Post by cheminhaler on Dec 28, 2014 19:28:30 GMT -5
Introduction
Deciding to have a game on Boxing Day and then spend the entire night and morning packing it all away again, I set up a rough and still unpainted city :s for an introduction to 40k game, for my step-daughter. She took control of the Soul Drinkers, who for the first time ever failed to Seize the Initiative. I took control of a ragtag alliance of terminator marines, using the Raven guard chapter tactics to outflank with the tactical squads and the captain.
Storyline
Following a tip-off from astropaths on Terra, the Soul Drinkers pursue a band of assorted renegades who have made an incursion into Imperial space, out of the Maelstrom. They finally corner the renegades on the planet of Beefgravy and move to the Arbites Bastion in the Western sector of Psychedelia City, sending the stormtalon gunship out to scout for any signs of a large horde of evil terminators wearing bright red armour. As the Soul Drinkers await information the traitors seize the iniatiative, infiltrating an entire terminator army around the bastion. The Soul Drinkers prepare to open fire.
Army lists
Soul Drinkers (1500 points)
Space Marines - Imperial Fists chapter tactics
HQ Captain Romulus
SM captain - chainsword, stormshield, auspex
Elite Squad Xarius
5 sternguard veterans; stormbolter x4, heavy flamer x1
Troops Squad Orestes
5 tactical marines sgt with chainsword
Troops Squad Pamestin
5 tactical marines; vet sgt, meltagun
Troops Squad Crolt
10 tactical marines; vet sgt, combi grav, grav gun, plasma cannon
Heavy Support Squad Blunt
10 devastator marines; vet sgt, missile launchers x2, lascannon x2
Heavy Support Squad Mikelangis
10 devastator marines; vet sgt, heavy bolters x4
Heavy Support Squad Emeritus
10 devastator marines; vet sgt, heavy bolters x4
Fast Attack - Merlin
Stormtalon gunship - twin linked lascannon, twin linked assault cannon
Fast Attack
Land Speeder Typhoon
Fast Attack
Land Speeder Typhoon
Renegade Marines (1515 points)
Space Marines - Raven Guard chapter tactics
HQ - Santa Blade
SM captain - boltpistol, powersword
Elite
8 terminators - chainfist x2, assault cannon x1
Elite
5 terminators - cyclone missile launcher x1
Elite
10 assault terminators - lightning claws x3, thunder hammer/ stormshield x7
Troops
5 scouts - boltpistol, close combat weapons
Troops
10 tactical marines - veteran sgt, meltagun, missile launcher
Troops
10 tactical marines - veteran sgt, flamer, missile launcher
_____
Mission: Crusade (4 objective markers generated and placed around the map)
Deployment : Hammer & Anvil
Warlord Traits
Soul Drinkers - Angel of Death (causes fear; useless in this battle)
Renegade Marines - Storm of Fire (grants one squad near the captain rerolls for shooting attacks - one use only)
Turn 1
The Renegade Marine Terminators move forward. The shooting from the 2 squads generally miss and the terminator assault squad run an extra 5". The 5 scouts infiltrate close to the large ruined building in the centre.
---
The Soul Drinkers return fire, killing a terminator from the assault cannon squad, fired from the missile launcher squad on a building to the Soul Drinkers' left.
The plasma cannon in the centre sends a ranging shot at the assault terminator squad in the centre but the shot deviates wildly, moving onto a different terminator squad and instantly dissolving the only fully metal model on the table; a Renegade Marine terminator in Blood Drinker colours, with a stormbolter/ powerfist, after he failed his invulnerable save. It was like all the plastic models conspiring to kill the only metal model in the battle almost immediately.
The centrally placed land speeder typhoon also fells an assault terminator with well placed krak missile shots, his stormshield failing him at the critical moment that a missile hit him fully in the face.
