The Roost of Turkadactyl

Hello all,

Badab War YEG is slowly moving along.  There is one more game left for phase two and then we move onto Phase 3.  This report is the first of three games being played for Phase 2.  Today’s installment will feature a 1250 point game between Michael Minotaurs and Dave’s Executioners.  This is my first time organizing a campaign so I am adding in some extras to the games to see what the group thinks.  Let’s move onto the battle report.

The mission played was the Relic.  I set up a context and background as to why the Minotaurs and Executioners were duking it out.  It is the cleansing of Outpost RV381.  The Executioners, through a year of attrition, removed the threat of the Howling Griffons.  They were about to leave the area when a strange source of power was emitted from Outpost RV381.  The Minotaurs were aware of the Executioners presence and were sent to neutralize their presence.  A huge sandstorm blew in and exposed the mysterious source of power.

• Chaplain Enkomi
• Librarian- mastery level 2 (Scrier’s Gaze, Precognition, Prescience), warlord

Troops

• Tactical Squad A (10 models)- melta gun
• Tactical Squad B (10 models)- melta gun

Elite

• Assault Terminators (5 models)- thunderhammers, stormshields

Heavy Support

• Devastator Squad (10 models)- Sgt. Kraatos, plasma cannon x2, heavy bolter x2
• Deredeo Pattern Dreadnought

Executioners

HQ

• Captain- lightning claws x2, auspex, artificer armour

Troops

• Tactical Squad A (10 models)- combi-melta, melta gun, multi-melta, dedicated Drop Pod
• Tactical Squad B (10 models)- combi-melta, melta gun, multi-melta, dedicated Drop Pod
• Tactical Squad C (9 models)- plasma pistol, bolt pistol, plasmagun, dedicated Drop Pod

Elite

• Chaplain Venerable Dreadnought- flamestorm cannon, heavy flamer, dedicated Drop Pod with locator beacon
• Dreadnought- multi-melta, heavy flamer, dedicated Drop Pod with locator beacon
• Dreadnought- multi-melta, heavy flamer, dedicated Drop Pod

Turn 1

Dave wins first turn and night fight is in effect for turn one.  Michael attempts to steal the initiative and rolls a five.  I was not present for this game so Dave wrote the battle report and Michael took the photos.  Michael apologizes for the picture quality.  He did not realize most of them were blurry until he arrived at home and looked at them on the computer.  There were a lot of blurry photos so this battle report will not have too many pictures.  Let’s get ready to rumble!

3 Drop Pods arrive with the Chaplain Dreadnought and Dreadnought with locator beacon.  The third drop pod contains Tactical Squad A.  The Dreadnought Drop Pods scatter into the Minotaurs quarter.  The Tactical Marines land back towards the Executioners corner.  The Tactical Marines scramble towards the Relic and come up short three inches.

The doors pop open and the Chaplain Dreadnought has the Minotaur Devastators lined up for a perfect flamestorm shot.  Every model is engulfed in flames.  The Librarian sacrifices himself and takes two wounds so a plasma cannon Devastator can survive and return fire.

The Dreadnought emerges out in the open with faith that the blowing sand will protect it.  The Dreadnought targets the Deredeo and misses completely.  The Drop Pods target a Tactical Squad and find a weakness in one Marines armour thus killing him.

Chaplain Enkomi of the Minotuars orders a Tactical Squad to advance towards the Chaplain Dreadnought, the primary threat of the Executioners.  The melta gun blows off the close combat arm.  The squad charges and two marines are instantly incinerated to overwatch.  The meltabomb wielding Sergeant is knocked off his feet and the Chaplain Dreadnought crushes him beneath his heavy foot.  Chaplain Enkomi swings back and stuns the ancient with his power fist therefore reducing the Chaplain Dreadnought to one hull point.

The second Tactical Squad advance towards the other Dreadnought, bringing the melta gun into range.   It is not needed, however, as the Deredeo also targets this Dreadnought to make a path for the Relic.  The Deredeo makes short work of the Dreadnought and split fires into the Executioner Tactical Marines advancing towards the Relic.  The Deredeo aims true and kills two marines (who had a 2+ cover save).

The Assault Terminators advance forward and charge the Chaplain Dreadnought Drop Pod.  They take it out causing a huge explosion and emerge unscathed.

Turn 2

Dave rolls for reserves and the Captain with Tactical Squad C (the plasma squad) along with the last Dreadnought arrive in their Drop Pods.  They use the remaining locator beacon to safely land close to the Relic and causing a wall blocking a counter assault.  This will allow the Executioners more time to remove the Relic.  The Deredeo targets the incoming reserves and explodes the Drop Pod carrying the Captain.  Three marines die due to the explosion.  During the explosion Tactical Marines A claim the objective and tactically retreat.

