Sigmatus is Saved!

Kill Team Battle Report
Mission: Extraction

Ultramarines: Kill Team Rubrum
Librarian Isaac Theodesius - (Psyker Specialism) (VIP) - Stoic
Brother Sgt Tourbillion - (Leader Specialism) - Phlegmatic
Brother Veridian, Assault Cannon - (Heavy Specialism) - Stolid
Brother "Blaze" Ezekiel, Heavy Flamer - (Demolitions Specialism) - Choleric
Brother "Clown" Curry - (Comms Specialism) - Jovial
Brother "Billy" Williams - Equanimous

Death Guard Kill Team: The Corrosive Regiment
Plague Champion - Grossicus Bloatoci - Plasma Pistol (Leader)
Plague Marine Gunner - Crustus the Foul - Blight Launcher (Demolitions)
Plague Marine Gunner - Torgut Stenchspreader - Bolter
Plague Marine Fighter - Dr. Spew - Flail of Corruption
Plague Marine Fighter - Dorium Pusscleaver - Great Plague Cleaver
Poxwalker - Hatchet
Poxwalker - Fetliox
Poxwalker - Billy Poxpicker

Play-by-Play

Battle Round 1:
Theodesius's Tactical Planner roll only yielded +1 CP
Death Guard's Grandfather's Blessing is successful and buffs Crustus the Foul
Death Guard took +6 CP for points difference

Death Guard win initiative

Movement Phase:
Death Guard moving in.  Librarian Theodesius advanced (via tactic) down ladder and got into LOS blocking cover while Clown and Veridian got into position to support and lay down suppressing fire.  Sgt. Tourbillion and Blaze went up from the right and Billy up from the left to cover the advancing enemies from across the catwalk.

Psyker Phase:
Failed to manifest Null Zone
Manifested Veil of Time on Billy

Shoot Phase:
Crustus the Foul scored regular wound on Veridian
Sgt. Tourbillion scored one flesh wound on lead poxwalker "Hatchet"

Morale Phase:
Death Guard passed all nerve tests

--
Battle Round 2:

Ultramarines win initiative

Movement Phase:
2 Plague Marine Fighters running in from the left, 2  Plauge Marine Gunners into cover on the right.  1 poxwalker "Hatchet" charged while 2 more and leader got almost across the catwalk.  Theodesius advanced back up the ladder behind Sgt Tourbillion as Blaze moved forward to cleanse the platform.  Clown readied and Veridian tucked in closer to stay in cover.

Psyker Phase:
Null Zone failed again
Psybolt smites poxwalker Fetliox!

Shoot Phase:
Blaze flames Billy Poxpicker and wounds him
Tourbillion finishes off Billy Poxpicker with withering Stormbolter fire
Grossicus Bloatoci  scores a flesh wound on Tourbillion via overcharged plasma
Veridian fills Torgut Stenchspreader with thousands of rounds from his righteous Assault Cannon (insta out of action)
Crustus the Foul's blight launcher blows up Blaze! (No doubt the Grandfather's blessing helped)

Morale Phase:
Ultramarines pass nerve tests (come on they're Ultramarines)

---
Battle Round 3:

Ultramarines win initiative

Movement Phase:
Clown kills Dr. Spew via lucky overwatch Stormbolter to the face!

Tourbillion charges Grossicus
Veridian moves up ladder

Psyker Phase:
Null Zone - failed
Psybolted poxwalker to smite him!

Fight phase:
Tourbillion scores a flesh wound on the leader
Tourbillion's terminator armor saves a punishing attack

---
Battle Round 4:

Death Guard win Initiative

Movement:
Dorium charges Clown from behind a wall (we decide he doesn't get a reaction because he couldn't see him)
Theodesius moves down catwalk to the left, Billy moves to cover the ladder, Veridian moves to look down on the right side of the platform to shoot at Blight Launcher.

Psyker Phase:
Psybolt resisted by leader
Veil of Time is manifested on Tourbillion

Shoot phase:
Veridian misses the buffed Crustus the Foul but takes a flesh wound in return

Fight phase:
Clown dodges a big axe (twice, after a 1 and another 1 on re-roll!)

