A Little Fight Music: Chaos Daemons vs Adeptus Mechanicus

The sluice-gates of the Immaterium burst open, but will reality bite back?

Chaos Daemons vs Adeptus Mechanicus!

This will be a clash of polar opposites where I, Stylus, will be taking the magic and melee of the Chaos Daemons against the rat-a-tat rationality of Kraken's Adeptus Mechanicus.

On the desert world of Kadesh, a Cult Mechanicus outpost is overrun by swarms of neverborn. Can the arrival of an Ordo Malleus Inquisitor rally the survivors and hold back the tide for the Imperium?

Orchestral Movements In the Warp - Chaos Daemons

My list is something of a zoo, and deliberately so. At this level, I could field either mono-Tzeentch or mono-Nurgle, but I like my chaos a bit more random. Besides, this is a relatively new army for me, so I want to try out as much as possible.

The heft of the army is going to be the Plaguebearers, backed up by the Poxbringer and the newly-arrived Sloppity Bilepiper. The Horrors and Nurglings should afford some staying power on the objectives.

The Infernal Enrapturess also makes an appearance, since I'm so used to playing Tzeentch HQs, I don't mind giving them a miss. Plus she brings a few neat tricks to the party, not least a modulating shooting attack and an ability to cause Perils of the Warp on any double for enemy psykers.

My fast-moving threats are going to be the Screamers and the Fiends, either one of them capable of giving the AdMech a bad time if they make it into combat.

And finally, some Flamers, who can offer me a little firepower to counter the AdMech's barrage of shots.

Chaos Daemons - Battalion

• H'Kytee - Infernal Enrapturess (HQ)
  Heartstring Lyre, Ravaging claws
  Relic: The Forbidden Gem
• Ebesneezer- Poxbringer (HQ)
  Balesword
  Psychic powers: Shriveling Pox
• Claypolio - Sloppity Bilepiper (HQ)
  Marotter
• 22 x Plaguebearers (Troop)
  Plagueswords, Daemonic Icon, Instrument of Chaos
• 5 x Nurglings (Troop)
  Diseased teeth and claws
• 10 x Pink Horrors (Troop)
  Coruscating flames (2 x Blue Horrors + 2 Brimstone Horrors in reserve)
• 3 x Fiend (Elite)
  Dissecting claws, Vicious barbed tail
• 6 x Flamers (Elite)
  Flickering flames
• 4 x Screamers (Fast)
  Lamprey bite

Points: 999 | Level: 54 | Battle-forged + Battalion: 6 CPs

Righteous Metal - Adeptus Mechanicus & Inquisition

The AdMech are still rather a foreign force to me. Nearest to the Scions back home, I suppose, in that they can shoot well but aren't so good in melee. What better to vary Stylus's excellent selection of metal men with than something more familiar - the Inquisition!

This got costly fast, in terms of Command Points. Dropping an Onager from the Logic Engine's ranks gave me enough for a Vanguard Detachment of Inquisitorial troops, and well-armed ones too. Those plasma guns and flamers are going to leave a mark! 

However, this costs half my CPs, and I compound this by giving the Inquisitor herself some extra toys. At least between her innate abilities and those of the Dominus, I've got plenty of rerolls built into the list. I could probably have picked a better trait for the list, but I do like experimenting. The tiny bonus for the Arc Rifles may not be much, but Data Hoard makes my vehicles even tougher, and the Daemons are likely going to struggle with them anyway.

The plan is simple - shoot big holes in everything with the AdMech troopers, whilst the vehicles stalk forward and accompany the Inquisitor to melee range. Then let the purging commence!

Battalion Detachment - Data-Hoard Forge World

• Tech-Priest Dominus (HQ) (Warlord)
  Phosphor Serpenta, Volkite Blaster
  Warlord Trait: Analyses of the Logos
  Relic: Raiment of the Technomartyr
• Tech-Priest Enginseer (HQ)
  Laspistol, Omnissian Axe, Servo-arm
• 10 x Skitarii Rangers (Troops)
  8 x Galvanic Rifle, 2 x Transuranic Arquebus, Enhanced Data-Tether
• 10 x Skitarii Vanguard (Troops)
  8 x Radium Carbines, 2 x Arc Rifle
• 10 x Skitarii Vanguard (Troops)
  8 x Radium Carbines, 2 x Arc Rifle
• 2 x Ironstrider Ballistarii (Fast)
  Broad Spectrum Data-tether, 1 x Twin Cognis Lascannon, 1 x Twin Cognis Autocannon
• Onager Dunecrawler (Heavy)
• Broad Spectrum Data-tether, Cognis Heavy Stubber, Twin Heavy Phosphor Blaster

