The Last Stand: The Purge vs Black Legion

Gormenghastly's ancient terminator plate creaked as he waded through the dust of Golfroth IV. Decius was a fool to object to his plan to join up with the Black Legion. His loyalty to Nurgle in the face of Ghox's worship of Khorne was understandable, but the Purge had always delighted in exterminating life and although Gormenghastly did not doubt his own loyalty to the Plague God, he had no objection to allying his warband to Ghox's Black Legion in the joint cause of spilling more blood.

Ghormenghastly could see the Ghox's warband just ahead. This parlay would finalise the terms of the deal to join the Black Legion. Nothing could stop him now...

A reckoning is coming for The Purge!

Pootle here with a write-up of a game Stylus and I played just before Wild West 2. Gormenghastly, current leader of my Purge army is meeting Ghox, a Dark Apostle of the Black Legion, to negotiate joining his army. However another faction of The Purge, led by Decius, doesn't want to sign on the dotted line and intends to disrupt the meeting. 

My attachment to the Purge originated in wanting a Nurgle-aligned CSM army to ally with my Death Guard, however the Purge have disappeared from the new codex. I've decided that my models will now be Black Legion and this game is part of the narrative backstory to explain this.

However I, Stylus, have chosen to send my Purge to The Dip, to be repainted as other flavours of CSM. Accordingly, the most fitting send-off would be a game that my Purge are doomed to lose (to explain their physical destruction) and Pootle is keen to tie this into a narrative for his own Purge. So my 1,000 point army will face 2,000 points of Black Legion (also actually my army). Both of them are Purge. Does that make sense to everyone?

The Pestilent Congregation - The Purge

These are The Purge that are doomed to be purged. Sad to see them go, but it's expand or die in the Eye of Terror, and I've got other Chaos Space Marine armies more deserving of additional models.

I'm still fond of the Decius conversion, so he may survive as a relic of better times, but the rest can be handily absorbed into my Black Legion, Creations of Bile, Death Guard, World Eaters or Scourged (so I'm not short of heresy).

For the army itself, a Lord and Sorcerer to command them, both in terminator armour. A combi-melta each and, for old times' sake, we gave the warlord the 8th Edition Orb of Unlife, which has a reputation of its own.

The rest of my warband is quite an elite affair: a squad of Legionaries (with an eclectic mix of weapons), a squad of Plague Marines (similarly armed), a Helbrute (with a highly impractical weapons loadout), three Obliterators (split into two squads) and a Rhino.

Hardly optimised, but there's some damage to be done there, if the gods are in my favour.

• Decius - Sorcerer in Terminator Armour (HQ) (Warlord)
  Combi-melta, Force Sword, Frag & Krak Grenades, Mark of Nurgle
  Trait: Blessed Mission
  Relic: The Orb of Unlife
  Diabolic Strength, Prescience, Putrid Miasma
• Marcus Polio - Chaos Lord in Terminator Armour (HQ)
  Combi-melta, Power Fist, Frag & Krak Grenades, Mark of Nurgle
  
• 5 x Legionaries (Troops)
  4 x bolt pistols, 3 x chainswords, Power maul, Reaper Chaincannon, Mark of Nurgle
• 5 x Plague Marines (Elite)
  Power fist, 2 x Flail of Contagion, 2 x 2nd Plague Knife, Blight & Krak Grenades, Mark of Nurgle
• Helbrute (Elite)
  Helbrute fist (combi-bolter), Power scourge, Mark of Nurgle
• Obliterator (Heavy)
  Fleshmetal guns, Mark of Nurgle
• 2 x Obliterator (Heavy)
  Fleshmetal guns, Mark of Nurgle
• Rhino (Transport)
  2 x combi-bolter, Havoc Launcher

Points: 1000 | Level: 54 | Battle-forged + Patrol: 12 CP

Black Legion

I'm picking (almost all of) my army from Stylus's collection today and there's a good choice on offer: his Black Legion army, The Unkindest Cut, runs to around 3,500 points. I'm picking two standalone 1,000 point patrols to represent the two factions meeting to agree joining forces. 

