Worlds of the Narrative: Fandrel

Planet: Fandrel IV.
Segmentum: Ultima.
Sector: Damocles.
System: Fandrel.
Surveyed: M38.
Planets:
Fandrel I - Death World.
Fandrel II - Barren World.
Fandrel III - Terrestrial World.
Fandrel IV - Terrestrial World.
Fandrel V - Gas Giant.
Fandrel VI - Gas Giant.
Fandrel VII - Gas Giant.
Fandrel VIII - Ice World.
Fandrel IX - Ice World.
Fandrel X - Ice World.

Summery:
The Fandrel system was discovered by the Imperium in M38 and colonized within a hundred years. The Imperium hoped that the planet would make a perfect agricultural world to feed the surrounding systems. The third and forth planets would be perfect for their needs. Fandrel IV was found to be rich in heavy metals and ores that could be extracted with ease.

Shortly after the start of the Tau fifth expansion the Empire decided to take this world from the Imperium and put its resources to the use of the Tau. When they arrived they found the planet not in the hands of the Imperium but in the putrid talons of the Death Guard. When they had taken the planet it is not known but the cities lie in ruins, it's people now the walking dead and it's resources being stolen to fuel the Chaos advance.
Size: Equatorial distance - 4,500 miles.
Gravity: 0.9 G.
Satellites: One moon.
Population: None.
Orbit: 93 million miles from it's star. Fandrel IV takes 430 days to complete one orbit.
Climate: Mean surface temperature of 14 degrees centigrade.

The Death Guard arrived in the Fandrel system during the last days of the Damocles crusade. Sneaking in under the radar they launched a surprise attack. Virus bombs and airborne diseases were released into the atmosphere and then the major cities were bombed from orbit for days afterwards before the plague marines even set foot on the planet's surface. The Imperial population was decimated without even putting up a fight or being able to transmit a cry for help. Too busy fighting the Tau Empire the Imperium did not even notice another world falling into darkness.

When the Tau Empire arrived many years later to annex this world they found it turned into a pestilent hell. But the planet still held both a strategic position and vast mineral wealth that the Empire could claim. The fleet engaged the Death Guard ships in orbit and desperately deployed as many landing craft as they could. Once set upon the surface battle has been joined.

Notes: Fandrel is the world for those games set against the Tau Empire. I did consider making this joint between the Tau and the Farsight Enclaves but it seemed an odd mix to do so. The Enclaves will get their own narrative world to fight for.

Tide of Battle:
Tau victories: 1.
Death Guard victories: 2.
Draws: 0.

The Tau have secured a landing site from which to begin their campaign of conquest. It remains to be seen how they manage once the forces of Nurgle mobilize to counter attack.

1. Bunker Assault.
2. Empyric Storm.
3. Battle for Point Perada.

Worlds of the Narrative: Delphi Majoris

Planet: Delphi Majoris.
Segmentum: Ultima.
Sector: Ghoul Stars.
System: Delphi.
Surveyed: Unknown.
Planets:
Delphi Majoris - Terrestrial World.
Delphi Minoris - Barren World.
Delphi Titanis - Gas Giant.
Tears of Isha - Asteroid Belt.

Summery:
Located on the trailing edge of the Ghoul Stars, the Delphi system was once a colony of the ancient Aeldari Empire. It had been abandoned long before the Fall however as mysterious threats from that region of space made the colony too undesirable. Since then it has remained empty and abandoned, shrouded in freezing mist. Animal life is almost non-existent and the wind blowing through the overgrown Aeldari ruins is often the only sound to be heard.
Size: Equatorial distance - 15,000 miles
Gravity: 1.00 G
Satellites: Fourteen, mostly large asteroids.
Population: None.
Orbit: 300 million miles from it's star. Delphi Majoris takes 466 days to complete one orbit.
Climate: Mean surface temperature of 6 degrees centigrade.

The farseers of the Ynnari have long sought signs of the last ancient crone sword that they seek. After many years of searching they have been drawn to the ancient world of Delphis Majoris. Whether this be the resting place of that blade or just the next step in their quest they do not know. Yvraine now searches the ruins here for signs of what they seek.

The Ruinious Powers rarely see eye to eye let along ally together for long. However, Slaanesh has brokered a deal with Nurgle. In return for assistance against the Ultramarines in the galactic east, Nurgle has dispatched his greatest warriors to this former Aldari world to stop the aliens recovering the whereabouts of the final crone sword. They will stop at nothing to ensure that the relic is never found.

Notes: Delphis Majoris is the world for the games against the Ynnari faction of Aeldari plus their Harlequin allies. I had considered just using this for combined Ynnari and Craftworld Aeldari but I think it makes more sense to have one world purely for the Ynnari.

