Imperial forces defend the township of Sato Vox against an Eldar incursion!  

Posted by CommissarHarris in , , ,

Determined Biel Tan raiders attacked the subhive through a box barrage laid down by regimental artillery, despite heavy losses and a feirce fire fight, Eldar forces pushed through imperial tripwire defences.
Pictured here is a command Salamander of the 297th Krieg Grenadiers. This Salamander was destroyed in the fighting.
Losses on both sides were heavy. Inscrutable Eldar withdrew a few hours later.

Campaign Ideas  

Posted by CommissarHarris in

Goals

  • Free Flow
  • Book keeping kept to a minimum
  • Story/narrative to give it meaning.
  • Three Way Tau; Imperial (IG mainly); Eldar Biel Tan
  • Clear Ending

Rules
1. Register an Army List made up of 1500 points with a subset of 500 points and 1000 points picked out form the 1500
2. Experience follows the Unit, so if a unit in the army list is changed (even to drop a bolt pistol!) the unit that was changed is considered a new unit and looses all experience and traits.

3. If the Unit Survives as a scoring unit (4th Ed rules) then it gains an XP point for surviving.
4. If it does not survive then it looses an XP to a min of 0. Record at the end of each game on the army list.
5. +1 for Unanimous Man of the Match!

Or use 4th Ed pg 242 Experience rules

At [three] XP roll on the veteran table and record the result.
At [Six] Roll a second time on the veteran table.
Lose below Three/Six loose the trait.

Possible future Expansions is an Emperors Tarrot stle modifications to change the field of play:
  • Abandoned Front line Bunkers;
  • Civilians in the Way
  • Arctic Conditions (Cold, Night Fighting)
  • Ambush
  • Supply Problems
  • Fleet overhead - Free Orbita Bomardment
Victory Condition
First one to 5 Victories

Narrative Idea 1
World in the Damoclese Gulf Overrun by the Tau as the Gue'la pulled out in 742.M41. 200Years later 997.M41, the Administratum organises a limited offensive to recover some of the Worlds lost to the Tau. Eldar, who have been maitaining a vigil on an artefact, decide the risk of Monkeigh Psykers returning to the world is too great and move to sweep both off the world before they activate the artifact.


Narrative Idea 2
994.M41 Tau found a new world on a seeming Paradice world. The Mechanicus Exploratium corps has had this world staked out as a potential colony world for several centuries and are not pleased to discover the Tau squatting there. Mechanicum organises a crusade in 998.M41 to cleanse the world before they become too well established. Both sides feed more and more troops into the conflict. Biel Tan attention is eventually drawn to the world as the Maiden world is scarred by the conflict. Eldar raiders open up a long forgotten web way portal and awaken the Sword Wind to kick them both off. First Eldar Raiders appear 999.M41

Narrative Idea 3
Tau settle a world in 746.M41 which has a substantial Eldar Exodite population. the two species agree to divide the world equitably and live in peace. A Rouge trader discovers an artifact on the surface during a routine trade deligation. When this is reported to the Inquisition, Ordo Xenos move to aquire the artifact in Tau territory by stealth. Eldar Farseers sensing the danger, move into Tau teritory to prevent the Imperials from gaining access to the Artifact. A firefight results in the Imperials being destroyed. The Tau, missinterpreting the Eldar intervention as an act of War move to retailiate, and use it as an excuse for a Massive Response. The Eldar Exodite commuinty in desparation calls on Biel Tan to unleash the Sword Wind on the world.
The Inquisition, having failed to aquire access to the Artifact through stealth, call on the Hammer of the Emperor.
An Imperial Guard Division, en route to counter Hive Fleet Behemoths thrust into the Eastern Fringe, is diverted to capture the Artifact by Coup-De-Main.