Vanguard Detachment - Ordo Malleus

• Inquisitor (HQ)
  Inferno pistol, Nemesis Daemon Hammer
  Powers: Castigation
  Inquisitorial Mandate Relic: Blackshroud
• 5 x Acolytes (HQ)
  Bolt pistol, combi-flamers
• 5 x Acolytes (HQ)
  Bolt pistol, plasma gun
• Daemonhost (HQ)
  Unholy Gaze, Warp Grasp

Points: 1,000 | Level: 51 | Battle-forged - Vanguard detachment - Inquisitorial Mandate: 2 CPs

Mission and Deployment

We're playing the Shifting Front mission, which has the standard four objectives (two in the middle, one in each deployment zone). A little twist in this mission is that, if your opponent controls the objective in your deployment zone, you don't get your extra CP in the Command Phase.

Acutely conscious of getting shot up as I crossed the field, I set up cautiously, while still giving me the best chance to cover ground and get on objectives.

The Pink Horrors huddled behind a ruin on my home objective - neatly out of sight, so could potentially stay claiming it for the whole game.

The Screamers hid behind a ruin on my left flank, while I overloaded my right flank with the mob of Plaguebearers and all three characters (I admit: I forgot there were snipers, or I wouldn't have been so smug about their Plaguebearer screen).

With no good place to put them, the Fiends got the job of being the distraction carnifex, and set up right in the centre, ready to gallop through the valley of death.

"Are we sure this isn't a valley of death?"
"No. It's more like a ravine."

The Flamers went into deepstrike using Denizens of the Warp, since they're usually a prime target (and my only shooting unit worth a damn). And the Nurglings used their Mischief Maker rule to jump forward onto one of the centre objectives.

As planned, I form a forward-sitting shooting line, ready to stride forward into the dust and shoot all the daemons to bits. The bulk of the Admech go on my left, let by both characters, with the Inquisitor holding up the middle. Flamer Acolytes and more Vanguard on the right, aiming for that middle objective. 

The lines of sight aren't great, but I reckon the vehicles can quickly get into better firing positions and cover the advance of the troops on the way in. Maybe even pin an enemy unit in place somewhere...

After the roll-off, I get to pick. And I pick going second - even if this means letting the Daemons get to the objectives first, I reckon I have a very good chance of shooting them off clear!

Secondaries

The Chaos Daemons secondary objectives are:

• Test Their Lines: the mission-specific objective. 3VP to get two or more units inside the enemy deployment and within 6" of the battlefield edge. 5VP if one of those edges is the backline.
• Engage on All Fronts: 2VP to have units in three table quarters and 6" from the centre at the end of the turn. 3VP to have units in all four quarters 6" from the centre.
• Raise the Banner: units controlling an objective can spend an action to raise a banner. Thereafter (unless taken by an enemy), you get 1VP in the Command Phase and a bonus VP at the end of the game

The Adeptus Mechanicus secondary objectives are:

• First Strike: 5VP for killing an enemy unit in the first round, with a bonus 3VP if more enemy units than friendly ones are destroyed.
• Assassinate: 3VP for killing characters, of which I have three
• Raise the Banner: same as above, although their banners are probably cleaner

Turn 1 - Chaos Daemons

A more canny general might have been tempted to play it cool for a turn, especially as First Strike was on the cards. But I clearly had my daemon hat on, and charged pell-mell at the enemy. The Screamers tore down one flank, ready to charge the Acolytes, while the Fiends advanced down the centre, unable to charge anyone, but pulling faces at them.

I was more circumspect with the Pink Horrors and Nurglings, who both stayed put and raised a banner on their respective objectives.

The Plaguebearer mob and its accompanying characters advance forward, but fail to reach their objective (the difficult ground is slowing them down - and I forgot their bonus from their instrument of chaos).

My psychic powers are out of range, and except for one discordant note on the Enrapturess' Heartstring Lyre that obliterates a Ranger, no shooting either.

So it's straight to the Assault Phase - the Screamers declare against the Acolytes, who elect to Overwatch with their combi-flamers (who are able to do this with their new 12" range). Being Ordo Malleus, they get to reroll wounds, but I'm confident my 4++ invulnerable save will see me through.

I fail all of them, and the unit is destroyed. I've managed to give First Strike to Kraken in my own turn.

