The final combatants of the Skypehammer campaign kick off by renewing an old grudge...
Space Wolves vs Thousand Sons!
Step forward players seven and eight in the Skypehammer campaign: Mr AP Burn, who will be taking the Space Wolves for walkies; and Rapid, who has taken the unenviable task of making sense of the Thousand Sons.
- Two factions (The Alliance and The Cabal), each with four different armies.
- Factions will pair off against their opposing armies in 500pt battles.
- All matched play rules apply, and all supplemental rules are available.
- Armies can only be selected from the models in my collection.
- No restrictions on how armies are built (i.e. detachments), but every army must have a warlord that must be named and cannot be changed.
- Every army gets 5CP, no more or less. These can be spent on pre-game stratagems.
The Alliance have taken a bit of kicking to date - resulting in three victories on the bounce for The Cabal. Every branch of the Imperium has tasted defeat: from Mechanicus, Militarum and even Astartes.
But you should never send a Space Marine to do a Space Wolf's job.
Snorri's Saga - Space Wolves
- Snorri Jarlsson, Primaris Rune Priest (HQ)
Psychic hood, Runic sword, Bolt Pistol
Powers: Fury of the Wolf Spirits, Jaws of the World Wolf
Warlord Trait: Saga of the Hunter
Relic: The Wulfen Stone - 5 x Intercessor Squad (Troops)
Auxiliary Grenade Launcher, Stalker Bolt Rifle. Intercessor Pack Leader: Chainsword - 5 x Inceptor Squad (Fast)
Assault Bolters - 5 x Fenrisian Wolves (Fast)
Teeth and claws - 5 x Fenrisian Wolves (Fast)
Teeth and claws
Cult of Confusedly - Thousand Sons
Things are not as they seem, and we must keep it that way. While our allies can do naught but bludgeon, we must exact our plans with the scalpel. The gate to the Great Ocean must be widened with great care, lest the trickle become a flood. Those coming through it must be appeased, so they may be exploited. And the Wolves are coming for us. The Wolves are always coming for us. Don the glamour of the Exile Ahriman. That will cause the dogs no small confusion, in the last few minutes they have to live.
- Ra'ul Wunes - Ahriman on Disc (HQ)
Black Staff of Ahriman, Inferno Bolt Pistol
Warlord: Otherworldy Prescience
Psychic powers: Glamour of Tzeentch, Prescience, Weaver of Fates - 6 x Rubric Marines (Troop)
Force Stave, Inferno bolt pistol, 5 x Inferno Boltgun
Psychic power: Tzeentch's Firestorm - Tzaangor Shaman (Elite)
Force Stave
Tzeentch's Firestorm
Relic: Dark Matter Crystal - 9 x Tzaangor Enlightened (Fast)
Aviarch, Fatecaster greatbows
Points: 500 | Level: 35 |
Mission and Deployment
We're playing the Eternal War - Scorched Earth mission from Chapter Approved 2019. From the start of the second turn, Victory Points are scored by securing objectives, plus the usual First Strike, Linebreaker and Slay the Warlord points. But if you're feeling particularly destructive, you can raze an objective at the start of your turn and claim 3 VP.
According to the rules of the mission, you would only be able to raze the objectives in the enemy's deployment zone, but we have small armies and a lot of ground to cover - so we're declaring a fire-free zone!
The Space Wolves set up first, taking the right hand side of the field. The big unit of Inceptors are put into deepstrike, ready to drop like the bolt shell-spewing hammer that they are.
What remains is the Rune Priest and his Intercessors holding the ruined temple, with a pack of Fenrisian Wolves on either flank.
In response, the Thousand Sons huddle up on their left flank (somewhat concerned about denying deepstrike). The Rubric Marines occupy the ruins, and the objective.
The big flock of Enlightened go behind them, with Ahriman (or the warlord wearing the visage of Ahriman) and the Tzaangor Shaman close by.
Turn 1 - Space Wolves
Ahriman's helm stank.
It was some kind of spice Ra'ul couldn't identity. Sour, like turmeric, but also pungent, like ikejh root. There was a thick build up of grease as well, around the seal where the helm joined the armoured rings of his gorget. Was it really The Exile's helm? Ra'ul doubted it, it must be some artful replica. It certainly smelt the part.
And it was working. Space Wolves had landed on the nearby plain, dropping in by Thunderhawk, mere minutes after his warband had started destroying the Mechanicus transponders around these ruins. Typical lazy Imperium thinking, Ra'ul felt, leaving a machine to hunt for secrets. As though a machine could know what to look for, especially one as servile and bereft of intelligence as the Imperium allowed.