Cleansing of Cygurdsin - The Hybrid Revolt begins  

Posted by CommissarHarris in , , , ,

COMMIT TO: Imperial Data File Inq/16787/DTH
CROSS FILE: Inquisition into the Adeptus Astartes
INPUT DATE: 0153002.M42
AUTHOR: Inquisitor Palatine
TRANSMITTER: Astropath Secundus Ariel
RECEIVER: Astropath Prime Joshua
SUBJECT: Cleansing of Cygurdsin - The Hybrid Revolt begins, After Action Forensic report THOUGHT: In the beginning there was the Emperor, All else follows Him


Specialist Thorvelt carefully checked the safety catch of his Sparta pattern grenade launcher was on, then braced it against the rough bark of the tree. He lowered his head and squinted over the open sights at the collection of dilapidated buildings in the farm yard below. Satisfied he was ready for whatever it was the Lt thought was likely to happen, he risked a glance in the commanders direction. He was looking down at the farm house with a pair of occulars and talking with Commissar Gortmann when he jerked back a pace and turned to face back down the line. Surprised, Thorfelt looked back down at the farm house below and almost dropped his Grenade launcher. From his vantage point the view below had transformed. Gone was the peaceful peasant farm, instead the outhouses were vomiting black chitinous bodies. The very fabric of the building seemed to bulge and heave as genestealers and hormagaunts poured out of every orifice in the buildings. The voice of Leftenant Bates shouting orders to open fire brought Thorfelt back to himself. He hefted the grenade launcher and nestled the but back into his shoulder and squeezed the trigger arcing a grenade into the pack mass of aliens in the farm yard.

BATTLEFIELD:
The Terrain was made up of light woods. These trees provided a 5+ cover save in the undergrowth but did nothing to block line of sight or slow down movement.
DEPLOYMENT - 2/3rd Platoons 2nd Coy 109th Cygurdsin Millitia:
The PDF formed up in roughly two lines with Blue Platoon and Platoon HQ on the left and Yellow Platoon on the right. Anvil Squads were placed on the ridge where possible and Hammer squads between the farmyard and the ridgeline. Mortar section was placed on the extreme left in a gulley.



















DEPLOYMENT - Hive Fleet Germanicus
12 genestealers were deployed in the South western corner behind the PDF positions, under the cover of light forest. A biovore lumbered into position in the south eastern corner.

In the farmyard, 12 Scythed genestealers spilled out from the farmhouse and took shelter behind the farmyard wall, along with 12 Hormagaunts. 3 Warriors stalked out from behind the farmhouse.
TURN ONE - 2/109th Cygurdsin Militia
1st Leftenant Shouted down the line to open fire then turned to check the rear, He was horrified to see the evil shapes of more genestealers flitting through the trees. He drew his power sword and shouted to his command squad to turn and take cover on the rear lip of the ridge ready for the oncoming storm. 2nd leftenant Gromil of Blue Platoon HQ had the same Idea, quickly realising the danger from the rear he turned his command squad and scrambled off to block the infiltrating genestealers in the rear of the platoon.





On the other side of the ridge, however both Hammer squads advanced at the command of their sergeants and surged forward to the edge of the forest. They slid into cover and opened a withering fire on the scythed genestealers gathering behind the farmyard wall.

The mortar section went into action raining shells down on the farmyard, while the anvil sections poured chattering bolter fire into the chittering mass of aliens. Within a few seconds 7 scythed genestealers and 2 hormagaunts were blasted or shot to pieces.

Unknown to the squaddies in the rear of the hill, the three headquarters squads fired into the infiltrating genestealers killing 2 in their mad scramble to close with the PDF men.

TURN ONE - Tyranid Hive Fleet Germanicus
A spore mine screamed overhead and landed in amongst the rocks near to Command HQ squads position. The Scythed genestealers and the hormagaunts sprang across the farmyard wall and advanced into the teeth of the PDF's fire.














Behind the wave of hormagaunts leaping the fence the Warriors advanced, one firing the venom cannon it carried. The poisoned barbs finding a resting place in the back of one of Platoon HQ 's guards as the re positioned to face the infiltrating genestealers.













The aliens struck the PDF line like a whirlwind, the Scythed genestealers swept away 6 guardsmen in as many seconds leaving no-one alive within reach. The hormagaunts tore into Blue hammer one on the left flank killing another 4. In a scant seconds the 'nids had devastated the front rank of the guards leaving 7 men in Yellow hammer one and only the sergeant and two other ranks in Blue Hammer 1.








