Battle Report: US Open 2023 Tacoma - Occultaris Campaign M3 - Sisters

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The Tenuous Allies, after extending out from the drop sites to secure supplies, stumbled into the the plans of the Ravenous Hordes all along: to infiltrate and sabotage their back lines, in an Insurgency!

As the vox static cleared, it became apparent that the Adepta Sororitas had declared any Imperial Forces working in even a 'tenuous alliance' with xenos in an effort to secure the relics of Occultaris would be considered heresy.  Faustus was unimpressed with their demands as he gestured to have the audio cut - the Ecclesiarchy did not dictate the actions of Adeptus Terra, let alone Adeptus Astartes, but he wondered what the true motivation was...

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Battle Report:

Ruleset: 2023 Tenth Edition Leviathan US Open Narrative Missions, Tyrannic War Crusade
Mission: Insurgency

Points: 1000

Mission Objectives

At the end of the battle:

• The attacker scores 20VP for each primed objective marker on the battlefield.
• The Defender scores 15VP for each unprimed objective marker on the battlefield

My Forces:

+ Leaders +

• Primus Leo Exevio Faustus - Captain in Terminator Armour: Warlord - Enhancement: Artificer Armour, Crusade Relic: Artificer Weapon: Power Fist

+ (Elites) +

• Squad Tourbillion - 5 man Terminator Squad: Teleport Homer, Power sword, Storm bolter, Assault cannon, 3x Chainfist, Power fist
• Squad Lazarus- 5 man Assault Squad w/ Jump Packs: Bolt Pistols, Chainswords, 1x Grav-pistol, 1x Power Fist
• Squad Uzziel - 5 man Tyrannic War Veterans: Boltguns, Bolt pistols, combat weapons

+ (Heavy Support) +

• Squad Nero - 5 man Devastator Squad: Power sword, plasma pistol, 3x Lascannon, Missile Launcher
• Land Raider One - Land Raider - Twin Heavy Bolter, 2x Godhammer Lascannons - Reinforced Superstructure

+ (Fast Attack) +

• "One Charlie" - Land Speeder Tornado: Heavy flamer, Multi-melta

Takeaways & Analysis

 This one didn't go so well for Faustus and his Ultramarines.  The mission called for the attacking sisters to prime explosives on each objective and had the 'Counter-assult Engagement' parameter so that the defender (the Ultramarines) had the first turn.  I made the gamble to throw everything I had at the Castigator tank in the backfield since it was pretty much the only thing I could see, and then drop the Terminators out and charge them and the Assault Marines into the Retributor Squad hiding in a building to the northeast.

My bold moves didn't pay off - not only was I not able to completely destroy the tank (only 2 wounds remaining!) but none of my infantry was able to get a charge off.  What followed was a chain of events where we got melted to slag pretty quick.  I had pretty cold dice while my opponent had hot dice, so it was quite a stomping.  This was definitely one where I probably would have been better off just hiding for the first turn.

While every unit was destroyed, it was fitting that only Faustus took a battle scar - he did get lasered in the face by a Vindicare sniper.  I immediately removed it with my hard earned RP.

Battle Report: US Open 2023 Tacoma - Occultaris Campaign M2 - Necrons

 

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Brother Captain Faustus: "In their haste to secure the drop sites, the Tenuous Allies are low on supplies. We must claim the resources about the area before the enemies of the Imperium capitalize on the situation."

"Squad Tourbillion will accompany me in Land Raider One.  Squads Lazarus and Uzziel will deploy to the flanks with Squad Nero providing withering cover fire from a position in the ruins designated as Sigma 2."

"Crush the enemies of the Emperor."

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The second of 3 matches on the first day of the US Open narrative campaign was against James' exceptionally well painted Necron army.  Having leveled up after the first match, Faustus was sporting a master crafted power fist as well as some artificer terminator tactical dreadnought armour.

Battle Report:

Ruleset: 2023 Tenth Edition Leviathan US Open Narrative Missions, Tyrannic War Crusade
Mission: Scattered Supplies

Points: 1000

Mission Objectives:

At the end of the battle, each player scores 15VP for each objective marker that units from their crusade army are carrying, and an additional 5VP for those units that are wholly within the player's deployment zone.