Tide of Battle:
Ynnari victories: 2.
Death Guard victories: 1.
Draws: 0.

The engagement is still new and both sides are unsure about the capabilities of the other. The Ynnari will not give up their quest and the Death Guard are stalwart in their opposition.

1. The Artefact (7th edition).
2. Dance of the Damned.
3. Ambush.

Lunar Engagement - Cerberus

Planet: Cerberus.
Region: Cerberus sector.

Death Guard vs Space Wolves.
1000 points.
Mission: Only War.
Deployment: Pitched Battle.

Following the arrival of the Death Guard reinforcements from the Scourge Stars, Guilliman's assault upon the Chaos strong point of Cerberus had begun to bog down into a drawn out stalemate. Other space marine commanders requested that they consolidate control on other targets in the system, regroup and then strike harder at the final prize, Cerberus itself.

Harald Deathwolf volunteered to lead a small strike against the small Death Guard held outpost upon Cerberus III's moon. Upon that almost airless moon the two war bands clashed for dominance.

This match up was a friendly game to teach my friend Jason how to play 8th. He had played a lot of the previous editions but this was first go at the new one. With that in mind we went with the basic Only War mission and played across table for ease. The mission objective rolled was 1 victory point for each objective held plus 3 for the war lord.

My Death Guard achieved the first turn and Jason failed to seize the initiative. During our deployment Jason had set up a long fangs squad facing my right flank and that was a concern for me so I set my defiler that side in hopes of taking out a few with the battle cannon. What actually happened was the defiler decimated the entire squad leaving me without much in the way of targets on that flank and I had to swiftly adapt. I felt bad because Jason's dice just did not want to know. So many rolls and re-rolls were 1's and 2's.

Jason's first turn was more about moving his forces forward. Specifically his large pack of fenrisian wolves who swiftly got into combat with one of my rhinos. They would spend the rest of the game tearing it apart but it meant they were not a concern. His blood claws shooting was quite accurate I started losing a few models. Disgustingly resilience was not my friend this game.

Turn two and I flew my bloat drone closer shrouded by flies summoned by my plagucaster. I also made sure that the defiler moved towards my left flank to intercept his thunderwolf cavalry and Harald Deathwolf. I used one of the new Death Guard strategems to allow the defiler to fire it's weapons as though they hadn't moved. The battle cannon blowing one cavalry model away. On Jason's turn his razorback was able to score two lascannon hits on the bloatdrone leaving it on one wound! He chose not to assault the defiler with his cavalry due to the distance.

Turn three and combat was joined. I made sure that my defiler could get into assault easily. It tore through most of his remaining cavalry, leaving just one rider and Harald. At which point I kicked myself because if I had focused on Harald I might have killed him and gained 3 victory points! Jason did score a few wounds on the defiler but nothing to effect it's combat expertise.

Turn four was the last for us as we were getting close to the venue close up. Once the bloat drone got within range of his marines it was next to useless. Too damaged to do anything which was a little disappointing. This time the defiler focused everything on Haraldm, dropping him to one wound! On Jason's turn he took out the bloat drone which did explode taking out one space wolf and scratched the paintwork on his razorback. On my left flank the fenrisian wolves finally destroyed the rhino. Im played another Death Guard strategem to cause it to automatically explode. Three wolves were killed and by sheer luck one mortal wound went on to Harald taking him out of the fight! Yay!

At the end of that round I was holding two objectives and I had warlord kill. Jason was only holding one objective so victory went to the Death Guard 5 to 1. A good game as always with Jason. I felt a little bit bad because I had a fully fledged codex versus his index but I don't think I used anything too nasty and I hope he enjoyed the game.

---

Due to the flow of the game I was not really able to utilize my plaguecaster as I wanted. The cultists did very little but I had them purely for the job of holding an objective in my deployment zone and they did that job. The defiler was my model of the match this time around and made me proud.

---



++ Patrol Detachment (Chaos - Death Guard) [56 PL, 999pts] ++

+ HQ +
Malignant Plaguecaster [6 PL, 110pts]: Curse of the Leper, Miasma of Pestilence, The Pandemic Staff

+ Troops +
Chaos Cultists [3 PL, 48pts]
. 9x Chaos Cultist w/ Autogun
. Chaos Cultist w/ special weapon: Heavy stubber
. Cultist Champion: Shotgun

Plague Marines [10 PL, 185pts]
. Plague Champion: Plaguesword, Plasma gun, Power fist
. 4x Plague Marine w/ boltgun
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun

Plague Marines [10 PL, 173pts]
. Plague Champion: Plaguesword, Plasma gun, Power fist
. 5x Plague Marine w/ boltgun
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Blight launcher

+ Fast Attack +
Foetid Bloat-drone [8 PL, 158pts]: 2x Plaguespitters, Plague probe

+ Heavy Support +
Defiler [11 PL, 181pts]: Combi-bolter, Defiler scourge, Reaper autocannon

+ Dedicated Transport +
Chaos Rhino [4 PL, 72pts]: Combi-bolter
Chaos Rhino [4 PL, 72pts]: Combi-bolter

Bloat Drone drifts towards the enemy.

