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Author Topic: Horus Heresy Escalation League  (Read 1865 times)

Offline Pictors Studio

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Horus Heresy Escalation League
« on: July 12, 2022, 06:26:27 AM »
We started our HH escalation League tonight. 

We were starting with 500 pts, then 1000, 2000 and finally 3500 in the fourth week.

Tonight saw two battles.  We have two loyalist players and four traitors. 

The Sons of Horus brutal assault on Kerberos had pushed through the Imperial Fists defenses and deep into the heart of the moon.  Followed on by small units of Alpha Legion the Sons of Horus infected the Mechanicum defenses with scrap code leaving the servitors babbling, useless machinery or turning them into random homicidal monsters, targeting anything that fires within their defensive orbit. 



The Mechanicum is trying to get back into the systems to reactivate the defenses.  Having lain in wait while the invaders ripped through the winding tunnels making of the moon the Mechanicum now appears in the rear of the invaders trying desperately to bring their servitors back on-line. 



The Alpha Legion has detected the threat and summoned some squads from the XVIth legion to help them destroy the interlopers. 



Luke will play against Dylan and Vince.  Luke's goal will be to destroy half of the traitor forces, Dylan and Vine will be trying to destroy 75% of the Mechanicum troops.

If either goal is met at the end of any full turn, the game ends.  If both goals are met it is a draw.



There will be a secondary "objective" for the loyalists where any of their characters can get to a command station and try to gain control of the servitors. 

Rules for the servitors:

At the end of each sides turn both players take 1 dice for each 3 models that were removed from play that turn.  These dice are divided between the two sides with any extra die going to the player whose turn it was. 

Sarting with that player each side picks an enemy unit and rolls their die.  If the result is equal to or less than the number of models in the unit that unit takes d3 wounds from servitor attacks.


So if it is Lukes turn and 10 models died that turn, there would be 3 dice.  The traitors and loyalist would split the die, so one each, with the remaining die going to the loyalists as it was their turn.

Luke picks a unit of Sons of Horus terminators that started with 5 models but is down to 4.  He rolls a 3, that unit then takes d3 wounds. 

Then Dylan takes the traitor die and picks a unit of Mymidons with 3 models.  He rolls and gets a 4, that unit suffers no wounds.

Then Luke picks another unit and rolls again.



If the Mechanicum forces make it to the control room they get to try to gain control over the servitors that turn.  If one of their characters, not just independent characters but any characters, are in the control room they can roll a d6 to disrupt the scrap code.  On a 4+ they are successful and then any dice generated that turn go to the loyalists.  Otherwise the dice are split as above.

As the battle near the Kthonic gate unfolds, one ship slips through.  Almost invisible and moving faster than the rest, the ship absorbs the odd incoming attack and instead of replying seeks to escape the battlesphere. 

One of the few Vth Legion ships in the defense fleet notices this behaviour and breaks ranks with the rest of the defense fleet and gives chase. 



Faster than any other Legion, the White Scars are surprised that they are only just gaining on the enemy and soon both ships are tearing through the Kuiper belt exchanging desultory fire. 

As they head towards Makemake, the lead slip slows and the Vth Legion vessels slips past, each ship giving a heart broadside as they pass.

As maneuverable as they are fast, the White Scars are soon around again.  The resulting combat is not fierce enough to screen a landing ship headin down to the planetoid. 



The now identified XVth Legion vessels attempts to disengage and draw the White Scar frigate away from Makemake, happily they pursue but not before dispatching their own lander to investigate this odd course of events. 

On the surface the White Scars find and enter an abandoned Mechanicum complex in search of the Thousand Sons.  As they arrive at their destination the traitors turn and plan to ambush the loyalists.



Ben will field his Thousand Sons forces against my White Scars.  Dean will have his daemonic forces in reserve.  At the beginning of each of the traitor turns Dean will be able to roll for each of his units not on the table.  On a 3+ the daemons will be able to be placed anywhere on the table 9" or more away from a Vth Legion unit.  This counts as that units movement for that turn.  They may shoot or charge if possible, but they may not move or run on the turn they arrive. 



At the heart of the battlefield is a clearing where an ancient stone dais stands.  This forgotten fane is at the intersection of a number of ley lines that cross the dwarf planet.  Any psychic powers used while the psyker is on this area get a +1 bonus to one aspect of the power, so they might be +1 S or +1 to their range or something.  It will depend on the power, we'll figure it out at the time.




The Thousand Sons win a major victory if they wipe out all of the White Scars.

The White Scars win a major victory if they kill the Thousand Sons commander. 
 

