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++++++++ incoming transmission +++++++++++
verifying originator....
ODM
219.995.M41
uplink established.....
Chaplain Dominikus
concluded the litanies of hate and lifted his head, gazing over the Deathwing Space Marines in the Land Raider Crusader beside
around him. Their heads were still bowed in contemplation, a gesture seeming out of place in the gigantic forms of the Tactical
Dreadnaught Armor clad warriors.
Dominikus cursed the treacherous Guard Regiment he knew was waiting across the battlefield today. Their obstruction
in the face of the Dark Angels’ demand would not have been tolerated under normal circumstances, but in refusing to
turn over this particular captive, the Guard Officers had made deadly enemies. The Chaplain longed to stride across the battlefield,
shoulder to shoulder with his Captain and the rest of the Battle Force, but he equally understood the importance Grand Master
Gabriel placed on delivering the his assault specialists into the heart of the enemy’s lines, and the thunderous armored
behemoth he rode in was the best means for doing so. He vowed to the Lion make the traitors rue the day they stood unrepentant
before the Emperor’s First and Finest.
Dominikus snapped out of his reverie as terse reports began to flow over the Vox Link he shared with Brother
Captain Titus. Snipers in the wood line, enemy armor on the right flank. As Titus began to relay formations to the Deathwing
squads, Dominikus rose to his feet, and made the sign of the Aquilla, grimly smiling inside his death’s head mask as
his brothers did the same. Blood would be spilled today, and the Hunt for the Fallen would continue…
Setup
The Deathwing set up first,
with the Crusader in the bottom left corner, flanked by two terminator squads. The Command Squad set up behind cover on the
right side of the board. The assault squad started in the Crusader with the Chaplain and the Dreadnaught was in the Drop Pod
waiting to deploy.
The guard set up in a wedge
formation the top right corner of the board. The point of the wedge was woods with a Sentinel in them with a Demolisher tank
behind, each side of the wedge had one infantry platoon and another Russ variant, one with auto cannon turret and one with
a vanquisher. Second troop ranks were a command squad and another platoon. On the far opposite side of his line was a lone
Chimera. Two Suicide Bomber squads, another Sentinel and a Junior Command Squad were set to drop in. Three snipers and an
Assassin lurked in the woods near the main formation.
Turn 1 – Opening
Salvoes
Guard Move
The Sentinel moved into the
woods at the crux of the wedge formation.
Guard Shooting
Guard snipers opened up but
their fire pinged harmlessly off the central Terminator Squad. Las Cannons from either end of the wedge opened up at the outside
terminator squads also doing no damage. The Vanquisher shell deflected off the side armor of the Crusader.
Deathwing Move
The Deathwing advanced on
all fronts.
Deathwing Shooting
Two frag missiles from the
left squad killed half a squad of guardsmen from the facing platoon. On the right flank the krak missile bounced off the Vanquisher’s
hull.
Turn 2 – Disaster
Strikes
Guard Move
The entire guard Deep Strike
force arrived at the same time. The Junior Command Squad barely stayed on the field of battle, nearly overshooting the mark,
behind the left flanking squad. One bomb team with a demo charge landed right behind the central Deathwing squad, with the
Sentinel landing on the other side of the woods. The final bomb squad rocketed into the armor of the left flank squad, smearing
themselves into oblivion. The other Sentinel completed its move through the woods and the Demolisher moved in behind it.
Guard Shooting
The Junior Command Squad
opened up with 2 rapid fire plasma guns, 1 melta gun, and a plasma pistol. All hit and wounded, killing four of the Deathwing
in the left flank squad. Then the Demo Sgt. in the bomb squad hurled his massive charge with perfect precision and incinerated
the entire central Deathwing Squad. The Las Cannon from the facing infantry platoon stunned the driver of the Crusader. Fortunately,
the Sentinel and squads facing the dismounted Command Squad were still unable to penetrate the Terminator Armor.
Deathwing Move
The Terminator on the left
flank turned and moved straight back towards the Junior Command Squad. The Crusader’s machine spirit carried it forward
its full move past the edge of the woods and the Command Squad continued to charge forward. The Drop Pod arrives and the Dreadnought
clambers out in the face of two guard squads and a Russ Variant.
Deathwing Shooting
The lone Sgt. shot down the
Junior Command Squad’s medic. The machine spirit guided the stunned gunner and fired multi-melta into the Chimera, turning
it into slag. The Command Squad opened up on the squad facing them, storm bolters, assault cannon, and frag missiles killing
all but two, who ran from the field. The Dreadnaught promptly assault cannon and heavy flamers the guard squad in front of
him into oblivion. The storm bolter on the Pod kills a guardsman in the next squad.
Deathwing Close Combat
The Sgt. vented his anger
on the Junior Command Squad, killing two of his foes.
