Bring Him Home: Imperium vs Chaos

The narrative campaign continues - a cornucopia of alliances to rescue the imprisoned Culexus in Part II of the The Gelidus Contingency!

We have assassins, terminators, traitors, heretics and ... in their debut battle for the first time anywhere, the custom-made Primaris chapter - the Acquiritur Scopum!

While you await the conclusion of the Zamaroon Campaign, feats your eyes on this clash between I, Stylus, and Mr AP Burn as we continue the battle to posses the 114-Pariah Gene, a strain of Culexus Assassin so powerful it has come to the attention of the Black Legion itself.

Mission 2: Rescue

To briefly recap, an unusually-gifted Culexus Assassin was discovered operating upon the frozen planet of Gelidus. The Inquisition immediately detained the individual, so its unique genetic code could be harvested and weaponised. However, the Thousand Sons could not allow such a dangerous weapon to spread among their enemies, so they ambushed the Militarum Tempestus convoy, slaughtered all the loyalists, and took the Culexus for themselves.

But the scholars of Sortiarius were not destined to keep their prize. The shifting alliances between the traitor astartes meant that a handover of the prisoner was arranged from the Thousand Sons to the Black Legion.

News of this exchange was intercepted by Imperium spies and a hastily-assembled rescue force was put together, comprising of Deathwing Knights, Space Marines, Imperial Knights and no fewer than three Assassins, apparently bound by solidarity to their captured brother.

But the Culexus would not have been left unguarded. And can the rescuers reach their quarry before the larger force of heretic astartes arrive?

Traitor Legions - The Court of Miracles & The Unkindest Cut

I've put together a mixed force (although nothing like the one the Imperium are sending, see below). Narrative campaigns make for easier list-building, since you just need to go with what feels right.

A Supreme Command detachment for the Thousand Sons - three Sorcerers on foot, to guard the prisoner, and an honour guard of Scarab Occult Terminators. Only one Exalted Sorcerer in the set, no discs or Daemon Princes - these guys are low down in the Court's enumerations.

The Black Legion was a more mobile strike force - since they're after a 'grab and go' - so three Rhinos stuffed with Chaos Space Marines and Berzerkers, led by an Exalted Champion and Chaos Lord. Raptors and Obliterators* for some deepstriking goodness, and a standard Helbrute (because I didn't paint up enough Raptors).

*I paid 115pts for each Obliterator. The current codex is 65pts, but I'm assuming that's going to be FAQ'd because they're ridiculous at that price.

Battalion Detachment - Chaos Space Marines / Black Legion

• Exalted Champion (HQ)
  Combi-melta, Power axe
  Warlord Trait: First Amongst Traitors
  Relic: Axe of Blind Fury
• Chaos Lord (HQ)
  Plasma pistol, Power sword
• 9 x Chaos Space Marines (Troops)
  Mark of Khorne, Icon of Wrath, Chainswords, Bolt pistols, Flamer, Power sword
• 5 x Chaos Space Marines (Troops)
  Combi-plasma, boltguns, heavy bolter
• 5 x Chaos Space Marines (Troops)
  Combi-melta, boltguns, melta gun
• Helbrute (Elite)
  Multi-melta, Helbrute fist, Heavy flamer
• 8 x Khorne Berzerkers (Elite)
  Icon of Wrath, Plasma pistol, Power fist, Chainsword and Chainaxe
• 5 x Raptors (Fast)
  Plasma pistol, Power sword, 2 x Plasma guns
• 3 x Obliterators (Heavy)
  Mark of Slaanesh
• Chaos Rhino (Transport)
  Combi-bolter, Combi-melta, Havoc launcher
• Chaos Rhino (Transport)
  Combi-bolter, Combi-melta, Havoc launcher
• Chaos Rhino (Transport)
  Combi-bolter, Combi-bolter

Supreme Command Detachment - Thousand Sons

• Exalted Sorcerer on Disc of Tzeentch (HQ)
  Force Stave, Plasma pistol, Frag & Krak Grenades
  Death Hex, Weaver of Fates
• Sorcerer (HQ)
  Force Axe, Plasma pistol, Frag & Krak Grenades
  Prescience, Warptime
• Sorcerer (HQ)
  Force Axe, Plasma pistol, Frag & Krak Grenades
  Glamour of Tzeentch, Temporal Manipulation
• 5 x Scarab Occult Terminators (Elite)
  Force stave, 4 x Inferno Combi-bolters, 4 x Power Swords, Soulreaper Cannon, Hellfyre Missile Rack
  Psychic powers: Tzeentch's Firestorm

Level: 106 | Points: 1999 |Battle-forged + Battalion - Supreme Command: 9 CPs

Imperium - Deathwing Knights, Acquiritur Scopum, House Terryn and Officio Assassinorum

Soup's back on the menu, boys!

