Skypehammer Round 12: The Bitter End

We got there in the end - our epic Skypehammer campaign ends tonight!

Space Wolves & Imperial Guard vs Black Legion & Adeptus Mechanicus!

There was no sky. 

Of course, there was no sky anyway this deep in First, Averment's capitol hive. But even the oppressive steel vaults around the primary reactor core seemed darker with the knowledge of the lost light outside.

The Breach had begun to swallow Averment. Fully half the planet was engulfed in the weird twilight of the warp now. As the empyrean undid the real, it made a horrific screaming noise that could drive a man mad in minutes. At least here, in the depths of the hive, that scream was blessedly inaudible. Not that they were any more safe.

Snorri stood and watched the Iron Priests work. Their arcane cant echoed dimly to him across the huge space of the reactor's control deck. Massive rusting coolant pipes lanced down from an invisible ceiling, stalactites of rust and grease dripping from their ancient flanks. The priests were calmly turning them off, one by one. Although his armour kept him cool, Snorri knew from the warning runes winking inside his helmet that the chamber was already heating up dangerously. 

"The main doors opened seven minutes ago," the guard commander rasped. "Some hive scum sold them the codes. The traitors just walked in, it was a massacre."

Snorri looked round at him. Eernheart's once-valiant voice was an electronic mockery of what it had been. The bionics in his neck wheezed and gasped as their vox-bellows worked, and the half-healed burns on his skin wept where the cables touched them. But he was there, saved from the Alpha Legion ambush by some true heroism, and still fighting. The fury in his eyes was dire indeed to see. Good, he'd need it.

"Aye," Snorri said. "Sooner than we hoped. Ah well, what we can do, we will. The traitors will be here within the hour."

"My reserves have deployed as per your request, ready to support the last of the armour. We can't hold them long, though."

Snorri looked up as a claxon began a long, shrill cry of alarm. Red flashing lights creaked to life along the length of one of the enormous coolant pillars, sending warning colours chasing one another through the steam and murk. We're standing inside the heart of a volcano, he thought, and we're tossing dynamite into the caldera. 

He looked down at the little man beside him.

"Don't worry," he said. "You won't have to."

-

"Let's go kill some traitors."

The stars have aligned, and we are once again gathered to play out the end of this twelve-part, eight-player Warhammer 40k campaign, conducted entirely through the medium of Skype

• This will be a 1000pt battle, each side comprising of two 500pt armies.
• All armies will have access to their respective warlord traits and relics, but one warlord is nominated as the warlord.
• 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)
• Every army gets 8CP, no more or less. One nominated warlord of each allied army is in charge of allocating these.

As with our previous game of doubles, we've paired off: Mr AP Burn's Space Wolves and Monkey's Imperial Guard will represent the last Alliance defenders of Averment to hold the line against the triumphant Cabal of Warsmith Chris' Black Legion and Mikey P's AdMech turncoats.

Alliance - Imperial Guard & Space Wolves

++Averment has fallen. We drink deep from the cup of woe as, despite all our efforts, the Breach has been comprehensively secured by the forces of The Cabal. Soon this planet will be overwhelmed by creatures from the Void and though we do not lack courage, we lack the numbers to stem the tide. Our saga shall not end in defeat. Though ambushed and decimated, the last survivors of the planetary defence force have joined with us in the Hive Reactor Core. When Iron Priests have finished with it, no trace of life – or unlife – will remain on this rock.++

The 34th Outpost

• Commander Q. Eernheart III - Company Commander (HQ) (Warlord)
  Laspistol, Chainsword, Frag grenades
  Warlord Trait: Master of Command
  Relic: The Laurels of Command
• Tank Commander (HQ)
  Battle Cannon, 1 x Heavy Bolters, 2 x Plasma Cannons, Hunter-Killer Missile
  Tank Ace: Up-Armoured
• A Squad - 10 x Infantry Squad (Troops)
  Sgt with chainsword and laspistol, 6 x lasguns, plasma gun, missile launcher
• B Squad - 10 x Infantry Squad (Troops)
  Sgt with chainsword and boltgun, 6 x lasguns, plasma gun missile launcher
• C Squad - 10 x Infantry Squad (Troops)
  Sgt with chainsword and laspistol, 6 x lasguns, grenade launcher, heavy bolter
• Hellhound (Fast)
  Heavy Flamer, Inferno Cannon

Warlord bonus: All aura abilities and weapon ranges increased by 3”