Turn 2
The Raven Guard chapter tactics allowed the Renegade Marine Captain and the 4 combat squadded tactical Renegade squads to arrive from the sides, with their Outflanking ability. 3 out of 4 squads arrive, including the Renegade Marine Captain - the evil Santa Blade, eager to deliver his late Christmas present; a power sword to the face of whoever was in that infernal bastion. As it happens Santa Blade and his maniacal, evil, laughing squad, armed with a flamer arrived to the Soul Drinkers' right, within the walls of the compound and run right up the bastion door while everyone on the walls were preoccupied firing at the approaching Renegade Marine terminator horde. Santa Blade laughed insanely, swearing to his command squad that he would gut the Soul Drinker lascannon devastators on the roof, while deactivating the door to the bastion, eager for his squad to get to the roof.
The other half of the squad (with a missile launcher) outflanked in between the walls of the Arbites bastion and the blue forest, on the right of the Soul Drinkers position.
The third outflanking squad arrive on the Soul Drinkers left, close to the other side of the wall. This squad immediately uncover the Staff objective marker; a Skyfire Nexus; useful considering the Soul Drinkers storm talon is due to arrive any minute and they have a meltagun.
The Renegade Marine terminators to the Soul Drinkers' right uncover The Lord objective, which ends up being a Targetting Relay.
The Renegade marine terminators open fire, the squad to the Soul Drinkers left killing four out of 5 marines from combat squadded Devastator squad Mikelangis with a withing hail of stormbolter and assault cannon fire, the latter getting a Rending shot in on a marine who fails his cover save. Sgt Mikelangis bitterly swears revenge for his lost brothers and the two heavy bolters, which lie uselessly mangled at his feet; they shall be remembered! (He passes the morale test)
The Soul Drinkers landspeeder which killed a terminator previously is shot at by the 5 Renegade Marine scouts, the combined boltpistol fire stripping a hull point off and sending the crew reeling.
---
Flying wide and off target, the Storm Talon fails to show up, Soul Drinkers Captain Romulus frantically vox-bleeping the pilot to demand the reason for his tardiness, blissfully unaware that the bastion behind him was about to be attacked by the evil, laughing, giggling Santa Blade , on foot.
The Soul Drinkers open fire, swearing oaths to Rogal Dorn as they fire at will, the Renegades having turned up all over the place and terminators bearing down on them in large numbers. They open fire with a massive variety of bolters, special and heavy weapons, killing 3 assault terminators and 5 power armoured outflankers in total. Three outflankers died from the missile launcher squad, the remaining two passing their morale checks, and the other two died from the meltagun squad, near the Skyfire nexus
The Renegade Marine skyfire nexus outflanking squad rapidly finds themselves the target of 3 Soul Drinker squads; tactical squad Pamestin, behind the wall, the Sternguard squad from the other side and another combat squadded devastator squad with heavy bolters. Luckily their power armour holds out for the most part and the meltagunner is still alive at this stage. The entire squad were lightly roasted by the heavy flamer wielding Sternguard veteran who lined up a nice shot getting the entire evil Renegade Marine outflanking squad under the heavy failmer template. The stormbolters did more damage.
Turn 3
The final outflanker Renegade Marine squad fail to show up, tying their magna bootstraps and looking for the krak missiles that they misplaced, whilst badger hunting in the city.
Laughing, the evil Santa Blade cackles gleefully as he breaks the code to the door of the bastion and his squad move in and run up to the first floor (rolling dismally low).
The assault cannon terminators blast Soul Drinkers devastator sgt Mikelangis to death, as he curses their evil, laughing renegade hearts, even in death. The Renegades get FIRST BLOOD.
The central Typhoon, near the walls is wrecked by a shot from the Renegade Marine terminator with a Cyclone missile launcher, closing in from the other side, as it loses its last hull point, the crew perishing as the wrecked land speeder hovers in place.
The other typhoon, kind of to the Soul Drinkers' right is hit by a krak missile from the renegade tactical squad in the forest and loses a hull point and gets Weapon Destroyed, losing its precious typhoon missile launcher.
---
Finally, after much cursing over the vox network, Storm Talon Merlin finally shows up, zooming towards the rapidly thinning terminator horde and strafing them with fire from its lascannon and assault cannon but the terminators armour and stormshields hold out to the heavy shooting from the flyer.
