Weekend at Burnie’s 4 - Day 1: Black Legion vs White Scars

Pootle here! Last year I beat Stylus in getting my batreps for Weekend at Burnies written up, but he's much quicker out of the blocks this year so I'm playing catch-up.

Unstoppable force versus immovable object 

Stylus has been saying how much fun Weekend at Burnies is for ages and last year I managed to join in and had an absolute blast, culminating in a spectacularly narrative ending to the weekend when my Ultramarines faced off against imp3ri3x’s Word Bearers. This year I wanted to bring a different army, so decided to cross the fence and join the Cabal. 

Weekend at Burnies and narrative play go hand-in-hand, and my most narrative army at the moment is Gormenghastly's Garrotters. Gormenghastly used to lead a Purge warband and found fame in a spectacularly unlikely piece of dice-rolling during Stylus's lock-down Skypehammer campaign. Kraken wrote up a typically awesome batrep here for that game and I've developed his story since then. Given that Purge lost specific rules in the latest CSM codex, I decided that Gormenghastly has joined (and taken over) a Khornate-aligned Black Legion force (the set-up to this, as well as the death of Stylus's own Purge army is written up here) 

- Gormenghastly - Sorcerer in Terminator Armour (HQ, Warlord)
   Force Axe, Combi-Melta, Mark of Nurgle
   Trait: Unholy Fortitude (5+++ FNP)
   Additional Black Legion Trait (1CP): Indomitable (half damage, rounding up)
   Relic: Veilbreaker Plate (worsen incoming AP by 1; once/battle teleport self plus one CORE unit)
   Psychic: Diabolic Strength, Infernal Gaze, Putrid Miasma, Smite

- Ghock Hackfiend - Dark Apostle (HQ)

   Mark of Khorne

   Extra Trait (1CP): Hatred Incarnate (+1S and A when charging; reroll melee hits)

   Extra Relic (1CP): The Black Mace (extra AP and damage, excess damage spills over)

   Prayers: Omen of Potency, Wrathful Entreaty, Dark Zealotry

-  Kararic Bonereaper - Lord Discordant (HQ)

   Baleflamer, Technovirus Injector, Mark of Khorne

   Extra Trait (1CP): Flames of Spite (reroll wound rolls; melee wound rolls of 6 cause additional MW)

   Extra Relic (1CP): Gorget of Eternal Hate (+1 armour save, 4++ invuln, explodes on death

- 8 Accursed Cultists (Troops)

   5 Mutants, 3 Torments

- 10 Cultists (Troops)

  Grenade Launcher, Champion with Bolt Pistol & Brutal Assault Weapon

- 8 Legionaries (Troops)

  Chaos Icon, Mark of Khorne, Hvy Chainaxe, Flamer, 5xChainswords, Champ w. Plasma Pistol & Power Fist

- 7 Legionaries (Troops)

  Chaos Icon, Mark of Nurgle, Reaper Chaincannon, 5xBoltguns, Champ with Boltgun & Power Fist

- Helbrute (Elites)

  Helbrute Fist (with Heavy Flamer), Multi-melta

- 5 Bikers (Fast Attack)

  Chaos Icon, Mark of Khorne, 2x Chainsword, 2x Meltagun & Chainsword, Champ w. Power Fist and (-1CP) Black Rune of Damnation (-1 to wound, nearby psykers suffer perils on any double)

- Chaos Spawn (Fast Attack)

- Maulerfiend (Heavy Support)

  Lasher Tendrils

- Obliterator (Heavy Support)

- Rhino (Dedicated Transport)

   Combi-melta, Havoc Launcher

Points: 1,500 | Level: 88 | Battle-forged - extra warlord traits and relics: 0 CPs

My battleplan is broadly that Gormenghastly himself should be a real pain to kill (-1 to hit from Putrid Miasma, -1 to wound vs S4 or 8 or more, -1 to incoming AP, half damage and a 5+ FNP). He may teleport himself and his Helbrute bodyguard around the table as a distraction Carnifex.

Meanwhile Ghock, Kararic, the Maulerfiend, Bikers and the Rhino full of Khorne Legionaries will all barrel forwards and follow a fairly simple Khornate plan.

The Nurgle Legionaries and Obliterator will hold the backfield and the Spawn, Cultists and Accursed Cultists act as a screen.

White Scars

I was very pleased to face my first opponent: the famous Sultan, who I know reasonably well but have never played. His White Scars are gorgeously painted (and I'm also aware of the disturbingly short amount of time he takes to crank out such amazing models) and chockfull of mobility and Multi-meltas. This is going to a baptism of fire...

