V.P.A. War Council

the Aegir Campaign: Weeks 2-3

A job and a lengthy pottery paper later, and we have a belated campaign update...

These last couple weeks have seen Kaliban's orks continue to fight anything they come across. Meanwhile, the Space Wolves (and their apparent homefield advantage) are making a strong case for reclamation. And, on a forgotten landing pad, newly-arrived Necrons have been wreaking havoc on Aegir.

Three weeks in, and it appears that we may soon have our four finalists...

Tales of Valor:

• What was meant by "homefield advantage"? Simple. Play against the Space Wolves, and tell me they don't have the best luck when it comes to the turn die.


• While the commanders may fear the insane shootiness of the Tau forces, it's the Kroot that have surprised many a squad. Their wilderness abilities, teamed with a new kroot gun (not to mention that kroot rifles count as two close combat weapons), have earned the Kroot some battle honors.


• Battle Honors? Yes, a handful of squads and vehicles have survived enough fights to "level up" in campaign experience. Watch out for sluggas, bikes, daemons, and a rune priest. Oh... and all those freakin' dreadnoughts.


• Speaking of, I ask again: Just how many dreadnoughts (and land speeders) are the Iron Hands fielding these days?


• There is one army that makes record-keeping easy: the Necrons. They laugh at experience. Hah! They've faced millennia of warfare... what's a stupid, life-infested planetoid gonna teach them that they don't already know?


• World Eaters vs. Orks: another 7-turn epic bloodbath where J. squeaked out an even slimmer margin of victory than Julio did. All that was left on the table was an immobile Dread and a squad of Flesh Honds just over half. Yay for the puppies!


• Why I love plasma weaponry: Yeah, they blow up (right, Mr. Zarecki?). Yeah, they cost more than an Ork trooper. Yeah, most of the time you won't get much of a chance to use it, especially in a Berzerker army. However, the Necrons taught me just how worthwhile those 25 points can be. Those @#$%-ing destroyers kept moving out of the way, then pouring volleys into a retinue. So, warriors of Khorne used... shooting... to take them out?

Saga of Battles:

Aun'O T'olka Pin'tou shook his head. The last few months hadn't been kind. Despite teaching the dark green Marines the true meaning of firepower, Aegir had become less and less kind to his escort cadre. Soon, however, they would leave this barren rock. Once on T'au, they would have loads of data for analysis in enemy tactics.

At least something would come out of this tired situation... for the Greater Good.
-------
The eldar forces had been quiet as of late. The appearance of their ancient enemy, the Necrontyr, was an ill omen. Despite defeating the metal warriors, their farseer had gone into a trance.

Upon re-awakening, he issued but one command: "We must take this rock, and soon."
-------
The Iron Father glanced at the handful of battle brothers being fitted with metallic replacements. The casualties mounted, yet not a single brother truly fell. The Iron Hands leader, more machine than man, felt a surge of pride for the improving state of his warriors. The metal glinted off their bodies in the dim light of his forge.

The Iron Father turned to his company's dreadnoughts, lovingly. Despite the occasional falling, these ancient machines (and their occupants) were tearing through the Iron Hands' enemies, showing everyone the true meaning of strength...

Now if he could only bring low that damned weak beast in his power armor and wolfskins...
-------
Njal Sturmcrow stood before his warriors. He need not speak. His pelt, covered with the trophies of battles won, spoke of their own. Every Wolf present knew that it was only a matter of time before they reclaimed Aegir.

Without warning, every Wolf present let out a battle yell. Aegir would not be lost.
-------
Grimklaw paced back and forth in front of the assembled grots. He noticed one slightly larger than the rest (must've got hit a lot...), then began:

"You lads 'ave done good. We orks are takin' dis rock, and beatin' da uvver guys up a lot. And you're da reason we're beatin' da snot outta dem!"

A high-pitched roar went up among the grots, followed by a single grot's question: "Wait... we'se beatin' up snotlings?"

A bullet from Grimklaw's slugga was the only answer the grot got. "Now, if oi may con-tin-you... Anyways, you lads 'ave really kept us in dis fight. Wivvout you, we couldn'a become da biggest and da best on dis 'ere rock... which we are. So..... go out dere, and give 'em 'ell!"

The grots let out a hearty cheer and followed their slaver to prepare for the next battle. One of the slugga boyz came over, confused. "Boss, is dey really dat important?"

"Nah," Grimklaw replied. "But dey's catch bullets much better when dey's excited."
-------
Kaldlath marched his troops on towards the Warp Pit. It was hellish, and his brethren were in a bad mood. Losing most of your men to ork guns will do that to any Berzerker.