Ghox the Desecrator is a Dark Apostle leading the Khorne faction; he's the overall warlord, carrying the Black Mace relic (a souped-up damage 3 Crozius whose damage spills over) and benefitting from the warlord trait Flames of Spite (reroll wounds in melee and 6s to wound cause a mortal wound in addition). I'm giving him the Omen of Potency prayer (+3A and an extra 2AP) which will make him a proper handful in combat. Incidentally, here's a quick plug for the first models I'm painting for my own Khorne-aligned Black Legion.

Gormenghastly leads the ex-Purge detachment (and is the only model of my own I'm bringing). I'll be using Black Legion rules for them but I feel honour-bound to take the Orb of Unlife relic for him even though it's an awful lot less impressive than it was when he used it to acclaim on Averment. He also gets the trait Hatred Incarnate to allow him to reroll melee hits and add 1 to S and A when charging (or charged etc).

Ghox's Gore Grinders - Khorne-aligned Black Legion Patrol Detachment

• Ghox the Desecrator - Dark Apostle (HQ) (Warlord)
  Accursed Crozius, 2x Dark Disciples, Mark of Khorne
  Trait: Flames of Spite
  Relic: The Black Mace
  Omen of Potency
• 8 Legionaries (Troops)
  Champion with Boltgun & Power Sword, 6x Bolt Pistols & Chainswords, 1x Meltagun, Mark of Khorne, Chaos Icon
• 10 Cultists (Troops)
• Helbrute (Elite)
  Helbrute fist (Heavy Flamer), Multi-melta, Mark of Khorne
• 5 Chaos Bikers (Fast Attack)
  Champion with Power Sword, 2x Chainswords, 2x Meltaguns, Mark of Khorne
• Obliterator (Heavy Support)
  
• Heldrake (Flyer)
  Baleflamer
• Rhino (Transport)
  Combi-bolter

999 points

Gormenghastly's GarRotters - Nurgle-aligned Black Legion Patrol Detachment

• Gormenghastly - Sorcerer in Terminator Armour (HQ) (Warlord)
  Combi-melta, Force Axe, Mark of Nurgle, Chaos Familiar
  Trait: Hatred Incarnate
  Relic: The Orb of Unlife
  Diabolic Strength, Infernal Gaze, Putrid Miasma
• 7 Legionaries (Troops)
  5x Bolt Pistols & Boltguns, 1x Heavy Bolter & Bolt Pistol, Champion Bolt pistol & Boltgun, Mark of Nurgle
• 7 Plague Marines (Elite)
  Champion with Power fist, 1x Flail of Contagion, 1x Blight Launcher, 1x Icon of Nurgle, 3x Boltguns. All with Plague Knife, Blight & Krak Grenades, Mark of Nurgle
• 7 Raptors (Fast Attack)
  Champion with Power Fist & Bolt Pistol, 4x Bolt Pistols & Chainsword, 2x Meltaguns, Mark of Nurgle
• Chaos Land Raider (Heavy Support)
  Twin Heavy Bolter, 2x Twin Soulshatter Lascannon
• 1x Obliterator (Heavy Support)
  

1,000 points

Points: 1,999 | Level: 122 | Battle-forged - Patrol - extra trait & relic: 8CP

Scenario and deployment

We've picked an interesting-looking deployment map from the Open War deck; I'll deploy my two detachments one in each of the red zones with Stylus's Purge in the green zone.

Stylus is obviously horribly outgunned here, so we're also using the Sudden Death rules: Stylus has secretly selected one condition; if he achieves this then he wins.

My not-so secret objective is narratively-driven - if the enemy forces I destroy are equal to or greater than half their starting total, I win, no matter how many of my own are destroyed. Basically, drag them all down to hell with me!

We have three objectives in no-man's-land, but I'm thinking that claiming them will only be vaguely relevant - Khorne and The Purge (both past and present members) are aligned in just wanting to kill everyone.

The Khorne detachment starts on my left. The Legionaries and Ghox are in the Rhino and the Obliterator is in the teleportarium.

Nurgle goes on my right with Plague Marines in the Land Raider, Raptors in the sky and the other Obliterator also in the teleportarium.

I deployed to avoid getting blown apart if I went second: both infantry squads in the Rhino, surrounded by the Helbrute, Obliterator and Chaos Lord, all of them hugging the screening cover of the central ruin.

The Sorcerer and two Obliterators went into deepstrike, to give me something to punch back with.