Speaking of servile tools - attack dogs were rushing towards their position, big canids of Fenrisian stock. Pathetic! Did Russ's curs really think this would prove any more than a distraction? Still, he was here to make sure the Wolves took the bait, so for now he would play along. With a simple wave of his staff, Ra'ul ordered his Rubrics to put them down.
The Space Wolves begin by unleashing their packs - both units of Fenrisian Wolves advance forward at full tilt. The left flank one heads into the woods and grabs an objective (possibly by cocking a leg on it).
The right flank one abandons the objective in the shipwreck and runs into cover of the central temple, taking hold of another objective.
Showing more discipline, the Rune Priest and Intercessors hold steady and snipe off a pair of Rubric Marines in the ruins (finally getting to enjoy the Devastator Doctrine).
Space Wolves 0 : 0 Thousand Sons
Turn 1 - Thousand Sons
The dogs died in droves. It was almost pathetic, seeing the savage animals drop in their tracks, whining and whimpering with pain. Warpfire bolts tore through their pelts and left them on fire. Mounds of fur, studded with the arrows of the Tzaangor hunting flock, littered the ground.
Ra'ul glided across the ground behind the Tzaangor, Ahriman's Black Staff held aloft as he recited incantations. Another replica, he suspected, although it surged with arcane power in a convincing enough display. Concentrating, he sent a mental instruction to the Rubrics. Seconds later, another of the Mechanicus relay devices erupted in flame.
This was too easy.
The Thousand Sons respond cautiously. The Rubric Marines hold fast in the ruins, eyeing up the Wolves in the trees.
The unit of Enlightened surges forward, looking to open up line-of-sight on the other pack of Fenrisian Wolves. Ahriman and the Shaman move to give all these units the benefit of their auras, while still keeping the backline free of deepstrikes.
In the Psychic Phase, Time Flux returns one of the Rubrics to active duty, and the Enlightened get the full compliment of Glamour of Tzeentch, Weaver of Fates and Prescience on them.
This results in some fairly devastating volleys of magical arrows in the Shooting Phase, wiping out the nearest unit of Fenrisian Wolves and even wounding one of the Intercessors. That's 1VP scored for First Strike.
The Rubrics open up on the Wolves in the wood, killing four of them. With their meagre morale, that would be an auto-fail for the last one, but Mr AP Burn has a soft spot for helpless animals and pays 2CP to keep the pup in play.
Space Wolves 0 : 1 Thousand Sons
Turn 2 - Space Wolves
Another explosion. But this time, from the ruins ahead, where flinty-armoured Wolves were prowling.
What were they doing? Ra'ul could see the readouts in the helm's occulus. The mad dogs were also destroying the Mechanicus relays! But why?
Before he could consider this further, the occulus flashed up more reports. Jetpack flight paths burned across his retina in red light, followed seconds later by a thunderous volley of bolter fire. Tzaangor hooted and yawped as their discs were torn out from under them, before falling silent as secondary fire cut the riders down.
The Space Wolves respond to this initial setback in the traditional manner: by burning everything. The objective held by the Intercessors is razed, and the lone Fenrisian Wolf also destroys the one in the woods (presumably by eating it) before racing forward to grab another in the enemy deployment zone.
At the same time, the Inceptors land on the same spot, training their Assault Bolters on the Enlightened (having first used the Keen Senses stratagem to counter Glamour of Tzeentch).
Four of the disc riders are dropped to the fusillade, forcing Rapid to pay 2CP of his own to ensure that no more are lost to morale.
Space Wolves 6 : 1 Thousand Sons
Turn 2 - Thousand Sons
This was good. They'd taken the bait. From what Ra'ul knew, these Inceptors represented a significant amount of Wolf materiel in the Nephilim sector. All he had to do was get them concentrated in one place, then unleash a barrage of infernal flames to roast them to ash. Hungry for battle as ever, the Wolves were hovering in place, too focused on wiping out the enemy to care for their own safety.
Forward, he willed, and his Rubrics lumbered forwards heavily. The Wolves responded in a heartbeat, the heavily-armoured marines swooping into a new formation with alarming speed. The fusillades of their bolters chewed into the Rubrics, bursting first one, then another, in plumes of glowing dust.
Perfect. Again, they'd taken the bait. Ra'ul span the Black Staff through the points of the Flame Pentacle, then sent his psychic might through it to destroy the foe.