There's nothing else to be done, although the Fiends are probably starting to question what kind of general they signed up with.

Objective secured: none
Objective secured (Adeptus Mechanicus): First Strike (5)

Chaos Daemons 0 : 5 Adeptus Mechanicus

Turn 1 - Adeptus Mechanicus

No surprises in what's out there on the field - a lot of nasty, fast creatures that will tear huge ugly holes in my line if I can't deal with them. Lucky I brought all these guns, then!

The right and centre of the line move forward, although I leave the Vanguard and Daemonhost in the middle to hold the line and plant a flag on it, respectively. The Rangers and Ballistarii have good lines of sight to the Plaguebearers and their leaders, so keep still and squint down their barrels. 

Already within earshot of that wretched Daemon harp, the Inquisitor immediately eats half of my CPs by rolling a double 4 for her Smite against the Fiends. I know full well that Stylus is twitching his fingers over the Possession strategem, and I'm unwilling to potentially die this early on. Luckily, the reroll gives me an 11, and the Fiends lose almost half their strength to a fat psychic bolt, then the rest shortly afterwards as the Vanguard open up with their carbines.

I pay 2CP on Warp Surge to increase the Fiends' invulnerable saves - more by way of apology than hope they would survive.

Over on the right, the flame acolytes do not disappoint! Most of the Nurglings pop like corn, then the other Vanguard squad assaults them and bashes the rest around enough that the remainder are pushed back into the Warp by morale. Down goes one of the Daemon flags straight away!

Otherwise, though, shooting doesn't do much. The entire left flank gunline can only plink off a few Plaguebearers, and all of them reappear shortly afterwards thanks to the piped musak of Mr Sloppity. Gah!

It's better than that - because I recover five Plaguebearers, I can place them at the head of my unit and actually get in range of that centre objective, meaning I'm holding it for the start of my turn (something had to go my way!).

Objective secured: First Strike (+3)

Chaos Daemons 0 : 8 Adeptus Mechanicus

Turn 2 - Chaos Daemons

I'm in a bit of a pickle. My two fastest melee units have just been wiped out for no return, so a little thinking and a lot of luck is required here.

Now on their objective, the Plaguebearers half their shambling advance and plant a banner. After a narrow escape with the snipers, all the characters dive behind cover.

The Pink Horrors move off their objective - no passengers in this army any more - and move to retake the central one from the Vanguard. Although their efforts don't impress as their coruscating flames only kill on skitarii and they fail the long charge (again hampered by the difficult terrain).

But I'm also able to deploy my reserves - the Flamers come in from deepstrike, right in the enemy rear and with the intention of incinerating the combi-flamer Acolytes. I don't know if that's the smartest play, but I now have an emotional need to see them dead. Sure enough, 6D6 flamer shots is enough to turn their ashes into ashes.

And that's all the punch I have, although I'm sitting handily on objectives and spread across three fronts, so my VP tally is at least respectable.

Objective secured: Primaries (10), Engage on all Fronts (2), Raise the Banners (1)

Chaos Daemons 13 : 8 Adeptus Mechanicus

Turn 2 - Adeptus Mechanicus

I more or less hold still, although my push continues down the middle, now joined by the Daemonhost. It's not worth the potential gains for another psychic power, so I rely entirely on shooting, and it's not the best.

In a reversal of the Screamers' performance - I was passing all the Flamers' invulnerable saves this time around. Such is fate.

The Flamers shrug off everything the Ironstriders can lob at them, and although I put a hefty dent in the Horror unit, Stylus pays 2CPs for them to ignore their casualties. 

I used up all my Blue Horror and Brimstone Horror reinforcements to soak some of the wounds

After watching the few Plaguebearers I manage to kill pop back into existence again, I start to wonder if it's worth shooting at them at all!

Well, it's helping the unit slowly edge downfield, so please keep shooting!

Still, I'm in a good place, there are troops ready to pressure the Daemon back line, and scary as the Plaguebearers are, I know they can be relatively tame in combat. Leaving them in peace to clamber through the ruin isn't the worst I can do here.

Objective secured: Primaries (10), Raise the Banners (1)

Chaos Daemons 13 : 19 Adeptus Mechanicus

Turn 3 - Chaos Daemons

With most of my fast options gone, I'm going to have to ignore most of the AdMech armour and instead push onto the objectives.

The Flamers bounce up to a high vantage, ready to rain fire down upon anyone they see. My ultimate target is the Vanguard on the central objective, but I'm wary of killing them all and leaving myself nothing to charge.