Thunderwolf Cavalry charges into battle.

Brutal battle with my Defiler.

Worlds of the Narrative: Cerberus

Planet: Cerberus.
Segmentum: Ultima.
Sector: Cerberus.
System: Cerberus.
Surveyed: Unknown.
Planets:
Cerberus I - Dead World.
Cerberus II - Gas Giant.
Cerberus III - Frontier World.

Summery: The Cerberus system has never belonged to the Imperium. At least not in reality. The system has been cataloged for thousands of years but never seen as worth the effort to draw it into the larger Imperium. At some point in the last three thousand years the system fell into the hands of the Death Guard, who claimed it for their dark master. Mighty fortresses and cathedrals to the plague father were constructed. Cerberus operated as a secretive staging ground for the plague fleets to raid the surrounding systems. Any attempts by the Imperium to push into that sector has been met with defeat.
Size: Equatorial distance - 12,000 miles.
Gravity: 2.00 G.
Satellites: One tide-locked moon.
Population: Unknown.
Orbit: 448 million miles from it's star. Abraxes takes 12 years to complete one orbit.
Climate: Mean surface temperate of 15 degrees centigrade.

In the aftermath of the Indomitus Crusade and Mortarion's attack upon Ultrarmarr, primarch Roboutte Guilliman set plans in motion to bring together a large force of the Imperium with which to scourge the taint of Chaos from the Cerberus system. The largest Imperial force ever assembled launched itself towards the seat of Nurgle's power.

The fleet translated back into normal space a weeks travel beyond the edge of the system. A Mechancum fleet accelerated forward and then cut power. Powered down they drifted forth and was able to enter the system without being detected. When they did power up they smashed a hole through the planetary defences for Cerberus III. The Imperial fleet arrived and used the opportunity to punch through the holes, deploying large numbers of bulk landers and space marine drop pods through to the surface.

Notes: Cerberus is the world for games against the majority of Imperial armies, whether they be space marines, astra militarum or cult mechanicus. Certain space marines, should they get their own primarchs will probably end up having their narrative world but I shall see whether I can fit them in narratively.

Tide of Battle:
Adeptus Custodes victories: 0.
Adeptus Mechanicus victories: 2.
Astra Militarum victories: 3.
Blood Angels victories: 2.
Grey Knights victories: 1.
Space Marine victories: 3.
Space Wolves victories 0.

Total Imperial victories: 11.
Death Guard victories: 6.
Draws: 2.

The Imperium has caught the Death Guard severely by surprise and it is showing. They have managed some victories and a couple draws but I need to work harder to take the fight back to them.

1. The Indomitus Crusade Begins (7th edition).
2. The Ritual (7th edition).
3. Outpost Raid.
4. The Balantine Massacre.
5. Stronghold Assault.
6. Contact Lost.
7. The Imperium Advances.
8. Holding Action.
9. Lunar Engagement.
10. Blockade Mission.
11. Ordered Retreat.
12. Blood in the Sands.
13. The Brothers War.
14. The Dyatlov Pass Incident.
15. Battle for Starport Twelve.
16. Battle for Chernobog.
17. First Battle for Gothos.
18. First Battle for Castellan.
19. Shock and Awe.
20. Necropolis Street Fight.

Worlds of the Narrative: Caseopeia

Planet: Caseopeia.
Segmentum: Obscurus.
Sector: Cadian.
System: Hera.
Surveyed: 533 M41.
Planets:
Hera - Dead World.
Zeus - Death World (tectonic instability).
Caseopeia - Desert World.
Perseus - Ice World.

Summery: A minor desert planet on the far edge of the Cadian sector, Caseopeia holds several small Imperial mining facilities. These subterranean mines produce large quantities of heavy metals and radioactive materials for periodic shipping to Cadia and nearby Forge Worlds.  On the surface the planet is barren and rocky desert punctuated by huge rocky outcroppings called "cathedrals" by the miners.
Size: Equatorial distance - 3,700 miles.
Gravity: 1.00 G.
Satellites: None.
Population: 10,000 at last count.
Orbit: 67 million miles from it's star. Caseopeia takes 224 days to complete one orbit.
Climate: Mean surface temperate of 40 degrees centigrade.

