Here we go stats for apocalypse Chaos 51,000pts, Imperial 46,000pts.
The attack on Altum is the final main mission before we deviate and play battlefleet gothic and then see which characters can be evacuated from the planet by the losing side.
The forces of chaos gain victory points through breaking through the walls of the city. Four structures [2 Bunkers, firestorm redoubt and Creed’s bastion] that are between the inner and outer wall are worth 2 victory points to chaos if destroyed and 2 to the imperium if they survive. The chaos portal [in the chaos deployment zone] is worth 2 victory points (if destroyed for imperium, if survived for chaos), while the vortex missile Aquila strongpoint (behind the inner wall) is worth 3 Victory points (destroyed by chaos, intact for imperium).
The inner wall is worth 4 victory points to the imperials for defending it and 6 to chaos for destroying it. (the entire wall needs to be destroyed for this, both towers, both wall sections and the gate)
Each Super heavy vehicle is worth 1 victory point per 3 hull points it started with when destroyed. (Other non vehicle lords of war are worth 1 VP per 3 full wound they started with)
Each campaign warlord killed is worth 2 victory points. (Cavros Thawne, Ganon, Blood eagle, Kraken, Driel, Morrs, Solomon Gyre, Susurri, Lord Vulcan.) (this rises to 4 if the warlord is killed by another warlord.)
When the outer wall is destroyed (both walls, both bastions and the gate) chaos forces without outflank can enter from where the wall was once located from strategic reserves.
The bitter end:
The attacking side can force an additional turn to be played if the roll to continue the game fails.
Notes on attachable characters: All priests gain the independent character rule and all commissars are upgraded to lord commissars for free. (Gaining an invulnerable save and a WYSIWYG approach to their weaponry.)
Also, any imperial guard squad with a vox caster can be used to draw line of sight for barrage weapons.
Hidden serpent:
Virgil ditya and deathwatch squad donatus are Alpha legionaires and the changeling respectively. If the chaos forces penetrate the command bunker the squad and Virgil will direct their overwatch against one of the occupying units that have been forced from the bunker and will be under the control of the forces of chaos from that point onwards. (Becoming the changeling and a squad of alpha legion veterans with WYSIWYG armaments.)
—
Reinforced construction:
All outer wall, bastions and weapons batteries are Av 14 with 3 hull points. When wrecked, these structures are not removed unless hit with a D weapon or siege shells from a demolisher cannon/medusa, which then breached its armour.
(Else leave the wall in place, the cover save it provides is reduced to 6+ and it becomes dangerous terrain. A subsequent hit from a siege or D weapon will remove it and each model on the wall will take a Str 6 wound with the ignores cover USR)
Or if the hit caused an explodes result on the damage chart (normal rules then apply).
These structures also have a 6+ invulnerable save [Rising to 5+ invun for the bastions] vs shooting (which is shared with infantry units on the battlements). {models that are not killed are placed within 3” of the base of the wall and must take a pinning test at –1, the destroyed wall is then removed}
The outer gate is 4 HP AV 15 but does not have an invulnerable save. Once all of the hullpoints are depleted (only penetrating hits can remove HP) then the gate is breached and freely accessible) {Chainfists and weapons with the wrecker rule can also be used to remove structures. With these even glancing hits can take hull points. Attacks from super heavy walkers in close combat also remove HP on glancing hits but must cause at least 1 penetrating hit to remove the structure.}
The inner walls and bastions are Av 15 with 4HP and the gate is AV 16 with 5 HP. All of the details above still apply about removing the structures but they lack the invulnerable save as they are within the hive’s external void shield. (they will still have a 6+ invulnerable save if the shot originates from outside of the outer wall if any structures remain in the outer wall. (Inner wall bastions have 1 Icarus lascannon each))
In addition, all models that are inside the walls that are targeted by barrage type weapons have a 6+ invulnerable save from them if the shot originated from outside the outer wall. (until the outer wall is destroyed. the inner wall will still provide this artillery cover until it too is destroyed.)
—
Universal:
Can charge after deep striking or arriving from reserves.
Forces
Where possible I have included army and wargear lists for the assembled forces. (Those armies I do not own I cannot be fully sure what they contain. If I am provided with army lists I will include them in a future post.)
Imperial
Gallian 7th
- Galian 7th Infantry forces
- Galian 7th Vehicles
Apocalypse bonus:
Any infantry squad that is destroyed gets placed into strategic reserves when it is first destroyed (But loses any special or heavy weapons they carry).
Orders work automatically. (no need to roll)
Mechanicum tagmata force.
