Zahndrekh looked out over the valley below, draped as it was in a cloth of haze filling almost to the brim it reminded him of an ancient Necrontyr hand couldron filled with wine. The irony of truth was not lost at this time... dust. All is dust.
Out of the haze filled air the imperial outpost loomed, just a shadow. But Zahndrekh new of the treasures within, deep underground lay the dormant remains of a long forgotten tomb. The lesser races had stumbled across something many hundreds of years ago, but either never managed to delve deep enough or realise the import of their discovery. Since the Necrons arrival in the sector however, the humans had been less than complementary towards their Necron hosts... they continued under the false pretence that they held claim over these domains, and Zahndrekh was about to show them the error of their assumption.
Necron Force:Nemesor Zahndrekh (Immovable Object)
The Royal Court
Necron Lord, Warscythe, Scarabs, Weave
Abyssal Cryptek
Voltaic Cryptek
Voltaic Cryptek
10 Necron Warriors
5 Necron Immortals (Gauss), Night Scythe
5 Necron Immortals (Gauss), Night Scythe
5 Necron Immortals (Gauss), Night Scythe
5 Necron Warriors, Night Scythe
3 Necron Destroyers
4 Scarab Swarms
Annihilation Barge (Gauss)
Annihilation Barge (Gauss)
Monolith
Space Marine Force:Chapter Master; Terminator Armour, Combi-Flamer, Power Fist (Night Fighter)
5 Terminators (Tactical)
6 Sternguard, 2 Combi-Meltas, Drop Pod
10 Space Marines, Flamer, Rocket Launcher, Rhino
10 Space Marines, Meltagun, Rocket Launcher, Rhino
5 Scouts, 4 Snipers, Rocket Launcher, Camo Cloaks
5 Bikes, Meltagun, (including) Attack Bike w. Multi-Melta
Predator, Twin Lascannon turret, Heavy Bolter sponsons
Vindicator
Land Raider Redeemer, Multi-Melta
(You’ll have to excuse me, there may have been additional bits and pieces, but this was what I could see and played a part in the battle).
The Battlefield was laid out as follows;
OBJECTIVE: Ruins: This long forgotten block was perhaps once the administration centre and now stands up to three storeys tall (though the top storey was not particularly usable). Large windows offer good lines of fire whilst giving good protection. The ruins could still hold some valuable information regarding the complex that the Imperial forces would need in order to understand the importance of the hidden treasures.
OBJECTIVE: Tower Bastion: This double height bastion would be a delapidated fortification. It had an access point at the rear of the ground floor and a set of double doors at Gantry Level. The Battlements would offer good fire lines for the defender, but also leave them more exposed. This would be critical to gain entrance to the underground facility.
OBJECTIVE: Entry Platform: A single storey building providing access & control facilities for the complex. Housing power & services, controlling the entry platform would be important in order to control movements through the underground complex.
Gantry: A first floor gantry way lead to the Tower Bastion entrance. Used to ferry equipment into (or out of) the bastion and the underground complex beyond. A number of support legs would provide some cover at ground level but still allow smaller vehicles to pass underneath unhindered. The Gantry itself was lined with strong walls offering moderate protection.
Barricade: Part barricade, part ruin, this debris would offer good protection to units hiding behind.
Mysterious Woods: No battleground would be complete without the unknown. Two mysterious woods could affect the fighting forces, if any are brave enough to venture within!
Assessment:
The confined battlefield and open areas would not generally help the Necron Invasion Force, and lend itself to the more direct potential of the Space Marines. With that said, the objectives all provided significant cover which would not necessarily be advantageous for the Marines, who would for the most part be benefitting from their enhanced armour saves regardless.
Mission: Big GunsDeployment: Dawn of War
Assessment:
The Mission was “Big Guns” which makes heavy support units scoring, AND worth additional VPs. Each of us had three to exploit and on paper they would appear relatively evenly matched.
The large concentration of Space Marine vehicles at the centre of the board would either overwhelm my anti-tank capabilities, or provide a bottle-neck to work in my advantage. The bikes would need to cover lots of open ground, so whilst deploying to protect against the Drop Podding Sternguard, the Destroyers set up to exploit this. The warriors filled the area, protected by Night Fight, and could use the Monoliths portal to shift onto the Entry Platform later.
The Marines were going to try to hold me away from the Tower Bastion and push hard on that flank. It would be difficult to get punch through the Bastion let alone worry about the Marines inside. (Remember that Voltaic Staffs work against “vehicles”... but we determined that “Buildings” are not “vehicles”). I would likely have to concentrate on taking the Ruins, though would need to clear the Scouts infiltrated their first.
Turn 1
Marines
The Drop Pod tries to enter right onto the Gantry in front of the Entry Platform but it scatters wildly out of position and leaves a nice big space for the Immortal flyers to deep strike (using Zahndrekhs special rule!). The Marines are undeterred and advanced en-masse... Now occupying the battlements and interior of the Tower Bastion.
The Vindicator tries a long shot at the destroyers but they pass their cover save (boosted by the effect of Night Fight). The snipers try their hand at sniping the HQ, but only manage to kill one warrior, who promptly stands back up.
Necrons
Zahndrekh repositions using the Monolith portal onto the Platform from where he watches the flyers to advance in force and unload Immortals with Crypteks to get the first strike.