After surviving all the fire directed at them in turn 2, the Renegade Marine tacticals near Staff objective marker die to weight of bolter, boltpistol, stormbolter and heavy flamer fire lighting them up from the 2 squads surrounding them. The Sternguard had moved closer and were in a position to charge if they survived, but they didn't so they just ground their bodies further into the dirt instead, kicking their mangled corpses aside.
Several more terminators, mostly from the assault thunder hammer squad in the centre die to concentrated fire. Sgt Crolt opened up with his one shot combi grav, adding extra grav fire to brother Leokhtar's special weapon. The plasma cannon misses completely.
Turn 4
Renegade Marine tactical outflanking 5 man squad finally locate the krak missiles in a pile of city badger skull and arrive on the Soul Drinkers right, close to the other 2 renegades who also had a missile launcher but no badger skulls to display in the Bat-cave.
The assault terminators uncover The King tactical objective in the centre, which ends up being a Grav Wave Generator.
Two Soul Drinkers from tactical squad Crolt, in the weapon pit outside the walls, die to stormbolter fire from the approaching terminators.
In a flash of exploding frag grenades, Santa Blade charges onto the roof of the Arbites bastion, straight into combat with devastator squad Blunt, sgt Blunt furiously directing fire from the two lascannons at the terminators outside. Santa Blade and his merry renegades kill Blunt and the two lascannon devastators, the Soul Drinkers doing nothing to Blade and his wicked entourage in close combat with their return fire. It's all too much for the last two bolter wielding devastators who bolt from the roof all the way down to the outside of the bastion door in an eyeblink (failing their morale check), followed by the cursing of Santa Blade, who wanted their hearts for his collection as well.
---
Storm Talon Merlin leaves the table to come swiftly back in next turn with on-going reserves, following a moment when there were krak missiles and bolter shots flying at it from all over the place.
Overcoming their failure in morale, the final two devastators charge back into the bastion after auto-rallying at the door straight back into combat with the evil Santa Blade, on the roof, who cuts them down immediately.
Another two of the Renegade Marine tactical squad in the forest die to concentrated bolter/ heavy bolter fire .
Striding forwards defiantly, the terminators held out against all odds and survived massive waves of fire from the slowly retreating forward Soul Drinkers squads.
Turn 5
Two devastators from the other half of squad Blunt, in the building to the Soul Drinkers' left perish to fire from the assault cannon terminator squad, rapidly approaching their building.
All three of the remaining tactical marines in the combat squad with the grav gun, including veteran sgt Crolt die to storm bolter and cyclone missile launcher fire, having abandoned the weapon pit in the face of the approach of the assault terminators, and so losing their cover save.
Santa Blade realises he has a special ability (warlord trait) and decides to use it, arrogantly firing down on the devastators outside. Unfortunately only 3 of the squad can actually see outside and they all fail to hit, even with the rerolls.
2 marines from the plasma cannon combat squad die to fire from the renegade tactical marines with the missile launcher to their right.
Assault terminators charge the last two marines with the plasma cannon, killing both despite their overwatch fire (pistol and bolter) and return attacks. The 3 lightning claw terminators had a massive number of attacks with Shred, so they killed them easily, leaving the thunder hammer marines annoyed at the lack of marines left for them.
---
Storm Talon Merlin re-enters play and strafes the assault terminators, killing one in a storm of fire, as it zooms close to them.
Soul Drinkers heavy bolter devastator veteran sgt Emeritus wisely decided to move back to the safety of the wall, considering the traitor terminators approaching, firing with discipline and their trusted bolter drill all the way back.
A further five terminators (4 from the assault terminator squad alone)die to a combination of fire from heavy bolters, storm bolters from Sternguard squad Xarius and bolters, from the entire line of devastators and the missiles from the devastator combat squad on the left who were moving away from the normal terminators behind them and their dreaded assault cannon.