Caseopeia lay in the path of the 1st plague fleet as it approached the Cadian system prior to the start of the 13th Black Crusade. Typhus directed them to this planet to secure materials for their upcoming war effort. The Death Guard struck at the largest mining facility first securing a significant amount of materials only to find themselves under surprise attack. For reasons of their own a band of aeldari corsairs had also chosen this world to raid and now found themselves facing a significant chaos threat.

Even so, the surprise attack had the effect of driving the Death Guard into the heat and sand of the band lands. The corsairs continued to hound them while simultaneously raiding the remaining mining facilities. Unwilling to give up what he sees as his, Typhus regroups his forces and prepares to launch a counter attack against the alien raiders.

Notes: Caseopeia is the world for those games played against Aeldari Corsair armies. They seem different enough to regular Craftworld Aeldari and the Drukhari that they deserved their own narrative.

Tide of Battle:
Aeldari Corsair victories: 4.
Death Guard victories: 1.
Draws: 0

The Death Guard are not doing well here and they will need to up their game if they are to defeat the alien raiders.

1. Corsair Raid (7th edition).
2. Pursuit across the Badlands (7th edition).
3. Pre-Emptive Strike (7th edition).
4. Mining Colony 557 (7th edition).
5. Mining Colony 85-87.

Worlds of the Narrative: Bludhaven.

Planet: Bludhaven.
Segmentum: Segmentum.
Sector: Seraphon.
System: Seraphon.
Surveyed: M41.
Planets:
Seraphon Alpha - Dead World.
Seraphone Beta - Dead World.
Bludhaven - Hive World.
Seraphon Quintus - Desert World.

Summery: Named after the famous rogue trader Absolom Bludhaven, whose expansive adventures led the discovery of the system, Bludhaven serves as a trade hub for merchant vessels flying the trade routes from the Segmentum Solar through the realm of Ultramarr. The planet sustains several small cities as well as Bludhaven space port itself.
Size: Equatorial distance - 2,500 miles.
Gravity: .95 G.
Satellites: Several large asteroids and a single barren moon.
Population: 17 million at last record.
Orbit: 141 million miles from it's star. Bludhaven takes 680 days to complete one orbit.
Climate: Mean surface temperate of 15 degrees centigrade.

Nearly fifty years before the fall of Cadia, Typhus led his plague fleet into the Imperium raiding a number of worlds surrounding the Segmentum Solar. Bludhaven, being a major trade hub was chosen as a significant target. The opportunity to either disrupt Imperial trade or to sow pestilence into supplies spreading through the Imperium was too good to pass up. When the plague fleet arrived they found only wreckage in orbit and decimated orbital defences. Cities in flames were visible from space.

Making planetfall the Death Guard found an enemy already entrenched against them. This world had already fallen to the greenskin hordes of Ghazkhull Thrukka. The orks still eager for a fight turned their attention to the newly arrived chaos marines. The greenskins may not be the Imperium but they would still succumb to the blessings of Nurgle all the same.

Notes: Bludhaven is the world for those games being played against Ork armies.

Tide of Battle:
Ork victories: 3.
Death Guard victories: 3.
Draws: 0

Despite an excellent initial attack, the Orks have found the Death Guard a more difficult challenge than expected. The might of Nurgle has began to turn the green tide.

1. Blitzkrieg (7th edition).
2. Battle for Fort Ranick.
3. Hold the Line.
4. Hold the Wall.
5. Nurgle Pushes Back.
6. The Siege of Adronberg.

Worlds of the Narrative: Abraxes

Planet: Abraxes.
Segmentum: Pacificus.
Sector: Ceres.
System: Abraxes.
Surveyed: Unknown.
Planets:

Abraxes Alpha - Death World (volcanic and unstable).

Abraxes Beta - Dead World.

Abraxes Prime - Hive World.

Summery: Abraxes was a hive world formed over three thousand years of expansion. Formally a supply point for the lunar mining operations it soon grew as rogue traders made it a frequent supply point. The planet sustained three hive cities but these have since expanded and absorbed one another to form a single city occupying approximately a third of the planet's surface.
Size: Equatorial distance - 7,000 miles.
Gravity: 1.05 G.
Satellites: One moon with ore mining and processing facility.
Population: 16 billion at last record.
Orbit: 150 million miles from it's star. Abraxes takes 600 days to complete one orbit.
Climate: Mean surface temperate of 11 degrees centigrade.