The “Volteks” destroy the Land Raider and Vindicator with the help of their Gauss armed units. The “Abyssaltek” wipes out half of the Sternguard unit and causes a wound on the attack bike. Their Scythes aim for units on objectives, at the battlements and in the ruins. Other than the Destroyers, who concentrate on bikers, and the flyers, everything else fires at the Terminators that jumped out of the Raider. They account for three dead Veterans and leave the Master on a single wound!!! Everyone passes Ld checks.
The Scarabs, who were lining up a charge on the Raider decide to assault the commander, who uses his combi-flamer to cause 2 wounds before the Terminators kill two bases in the ensuing combat for no return. We realise that being Fearless has no negatives in this edition.
Turn 2
Marines
Seeing the threat posed by Tesla Destructors the Rhinos move to protect the objective in the Ruins. One unit disembarks and spreads out. The Bikers back up to help defend the Tower.
Units across the board shoot at the two most advanced immortal units. On the gangway two immortals die and the unit runs away. The other Abyssaltek’s unit loses 3 immortals, before two get back up ready for the assault!
The Bikers charge in, and the Abbysal Staff gets 3 hits! but only manages 1 kill, but the Immortals kill a second biker, leaving only the sergeant, he challenges the cryptek who accepts (the marines left their power weapons at home). The sternguard back them up and follow up the charge. After a lot of attacks missing here and there, the combat ends a draw.
In the centre, the terminator sergeant causes a wound on scarabs before they manage to cause two wounds back, the master saves the first but fails the second, so his plucky buddy jumps in the way and takes the wound. The master strikes back and swats both scarab bases.
Necrons
The last Scythe doesn't show (it is only turn two!), but the fleeing Immortals rally. Zahndrekh bestows Tank Hunters on the lead Scythe, and strips Stealth from the remaining Scout (again). The Scythes maneuver to find the Predator their main target.
It takes all three Scythes to kill the Predator, one Barge strips a hull point off a blocking Rhino before the second blasts the other Rhino with no less than 5 penetrating hits! The bots on the gantry shoot the guys on the battlements, killing two. Meanwhile, the rallied unit takes two hull points off of the Drop Pod and the remaining shooting at the terminators is a waste.
The Abyssalteks assault assault continues, again with no deaths for a draw.
Turn 3
Marines
With Marines looking thing on the ground it’s clear that they are going to try to hunker down and ride the storm. The Terminators do come out to play, but everyone else is trying to hide!
What little shooting there was was totally ineffective! So the terminators charge... the monolith (!?!)... but for all their efforts they only get one glancing hit.
Necrons
The last Scythe comes on, as the others move off into Ongoing Reserves. The Monolith pulls back hoping to try its hand at portalling a wannabe hero and the other units move in for the kill. Zahndrekh gifted the Immortals moving to the objective Ruin Furious Charge (though in hindsight Move Through Cover might have been a better selection) and again strips stealth from the pesky Scout that.
The portal sucks in the Terminator Sergeant! Whilst 20 shots from the warriors kill off the Master. The Barges fluff their shots royally, though the Scythe kills 3 Marines from one unit... the Furious Immortals obviously don't fancy a long charge, they kill 4 Marines, including the Sergeant with ranged shooting instead - putting them well out of charge range. The Destroyers kill the last Marine on the battlements whilst the Voltek under the Gantry kills the drop pod once and for all.
In the challenge, the Abyssal Cryptek finally cops it, but the Immortals hold fast.
Turn 4
Marines
It’s getting desperate on the objectives, will the marines be able to hold out that little longer, sooner or later their luck will change, and the Necrons don’t particularly want to be on the receiving end of it!
From inside the building the last full strength Combat Squad try at the Destroyers, taking down two! Much to my opponents annoyance they both get back up!!!
Back in the assault, business as usual with another draw.
Necrons
Two Scythes come back, and set about the hiding Marines in the Ruins, whilst the Barges split up, one trying to round the Rhino-blockers the other getting on the Gantry to try and deal with the building, now benefitting from Tank Hunters. The Monolith moves up to the objective as I remember this is “Big Guns” and so it can capture it! The remaining units move to finally end the ongoing combat.
Marines on the objective get killed to man. We determine the Bots on the battlements CAN shoot at the building they are standing on... But it is the Scythe that causes a “Breach”, reducing the AV now to 11. The Hunt-Barge causes two penetrating hits, killing one guy inside and causing the “Total Collapse” of the building!!! This kills the entire unit inside, the Necrons on top take jump tests and three die!!! they then proceed to ALL stand back up!!!
The Marines must realise the direness of their situation, they fluff their attacks (and not for the first time). The Necrons only cause one wound though, and irrespective, the Marines proceed to roll insane heroism!
In the other charge in the Ruins, the Cryptek obviously refuses the inevitable challenge, but the Immortals show him that the Cryptek is not there for assaulting anyway, and give him what for.
At this point, with the only three remaining Marines stuck in combat, a rhino faced with a 25pt Cryptek of doom in its face and the Necrons holding all the objectives, the Space Marines concede the battle...
Necron Score : 14
Primary Objectives : 9
Secondary Objectives : 5 : (kill the warlord, first blood, 3x Heavy Support)
Marine Score : 0