Points: 500 | Level: 31 |

Hunting Pack

• Snorri Jarlsson, Primaris Rune Priest (HQ)
  Psychic hood, Runic sword, Bolt Pistol
  Powers: Murderous Hurricane, Jaws of the World Wolf
  Warlord Trait: Saga of the Warrior Born
  Relic: The Armour of Russ
• 7 x Intercessor Squad (Troops)
  Auxiliary Grenade Launcher, Bolt Rifle. Intercessor Pack Leader: Chainsword
• 3 x Aggressor Squad (Fast)
   Auto Boltstorm Gauntlets, Fragstorm Grenade Launcher
• 4 x Inceptor Squad (Fast)
  Assault Bolters

Warlord bonus: +3" to M and Charge; all aura abilities and weapon ranges increased by 3”

Points: 498 | Level: 43 |

The Cabal - Black Legion & Adeptus Mechanicus

++Averment is ours. As our brothers weave their sorceries around the Breach, we harness the power of unreality to spew forth upon this forgotten sector. Not just one planet, but an entire system, will suffer the conflagration that draws upon all the reserves of the Imperium to quench it. And yet victory may yet be denied us. Our newly-enlightened Mechanicus allies inform us that the pitiful survivors of The Alliance are trying to seize control of the Prime Hive’s reactor and set them to meltdown. Already the primary heat exchanges are in the hands of unknown agents. That is unacceptable. The Cabal must save this planet.++

A New Bryahn

• Violent Bryahn - Chaos Lord with Jump Pack (HQ) (Warlord)
  Combi-bolter, Chainsword
  Warlord: Tip of the Spear
  Relic: Ghorivex's Teeth
• 10 x Chaos Cultists (Troops)
  10 x Autoguns
• 10 x Chaos Cultists (Troops)
  9 x Autoguns. 1 x Heavy Stubber
• 10 x Warp Talons (Elite)
  2 x Lightning Claws
• 2 x Obliterators (heavy)
  Mark of Slaanesh

Warlord Bonus: +2A

Points: 499 | Level: 33 |

AdMech 2.0

• Jonathon Fyve - Tech-Priest Dominus (HQ) (Warlord)
  Macrostubber, Omnissian Axe, Volkite Blaster
  Warlord Trait: Necromechanic 
  Relic: Autocaduceus of Arkhan Land
• 6 x Skitarii Rangers (Troops)
  6 x Galvanic Rifle
• Ironstrider Ballistarii (Fast)
  Broad Spectrum Data-tether, Twin Cognis Lascannon
• Ironstrider Ballistarii (Fast)
  Broad Spectrum Data-tether, Twin Cognis Lascannon
• Onager Dunecrawler (Heavy)
  2 x Cognis Heavy Stubber, Neutron Laser
• Onager Dunecrawler (Heavy)
  2 x Cognis Heavy Stubber, Neutron Laser

Warlord bonus: All aura abilities and weapon ranges increased by 6”

Points: 500 | Level: 35 |

Mission and Deployment

From Chapter Approved 2019, we're playing Lockdown. Because of course we are.

It's a conventional Eternal War set-up: six objectives and the players score 1VP for each objective they control at the end of their turn. The twist is that, from the start of Round 2 to Round 5, the corresponding objectives disappear, until only Objectives 1 and 6 remain.

And there's a bonus for dominating objectives: 1VP if you control more than your opponent at the end of the round.

In the narrative of the game, this is the primary heat exchanges of the Hive Reactor Core, and the fuel rods are starting to descend...

The Cabal set up first, which involves castling the heavy guns into their right flank, with the Dominus in the centre, Rangers and Cultists to one side. The second group of Cultists huddle in cover on the other flank, ready to race forward into the reactor core.

Everyone else goes into deepstrike: the Warp Talons, the Obliterators and Violent Bryahn himself.

The Alliance also take up positions in relative cover (I think there are some nerves about the heavy guns out there). A Squad hides behind the radar building, with B Squad and C Squad strung out along the line. The Leman Russ parks in the craters, next to the Hellhound, and Eernheart takes up a central position to supervise them all.

The Space Wolves also put their heaviest hitters into deepstrike: Inceptors in the air and Aggressors 'on the hunt' using the Cunning of the Wolf stratagem. Only Snorri and the Intercessors remain to hold the left flank.

Turn 1 - Alliance

"Movement on the outer perimeter," Sergeant Gnostr reported. 

"Right," Snorri said. "Let's get to it." He gave Eernheart a brief nod, and the man rushed off, barking orders across the lines. 

The lines were very thin, Snorri noted. Most of his pack were spread out through the hive, either lying in wait to ambush and delay their attackers. Eernheart had deployed everything he had left that was combat ready. The rest were keeping the peace in the hive city proper, attempting to prevent a panicked populace running amok. 

Now, some thirty souls sprinted for cover on the iron decking. They had to keep the enemy from seizing the control buildings, or the Dark Mechanicus techpriests would undo everything the Iron Priests had done. 