The shock was too great and Blue hammer one reeled backwards towards the remainder of their platoon on the ridgeline. The hormagaunts gave them no chance sweeping over them slaughtering the fleeing remnants to the foot of the ridge.

On the right the scythed genestealers turned and moved up the line of Yellow Hammer 1 to clash with the squads remnants who were standing firm despite shocking losses amongst their comrades in Blue Hammer 1.




Behind the ridge in the forest, the Genestealer infiltrators closed the gap with Blue HQ and charged. They barely paused in their forward momentum to slaughter 2nd leftenant Gromil and his entire squad before moving on towards the mortar section.













TURN TWO - 2/109th Cygurdsin Millitia
Leftenant Bates seeing Blue platoon HQ move to block the genstealers in the rear he turned the men of his squad back towards a closer threat - the rampaging hormagaunts - Firing as they came.
Down in the hollow the Mortar section however had seen the destruction of Blue platoon HQ and had hurriedly gathered up their equipment to move up to the position just vacated by Bates.
Once they reached their new position they took turns to pot shots over the heads of Bates' Company HQ squad into the hormagaunts killing 2.








Blue Hammer 1 on top of the ridge opened a rapid volley fire into to hormagaunts at the bottom of the ridge, harrowing the remaining aliens with las beams and holy promethium fire.

On the right flank, The remnants of Yellow hammer 1 closed up with the scythed genestealers ready to take revenge for their dead comrades, but the genestealer mutants were too fast, killing 2 more PDF squaddies in the swirling combat.














Behind the ridge Yellow Platoon HQ supported by Yellow Anvil 1 continued to pour fire into the advancing skirmish line of genestealers. The preternaturally fast creatures dodged in and out of the sparse cover offered by the light forest, avoiding all harm.













TURN TWO - Tyranid Hive Fleet Germanicus

The first spore mine drifted out from the rocks into the gully recently vacated by the mortar section. A second one screamed down out of the sky landing amongst Yellow Anvil 1. It burst on impact, fragments scything through the air downed 2 squaddies.













The genestealers behind the ridge changed direction and continued their inexorable advance, now aimed at Blue Anvil 1 on top of the ridge. They struck with unparalleled ferocity leaving none of the Emperors servants in Blue Anvil 1 alive.

In the farmyard the Warriors strode over the farmyard wall and set off towards the Company HQ squad. The Warrior holding the venom cannon symbiote fired at the flitting shadows of Bates' squad catching one of the squaddies with a diamond hard stream of poisioned barbs, ripping him in half. Then the Warriors charged. Warned by the short scream of the unfortunate squaddie, Leftenant Bates and Commisar Gortmann had a only a few moments to brace the squad to recieve the charge. But a few moments proved to be enough. Bates and his Company HQ squad took the Warriors charge pushed them back onto the defensive and and even succeeded in wounding two of the brutes.



The Scythed genestealers of on the right flank made short work of the remainder of Yellow Hammer 1 loosing only one to the chainsword of the heroic Sergeant Lokizon - All that was left of the squad.














TURN THREE - 2/109th Cygurdsin Militia

With the mortars now set up on the knoll at the end of the ridge, The crews begin a rapid bombardment on the genestealers consolidating further along the ridge. 2 of the nightmare creatures are caught in the open, the blast spattering ichor over the bodies of the recently slaughtered guardsmen. With the loaders pouring out a torrent of mortar shells, the gunners were close enough to take up their lasrifles and add their fire to the conflagration. Their sniping took down another genestealer.

At the other end of the ridge the heavy bolter crew of Yellow Anvil 1 sat on top of the rocky outcrop. They worked feverishly to spin their gun around and pump belts of ammunition along the ridge into the genestealers sheltering from the conflagration enveloping them. Yellow platoon HQ added its fire as well knocking another genestealer from its feet.













In the gully below the sweating mortar men, Leftenant Bates and Commissar Gortman fought the Warriors to a standstill wounding one of them while the beast bent down to skewer a squaddy.