"Worry not, brothers. You can feel the energies of the Warp saturating this land... more will come for it. By our mere presence, our lord Khorne watches. And his gaze falls on many corpses, killed in glorious melee. He is happy."

Spoils of War:

Territory Count:
11 -- Space Wolves (+4)
10 -- n/a
9 -- Iron Hands (+2), Orks (+5)
8 -- n/a
7 -- Biel-Tan (+1)
6 -- World Eaters (+2)
5 -- Tau (+1), Dark Eldar (+1)
4 -- n/a
3 -- Necrons, Dark Angels, Black Templars

Council of Sages

• Under current rules, you can pick out an upgraded leader in close combat. However, under the trial (4th ed.) rules, you can only pick out independant characters. I'm leaning towards that second one. Just remember: always allocate hits to base-to-base models first.


• Squads only block line of sight if they're in tight (i.e., base-to-base) formation. If I can see another squad through them, I can fire at either squad.


• Models block line of sight (LoS) up to twice their height.


• Test for difficult terrain whenever you move through it, be it Movement or Assault phase.


• Questions? Send 'em to proteus__ AThotmailDOTcom.

Wheel of Fortune:

The battle for the Warp Pit has begun. The World Eaters have advanced into the second round, and the Orks will be taking another shot for a spot in round two. The other two battles are Biel-Tan vs. Tau / Space Wolves vs. Necrons. (Matches were based on who hadn't played yet). Those who don't advance will have a shot in a three-way for the fourth and final second-round spot.

First-round games are Patrol, and utilize the "Warp Rift" hazard. See J. for details if you haven't checked out the 40K Hazards article.

the Datalogue

Army: Falchou del'Asurman (Biel-Tan Eldar)
Player: Greg Baker
Avg. Army Size: 830 pts.
Wargear Limit: 65 pts.
Avg. Vehicle Limit: 220 pts.
Territories (7): Ind. Teleporter -- Repair Depot -- Road -- Town -- Town -- Village -- Wilderness

Army: the Experience Killers (World Eaters CSM)
Player: J. Michael Bestul
Avg. Army Size: 830 pts.
Wargear Limit: 75 pts.
Avg. Vehicle Limit: 230 pts.
Territories (6): Airfield -- Road -- Supply Depot -- Transit Tunnel -- Village -- Village

Army: {} (Iron Hands SM)
Player: Dennis Chastang
Avg. Army Size: 810 pts.
Wargear Limit: 75 pts.
Vehicle Limit: 200 pts.
Territories (9): Highway -- Supply Depot -- Temple -- Transit Tunnel -- Transit Tunnel -- Village -- Village -- Village -- Village

Army: {} (Black Templars)
Player: Dave Fisk
Avg. Army Size: 680 pts.
Wargear Limit: 50 pts.
Vehicle Limit: 200 pts.
Territories (3): Bridge -- Village -- Village

Army: Kaliban's Skullkrakkaz (Orks)
Player: Ryan Halfhill
Avg. Army Size: 680 pts.
Wargear Limit: 95 pts.
Avg. Vehicle Limit: 280 pts.
Territories (9): Airfield -- LOST VALLEY -- Repair Depot -- Repair Depot -- Ruins -- Supply Depot -- Transit Tunnel -- Transit Tunnel -- Village -- (SPY NETWORK)

Army: {} (Necrons)
Player: Matt Hirth
Avg. Army Size: 600 pts.
Wargear Limit: 55 pts.
Vehicle Limit: 200 pts.
Territories (3): Temple -- Village -- Village

Army: {} (Dark Eldar)
Player: Derek Liske
Avg. Army Size: 590 pts.
Wargear Limit: 85 pts.
Vehicle Limit: 200 pts.
Territories (5): Supply Depot -- Temple -- Transit Tunnel -- Village -- Wilderness

Army: the Pin'tou Cadre (Tau)
Player: Julio Alberto Sepulveda
Avg. Army Size: 610 pts.
Wargear Limit: 80 pts.
Vehicle Limit: 230 pts.
Territories (5): Ind. Complex -- LOST VALLEY -- Transit Tunnel -- Village -- Wilderness

Army: {} (Dark Angels)
Player: Kenny Zarecki
Avg. Army Size: 570 pts.
Wargear Limit: 70 pts.
Vehicle Limit: 210 pts.
Territories (3): Archaeotech Hoard -- Firebase -- Town

Army: {} (Space Wolves)
Player: Ryan Zarecki
Avg. Army Size: 710 pts.
Wargear Limit: 60+ pts.
Vehicle Limit: 230 pts.
Territories (11): Highway -- Ind. Complex -- LOST VALLEY -- Road -- Ruins -- Supply Cache -- Supply Depot -- Transit Tunnel -- Village-- Village -- Village

posted by -J. @ 12:45

the Aegir Campaign: Week 1

Egads, what a whirlwind week. And no, I'm not referring to an Astartes tank.

