HOME DBM EPIC 40 000

REBELLION

Segmentum Pacificus; Agriworld Zealandia; Christos Island; 19/12/42001; 1235 Hours; Thought for the Day: Hate The Traitor.

This game was a 2000 point Blitzkreig engagement, Imperials attacking Chaos. Mike Stewart used mainly the Imperial forces of David Wallace, while I used the Chaos forces of Raymond Wallace (no they are not related!). Rules were E40k with FP1 amendments and a few houserules.

TURN 1

The Imperials advance on a broad front, 10 Leman Russ Tanks on the left flank, 3 Baneblade Super Heavy tanks on the right flank. A dozen Chimeras full of infantry in the centre, with 9 Heavy Artillery, 3 Siege Artillery, and 3 Hydra Flak guns behind them. Scouting ahead is an Imperial Guard recon company on motorbikes, a few of these fall casualty to booby traps as they advance past potential Chaos hiding places.

As the Chaos player most of my forces are in reserve. In fact I only have a small Daemon Pack of 1 Lord of Change, 2 Fleshhound stands, and 2 Flamer stands on table. I hide these well to the Chaos rear zone and wait for reinforcements to arrive.

TURN 2

The scouting Imperial recon company loses a total of 4 stands out of 7 to booby traps, but the Imperials now arrive in strength at their take and hold objectives around a bunker complex and a trenchline. (I had put the trench line down myself during set-up, but unfortunately I didn't get the right sort of units to defend and so now it is taken by the Imperials.)

My Daemon Pack advances behind cover with the intention of leaping on some of the Leman Russ Tanks which have got close. However the Imperials bring all their artillery fire down on the daemons killing all but the Lord of Change, who fails his leadership check and refuses to charge.

My first reserves roll onto the battlefield. The Chaos Space Marine Warmaster with his Bodyguard squad and 2 Landraiders, an armoured detachment of 6 Landraiders and 3 Predators, an artillery detachment of 4 Chaos Artillery and 2 Space Marines, and another small Daemon pack led by a Keeper of Secrets with 2 Daemonette stands and 2 Plaguebearer stands.

TURN 3

Both lines advance on overwatch towards each other. The Leman Russ open fire destroying 3 Chaos Predators. The Chaos Landraiders return fire destroying 7 of the Leman Russ. Chaos Artillery pounds the Imperial occupied trench line destroying some of the Chimera and Infantry detachment. The Imperial infantry manages to knock out the two Landraiders of the Warmasters detachment before they can fire.

More Chaos units arrive, another Artillery unit, a Khornate detachment of 3 Daemon Engines and 4 transports full of assault troops, and a pack of 5 Bloodthirsters.

TURN 4

The Chaos continue to advance, attacking the left of the Imperial trench line. The Bloodthirsters fly over the trenches wiping out the remaining Imperial units in the left flank section, but are then forced back by fire from Imperial units further along the line. Imperial Siege Artillery destroys one of the Chaos Artillery detachments before it can fire.

In spite of considerable casualties the Imperial morale is firm - almost as high as its starting level due to their take and hold objectives. The Chaos morale is almost halved due to casualites.

TURN 5

Looking at the morale levels I know I have to do something dramatic this turn - and that means knocking the Imperials off their take and hold objectives. The trouble is 3 Baneblade super heavy tanks waiting on overwatch. There is nothing for it though, I throw my most heavily armoured tanks up front and hope for the best. Luckily for me Imperial shooting is abysmal (a lot of Imperial shooting in this game was less effective than it should have been). Gibbering Chaos hordes swarm all over the Imperial lines and in a vicious fight the Baneblades are destroyed, along with many Chaos units. One of the Baneblades explodes killing another two Chaos Marine units.

Meanwhile the 3 remaining Bloodthirsters have reached the Imperial artillery and destroy 3 of them, for the loss of 1 Bloodthirster.

Also this turn the first Chaos artillery detachment has reloaded, and rains fire down upon the rearmost Imperial Guard infantry detachment, reducing them to half strength. I also use an Orbital Barrage Fate Card to destroy 3 of the Imperial Artillery (I should have used this much earlier!). Imperial morale falls to 26, while Chaos are on 22.

TURN 6

This is the last turn for this scenario. I advance with all my Chaos units on assault, except for the two remaining Landraiders from the armoured detachment, and the reloading Chaos Artillery which stays near my cleanse objectives. My intention is to break the Imperial artillery detachment, and knock the Guard off their last take and hold objective which is held by only 3 Imperial units - a squad of Guardsmen, a Command Squad and a Chimera.

The Imperials are making a last ditch stand in some ruins and make the Chaos forces pay heavily for their advance. Winning the assault phase the Imperials firefight and break two of the advancing Chaos units. However nothing can stop the Bloodthirsters from hitting and destroying two more Imperial Artillery pieces, before they are fought off in a firefight by supporting imperial units.

Every Imperial detachment has now been reduced below half strength. All but two Chaos detachments have been reduced to half strength. At the end of the game Chaos gets 4 bonus points for holding objectives and the Imperials 2. Final score is 25 to Chaos and 15 to Imperials. Very messy but a win to Chaos.