The Horrors more towards the Vanguard as a backup, although the going is difficult, due to the difficult terrain (who built this battlefield anyway?)

The Plaguebearers continue to shamble over the ruins - the size of the unit means I'm still going to be taking a movement penalty if they want to charge, so they'll likely stay put. At least they're locking down that objective for me.

The two Nurgle characters stick close, while the Infernal Enrapturess breaks from the pack and heads towards the Dunecrawler. She pauses to charm four of the five Acolytes with the alternate tune of her lyre.

The Infernal Enrapturess charges the Dunecrawler, losing two wounds in the process and achieving nothing but tying up its guns (or directing them all on her!) for a turn.

The Flamers split fire everywhere, taking one wound off the Daemonhost, bouncing off the armour of the Inquisitor, and hosing down the Vanguard. Unfortunately, with Shroudspalm in effect, and Kraken's uncharacteristic rolling, four of them are left standing.

The Flamers charge in to finish them off, but combat isn't their strong suit, and a couple of Vanguard are left to hold the objectives.

Those Vanguard could be a thorn in my side, but on the bright side, my Flamers are safely hidden from all the guns.

Objective secured: Primaries (10), Raise the Banners (2)

Chaos Daemons 25 : 19 Adeptus Mechanicus

Turn 3 - Adeptus Mechanicus

Alright, you Daemon filth. It's Hammer-time!

The Daemonhost swoops on ahead, taking the Daemon's backline objective. Letting the Onager plough onwards leaves the Daemon warlord looking extremely exposed in the middle of the field, and I've got plenty of gun to train on her. Hypnotic crystal or not, the Inquisitor has powers, guns and clobbering to spare. Surely I can bring the harpist down?

Oh yes, I can, it turns out. I can roll a double four for a smite (again!), then reroll that into a double six. 

Out pops the Daemonic Possession strat, and six wounds later, the Inquisitor turns herself into an enormous psychic whirlpool that sucks down the remaining acolyte and the Enchantress with it. So job done, but possibly at a higher cost than advertised!

Wow! I needed that!

Elsewhere, the guns keep blazing. But the Horrors and Plaguebearers aren't going anywhere fast, and my valiant Vanguard get reduced to their leader, standing alone in a pack of Flamers. He's kept them busy, at least, and retains the objective, but I'm going to struggle to keep my gains at this rate of loss!

Objective secured: Primaries (10), Assassinate (3), Raise the Banners (1)

Chaos Daemons 25 : 33 Adeptus Mechanicus

Turn 4 - Chaos Daemons

That damned Vanguard Alpha! Unlike 8th Edition, my Flamers can't just fly away and shoot, which means my best unit is tied up to deal with him.

The Horrors change direction (well, they would, wouldn't they?) and head back to push the Daemonhost off the home objective (which is currently stopping me from getting more command points). I use the Minions of Magic stratagem to guarantee the Horrors' Smite takes a wound off him, blast off another wound with coruscating flames, and then charge in and manage to knock off the last wound in melee!

Arg! Serves him right for betraying his kin, though.

The Flamers vent their frustration on the Alpha - although he manages to weather the inferno quite bravely and only goes down to two failed saves, so I suppose I should be grateful I killed him at all!

Eight wounds caused and only two through? Whose dice are these?

The Plaguebearers finally make it into combat, lumbering into the AdMech castle. The Poxbringer managed to put Shrivelling Pox on the Rangers in the Psychic Phase, so wounding them isn't a problem. But the armour saves come to the fore, and it's tough going for either side to make a dent.

Everyone's getting stuck in now, and the scores are dead level.

Objective secured: Primaries (5), Engage on all Fronts (2), Raise the Banners (1)

Chaos Daemons 33 : 33 Adeptus Mechanicus

Turn 4 - Adeptus Mechanicus

Suddenly I'm in real danger of being overrun, here. Do I pull the Onager back towards the middle, or try and overpower the Horrors and keep my hold on the back line? After much dithering, I go for the latter. Surely I can take out those six fire daemons with all my gunpower. 

No, no I can't. Not a single one falls to shooting. At least the central vanguard snipe away the Poxbringer, who's left himself hanging in the breeze. 

That's going to be a welcome break for my right flank, and so it proves - without their boosted strength, the Plaguebearers struggle to pull the Rangers down, and the melee degenerates further into a sluggish bog.