- Mechanicum Infantry
- Mechanicum Vehicles
Apocalypse bonus:
All mechanicum units are fearless when at least one of their Lords of War units are on the table.
Blood angels
- Blood Angels infantry
- Blood Angels vehicles
Apocalypse bonus:
Can deep strike without scattering. They also gain +1 initiative and Strength during the first round of close combat when they charge in.
The death company are in the death company apocalypse formation where their charge bonus is equal to the turn number.
Storm hawks (Space Wolves)
- Storm Hawks Infantry
- Storm Hawks Vehicles
Apocalypse bonus:
Army wide outflank (for all non-vehicle units) and can choose the side they emerge from.
Units can re-roll failed charges and overwatch shots.
Inquisitorial forces
No apocalypse bonuses.
Cadian 131st
Army owned by AN (Full list not available.) (This army contains all of the imperial guard that is not part of the Gallian 7th.)
Apocalypse bonus:
Any infantry squad that is destroyed gets placed into strategic reserves when it is first destroyed (But loses any special or heavy weapons they carry).
Orders work automatically. (no need to roll)
Dark angels
- Dark Angels Infantry
- Dark Angels Vehicles
Apocalypse bonus:
Army wide full ballistic skill overwatch.
Terminators have preferred enemy (chaos)
Bikes have re-rollable jink saves and do not suffer the snap fire effect after the first time they jink.
Hunt the fallen: They must capture (in CC) the unit of fallen that is a part of the chaos force. (They get 2 victory points for doing this)
Forbidden intel: can force a chaos stratagem to be revealed before it is used.
Chaos
Tapestry of Evil (chaos space marines)
- Chaos Infantry
- chaos Infantry
- Chaos Vehicles
Apocalypse bonus:
Can roll twice on the chaos gifts table and choose to apply one or both results. (Spawndom and dark apothesis are counted as unworthy offering if there is no model available)
All models gain preferred enemy (Imperium)
They gain a bonus orbital bombardment stratagem. (Indiscriminate bombardment)
Aspect of Horus: tip of the spear.
All terminator squads that are part of the tapestry of evil list are placed into a formation with Horus. they deep strike in without scattering and can then make a free shooting attack against the closest enemy unit when they do this. They can fire again and charge during the same turn.
Aspect of Mortarion: choking clouds.
All frag missiles, frag grenades and havoc launchers gain the poisoned (4+) special rule. Mortaion and his bodyguard terminators may not be included in the spearhead strike formation.
Aspect of the night haunter.
All raptors and warp talons gain +1 attack, the fear rule and inflict -1 Ld on enemy units during a successful charge while the night haunter is alive and on the table.
The Fallen:
Add a squad of Chaos chosen (counts as fallen) to the army roster. This unit has the relentless, fearless, hatred (dark angels), and daemon special rules. One marine has a multi melta and the sergeant has a power sword. [Squad size 9])
Chaos daemons
Apocalypse bonus:
You can choose to roll twice on the warp storm table and apply one or both results each turn or treat each turn as having the warp surge ability in play.
Alpha legion
- Alpha Legion Infantry
- Alpha Legion Vehicles
Apocalypse bonus:
Army wide outflank. (Includes all transport type vehicles)
Can choose the side they outflank in from.
Can re-roll all failed to hit and wound rolls during a turn they arrive using outflank.
All infantry and dreadnoughts gain preferred enemy everything while Alpharius is in play and +1 on all damage charts while armillus dynat is in play while they are within the city limits.
Emperors children
Army owned by player DA. (Full list is his campaign warlords bodyguard unit with 3 baneblades added.)
Apocalypse bonus:
All dreadnoughts and infantry units gain hatred (Imperium) and can re-roll charge distances.
Thousand sons
Army owned by Player AN (List not available. Units will be mentioned as they are deployed onto the table)
Apocalypse bonus:
Can roll twice on the chaos gifts table and choose to apply one or both results. (Spawndom and dark apothesis are counted as unworthy offering if there is no model available)
All models gain preferred enemy (Imperium)
Warband reaver
Army owned by Player AN (List not available. Units will be mentioned as they are deployed onto the table)
Apocalypse bonus:
Can roll twice on the chaos gifts table and choose to apply one or both results. (Spawndom and dark apothesis are counted as unworthy offering if there is no model available)
All models gain preferred enemy (Imperium)
Generally units from warband reaver will be used alongside the Tapestry of evil forces and share the same benefits and are placed where appropriate into formations.