The final two terminators with lightning claws fail their morale check and run back 6", the sight of their stormshield brothers perishing too much for them to witness.
This was possibly a devastating turn for the Renegade Marines, losing about 1/4 of their terminator strength in one turn.
Captain Romulus of the Soul Drinkers, meanwhile had in the previous turn moved to intercept in the bastion but moved and ran too little. This turn he was in the bastion's lower floor and finally in a position to charge Santa Blade, still on the bastion roof.
So the captain charges onto the roof, loudly bellowing a challenge to the cruel Santa Blade, as they fought a duel, their respective marine entourages fighting on the roof around them. Both captains lose a wound each, Romulus' storm shield proving the perfect counter to Blade's power sword; the combat ends in a tie as the other marines all passed saving throws.
Turn 6
Recovering their wits, the final terminators with the lightning claws rally automatically and move towards the wall, eager to kill some devastators. They move 6" and prepare to charge but roll very low and fail to charge, leaving them in the open.
The missile launchers all miss the storm talon again.
Combat on the bastion roof - Captain Romulus loses a second wound to the sword of Blades but the marines around fail to hit each other again; The Soul Drinker commander passes his leadership test but is down to final wound now.
---
The storm talon moves away into the ample city, eager to turn around and fire at the terminators from a different angle next turn. Still zooming.
A lightning claw terminator dies close to the walls in the centre and his surviving brother passes the morale test this time. Maybe he will charge the petulant devastators next turn.... he's certainly close enough by now.
The close combat on the bastion roof is a tie again, nothing happening at all this time.
Rolling to see if the game ended, sadly it had.
When the dust settled the renegades had won, with both sides having one objective each (Staff and The King) ,the Renegade Marines getting Linebreaker easily as well as first blood in the beginning of turn 3.
Conclusion
Casualties were also on the face of it similar with the Soul drinkers losing 24 power armoured marines and a landspeeder in total and the Renegade Marines losing 16 terminators and 8 power armoured marines.
However if a seventh turn had been played the remaining terminators would probably have died from the fire from the Soul Drinkers and their air support so I was lucky it ended on 6 really...
Deciding to have a game on Boxing Day and then spend the entire night and morning packing it all away again, I set up a rough and still unpainted city :s for an introduction to 40k game, for my step-daughter. She took control of the Soul Drinkers, who for the first time ever failed to Seize the Initiative. I took control of a ragtag alliance of terminator marines, using the Raven guard chapter tactics to outflank with the tactical squads and the captain.
Storyline
Following a tip-off from astropaths on Terra, the Soul Drinkers pursue a band of assorted renegades who have made an incursion into Imperial space, out of the Maelstrom. They finally corner the renegades on the planet of Beefgravy and move to the Arbites Bastion in the Western sector of Psychedelia City, sending the stormtalon gunship out to scout for any signs of a large horde of evil terminators wearing bright red armour. As the Soul Drinkers await information the traitors seize the iniatiative, infiltrating an entire terminator army around the bastion. The Soul Drinkers prepare to open fire.
