I'm joining the Inferno Campaign - and taking the fight to Gehenna Prime!
It's the Adeptus Mechanicus vs Creations of Bile
I ventured out (fully masked, in a heatwave - what a sweaty hero I am) to Firestorm Games in Cardiff to take on ErgonJon's Adeptus Mechanicus - new army, new codex. I've fought Jon a few times before (the last one just a few weeks before the pandemic), but this would be the first time in 9th Edition with these armies.
Chaos Space Marines - The Creations of Bile
Same basic tactics as before: overwhelm the enemy with aggressive infantry and keep those characters buffing them.
- Fabius Bile (HQ) (Warlord)
Xyclos Needler, Rod of Torment, The Chirurgeon, Frag & Krak grenades
Surgeon Acolyte
Warlord: Lord of Terror - Servilius - Master of Possession (HQ)
Bolt pistol, Force stave, Frag & Krak grenades,
Psychic powers: Cursed Earth, Infernal Power - Philotus - Exalted Champion (HQ)
Bolt pistol, Power Sword, Frag & Krak Grenades - 5 x Chaos Space Marines (Troop)
Power maul, 4 x Boltguns, Missile launcher - 5 x Chaos Space Marines (Troop)
Lightning claw & Plasma pistol, 4 x bolt pistols and chainswords - 12 x Chaos Cultists (Troop)
7 x Autoguns, 4 x Autopistol and Brutal Assault Weapon, 1 x Heavy Stubber - Scarificator - Greater Possessed (Elite)
Daemonic mutations
Relic: Living Carapace
Supreme Creation: Prime Test Subject - 7 x Possessed (Elite)
Horrifying mutations - 7 x Possessed (Elite)
Horrifying mutations - 3 x Mutilators (Heavy)
Fleshmetal weapons, Mark of Khorne - 5 x Warp Talons (Fast)
5 x Pair of Lightning claws - 2 x Obliterators (Heavy)
Fleshmetal Guns, Crushing fists, Mark of Slaanesh - Venomcrawler (Heavy)
2 x Excruciator cannons, Eviscerating claws, Soulflayer tendrils - Venomcrawler (Heavy)
2 x Excruciator cannons, Eviscerating claws, Soulflayer tendrils
Adeptus Mechanicus - Forge World Agripinaa - Vermynarx Minor
The Adeptus Mechanicus is another product of the Hobbypocalypse, and painted to a gorgeous standard. As it's the beginnings of an army, there's a bit of everything to enjoy: massed squads of Skitarii, Kataphron Breachers, Ruststalkers, armoured vehicles and everyone's favourite robo-cowboys, the Serberys Raiders.
He's trying out Forge World Agripinaa this time - an extra -1AP at short range and, more crucially for facing assault armies, the ability to Hold Steady (Overwatch on 5+) or Set to Defend (+1 to hit) without needing defensible terrain.
The Marshall is the warlord, with a relic that allows one unit to ignore penalties to hit (useful now Galvanic Rifles are heavy) and a Agripinaa trait that allows slain models to fight one more time on 4+.
The Ruststalker champion also has one of those 'enemy unit fights last' relics that seem ubiquitous in 9th Edition.
- Skitarii Marshall (HQ) (Warlord)
Control Stave, Radium Serpenta
Trait: Verse of Vengeance
Relic: Raimant of Technomartyr - Tech Priest Enginseer (HQ)
Mechanicus Pistol, Omnissian Axe, Servo-arm - Tech Priest Manipulus (HQ)
Magnarail lance, Manipulus Mechadendrites, Omnissian Staff - 20 x Rangers (Troop)
18 x Galvanic Rifle, Omnispex, 2 x Arc Rifles - 15 x Vanguard (Troop)
15 x Radium Carbine, Taser goad, Data tether - 5 x Rangers (Troop)
Galvanic Rifle, Arc rifle - 3 x Kataphron Breachers (Troop)
Arc Claw, Heavy Arc Rifle - 3 x Kataphron Breachers (Troop)
Arc Claw, Heavy Arc Rifle - 10 x Ruststalkers (Elite)
Chordclaws, Transonic Razors
Temporcoria Relic (-1CP) - 5 x Serberys Raiders (Fast)
Archeo-revolver, 5 x Cavalry Sabre, 5 x Clawed Limbs, 5x Galvanic Carbine - Skorpius Disintegrator (Heavy)
3 x Cognis Heavy Stubber, Disruptor Missile Launcher, Ferrumite Cannon - Skorpius Disintegrator (Heavy)
3 x Cognis Heavy Stubber, Disruptor Missile Launcher, Ferrumite Cannon - Onager Dunecrawler (Heavy)
Broad Spectrum Data-Tether, Cognis Heavy Stubber, Icarus Array - Dunerider (Transport)
2 x Cognis Heavy Stubber, Twin Cognis Heavy Stubber
Points: 1500 | Level: 77 | Battle-forged + Battalion - Artefactotum: 11 CPs
Mission and Deployment
We're going full narrative on this one: the setting is Gehenna Prime itself!