But that's all I achieve. The Onager trudges into melee with the Horrors, which is going to be another endless tarpit, but still can't shift any of them. This is going to get close...

Objective secured: Primaries (5), Assassinate (3), Raise the Banners (1)

Chaos Daemons 33 : 42 Adeptus Mechanicus

Turn 5 - Chaos Daemons

I'm finally outnumbering the AdMech on objectives, which gives me a maximum score on primaries.

Leaving the Horrors and Dunecrawler to slap away at each other (I'm controlling the objective, so what do I care?), I bounce the Flamers over to threaten the AdMech's home objective. They open up on the Vanguard, but don't kill enough of them to ensure breaking them.

The Plaguebearers continue clawing away at the AdMech armour, and I least manage to tear down the Ranger squad.

As a note, the Bilepiper's ability hasn't been returning any of my daemons for the past few turns, but it still means I've been passing every Morale check in this melee, so he's earned his place.

With a reroll, the Flamers make their long charge into the Vanguard. Wiping these out would hamstring Kraken's victory point tally, but it's not to be, and a few brave mechanical souls are left to hold the objective.

Objective secured: Primaries (15), Raise the Banners (1)

Chaos Daemons 49 : 42 Adeptus Mechanicus

Turn 5 - Adeptus Mechanicus

The writing is on the wall, here - I should (with hindsight) have pulled the Onager back to the left flank earlier on, where it would now be sitting on an objective and also able to snipe the ghastly Bilepiper for a last minute score. As it is, the single objective I hold doesn't score me much, although it does at least still have my flag on it.

As my HQ units hold the Plaguebearers in place, the Vanguard move out of combat and let the Ironstriders shoot up the flamers. For the first time in four rounds of shooting, they actually connect hard enough to beat the Daemon auras and bring something down! That's a lot of shooting for a single casualty.

That's my lot, though. That early lead has disintegrated rather like my hold on the field. It was a pretty good early lead, though - could it be enough?

Objective secured: Primaries (5), Raise the Banners (1)

Chaos Daemons 49 : 48 Adeptus Mechanicus

As the dust settles, each side also gets a bonus VP for having one banner still standing (although the Rangers are gingerly keeping one mechanical foot on their objective while avoiding the Flamers)

Bonus Objective (Deamons): Raise the Banners (+1)

Bonus Objective (AdMech): Raise the Banners (+1)

Chaos Daemons 50 : 49 Adeptus Mechanicus

Result: Victory to Chaos Daemons!

Locker Room

Noooooo! 

Of all the costly head explosions I've overseen as commander, the loss of that Inquisitor was one of the worst. I'd have given very good odds for taking out the Enchantress with either hammer or shot, and then been able to keep the Horrors at bay on the back line. Maybe not the Flamers for very long, though, those are vicious! 

I got out of jail with that result! And I agree it hinged on the Inquisitor's rather spectacular explosion. If she had been alive to seize my home objective with the Daemonhost, there would have been no recovering it and I'd have lost by a landslide.

As it was, I think we both thought this game might be over quickly when I lost my Fiends and Screamers in Turn 1. Both were lost to my recklessness, but also the vicissitudes of daemonic saves. I couldn't make any early on - but the Flamers and Horrors were saving like bosses (and let's not even even get into the Disgusting Resilience of the Plaguebearers).

Otherwise the plan went pretty well, although my shooting never lived up to that early promise. The Onager was never going to achieve much, not with the ratty gun, but it was a useful nuisance. Not so the Ironstriders, who were never short of ones to roll with their lascannons. A real disappointment from them.

I really enjoyed my try-out with the daemons. Sloppity Bilepiper and the Plaguebearers are a great combination, the Infernal Enrapturess was a nice unit too, with some badly-needed shooting and a nasty thread for psykers. The Flamers were almost my MVP, except they were so hopeless in melee - still, if they had everything, it wouldn't be fun!

And it was great fun. Lots of random things happening, and a hefty slice of luck to scrape a win. I'm going to enjoy playing daemons.

I can't grumble about my dice otherwise, there was some magnificent armour saving going on. Still sixes in the bank from earlier years, I guess!

Great to have a nice close game, too, it really came down to the line. It does feel like time to start mixing up our battles a bit more, though, trying some non-tournament type battles would make for a hearty change from battling over Primaries again. I do like this new format a lot, in fairness, but we've played quite a lot of it lately.

I second that. 9th Edition is a very good ruleset - but just sticking to the basic missions feels like we're limiting ourselves. Off to new adventures!