Sergeant Lokizon, all that was left of Yellow Hammer1 fought on to the last. But standing alone against four mutant Scythed Genestealers, ther was little he could do. The creatures took him apart, leaving him behind as little more than strips of flesh and fragments of bone and equipment.

TURN THREE - Tyranid Hive Fleet Germanicus
The spore mine - perhaps sensing the nearby labours of the mortar men, or pehaps directed by the hive mind - drifted into their midst almost unnoticed and detonated. Lethal, razor shards of the mines carapace scythed the head off a PDF specialist.













A second heralded its arrival with a scream of tortured air. Its trajectory had drifted in flight and instead of landing on the mortar men it fell like a comet amongst the combatants at the edge of the forest. Its blast knocked one of the remaining warriors from their feet and ended the lives of 2 PDF troopers. The last Warrior recovered quickly and lashed out with a claw, catching Leftenant Bates unawares and Spearing him through the thigh. Commissar Gortman, lashed out with is power fist, punching through chittin and bone to rip the spine from the warrior, avenging his fallen officer.






The genestealers on the ridge took quick advantage of the brief respite from the mortar fire and exited the ridge top. They headed for the valley floor and moved along the ridgeline, smashing into Yellow Platoon HQ. Two guardsmen went down struggling with the genestealer foe, and the leftenant stabbed another as it ran onto his power sword it its eagerness to close with him.

The Scything genestealers barreled into Yellow Anvil 1 killing the sergeant as he rose from his cover and two nearby troopers.







TURN FOUR - 2/109th Cygurdsin Militia

The mortar men scrambled back to their tubes, there was a flurry of activity resetting them upright then the mortars spoke again, the shells arced high and headed down towards the distant biovore. But the crosswinds that had deflected the sporemine earlier now deflected the counter fire. The mortar shells fell well behind the biovore's position.

Commissar Gortmann surveyed the ruin of his command and made a decision. The news that Tyranids were operating on Cygurdsin must get out. The Commissars first duty was to take the news to the planetary authoritaries and the Imperium. He set off at a run towards the hedge row.












Over the back of the ridge Yellow Platoon HQ were still engaged in a desperate struggle for their lives. The genestealers pulled apart another squaddie in a shower of gore, but remained impervious to all the troopers efforts to kill them.

Nearby Yellow Anvil 1 broke and ran after a brief struggle with the Scythed Genestealers, leaving three more troopers lying in pools of their own viscera and severed limbs.












TURN FOUR - Tyranid Hive Fleet Germanicus

The Biovore lobbed return fire at the mortar section again and again the cross wind above the forest deflected the trajectory, causing the mine to come down beyond the intended target.

The Scything genestealers, determined not to let Yellow Anvil 1 get away, charge the still fleeing men. Briefly their courage returns and they turn to face the charge. It did them no good as the 'stealers shreded them.

he Leftenant of Yellow Platoon HQ has more luck, he fends off the attentions of all three remaining genestealers all by himself. after a brief flurry of blows, the Leftenant looked around himself and found the was the only living creature left standing. He did the only sensible thing he could think of. He ran.











TURN FIVE - 2/109th Cygurdsin Militia
The Leftenant sprinted as fast as he could towards the mortar section screaming into his vox mike for a covering barrage.
Worrying more about counter battery fire the, mortar men put three shells down and bracketed the Biovore, shrapnel from blasts too far away rattled harmlessly off the thick chittin of the beast.






TURN FIVE - Tyranid Hive Fleet Germanicus

The Scythed genestealers, hearing the receding footsteps of the PDF Leftenant, turned and loped off after him as the Biovore sent another spore mine screaming over their heads to land harmlessly beyond the mortar team.


TURN SIX - 2/109th Cygurdsin Militia

Commissar Gortmann clambered over the hedge into the farmyard and ran. Behind him The young leftenant formerly of Yellow Platoon HQ was all that was left of his now destroyed command. He too was running. The mortar section, seeing him comming through the undergrowth, finally adjusted their fire and placed 3 shots squarely onto the remnants of the scything genestealer pack that was tracking him. All three of the remaining mutants were caught in the blasts and tossed like broken dolls through the undergrowth.