The plan is to pick one flank and hit it with everything before the other half of the jaws can close in on me.

Stylus wins the roll-off for first turn and elects to go first.

Turn 1 - The Purge

Marcus Polio croaked an order and, remaining out of sight of their treacherous former brethren, his troops stepped from the cover of the ruined temple and levelled their guns at the Khorne-worshipping Black Legion. Today there would indeed be blood for their blood god! A hail of fire reduced three bikers to gore-splattered wreckage.

I may have deployed too cannily here, and deprived myself of some early shots, but it was better than trading lascannon fire with a Land Raider.

Sticking to my plan, I ignore my treacherous Nurgle brethren and swing around to engage the Khorne half. The Rhino zooms ahead onto the objective (no harm in Pootle thinking I'm trying to play the mission) and the footsloggers follow behind.

The only thing with sight and range is the lone Obliterator, who targets the Bikers and does rather well, blasting three of them from the saddle.

Turn 1 - Black Legion

Ghormenghastly smiled at the sight of his former colleagues pouring fire into Ghox's troops. He had suspected Decius would try to interrupt the deal and had warned the Black Legion. After pausing briefly to watch Ghox's pet Heldrake circling overhead and spraying promethium onto the Purge forces, he leapt aboard the Land Raider as it surged forwards and ordered the gunners to pour their own fire onto the blaze.

The Obliterator fell, but somehow the Rhino's armour repelled not only the Land Raider's firepower, but also the attention of the surviving Khorne bikers.

My Nurgle forces are somewhat out of position now as Stylus attempts to concentrate his forces to my left. Gormenghastly jumps into the Land Raider and it trundles forward to open up on the Rhino, but can't quite bring it down, even with the assistance of the remaining Bikers

The Heldrake hovers on top of a prominent ruined tower, at least partly to prevent Stylus teleporting his Obliterators in there next turn - that would have given them a wonderful field of fire. Between them, the Helbrute and Heldrake melt the Obliterator who stepped out of the ruins. 

Turn 2 - The Purge

The cracked doors of the Rhino slid apart and disgorged ranks of marines; five Legionaries cut down the Khorne Bikers whilst a squad of Plague Marines trudged towards the main body of the Khorne forces, cutting through a unit of Cultists with ease.

The dusty air behind the Helbrute shimmered and three hulking figures appeared. Decius, the leader of the rump of the Purge, gestured and the two Obliterators flanking him poured explosive rounds into the twisted Dreadnought, then strode forwards to finish the job off. 

Under normal conditions, I might have been tempted to hold back my deepstrikers, but the pressure is on to kill, kill, kill. Unfortunately, Pootle hasn't left much in the way of choice targets.

The Plague Marines disembark from the Rhino and massacre the Cultists (that's 50pts bagged right there), while the Legionaries jump out and beat up the remaining two Bikers.

The Helbrute and Chaos Lord are still out of charge range, so can only amble along.

I was hoping the newly-arrived Obliterators would finish off the Black Legion Helbrute, but Armour of Contempt cuts both ways, and they have to charge in and finish him off in melee. Poor Decius doesn't even make the charge.

Still, that's three units down - I'm slowly ratcheting up the tally!

Turn 2 - Black Legion

Ghox leapt from the Rhino with a snarl. His Legionaries revved their Chainswords and flung themselves at the Obliterators, whilst Ghox himself hurled himself at the horde of Plague Marines in front of him. He cut down five of them and aimed a blow at another when the the hulking figure of Gormenghastly beside him grabbed his fist. 

"Hold my brother - blood will flow for your god but spare my own Plague Marines for a little longer."

Ghox pulled off his helmet in triumph, eyes gleaming. "Do you see now the power of Khorne? Even your toughest Plague Marines cannot withstand Abaddon's fury...as expressed through ME!"

Gormenghastly and his Plague Marines jump out of the Land Raider and charge into the Purge's Plague Marines. The Land Raider itself blasts one of the Obliterators apart. Ghox doesn't want to be left out and also charges the Plague Marines (killing the lot of them almost singlehandedly) whilst his Legionaries jump onto the remaining Obliterator and, through sheer volume of attacks, tear it apart.

