Fight between my (heretical, for this event) IG with some help via WH adversaries vs. Greg's Sisters. I'd met Greg at a local tourney and wanted to play him but didn't get the chance. Later on we got in touch and set up this battle.
I had:
(HQ)
5 'Sanctioned' Psykers
60
(more witches to be hunted!)
HQ
Corrupted Heroic Senior Officer
+"Psychic Apocalypse" (gets random psychic power for free)
"Undying" - counts as Bionics - psychic will can keep his body active even after normally fatal wounds (which I of course forgot about!)
Power Weapon
GL + 3 lasguns (or pistol/CCW if I can scrounge up the figs)
(+Sanctioned Psyker)
88
Mortar Squad
80
Lascannon Squad
110
HQ
Apostate Cardinal (chaos sorceror model)
5xPontifex Guard (chaos warrior models)
225
(If cardinal passes a Ld (10) test, all friendly units with a model within 12" pass all morale/pinning tests. 4+ inv save, item that acts like Inquisitorial mandate (1 time +1 attack to all within 2d6"). Pontifex guard are same as WH crusaders - pw, 4+armor/inv save.) Plan is to have them follow up the horde giving effectively fearless and give bonus attacks/countercharge when appropriate)
Elite
6xOgryn w/Bone'ead
160
Fast
5xRough Riders, vet w/meltabombs, hunting lances (fantasy centigors)
66
Troops
Infantry Platoon
JO w/BP, PW
GL, 3xlasguns
(+Sanctioned Psyker)
53
Squad - ML/Plasma
(+Sanctioned Psyker)
85
Squad - ML/GL
(+Sanctioned Psyker)
83
Squad - ML/GL
(+Sanctioned Psyker)
83
(fire support, then move on other objectives)
Troops
40xConscripts, 4xflamers
196
Troops
20xMutants (from adversaries list) (zombies)
Bloated (4+save)
220
(Psychically animated corpses - lead the way for main attack)
The Sisters had:
Jump Pack cannoness, blessed weapon, inferno pistol, 2+ save.
4xSquads 10 battle sisters, melta, hvy flamer, sister superior w/power weapon and book from the lending library of St. Lucius.
2x4HB Retributor squads
Exorcist
Seraphim (6 or 7 IIRC), two flamers.
An age ago the cabal was interred, hidden away in suspended animation as the Crusade swept over their world, maintained by dark arts and the power of their will. Through the long centuries they waited and gently nudged the world above, waiting for the proper time, waiting for the vigilance of their foes to wane...
The time has come. Their servants, passing their will down from generation to generation have spread the poison of heresy throughout the hive, corrupting the local units of the Planetary Defense Force. At the appointed hour the revolt flared, burning down those officers who remained loyal to the Imperium and spreading the violence into the city proper. Meanwhile the Animator is roused from her slumber and takes charge. Under the force of her will, the slain PDF soldiers that refused to serve her in life do so in death, shambling at the vanguard of her forces even as vile mutants stream in from the wastelands to join in the destruction.
Terrible as the revolt has been so far, it is only the first step. Now that the loyal elements have been slain or penned up in their strongholds, the Revivals can commence - the full cabal can be revealed and awoken, dozens of Alpha-Plus level psykers that can again force this world and ones beyond to dance to their tune.
But the rebellion's victory is not as complete as they thought. One portion of Imperial society has proven immune to their corruptions. One force is still free to operate and strike, having dealt with the forces sent to besiege them. One force of Adeptus Sororitas that are moving to intercept the Animator before she can complete her work...
Dun dun dunnnnnnn!!!!!!
1500pts, Seize Ground, Dawn of War. We rolled up four objectives and they were split two on the left, one by a statue of a saint, the other under an intersection. On the right, one was by a statue of an Imperial Eagle, the other underneath ruins smashed by a shot-down shuttlecraft. Greg set up two battle sisters squads by the objectives on the left, and his cannoness in position to jump either way. I neglected to notice the cannoness, assuming that she would enter with the Seraphim, so she got an even more surprising jump on the traitors!
Not wanting to try to deal with the sisters on an even basis, I put two squads down on the far side, watching the objective in the crashed spaceship. I figured I could pour some fire into advancing sisters before they could bring their bolters to bear. For my HQ unit I chose my mortars, deployed out of sight directly across from the sisters, ready to rain shells down on their well-coiffed heads.