This really is a mix of everything, but it does make sense to the narrative: sneaky infiltrating types to take out the sentries, hard-hitting terminators to secure the area, a giant stomp robot to cover the retreat and more assassins, because they clearly all pull together in a crisis.

In a conventional battle, this might get into a bit of a tangle. But this battle is anything but conventional...

Vanguard Detachment - Dark Angels

• Interrogator-Chaplain in Terminator Armour (HQ)
  Storm bolter
• Deathwing Ancient (Elite)
  Power fist, Storm bolter
• Space Marine Scouts (Troops)
  Sniper Rifles, Camo Cloaks
• 5 x Deathwing Knights (Elite)
  Knight Master, Storm shield
• 5 x Deathwing Knights (Elite)
  Knight Master, Storm shield
• 5 x Deathwing Knights (Elite)
  Knight Master, Storm shield

Super-Heavy Auxiliary Detachment - Imperial Knights / House Terryn

• Knight Warden (Lord of War)
  Melta gun, Ironstorm Missile Pod, Thunderstrike Gauntlets, Avenger Gatling Cannon w/ Heavy Flamer
  Relic: Endless Fury

Vanguard Detachment - Officio Assassinorum

• Callidus Assassin (Elite)
• Eversor Assassin (Elite)
• Vindicare Assassin (Elite)

Spearhead Detachment - Space Marines / Acquiritur Scopum

• Primaris Captain (HQ)
  Master-crafted stalker bolt rifle, Power fist,
  Warlord: Iron Resolve
• Primaris Lieutenant (HQ)
  Master-crafted stalker bolt rifle
• Primaris Ancient (Elite)
  Bolt rifle
• Eliminator Squad (Heavy)
  Bolt sniper rifle, Camo cloak
• Eliminator Squad (Heavy)
  Bolt sniper rifle, Camo cloak
• Eliminator Squad (Heavy)
  Bolt sniper rifle, Camo cloak

Level: 119 | Points: 2009 | Battle-forged + Vanguard + Super-Heavy Auxiliary + Vanguard + Spearhead: 7 CPs

Mission

We're playing Rescue from the main rulebook, with some narrative amendments of our own. Essentially, there is a 'spy' (in this case, a Culexus and his three Sorcerer wardens) that must be uncovered under one of six objective markers.

The Attacker starts the mission with as much of his army as he wants, and can bring on the rest of his army subsequently. Each objective that is secured will reveal to be containing the prisoner on the roll of a 6 (and if five objectives are fruitless, the sixth is automatically revealed). Upon the reveal, the alarm is sounded (if it hasn't already).

The Defender only gets a small unit of Troops (for free!) to patrol the area as individual models (you roll-off to control their direction). They can sound the alarm as follows:

• By using a shooting attack (there is a Stratagem to used Silenced Weapons)
• By failing to kill a sentry in the fight phase
• If a sentry comes within 3" of an enemy (I buy a Stratagem that doubles this range)

Once the alarm is sounded, the turn immediately ends and the Defender's turn begins proper. Units arrive on the table edge on a 4+, and then automatically in subsequent turns.

As some of our homebrew rules: the Culexus Assassin is currently de-powered (the Sorcerous Cabal has successfully neutralised his null-presence with their spells) and under the control of the Defender. If there are no Sorcerers within 3" of the Culexus for any reason, then he is free and passes under the control of the Attacker.

Once free, the Culexus can be shot and killed as usual. If he is defeated in close-combat, he is once again a prisoner of the Defender.

If the Culexus reaches the Attacker's deployment zone, and is still alive and uncaptured by the end of the battle round, the Attacker wins. If the Attacker kills, captures or retains control of the Assassin by the end of the game, they win. Any other outcome is a draw.

Deployment

The objectives are placed in each of the four armoured towers (seems logical for a prison) and two further ones in my deployment zone (can't make it too easy for the Imperium). My only deployment is to put ten Chaos Cultists scattered around the buildings and objectives.

The Imperium decided to start with the stealth units (it's hard to imagine a Knight Warden tiptoeing up to the sentries): three kill teams of Primaris Eliminators, one of which is accompanied by an Eversor Assassin (fun for them!), a second one on their own, and a third led by the command section of the Chapter: Captain Winters, Lt Dempsey and the Chapter Ancient.

The final kill team is a squad of Scout Snipers being supervised by an Vindicare Assassin (picking up some continued professional development there).