The Mechanicus warmachines came stamping out of the main access corridor. Their long legs made deceptively slow, almost elegant strides, but they tore across the distance with ease. A crowd of dishevelled imperial citizens ran behind them, screaming abuse and threats. Maybe the same traitors who'd sold out the gate codes? Snorri didn't care. They rejected the Emperor's Grace, they deserved the death coming for them. 

The last Leman Russ in the Imperial lines roared forward to meet them, battle cannon blazing. The shell struck the steel hide of a Dunecrawler square on, and it vanished in a plume of fire. Guard soldiers cheered the kill and raced for cover. 

The final battle had started. 

With so few guns in range of the enemy, it's all about grabbing territory for the Alliance. The Intercessors race forward to chase Objective 4 in the control room, followed by Snorri.

A Squad comes around to take Objective 2, and B Squad fans out around the Leman Russ, which nudges over to get eyes on the AdMech vehicles. The Hellhound revs its engines and heads downfield.

C Squad races forward to Objective 6, which they subsequently take when Eernheart tells them to Move! Move! Move!

Only the Leman Russ's battle cannon has the range to reach the enemy, and with the Hail of Fire stratagem, it pounds one of the Dunecrawlers down to three wounds remaining.

But that's all that can be done, so the turn ends with two points claimed for objectives.

Alliance 2 : 0 Cabal

Turn 1 - Cabal

It wasn't dead. 

Despite a cracked hull and a fire crackling forth from the hole, the Dunecrawler somehow staggered to its feet. Snorri's autosenses struggled to cope as its neutron laser fired. The entire world shifted to grey shadows for an instant, everything dark but for that thick streak of light. 

The tank commander was ready for it, though, he'd already slammed into a hard turn the second his own shot had fired. The neutron beam painted a track of boiling metal slag across the hive walls instead. 

Lascannon shots hardly seemed to register compared to the neutron fire. You could hardly imagine they could hurt tank armour, somehow, they looked more like targeting beams. All the same, the Leman Russ rocked as multiple hits ripped into it. One bolter sponson was skewered right through. The gun's ammo cooked off, the armoured turret ringing with firecracker reports. 

That Dunecrawler was just the first of many. Fast moving striders jogged past it, lascannons still glowing, their autonomous stubbers clacking and twitching as they started mowing down guard infantry. Snorri hunkered down behind an exchanger array and prepared himself. Those walkers needed to be taken down, and fast. 

Presented with a similar problem of range and visual contact, The Cabal also move cautiously. One unit of Cultists run onto Objective 3, while the Rangers begin their trek towards Objective 6.

The second unit of Cultists fans out behind the vehicles as they all move forward to get in range of the Imperial Guard.

The only Dunecrawler in range opened the Shooting Phase by gunning down a handful of Guardsmen from C Squad and missing entirely with its Neutron Laser (it hasn't been a good campaign for Neutron Lasers). The Ironstriders used the Protector Doctrina Imperative stratagem to improve their shooting, and managed to strip five wounds off the Leman Russ

And that was it for The Cabal, who scored a single point for Objective 3 and conceded another one to the Alliance for holding more objectives at the end of the round.

Alliance 3 : 1 Cabal

Turn 2 - Alliance

"Squad Astor, Jarngripr protocol. Squad Aadke, on me. The traitors die here, brothers, not one reach the control stations." Snorri strode in through the doorway of the nearest control bunker. Aadke and his Intercessors were already taking up defensive positions. 

Ahead, he could see the advancing AdMech war line. An empty stretch of metal deckway, no cover other than a few racks of wiring and the burst remains of some ancient capacitor farm. But the walkers didn't need cover, they had a clear line of advance directly to this bunker. 

Snorri grinned widely as Astor and his Aggressors burst out of the floor, a handful of metres ahead of the damaged dunecrawler. They'd punched a foxhole for themselves there, dragged metal plates over themselves and waited for his word. Now, they poured a stream of bolt fire into the heavy construct. It ground to a halt as the rounds popped harmlessly off its armour and ponderously started to track its turret. A second one overtook it, clawing its way ahead with mechanical impatience. 

It ran straight into a second volley from the Russ's battle cannon. The entire back of the walking artillery piece blew out in a colossal belch of fire and shrapnel, back legs torn clean off. The muzzle of the now-defunct neutron gun rocked backwards and pointed to the sky, spouting smoke. A spinning hatch bounced off one of the nearby Ironstriders, staggering it. 

But the traitors' infantry was surging through the low-lying maintenance buildings behind the armour, and nothing was there to stop them. 