Tourbillion and Grossicus dance around

Variable Battle length ends on roll of 2!

Ulramarines win as Theodesius manifests a giant Null Zone to abate the warpstorms!

MVP of the match: Crustus the Foul!

---

Analysis:
Jack's list was quite a few points less than mine which he elected to take 6 CPs for.  Also, having the free VIP commander helped out a lot - while the VIP starts injured in the mission, it didn't affect his psyker powers.  Even though Terminators get a bad rap for being over-costed nowadays, it seems they still edged out a bit vs Jack's non-elite troops.  Wining initiative for battle-rounds 2 and 3 gave me another edge, and just in general I got some lucky rolls during those rounds that allowed me to get a numbers advantage.  If the rolls had gone the other way I could have been overwhelmed just enough where he could have snared Theodesius into melee and gotten him.  Finally, we weren't sure about charge rules up ladders (turns out you can) so we decided that it would be weird and disallowed it.  This allowed me to play a few shenanigans running away up and down the ladder that probably helped.  Still, if we had gotten that right, I still had good odds with the ability to retreat from a charge.  Next time we'll get it right.

Before the match I listed out all of the tactics available to me from the 3 rule books (approximately 20) which helped a lot.  I had focused on the re-roll, the mission VIP advance/charge, and the Look Out Sir! but turned out I was lucky enough to only need to re-roll.  I also think I'm getting a bit faster, Kill Team is definitely a good way to build up familiarity with the weapons and roll details before going back to a larger 40k game.

++++Transmission: Adeptus Astartes Ultra++++

WARP THREAT ALLEVIATED IN SIGMATUS

Date: 6554019.M42

Location: Agro World Horrdeum

Sub Sector: Sigmatus

ATT: Primus Leo Exevio Faustus

I am pleased to inform you commander that I have successfully manifested a class 3 Null Zone in the vicinity of the foci of the empyrean disturbance in the Sigmatus sector.  This has had the effect of reducing the turbulence and has closed the local dimensional tear. 

Kill Team Rubrum came to my aid and performed admirably while I was in a weakened state from the long-distance teleportation.  Brother Ezekiel was injured with severe burns but should make a recovery. 

The guard regiment will clean up the remains and the Ordo Malleus and Ordo Hereticus have arrived to evaluate the local populations and investigate.  We will be leaving within the hour. 

I will discuss my further findings with you upon my arrival.

Regards,

Isaac Theodeius

REF: 88Z/04593-79857-865GF3939012

THOUGHT: The most deviant mind is often concealed in an unblemished body.  BBB 5th 112

 ++++Transmission End++++

Kill Team Rubrum in the Battle for Sigmatus

++++Transmission: Adeptus Astartes Ultra++++
THE ONGOING BATTLE FOR SIGMATUS
Date: 6540019.M42

Location: Agri World Horrdeum
Sub Sector: Sigmatus

MISSION BRIEFING

KILL TEAM RUBRUM: You will decide the Battle for Sigmatus.

HONOR the memories of your fallen brethren who brunted attack from the immaterium
SING the GLORIES of Librarian Epistolary Cain who died burning the minds of the Chaos witches before him.
VALOROUS are the veterans of SQUAD RUBRUM who withstood the continuing renegade assault. First among them is Brother "BLAZE" Ezkiel who immolated legions of traitors with his legendary HEAVY FLAMER.
DON the raiment of TERMINATOR TACTICAL DREADNOUGHT ARMOR for this mission.
DEPLOY via teleportation to the proximity of the derelict agri processing facility and listening outpost APF3 on Agri World Horrdeum.
FIND the most venerable LIBRARIAN Epistolary Prior Isaac THEODESIUS at the facility teleportarium.
PROTECT LIBRARIAN THEODESIUS until the fatigue has subsided from long distance teleportation through the fierce WARPSTORMS.
THEODESIUS will take up Cain's errand to intone the esoteric masteries of the chapter to MANIFEST a NULL ZONE and stanch the streams of chaos emanating from the storms.
YOU CANNOT FAIL

MISSION: Extraction
SCOUTING PHASE: NO


REF: 09Q/99981-67134-813804099191
THOUGHT: Do not wish the insanity of the immaterium upon any foe, it just makes more of the bastards. RAF
 ++++Transmission End++++

First Kill Team Battle - Ultramarines v Saim-Hann

I have a small ~1.2k Eldar force passed on to me from a friend that gave up the hobby.  After repairing some minor damage, my dad was a good sport and agreed to try 40k and field them vs my Ultramarines.  They're well painted and are classic 3rd-ish edition so really compliment my antique army as well.