My Forces:

+ Leaders +

• Primus Leo Exevio Faustus - Captain in Terminator Armour: Warlord - Enhancement: Artificer Armour, Crusade Relic: Artificer Weapon: Power Fist

+ (Elites) +

• Squad Tourbillion - 5 man Terminator Squad: Teleport Homer, Power sword, Storm bolter, Assault cannon, 3x Chainfist, Power fist
• Squad Lazarus- 5 man Assault Squad w/ Jump Packs: Bolt Pistols, Chainswords, 1x Grav-pistol, 1x Power Fist
• Squad Uzziel - 5 man Tyrannic War Veterans: Boltguns, Bolt pistols, combat weapons

+ (Heavy Support) +

• Squad Nero - 5 man Devastator Squad: Power sword, plasma pistol, 3x Lascannon, Missile Launcher
• Land Raider One - Land Raider - Twin Heavy Bolter, 2x Godhammer Lascannons

+ (Fast Attack) +

• "One Charlie" - Land Speeder Tornado: Heavy flamer, Multi-melta

Takeaways & Analysis

Oath of Moment wins the day again for the Land Raider - it managed to blast away a wing of Tomb Blades with supporting fire from Squad Nero on the first turn.

On the Northern flank, Squad Lazarus and Squad Tourbillion lead by Brother Captain Leo Faustus himself eliminate a squad of Skorpekh  Destroyers and their leader (and kill him twice as he tries to get up).  They manage to pry some supplies out of its cold, (un)dead hands (space undead).

Meanwhile, Squad Uzziel grabbed supplies and retreated into the deployment zone as the land raider moved down the southern flank to secure another supply cache.  It took heavy fire from some heavy destroyers and turned back to escape.

With 4 of the 6 supply drops secured, and the massive damage sustained by the land raider, Faustus signals a tactical withdrawal, himself carrying the last supply drop, as the mission objectives were achieved.

Only One Charlie was lost (again), this time taking a battle scar as one of the crew members sustained fatal injuries.

Battle Report: US Open 2023 Tacoma - Occultaris Campaign M1 - Death Guard

This year I participated in the 2023 US Open Tacoma Narrative Campaign.  Last year I just went for a single friendly match (incidentally, it was at the same convention center, but this year they referred to it as the actual city of Tacoma, rather than by the larger metropolitan area of Seattle). After gaining a lot of experience in the Vadinax Campaign, and having a lot of fun, I went for the narrative crusade this time around, even though it would be a daunting 5 games over two days.

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A tremor rattles through the craft, from bow to stern. Surely we have not translated into realspace, you think to yourself. The journey was meant to last months, not mere days. You make your way to the bridge where it is immediately clear that you have somehow left the Warp. You demand answers from your staff and receive none. They are as shocked and ignorant to the greater situation as you are. One moment they were on a relatively peaceful journey through the Warp, minds and bodies shielded from the insanity around them by the Gellar Field, the next moment they were forced into realspace.

 As hours tick by with maddening speed; you begin to develop a picture of the situation. Before you sits a handful of lush and verdant worlds. Seemingly (and shockingly) untouched by the ravaging tendrils of the horror designated Leviathan, from which you were fleeing. Initial scans show the system does carry a name, though even after extensive scrying and aggressive attempts to break security protocols, all that is ever returned is REDACTED. The system is under quarantine by the Administratum, which matters little to you. You are here and with every passing hour; more craft arrive.

An unspoken détente has emerged between the voidcraft that have arrived. No attempts to hail one another have been made, no noosphere updates, no vox calls, nothing. At last check, over three dozen craft sit, seemingly dormant. However, each one is steadily moving towards an area that is empty on all astrocartographs. Despite this, there is clearly something there. At first, you felt it. Deep in your soul, a subtle and longing drive to be there…. Wherever ‘there’ is.

 As every voidcraft moves towards the allegedly empty area, you see it. Its surface reflects little light. What augurs and scans the varied ships use return suggestions of subsurface structures and weak bio-signatures, although most unaccountably fail to register the world at all. But it is there. 