Abraxes lies on the Imperial side of the Cicatrix Maledictum, with that great storm constantly visible in the sky. The planet came under attack by the plague fleets approximately three years ago. The attack began with the Terminus Est seeding a variety of toxins into the atmosphere which resulted in an approximate 20% casualty rate. The Death Guard then attacked vital power generation and food stores first, and only then did they focus their efforts on the Imperial defenders. These defenders seemed hardier and more stalwart than Typhus had expected. The war to capture the planet was hard fought. In was only in the last few months that the true situation became apparent. As plague marines descended into the tunnels and underhive they encountered stiff civilian resistance and finally encountered hordes of genestealers. In the centuries before the Death Guard's arrival the world had already been conquered by alien filth.

Feeling cheated by these turn of events Typhus ordered his forces to eradicate the alien menace and let them rot. The Death Guard have fought for the past year to achieve this but events would once again overtake them. The plaguecasters began to complain of a static scrabbling noise in their minds as they worked their sorcery. These distractions would often cause their sorcery to fail or even caused severe physical injury. When the first Tyranid ship dropped into the outer reaches the system the chosen of Nurgle realized the cause of this - the shadow in the Warp. Although severely outmatched and outnumbered the Death Guard are not in a position to give up this world without a fight.

Notes: Abraxes is the world for those games played against Tyranid and Genestealer Cult armies. I had considered having separate narratives for these two armies but I think it makes more sense to combine them under the single campaign.

Tide of Battle:
Tyranid / Cult victories: 6.
Death Guard victories: 1.
Draws: 1.

Typhus and his marines are slowly getting obliterated here. Unless something changes soon they may well lose this world to the Great Devourer.

1. First Offensive (7th edition).
2. First Contact (7th edition).
3. Wave Assault (7th edition).
4. Battle of Lucerne Abbey.
5. Operation Contagion.
6. Battle for Bannerheim.
7. The Abraxan Salt Flats.
6. Blockade the Hive.

Drukhari Ambush - Miridian

Planet: Miridian.
Region: Cadian sector.

Death Guard vs Drukhari
50 power level
Mission: No Mercy.
Deployment: Pitched Battle.

The Drukhari raiders fall back from the renewed Death Guard offensive. The ruins of Miridian go strangely silent in the green mists. Typhus delivers orders that his forces are to sweep the ruins and decimate any stragglers.
His own patrol soon comes under attack from an entrenched band of kabelites. Outgunned they fight on with the grim determination of their legion.

A nice small game against Gary D this week after my planned opponent had to bail. Gary brought his Drukhari out to play once more. This was also my first game with the new Death Guard codex so I was quite excited to see what my army could do now.

We decided on the night to play No Mercy and we rolled our deployment. When Gary started deploying a ravager and put two raiders in reserve I felt my shoulders slump. I wasn't sure that I had what I needed to take them down and fully expected them to destroy my predator first turn. I hoped to steal the initiative but it was not to be.

First turn he swooped in with the ravager and brought the raiders in on the opposing flank. Together knocked some wounds from my predator leaving it belching smoke. I advanced everything and used a new strategem to allow the predator to move and shoot. It took a couple wounds off the ravager but that was to be the last act it did.

With the predator destroyed fairly quickly, Gary turned his weapons on my plague marines. They soaked a few wounds but then they began to crumble. After a couple turns I had nothing of one squad. But luck was about to turn. My plaguecaster started to smite one ravager and a very lucky swipe with his stick sent it crashing into it's partner and exploding. Man of the match! Same turn Gary brought in a unit of scourges behind my lines only for them to be charged by my blightbringer who swiftly dished out psychic contagion with his relic bell.

On my left flank Typhus was marching his poxwalkers forwards all game. I had no idea what I was going to do with them so they simply acted as a shroud to protect him from incoming fire. They and Typhus charged the ravager eventually and Typhus cleaved it with a mighty swing from his manreaper. The remaining plague marines marched upon the ruin where the kabalite warriors and archon were cowardly hiding in. They slowly blasted the aliens away but despite knocking the shadow field from the archon, they were unable to kill him before the end of the game.

On the right flank it soon became a mosh with the warriors in the destroyed raider leaping into frenzied battle with my plaguecaster but a mixture of martial skills and new Nurgle psychic powers ensured that they did not survive. Then, between the plaguecaster and the blightbringer, they brought down the last raider although the plaguecaster died doing it.

The game ended turn 5 and when we counted up the victory points I amazingly ahead with 6 victory points to Gary's 2. For a list that I thought was not going to do well against what my opponent brought I was pleasantly surprised. As always though I kept forgetting that my opponent was using poisoned weapons so my high toughness was not useful and maybe I could have done something different to keep my marines alive. The new psychic powers however were really good and certainly helped me out a lot so I have nothing to complain about.