That's not Kor'Sarro Khan front and centre...Sultan attracted some wrath from the TOs as he hadn't spotted we're not allowed named characters, so he quickly became a standard Captain

• Khan on Bike (HQ) (Warlord)
  I can't remember traits & relics, though I suspect he had Chogorian Storm
  
• Primaris Chaplain on Bike (HQ)
  I think he has The Imperium's Sword and Benediction of Fury plus the Mantra of Strength litany
• Captain/Khan (HQ)
• Medic on Bike (Elite)
• 3 x Bladeguard Veterans (Elites)
• 3 x Outrider Squad (Fast)
• 3 x Outrider Squad (Fast)
• 3 x Attack Bikes (Fast)
  Multi-meltas
  
  
• 3 x Invader ATVs (Fast)
  Multi-meltas
• Storm Speeder Hammerstrike (Fast)
• Storm Speeder Hammerstrike (Fast)
• Impulsor (Transport)

Sultan warned me that his Bike Chaplain is a nasty missile of a character and able to dish out a lot of pain, and I know that the Bike Khan (beautifully modelled by Stranger Come Knockin - check out these pics of the raw build) is similarly nasty and the whole army is, naturally, well able to get whereever it wants to very, very quickly.

Mission and deployment

We rolled up Dawn of War deployment, a mission where I had to get one unit (my Cultists) into Sultan's deployment zone by the end of the game (haha!), and a twist where we added a sixth objective onto the board.

Most of the objectives were to my left, so I focussed my deployment on that side, but my battleplan is unchanged from what I outlined above.

First proper roll of the game was for first turn and won by Sultan. Go Multimeltas!

White Scars: Turn 1

Sultan pushes forwards across his lines, but not too aggressively as he's wary of getting too close to my combat-loving troops.

The shooting phase is predictably painful. I'm suddenly aware that I really shouldn't have started the Obliterator in full view of everyone up on the gantry, and he's promptly melted for his over-optimism. Eight of the Cultists join him back in the locker room immediately (and a ninth flees in the morale phase, leaving just their Champion to try to get across to the White Scars' deployment zone (again, ha!).

In the centre, the Maulerfiend also fails all his daemonic saves and slumps into a pile of molten goop, and on my right two of the Bikers also fall.

That was a brutal start from the marines, time to strike back...

Black Legion: Turn 1

On my left, the Spawn sprints forward onto the centre-left objective. It is just to the left of Ghock, the Dark Apostle, who's carefully screened by the Accursed Cultists. The Rhino trundles up next to them as well; my plan is that the Apostle and Khorne Legionaries will jump on the White Scars next turn...I hope!

Without his Maulerfiend bodyguard, I'm worried that the Lord Discordant's days are numbered, so he scuttles forwards and leaps onto the central Stormspeeder. His anti-vehicle specialty means that he makes extremely short work of it. To give Sultan something else to think about, the remaining Bikers advance onto the right-centre objective.

And talking of distractions, I decide to trigger Gormenghastly's teleport ability and take both him and the Helbrute into Sultan's back lines. I've spotted that the Apothecary is exposed so both aim all their Meltas (and a Smite from Gormenghastly, who also sticks Putrid Miasma on himself) at him, but manage to fluff enough rolls to leave him alive on a brace of wounds (which will be healed back in short order).

Gormenghastly does make the 9" charge into the medic (the Helbrute fails), but again manages to whiff his attacks. Well, we're certainly about to find out whether his hoped-for invulnerability is on form.

White Scars: Turn 2

In the Command Phase, Sultan is only on one objective as Gormenghastly is contesting the marine's backfield objective. This scored the White Scars just 5VPs. On my right, the Outriders who'd been outflanking me arrive and charge into my Bikers. Fortunately their Black Rune of Damnation keeps them almost entirely free from damage.

In the Centre, the Bladeguard Veterans and Captain disembark from the Impulsor, ready to charge in and finish off the Lord Discordant, however that proves unnecessary as the ATVs manage to melt him with ease (once again, I'm unable to roll daemon saves at all - it's like I'm saving them up for something).

Most importantly, the Bike Chaplain powers forwards on my left. He has a straightforward charge on the Accursed Cultists, but needs 7" to get round them and charge Ghock. Even with a CP reroll, he can't do it! 

Back in Sultan's deployment zone, the Apothecary falls back and the Attack Bikes and Biker Khan shape up to clear their lines. Six Multi-melta shots...cause one wound! I can't quite believe what's happened (though with -1 to hit, -1 to wound, a 5++ and 5+++, plus dodgy dice rolling from Sultan, it's not completely out of hand...yet). What really astounds Sultan is when Gormenghastly weathers the Khan's charge as well (for only another brace of wounds). To add injury to insult, Gormenghastly manages to land a couple of strong blows on the Khan.