Story excerpt
Sector Sigma – Gate 13
Cavros Thawne stood with his fellow officers on the battlements of the command bastion and looked around at his forces. Two mechanicum knights stood ready to counter charge the enemies first wave and six super heavy tanks were ready to aid them in doing this. His artillery was arranged behind the inner wall and the area around the site had been cleared of all civilian buildings.
“Sir reports from the gate. The fog is thickening.”
“The attack will come soon. Have the men prepare. The emperor protects.”
The messenger nodded as the fog built up outside the city wall but was prevented from drifting down onto the troops below due to the weather shield that was projected to the outer wall.
—
Mkan’Ik’Drig could feel the tether keeping him in this plane as he strode forwards as part of the first wave. Two greater brass scorpions and a mastodon accompanied the initial forces. Their only objective was to break through the outer wall so that future waves could push further.
The fog lifted suddenly and the roars of the daemon engines signalled them sighting their target.
—
The conscripts manning the outer wall were the first to see the enemy. Siege weapons and the greater brass scorpions as the chaos forces surged from the fog. Lightning struck within the fog briefly highlighting the silhouettes of the rest of the advancing forces.
The Game
Deployment
- The walls of Altum are manned by conscripts (Each squad has a priest, one has a terminator inquisitor and the other has chaplain cassius from deathwatch overkill joined to them,) as the might of the imperium waits to counter attack any breaches.
- Mechanicum knights anchor the line as a pair of thanatar siege automata wait for their opportunity.
- Imperial super heavy vehicles have taken up position on the hill overlooking the battlefield. (Shadow sword, glaive, Macharius Vulcan, Storm Sword and Fellblade.) A vultarax waits to act as a counter attack unit.
- The imperial forces have deployed their artillery behind the inner wall (We have a manticore, deathstrike, 2 preators, 2 bombards, a minotaur and a scorpious whirlwind. The myrmidon destructors and magos hold the wall so their conversion beamers can strike with their full effectiveness.
- An imperial basilisk carriage waits to fire as the vortex missile battery is manned by a vindicare assassin.
We had a lot of time to prepare and the forces were deployed on two different days. (An additional chimera and hellhound were added to the imperial deployment)
- The chaos forces were quite conservative with their initial forces. Needing to breach the outer walls before they could strike deeper into the city.
- Possessed form up around the army’s vehicles (They have all the abilities from the crimson slaughter possessed table active at all times. It is apocalypse after all.)
- Chaos artillery lines the backfield hiding behind a chaos portal and altar (The chaos altar stratagem was played on the portal which gives all chaos models +1 to their invulnerable save if they within 12” of it.)
- A lord of change and Vindicator have a bike squad for company.
- A second brass scorpion holds the other flank. More possessed are present joined by a lord with a dimensional key. This lord has all the abilities of the possessed around him but does not carry any additional equipment. (He’s on the square base)
- With the mastodon (2 helbrutes and 2 squads of chaos space marines armed with meltaguns inside) taking front and centre the chaos forces stare down the imperial defences.
Massed imperial armour waits for the forces of chaos within the walls.
The imperial forces fail to seize the initiative.
Chaos turn 1
- Advancing forwards, the forces of chaos have one objective tear down the walls.
- The gate and wall are brought down through shooting. (The mastodon and greater brass scorpion respectively.) Five meltaguns and 2 multi meltas manage to do zero damage. The medusa takes a hull point from the nearest bastion.
- Dealing zero damage the brass scorpion and attendant possessed can do little. The possessed run to close to gap. (I had hoped to charge the conscripts when the wall came down.)
- On the other side of the table the possessed (Loosing a couple of models to a fire on my coordinates strategem. Replaces a models overwatch with an apocalyptic barrage D6 attack.)
- Both helbrutes charge at the bastions hoping to take them down. The greater brass scorpion cannot charge the wall due to the lack of space for it to do this.
- The inquisitor manages to punch a possessed champion dead as the lord activates the dimensional key.
- The blue helbrute explodes the bastion while the black helbrute fails to harm his target.
Imperial Turn 1
- The imperial forces move forwards to make a new wall from the armour of their tanks. All of those that can deploy their troops into the open.
- The mastodon is destroyed by the combined fire of everything that can reach [Pask {3 lucky rends with the punisher cannon}, the vanquishers, the shadowsword, the fellblade, the storm blade before being finished off by the conversion beamers of the myrmidons] (but through a replacements strategem played on it by the AL it is now back in strategic reserves. The imperial side gained 3 victory points for destroying it.) One basilisk was destroyed two were damaged and the medusa and laser destroyer vindicator were destroyed along with a handful of possessed, both chaos marine squads and one of the helbrutes.