Unfortunately my camera phone died on me during the evening and I lost the photos of the game.


My list for the night was:

++ Battalion Detachment +3CP (Chaos - Death Guard) ++

+ HQ +

Malignant Plaguecaster: Curse of the Leper, Plague Wind

Typhus: Miasma of Pestilence, Putrescent Vitality.

+ Troops +

Plague Marines: Icon of Despair
. Plague Champion: Plaguesword
. . Power fist and Plasma gun: Plasma gun, Power fist
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun
. 4x Plague Marines

Plague Marines: Icon of Despair
. Plague Champion: Plaguesword
. . Power fist and Plasma gun: Plasma gun, Power fist
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Blight launcher
. 4x Plague Marines

Poxwalkers: 10x Poxwalker

+ Elites +

Noxious Blightbringer: Plasma pistol and Dolorous Knell.

+ Heavy Support +

Chaos Predator: Combi-flamer, Havoc launcher, Twin lascannon
. Two heavy bolters: 2x Heavy bolter

Holding Action - Cerberus

Planet: Cerberus.
Region: Cerberus Sector.

Death Guard vs Salamanders.
1500 points.
Mission: No Mercy - Fire and Fury.
Deployment: Spearhead Assault.

With the Death Guard in retreat things looked bleak for the sons of Mortarion. Then, when the Imperium was one step away from total victory three entire plague fleets translated in system from the Warp bringing much needed reinforcements for the Death Guard. When word of their arrival reached Typhus he ordered all forces to halt and prepare to repel the enemy.

A nice friendly game against Shadbolt. Last time he brought his Tyranids to bear but this time he had a nice force of Salamanders for me to crush. Shadbolt plays a good game so I was hoping that this match against the Salamanders wouldn't be quite so one sided as last time. I was not disappointed.

Shadbolt's choice of the Fire & Fury battle zone meant that I wouldn't be taking my heldrake even though I really wanted to play it again. Knowing he had a land raider redeemer in his collection instead made me include my renegade knight in the hopes that it could bring it down where little else I had to get to do so quickly enough. In the end he had taken a redemptor dreadnought instead. Phew.

Spearhead Assault was a nicely rolled deployment as it meant that I could get my poxwalkers at point and draw fire. Turn one that is exactly what Shadbolt did. I did not expect him to unload five or six squads worth of fire just to bring down 20 poxwalkers. He did not like my zombies one bit. It did leave Typhus out in the open however and I was forced to then catch him up with some plague marines marching down my right flank.

The renegade knight strode forward offering fire support for more plague marines and a handful of cultists. It knocked some wounds from the redemptor but little else. My first turn was pretty much just moving my units forward and hoping that they would survive to do something back.

This match was almost a week ago so some details are a little sketchy in my head. But what I remember was the knight and predator pouring everything they had into the redemptor. It eventually fell over (partly from a hit by falling debris) but I also lost the predator. I succeeded in gunning down a few of his marines but I couldn't make my usual DR rolls and my poor marines were dropping like plague flies. It was only sheer luck that I was creeping up on the victory points.

The cool moment of the game came when my knight charged into combat with Shadbolt's primaris captain. I think they spent two turns dueling before the mighty chainsword came down and turned his captain into a nice fine red mist. One lieutenant followed him to the grave shortly after and then reduced in wounds, Shadbolt dropped it with a bolter round to the back. No explosion though unfortunately.

Typhus soon found himself in combat with a small squad of (I think) tarterus terminators. A squad that he swiftly and mercilessly cut down with manreaper and smite. When my forces got into melee the game was very much otherwise on Shadbolt's side. Assault is where he excelled.

By turn five all I had left on the table was Typhus who was stuck half way up the table and wondering what to do next. All he managed that turn was a casting of smite which took out the remaining man of a squad and I had equaled Shadbolt's points total. Luckily for me the game ended there with a draw!

-

In this match Shadbolt did the right thing. He played the old style gun line army and barely moved from his deployment forcing myself to ground pound my way across the table. I probably shouldn't have taken the knight and instead gone for some rhino's but I was too scared of a redeemer burning everything of mine away.

Very good game and I look forward to a rematch at some point soon.