Army lists
Soul Drinkers (1500 points)
Space Marines - Imperial Fists chapter tactics
HQ Captain Romulus
SM captain - chainsword, stormshield, auspex
Elite Squad Xarius
5 sternguard veterans; stormbolter x4, heavy flamer x1
Troops Squad Orestes
5 tactical marines sgt with chainsword
Troops Squad Pamestin
5 tactical marines; vet sgt, meltagun
Troops Squad Crolt
10 tactical marines; vet sgt, combi grav, grav gun, plasma cannon
Heavy Support Squad Blunt
10 devastator marines; vet sgt, missile launchers x2, lascannon x2
Heavy Support Squad Mikelangis
10 devastator marines; vet sgt, heavy bolters x4
Heavy Support Squad Emeritus
10 devastator marines; vet sgt, heavy bolters x4
Fast Attack - Merlin
Stormtalon gunship - twin linked lascannon, twin linked assault cannon
Fast Attack
Land Speeder Typhoon
Fast Attack
Land Speeder Typhoon
Renegade Marines (1515 points)
Space Marines - Raven Guard chapter tactics
HQ - Santa Blade
SM captain - boltpistol, powersword
Elite
8 terminators - chainfist x2, assault cannon x1
Elite
5 terminators - cyclone missile launcher x1
Elite
10 assault terminators - lightning claws x3, thunder hammer/ stormshield x7
Troops
5 scouts - boltpistol, close combat weapons
Troops
10 tactical marines - veteran sgt, meltagun, missile launcher
Troops
10 tactical marines - veteran sgt, flamer, missile launcher
_____
Mission: Crusade (4 objective markers generated and placed around the map)
Deployment : Hammer & Anvil
Warlord Traits
Soul Drinkers - Angel of Death (causes fear; useless in this battle)
Renegade Marines - Storm of Fire (grants one squad near the captain rerolls for shooting attacks - one use only)
Turn 1
The Renegade Marine Terminators move forward. The shooting from the 2 squads generally miss and the terminator assault squad run an extra 5". The 5 scouts infiltrate close to the large ruined building in the centre.
---
The Soul Drinkers return fire, killing a terminator from the assault cannon squad, fired from the missile launcher squad on a building to the Soul Drinkers' left.
The plasma cannon in the centre sends a ranging shot at the assault terminator squad in the centre but the shot deviates wildly, moving onto a different terminator squad and instantly dissolving the only fully metal model on the table; a Renegade Marine terminator in Blood Drinker colours, with a stormbolter/ powerfist, after he failed his invulnerable save. It was like all the plastic models conspiring to kill the only metal model in the battle almost immediately.
The centrally placed land speeder typhoon also fells an assault terminator with well placed krak missile shots, his stormshield failing him at the critical moment that a missile hit him fully in the face.
Turn 2
The Raven Guard chapter tactics allowed the Renegade Marine Captain and the 4 combat squadded tactical Renegade squads to arrive from the sides, with their Outflanking ability. 3 out of 4 squads arrive, including the Renegade Marine Captain - the evil Santa Blade, eager to deliver his late Christmas present; a power sword to the face of whoever was in that infernal bastion. As it happens Santa Blade and his maniacal, evil, laughing squad, armed with a flamer arrived to the Soul Drinkers' right, within the walls of the compound and run right up the bastion door while everyone on the walls were preoccupied firing at the approaching Renegade Marine terminator horde. Santa Blade laughed insanely, swearing to his command squad that he would gut the Soul Drinker lascannon devastators on the roof, while deactivating the door to the bastion, eager for his squad to get to the roof.
The other half of the squad (with a missile launcher) outflanked in between the walls of the Arbites bastion and the blue forest, on the right of the Soul Drinkers position.
The third outflanking squad arrive on the Soul Drinkers left, close to the other side of the wall. This squad immediately uncover the Staff objective marker; a Skyfire Nexus; useful considering the Soul Drinkers storm talon is due to arrive any minute and they have a meltagun.
The Renegade Marine terminators to the Soul Drinkers' right uncover The Lord objective, which ends up being a Targetting Relay.
The Renegade marine terminators open fire, the squad to the Soul Drinkers left killing four out of 5 marines from combat squadded Devastator squad Mikelangis with a withing hail of stormbolter and assault cannon fire, the latter getting a Rending shot in on a marine who fails his cover save. Sgt Mikelangis bitterly swears revenge for his lost brothers and the two heavy bolters, which lie uselessly mangled at his feet; they shall be remembered! (He passes the morale test)
The Soul Drinkers landspeeder which killed a terminator previously is shot at by the 5 Renegade Marine scouts, the combined boltpistol fire stripping a hull point off and sending the crew reeling.
---
Flying wide and off target, the Storm Talon fails to show up, Soul Drinkers Captain Romulus frantically vox-bleeping the pilot to demand the reason for his tardiness, blissfully unaware that the bastion behind him was about to be attacked by the evil, laughing, giggling Santa Blade , on foot.