 Its presence is verified by a sudden burst of vox traffic from the surface. Auspex scans immediately identify it as a rescue beacon commonly used by Adeptus Mechanicus Data-Hoard Forges when under attack. The beacon makes clear the importance of the data-hoard on the surface. It is of integral value to the Imperium and thus it is of great value to any enterprising commander, regardless of affiliation or loyalty to the God-Emperor.

 You have a choice to make; do you assist this Command Entity (as it refers to itself in the now repeating vox traffic)? Or do you take advantage of this situation and take what the Command Entity has? 

 You give the order without even considering the options at hand, ‘All forces, prepare for landing’. The bridge explodes in activity around you. You smile as your subordinates enact your will.  The planet quietly reveals its name to you.

Occultaris awaits.

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Task Force Faustus was en route back to the Vadinax Sector.  After a brutal campaign on Tern's Endeavor, still unresolved, the Battle Barge Excelsior and escorts are pulled from the warp at Occultaris.  Vox traffic indicates other Imperial forces on the way back to Tern's Endeavor were pulled into realspace as well - such as Strike Force Pegasus, and non-Imperial forces as well.

An uneasy alliance is formed to assist the Command Entity.  The Tenuous Allies...

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Battle Report:

Ruleset: 2023 Tenth Edition Leviathan US Open Narrative Missions, Tyrannic War Crusade
Mission: Kicking the Nest

Points: 1000

Mission Objectives:

5 VP for each of the following conditions:

• Controlling one or more objective markers
• Controlling more objective markers than the opponent
• Their Warlord is within range of an objective marker that they control
• They Control the objective marker in the center of the battlefield

My Forces:

+ Leaders +

• Primus Leo Exevio Faustus - Captain in Terminator Armour: Warlord

+ (Elites) +

• Squad Tourbillion - 5 man Terminator Squad: Teleport Homer, Power sword, Storm bolter, Assault cannon, 3x Chainfist, Power fist
• Squad Lazarus- 5 man Assault Squad w/ Jump Packs: Bolt Pistols, Chainswords, 1x Grav-pistol, 1x Power Fist
• Squad Uzziel - 5 man Tyrannic War Veterans: Boltguns, Bolt pistols, combat weapons

+ (Heavy Support) +

• Squad Nero - 5 man Devastator Squad: Power sword, plasma pistol, 3x Lascannon, Missile Launcher
• Land Raider One - Land Raider - Twin Heavy Bolter, 2x Godhammer Lascannons

+ (Fast Attack) +

• "One Charlie" - Land Speeder Tornado: Heavy flamer, Multi-melta

Takeaways & Analysis

The Tenuous Allies won priority and got to attack first.  Faustus arrived to find the Death Guard had infiltrated the area.  Our additional objectives were to secure buildings.

The machine spirits of Land Raider One were appeased after it destroyed both a deep striking Death Shroud unit and the Plaugeburst Crawler.

Meanwhile Squad Lazarus droped from the skies to finish off a squad of Death Guard Terminators engaged with Faustus on the center objective - Hammer of Wrath!

Faustus himself destroyed a bloat drone with a well placed grenade launched from his Auxiliary Grenade Launcher.

While the Death Guard were battered severely, they managed to get their warlord onto an objective marker long enough to achieve whatever foul agendas they were after.  (If only I had read the rules and sat Faustus on an objective, I would have kept up enough points for the win).  Nevertheless, Faustus achieved 3 points of fame for fighting on the center objective, and overall the Tenuous Allies won the round.

The Ultramarines only suffered one casualty - One Charlie crashed, but both pilots walked away.

My opponent Brian was really friendly and it was a great first game!

Assault Squad Arms!

With the release of 10th edition of 40k the Vanguard Veterans got some less than favorable changes.  But, luckily I anticipated the need to be very flexible with their loadouts and magnetized their arms.  While unfortunately the magnets are a bit weak and make them a bit fiddley - I'm able to change them into a basic assault squad with ye ol' humble bolt pistol and chainsword.  The assault squad rules might be someone more favorable, but also makes the squad a bit cheaper which is another benefit now that it is much harder to adjust army lists with how they are doing points right now.

Anyway - its just fun to have chainswords and I was able to create these fairly quickly for the upcoming narrative campaign at the 2023 US Open.