"Pay attention, lads."

Everything else in in reserve and we're away!

Turn 1 - Imperium

The Imperium wastes no time - spending three CPs on taking silenced shots at the sentries. One falls to the Vindicare and Eliminator squad respectively - although the Scouts do embarrass themselves by failing to kill their mark.

Everything else moves forward to start investigating the objectives. The assassins lead the way - with Eversor leaping forward to the closest sentry, and the Callidus sheds its polymorphine disguise (probably as a lamp-post) to appear before one of the backline sentries (although it did roll the highest possible result, and end up 9" away).

"Oi!"

In the Assault Phase, the two assassins moved for the kill. The Eversor zoomed forward (it rolls how many dice?) and ripped the poor Cultist to shreds (it also inspects the first objective and comes up with nothing - other than a lot of blood and cultist entrails). The Callidus however, fails its charge and is left dangerously close to setting off the alarm.

Turn 1 - Chaos

My first turn involves rolling off to see who gets to move my Cultist sentries (obviously I want to move them closer to the Imperium, and my opponent wants to move them away). I lose every roll-off until it comes to the crucial one - the sentry nearest the Callidus.

Sure enough, I win the roll-off, the Cultist moves closer to the assassin and AWOOGA!!

The alarm goes off, so I get to re-start my turn. My luck doesn't hold out, however, as most of my army fails its reserve roll and I only get two Rhinos stuffed with Chaos Space Marines appear in my deployment.

The two vehicles open up on the Callidus, and manage to score a couple of wounds. The closest Rhino follows up this good luck by trying to run the assassin over. Unfortunately, it appears that acrobatic killers are quite good at avoiding steel boxes and their Phase Swords are pretty good at cutting pieces of it.

Turn 2 - Imperium

The alarm is sounded, but the prisoner has yet to be discovered, so the Imperium has better get a move on!

The Callidus drops out of the combat and checks its objective (nothing), the Scouts jog forward to the western tower (empty). Then the central team of Eliminators reach the main tower and inspect it - there he is!

You mean the prisoner was being held in the big central tower that had the most guards?
Inconceivable!

That just leaves the reserves to deploy, and the Imperium isn't hanging about - everything is coming to play!

The Knight Warden steps into the deployment zone, and three units of Deathwing Knights drop around the central tower, one of which is led by a Chaplain and Ancient.

In the Shooting Phase, the Vindicare takes a pop at the Exalted Sorcerer and fails to wound (oops - good job the Scouts weren't around the see that) and with very few things left visible to snipe, most of the shooting goes into the Rhino. Even with the Knight's firepower, the transport vehicle manages to hang in there - it takes a charge by its old nemesis, the Callidus, to crack it open and scatter the contents.

Other charges are a mixed bag: the Deathwing Knights and HQs fail to hit the second Rhino, the Deathwing Knights accompanied by the Eversor aren't close enough to charge. But the third squad of Deathwing are in charge range of the trio of Sorcerers - and manage to scramble up the walls just close enough to engage the Exalted Sorcerer.

The poor Exalted swiftly falls beneath the maces of the Dark Angels (oh dear, he was the one with the Death Hex power), and that's one of the three guards gone. The Terminators consolidate into the other two Sorcerers, who do managed to chop one down in retaliation.

Turn 2 - Chaos

My prisoner is looking a lot less secure, and I need to hit back hard. I bring on every reserve except for the Raptors. The Chaos Lord and his Space Marines surround the Callidus. The plasma squad of marines hops out of the other Rhino, which races forward with its melta squad. Both Sorcerers fall back from combat, because you'd be daft to stay there.

The Obliterators deepstrike opposite the Knight, the Helbrute arrives (out of the Knight's view) to support the plasma squad, and the third Rhino of Berzerkers and Exalted Champion arrives on the eastern side of the deployment zone. I then teleport the Scarab Occult Terminators in the opposite tower to the Deathwing Knights.

In the Psychic Phase, I use Chaos Familiar stratagem to give one of my Sorcerers Death Hex, though he fails the cast anyway. They also fail to Warptime out of trouble, so I settle for throwing a couple of Smites into the Deathwing, killing two of them.

Shooting goes quite well. With everyone in the squad levelling bolt pistols, the Callidus is slain. The plasma squad bounce their shots off the Command Deathwing on the ground, but the Helbrute's multi-melta kills one. The Scarab Occult then open up on the Deathwing Knights in the tower, and not even their storm shields can save the unit from bring wiped out - the prisoner is back under my control!