Or so they thought. Snorri said "Sigdrifr, skystrike. Go!" and what was left of his Inceptors leapt from their hiding places in the coolant pipes above, descending on screaming jet packs with their bolters thundering.

With an early lead, and Objective 2 disappearing, The Alliance waste no time to press their advantage. The Hellhound advances once again to claim Objective 5. B Squad continues to screen around the Leman Russ.

Eernheart leads A Squad to reinforce C Squad on Objective 6, and Snorri takes the Intercessors onto Objective 4.

Then the hammer drops: the Inceptors land on the reactor to claim Objective 1. The Aggressors appear between the AdMech vehicles and the control room, ready to test their gauntlets on Mechanicus armour.

Using the Hail of Fire stratagem once again, the Leman Russ wipes out the undamaged Dunecrawler and takes one Ironstrider down to half wounds.

The Inceptors open up on the Rangers with their assault bolters, easily wiping them out. The Aggressors have less luck against the Ironstriders, as their combined first with the Intercessors fails to damage them.

"Did we remember the bullets?"

The Aggressors also fall short of their charge in the Assault Phase (although they have a lucky escape when the Cognis Overwatch stratagem is played and not one lascannon finds its mark).

And the Alliance end their turn in a very strong position, having secured four of the five objectives on the table, and waiting for the Cabal's response.

Alliance 7 : 1 Cabal

Turn 2 - Cabal

The damaged Dunecrawler's turret swung back away from Astor's squad. Once again, Snorri's view of the reactor chamber seemed to reverse polarity as his helmet tried to adjust to the energy output of the gun. He could almost feel his eyeballs scarring. 

As shadow returned to the control bunker, he realised something had changed. 

Something was here with them. 

In that tiny instant as the laser fired, the empty shadows in the little bunker had suddenly become crowded. Black-armoured fiends pounced from nowhere, their fists crackling with energy claws. 

"Screen our leader!" Aadke snapped, and his Intercessors sprang backwards into a protective ring, but it was already too late. Snorri swung his runeblade, sending a spiteful blast through it that peppered his attackers with a rime of frost, but one of them caught the blow on the blades of one hand, then drove the other hand straight through Snorri's armour at the elbow. Aadke pulled the taloned traitor off, but that left the marines on either side of him unguarded for a critical moment. Claws flashed in the dark, Wolves dropped, bleeding. 

Through the sudden whirl of melee, Snorri saw a figure drop into the doorway. Clad in black armour trimmed with savage spikes and sporting an ancient, hooded jump pack, the marine saluted him with a massive chainsword. Red lenses flared in his helmet as he sliced an Intercessor through the gut without taking his gaze off Snorri. 

"Take that one down!" Snorri shouted to his brethren. "Death and red ruin for traitors!"

With nothing left to screen against, both units of Cultists race towards Objective 1 (while being sure to keep a toehold on Objective 3).

The Ironstriders stay put, with the remaining Dunecrawler comes up to join them (its damaged hull being slowly repaired by the Dominus).

And then the deepstrikes: the two Obliterators land in the crater to the north-west of the field, with eyes on both Hellhound and Inceptors.

Meanwhile, Violent Bryahn leads the Warp Talons into the south-east, ready for a charge on the Intercessors.

In the Shooting phase, the AdMech guns finally win their artillery duel against the Leman Russ: the combined fire of the neutron laser and lascannons tear the hull apart.

The Obliterators turn their attention upon the Hellhound and, with the Veterans of the Long War stratagem, and maximum results on their fleshmetal guns, the Imperial Guard vehicle is effortlessly taken apart. Second tank down!

Playing the ever-present Endless Cacophony stratagem, the Obliterators turn their guns upon the Inceptors. But with only one damage rolled for their fleshmetal guns, they're unable to even kill one of the Space Wolves.

And then the Assaults: both Violent Bryahn and the Warp Talons make huge charge rolls and flood into the control room to take on the Space Wolves Intercessors and their Rune Priest.

It. Is. On.

There is one more surprise: Snorri's Belt of Russ relic means that one enemy unit (Violent Bryahn, naturally) must always fight last. So the Chaos Lord will have to endure Snorri's runic sword before he gets to strike.

The Warp Talons go to work, with Veterans of the Long War at play (immediately countered with the Space Wolves play Transhuman Physiology), half the Intercessors are torn down, and a wound put on Snorri himself.

Snorri and the survivors strike back at Violent Bryahn, but his Sigil of Corruption endures and he only suffers one wound. Bryahn now gets to unleash Ghorivex's Teeth, slaying the remaining Intercessors, but failing to harm Snorri at all (his Belt of Russ also granting a 4++ save).

