Post edited 12:33 pm – Thu 10-6-11 by Mike Montesa

Although I've been playing minis games for years and years, I'm testing the waters of 40K after a 20-year absence, and Adan's showing me the ropes of 5th edition. I'm heavy into RPGs so I naturally like to have a narrative to my games (and I'm not at all interested in playing in tournaments or tournament style games). So, I whipped up a short campaign for what Adan and I are doing. We played Round 1 last night (this was only my second game of 40K), and though I lost, it was a hard fight with some crazy stuff happening that was a lot of fun.

I'll post the campaign info below, followed with a bit of in-character fluff and my comments.

Post edited 4:44 pm – Thu 10-6-11 by Mike Montesa

Adan won the roll for the mission, so it was Pillage. Here's how it went down.

++++++++++++++++++++

"Chaplain Benkei, report."

"My Lord, I beg to report I have failed the Chapter. The foul traitors of the Alpha Legion have seized some of the Chapter's DNA data and genestock from Lab 47-Nu. My shame and dishonor are only equaled by my despair."

"…You will tell me what happened. Now."

"We responded to the Lab's distress call as soon as we received it. At the head of Squads Yukigumo, Shimakaze and Raiden, and backed by Dreadnought Kuma, Predator Benten and a Landspeeder from Susano Squadron, I led our Brothers to the fight. The traitors had already begun their plundering of our geneseed bank and had infested one of the lab complex buildings. Susano dropped bravely in behind a corrupted Vindicator, trading his own life to destroy the enemy vehicle. We charged forward, Benten, Yukigumo and Kuma rushing to beat the traitors to the zygote lab. Battle was joined and it was fierce. The traitors got a squad into the zygote lab and Yukigumo moved to engage them. Unfortunately, the traitors sallied from the building, overwhelmed Yukigumo and withdrew inside again."

"A whole squad, wiped out? Outrageous!"

"Yes my lord, except for Brother Shingen. Alone he fought against a host of daemons summoned to reinforce the traitors. I have rarely witnessed such bravery or skill. When he at last fell to overwhelming numbers he had bought valuable time for myself and Squad Raiden to enter the fight. By this time Benten had been knocked out, but Kuma and Squad Shimakaze's Razorback had moved in close to hammer the enemy. Squad Raiden and I entered the zygote lab just as a traitor unit charged in behind us. The combat was close and bloody. I emerged victorious in the end, but at the cost of several of our Brothers. Though we had kept the traitors from our blessed zygotes, they were able to abscond with our sacred geneseed. I have failed the Chapter, my Lord, and endangered our very future. The thought of our sacred geneseed being corrupted is one I cannot bear. I can only cleanse this stain on the Chapter's honor with my death. I humbly request you allow me to commit seppuku."

"Chaplain…this…defeat is a terrible one, and the shame you bear is great. But if you are to die in order to regain your honor, then it will be in battle. The traitors have not yet made their escape, and we may yet be able to smash them and recover our geneseed. Traitor forces are massing for another attack and we will meet it and defeat it. I will see to it that Brother Shingen is promoted to Sergeant – let him be known as Akumashi, Daemonbane – he will lead his own squad in the next battle, and I am sure he is as eager for vengeance as you. Now, assemble your Brothers, look to your wargear and prepare the Litany of Vengeance to be read at the next briefing. The Rising Sun Chapter has a debt to pay!"

++++++++++++++++++

Yes, I lost, but it was really a hard fought game. In terms of losses neither of us had very much left when it was over. In the Pillage mission, you get 1 point at the end of your oppoent's turn for each objective you have a model in contact with. Adan had one objective right from the start of the game which steadily fed him a point each turn. I took another objective on turn 3 that was to be my only source of VP for the entire game.

The 3rd objective was hotly contested from turn 2. Adan got a squad into the building where it was, and I proceeded to flame and blast away at him with my Marines, dreadnought and Predator. Adan sallied his CSM out to assault my SM squad and tore them to shreds, leaving one surviving Brother (Shingen, in the story above) to fall back and regroup himself between the smoking hulks of my Rhino and Predator. Adan brought his lesser daemons in and assaulted Shingen (along with the vehicles to finish them off). Shingen then proceeded to survive the assault, and then lasted three (I think) subsequent turns locked in close combat with 8 demons! He made at least a dozen or more saves before he was at last taken down. I credit his amazing stand with giving me the time and space to get my late arriving assault squad and Chaplain a chance to get into the fight for the objective (Adan may have a picture he can post of this).