TURN SIX - Tyranid Hive Fleet Germanicus

The Biovore sensing there was nothing left for it to do here made ready to lumber off into the woods. It paused and almost as an afterthought belched out one last spore towards the Mortars it had been dueling with. The mine fell out of the sky directly on top of the mortar section. A whirlwind of fragmenting chitin scoured the position, but as the blast cleared, all five specialists of the section got to their feet and stood amazed to have survived. Many many more of their comrades had not. As the the guns fell silent over the battle ground they began to hear the moans of the wounded.

Cleansing of Cygurdsin  

Posted by CommissarHarris in , , , ,

COMMIT TO: Imperial Data File Inq/16787/DTH
CROSS FILE: Inquisition into the Adeptus Astartes
INPUT DATE: 0126002.M42
AUTHOR: Inquisitor Palatine
TRANSMITTER: Astropath Secundus Ariel
RECEIVER: Astropath Prime Joshua
SUBJECT: Cleansing of Cygurdsin - The Hybrid Revolt begins, After Action Forensic report THOUGHT: Honour the Dead, You will join them soon enough

Trooper Svart squatted low into the ice covered undergrowth and gazed disconnectedly into the tangled bracken ahead. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck until it met the fur lining of the upturned collar of his great coat. He had been born in the uplands of the north, far from this place but somehow, strangely the same. He had spent many a season as a boy and then a youth hunting in forests just like this. He loved the way the blue tinged light of the Day-Star turned the delicate snow crystals a deep turquoise, How the icicles in the trees tinkled musically in the slightest breeze. But today the forest was different. Today there was something wrong. Something was turning the cool blue shade under the canopy of leaves into a chilling darkness. A shockingly fast movement in the shadowy undergrowth ahead jerked him back from his reverie. It had been so fast he barely believed he had seen anything. He halted and droped to one knee. Some distance behind him he could hear the stealthy movements of the rest of his squad followed his lead. Ignoring them he swallowed and turned his head slowly this way and that, looking at the bush with is unconscious mind as he had learnt as a boy. Waiting to see if his brain could pick out a pattern that didn't belong, or a movement that was not a part of the forest. When the alien thing curled out from the branches barely 2 meters from his head he could hardly believe his eyes. It appeared as if growing out of the very bark of the tree. It paused completely motionless for a split second staring at him, its glass hard black eyes reflecting his own image back at him. Svart barely had time to scream as it struck.

BATTLEFIELD:

The Terrain was made up of light woods leading to an open groxx paddock in the far northern edge. These trees provided a 5+ cover save in the undergrowth but did nothing to block line of sight or slow down movement.






DEPLOYMENT - 109th Millitia

The Patrol was stretched out in column of march when the Cultists backed by a fragment of Hive Behemoth called to the world by the siren of the cult hive mind. Red platoon hammer squad 1 was in point followed the rest of red platoon then Green platoon and finally 1st Company HQ accompanied by Commissar Matilda.





DEPLOYMENT - Tyranid xenos

We have determined from surviving battle ROM that a brood of hormagaunts deployed in line on the right flank in parallel with the line of advance. To their right a brood of warriors kept a tight control on their activities.

Warriors anchored the hormagaunts on the eastern ridge line, forming the center of the xenos formation.

The box was held shut by the Magus and his retinue of fanatical heretic bodyguards.

Sat in a field beyond the forest surrounded by disinterested groxx the monstrous Tyranid Biovore readied its self to rain spores over the battlefield.

TURN ONE - Tyranid Hive Fleet Germanicus

The 'nids sprang the ambush as 1st Leftenant Andiemann led his column into its killing zone. The Hormagaunts moved forward after dispatching the scouts, easily outpacing the larger warriors in their eagerness to close with the column.

The first sign of the oncomming avalanche of chittin and claws for most was the piercing shreik of a mycetic spore arcing across the azure firmament and landing with a squelch dead center of Red Platoon HQ. Four men were completely coated in the sticky green ichor which issued from the spore. Men knocked over by the concussion staggered to their feet and gazed curiously at the substance. Then the screaming began as they saw their own limbs and those of their comrades rapidly begin to melt into red-black puddles.