Offline Pictors Studio

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Re: Horus Heresy Escalation League
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2022, 06:33:53 AM »
The forces of the Mechanicum were able to defeat the traitors on Kerberos, ultimately ensuring that more of the Warmasters forces were bogged down in the fight for the moon when the Imperial Fists launch their trap and destroy the moon, not only killing all the traitor forces on it, but sending massive amounts of debris into the space around it to cripple and destroy the traitor flotilla in orbit.

The White Scars were not as successful.  Despite killing all of the Thousand Sons squads sent to stop them, and dispatching more than half of the daemons, the Vth Legion were not able to get to Captain Nikon and stop him from enacting his ritual and causing further weakening of the veil between reality and the Empyrean. 


Results for next week's games:

Due to the material used in making whole the damage caused by Sigismund's trap, supplies are temporarily low as the invaders make their way further into the system. 

The Traitors will not be able to use Fury of the Legion in the next games. 

However, with the veil weakened daemons are more able to survive in the material realm. 

Any Daemons will retain the +1 to their S characteristic for the first 3 turns of next week's game rather than only the first two turns.  Turn 4-5 will see them at no bonus or penalty and then on turn 6 they will receive their first negative modifier to their abilities. 

Offline Bloggard

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Re: Horus Heresy Escalation League
« Reply #2 on: July 13, 2022, 08:52:31 AM »
very envious - great sounding league / campaign.

Offline zrunelord

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Re: Horus Heresy Escalation League
« Reply #3 on: July 13, 2022, 11:01:43 AM »
Great setup & report. That looks like a fun game.
Thanks for sharing.
Z
http://castrarunis.blogspot.com/

Imagine & you can.
Most see shapes you must see possibilities.
Z

Offline Pictors Studio

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Re: Horus Heresy Escalation League
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2022, 05:06:32 AM »
Second week saw similar results as the White Scars were yet again unable to achieve their objectives while wiping out most of the enemy forces and the Mechanicum exacting a punishing vengeance on the forces of the Warmaster.

The Vth Legion faced off against the Sons of Horus and their daemonic allies. 


The White Scars bikes were overconfident in their ability to dodge frickin lasers and were quickly reduced to a single rider by the advancing traitor Spartan.  They were able to inflict a single point of damage in return with a multi-melta shot. 

Combat was joined in the center of the table as the White Scar terminators assaulted a unit of XVIth Legion infantry as they poured out of their wrecked transport.



The lightning claw armed elites ripped through the line warriors with ease before running into daemonic opponents that bogged them down in close combat.  Although they emerged with only one casualty the rest of the Sons of Horus force had been able to maneuver around to destroy their transport on a lucky shot and lay waste the Vth Legion tactical squad supporting the Terminators.







The terminators returned to the fray with bits of ichor dripping from their claws and armour.  They tore into the remaining XVIth legion infantry and killed them all, including the Praetor commanding them before being targeted by the dreadnought and the traitor Spartan.

With only half their squad remaining they attacked the dreadnought and although they lost two more of their number they destroyed the warmachine. 

The Spartan then brought its lascannons to bear and eliminated the terminators. 

The remaining squad of White Scars had raced across the board and achieved their objective of clearing the daemons away from the hastily erected shrine and destroyed it.  They then fled the field with nothing they could do to the remaining traitor APC. 

A minor victory to the traitors as they cleared the field of White Scars without being destroyed entirely themselves. 

The White Scars were able to prevent a total victory by destroying the shrine.

The Mechanicum faced off against the Thousand Sons and the Alpha Legion in the depths of the Jovian Shipyards. 

A long thought dead Alpha Legion captain was seen in the wreckage and the XXth Legion forces doubled their efforts in destroying the Mechanicum forces so that their lost brother could make it back to friendly lines.


I'm not sure how the battle actually developed other than the Mechanicum forces were more than a match for the elite warriors of the Warmaster and tore them apart with storied ease. 



There wasn't a lot either the Thousand Sons or the Alpha Legion could do against the monstrous constructs of the Machine God's followers. 




The Thousand Sons Moritat was even afraid to fire at the Thalaxi cohorts as their return fire would destroy him.  It did without his pistols doing much damage to them, despite the 24 shots they unleashed.


Ultimately, though, Sheed Ranko was able to escape into traitor lines and the information he brings will benefit the traitors in unexpected ways. 


Offline Daeothar

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Re: Horus Heresy Escalation League
« Reply #5 on: July 19, 2022, 07:10:23 AM »
A suspenseful campaign and the miniatures and terrain are gorgeous!

Warhammer as it should be played 8)
Miniatures you say? Well I too, like to live dangerously...
Find a Way, or make one!

Offline Pictors Studio

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Re: Horus Heresy Escalation League
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2022, 05:25:40 AM »
Thank you! 

We've enjoyed the campaign so far.  We have two more weeks.  I'm hoping that by the end of it I know the rules. 