The Soul Drinkers open fire, swearing oaths to Rogal Dorn as they fire at will, the Renegades having turned up all over the place and terminators bearing down on them in large numbers. They open fire with a massive variety of bolters, special and heavy weapons, killing 3 assault terminators and 5 power armoured outflankers in total. Three outflankers died from the missile launcher squad, the remaining two passing their morale checks, and the other two died from the meltagun squad, near the Skyfire nexus
The Renegade Marine skyfire nexus outflanking squad rapidly finds themselves the target of 3 Soul Drinker squads; tactical squad Pamestin, behind the wall, the Sternguard squad from the other side and another combat squadded devastator squad with heavy bolters. Luckily their power armour holds out for the most part and the meltagunner is still alive at this stage. The entire squad were lightly roasted by the heavy flamer wielding Sternguard veteran who lined up a nice shot getting the entire evil Renegade Marine outflanking squad under the heavy failmer template. The stormbolters did more damage.
Turn 3
The final outflanker Renegade Marine squad fail to show up, tying their magna bootstraps and looking for the krak missiles that they misplaced, whilst badger hunting in the city.
Laughing, the evil Santa Blade cackles gleefully as he breaks the code to the door of the bastion and his squad move in and run up to the first floor (rolling dismally low).
The assault cannon terminators blast Soul Drinkers devastator sgt Mikelangis to death, as he curses their evil, laughing renegade hearts, even in death. The Renegades get FIRST BLOOD.
The central Typhoon, near the walls is wrecked by a shot from the Renegade Marine terminator with a Cyclone missile launcher, closing in from the other side, as it loses its last hull point, the crew perishing as the wrecked land speeder hovers in place.
The other typhoon, kind of to the Soul Drinkers' right is hit by a krak missile from the renegade tactical squad in the forest and loses a hull point and gets Weapon Destroyed, losing its precious typhoon missile launcher.
---
Finally, after much cursing over the vox network, Storm Talon Merlin finally shows up, zooming towards the rapidly thinning terminator horde and strafing them with fire from its lascannon and assault cannon but the terminators armour and stormshields hold out to the heavy shooting from the flyer.
After surviving all the fire directed at them in turn 2, the Renegade Marine tacticals near Staff objective marker die to weight of bolter, boltpistol, stormbolter and heavy flamer fire lighting them up from the 2 squads surrounding them. The Sternguard had moved closer and were in a position to charge if they survived, but they didn't so they just ground their bodies further into the dirt instead, kicking their mangled corpses aside.
Several more terminators, mostly from the assault thunder hammer squad in the centre die to concentrated fire. Sgt Crolt opened up with his one shot combi grav, adding extra grav fire to brother Leokhtar's special weapon. The plasma cannon misses completely.
Turn 4
Renegade Marine tactical outflanking 5 man squad finally locate the krak missiles in a pile of city badger skull and arrive on the Soul Drinkers right, close to the other 2 renegades who also had a missile launcher but no badger skulls to display in the Bat-cave.
The assault terminators uncover The King tactical objective in the centre, which ends up being a Grav Wave Generator.
Two Soul Drinkers from tactical squad Crolt, in the weapon pit outside the walls, die to stormbolter fire from the approaching terminators.
In a flash of exploding frag grenades, Santa Blade charges onto the roof of the Arbites bastion, straight into combat with devastator squad Blunt, sgt Blunt furiously directing fire from the two lascannons at the terminators outside. Santa Blade and his merry renegades kill Blunt and the two lascannon devastators, the Soul Drinkers doing nothing to Blade and his wicked entourage in close combat with their return fire. It's all too much for the last two bolter wielding devastators who bolt from the roof all the way down to the outside of the bastion door in an eyeblink (failing their morale check), followed by the cursing of Santa Blade, who wanted their hearts for his collection as well.
---
Storm Talon Merlin leaves the table to come swiftly back in next turn with on-going reserves, following a moment when there were krak missiles and bolter shots flying at it from all over the place.
Overcoming their failure in morale, the final two devastators charge back into the bastion after auto-rallying at the door straight back into combat with the evil Santa Blade, on the roof, who cuts them down immediately.