While we wait for the glue to dry, and to ease into the rules a bit, I decided it would be fun to do a mini narrative campaign with a Kill Team skirmish using a few of the troops today.  Kill Team was really fun and I think once we get the hang of it we will be able to play the games much faster.

With the Eldar force relegated to us, it wasn't easy to make an interesting team, so I actually customized the rules a bit to use Warp Spiders.  I changed up the flicker jump rules a bit to make them like flip belts per suggestion on reddit.  I think it worked ok.

Battle Report:
I had strategic advantage.  We placed 4 objective markers in a diamond pattern across the map, one in each of our deployment areas, and then two in the ruins straddling the neutral zone.
The random objective was Infiltrate - thus objectives in the enemy zone would be worth points.

Scout Phase:
Xenos scouted out enemy forces.

Deployment:
Ultramarines deployed with plasma gun sniper in overwatch down the road and Hvy. Bolter in cover position over both objectives.  Sgt. Cornelius and rest of team set up to run into the objectives to take and hold.

Xenos took position in the hills outside the ruins.

 Round 1:
Xenos had initiative but mostly remained non-aggressive.  Turns out I should have done a better job explaining the ranges before deployment.  Ultramarines advanced onto both center line objectives, but were unlucky with run progress.

Round 2:
Ultramarines had initiative and continued to move up.  Captured north objective.  Xenos began shifting to the southern objective.

Round 3:
Eldar initiative, continued cautious progress to south objective only around the hill.  Ultramarines moved up plasma gunner and comms spotter leaving Heavy Bolter on watch.  Heavy Bolter caught Xeno Warp Spider Exarch in the open and inflicted 1 wound at long range.  Xeno took shots at advancing marines but were ineffective.

Round 4:
Ultramarines with initiative.  Sgt. Cornelius advanced past the south objective to the hill to force the Xenos to come around out into the open to contest.  Marine elements behind ready for support.  Xenos took the bait and ran out of cover to attempt to eliminate Cornelius and take objective.  Cornelius shrugged off Xeno fire with the grace of the Emperor's will.  Return fire was ineffective.

Round 5:
Xenos with initiative.  Eldar move to surround the Ultramarine Sgt.  Ultramarines charged engaging a Warp Spider and  Dire Avenger in close combat.  Hvy Bolter fire elimiated one Guardian Defender at long range.  Close combat was a complete draw.

Victory Condition:
North objective - Ultramarines.  East and West objectives - no points.  Southern objective ended in a draw.  Thus it was a victory for the Imperium of Man and the Xenos warped away as suddenly as they appeared.

Analysis:
My dad tends to play things cautious and unfortunately he wasn't familiar enough with his army or the rules to have the right approach.  I think he needed to be a bit more aggressive with his mobility and move up to and past the central objectives right away.  He could have consumed my slightly smaller force (but equal points) with hit and run tactics and then held the objectives with lone defenders hiding in a corner.  Unfortunately also the map layout kinda favored my side a bit inadvertently.  Its true that he might have taken losses, but clearly the dice make it so that he could have had a chance.  Was a fun learning experience for both of us and tomorrow we will play a full 40k game as a follow up to the skirmish!

++++Transmission: Adeptus Astartes Ultra++++
Battle Report
Date: 5861018.M42

Location: Weapons Test Planetiod 493
Sub Sector: Sigmatus
FW: Lieutenant  Aurelius

Scout Kill Team Cornelius reports contact light with Xenos - Eldar.  Markings matching Saim-Hann from record.

Secured artifact coordinates.  No casualties.  Enemy sustained light losses before warping away.  Victory for the Emperor.

 ++++End Transmission++++