It exploded in his hands, riddling them with burning chunks of plasteel.
Seeing the threat in their back lines, the entire Thousand Sons army moves to counter it. They first raze the objectives in the central temple and their own ruins, to regain the lead in VP by a slender margin.
In the Psychic Phase, the last command point is spend on Cabalistic Focus, which pays off when the Aspiring Sorcerer casts Time Flux for the maximum power (although still only regains one Rubic when he rolls low on the D3).
Ahriman follows up with Prescience - which rolls Perils of the Warp and blasts him for three mortal wounds. Rather bravely, he continues to cast powers, putting Glamour of Tzeentch and Weaver of Fates back on the Enlightened.
Finally, a well-placed Smite from the Shaman blasts one Inceptor back into orbit.
Some hefty shooting is needed to thin out the Inceptors, but half the Enlightened's arrows are directed at the last Fenrisian Wolf (with good reason - if he's allowed to raze his objective, it could be a big swing). The pup is taken out, but the remaining firepower put into the Inceptors only manages to take one of them down to his last wound.
The Assault Phase is needed to finish them off, and the Rubrics are volunteered to eat the Overwatch. Some exceptionally good rolling causes three of the Rubrics Marines to be slain on the way in, but at least the path is clear for the others...
... who promptly fail their charges. Both Ahriman and the Enlightened are left stranded, with only the Shaman making it into combat.
The combined efforts of the heretics manage to bring down a second Inceptor, while they punch back, using Emperor's Executioners for good measure, and remove one of the Rubric Marines.
Space Wolves 6 : 7 Thousand Sons
Turn 3 - Space Wolves
What trickery, what treachery was this? A mere flaw in the forgery, or something more sinister in intent? Ra'ul's mind raced. Who had he displeased in the hierarchy this time?
But there was no time to unravel this mystery. As his enhanced body rapidly dulled the pain of his ruined hands, his mind cleared enough to take in the damage that had been done. Without his guidance, the Rubrics were firing too slowly, whilst the Tzaangor had moved out of position to hunt down a stray attack wolf, more interested in meat than the main target.
And the Space Wolves were already redeploying, leaping into cover. Two of the Inceptors were at least down, blazing corpses at the foot of the Mechanicus relay. But the others gunned down most of the other Tzaangor even as they retreated.
And the original Wolves, the ones who'd originally landed with their attack dogs, were moving up. There! A shift in the empiric revealed one of their rune-botherers, so afraid of the Great Ocean he'd never set more than a toe in it.
Even without a staff or the use of his hands, Ra'ul could outmatch this dupe. But first, the Inceptors.
Time for some redeploying for the Space Wolves: the three remaining Inceptors jump out of combat and onto the back objective. The Intercessors shoulder their rifles and make the long sprint all the way to the objective in the shipwreck.
Finally, the Rune Priest begins his trek towards the enemy deployment zone, and finally manages to cast a psychic power: he summons the spirits of two wolves (there's plenty of wolf ghosts to chose from on their field) to accompany him.
In Shooting, the Inceptors once again pick on their opposite fliers, bringing the Enlightened down to just two models.
Space Wolves 6 : 7 Thousand Sons
Turn 3 - Thousand Sons
Ra'ul braced as he spurred his disc forward. Rounding the corner of the ruins, he could see the Inceptors. They were attempting to plant some kind of explosive on the relay. Why? What were they trying to cover up? Perhaps the Nephilim sector had more mysteries than even the Thousand Sons knew.
No matter - he could pry these secrets from their dead claws later. He goaded the Rubrics forward, sending them to clog the guns of the Inceptors as he sped into position.
Moments later, he was among the Wolves. The grace of his disc put their clumsy packs to shame. He put a bolt round in the back of the head of one, then, like an eagle pouncing on a cub, he slammed his disc fully into a second, letting the vile lamprey mouth of his steed fasten over the marine's head.
The leader of the Primaris unlocked his helm and barked a challenge, executing a Tzaangor with one of his heavy pistols even as he boosted away from it to engage Ra'ul. He was drawing a knife! His bravado was ridiculous. Ra'ul's maimed hands blazed with cabalistic skill as he grabbed the blade, and the two of them wrestled, mid-air, for domination.
With relentless perseverance, the Thousand Sons have a second attempt at removing the Inceptors. Attempts to fell them with mind bullets and real bullets fall short, so everyone has to make the charge.