Turn 3 – The
Unthinkable Occurs…again!
Guard Move
The Assassin leaps from behind
a boulder in the path of the Deathwing Command Squad. The two Sentinels circle round to pressure the same unit. The Demolisher
rotates to face the Dreadnaught in front of it.
Guard Shooting
The Sentinel does no damage,
but the Vanquisher fires and somehow kills the Sgt., Cyclone and Trooper in the Command Squad. Then the Assassin fires a needle
dart through a seam in the armor of the Assault Cannon Trooper, leaving only the Captain and Codicier. After the las cannon
squad, auto-cannon Russ, and Demolisher fail to wound the Dreadnaught, a missile launcher crew from across the formation finally
blows it up.
Guard Close Combat
Another guardsman drops to
the lone Terminator Sgt. Remaining from the left flank squad. The Assassin charges into combat in a whirl of combat drugs,
Nuero-Gloves, and power weapons and kills both the Captain and Codicier, but they cut him down too, both managing the wound
as the fall.
Deathwing Move
The Crusader spins in place
and moves behind the woods the way it came toward the Bomb Squad. The Chaplain and his Squad pile out.
Deathwing Shooting
The Drop Pod manages to kill
another 2 guardsmen.
Deathwing Close Combat
The Chaplain and his L/C
Terminators mince the bomb squad and consolidate back behind the woods. The lone Sgt. Kills the remaining Junior Command Squad
survivor and consolidates in their direction.
Turn 4 – Beware
the Cornered Animal!
Guard Move
All squads move forward slightly
to open up fields of fire. The Demolisher moves its full move forward, as does the Vanquisher, while the Russ repositions
and the Sentinels start to move round the woods to flank the Crusader.
Guard Shooting
There are no shots to be
had due to movement.
Deathwing Move
The remaining Deathwing load
into the Crusader after it moves forward into the break between the woods.
Deathwing Firing
The Assault Cannon rends
through the front armor of the Demolisher and destroys it.
Turn 5 and 6 –
The Chase is On!
Guard Moves
The Sentinels and Vanquishers
start to sweep around the woods then realize their mistake as no shots open up as the Crusader is rounding the woods.
Deathwing Moves
The Crusader rounds the woods
on the far left and races full speed up the side of the board.
Turn 7 – A
Measure of Revenge!
Guard Moves
The auto-cannon Russ reverses
back behind the drop pod to uncover two Las-Cannon Squads and a Missile Team. The Sentinels and the Vanquisher continue to
be frustrated as they cannot get round the cover to get line of site.
Guard Shooting
All three guard squads open
fire, but it glances off the charging Crusader.
Deathwing Moves
The Crusader slows down to
take aim.
Deathwing Shooting
The assault cannons and hurricane
bolters disintegrate the first squad.
Turn 8 – Nowhere
to Run!
Guard Moves
The Vanquisher turns back
at full speed to the woods that were the crux of the wedge to start, crushing walls and cover as it goes, the Sentinels race
across the middle.
Guard Shooting
Again the las-cannon and
missile launcher are ineffectual.
Deathwing Move
The Crusader continues forward.
Deathwing Shooting
The second las-cannon squad
is blown apart. Only the gunners are left. They start to flee but rally under the banner of their own command squad hiding
in the shadow of the woods.
Turn 9 – The
End is Nigh!
Guard Move
The Vanquisher crashes through
the woods, poking its big gun out into the path of the Crusader.
Guard Shooting
The Crusader is destroyed
by an armor penetrating round and the Terminators in side jump out, ready to sell themselves dearly…
Chaplain Dominikus clambered out of the burning wreckage of the Land Raider Crusader. Rage and frustration threatened
to overcome him as he cursed the treacherous Guardsmen for the damage they had done. Quickly and efficiently the status checks
came over the vox link. With his hand-picked Lightning Claw Squad and the valiant Sgt. Vincens, Dominikus was certain he could
carve his way through the remaining guardsmen, but he was just as sure it would cost him the lives of his entire command.
As he raised his Crozius to the sky and prepared to lead the charge, duty to the Chapter, the Deathwing, and the Inner
Circle overrode his burning desire to die in glorious
slaughter. These were his Chapter’s finest warriors and weapons of war, not to be thrown away in a vainglorious last
charge. He uttered the words into his Vox as if they were the foulest of curses and bowed his head in shame.
Six hulking figures strode out of the burning wreckage of the Land Raider, wreathed in flames and covered in
gore from the unfortunate guardsmen they had evicerated. As the large bore barrel of the Vanquisher tank swung towards them,
and the Imperial Guard offices screamed at the scrambling weapons teams to Fire! Fire! Fire! the Deathwing Terminators
blinked out of the flaming wreckage as if they had never existed.
++++++++ transmission ended +++++++++++
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