The greenstuff let me down a bit - I was going to hide it with gore, but maybe I'll add that later.  I'm really happy with how the hazard stripes turned out.  This was also the first time really trying to do the chipping effect.  Both the hazard stripes and the iconography were achieved using some stencils that I bought online.  The stencils are intended for use with airbrushes, but that's not something I have access to, so I tried a technique I saw that involved using a sponge to blot on the paint.  They had used the technique on flatter vehicle surfaces with stencils that were much bigger.  Here the technique didn't work so well on the curved shoulder pauldrons - and at first they were a complete disaster.  So much so that I only used the stencil for the Ultramarines icon, I ended up just free-handing the assault squad arrows.

In the end I was able to salvage it since I was intending on them looking chipped, and so after some effort touching them up in spots they turned out passible.  The stencil did much better on the flat sword surface, but also instead of blotting with a sponge, I used a brush and just tried to stay in the lines as close as possible without touching them.  I'll give it another go next project, this was sort of a test run for the Rhinos.  That project is still WIP and I'm making progress which I'll update on soon.

Battle Report: Vadinax Campaign - Mission 10 The Fated Hour

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Thick gray-black columns of smoke billowed from blazes in every direction.  The wreckage of shattered power armor and charred dead were in piles too deep to see the mud.  Ruined gauntlets clutching emptied bolters and tattered banners propped up by bearers in deathly repose, everything stained in soot and gore.

It was the last ditch gambit to reclaim the Noctalith monuments buried on Tern's Endeavor, and the Ultramarines held on just long enough, but there would be few veterans from that campaign.

Tales from the Fated Hour of Vadinax
Battle for the Noctalith
5450023.M42

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It's the end of the Vadinax Campaign and for 9th Edition Warhammer 40k!  As the global campaign went on, and as we got more and more announcements about the new edition, the crusade seemed to slow down.  Luckily the LGS game organizer Quinn agreed to play one last mission to end the season.  What better way to go out than on a Fated Hour mission where the stakes were high - characters could be completely killed off.

I spent my final Fate Point and set up a show down in the special zone "The Underside" which had to be unlocked during the campaign.  The Eldar were in control, but Faustus' desperate gambit might just turn control over to the Imperium in the final, fated hour!

Battle Report:

Ruleset: Core Crusade 2023 Arks of Omen Grand Tournament - Strike Force, 2023 Q2 Balance Datasheet & Points, and Goonhammer Vadinax Crusade rules
Mission: Custom "Underside Ambush"
Points: 2000

My Forces:

**Chapter Selector**: Ultramarines

Battle Size [6CP]: Strike Force(101-200 Total PL / 1001-2000 Points) [6CP]
Game Type: 4. Chapter Approved: Arks of Omen Grand Tournament + Crusade

+ HQ +

• Primus Leo Exevio Faustus - Captain in Terminator Armour: Rites of War, The Sanctic Halo, Power Fist, Wrist mounted grenade launcher, Storm Bolter, Warlord (Warleader) [Lost Leg Scar]
• Praelior Tarquinius Iulian Regulus - Chaplain in Terminator Armour:  Benediction of Fury  Storm bolter, Canticle of Hate, Litany of Hate, The Imperium's Sword, Master of Sanctity, Mantra of Strength
• Lt. Commander Psigoras - Lieutenant: Plasma Pistol, Power Sword

+ Troops +

• Squad Cornelius - 5 man Tactical Squad - Power Fist, Plasma pistol, Bolt pistols, Meltagun, Bolters [Walking Wounded scar]
• Squad Kaiel- 5 man Tactical Squad - Chainsword, Plasma pistol, Bolt pistols, Meltagun, Bolters
• Squad Vitus - 5 man Tactical Squad -  Chainsword, Bolt pistols, Heavy Bolter, Bolters [Shell Shocked][Battle-weary][Disgraced]