The Rubric Marines are once again elected to go first - having once again replenished their numbers with Time Flux - but once again find themselves running into a storm of mass-reactive rounds that takes out the entire squad (the All Is Dust rule being counted by the Tactical Doctrine that has been in effect for the last two turns).
With no other choice (because even overwatch fire is better than letting the Inceptors live to shoot freely), the Tzaangor Enlightened are sent in next. This time, only one of them are killed, so the way is clear for Ahriman and the Shaman to lend their aid.
Despite Ahirman's Black Staff bludgeoning 3 wounds at a time the armour of the Inceptors holds fast and, remarkably, their pack leader is still alive when the dust settles.
Even without the objective-secured Rubric Marines, the three remaining Thousand Sons models are just enough to claim the objective from the Space Wolves, but things are looking grim for them.
Space Wolves 6 : 7 Thousand Sons
Turn 4 - Space Wolves
Teeth gritted against the pain of forcing his sorceries through his bleeding palms, Ra'ul was slowly forcing the Inceptor back, ready to rend him apart with a word.
And suddenly, the dog was gone! Jetting away on plumes of smoke, the marine sheathed his knife and flicked the lanyards of his bolt pistols in one smooth motion, causing them to leap back into his hands.
No! It hadn't been ridiculous bravado. The damned Wolves had played to their reputation again, opening him up for a broadside. The knife had been a ruse.
Stalker bolt rounds slammed into his disc and tore it out of reality. Tumbling, Ra'ul had just enough time for one last, desperate spell before the ground hit.
With the objective in the shipwreck razed for 3VP, the Space Wolves move for the kill: the Inceptor jumps away, ensuring Ahriman is the closest, the Rune Priest and Intercessors move upfield.
As if the tide was turning, the Rune Priest now finds he can cast spells without impediment: he Smites away the last of the Enlightened, which opens up Ahriman to the Stalker Bolt Rounds of the Intercessors. One shell sneaks through his hefty invulnerable save, and the warlord is down.
The Inceptor pack leader finishes off by spraying the Tzaangor Shaman, who stubbornly holds out on two wounds remaining (and crucially, in possession of the last objective on the board).
Space Wolves 10 : 7 Thousand Sons
Turn 4 - Thousand Sons
It had worked.
Ra'ul watched his own body crash to the ground and twitch as the Wolves poured more fire into it. He now rode the Tzaangor Shaman's, having forced its consciousness out with his last spell.
His senses were off. He could see every detail of the battlefield with terrible clarity (the way the Wolf Priest's runic belt jangled as he ran, the pattern of scars on the Primaris Sergeant's cheek) and hear sounds he'd never heard before (the fading double thunder of his dying body's hearts, the metallic tick of a timed melta charge clicking towards zero), but he couldn't smell anything. At least he was free of the stink inside that false helm.
With a twitch of the bird mutant's claws, he knocked the Space Wolves' demolition bomb off the relay and spiked it with a minor warp entity instead. Ruined for the Imperium, but perhaps the malicious sprite he'd locked inside would find something of use to the Thousand Sons later.
One task achieved. Now for that wretched knife-fighter.
It's not looking good for the Sons of Prospero but, as the Shaman razes the objective, the VP are actually level.
The Shaman moves to finally finish off the last Inceptor and, with a Smite and a charge (losing one more wound to overwatch), finally kills the unit (and hides behind the building for good measure).
Space Wolves 10 : 10 Thousand Sons
Turn 5 - Space Wolves
The Inceptor was still reloading his pistols. Ra'ul sped up from below and behind, thinking to strike without warning. But his bestial frame betrayed him, as his beaked maw croaked excitedly.
The marine reacted in a split second, ditching one pistol to fling a primed krak grenade at him as he continued to reload the other against his thigh. The grenade flew square into the disc's mouth, and Ra'ul was forced to leap the last few metres before his mount detonated.
Feathers, but no wings? he wondered. The Great Architect certainly knew how to baffle the mind.
His leap was true, at least. The bladed staff in his talons slammed into the Inceptor's pack, causing one side to explode. The blast crippled the marine, who spiralled out of the sky in a burning wreck.
There was, however, nothing left to keep Ra'ul in the air.
The Space Wolves are now under pressure of their own - the scores are tied and (thanks to their feckless destruction) there are no more objectives to score from. If the game ends on Turn 5 and they haven't manged to breach the enemy lines, then the result will be a draw.
Unable to get line of sight on the Shaman, the Intercessors advance as full speed.