That particular fight ended with only the Chaplain and one CSM still locked in close combat. The game ended after 7 turns with the Alpha Legion taking a victory, 9 points to 5.

So, the next game will be the Black Crusade mission at 1,500 pts. I'll need to smash him good here if I'm to have any chance of regaining my Chapter's honor!

Thanks for a fun game Adan!

Post edited 9:04 pm – Tue 10-11-11 by Adan T

Ok… I don't know why the text is so small… I can't seem to fix it.  Sorry all.

OK, second game done.

I have pics up on my Flickr photostream here. The pics have some notes about what was going on.

Here's the "story hour" writeup…

++++++++++++++++++++++

"My Lord, we have the data from the scouts and orbital surveillance. The Alpha Legion raiding force is moving toward these coordinates. Our Chief Librarian confirms the existence of a warp gate there and it is certain that the traitors are heading for it."

The Rising Sun Chapter master pondered the dataslate for a moment, then turned to look at the holo-tank where the battlespace was depicted in three dimensions, and in real-time.

The recent open field battle had been costly, and the traitor Marines of the Alpha Legion had once again inflicted heavy losses. But the losses themselves weren't what was so galling to the Chapter Master, it was the fact that the traitors knew they didn't really need to have fought it, but did it anyway. They'd achieved their main objective earlier – grabbing some of the Chapter's geneseed – and a more prudent commander would have simply immediately withdrawn. But not these traitors. To them, the battle had been a taunt at a foe they both hated and scorned. The insult to the Chapter's honor was simply unforgivable.

The Chapter Master stood. "Dispatch a task force to destroy the traitors before they escape! We will not let them retreat back to the warp." He turned to his Logisticator as the rest of the staff serfs scurried to their tasks.

"Has he been summoned?" he asked.

"Yes, my Lord. Brother-Captain Masamune is on the high orbit shrine with his hatamoto. He assures us that he will join the coming action."

"Very well. Tell me, was Chaplain Benkei's body recovered?"

"Yes, my Lord. Brother-Sergeant Akumashi brought him back personally. The Apothecary has recovered his geneseed and his legacy will endure."

The Chapter Master's scowl was as stern as ever, but the Logisitcator thought he saw a flash of regret in his Master's eyes at the news of Benkei's death. "Brother-Sergeant Akumashi, my Lord," he said as Akumashi stepped forward and took a knee.

"Brother-Sergeant Akumashi," the Chapter Master intoned levelly. "Tell me of the battle, and this Chaos champion you fought."

"Yes, my Lord," Akumashi said. "Captain Ryutora deployed us in a loose line in some ruins. Our Predator and Razorback had good shots at the traitor war machine but were unable to kill at. At least we kept it at bay. The main traitor thrust came down our right flank and I led my squad forward to meet it.

"We deployed from our Rhino, and as we did a mob of local cultists leapt out of the woods where they had been hiding. I could see they were a screen for the traitors behind them. I ordered a volley and we blasted them apart with bolter fire. But there were many more of them.

"The Alpha Legion troops rushed forward with a shrieking champion of Chaos at their head. I declared my name and lineage and we set ourselves to receive the charge.

"Now outnumbered, my Brother Marines fought with the skill and courage of our Blessed Primarch. But the forces of the Enemy were charged with warp energy and moved with a speed we could not match.

"I found myself engaged with that frenzied beast of a warrior whose rage seemed limitless. Only by the grace of the Emperor did I stand against him. I fought on, now surrounded by my fallen brothers, reciting my death haiku.

"I heard Chaplain Benkei order his squad forward on the vox. I don't know how long I dueled with that Chaos champion but it seemed like forever. Then I was aware of Benkei's men alongside me, and when I at last succumbed to my wounds, the Chaplain himself was fighting the champion and cursing its blasphemous existence. The auto-medicae in my armor then cut in and I blacked out.