Unfortunately I neglected to take any pictures of the first turn. :blush: The sisters went first, moving a squad and the exorcist down the middle road, and moving up the 4th sisters squad and the Retributors on my right. In the traitor turn, the Ogryn, Rough Riders, zombies, conscripts and the Animator surged onto the left-hand side. Lascannons deployed across from the exorcist, trusting in the bodies of those in front to shield them from the tank's fire. On my right the remainder of the platoon and the psychically-activated officer moved to support their fellows. Apparently stunned by the sight of such a large force of Sororitas, the horde hesitated (I forgot to do any Run moves <_< ).
On the Sisters' second turn, the Seraphim arrive! They deep strike into the middle of the platoon on the right, landing dead on target, as the canonness flies in to support them.
The seraphim let loose with twin bolt pistols and hand flamers, slaying most of one squad and part of another, as the canonness unsheathes her blessed blade and charges into another squad. The Retributors open up as well, tearing apart most of the forward squad.
The canonness clearly has the upper hand, but cannot finish off the heretics this turn, holding on, they try to delay her long enough for their psyker's psychic lash power to finish her off. The remainder of the platoon turns on the Seraphim, as does the commander who unleashes Soul Shrive on them, taking down many of their number. The survivors are cut down soon after, leaving the canonness very alone as the victors consolidate towards her struggle.
On the left the horde surges forward into the waiting hail of bolter fire, though the rubble hinders them at least as much as the bodies of their fellows.
The canonness sees off her opponents, but is unable to get far enough away from the commander and his fellows.
The traitorous officer unleashes the Soul Shrive on the canonness, but her faith and armor both hold out.
Drawing his powersword he lunges in at the holy sister with his men at his heels, only to be cut down before he can swing.
Rotten psyker!
On the left, the horde surges forward and the lascannons take out the Exorcist.
The centigors (rough riders) charge one squad of sisters. The zombies had planned to charge the other, but were distracted by the psychic emanations from the stirring cabal member below and halted in their tracks (bad terrain roll for the charge). The sisters easily repulse the centigors (yay, invulnerable faith saves!) and send the mutants packing.
Moving to the offensive, the sisters unleash flame and melta-shot at the zombies and Ogryn before piling into hand-to-hand combat.
It doesn't go well for the sisters assaulting the Ogryn.
Soon the remaining squad finds itself beset on all sides.
...and breaks.
Battle overview:
My right has been reduced to a single squad that has retreated out of heavy bolter range. They hope to get at least one round of firing off on the advancing sisters squad before death. The centigors rally and move back with the horde.
Freed of entanglements, the Canonness jumps over the intervening buildings and assaults the lascannon teams, wiping them out as the middle sister squad moves up on the Animator and her guards.
They slay several, but are soon pulled down by the sheer weight of numbers from the conscripts.
Meanwhile, the retributors take up postions that will allow them to cover the far end of the street and its objective.
His squad slain by accurate bolter fire, the heretic sgt on the right rushes the objective on his own.
At this point it's the end of turn five. With my brave if foolish sgt contesting his objective and the conscripts solidly in control of another if the game ends here the heretics win.
Of course, the game continues. Doh!
This turn I also failed the critical check for the 'Apostate Cardinal' power, leaving the conscripts to use their own mighty Ld5 instead of being fearless. This would soon have significant repercussions......as the Canonness attacks!
Hewing down heretics left and right, she breaks the rabble and scatters them to the four winds.
Meanwhile, the zombies shuffle over to another objective and the remaining heretic forces close around the sisters' leader.
Her fate is sealed, but her work is done.
A few streets over, the sgt gets melta'd, leaving that objective in the hands of the sisters.
End of turn six - one objective each. Check to see if game goes on...it does! Turn seven!
The main factor in turn seven is the fire from one Retributor squad at the zombies holding the objective in the street - if they can kill all three, the sisters will take the game 1-0. Three heavy bolters later, the zombies are spattered over the intersection and the Sororitas win the day!
Ouch!
Fun game, had a great time and it was nifty to try out the Adversaries stuff. Greg knows his Sisters well and is great at using or husbanding his Faith Points for best effect. With the two retributor squads my right flank was doomed, so I had to win it on my left. The Ogryn did really well, accounting for most of two battle sisters squads on their own. The zombies (bloated mutants) did a fine job of absorbing fire, their T4 and 4+ save shrugging off a lot of what the SoB tossed their way. The conscripts were mainly there as fearless objective holders, though they did well through sheer volume of attacks as well. But when that fearless went away...not so good!
I was doing well in the mid-game, but the momentum swung Greg's way as evidenced by the objective count: 1-0 heretics turn 5, 1-1 turn 6 and 0-1 turn 7. Time is not the ally of the rebel it would seem!
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