--

++ Battalion Detachment +3CP (Chaos - Death Guard) ++

+ HQ +

Malignant Plaguecaster: Miasma of Pestilence, Plague Wind

Typhus: Miasma of Pestilence, Plague Wind

+ Troops +

Chaos Cultists
. 9x Chaos Cultist w/ autopistol and brutal assault weapon
. Chaos Cultist w/ special weapon: Heavy stubber
. Cultist Champion: Shotgun

Plague Marines: Icon of Despair
. Plague Champion: Plaguesword
. . Power fist and Plasma gun: Plasma gun, Power fist
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun
. 4x Plague Marines

Plague Marines
. Plague Champion: Plaguesword
. . Power fist and Plasma gun: Plasma gun, Power fist
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Blight launcher
. 5x Plague Marines

Poxwalkers: 20x Poxwalker

+ Heavy Support +

Chaos Predator: Combi-plasma, Havoc launcher, Twin lascannon
. Two heavy bolters: 2x Heavy bolter

++ Super-Heavy Auxiliary Detachment (Chaos - Questor Traitoris) ++

+ Lord of War +

Renegade Knight: Heavy stubber, Reaper chainsword, Thermal cannon

Plague marines and Plaguecaster fight for supremacy (and fail).

Things look bad for the space marines.

Typhus slaughters his way through terminator's with ease.

Death Guard deployment.

The Salamander's big dreadnought.

The Imperium Advances - Cerberus

Planet: Cerberus.
Region: Cerberus Sector.

Death Guard vs Salamanders.
1500 points.
Mission: Retrieval Mission.
Deployment: Search and Destroy.

During a heavy thunderstorm elements of the Salamanders chapter sought to bring down one of the Death Guard fortresses on Cerberus Secundus. Despite being lightly defended the servants of the plague god successfully held off two assaults by the loyalist space marines. The third attempt finally brought low the outer gates allowing the loyalists access to the interior where brutal fighting broke out between the two surviving sets of warriors.

Alex is one of our club's newer players and this was our first match together. Not sure how his play style was I went with a fairly simple and basic list. Couldn't quite fit what I wanted really and in hindsight I could have swapped something out to give me a better chance at survival.

Mission was predetermined as Retrieval Mission but we rolled the deployment which probably was the cause of how badly my game went. We had set up the four objectives but one quarter did not get one. Alex picked the opposing corner leaving my Death Guard with nothing to hold initially and forcing me to split my forces as I had to enter his fields of fire to grab something.

I failed to get Seize the Initiative and his first volley of fire from the predator tank and his repulsor destroyed by predator and helbrute before either had a chance to do anything. Thankfully neither exploded but with those gone I now longer had any long range anti-tank firepower and made things a lot harder. My first turn was just advancing everything towards their nearest objectives. Alex seemed to take a dislike to my plaguecaster and his snipers put everything towards him.

By the time I got one plague marine squad with Typhus into ruins where one objective lay Alex was moving forward and decimating my poxwalkers. I had taken them as bullet shields but even so they fell without doing anything useful. Likewise on my right flank he was blasting the cultists away and dropping a few wounds on my plague marines advancing there.

Although my disgustingly resilient rolls were still as good as they have been in previous games Alex was having a great time with his dice. Coupled with some seriously harsh rerolls and abilities from the new space marine codex I soon realised that I had no chance of taking back this game. Best I could do was just try to hold what I could and hope.

Typhus proved himself an awesome combatant in melee, slicing through primaris marines and lieutenant like they were paper. Unfortunately once he became my last remaining model he seen fell to the firepower of the repulsor. We didn't even check victory points. I was tabled turn 5.

A good game but one that I found very difficult to handle. It was a mix of not having a decent deployment zone coupled with re-rolls and bonuses for the Salamanders. There was very few shots that didn't hit. The loss of my only anti-tank options straight off the bat hurt badly.

There are still a few things that I am forgetting. I still keep forgetting Death to the False Emperor, although I don't think it would have made much difference but it is bugging me that I forget about it. Still a lot that I need to sink in.

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My list was:

++ Battalion Detachment +
6CP

* Typhus : Blight Grenades, Manreaper, Miasma of Pestilence, Plague Wind, Smite, The Destroyer Hive
* Malignant Plaguecaster : Blight Grenades, Bolt pistol, Corrupted staff, Krak grenade, Miasma of Pestilence, Plague Wind, Smite
* Chaos Cultists
. 8x Chaos Cultist w/ autopistol and brutal assault weapon.
. Chaos Cultist w/ Heavy stubber.
. Cultist Champion : Shotgun
* Plague Marines : Icon of Despair.
. Plague Champion : Blight Grenades, Bolt pistol, Krak Grenades, Plaguesword, Plasma pistol.
. 2 Plague Marine w/ : Blight Grenades, Krak grenade, Meltagun
. 7x Plague Marines.
* Plague Marines : Icon of Despair.
. Plague Champion : Blight Grenades, Bolt pistol, Krak Grenades, Plaguesword, Plasma pistol.
. 2 Plague Marine w/ : Blight Grenades, Krak grenade, Plasmagun.
. 7x Plague Marines.
* 20x Poxwalker.
* Helbrute : Multi-melta, Helbrute fist, Heavy flamer.
* Foetid Bloat-drone: Plague probe, 2x Plaguespitter.
*Chaos Predator : Combi-flamer, Twin lascannon, two heavy bolters

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Salamanders dominate the battlefield with their tanks.