"When I came to, I found myself back in the staging area, having been dragged there by some of my less injured Brothers. I put another squad together and headed back into the fight. By this time, Captain Ryutora and his squad were hunting down the last of the traitors that had come up the center and taken out Brother Oniguma. I could not see what was happening on our left very well, but I now know Squad Amakaze had been dislodged from their position, and Chaplain Kanemoto and his squad had jumped into action.

"For my part, my squad and I advanced and brought the Emperor's holy vengeance down upon the cultists and traitor filth that were trying to roll up that flank.

"With a little more time, we might have held the traitors and prevented their escape, but they sounded their recall and withdrew."

The Chapter Master considered this, then spoke. "Brother-Sergeant, you have once again displayed great prowess in battle. Your duel with the Chaos champion will be remembered by our chroniclers. Now we must move to crush the traitors once and for all."

"I beg to be assigned to the task force to perform this sacred duty, my Lord," Akumashi said.

"You are already on the roster, Brother-Sergeant. May the Emperor grant you vengeance."

+++++++++++++++++++

So, another victory for Chaos. But it was a fun game, and Adan is a great opponent. Adan won on KP, 7 to 4. It was getting late so we called the game at the end of turn 5. Another turn and I might have drawn it a little closer, as I was set up to possibly pick up 2 more KP. but it was not to be.

On turn 1 I had my best opportunity to kill the Defiler, hitting it with my Razorback lascannon and some missile launcher shots, but choked my damage rolls. I was initially pretty scared of his Defiler, and although I still have plenty of respect for its guns and close combat power, I was able to keep it bottled up in the corner all game.

I totally blew it with my Dreadnought I think, not playing aggressively and just getting melted wandering around looking for a target. My biggest problem was misjudging just how fast the Chaos Marines could get up in my grill. Adan has a Chaos mark that bumps his Initiative to 5 and he's really murdered me with that twice now.

Sgt. Akumashi is the sergeant who survived a crazy amount of CC saves in game 1. He almost did it again in this game, taking on Kharn and surviving a round before he got clocked. But since infantry units were recycling in this scenario, we decided Akumashi wasn't dead and so he came back in with reinforcements.

So now, the Alpha Legion is pulling out and the next mission we play is Cut & Run from the Battle Missions book. The Rising Sun Chapter has one last chance to stop the traitors from bugging out with their geneseed. I'm determined to get them next time!

Post edited 12:30 am – Fri 12-30-11 by Adan T

The Rising Sun Chapter Master allowed no trace of emotion to cross his face, but inside he was seething with anger. "What of Captain Masamune? Why is he not making this report?"

"He fell my Lord. His died with honor, beset on all sides by many foes. He and Squad Kirishima gave great account of themselves."

The Chapter Master's mind was reeling. Captain Masamune had been a great hero of the Chapter and had personally promised to accomplish the mission, and now he was gone, along with almost his entire task force.

The Space Marine kneeling before him was one of only 10 that had survived the battle. How could things have gone so wrong so fast? The bad news kept coming.

"It would appear, my Lord, that the cultist cells on Kagoshima were expended by the enemy in covering their withdrawal. However, we are conducting search and destroy operations now to root out any lingering traitors amongst the local population.

"I also must report the loss of Brother Sergeant Akumashi. He led the Sternguard forward with much bravery, but he was slain by the Traitor Lord. We also lost Honored Brothers Oniguma and Kurogumo. Oniguma gave particular account of himself, singlehandedly engaging a Chaos war machine in close combat, but was ultimately overcome."

Two of the Chapters most revered Dreadnoughts also fallen? That so many honored warriors had been lost was bad enough, but the shame and dishonor of losing the Chapter's geneseed, even only a few samples, to the treacherous Alpha Legion was more than he could bear. 

"Enough!" he said rising from his seat. "This defeat can only be taken as a sign from the Emperor, a sign that we are lacking in conviction, training and faith. We will remember our fallen brothers, whose souls now stand at the Emperor's side beyond the Eternity Gate, with 90 days of prayer and battle drills.

"And, henceforth let it be known that the Rising Sun Chapter will have its vengeance. Though we all bear the collective dishonor, the 2nd Company feels this shame the most. They shall redeem themselves by seeking out the forces of the Alpha Legion wherever they may be found, and are tasked with the recovery of our sacred geneseed, no matter how long it takes, or what resources we must expend."