+ Elites +

• Chief Apothecary Hulm Singa - Apothecary: Astartes Chainsword, Bolt pistol, Frag & Krak grenades, Selfless Healer, The Armour Indomitus, Conversion Field, Custodian of the Future [Lost Leg Scar]
• Venerable Brother "Fury" - Dreadnought: Dreadnought melee weapon w/ Storm bolter, Twin Lascannon
• Squad Nox - 5man Terminator Assault Squad: Teleport Homer,  5x Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield
• Squad Tourbillion - 5 man Terminator Squad: Teleport Homer, Power sword, Storm bolter, Assault cannon, 3x Chainfist, Power fist
• Kill Team Rubrum - 5 man Terminator Squad: Teleport Homer, Power sword, Storm bolter, Heavy Flamer, Chainfist, 3x Power fist
• Squad Velox - 10 man Vanguard Veterans Squad: Relic Blade, 5x Storm Shields, 4x Thunder Hammers, 5x Lightning Claws (pair)

+ Heavy Support +

• Squad Nero - Devastator Squad: Power sword, plasma pistol, 4x Multi-Melta, Armorium cherub [Walking Wounded]
• Squad Quinn - Devastator Squad: Power sword, plasma pistol, 3x Lascannon, Missile Launcher

+ Fast Attack +

• "One Charlie" - Land Speeder Tornado: Heavy flamer, Multi-melta [Angered Machine Spirit]
• "Two Charlie" - Land Speeder Tornado: Heavy flamer, Multi-melta

Rhaey'Alairn, The Host of the Deathwalker:

Battle Size [6CP]: Strike Force(101-200 Total PL / 1001-2000 Points) [6CP]

Game Type: 4. Chapter Approved: Arks of Omen Grand Tournament + Crusade

+ HQ +

• Caeirdf Lerais, Shrinechosen - Farseer
• Calath Illumatar - Farseer Skyrunner
• Prince Mynailos - Autarch
• Saeriola of the Final Path - Shadowseer
• The Yncarne

+ Troops +

• Foresight of Lerais - Rangers
• The Knights of Lusyrhael - Troupe
• The Naevran Ascended - Troupe

+ Elites +

• Caeredhos the Exile - Death Jester
• Naevra's Shadow - Solitaire
• Shrine of the Five Blades - Howling Banshees
• Shrine of the Promised End - Striking Scorpions
• The Attendants of Lerais - Warlocks

+ Fast Attack +

• Shrine of the Final Glory - Shining Spears
• Shrine of the Immortal Whisper - Warp Spiders
• Wings of the Deathwalker - Shroud Runners

+ Dedicated Transports +

• The Void's Grace - Starweaver

Takeaways & Analysis:

Quinn's list was a bit strong for our match up, and since The Yncarne is fun but also a pseudo named character - I wanted to see how it worked but we agreed on a special mission that would balance things out a bit and be thematic for the Ultramarines assaulting the Eldar position.  In the end we came up with a mission where the Eldar had to hold their deployment objective in order to score, but it didn't count for them.  For the Ultramarines, we got an extra objective that we could place anywhere in our deployment zone, and no units could deep strike into our deployment area.  Also, he had the constraint that many units had to start in reserves to simulate a surprise attack.

It is easy to get rusty pretty fast with this game, and I was already forgetting a lot of the crusade bonuses that I had accumulated on various units.  While I remembered most of them for characters, the single battle traits for troop and elite units were sometimes forgotten (specifically my +1s to hit on terminators and on my speeder melta guns).  I also forgot my medal of sacrifice buff on the devastators.  I think it might have helped a bit but I still did ok.  The only other glairing mistake was to not screen Kill Team Rubrum from a key Banshee charge with my tactical squad.  The Banshees are quite scary in melee, but I guess is something you have to witness first-hand to truly appreciate.

The Eldar also made a mistake though in leaving the biker character too far away from his body guards.  My devastator squad was able to snipe him from across the battlefield with a single shot!  Should have used that strand of fate dice!

Meanwhile - the fated hour arrived - Lt Commander Psigoras and Venerable Brother 'Fury' were cut down by the Striking Scorpion Exarch and Autarch Prince Mynailos.  Fury's internal ammo explosion got revenge, however, but the blast (or rather the out of action test with fated hour rules) meant that Psigoras was killed.

Lt. Commander Psigoras falls this day...

*sneaking noises*

Chaplain Regulus made use of the Dark Age Teleportarium once more and with Squad Tourbillion was able to shut down their key warp gate and deny the Eldar any objective points for one turn.