The Warriors, with the advantage of height saw the column first, sighted up Red Anvil 1 squad and blasted one trooper into chunks with a stream of crystalline tipped barbs.







The Hormagaunts rounded the gap in the ridgeline, their chitinous plates rustling with a light susurration. As soon as the first of the 1/109th came into view they leapt forward with unnatural speed closing the remaining distance in a single bound landing in amongst the green PDF troopers.

Even veteran troops would have been hard pressed to stand up to such a sudden assault by so feared an enemy. Red platoon who had been leading the patrol stood no chance. Three good men died immediately without ever having a chance to raise their weapons in self defense. Tyranids clawed their way over the bodies of the fallen in an effort to close with new meat. For the men of Red Anvil 1 the shock of the attack and horror of the foe was too great to face and they broke and ran.

















TURN ONE - 1/109th Cygurdsin Millitia

1st Leftenant Andiemann wasted no time ordering his defense. Even as he heard the screech of the incoming spore mine, he ordered the Mortar teams to deploy and return fire. with guidance from the radio operator of Red Hammer 1 they were soon shelling the advancing Warriors at the cusp of the valley, blowing chunks off of one of the beasts and wounding it severely.

Meanwhile Green platoon had pulled back from the combat swirling to their front and taken up positions in the undergrowth. Only then had they begun returning fire into the only target they could see. Lasrifles and heavy bolter fire reached out to the oncoming cultist body guard, stripping the foliage from around them and punching one from his feet. The rest of the zealot cultists and their wicked master dove for cover and readied themselves for the next rush.




Red Hammer 1 squad continued its desperate mêlée with the Hormagaunts. Two more soldiers of the Emperor lost their lives, butchered by the enemy. But these doughty men were not beaten easily just yet. Having recovered from the initial shock they turned their rifle buts and bayonets on the hormagaunts clubbing and stabbing the foe.
Trooper Vallent overcame one of them, splitting its exoskeleton open in several places with his lasrifle on auto, then repeatedly plunging his bayonet into the cracks until the thing stopped twitching.









TURN TWO - Tyranid Hive Fleet Germanicus
Under the shadows of the cool forest canopy on the far side of the ridge, ominous noises could be heard. They weren't the noises of the normal forest day as all of the animals nearby had fallen quiet, hiding fearfully at the bottom of their burrows. They could sense a new predator in the woods. Under the cover of the confusion caused by the hormagaunts, the first of the pure strain genestealers sped across the forest floor. Across the valley floor the Warriors continued their march towards the hormagaunts feeding ground.





In the next valley over the Magus and his bodyguard of insane human dupes leapt from cover in another short rush to close with the enemy. The covered their attack with wild blasts from their riot guns hitting nothing but making plenty of noise.

In all of this confusion the shrieking arrival of the second spore mine went almost unnoticed. This mine landed well short of the PDF line coming to rest in amongst the rocky outcrop at the head of the valley.

The hormagaunts, urged on by the approaching Warrior brood went into overdrive. Frenzied attacks first drove the men of Red Hammer 1 back then finally overwhelmed them in an avalanche of angry bugs. With a taste for human flesh the bugs rushed forward heedless of the guns now hastily being re aimed in their direction.











TURN TWO - 1/109th Cygurdsin Millitia

The PDF position was resting on a knife edge. The Mortar men had changed targets at the request of the grenadier of Green HQ, who - having scaled the ridge between the two valleys - had reported seeing something moving in the cool darkness of the next valley over, but their shots had failed to find any mark and had done nothing but churn up leaf mould.

Sergeant Pultroon of Red Anvil 1 dove into cover and rallied his squad around him. Taking only a few moments to re organize he set the remaining trooper of the heavy bolter team to reset his weapon while he and the remainder of the squad provided covering fire hoping to suppress the cultists now rushing towards his new position.

Green Platoon turned their guns on the advancing Hormagaunts punishing the slayers of Red Hammer 1 with lasrifles, many went down but still they came on. Heavy bolter fire from Green Anvil 1 swept across the onrushing xenos chopping up 'nids and branches alike, but still they came on.