Trying out the Open War cards, we draw The Prize mission: an objective in the middle of the table. An infantry model can 'pick up' the prize if it finishes its move on it (and can apparently get into vehicles with it, which is interesting). Whoever holds or controls the objective at the end of Turn 5 is the winner. Anything else is a draw.
There were also two Twist cards: one for the rising sun and one for raining projectiles - neither one had an impact.
To make the scenario even more perfect, we draw a very usual deployment map: one player entirely within a 12" in the centre, and the other deployed in all four corners of the board.
ErgonJon won the roll-off and picked the middle of the battlefield: Skorpius tanks and Kataphrons deployed along the south-east edge; the big unit of Rangers and Marshall in a crater on the north-west.
The other two edges had a blind-spot issue with two huge ruins there; so the south-west was blocked by the Dunerider, filled with Ruststalkers, and the north-east occupied by the Serberys Raiders.
The small squad of Rangers was placed on the actual objective, supervised by the two Tech Priests and the Duncrawler for fire-support.
The large unit of Vanguard were placed in strategic reserve.
For myself, the Creations of Bile list works best from overlapping buffs and auras, but I thought it would be more fun to hit the enemy from all sides at once. And despite having lots of deepstrike options, I kept everyone on the board - crossing the short distances between us didn't seem like it would be a problem.
On the north-west corner, my bolter Chaos Marines hide in a ruin.
In the north-east corner, my Cultists hide as far away as possible - maybe they heard about the number of heavy stubbers in the AdMech army?
With more courage, the assault Chaos Marines and one of the Venomcrawlers stay on the blind side of the north-east ruins, directly facing the Serberys Raiders.
Fabius Bile himself took the south-west corner, accompanied by the Exalted Champion, one unit of Possessed, and the Mutilators.
The Warp Talons were also in the south-west, but totally hidden at the back in a ruin (I just hope I don't forget about them!)
The biggest push came from the south-east, facing the strongest Admech defence: the Master of Possession and Greater Possessed leading the other Venomcrawler, other Possessed and Obliterators.
With such short distances to cover, it was going to be a vital grab for the first turn - and the Creations of Bile took it!
Creations of Bile - Turn 1
Before we begin, ErgonJon got to declare his Doctrina Imperatives: Bulwark Imperative for his Skitarii (+1 Save, -3" Move) and Litany Of The Electromancer for the Cult Mechanicus (-1 to hit in melee)
Wasting no time, I pile forward on three fronts. Only the north-west corner held back, with the bolter Chaos Marines climbing up the ruin to get eyes on the enemy and a cover save.
In the north-east, the assault Chaos Marines move up to the Serberys Raiders, joined by the Venomcrawler, who peeks around the corner to get eyes on the Dunecrawler.
In the south-west, I use the Macrotensile Sinews stratagem on the Mutilators, so they can Advance and Charge (adding +1 to each), so they're actually quick enough to threaten the Skorpius. The Possessed are fast enough to join the attack without advancing, but Bile and the Exalted Champion have to run to keep up with them (and Bile uses his Enhanced Warriors ability to give them +1A)
In the south-east, everyone also steams forward, but keeping within the Master of Possession's aura after he successfully casts Cursed Earth and Infernal Power to give everyone an increased invulnerable save and rerolls of 1 to hit and wound.
The Shooting Phase is pretty effective (for an assault army). With Veterans of the Long War played on the Obliterators, and some favourable rolls for their fleshmetal guns, I bring one of the Skorpius tanks down to a few wounds, which is finished off by their neighbouring Venomcrawler - engine kill!
The second Venomcrawler opened up against the Dunecrawler and took it down to five wounds. The only other firepower I had were the bolter Chaos Marines, who fired at the Skitarii in the crater (but with a cover save and Bulwark Imperative, they were quite safe) and a few pistols, which did little.
On to charges: everything makes it in to their respective targets, with the exception of the Master of Possession (a shame, given I really wanted him to bring his buffing aura with him).
I was braced for the inevitable Overwatch, and the Mutilators charging the Skorpius tank drew the short straw: one was vaporised by a missile and the other two took direct hits from the Ferrumite Cannon. Luckily, their invulnerable saves held fast and they made it in.