 

In all it was a great game, it was very close and aside from a couple of mistakes on both sides and a few early bad rolls I think it went well.  Truly the Yncarne is very hard to pin down as it can bounce everywhere across the board.  I think with the mission rules we were able to balance out the power level differences fairly well.  Quinn was able to table me by turn 4 (which apparently will be an auto-victory in 10th edition) but I was able to collect enough points to barely hold on for the win!

Brother Cornelius holds the point to the bitter end!

Though the crusade is now over, I have spent my last RP on the "Even in Death I still Serve" Space Marine Requisition to inter Brother Psigoras into a dreadnought.  Really an awesome, thematic finish to the campaign and it will be interesting to see what might carry over into Season 2!

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010111010010010100101001110

++++ 1010101 10010 111 ++++

Initializing...

Intoning Start-up rites

Resolving Auto-senses

Connection Vox-link establish... done

Downloading litanies...

Recitations in progress

Please wait...

Please wait...

Twin-link check - pass

Check-sum ab09dab90ef013

Lascannon Status - OK

Storm Bolter magazines - OK

Power Weapon - Safe

Audio feed: "...Venerable Brother Psigoras, it is I, Samus Dexter, Master of the Forge.  Are your memories intact?"

> Command? _

Next Project: Retro Rhinos and Razorback (WIP)

This next project will take a bit: I had 3 sealed original vehicles - 2 retro Rhinos and a retro Razorback that I obtained from a friend's collection.

Everything is original and was still on the sprues and of course the original transfers and instructions.

I even found a bonus sprue in the Razorback box that I'm having troubles identifying.

I've heard that the grip bar that runs along the top of the rhino is very fragile, and I can tell looking at how thin they are.  My plan is to get some brass rods and shape/solder them into the same form.  I also want to magnetize the turret and add some internal filler (thinking wood blocks) to the main hull to add some weight and structure. Since the turret addon for the Razorback is metal, I think the internal structure will be important for supporting and balancing it as well.

Battle Report: Vadinax Campaign - Mission 9 Celvorn's Revenge

It's the 9th Vadinax campaign mission and we have finally hit the 2000 point game mark!  This was also the first match facing an opponent that I squared off against before, in fact it was Darryl from the very first match.  Celvorn's Mauraders were looking for revenge!

Battle Report:

Ruleset: Core Crusade 2023 Arks of Omen Grand Tournament - Strike Force, 2023 Q2 Balance Datasheet & Points, and Goonhammer Vadinax Crusade rules
Mission: Arks of Omen GT: Abandoned Sanctuaries
Points: 2000

My Forces:

**Chapter Selector**: Ultramarines

Battle Size [6CP]: Strike Force(101-200 Total PL / 1001-2000 Points) [6CP]
Game Type: 4. Chapter Approved: Arks of Omen Grand Tournament + Crusade

+ HQ +

• Primus Leo Exevio Faustus - Captain in Terminator Armour: Rites of War, The Sanctic Halo, Power Fist, Wrist mounted grenade launcher, Storm Bolter, Warlord (Warleader)
• Praelior Tarquinius Iulian Regulus - Chaplain in Terminator Armour:  Benediction of Fury  Storm bolter, Canticle of Hate, Litany of Hate, The Imperium's Sword, Master of Sanctity, Mantra of Strength
• Lt. Commander Psigoras - Lieutenant: Plasma Pistol, Power Sword

+ Troops +

• Squad Cornelius - 5 man Tactical Squad - Power Fist, Plasma pistol, Bolt pistols, Meltagun, Bolters [Walking Wounded scar]
• Squad Kaiel- 5 man Tactical Squad - Chainsword, Plasma pistol, Bolt pistols, Meltagun, Bolters
• Squad Vitus - 5 man Tactical Squad -  Chainsword, Bolt pistols, Heavy Bolter, Bolters [Shell Shocked][Battle-weary]