The Executioners focus fire on the Assault Terminators and only kill one.  In combat the Chaplain Dreadnought attempts to crush some more Minotaurs but is too predictable.  The Minotaurs dodge the strikes and Enkomi punches through the tactical armour and wrecks the Dreadnought.

The Minotaurs advance forward knowing that they have to stop the Executioners from escaping with the strange power source.  Enkomi separates from the Tactical Marines to pursue the relic.

The Minotaur Assault Terminators charge the Dreadnought.  The sandstorm was thick and most of the strikes missed their target.  They only manage to put one hull point of damage on the walker.

The Deredeo targets the Executioners carrying the Relic.  It can see part of the squad and manages to kill three.  There are four Marines left in the squad and they still have possession of the Relic.  Enkomi does not shoot the Relic carrying Executioners.  He wants them to feel his wrath in close combat.  He charges ahead with reckless abandon.  The Executioners fire overwatch on the esteemed chaplain and a melta shot finds its target.  Enkomi’s rosarius is not enough to save him and he is grievously wounded.

Turn 3

The Executioners believe that Enkomi has been slain and leave his smoking body to be.  Enkomi lies unconscious on the field of battle.  They continue a tactical retreat ensuring they leave with the prize.  The last Drop Pod arrives and Exectioners pour out and open fire on a tactical marine squad.  Their fire is joined by another squad and they kill four Minotaurs.

The Captain orders his squad into a line in preparation to fire on the Terminators, if they manage to slay their veteran hero entombed in the Dreadnought sarcophagus.  The Dreadnought fails to kill any Terminators but survives the combat.  One thunderhammer hit its mark but only put a dent into the Dreadnought.

The Minotaurs continue to pursue the Executioners with the exception of the lone survivor from the Devastator squad and the Deredeo.  The Deredeo takes a hull point off of a Drop Pod.  The plan was to explode the transport to make a lane for the Terminators.  The Minotaur Tactical Marines focus fire on one squad and kill four marines.

The Terminators finally have success and wreck the Dreadnought.  They pursue the Relic.

Turn 4

The Executioners advance towards the Terminators.  They hope to slow the veterans down enough to allow their brothers to escape with the Relic.  The focus fire works.  Three Terminators are slain, leaving one survivor.  The Captain and his squad charge.  They fail to kill the Minotaur and lose a brother in the process.

The Minotaurs advance forward.  They are unable to gain line of sight on the priority target- the Relic carrying Executioners.  They have to target the Tactical Marines blocking the path in the middle.  They charge in to support their remaining brother in combat.  There is a lot of swinging and parrying and neither side take casualties in combat.

The Deredeo does have line of sight on the priority target and opens fire.  It kills two more marines, however, there are two left to hold onto the Relic.

Turn 5

The two Relic carrying Tactical Marines continue to retreat.  They retreat through some trees and hope to cover enough distance to be out of range of the Deredeo.  The thick trees slow them down too much and  they brace for more fire from the Dreadnought.  The Deredeo opens fire and it finds its mark and slays the two marines.  The Relic is dropped.

The Drop Pods target the single Devastator and cause no damage.  The plasma cannon Devastator returns fire but the blast is blown off target.

After two rounds of combat both sides take four casualties each in combat.

Turn 6

While the close combat is going on the Drop Pods exchange shots with the Devastator and Dreadnought.  The Drop Pods cannot get a lock on the targets with the blowing sand.  The Devastator powers up and the plasma cannon overheats and explodes.  The Devastator is melted instantly.  The Deredeo misses the Drop Pod.

The close combat solves nothing.  Each side inflicts equal number of casualties.

Turn 7

The Executioners kill one Minotaur Tactical Marine.  There is a breakdown in communication and the Minotaur squad breaks away from combat.  The Terminator holds fast.  The squad regroup and charge back into combat.  They cause one casualty but the Executioners hold firm.

The Deredeo targets a Drop Pod and wrecks the transport.

Conclusion

Dave and the Executioners pull out with a tight victory.  Dave received two points for slay the warlord and first blood.  Michael didn’t receive any points.  Michael rolled on the character casualty chart and rolled a five for Ivanus and two for Devastator Sergeant Kraatos.  Ivanus survived and escaped injury.  Kraatos must start the next game with one less wound to a minimum of one.  Since Dave won he can give a character a vortex grenade next phase.  The Secessionists also earn a command point.

Minotaurs and Executioners like to mix it up in close combat.  The Relic seemed appropriate to have the two chapters duke it out with fists.  I added some elements to the game to make it a bit more cinematic.  Had Dave failed the overwatch on Enkomi the result of the game could have been completely different.

Thanks for reading.