- The knight atrapos’s weapon goes vortex on us and takes a hull point from the vindicator.
- The imperial artillery focused on the chaos artillery (the helcannon is a basilisk carriage with 3 A, Ws 3 I 3 with the daemon and monstrous creature rules added. If all its handlers are killed it goes on a rampage)
- The conscripts are destroyed and the inquisitor loses a wound but the combat continues. (two conscript casualties and his own wound insufficient for him to fail his morale check.)
Story excerpt
Lord Vulcan Bloodfang stood on the carapace of the reaver titan Epsilon and watched as the battle continued. Solomon Gyre and Morrs Penna stood nearby.
“You may join the battle at the moment of your choosing.” He states as one half of the wall comes crashing down. A flash of daemonic energy signalled the activation of a dimensional key. “Galrauch status.”
“Area mapped.”
“Ready the speartip and pierce their hearts!” Vulcan states. “Galrauch commence the orbital bombardment.”
Chaos turn 2
Stratagems used Mass slaughter (Chaos orbital bombardment. Grants chaos 2 orbital strikes and the imperium 1.)
With the dimensional key now granting the forces of chaos scatter free deep striking we fired the orbital bombardments to clear out space to allow the terminator speartip formation to come into play. Having embarked on this game everyone is painting new models to add to the mayhem with. (I have completed a chaos nurgle terminator squad consisting of five men 4 have power mauls, the champion has a power fist and the squad contains 3 combi meltas and 2 combi plasmas.)
Taking advantage of the scatter free deepstrike a Dthirster and a horde of daemonettes are dropped into the chaos deployment zone as the Archos (red and black tank) a predator annihilator, 2 land raiders (filled with khorne berserkers) a walking land raider (filled with nurgle troops), an emperor’s children deredeo and vindicator also using the portal as an entryway onto the board.
- Terminators and oblitorators drop down onto the table ready to secure the midfield.
- Horus, typhus and a lord of nurgle join more terminators and another unit of oblitorators in deep striking amidst the imperial super heavy vehicles.
- More terminators and a blood thirster land in the final free space on the board. (thanks dimensional key)
- A unit of mutilators are placed to attack more of the imperial heavy armour.
- Undivided, khorne and tzeentch terminators and oblitorators make ready to attack the imperial front lines.
- Land raiders move in filled with a crunchy khornate filling.
- Kairos fateweaver joins the battle.
- The possessed and the forces in the chaos deployment zone that need to do so move forwards to attack the imperial army.
- The lascannon heavy weapons team is destroyed by the flames of the tzeentch terminators. Another squad is annihilated by the khorne terminators.
- The shadowsword loses a hull point while the castellax loses a wound.
- The nurgle terminator squad blow the bunker apart. As one unit of imperial guardsmen is evaporated. (the stormblade also loses a hullpoint)
- The chaos terminators continue to gun down imperial units.
The psychic phase takes some more hull points from the imperial vehicles but is otherwise inconsequential.
- The chimera and taurox prime as well as the bastion are blown apart.
- One leman russ vanquisher is exploded while the heavy weapons teams suffer a handful of wounds.
- Some more imperial guardsmen are burned from the table as the emperors fist tank loses a hull point to the nurgle terminators.
- The tzeentch oblitorators take four hull points from the knight mageara.
- The other oblitorator squad removes four hull points from the macharius Vulcan while the justaerin take two more hull points from the shadowsword.
- The shadowsword is blown apart. The blood thirster suffers a wound but takes one from the castellax. The mutilators take five hull points from the glaive while the oblitorators destroy the macharius Vulcan.
- The leman russ vanquisher squad and the leman russ squadron that includes pask are removed by the chaos terminators. The hellhound is also destroyed as abbadon leads his terminators into the chimera forcing the last chancers into the open. The inquisitor is finally killed by the possessed. The greater brass scorpion charges into the conscripts but due to the priests hymn (re-roll failed armour saves) and good look out sir rolls only four conscripts are killed by the daemon engine [Despite 40 wounds from the stomps and attacks]. [They cannot fall back to due to zealot and they cannot hurt the creation. The meat grinder begins.] The seekers have engaged the secutarri leaving one and the blood ravens librarian alive.
- The nurgle terminators destroy the emperors fist tank, typhus guts the techpriest and his servitors, the nurgle lord kills a squad of guardsmen (losing a wound during overwatch for his trouble) Horus and the tzeentch terminators combine their attacks to destroy the storm blade (Horus took 6 HP from it and the squad finished it off.) the second unit of tzeentch terminators have brought the first portion of the wall crumbling down. (The myrmidons were unharmed)
Imperial turn 2
Stratagems used: Earth shattering Salvo (Turns the manticore missile into a 4D3 shot weapon in exchange for firing all four missiles at once.)