Knowing the Breachers could hurt me the most, I attacked first with my Greater Possessed - but with Litany Of The Electromancer in effect, plus a 2+ armour save, I was only able to inflict a single wound. Sure enough the Breachers did interrupt combat and lashed out at the Possessed with their arc claws, killing four of them!
The Possessed were clearly rattled by this, only rolled a single attack apiece, and failed to harm the Breachers. They subsequently lost two more to Morale, leaving one Possessed looking rather forlorn.
In better news, the assault Chaos Marines tore the Serberys Raiders to pieces, before the Venomcrawler could lay a claw on them (so it just consolidated further out of sight).
The two remaining Mutilators set to work on the Skorpius tank that had so rudely shot them, but their reputation went ahead of them, and they were only able to take it down to half wounds.
The other unit of Possessed were clearly more inspired by the vicinity of Fabius Bile - they rolled maximum attacks, and with shock assault and Bile's enhancements, they smashed the other unit of Breachers with a torrent of hits (with Death to the False Emperor popping all over the placed). Even that was only just enough to bring down the Breachers (they really are formidable).
Having missed out again, the second Venomcrawler consolidated into the Skorpius, giving it plenty of options to shoot next turn.
That was the end of my first turn, and I was pretty happy about it. The AdMech defences were still holding, but had taken a real battering, and my melee troops were right in the thick of it.
Adeptus Mechanicus - Turn 1
Some decisions required for the AdMech. ErgonJon decided to remain in combat with the Breachers and Skorpius, and move the Dunerider up to block off the path the objective between the crate and the ruins (though the Ruststalkers stayed inside).
With -3" Move (and in a crater), the Skitarii weren't going anywhere, and the smaller squad of Rangers just picked up the Prize. The Enginseer healed up the Dunecrawler, then ran through the ruins to confront the assault Chaos Marines (a selfless delaying tactic for the Omnissiah).
In Shooting, the large Skitarii played the Galvanic Volley Fire to turn their heavy weapons into Rapid Fire weapons and open up on my bolter Chaos Marines. I used Dermal Chitination to improve their hope of survival, but they were wiped out.
Held in combat, the Skorpius opened up on the Mutilators, blasting them apart this time. There wasn't much else visible or not already in combat, so the Dunecrawler targeted the Obliterators, I was able to ride my invulnerable saves and both survived the fusillade (although with one on a single wound).
In Combat, things swung back towards Creations of Bile: the Enginseer whiffed his attacks and was cut down by the assault Chaos Marines. The Greater Possessed killed two of the three Breachers (although the last one stood firm against the single Possessed - what a mind-wiped hero).
The large group of Possessed ripped the Skorpius apart, but discovered it had been rigged to blow, as ErgonJon played the Machine Spirit's Revenge to auto-detonate. Friend and foe alike were showered in mortal wounds (although as half my army had the ability to regenerate them, it wasn't so bad).
And so ended the AdMech's first turn - a smoking crater in the centre of the battlefield.
Creations of Bile - Turn 2
Keen to keep the pressure on, I play Macrotensile Sinews stratagem on the Warp Talons (I hadn't forgetter about them!) and they fly more than halfway across the board for an easy charge against the Skitarii in the crater. The Venomcrawler from the north-each scuttles sideways to also threaten the Skitarii (since the centre is becoming a bit of a traffic jam).
The Obliterators edge around to get eyes on the Dunecrawler, while Bile, the Exalted Champion, the big unit of Possessed and the Venomcrawler all push for the centre.
The Greater Possessed zig-zags through the morass to face the Tech-Priest Manipulus, while the melee Chaos Marines bust through the runs to add their numbers - I'm looking at a lot of infantry to grab this prize!
The lone Possessed from the unit who bounced off the Breachers is withdrawn from combat and sent to hide in the ruins and think about what he's done.
In Shooting, the Obliterators take out the Dunecrawler (no explodes this time) and the Vemoncrawlers put a few dents into the Dunerider. The small-arms of the assault Chaos Marines are directed at the lone Breacher, and I risk overcharging the Champion's plasma pistol just to see the end of him.
Everything charges into combat, with the exception of the Exalted Champion (who advanced, to lend his buffing ability). Bile jumps atop the crate to engage the Dunerider, and also to use his The Master Is Watching stratagem, which allows everyone with 12" and in his sight to reroll hits
I start with the Warp Talons and, just in case the odds weren't sufficiently stacked, play Veterans of the Long War on them too. With rerolls aplenty and Death to the False Emperor, the five of them shred no less than eighteen Skitarii. Two more are gobbled up by the Venomcrawler, and the Alpha very sensibly decides to run as fast as his bionic legs will carry him.
