lumbered forward, charging into the Plague Drones.
The trio of Inquisitors killed more of the Bloodletters, as the Bloodmaster fell to the Assassins.
Chaos, turn 3
Reality tore apart once more, as a contingent of Word Bearers Terminators stepped onto the battlefield!
Cavorting Nurglings joined the fray, distracting the Terminators. Under the psychic assault of the Sorcerer, the veterans fell one by one.
Lesser daemons surrounded the valiant Inquisitors, leaving only one alive.
Nurglings burrowed out of the surrounding ruins, scraping the paint off the craft with their claws.
The Great Unclean One had finally tore the Dreadnought apart. The Captain twisted and turned, hitting it and the Poxbringer in turn, to no effect.
Imperium, turn 4
Seeing the situation turn against them, Eisenhorn summoned his daemonhost, Cherubael.
The Stormraven again took to the air, leaving the Nurglings exposed to the Tactical Squad.
The Sorcerer behind the Terminators found himself exposed and in the crosshairs of a multimelta. He got vaporized instantaneously.
Eisenhorn and Cherubael assaulted the Terminators, killing one, and getting slaughtered in return.
Chaos, turn 4
The Terminators advanced towards the Stormraven, but their Sorcerer was unable to speed them up, leaving the aircraft out of melta range.
Psychic assault destroyed the Salamander Captain.
Imperium, turn 5
Sensing their time running out, the Imperials went all out. The combined firepower of the surviving Tacticals and the Stormraven was enough to take out the surviving Plague Drone and the Terminators.
The remaining Inquisitor led the Assassins in assaulting the Word Bearer officers, annihilating the Chaos Lord.
Chaos, turn 5
The Great Unclean One turned his attention to the humans scurrying about, raising his massive sword and...
... tripping on refuse.
Outcome
The battle was close fought, but the daemons had inflicted enough casualties to force the Imperium to retreat. The world was lost... Aboard the Stormraven, the Inquisitor gave the orders for Exterminatus.
Aftermath
The game was friendly, both in list-making and in gameplay. We frequently pointed out tactical opportunities and missed rules to each other. As such, I thought it a good opportunity to try this more narrative style battle report applied to a matched play game.
List-wise, even looking past the obviously fluffy choices, neither of us came prepared for a kill point game. Lots of characters and other small squishy squads on both sides. With all my infantry destroyed in the final two rounds, and failing that final charge, I was pretty sure I lost. The result was close though, 13-11.
I dislike blaming the dice for any result, and this game was no different. There were some critical fails on my part - failing the charge with the GUO, failing all charges with the Terminators, failing Warp Time (with my last CP spent on a reroll) for the Terminators, the Daemon Prince dying to Coteaz (also spent a CP to reroll a save here) and 30 Bloodletters not making one - NOT ONE! - save all game. But there were also excellent rolls, like the GUO eating multimeltas, stormstrike missiles, thunder hammer hits and more, barely getting down to 9 wounds in the 4th round. There were also good and bad rolls for my opponent, with the Terminators endlessly battling the Plague Drones and somehow loosing 4 models in the process.
It was the first time I fielded Plague Drones in 8th edition 40k, and they did a lot better than expected. They are survivable, but then again, the Salamanders had no notable gunline to fire at them. Lots of attacks but no AP make for a decent damage output. I'll make sure to bring them again.
The Bloodletters, on the other hand, did a lot worse than expected, wiping out the thing they're usually bad against (the Dreadnought) and doing crap against infantry, which they usually chew through.
Everything else did what it was supposed to, except the Daemon Prince who showed up and died to Coteaz in one swing.
Special mention goes to the Chaos Terminators, who once again did nothing. I might have to retire them until I gather enough motivation to equip them with better weapons.
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