Mere yards from the front rank of Green Hammer 1 squad Trooper Lionst opened fire with a carefully timed douse of flaming promethium, neatly enfilading the hormagaunts charge and coating them all in flames. A few 'gaunts, carried forward by their own momentum and trailing fire like small meteors made it to the 1/109th line but were easily dispatched as they collapsed.

The grenadier from Green HQ saw the mortar round fall lighting up the darkness with blasts of High explosive and his eyes widened in horror as a mountain of oily black chitin and claws reflected the light back at him. screaming frantically for the mortars to adjust he lobbed his own shot into the densely pack ranks of genestealers. Shrapnel whickered through the air shredding foliage but the pure strains were seemingly unaffected.






TURN THREE - Tyranid Hive Fleet Germanicus

The Genestealers continued their advance towards the ridge. More genestealers infiltrated quietly through the woods to the right of the original infestation, and to the left a small group of hybrids armed with a motley collection of arms moved up stealthily, in the direction of the mortar teams.
The Warriors picked their way almost delicately through the viscera and body parts that was all that remained of Red Hammer 1 Squad. The Warrior paused as though in thought. It cocked it head curiously at the humans scurrying about in the forest a head and sent a burst of poison flechette out from the venom cannon it carried in its lower limbs. The diamond hard rounds scoured the undergrowth around Red Anvil 1 punching through roots, leaves, ballistic cloth and flesh. When Sergeant Pultroon glanced around after the firing stopped two of his men were convulsing in poison induced agony while a third was frantically patting at his uniform to pull out a barb that had lodged in the ballistic cloth.

Overhead a by now too familiar scream of rent air heralded the arrival of another spore mine. It landed in the rear of the packed ranks of Green platoon and once again the men of that platoon were coated with the clear sticky acid of the spore. Three PDF'er from Green Anvil 1 were caught when the acid filled the shallow scrape they were sheltering in and they barely had time to scream as the pool of acid turned red black with their residue.

The Magus and his body guard leapt forward once more, once more firing a cloud of shot as they came. This time their charge carried them straight into Red Platoon HQ. 2nd Leftenant Dagenhad drew his powersword and lunged into the fray, determined to take the strangely clad leader down, he angled his counter rush to bring him face to face with the Magus.

He was halfway through a back handed swing that would have decapitated his opponent when his gaze met the magus's eyes. His mind struggled for only a brief moment before his mind snapped and all that was Jamis Dagenhad fell into the abyss that was the Magus's gaze. What replaced him belonged body and soul to the all-father. The platoon Grenadier was the first to notice. Seeing the leftenants sword arm fall slack at this side, he turned on his heel and ran, soon the whole of Red Platoon HQ was running back towards the guards lines. Quickly taking advantage of the situation the Magus spurred his bodyguard on, straight into Red Hammer1.

TURN THREE - 1/109th Cygurdsin Millitia
1st Leftenant Andiemann, raised his head above the tangle of roots behind which he was hiding to survey the scene. Red Platoon was gone. Hacked down or dissolved in only a few minutes of combat. He could see Red Platoon HQ , all that was left of 25 men and women, streaming back towards his lines. The only thing left for him to to was by space and time to out gun these abominations. He dropped back into cover, grabbed the handset from his vox operator and began issuing the necessary orders.


The rest of Green Platoon HQ moved up to the top of the ridge to fire down onto the advancing purestrains.
Grenades Lazbeams and plasma beams strobed out into the gathering darkness of the forest seeking out the advancing horrors, but none went down. The Mortars added their weight of fire and this time managed to drop 3 Genestealers with shrapnel. In the valley behind them Green Hammer 1 opened up with lasfire on the advancing Warrior 'nids. A cheer went up when the fearsome bug with the venom cannon shuddered, staggered and fell, punctured by many wounds.
Red Hammer 1 couldn't face the fight with the Magus's bodyguard and, after a brief indecisive bout of hand to hand, broke and ran.