The fighting on the planetoid of Aegir has been rampant and pretty damn fierce. From two Astartes chapters trying to prove they aren't weak, to Kaliban's orks taking all comers, this week has seen some epics (and at least one anti-epic).

And what's this I hear about strangely-shaped crafts quickly approaching Aegir...?

Tales of Valor:

• Kazkill GrimKlaw, lieutenant of Kaliban, has led his slugga boyz up and down. He can go toe-to-toe with Tyrius and his Dire Avengers, but some battles the boyz just need a breather, yah?


• It seems that Njal Sturmcrow's powers have grown with the proximity to the Maelstrom. The rune priest has thrown himself in front of more things than is healthy, and usually comes out alive. Except for that freakin' wraithlord.
• 
  
• Speaking of, the wraithlord may be laying the smacketh down. The Scorpion exarch may be ripping near-dead Astartes from their sarcophogi. But Tyrius fell in battle. When reached for comment, he simply dusted of his armor, calling the battle "an enlightening experience."


• How many dreadnoughts are the Iron Hands fielding these days?


• Speaking of dreads, watch as Kroot find the weak points in an ork version, and immobilise it. Unfortunately, it can still attack while immobile.


• Tau vs. Orks: a 7-turn epic bloodbath where the lead changed every turn. Julio squeaked out the narrowest of victories (403-395), even though he only had an ethereal and few fire warriors left...
  
• Puppies. The dogs of Khorne go down quick against the Wolves, then take out almost the entire Tau army themselves. The Blood God smiles.

Saga of Battles:

Kaldlath cursed at the World Eaters' luck. So close to adding Wolf skulls to Khorne's throne, and suddenly a Thunkderhawk rumbles in. He knew that he had to make it up to the unsatisfied god.

It was then that Kaldlath saw Tau on the horizon...
-------
Aun'O T'olka Pin'tou was thankful for his cadre's survival. They had suffered horrific casualties (mostly Kroot) at the hands of the bloody-armored ones. While recovering, they were set upon by orks. It was only by Pin'tou's lead that the Tau had survived.

Pin'tou was also thankful for the latest find, an abandoned vehicle facility. The members of the Earth and Air castes with him now had what they needed to repair the Tau vessels.

"Prepare a communique to the Space Wolf leader," Pin'tou said. "We shall no longer be needing their assitance for repairs."
-------
"Good riddance to those effete xenos bastards," muttered Njal Sturncrow. "We'll take that facility back i due time, anyway."

A pack leader ventured a question: "Brother Sturmcrow, do you mean the eldar or the tau?"

"They're both xenos scum," Njal spat back. He was nursing scars from where the wraithlord had swatted him. "More important are those metal bastards and their artillery."

"Brother Sturmcrow, do you mean the necrons or the Iron Hands?"
-------
The Iron Father sat in meditation. One dreadnought disembowled (now housing a new occupant), and the Iron Hands had been driven back by the feral Space Wolves. They were signs of weakness.

But strength comes from adversity, he thought. Already, we claim as much as the Wolves do, and we have bested the other Astartes forces. And even the losses had resulted in more glorious improvements in his brothers' physiology...
-------
Kaliban sat on the front of the looted Land Raider, punching a grot that was hanging from the gun barrels. Grimklaw was recounting the fortunes of Kaliban's stranded warband: "...an' den, oi tooks down da big blue pansie--"

"Yeh," Kaliban replied (as he cold-cocked the grot), "but's yah didn't win."

"Nah. We's ran away, so's we could get'em next toim. An' den we saw dose scary-lookin' pansies wiv dey'r spikes."

"Yah... we lost a lotta boyz, den, huh?"

"Oi don'ts wanna talk about it. Anyways, den we decided ta nick some parts from da Iron boyz. Dey didn't loik dat. So we's nicked some bike parts from da Angel boyz. Dey didn't loik dat none eivver, but we made's 'em loik it."

"Dat's good."

"Yeah. Den we see dat the bikes is runnin' outta gas, yah? So we was gonna suck out some-a da gas from dese tanks we found, yah? But den dat stupid Wolfy priesty got in front-a da tankbustas. Not good. But den you know wot we saw when we was comin' back?"

"Wot's dat?"

"Some funny-lookin' gits wiv lotsa guns. Tau, oi finks dey call demselves. Anyways, we beat dem up good, but dey shot up a lotta da boyz... an 'da bikes. So... dat's it. Wot's next, boss?"