It's the Obliterators turn to speak, and having heard great things about them, I'm taking no chances. I target the Knight Warden and use the stratagems Let The Galaxy Burn (reroll ones - the should have gotten that from the Lord, so that was bad positioning on my part), Veterans of the Long War (+1 to wound) and Endless Cacophony (shoot again - that Slaanesh icon wasn't just modelled for show).

The Knight Warden rotates its Ion Shields, and rolls well to save, so when the dust settles, it is down to eight wounds, which isn't a bad days' work.

The Obliterators follow up with a charge into the Scouts - they only pulp three of them, and don't have enough movement to wrap up the other two (so they're getting shot next turn).

I'm happy with the turn - I've done some damage and removed a big hitting unit. I just need to get the prisoner clear of danger.

Turn 3 - Imperium

The battle line moves forward - the Knight squares up to the Obliterators, the Command Deathwing Knights move towards the plasma squad, the other Deathwing Knights and the Eversor move towards the prisoner, and the HQ units angle around the tower. The Scouts also fall out of combat with the Obliterators, so the Knight can light them up.

And so he does. Even on reduced profile, the Endless Fury relic blasts away two Obliterators, and the third one is kicked to death in the Combat phase. 

Looking up at the tower, the Vindicare makes up for his last turn by dropping one of my Sorcerers with a head shot.This leaves the last Sorcerer feeling quite nervous on his own, so it doesn't help when the Eversor comes leaping up the tower to get him (the Deathwing Knights aren't so nimble).

Elsewhere, the Primaris HQs charge the Rhino (the Lieutenant is volunteered to soak the Overwatch), but can't crack it open, even with the captain's power fist. The Command Deathwing swiftly bash their way through the plasma squad of Chaos Space Marines.

In the battle for the Culexus, the Eversor slashes away, but the Sorcerer's invulnerable save keeps him alive on a single wound.

The Sorcerer then hits back and, improbably, scores two wounds with his Force Axe. I roll boxcars for the damage and the Eversor is slain (yay!). He then goes into bio-meltdown and takes the Sorcerer with him (boo!).

Only this sentry remains and - let's be honest - he's not going to slow him down.

So everyone's dead and the Culexus is free!

Turn 3 - Chaos

I'm feeling somewhat outgunned and outfought here. I need to hit back hard, and I've got a prisoner to recapture while I'm at it.

The Berzerkers and Exalted Champion jump out of their Rhino and jog towards the smaller squad of Deathwing Knights. The Chaos Lord leads his squad towards the Primaris HQs, followed by the Helbrute. The Rhino backs out of combat and disembarks the melta squad of Chaos Marines into range of the Knight Warden.

The Raptors drop down between the three squads of Eliminators, right in the escape path of the Culexus, and my last card is played.

In the Shooting Phase, all the bolt pistols from the combat space marines plink off Lt Dempsey's armour. All my melta shots fail against the Knight's Ion Shield. The Scarab Occult, who still occupy a commanding fire base, don't have much better luck, and their storm bolters don't do much more than scratch the Command Deathwing.

I use my last Command Point to give Let the Galaxy Burn to the Raptors, so they can safely overcharge their plasma guns and eliminate a whole squad of Eliminators (though I fail the charge into a second).

In the Assault Phase, I fail charges with both the combat marines (I forgot their Icon of Wrath allows rerolls) and Chaos Lord, but the Helbrute and melta squad crash into the Primaris HQ (Lt Dempsey picks off one heretic astartes with Overwatch). What follows is something of a whiff - the Helbrute can't get through the Captain's Iron Halo, and withstands the punch of the Power Fist (although Lt Dempsey beats up a couple more chaos space marines with his rifle butt).

Hidden around the side of the westward tower, a lone Cultist takes on a couple of Scouts. They continue to slap each other around for several turns before the Scouts finally manage to club the little beastman down.

On the other side of the board, I make the charge I really needed - the Berzerkers smash into the squad of Deathwing Knights and lay down such a frenzy of blows that even the Storm Shields can't protect them.

That wraps things up - I've cleared out a few more units, and I've still got a few solid hitters left, so the recapture is still on!

Turn 4 - Imperium

Unsurprisingly, the Imperium's turn begins with the Culexus sprinting down the tower and heading for safety. The last remaining Deathwing Knights move to support the melee with the Primaris HQ and everything else holds fast and takes aim.

The Knight Warden opens up on the Raptors and blasts them to pieces, but there's not many targets left, so it's straight on to melee.

In combat, the Deathwing Knights make their charges into the Helbrute and Rhino, destroying both in short order, while Lt Dempsey finishes off the last of the melta squad. My western flank is suddenly looking very fragile.