Devastators cover the area with powerful plasma weapons.

Plague Marines push cultists ahead of them to soak incoming fire.

Death Guard forced to start in the open.

Hold the Line - Miridian

Planet: Miridian.
Region: Cadian sector.

Death Guard / Nurgle Daemons vs Drukhari
2000 points / 100 power level
Mission: Capture and Control.
Deployment: Pitched Battle.

Rather than continue to lose numbers of marines to random hit and run attacks by the alien slavers, Typhus orders his Death Guard to consolidate and hold the line against the xenos. His plan being to hold the Drukhari in place long enough for reinforcements from the Scourge Stars to arrive.

My first game against Dark Eldar with my Death Guard was against Gary D so it seemed only fair that his first or second game of 8th be against my revenge hungry plague marines. To be honest though I wasn't sure what he would bring as I know he has an Imperial Fists army as well. I went for a more all comers list with a lot more troop options than I usually play. I was pleasantly pleased to see a Drukhari army turn up as I haven't played against them under 8th until now.

This was a good old fashioned set across the table from one another. I had a hard time deciding what should be placed when and where. I knew that his forces were super fast and his razorwing was going to be a problem, and that determined where everything had to go. I may have made a couple small mistakes but not enough to make much difference to the game's outcome.

I got the first turn and made sure to direct the heldrake towards his razorwing although the baleflamer didn't do much. I threw my cultists and poxwalkers forward in an attempt to draw his fire whilst still maintaining a link to the the objectives that I started with. My shooting was largely ineffective this round but the defiler's battle cannon was quite accurate. The heldrake charged the razorwing tearing a few chunks from it.

On Gary's turn he took umbridge to my plaguecaster and dropped five scourges down behind him. My plaguecaster survived the shooting though unharmed. Nothing Gary aimed at my heldrake could hit it. I lost a few cultists and poxwalkers but everything else was making it's DR rolls.

From turn two it became a game of brutal close combat. The Heldrake continued to hound the enemy flyer, burning his troops but continuing to slam into the flyer in the assault phase. His scourges launched an assault on my plaguecaster and knocked two wounds from him but suffered some losses in return. Those scourges would then die on my next turn due to smite.

Turn three saw the death of his razorwing which had been ineffective all game. Drazhar lept out of his venom alongside a unit of wytches from theirs, and then assaulted into my poxwalkers and cultists. The cultists died far too easily although two incubi rose from the dead as new poxwalkers meaning I didn't mind the losses he inflicted on them otherwise.

Over on my left flank I gunned down his raider and talos. The plague marines failed to charge but the lord of contagion succeeded and was happy to slice through his kabelites. On the right, Gary dropped another unit of scourges. I was beginning to think that he didn't like my plaguecaster. Those scourges combined with the wytches were then able to slay my plaguecaster in combat. Meanwhile I was trying desperately to get Typhus into combat with Drazhar but wytches were his only targets, and they manged to knock two wounds from him.

The game ended at the end of turn 4 due to time but victory was mine. I think it was on the cards, literally, from the end of turn 2. We finished with the Death Guard having seven victory points to the Drukhari's one.

The tactical objective cards had been in my favour the whole game. I was winning two a turn on average plus first blood. Gary was stuck with trying to kill an enemy psyker as his most likely card to achieve. My DR rolls were good. Not as good as last week but still very above average. Gary had similar from Power from Pain but couldn't make enough of them. The only downer for me was my plaguebearers who sat there all game holding an objective that never came up and then not interacting in the game the entire evening.

A very good game and I'm sure that it won't be long until I get a rematch.

My list was:

Battalion detachment (6 cp).
Typhus.
Lord of Contagion.
Malignant Plaguecaster.
10 Plague marines with two meltaguns and an icon of despair. Champion with plasma pistol and plaguesword.
10 Plague marines with two meltaguns and an icon of despair. Champion with plasma pistol and plaguesword.
20 Plaguebearers with two icons.
20 Poxwalkers.
15 cultists with autopistols and brutal assault weapons. One heavy stubber.
Defiler with scourge.
Heldrake with baleflamer.
Predator with TL-lascannons and heavy bolters.

Battle in the skies.

Savage close combat on my right flank.

Foul Drukhari slavers.

Death Guard deployment.