The Heldrake spins around to breathe fire onto the Purge's Legionaries who killed my Bikers and my Raptors drop into the backfield nearby to charge any survivors. Four Legionaries die to ranged attacks, which makes the Raptors' charge too long.

My last attack is teleporting my own Obliterators in. One lands behind Marcus Polio and one on the central tower. The two of them blast Stylus's Helbrute apart and then I (rashly) decide to charge the rearmost into Marcus Polio. However, I'm getting overconfident here. Not only does it fail to kill the Chaos Lord, but it's cut down in return so I've not even managed to tie him up.

Turn 3 - The Purge

Marcus Polio smiled grimly as he pulled his Power Fist out of the ruined head of the Obliterator. He strode towards the Heldrake that was clawing his Legionaries apart, firing his Meltagun before leaping onto the neck of the beast just as it swallowed the last marine.

Decius too was smiling as he jogged towards the Khornate Legionaries. As he did so he unhitched a polished glass sphere from a padded container on his hip. He could see Ghox exulting atop a pile of broken Plague Marines, standing shoulder to shoulder with Gormenghastly. The moment was perfect. He drew back his arm and the globe sparkled as it flew through the air and smashed onto Ghox's shoulder splattering Life Eater virus over everything nearby. 

Has anyone seen my army? I'm sure it was here a minute ago.

I'll admit, I'm up against it now. But I've still got two murderous characters at my disposal (and a damaged Rhino, yay). If they can score some big scalps, it might just be enough to put me over the line.

Marcus Polio finally gets into the action with the slightly ambitious charge on the Heldrake. Meanwhile Decius uncorks his orb of life-eater virus and lobs it into the enemy's midst for the last time. There's some splash damage to the surrounding units, but the main spectacle is when Ghox, commander of the Khornate wing, is consumed within his own armour. Go Decius!

I couldn't have been happier for my warlord to fall in this way! I have SUCH fond memories of that battle when Gormenghastly made his name.

He follows this up with a charge into the Khorne Legionaries, but sadly Chaos Space Marines don't die as easily as they used to (who asked for two wounds anyway?).

Turn 3 - Black Legion

Gormenghastly wiped the Life Eater virus from his face and licked his fingers. It had rapidly dissolved Ghox, melting him within his own armour, but Decius had forgotten that it was Gormenghastly himself who had created the virus. Nurgle had seen fit to spare him from its effects before, saving him for greater things. Decius was now buried beneath slavering Khornate Legionaries and would not survive, but he had helped Gormenghastly for the last time. With Ghox dead, and the remnants of the Purge destroyed, Gormenghastly and his faithful followers would be joining the Black Legion on his own terms and he would be even more effective in his quest to exterminate all life.

This was a short turn to wrap things up. I was actually upset that the Khorne Legionaries killed Decius as I'd wanted that honour to fall to Gormenghastly, but never mind. Elsewhere, the Heldrake finished off Marcus Polio and the Purge have been tabled apart from a Rhino...

Victory to the Black Legion!

Locker Room

Signal the last post. Decius and his slimy orbs have departed the galaxy, his followers will have to scatter and beg for sanctuary in whatever heretic warband will have them.

That was great fun and, despite appearances, I don't think a win was impossible in this scenario. But I wasn't able to concentrate my divided forces against a superior enemy, which is pretty much the cardinal sin of a commander. Maybe a hell-for-leather approach of just throwing everything at the enemy in one surge might have paid off, but I'll save that for when I want to liquidate my World Eaters.

Yes, obviously the odds were stacked against the Purge, but it wasn't entirely hopeless. Interestingly, we noticed that there were NO casualties from the Nurgle forces. The Heldrake survived on only a few wounds and there were only a couple of Khorne Legionaries left, so it wouldn't have been too unlikely for both of those units to have perished, leaving only one Rhino from the Khorne half of my army between victory for the Purge.

Excellent story nonetheless, and thanks to Pootle for playing along. It was fortuitous that we both decided to collect The Purge, and then both decided to disband them in different ways that suited a narrative. All hail Gormenghastly of the Black Legion!

Thank you for hosting; given we play remotely most of the time it's great to see your amazing models and terrain up close for a change. Of all my armies, the Purge have developed the most narrative background now, which feels great. I'm now looking forward to the next chapter!