Sit Rep (40K); Battle for the Cathedral of St Patius

Editorial note; This is a frist Colin, Aka Khorne Dog on the local forums, has written a scenario. Being a bit of a scenario junkie we decide to give it a go. The actual mission has been submitted to Up-link the Irish war games E-zine. The report below is an AAR of a mission.

The protagonists;

Task force Excalibur (Imperial guard supported by the Ordo Malleus)

Inquisitor Lord Maldread de Morga with retinue

Company command squad Alpha in a Chimera

Company command squad Bravo in a Chimera

Veteran squad Charlie in a chimera

Veteran squad Delta in a chimera

Veteran squad Echo in a Valkyrie

Leman Russ squadron Fox (Leman Russ battle tank and Leman Russ Executioner)

Leman Russ squadron Golf (Leman Russ battle tank and Leman Russ Punisher)

Minions of Regius (Chaos Space Marines)

Lord Regius

Sorcerer Merling

Chaos lord of Khorne

Hand Regius (terminator squad)

The slaughters (Khorne berserker squad in a Land Raider)

The Rotted (Plague marine squad in a rhino)

The Sirens (Noise marine squad)

The claw (obliterators)

Slaughterfiend (defiler)

The summoned (Daemon Reserves)

Karrr (bloodthirster)

The cursed (nurgle chaos spawn)

The blood (blood letter squad)

The corrupt (plague bearers)

AAR;

The chaos took up positions to protect Merling has he attempted his summoning. The sirens, The slaugtherfiend and the claw covered the cathedral ruins. The Khorne lord, the slaughters and the rotted formed a mobile strike force to bring the battle to task force Excalibur. Lord Regius and his terminators waited in the teleport chambers for the signal to arrive.

Chaos Space Marine deployment

In response task force Excalibur moved into position. The taskforce deployed into three groups. The first, call sign sword, consisted of Inquisitor Lord Maldread, squad alpha and Charlie. It was deployed on the left flank and was tasked to storm the ruins. The second group, call sign shield, consisted of Leman Russ squadrons Fox and Golf it was deployed in the centre and was tasked to suppress the ruins. The third group, call sign lance, consisted of the remaining squads and went into reserve where it was tasked to interdict any chaos attacks.

Imperial Guard deployment

Task force Excalibur moved first. Sword group moved through the hills towards the ruins. Shield group moved in support. The Leman Russ's fired on the landraider but failed to glance the vehicle.

The view from the imperial deployment zone

The chaos responded aggressively. The Khorne lord led out the mobile strike force to engage the imperials. The cathedral defenders opened fire on the Leman Russ’s at long range with no effect.

Under fire Taskforce Excalibur was reinforced by Squad Echo who deployed from the valkyrie to bring the landraider within close range of the their meltaguns. Sword group moved closer to the ruins with the lead chimera blowing smoke to protect the group against the nearby slaughter fiend. Shield group moved to support the anticipated assault on the ruins. Squad Echo's meltaguns made short work of the landraider with the Khorne lord and the slaughters were finished off by shield group.

Echo Squad engages the chaos mobile reserve

The loss of the main element of the chaos strike force caused for a redeployment in the chaos lines. The Rotted Debussed and moved to eliminate squad Echo. The claw moved to bring the Valkyrie into close range of their multimelta’s. Squad Echo was devastated by fire from the Rotted and the sirens but the held firm. The Claw easily dispatched the Valkyrie. The slaugtherfiend attempted to assault sword group but was just out of range.

The Rotted move to destroy Echo Squad

Lance group engages the rest of the choas maine mobile reserves

The rest of Lance grouped arrived and moved in on the right flank moving to counter the Rotted's advance. Charlie squad debussed bring the Slaughterfiend in close range of their meltaguns. The rest of Sword group continued to advance on the ruins. Shield group moved in to support. Charlie squad quickly destroyed the Slaughterfiend while combined fire from groups Lance and Shield eliminated the Rotted and their transport. With the imperials making steady progress the Merling hastily completed his summoning and the summoned daemons arrived. Karr deployed behind Shield group. The Cursed deployed close to Charlie squad while the Blood and the Corrupt deployed near Lance group.

The Blood and the Corrupt attack Lance group

Karr, lord Regius and the Hand assault Sheild group

With the chaos force further reinforced when Lord Regius and Hand teleported behind Shield group. Heavily reinforced the chaos force went on the offensive. Karr moved closer to Shield group while the other daemons moved into assault range of their nearest targets. The Hand fired first and destroyed the Leman Russ from Fox Squadron. The Claw fired on, but failed to damage, Bravo squad's chimera. Multiple assaults raged across the battle field. Karr assaulted Golf squadron and destroyed the Leman Russ, the Blood destroyed Delta squad. The Corrupt and the Cursed pinned Bravo and Charlie squads respectively.

Sword Group's advance is stalled by summoned daemons

With most of the infantry either destroyed or engaged the remains of Taskforce Excalibur changed plan. The remains of Shield group moved to target lord Regius and the Hand. The two unengaged chimeras from Lance group targeted the Blood. Group sword split up with Alpha squad moving to eliminate the Claw, while Lord Maldread moved to engage Karr. Shield group opened fire and destroyed the Hand and badly wound lord Regius. Lord Maldread retinue open fire of Karr badly wounding him. Lance groups chimeras were ineffective against the Blood. Command Squad Alpha ravaged the Claw killing two obliterators and wounding the survivor. In combat Bravo and Charlie squads got the better of their opponents but remained locked in combat.

Lord Maldread engage the Bloodthrister Karr

Despite the heavy fire the chaos force continued to advance. Karr moved to engage lord Maldread. Lord Regius moved towards Shield group. The Blood moved towards Bravo squad. The surviving obliterator from the Claw moved to flame Alpha squad. Merling lashed the survivors from squad Echo into weapons range of the Sirens. Who in turn savaged the squad with bolter fire. Lord Regius assaulted Golf squadron but failed to any damage. Karr assaulted lord Maldread killing several of his retinue while suffering a wound in return. The Blood assaulted and destroyed Bravo squad and their chimera but not before the last of the Corrupt was dispatched. While Charlie finished of the last of the Cursed. The Claw assaulted Alpha squad but made no impact and was destroyed in return.

Alpha and Echo squads engage the last of the Claw.

Locked in combat with a bloodthirster was not a desirable situation so lord Maldread created a sanctuary forcing the bloodthirster out of combat and into the sights of the retinue’s plasma guns, which quickly eliminated the threat. The punisher opened fire and killed lord Regius. The executioner opened fire and destroyed the Blood while all remaining units targeted Merling the sorcerer who fell under heavy bolter fire.

With only the Sirens left the chaos force ended the game hiding in the ruins.

In the aftermath the guard had failed to prevent the summoning but had inflict sufficient damage to force the Chaos horde to quit the planet.

With the summoned daemons destroyed all imperial units begin to target Merling and the Sirens.

End results (after bonus) win guard 15 vs 9