The Chapter Master strode from the audience chamber, his footsteps echoing off the cold stone walls.

______________________________________________________

<<More from Mike>>

Well,  Adan and I played our third and final game of our mini campaign. I lost (all three games and the campaign) but had a good time playing regardless. It was only my fourth game of 5e 40K ever and I'm definitely still on the learning curve and making mucho-boneheaded mistakes. So, I'm putting it down as a learning experience (and blaming my lousy dice rolls too, natch). ;-) 

This was my list: 

Captain Masamune (Lysander) – 200 
Dreadnought Oniguma, Multi-melta, CCW w/Hvy Flamer, Extra Armor, Drop Pod – 165 
Ironclad Dreadnought Kurogumo, Seismic Hammer w/Hvy Flamer, CCW w/Hvy Flamer, Drop Pod – 175 
Sternguard Squad Akumashi (9 Veterans), Special Ammo, Combi-melta x3, Combi Flamer x2, Power Weapon, Rhino – 275 
Tactical Squad Kirishima (10 marines), Hvy Bolter, Flamer, Power Fist, Drop Pod – 230 
Tactical Squad Kagetora (10 Marines), Missile Launcher, Meltagun, Razorback w/TL Hvy Bolter – 215 
Scout Squad Shinobu, Sgt. Telion, Camo Cloaks x5, Sniper Rifles x4, Missile Launcher – 150 
Landspeeder Typhoon – Typhoon Missile Launcher, Hvy Flamer – 90 

Total: 1500 

We played the All Around Defense scenario from the Battle Missions book, only the Chaos Marines were the defender. In our story, they had got what they had come for – the Rising Sun Chapter's geneseed – and were withdrawing through a warp gate. 

The Alpha Legion set up within 12" of an objective placed in the center of the table. My forces could set up anywhere else on the board at least 18" away from the center. 

One thing I've been having trouble with is understanding the threat range of the different units. This has resulted in me often deploying way too close against a CSM force that wants to get in my face ASAP, and I want to keep them at arm's length, which I don't do very well. I lost the roll-off for the 1st turn and I had a Razorback with a combat squad too close. They naturally got jumped by Adan's best CSM unit and wiped out without firing a shot. Fail. 

I had some punching power in my two dreadnoughts, but brought them down (in drop pods) too far apart to support each other. The Ironclad died well before really doing any damage (killed by that same nasty CSM squad), and the other dread got stuck in CC with a Defiler – after totally failing a perfect point blank shot at it's backside with its multi-melta – and was of course eventually picked apart. if I'd had both of them beating on the Defiler, they might have taken it down. At the very least, my dread beat the damned thing up a bit and it didn't have too much of an impact on the overall battle. 

The Sternguard squad I fielded had potential, but got bogged down for three turns fighting off cultists (lesser daemons) and only starting getting their act together once it was too late. They had a beautiful chance to wipe out that super CSM squad (that had been giving me so much trouble the whole campaign), with 6 hits with their insta-kill Vengeance rounds. All I needed was a 4 to cause an unsaveable wound, but rolled 1's and 2's on everything. Sucked! After that they got shot, charged and wiped out – epic fail! 

This was a perfect demonstration of "speed bumping" and "tarpitting" however, as Adan kept throwing those lesser daemons at me and very effectively tied up the Sternguard, who would much rather have been hosing targets with all that beautiful, expensive ammunition they have. That was a lesson I definitely learned. 

But, wow, I do like those Sternguard and I'm definitely getting a full squad of 10 of those badasses. Properly (properly!) used, I think they simply kill everything they see. 

I had some scout snipers too, but they failed to impress (of course it could have been my lousy die rolls). Jury's still out on them. 

I did lots of things wrong. I spread myself too thin, deployed too close, made my move on the objective too late, attacked piecemeal, etc., etc. I think my biggest failure was simply not imagining and understanding the capabilities and potential of my own and my opponent's units. 

But, I think I learned a lot (about what not to do) and some of the things I've been having trouble with are becoming more clear. I gave it my best shot – I don't think I was a total walkover – and Adan was a very gracious and patient opponent. I do look forward to playing against his Alpha Legion again!