It was a strong comeback for The Cabal, but the failure to dislodge the Inceptors means that both sides now hold two objectives, so they can't claim the bonus point for holding more.

Moreover, Rune Priest Snorri has survived the initial charge of the Host Raptorial, and is now in a position to do something about it.

Alliance 7 : 3 Cabal

Turn 3 - Alliance

Snorri carved a defensive matrix round himself with his runeblade, trying to keep the taloned assassins from focusing on Aadke and his men. 

It wasn't working. He didn't need their protection. Aadke, winter take him, was trying to coddle him like an old man instead of obeying the order he'd given. There was no room for him to swing his sword properly, the Intercessors kept getting in his way and their own as they tried to screen him. 

Aadke ducked past Snorri's blade, leaping tall out of the crouch to block a Talon's swing with his rifle. It left the Primaris sergeant right in front of what would have been a neat bolt pistol shot to the heretic's face. The moment was passed in a second, the opportunity lost. 

More Talons sprang, slashing and howling like animals. Snorri avoided them easily, cutting down those nearest to him, but they were driving him back. Exactly as the Black Legionnaires planned - their leader cut through the inexperienced Intercessors with casual abandon. However strong and tall this new breed were, Snorri knew they simply lacked the skills of this centuries-old killer. 

He let a Talon get past his guard and his pauldron with a hooking uppercut, then slashed the lunatic's throat out before he could disengage. In the brief moment's room this bought him, he flung all his mental might into a spell, a rune of destruction to demolish the enemy warlord. 

Aadke seized the same split second opening to fling himself at the Raptor. Snorri watched in horror as the traitor fluidly slipped round Aadke's grasp, spinning him into the rush of blazing energy spiralling from the rune. Aadke perished as his armour froze and splintered, his body breaking into shards as the Raptor Lord pushed him to the floor. 

There was no time to mourn the fallen. Astor squad was in the doorway, running to Snorri's defense - he had to get them away so he could duel this murderous traitor properly. 

With limited assets left on the table, the Alliance scramble to maintain their lead. The Aggressors back away from the AdMech vehicles and mount a rescue of the Rune Priest in the control room. the Inceptors abandon Objective 1 to hide out of sight of the Obliterator guns.

The remains of A Squad huddle around Objective 6, with Eernheart leading C Squad to support them, and B Squad makes a dash with Move! Move! Move!, picking their way past the burning wreck of the Hellhound to just fall short of Objective 5.

In the Psychic Phase, Snorri takes no prisoners. He summons a Murderous Hurricane that sweeps up three of the Warp Talons and dashes them against the ground. He then gets a bit overconfident and tries to open the ground beneath Violent Bryahn with Jaws of the World Wolf (very hard to damage a unit that can fly, given you have to roll more than 12" on 2D6).

Without the presence of the Leman Russ, shooting is pretty ineffectual. The combined efforts of the Inceptors, Aggressors and Guard heavy weapons teams manage to bring down one of the Ironstriders, and wound a second one.

Then it's on to Assault Phase, and the Gravis Marines go to work. The Inceptors charge the nearest unit of Cultists (although most of them hang back, so then can continue to hide from the Obliterators). And the Aggressors charge into the bloodbath of the control room, ready to add their fists to the fray.

"Close the doors. And fetch a mop."

The Inceptor pack leader beats up four Cultists quite handily, but they do not wish to pile forward, and the Cultists are more than happy for their casualties to break combat.

In the real contest, the Belt of Russ once again relegates Violent Bryahn to the back of the carnage queue. The Aggressors come in swinging at both Warp Talons and Chaos Lord, but the invulnerable saves hold up, leaving two Warp Talons alive and Bryahn himself only two wounds down.

Rune Priest Snorri hacks down one more Warp Talon, and loses another wound. When Bryahn finally gets to fight, he chops down two of the Aggressors.

Once this round is over, what remains is Snorri, the Aggressor Pack Leader, Violent Bryahn and the Warp Talon Champion - numbers are even, which means no-one is claiming Objective 4.

Alliance 8 : 3 Cabal

Turn 3 - Cabal

The Space Wolf howled a cry of terrible rage as he plunged through the doorway of the control room. Bryahn had killed more than a few of these new soldiers in the preceeding weeks. Despite their thicker armour, their impressive array of boltguns and their compact power fists, he was unimpressed. Aggressors, he knew they were called. But they knew nothing of true aggression. 

He grabbed one of his Warp Talons by the shoulder and threw him into the charging Astartes. The huge marine batted the traitor away effortlessly, but had to throw one arm out to do it. Bryahn swung his chainsword through that arm just below the shoulder, jammed his combi-bolter into the hole and pulled the trigger. A second Aggressor rushed him, swinging both hands together in a power slap. Bryahn leaned into the twin blows, let the force ride through him and trusted his armour. 