- The vendetta (being held due to wobbly model syndrome) spearheads the imperial response as it drops a cyclops demolition vehicle near the terminators. {The lone flamer survivor is made to regroup via an order) Grey knight grand master Tarn has scattered next to the sentinel.
- Sanctioned psychers are sent in to reinforce the imperial guard.
- The ravenwing black knights move to protect the damaged knight Mageara.
- Outflanking gives the ravenwing the ability to arrive from any board edge. Seeing the hyperos as a threat they move to engage it. Grey knight brother captain Lothar deep strikes behind the vindicator.
- More ravenwing and the lone deathwatch terminator from overkill move to target the chaos backfield units.
- The imperial flying circus joins the grey knight paladin squads in the middle of the table. (The storm hawk skyclaw squad and their captain jumping from the storm eagle gunship as it outflanked onto the board.) [A vulture (twin punishers), the storm eagle, the dark talon and the thunderbolt have moved further into the chaos portion of the battlefield than the vendetta.]
- The attack bike land speeder and ravenwing librarian have also joined the hunt.
- Tarn is joined by one of the imperial sanctioned psychers.
- The final sanctioned psycher appears (This one knows telecine dome: 5+ invun vs shooting for everything within 12” of him)
- The glaive thunderblitz’s the mutilators but fails to do any damage to them.
- Tarn uses gate of infinity to reposition himself and his new ablative wounds/ally. (We determined as you could assault after deep striking that you can assault after gate of infinity. The yellow sanctioned psycher perils but makes his invulnerable save.
- The knight atropos’ vortex moves and kills a seeker.
- The chaos terminators that destroyed the vanquishers become the target for the imperial gunners.
- The ravenwing destroy the walking land raider. The explosion scatters and kills the deathwatch terminator as well as two of the chaos basilisks. (The crew of the chaos basilisks survive the explosions.) The Dthirster takes two wounds while the vulture and tech thralls delate the daemonette squad. 8 plague marines are subsequently blown apart by imperial artillery. (the manticore earth shattering salvo)
The tzeentch terminators are destroyed leaving the sorcerer on his own. The glaive fires. Kill three oblitorators outright, 2 possessed and three daemonettes. The black dreadnought has lost a hull point. The chaos vindicator (black) has been destroyed while two hull points have been ripped from the archos. The vultarax has haywired three hull points from the lead land raider.
- The Dthirster lost another wound and killed three sisters repentia. The greater brass scorpion continues to struggle with the conscripts killing 3 this turn (Despite 34 wounds being caused. Curse those hymns)
- The nurgle lord is charged by grey knights grand master tarn, a sanctioned psycher and an armoured sentinel. No wounds are caused by either side. The cyclops demolition vehicle charged into the nurgle terminators, exploded wounded all four but failed to breach their armour.
- The myrmidon destructors and the lone sanctioned psycher charge the tzeentch terminators and manage to kill one. All the return attacks that wound are saved and the combat continues.
- The ravenwing black knights assault the tzeentch terminator squad and kill all three of them but lose two models in return. The mounted daemonettes finish off the blood ravens librarian. A unit of khorne terminators lose their champion but the remaining member holds fast against the blades of the grey knights.
- The ravenwing squad take a hull point from the hyperos while brother captain Lothar finished off the predator annihilator.
- The blood thirster finishes off the castellax while the terminator squad topple one of the inner gate towers.
Conclusion for part 1
I am going to cut the report there. At the moment the imperium has 5 victory points. (Destroying the mastdon 10Hp/3 rounded to 3VP. The walking land raider 6HP/3 2VP)
While the forces of chaos have 10 victory points.(Destroying the bunker Objective 2VP. The shadowsword 9HP/3 3VP the Stormblade 9HP/3 3Vp and the Macharius Vulcan 6HP/3 2VP)
The inner wall is coming down rapidly (Chainfist terminators) but the imperial forces have a circus in the air above the chaos deployment zone and four of the objective structures still stand. Both sides still have a large quantity of reserves and the victory is still uncertain. The rest of the battle and its outcome will be well earned by the victorious forces.
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Damn. That’s an insane game…
Yep, Made more so by the urge to just bring out everything regardless of how many points it would normally cost. (Units that are overcosted, overpowered or live in an overcrowded portion of the FOC all come out to enjoy the mayhem.)
It’s also inciting a mad painting spree where units can gain one last hurrah for our time with 7th edition.