The Rune Priest moves to line up a charge that will bring him into the deployment zone ... and falls short by an inch.
Space Wolves 10 : 10 Thousand Sons
Turn 5 - Thousand Sons
There, at his belt - one more chance at survival.
Ra'ul grabbed the crystal device, tried to ignore the ground rushing towards him, and concentrated.
Things may seem hopeless, but the Thousand Sons have one more trick to play. Specifically the Dark Matter Crystal relic, which the Tzaangor Shaman has been saving the whole battle and can use to teleport anywhere on the field.
The Shaman accordingly jumps into the Space Wolves' deployment zone - screened by the shipwreck. Now if the game ends on Turn 5, the Thousand Sons will claim Linebreaker and snatch an incredible victory.
Space Wolves 10 : 10 Thousand Sons
Mr AP Burn rolls to see if the game continues ... and it does.
Turn 6 - Space Wolves
He'd done it! The crystal sputtered with blue flame, then cracks ruined the perfect symmetry of its many sides. A purple-edged hole in reality swallowed him before he hit the ground.
It spat him out instantly. Tumbling with the force of his landing, Ra'ul sprawled in the dust. Precious seconds ticked by as he lay on his side, dazed.
He was by the side of another of the Mechanicus relays. Where? Had he gone far enough? Would the dogs still catch him?
As if in instant answer to his question, his warp-enhanced hearing picked up the distinctive clack of a bolt rifle being cocked.
With a deep sigh of relief, the Rune Priest summons the spirits of Freki and Geri and continues to walk his dogs into the enemy deployment zone.
The Intercessors back up to where they can draw sight on the Shaman and shoot off the last wound. That's all that remains, so the Space Wolves claim the crucial Linebreaker point.
Space Wolves 11 : 10 Thousand Sons
Victory to the Space Wolves!
"Got him, did you?" Snorri asked.
Aaddke, the Intercessor sergeant, spat on the floor and snarled in response. Snorri nodded.
"One less flea in the Imperial pelt, brothers," he said.
"Left a few weals, though, that one," said Aaddke. "Our Inceptors are gone. And the wolves."
"They died fighting, as they should have. Nothing more to say on that."
"For this?" Aaddke asked, gesturing to the wreckage of the burning Mechanicus relay. "I hope it was worth it."
Snorri locked eyes with the young Primaris, bared his fangs. "Doubts?" he asked quietly. They held each other's gaze for a while, until the Intercessor dropped his stare and stepped backwards, bowing.
"No, Rune brother, not I," he said.
Snorri kept his face still, but he was still bristling inwardly. These Primaris, all fury and recklessness. He felt the same change in himself, although he could check it against years of experience that some of these recruits would never gain. He'd have to watch Aaddke, that kind of insolence was never a helpful trait in a subordinate, even if it was honestly meant.
Yes, he'd sacrificed the Inceptors. Yes, they'd destroyed a half-dozen Mechanicus relays, each a priceless relic that could never be replaced. But if they'd managed to keep the nature of what those relays had discovered from the Thousand Sons, it was a worthy sacrifice indeed.
Campaign Map
At last, the Alliance grab a win. With the central hex still unclaimed, there's still plenty to fight over in the Nephilim Sector.
Locker Room
What a finish! As someone who never remembers to use the Dark Matter Crystal, kudos to Rapid for that particular rabbit out of the hat.
That was a devastating game, on both armies and objective markers - it was interesting that the (narratively appropriate) gung-ho approach from the Space Wolves nearly backfired when they were left in command of the field, but with no points left to score from.
The Cult of Time made for an interesting addition - though the Rubrics had a bit of a torrid time on the business end of a boltgun, Time Flux brought back the equivalent of a whole unit - which equates to 20% of the list at this scale.
The Cult of Time made for an interesting addition - though the Rubrics had a bit of a torrid time on the business end of a boltgun, Time Flux brought back the equivalent of a whole unit - which equates to 20% of the list at this scale.
The MVP had to be those Inceptors, who soaked and dealt so much damage - that extra wound for Gravis units makes a real difference. Also, a couple of successful charges might have seen them off in an earlier turn - it was a shame we didn't get to see an Ahriman vs Rune Priest boss fight, but dabble with the Warp at your peril.
At least The Alliance have clawed back one victory - but there are more battles to come, and things are not as they appear to be ...
Great battle guys, and a fantastic write-up to do it justice. And an intriguing end there; what have you got in store for us Stylus...?
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