It held. The marine's hands bounced off, leaving him wide open. Bryahn dropped his now empty bolter, shifted both hands to the hilt of his chainsword, jabbed it up into the reeling marine's chin and fired off a burst from his pack. Jumping clean over the now-headless Aggressor, he left two ruined bodies in his wake, their bulk tripping the third Aggressor, who howled in empty frustration. 

That just left the old shaman. He was standing stock still, a frosty blowback from his misdirected spell steaming off his armour and an expression of lonely shock on his face. Bryahn sneered - he'd hoped for a better challenge than this melancholic fool. Stepping in, he swung his blade and shattered the man's face. 

Literally. Too literally - not a marine, a marine wouldn't break apart like a dropped snowman. This was some kind of frozen simulacrum. Trickery! Bryahn spun, looking for the real threat, but it was too late. A shimmering runeblade swept past his guard and cut a horizontal line six inches deep through his breastplate. 

It's now the Cabal's turn to have too many targets and not enough guns. Violent Bryahn seems particularly stymied against the Belt of Russ, but won't back down from the fight.

The Cultists who survived the Inceptors' charge now sprint around them and jump onto Objective 1. The other unit of Cultists move up to support them (since there is no longer an Objective 3 to secure).

The Obliterators decide they need to deal with the Inceptors, and so move towards their own lines (crucially away from Objective 5) to get eyes on them.

Violent Bryahn and the Warp Talon stay put in the control room, ready for Round 3.

The Obliterators take aim at the Inceptors, along with the remaining Dunecrawler (which has now been healed back up to full capacity, thanks to the Dominus) and Ironstrider - the squad is wiped out, with enough heavy stubbers left to dent A Squad holding Objective 6.

In the melee in the control tower, the Warp Talon survives the barrage of attacks, but Violent Bryahn's constant dodging of sword blows is at an end. The Chaos Lord is run through by Snorri's runic blade, and then something strange happens...

As a last-minute narrative surprise, the mutating effects of Averment's breach have so saturated the planet, that when any of the faction leaders is slain, they are replaced with a Chaos Spawn (we weren't going to end the campaign without a few more Spawn, were we?).

It also means that both sides still have two models each around Objective 4, and so neither get to claim it, as it slowly sinks beyond recovery. And that could be crucial - each side only holds one objective right now, so with the bonus point for holding more objectives, that could have been a two-point swing.

---

Bryahn had time enough to enjoy the look of triumph on the Space Wolf's face swap with one of horror. The Breach had already taken him, planted its hooks in his soul and dragged him to the fleshchange. He'd fought it hard, hoping to claim this one last head before it took him. If he'd failed, it meant nothing in the end. Whatever he became would finish the job.  

Alliance 8 : 4 Cabal

Turn 4 - Alliance

"B squad! Watch your flank, there's..." It was too late. Eernheart watched with dismay as his soldiers died. They'd taken a drove of ragtag cultists with them, but their zeal had pulled them out of cover. Stubber bullets tore into them from the side, stripping away their lives with pinpoint accuracy. 

The noise of the battle was as unbearable as battle ever was, but there was a drumming vibration underfoot that was worse, a hot metallic taint to the air that got worse by the second. One of the huge coolant towers overhead was on fire now, the head bad enough that the liquid inside was boiling explosively. Several of the bunkers had already erupted as excess plasma began pouring through them. 

That was Imperial design at its finest, Eernheart thought. The crews that usual operated these stations would have to keep the raging plasma fires in its heart working within normal parameters because their lives depended on it. If they let it run amok, they'd always be the first casualties. The safety valves inside each control room would would vent the core on the crew, punishing them for failing the citizens of the hive. 

You protected your fellow men and women, or you died trying. The Imperial way. 

"How much more time do you need?" Eernheart asked the vox. He couldn't see any Wolves any more, Snorri's ambushers had fallen into the onrushing mass of traitors with fearsome abandon and been swallowed up by their ranks. The Runepriest himself was holding the control centre to Eernheart's left. Why wasn't he answering? Was he in trouble? Eernheart craned his neck, trying to somehow see through the rockrete walls of the squat building and find his ally. 

It exploded in a plume of sheer white plasma.  

Despite their losses, the Alliance can see victory in their grasp, and press ahead. C Squad continue to hold Objective 6, while B Squad finally make it onto Objective 5.

Snorri and the Aggressor remain in the control room, not because it's particularly pleasant in there with the Spawn, but because they're reluctant to venture outside into those lascannons.

The Psychic Phase Smites off the last Warp Talon, freeing up C Squad to light up the Spawn with plasma and lasgun fire. This leaves the Spawn on a single wound, which of course Snorri dispatches with a bolt round to the head.