Wow, that's two big swings in my favour: I really should have lost both Ghock and Gormenghastly. Now time to capitalise...

Black Legion: Turn 2

I'm only on my home objective, so that draws me level with 5VP each. It's all going to come down to Primaries as I'm not thinking that my Cultists are going to be able to achieve the bonus secondary objective by sneaking into Sultan's deployment zone; I think the remaining Champion will be more useful making sure I'm holding my own objective.

Chaplain versus “Chaplain”?

I kick off by piling Ghock into his opposite number. The result isn't too surprising (we knew that both were beasts on the charge) and the Chaplain falls.

Next I disembark the Khorne Legionaries and charging into the Bladeguard Vets. Sultan interrupts combat but fluffs his dice and only drops two or three marines (not marked on the map as I'd forgotten). I shudder to think what Berzerkers would be like, because the remaining marines make short work of the Vets!

On my left flank, the Accursed Cultists pile into the remaining Stormspeeder. They fluff their attacks somewhat but tie the flyer up, which is the main point.

In the White Scars' backfield, Gormenghastly Smites and Infernal Gazes the Biker Khan to death.

This leaves room for the Helbrute to charge into the Attack Bikes (after melting one of them at range) and he makes short work of them, leaving me fully in control of Sultan's home objective.

Multimelta versus…well actually big fist, but there are meltas on both

That was a hell of a counterpunch! Two of my main characters are still alive and managed to dispatch two of the White Scars' biggest threats. 

White Scars: Turn 3

Sultan starts the turn on three objectives, but I'm also on three so he scores 10VP. His Apothecary decides to give up the home objective and instead flies over to resuscitate one of the Outriders and then charges into the two remaining Chaos Bikers. Surely with his help the Outriders will prevail? Nope, the Black Rune of Damnation is clutch here (most attacks are only wounding on 6s) and nobody falls. I direct my ire at the Apothecary, but only knock a couple of wounds off him.

On Sultan's left, he falls the ATVs back and plays a strat to let them shoot at the Helbrute (melting it to slag), then charges the other unit of Outriders and the Khan into the Khorne Legionaries, with predictable results.

Black Legion: Turn 3

I start this turn controlling three objectives to Sultan's two, giving me 15VP and a slender 20:15 lead. 

Ghock, the Dark Apostle, charges forward into the foot-Khan and makes short work of him

On my right, the White Scars bikers manage to kill one of my Bikers, but my Champion sticks his Power Fist into the Apothecary's chest and relieves him of some vital organs. Now the Outriders are outnumbered one to three!

White Scars: Turn 4

Sultan still only holds two objectives for 10VP this turn, bringing him to a 25:20 point lead.

On my right flank, the Outriders still can't hurt my Biker Champ, but he manages to bring one of his opponents down.

Sultan decides that he's had enough of Gormenghastly terrorising his back lines, so the ATVs roar over and discharge another set of Multimelta shots into the small of his back. 

Astoundingly, he doesn't take a single wound from this barrage, so the ATVs decide to charge him, but, predictably, still don't manage to cause him any discomfort.

Black Legion: Turn 4

I scored another full 15VPs on the primaries for me this turn for holding more objectives than Sultan. This isn't reflected in the map above, but that's because I'm writing this report up a month after the game and can't remember all the details - I'm sure we scored it right on the day.

My Biker Champ managed to dispatch the remaining Outriders this turn.

The pic below shows that the Accursed Cultists must actually have finished off the Stormspeeder a turn or two ago then grabbed more of the left-field.

I believe my Dark Apostle cannoned into the Impulsor and finished that off, so Sultan was left with just the ATVs facing an apparently-invulnerable Gormenghastly, so at that point he conceded.

Final score: 35:25 to the Black Legion

Locker Room

That was tremendous fun! I was really worried after Sultan's first turn melted my Forgefiend and Obliterator, but I managed to fight back very effectively. I think that the critical moment was when the Chaplain failed to charge the Dark Apostle at the top of turn 2, leaving him open to an easy countercharge. Whichever of those two units managed to charge the other was always likely to win that fight, but, even more importantly, that winning unit would then be free to rampage around, killing other units.

I was very pleased with how resilient the Accursed Cultists were (they were a relatively late addition to my list at the suggestion of Kasfunatu); they tied up one of the Stormspeeders very effectively.

However my MVP was undoubtedly Gormenghastly. He attracted an awful lot of attention and thanks partly to all the defensive buffs I'd stacked on him and some lucky dice-rolls, he survived twelve pointblank Multi-melta shots and a charge from a Biker Khan: that's no mean feat!