+ Elites +

• Chief Apothecary Hulm Singa - Apothecary: Astartes Chainsword, Bolt pistol, Frag & Krak grenades, Selfless Healer, The Armour Indomitus, Conversion Field, Custodian of the Future [Lost Leg Scar]
• Venerable Brother "Fury" - Dreadnought: Dreadnought melee weapon w/ Storm bolter, Twin Lascannon
• Squad Nox - 5man Terminator Assault Squad: Teleport Homer,  5x Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield
• Squad Tourbillion - 5 man Terminator Squad: Teleport Homer, Power sword, Storm bolter, Assault cannon, 3x Chainfist, Power fist
• Kill Team Rubrum - 5 man Terminator Squad: Teleport Homer, Power sword, Storm bolter, Heavy Flamer, Chainfist, 3x Power fist
• Squad Velox - 10 man Vanguard Veterans Squad: Relic Blade, 5x Storm Shields, 4x Thunder Hammers, 5x Lightning Claws (pair) [Disgraced]

+ Heavy Support +

• Squad Nero - Devastator Squad: Power sword, plasma pistol, 4x Multi-Melta, Armorium cherub [Walking Wounded]
• Squad Quinn - Devastator Squad: Power sword, plasma pistol, 3x Lascannon, Missile Launcher

+ Fast Attack +

• "One Charlie" - Land Speeder Tornado: Heavy flamer, Multi-melta
• "Two Charlie" - Land Speeder Tornado: Heavy flamer, Multi-melta

Agendas: Quest for Atonement (Squad Velox), Reaper, Guide the Chapter

Celvorn's Marauders (Red Corsairs):

++ Arks of Omen Detachment 2000pts ++

**Traitor Legion**: Red Corsairs
Battle Size [6CP]: Incursion (51-100 Total PL / 501-1000 Points) [6CP]
Game Type: 4. Chapter Approved: Arks of Omen Grand Tournament + Crusade

+ HQ +

• Celvorn "The Pretender" - Master of Possession: Warlord (Warleader)
• Vechmus Thrax - Lord Discordant on Helstalker
  
• Carix, the Wake of Corrosion - Daemon Prince

+ Troops +

• Vorjcha's Skullcrushers - Legionaries
• Starhounds - Legionaries

+ Elites +

• Krall's Maulers - Chaos Terminators
• Skade - Helbrute
• Cratoa the Broken - Helbrute
• Twice-Born - Possessed
• Sons of Ruin - Possessed

+ Fast Attack +

• Scuttleborn - Venomcrawler
• Ripping Claws - Raptors
• Amalgamated Test Subjects - Chaos Spawn

+ Heavy Support +

• Shipbreakers - Obliterators

+ Dedicated Transports +

• Fireproof - Chaos Rhino

Takeaways & Analysis:

This one was a combination of playing a bit too cautious and not bringing in deep strike at the right time.  Also, cold dice did not help at all.  For example, all of my tactical squads rolled 1 on their advance moves to try and contest the objectives.  So between that and deploying a bit further back to not get charged, my opponent was able to control the objectives all game.

Captain Faustus hurls his attackers off a building.

The Red Corsairs have an ability to delay one squad from reserves - this made me choose to wait to deploy all the terminators until turn 3, which was a big mistake.  Furthermore, I dropped them in-between the terminators, lord discordant, and demon prince - who of course surrounded my units and crushed them right after.  I had no choice because I needed objectives, but yeah, any other location would have been a better idea...

Darryl suggested that I would have been better off starting all the terminators on the board, and this is likely true.  I should have gone for holding the center and the jungle objectives (and my own) and backed those up with terminators for the counter charges.  Might not have helped on missing the advance rolls, but if I had started the tactical squads as close as possible and then rushed, then maybe.  I still would have needed to send something at the crater objective as a feint, perhaps the vanguard vets.

Brother Velox did redeem himself and achieve the Quest of Atonement though, and Captain Faustus had some cool melee combats throwing traitors off a building while then using his dark age displacer belt to zip around the battle field.  Also, the re-equipped Squad Nero with their new multi-meltas did a pretty good job of nuking both the rhino and the obliterator squad.  I'll need to find a way to get them in a bit closer safely.

The Ultramarines make their stand against the Marauders warp-swelled champions.

++++

Regulus: Beset on all sides by Traitors!  And yet they will still feel the wrath of the Imperium!

Faustus: Fight back to back, make them pay!  Death to the Heretics!