B Squad continue the good work by killing a Cultist with lasguns and wounding an Obliterator with a missile launchers - go Guard shooting!

This gives the Alliance two more VP for the objectives they hold, and it looks like they're running away with this.

Alliance 11 : 4 Cabal

Turn 4 - Cabal

+++Timestamp T-47 seconds. Reactor core inter4aces critical, key override elements fused or currently without of interface range. Flare formati0n detected in primary p1asma chamber. Predictive analysis indicates resultant 4rc will exceed hive spire height by 3.489km+++

Remaining Astartes forces = negligible 

Remaining PDF forces = negligible 

Remaining Cabal forces = negligible

10 IF enemy forces no longer able to restrict advance THEN key shutdown terminals within our grasp 

20 GOTO key shutdown terminals

30 LET the Omnissiah's will be done

40 DEF FND them UNTIL reactor meltdown can be averted

50 ELSE mission critical objective lost

60 IF mission critical objectives=0, THEN END world

With just three objectives left on the field, time is running out for the Cabal to make their superior firepower count.

In a desperate play, the back unit of Cultists advance on Objective 1, while the ones already there attempt a long advance onto Objective 5 ... and fall short.

That costs the Cabal the point for holding Objective 5, and the bonus for holding more objectives. Nonetheless, they press on - the Obliterators gun down all of B Squad (which is the definition of 'overkill') and the AdMech vehicles kill the last Aggressor, leave Snorri as the sole survivor with eighteen slain combatants around him.

"I'm the Daddy."

Just a single point for The Cabal, and fingers crossed that the game will go to the later rounds.

Alliance 12 : 5 Cabal

Turn 5 - Alliance

It was nearly impossible to stand now. The floor was shaking too hard. 

Eernheart could see they'd lost the field. His last tanks were gone (Mattus was dead!), there were just a handful of guardsmen left around him, choking on the fuming air as they tried to keep their footing. 

Mechanicus cultists were swarming the control tower up ahead. The Space Wolf Inceptors had thinned their ranks enough that you could see the grey-armoured heroes lying prone on the observation deck, pulled down by sheer weight of numbers. The bunker where the Runepriest had been was just a crater now, a torch of burning plasma screeching through it and cutting into the ceiling. 

"We're the last there is," Eernheart said, pulling a trooper to her feet. "You, what's your name?"

"Corporal Jonquil Jones, sir," the woman said, coughing. Her face was smeared with blood and soot, but she didn't look done yet. 

"Jones, you ready to die for the Emperor?"

"Always am, sir," she said, and grinned. Eernheart grinned back. 

"Soldiers of Averment! Fix Bayonets! Up and at them!"

And they ran forward, screaming and firing, the last eight soldiers from countless thousands who'd died protecting their homeworld. 

The Alliance have so little left, but they're not letting up on the pressure. With only Eernheart left to guard Objective 6, C Squad is sent forward to take shelter behind the shanty buildings.

Snorri runs forward to join them, hoping that his Belt of Russ invulnerable save continues to defy the odds.

Alliance 13 : 5 Cabal

Turn 5 - Cabal

Eernheart watched them run, a strange pride in his breast. 

He watched as they died one by one, the relentless Mechanicus walkers anticipating their paths with cold logical analysis and intercepting them with streams of stubber fire. 

He watched as impossibly, on fire and backlit by the plasma vent, Snorri climbed out of the wrecked bunker and strode towards the foe, limping and halting but still firing. 

He watched as the spidery form of the Techpriest Dominus clung to the side of a Dunecrawler, manipulating limbs making lightning fast adjustments to the housing of the neutron laser. When it fired, the beam was black instead of white and left burning purple shadows where it fell. 

He watched Snorri take the beam full in the chest and stumble, striding against that torrent of energy for a moment, even somehow splitting it around him. Just for a moment, then it overrode him and wiped the old priest away. Something was left behind, a sputtering thing that lurched and cackled, but that was enough. Eernheart finally looked away. 

The terminal behind him chimed. A baleful red mark burned on the screen. The Iron Priests had told him what to do if he saw it. 

Alone in the clamour of the dying reactor, bullets hissing past him, Eernheart pressed his hand to the screen and closed his eyes. 

Sensing the battle slip from them, the forces of The Cabal run forward (there are still enough points to be had if the game goes to a seventh round).

The Obliterators have to advance to gain sight of C Squad, but before they can open fire, the AdMech guns speak, wiping out all the Guard infantry and finally breaking through the Rune Priest's invulnerable save.

And, like Bryahn before him, the warp-saturation of Averment turns this son of Fenris into a slavering beast.