Kaliban looked at the unconscious grot in front of him. "Well, oi hears dere's a buncha dem armored humies we 'aven't run into yet. Dey's armor is painted wiv blood, and dey're always screamin'. Sounds like our boyz would 'ave fun wiv dem."

Spoils of War:

Territory Count:
7 -- Space Wolves (+4), Iron Hands (+4)
6 -- Biel-Tan (+3)
5 -- n/a
4 -- World Eaters (+1), Orks (+1), Tau (+1), Dark Eldar (+1)
3 -- Dark Angels, Black Templars

Council of Sages

• Remember to designate ahead of time which pieces of terrain work as dificult terrain or provide cover saves.


• Wargear limit clarification: anything listed in a squad's entry is considered a squad upgrade, and does not count against wargear. Anything taken from your armory list (including weapon upgrades) does count against the wargear limit.


• Exceptions to the above rule: if you have a character who chooses his weapons from the armory, then any choices from the basic one- or two-handed list do not count against the wargear limit.


• Example: Kaldlath is a World Eaters champion. His Mark of Khorne (10 pts.) does not count against limits. His weapons are picked from the armory. A basic plasma pistol (15 pts.) does not count against wargear. An Axe of Khorne (20 pts.) does.


• Example, part deux: The champion leading my Berzerker squad is normally equipped with a bolt pistol and close combat weapon. If I want to upgrade his weapon to a power fist (15 pts.), it will count against my wargear limit.


• Questions? Send 'em to proteus__ AThotmailDOTcom.

Wheel of Fortune:

All the fighting has uncovered numerous unexplored areas of Aegir. One of the newfound areas that has excited the scryers is what's being dubbed the Warp Pit. The Pit is a highly unstable area rumored to have regenerative capabilities. Commanders have their eyes on this unknown land...

Any player who wants a shot at this territory must notify J. by Tuesday night. At that time, a playoff system will be set up to see who's the last one standing. Armies will not get any bonuses for territories owned (i.e., the 500-pt., 50/200 wargear/vehicle limit).

the Datalogue

Army: Falchou Asurmandel (Biel-Tan Eldar)
Player: Greg Baker
Avg. Army Size: 720 pts.
Wargear Limit: 65 pts.
Avg. Vehicle Limit: 220 pts.
Territories (5): Ind. Complex -- Repair Depot -- Town -- Village -- Wilderness

Army: Kaldlath's Marauders (World Eaters CSM)
Player: J. Michael Bestul
Avg. Army Size: 670 pts.
Wargear Limit: 65 pts.
Avg. Vehicle Limit: 200 pts.
Territories (4): Road -- Supply Depot -- Transit Tunnel -- Village

Army: {} (Iron Hands SM)
Player: Dennis Chastang
Avg. Army Size: 770 pts.
Wargear Limit: 65 pts.
Vehicle Limit: 200 pts.
Territories (7): Highway -- Temple -- Transit Tunnel -- Transit Tunnel -- Village -- Village -- Village

Army: {} (Black Templars)
Player: Dave Fisk
Avg. Army Size: 680 pts.
Wargear Limit: 50 pts.
Vehicle Limit: 200 pts.
Territories (3): Bridge -- Village -- Village

Army: Kaliban's Skullkrakkaz (Orks)
Player: Ryan Halfhill
Avg. Army Size: 600 pts.
Wargear Limit: 75 pts.
Avg. Vehicle Limit: 250 pts.
Territories (4): Airfield -- Repair Depot -- Supply Depot -- Transit Tunnel

Army: {} (Dark Eldar)
Player: Derek Liske
Avg. Army Size: 570 pts.
Wargear Limit: 80 pts.
Vehicle Limit: 200 pts.
Territories (4): Supply Depot -- Transit Tunnel -- Village -- Wilderness

Army: the Pin'tou Cadre (Tau)
Player: Julio Alberto Sepulveda
Avg. Army Size: 570 pts.
Wargear Limit: 80 pts.
Vehicle Limit: 230 pts.
Territories (4): Ind. Complex -- LOST VALLEY -- Transit Tunnel -- Wilderness

Army: {} (Dark Angels)
Player: Kenny Zarecki
Avg. Army Size: 570 pts.
Wargear Limit: 70 pts.
Vehicle Limit: 210 pts.
Territories (3): Archaeotech Hoard -- Firebase -- Town

Army: {} (Space Wolves)
Player: Ryan Zarecki
Avg. Army Size: 710 pts.
Wargear Limit: 60+ pts.
Vehicle Limit: 230 pts.
Territories (3): Ind. Complex -- LOST VALLEY -- Road -- Ruins -- Supply Cache -- Village -- Village

posted by -J. @ 16:28