Another two of the Renegade Marine tactical squad in the forest die to concentrated bolter/ heavy bolter fire .
Striding forwards defiantly, the terminators held out against all odds and survived massive waves of fire from the slowly retreating forward Soul Drinkers squads.
Turn 5
Two devastators from the other half of squad Blunt, in the building to the Soul Drinkers' left perish to fire from the assault cannon terminator squad, rapidly approaching their building.
All three of the remaining tactical marines in the combat squad with the grav gun, including veteran sgt Crolt die to storm bolter and cyclone missile launcher fire, having abandoned the weapon pit in the face of the approach of the assault terminators, and so losing their cover save.
Santa Blade realises he has a special ability (warlord trait) and decides to use it, arrogantly firing down on the devastators outside. Unfortunately only 3 of the squad can actually see outside and they all fail to hit, even with the rerolls.
2 marines from the plasma cannon combat squad die to fire from the renegade tactical marines with the missile launcher to their right.
Assault terminators charge the last two marines with the plasma cannon, killing both despite their overwatch fire (pistol and bolter) and return attacks. The 3 lightning claw terminators had a massive number of attacks with Shred, so they killed them easily, leaving the thunder hammer marines annoyed at the lack of marines left for them.
---
Storm Talon Merlin re-enters play and strafes the assault terminators, killing one in a storm of fire, as it zooms close to them.
Soul Drinkers heavy bolter devastator veteran sgt Emeritus wisely decided to move back to the safety of the wall, considering the traitor terminators approaching, firing with discipline and their trusted bolter drill all the way back.
A further five terminators (4 from the assault terminator squad alone)die to a combination of fire from heavy bolters, storm bolters from Sternguard squad Xarius and bolters, from the entire line of devastators and the missiles from the devastator combat squad on the left who were moving away from the normal terminators behind them and their dreaded assault cannon.
The final two terminators with lightning claws fail their morale check and run back 6", the sight of their stormshield brothers perishing too much for them to witness.
This was possibly a devastating turn for the Renegade Marines, losing about 1/4 of their terminator strength in one turn.
Captain Romulus of the Soul Drinkers, meanwhile had in the previous turn moved to intercept in the bastion but moved and ran too little. This turn he was in the bastion's lower floor and finally in a position to charge Santa Blade, still on the bastion roof.
So the captain charges onto the roof, loudly bellowing a challenge to the cruel Santa Blade, as they fought a duel, their respective marine entourages fighting on the roof around them. Both captains lose a wound each, Romulus' storm shield proving the perfect counter to Blade's power sword; the combat ends in a tie as the other marines all passed saving throws.
Turn 6
Recovering their wits, the final terminators with the lightning claws rally automatically and move towards the wall, eager to kill some devastators. They move 6" and prepare to charge but roll very low and fail to charge, leaving them in the open.
The missile launchers all miss the storm talon again.
Combat on the bastion roof - Captain Romulus loses a second wound to the sword of Blades but the marines around fail to hit each other again; The Soul Drinker commander passes his leadership test but is down to final wound now.
---
The storm talon moves away into the ample city, eager to turn around and fire at the terminators from a different angle next turn. Still zooming.
A lightning claw terminator dies close to the walls in the centre and his surviving brother passes the morale test this time. Maybe he will charge the petulant devastators next turn.... he's certainly close enough by now.
The close combat on the bastion roof is a tie again, nothing happening at all this time.
Rolling to see if the game ended, sadly it had.
When the dust settled the renegades had won, with both sides having one objective each (Staff and The King) ,the Renegade Marines getting Linebreaker easily as well as first blood in the beginning of turn 3.
Conclusion
Casualties were also on the face of it similar with the Soul drinkers losing 24 power armoured marines and a landspeeder in total and the Renegade Marines losing 16 terminators and 8 power armoured marines.
However if a seventh turn had been played the remaining terminators would probably have died from the fire from the Soul Drinkers and their air support so I was lucky it ended on 6 really...