Although not for long, as the Spawn quickly gets shot to pieces as well.

However, this leaves the Obliterators without any visible targets, and that lack of coordination between the Cabal allies proves to be the salvation of the last Alliance soldier alive on the field.

Command Eernheart remains resolutely securing Objective 6 - and the dice roll to end the game comes up as 1.

It is over.

Alliance 13 : 6 Cabal

Victory for The Alliance!

Locker Room

That was emotional. From the devastating artillery duels at the start to the brutal melee that held the game in balance, it was a fitting end to the campaign.

Ultimately, the Alliance took the most punishment, but their ability to move quickly onto objectives - particularly in this mission - proved critical. If the game had gone onto the seven round, there was a mathematical change The Cabal could have stolen victory, but they had such an uphill struggle from the start, it was some long odds.

And it was the Alliance commanders who won it: Eernheart was present to keep pushing his squads onto the objectives, while Snorri put up a heroic action in the control room. Bryahn and the Warp Talons should have wiped them out in a single stroke, but the delaying effect took away all of the Cabal's punch in the enemy's half of the field.

And so ends our lockdown Skypehammer - big thanks to b1llyb0b, Kraken, Monkey. Mr AP Burn, Mikey P, Pootle, Rapid and Warsmith Chris for being great sports and giving it a whirl. We kept rolling dice for eight weeks straight and told one hell of a story.

Speaking of which, I'll hand over to Kraken, our campaign narrator, for the finish:

---

On the bridge of the Ark Mechanicus Logica Frigus, the final annihilation light of Averment's dissolution faded from the viewscreen. 

Incitsimec Ecma, Fabricator General of Forge World X3.113-1987, watched it, an assembled council of his finest Logi and Magi at his back. He lifted his mechadendrites in a full spread, mimicking the holy symbol of the skullcog, and they returned the gesture. 

+++REBOOT+++, Ecma commanded. 

At the centre of the bridge, in a small high-sided dock, an emergency servitor backup frame began twitching and jerking as its cogitators began writing a new consciousness over the mind-wiped criminal brain at its core. Eye lenses flared and mechadendrites flexed, then the servitor rose to its full height. Techpriest Dominus Jonathan Fyve was once more online, his mind transmitted to the Ark scant seconds before Averment detonated. 

+++REPORT+++, Ecma instructed him. 

+++THE CODE WAS ACCURATE+++, Fyve broadcast. +++AS YOU HAVE SEEN, THE GRAMMATICUS EMPYRICUS WAS INTACT AND FUNCTIONAL. THE STC OF OUR FOREBEARS HAS BEEN 64% RECOVERED, FAR BEYOND OUR EXPECTATIONS. WITH IT, WE WILL BE ABLE TO OPEN STABLE WARP PORTALS ON DEMAND. THE SECRETS OF THE VOID WILL BE REVEALED. WE SHALL CONQUER THE UNKNOWN AND MASTER THE GREAT ENEMY OF THE IMPERIUM THROUGH LOGIC. MY MISSION WAS THEREFORE SUCCESSFUL DESPITE MINOR SETBACKS. ACKNOWLEDGE ME.+++

+++REJECTED+++, Ecma retorted. +++THE PROTOTYPE IS LOST. YOUR CHOICE OF ALLIES WAS... PROBLEMATIC, AS WAS YOUR RELIANCE ON CORRUPTED FLESH. OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS WERE WASTED. A WORLD HAS DIED. WORSE, OUR VESSEL WAS NEARLY DETECTED BY THE ADEPTUS ASTARTES. OUR VERY EXISTENCE ENDANGERED, ALL FOR A FLAWED PREMISE. AND YET YOU CLAIM SUCCESS!+++

+++THE KNOWLEDGE ACCRUED---

+++FURTHER DISCUSSION PROMISES DECREASING RETURNS+++, Ecma cut Fyve off. +++YOU HAVE MERELY REVEALED TO US ANOTHER WAY TO FAIL OUR GREAT QUEST. IN SOME RESPECTS VALUABLE, BUT OUR NEXT STEPS TOWARDS ENLIGHTENMENT ARE NOW CLEAR.+++ 

+++WAIT--- Fyve said, tendrils writhing in alarm, but it was too late. Ecma turned to the assembled Host and raised his axe. 

+++FYVE SHALL BE DISCONTINUED AND HIS EXPERIENCES DISTRIBUTED TO THE NOOSPHERE. YOU MAY DISASSEMBLE HIM WHEN READY.+++

+++!!+++ Fyve managed, a last blart of panicked code before the Host closed hungrily in on him. 

On the screen above, the last light of Averment faded away. 

Nothing remained.