The Greater Possessed cleaves through the Tech-Priest Manipulus, and the assault Chaos Marines chop up the small squad of Rangers, leaving the Possessed to consolidate on the now-abandoned Prize, ready to claim it in the following turn.
Everyone consolidates to thump on the sides of the Dunerider, as the Ruststalkers inside prepare to deal with the noisy neighbours.
Adeptus Mechanicus - Turn 2
With the Prize slipping away, the AdMech make their final play. The Ruststalkers disembark from the Dunerider, losing one in the process (there are just too many enemies scrabbling at the sides).
Also, appearing out of the sun on the Northern edge, the large unit of Rangers come to save the day (or wonder what the hell happened).
Using the Enriched Rounds stratagem (auto wounding on 4+), the Rangers split their fire between the Warp Talons and the assault Chaos Marines. Many wounds are caused, but with astartes armour at work, only two Warp Talons and three Chaos Marines are killed.
In Melee, the Ruststalkers sneak behind the Creations and Bile and move to cut the head from the snake: they charge the Master of Possession, Exalted Champion and Fabius Bile himself.
In short order, the Master of Possession is killed, the Exalted Champion is killed, and then Fabius Bile is killed ... until the Chirurgeon starts jabbing him with stimulants and he gets back up again on two wounds and smashes down three of the Ruststalkers.
It looks like the Spider (or at least a very convincing clone) will survive this day.
Creations of Bile - Turn 3
With the Prize firmly in the hands (or mutated tentacles) of the Possessed, it's time to sweep aside the remaining Skitarri.
The remaining Warp Talons and northern Venomcrawler move to attack the Vanguard - so do the Cultists, who remember they're actually supposed to be working for a living.
The Cultists' firepower is actually quite effective, with the heavy stubber cutting down two Vanguard, and the autoguns accounting for a couple more. Having decided that's enough of a shift, they down their tools and fail the short charge into them.
Bile falls back from combat, recovering another wound as he does so, while the Obliterators mop up the last Ruststalkers.
The Venomcrawler (now I finally remember Daemonforge) blasts apart the Dunerider, triggering another booby trap as Machine Spirit's Revenge exploded the transport, showering a Chaos Marine, Possessed, Skitarii Marshall and Bile himself with deadly shrapnel.
As the Skitarii Marshall reels from the explosion, the Greater Possessed jumps into the crater and finishes him off.
And on the northern edge of the battlefield, the three Warp Talons once again join forces with the Venomcrawler to tear into a unit of Skitarri, leaving the Alpha alive, who turns and flees.
As the sun rises over Gehenna Prime, not a single Adeptus Mechanicus remains on the field, and so the Creations of Bile are free to pick up their comrades and take the archeotech Prize off-planet with them.
Result: Victory to the Creations of Bile!
Footnote: the Cultists who survived the entire battle without a single loss were, of course, immediately dissected to identify the source of their good fortune.
Back In The Laboratory
What a bloodbath! I'm getting to know the Creations of Bile list by now, and I suspect a large body count is one of its signatures.
The scenario and deployment was very narrative, but it did stack the odds heavily against poor ErgonJon. Going second against such an aggressive army at close range was always going to be hard, but I think even if the AdMech had gone first, there would have still been a lot for them to deal with.
It may have run closer - if the AdMech had managed to pick up the Prize one turn earlier, they could have jumped into a transport, fled for a table corner and set up a defence (which was ErgonJon's plan). The line of Breachers and Skorpius nearly held, but with the mechanics of the mission (picking up the objective at the end of the phase), it was just a turn too late.
All the same, I was very impressed by some of the AdMech's units, and I like the interwoven abilities of the various units (they honestly don't seem that complicated once you've got your head around them). Looking forward to fighting them again (which I surely must - as we now have a McGuffin to start a narrative campaign with!)
And a final word for the Creations of Bile - still great fun, still super-fast, super-killy and super-swingy. There's some more buffs and abilities that I'm still learning to appreciate, as well as getting my head around the nuances of an assault list - onwards we go!
Is that an undefeated run for the Army of Bile? Should someone take that personally and offer to break it?
ReplyDelete(Also: great report, congrats on the win, etc)
DeleteNot quite - the Blood Angels took a narrow win over them last time. But all challenges accepted.
Delete(and, you know, history is written by the winners, so all my battle reports *sound* like I came out on top)
Great to see them on the table against the stressmech.
ReplyDeleteThey really are a beautiful sight.
Delete