Turn 4 - Chaos

I may not survive this mess, but as long as the Culexus is captured before the end of the game, I may not have to. My Berzerkers race around the tower, getting into a decent charge distance. My Exalted Champion (and warlord!) continues to sprint to catch up with them - hopelessly out of the action (but at least he can't be sniped).

"IT'S ALL GOOD CARDIO!"

The Scarab Occult Terminators make up for last turn's shocking marksmanship. I split fire everywhere, killing two Eliminators in each squad, and taking another three wounds off the Knight Warden.

In combat, the last chaos space marines charge into the Primaris HQ. I wasn't expecting much, but they do finally manage to drag down Lt Dempsey (who rises with the help of the Ancient and drags one more down with him).

The Khorne-marked Rhino is feeling left out of the action, and so charges the lone Eliminator sergeant - who seems to have special tank-killing ammunition loaded when he inflicts some wounds on Overwatch (and then refuses to get run over!)

"That Rhino is around here somewhere..."

The real action comes when the Berzerkers successfully make their charge. I'm already rubbing my hands with glee at the avalanche of attacks that will recapture my prisoner when I learn about the Etherium rule - I only hit on 6s. Amazingly, the full weight of attacks that felled a Terminator squad is not enough to bring down the Culexus (maybe there is something about Pariah Gene-114?) and he's left alive.

At least I have enough Berzerkers to wrap around the Culexus, so if he wants out, he's going to have to cut his way out (he does chop down a couple of Khornites in the attempt).

Turn 5 - Imperium

No messing around the Imperium now. The Knight Warden - now on its lowest profile - levels Endless Fury at the Scarab Occult Terminators in the tower. Before I can laugh at the odds of removing terminator in cover, the damn gun blows away four of them! And then the rocket pod takes off the last. So that happened.

The Vindicare takes aim beneath the Knight's legs and wounds the Chaos Lord before the Deathwing Ancient finishes him off with his storm bolter.

In the increasingly uneven combat with the Primaris HQ (and now the Deathwing), they chop down the last of the chaos space marines and move around the support the Culexus.

The fight between the Bezerkers and Culexus continues - scoring one more wound, and dropping another Berzerker - but not enough to escape.

Turn 5 - Chaos

Just one objective now - batter that Culexus into submission! The Exalted Champion - who is probably wondering how he will explain this to Abaddon - sprints around the corner, close enough to buff the Berzerkers' wound rolls, and the Rhino pulls back from the Eliminator sergeant.

The Exalted Champion picks off the Eliminator Sergeant with his melta gun, and the pistols from the Berzerkers fail to harm the Culexus.

For the third time, I try to land enough blows on the Culexus to bring it down, but its invulnerable save keeps it going on a single wound! It then strikes back and kills one Berzerker - just enough to break the cordon and get away.

Turn 6 - Imperium

...and that's what he does. The Culexus dashes out of combat and into the safety zone. If he's still there by the end of the round, then it's game over.

Speaking of game over, the Vindicare pops off the Exalted Champion and the Knight Warden hoses down the last of the Berzerkers. The only surviving model is the Rhino, who had the good sense to park between the towers, out of sight.

Turn 6 - Chaos

My last throw of the dice, and in the ultimate Hail Mary move, the Rhino guns its engines and charges into the Culexus - I only need to score a single hit to scoop him up and claim victory.

Sadly, the Rhino is not destined for glory and the badly-wounded assassin ducks out the way and staggers back to safety, where the remaining Primaris are able to successfully exfiltrate him.

Victory to the Imperium!

Credit: images courtesy of Armoury of The Rock's Instagram

Locker Room

What an epic fight! It's always a uncertain path when you start throwing together a lot of homebrew rules for a narrative fight, but if you both go at it with the same spirit, you get some really great moments.

Given this was far removed from the standard - 'secure and hold objectives' match, neither of us knew how to approach it or how it would go. I'm glad that, for all the battlefield carnage - everything did end up revolving around possession of the Prisoner. Just as intended.

It was great to see so many different Imperium units on the field - I love how the Assassins operate, and the Vanguard Eliminators seem a lot of fun (I must resist temptation). I'm already looking forward to a full scrap with the Acquiritur Scopum once they're at chapter-strength.

As a handing-over of the baton, I enjoyed my run with the Black Legion from Thousand Sons. Not that I'm saying goodbye to the Sons of Prospero yet, but it's nice to have more conventional weapons to play with.

But that's the second chapter of The Gelidus Contingency, and the pendulum has swung back to the Imperium. What is their next move, and how will the Black Legion respond?