TURN FOUR - Tyranid Hive Fleet Germanicus
The Magus and his bodyguard, still brimming with confidence with their run of luck continued their headlong rush toward the Guards positions, firing as they came. Behind them the two remaining Warriors advanced as well.
One of the guardsmen of Green Hammer 1 stepped out from behind the bole of the tree he was using as shelter and caught a cloud of shot with his face and collapsed screaming with what was left of his mouth. His screams blended for a few moments with the telltale screech of an arriving spore mine which landed directly in between the bodyguard and the PDF line. An eerie quiet draped itself across the valley floor as both sides wondered what the Poison Spore would do. Then the Magus, assured by the hive mind imperative to kill the unbeliever whatever the cost, Lunged into the guards followed by the lunatic dupes sworn to his protection. Another of the PDF leadership cadre fell to the will of the Magus as Green Hammer 1's sergeant lost a battle of wills.













On the ridge overlooking the PDF position the situation turned from bad to worse, the pure strains crested the ridge and within a few brief moments had reduced the four men of Green Platoon HQ into steaming piles of viscera and body parts. then just as quickly consolidated back behind the crest of the ridge. Behind them the Scythed Gene stealers were closing ground quickly.









TURN FOUR - 1/109th Cygurdsin Millitia
The remains of Red Hammer 1 fled into the woods behind the PDF positions. History will show that this display of cowardice served the men of RH1 little, none ever made it from the boundaries of the forest alive nor would history every be able to identify their final resting place. The Remains of Red Platoon Headquarters however turned in flight and flung themselves into combat with the Magus.
It was to be of no avail though 2nd Leftenant Dagenhad hacked down three of his former comrades. The body guard with the eviscerator added to the tally by splitting trooper Karris messily in half. In the confusion the Magus hypnotised the squad vox operator and with that last horror both Red Platoon HQ and Green Hammer 1 fled the fight.

Behind the ridge the genestealers walked into a barrage of mortar fire. Three gene stealers walked into the curtain of fire and were flayed by fragments while concentrated fire from the remainder of the PDF force swept the ridge top killing the few genestealers to slow in falling back with their brood brothers. In a few seconds the brood was reduced to 3 healthy pure strains in cover behind the ridge. Andiemann scrabbled up to the top of the ridge with his command squad in tow. At the top of the ridge he was stunned by the level of carnage. He quickly dispatched a wounded 'stealer and took up a covered position where he could observe valley opposite. All he could see was genestealers, pure strain genestealers.

TURN FIVE - Tyranid Hive Fleet Germanicus
On the far flank the cult hybrids advanced again pouring on fire from their motley collection of weapons. Up on the ridge the three remaining genestealers from the purestrain brood supported by the scythed Genestealers bounded back up the hill and buried 1st Leftenant Andiemann along with two of his command squad in a scrum of clawing chittinous bodies. Commissar Sainte immediately rallied the squad and plunged into the fray.
In the valley behind them another spore mine landed in the middle of the PDF position noisily dissolving 2 men. The remaining Warriors continued their march towards the fight.






TURN FIVE - 1/109th Cygurdsin Millitia

By now the battle was lost. The Mortar crews continued without guidance to pour fire onto the reverse slope of the ridge killing two Scythed Genestealers .

The remains of Green Hammer 1 squad charged the cultists in the vain hope of selling themselves dearly. But their heart wasn't in it and after a brief flurry of blows they broke and fled the field. But not before the Magus had wiped another mind for the hive.

Commissar Sainte stabbed at the genestealer trying to tear out her bowel with her power sword and ripped the blade upwards severing diamond hard bone and muscle with equal ease then turned to face the next foe. She was all alone on the hill as all of what was now her command squad had been cruelly torn to shreds.

TURN SIX - Tyranid Hive Fleet Germanicus
The brood of hybrids advanced once more and formed a firing line. They raised their weapons and executed all but two of the Mortar crews. They were the lucky ones as the remaining two became the playthings of the two remaining Warriors who had final joined the fight. On the hill Commissar Sainte lived only slightly longer before the purestrains overcame her. The field belonged to the Cult.

There were no survivors.