Offline Pictors Studio

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Re: Horus Heresy Escalation League
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2022, 12:40:23 PM »
Our league came to an end last night. 

In Week 3 the forces of the Mechanicum were attempting to get revenge on the Thousand Sons at the Jovian shipyards.  As the Thousand Sons were leaving the facility after wrecking the joint with the Alpha Legion.


The Mechanicum forces started on the docks of the shipyards and had to make it across the boarding ramp to the massive dropship returning the Thousand Sons to their Cruiser.

On turn 3 the Thousand Sons player rolls to see if they can start closing the ramp.  On  a 5+ the ramp starts to close and the docks are then removed from the game.  Any mechanicum forces that have made it onto the ramp can continue to move towards the insides of the ship.

They get to roll at the end of each subsequent turn, still needing a 5+



The Mechanicum get infinite reinforcements as each time a unit is destroyed it gets to come back in from their board edge.

After destroying many Mechanicum units the Thousand Sons are defeated and their ship overrun because they fail to activate the ramp for 11 turns.   This effectively knocks the Thousand Sons out of the campaign. 



Meanwhile the Alpha Legion had been infected by daemonic forces and sped to earth to try to take one of the orbital plates that were an intrinsic part of Terran defense.  They were opposed by the White Scars. 



The Sons of Horus lead the assault with the XXth in support.  They are quickly able to grab the initiative from the defending White Scars and blow up their Spartan on the first turn of the game. 


The Khan himself, as well as his bodyguard of Terminators, are exposed to the attacks of the traitors.



After taking out a contemptor dreadnought, the Khan is run to ground by the Justaernian and rendered Hors de combat.



Things do not get better for the Vth Legion after that.  Alpha Legion jetbikes race to take over the orbital platform while waves of Sons of Horus batter themselves against the White Scars Tactical squads. 



Ultimately the week ends with a massive traitor victory on the Orbital Platform and a massive Loyalist Victory at the Jovian Shipyards, the White Scars are 0 for 3 and the Mechanicum are 3 for 3.

The traitor factions as follows:

Daemons 2-1
Alpha Legion 1-2
Sons of Horus 2-1
Thousand Sons 1-2. 




Offline Pictors Studio

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Re: Horus Heresy Escalation League
« Reply #8 on: August 02, 2022, 12:42:46 PM »
The fourth week sees Angron and his World Eaters taking the place of the Thousand Sons in the campaign. When the Primarch of the XIIth Legion lands on earth, he cannot immediately assault the Palace, so he turns his attention elsewhere . . .




As he fell he could feel the push, even more so than the burning.  Pieces of him were ripped away as he plummeted through the layers of air that protected the fragile surface of the cradle of men, the surface that was being pummeled by orbital bombardments. 

It burned him.  Pieces of his skin flew away, pieces of his armor flew away, but almost as quickly as they did they were growing back. 

His impact was not the impact of a meteor or even a slowed craft.  There was a crater, but a small one, there was a push of air, but barely a shockwave.  He crawled out craving blood.  He could see the palace ahead of him and he could feel the force emanating from it.  It had weakened.  He could walk on the planet now but he knew he could get no closer. 

Out in the wastes where he landed he could feel that there were other ways to go.  He turned and ran towards them.

******

The World Eaters were suicidally throwing themselves against the defenders of the Mons Badonicus.  Aethrac looked on half in admiration and half in disappointed disbelief at the lack of self-preservation that the XIIth evinced in their determination to take the bunker. 

It saved XVIth Legion lives and eventually the World Eaters would need to be dealt with anyway. 

Then he felt, more than heard, a boom.  The berserkers stopped in their tracks and their heads turned as one.  Still being cut down by bolter and lascannon fire from the fort Angron's sons moved off and away from their goal.

Then the Sons of Horus felt the sudden anger of the defenders guns.



********************


The complex was buried under a salt flat.  The Mechanicum was keeping tabs on the arrival of the enemy and feeding data back to Lord Dorn.  There was little that would give their position away, a few above ground bunkers, almost nothing in the vast scale of the area in which it was found. 

Or so they thought.  Although mechanical pumps pushed blood and other fluids around their cybernetic limbs, they were still alive and they still had skulls and they could still be killed and the sense of that was all that was needed to bring the enemy to them.

**************************************


Atlek Lars could see the tidal wave heading for the station, his equipment detected movement in the mechanicum base and put the agents of the Legion on alert.

Moments of silence ticked by as he looked at the data then he uttered two words.

"World Eaters."

There was another silence.

Then, "They will ruin everything."

******************************************************


This scenario will see the Mechanicum defending their listening post from a World Eaters attack. 

Alpha Legion, White Scars and Sons of Horus units will be in reserve.  The White Scars and Sons of Horus will arrive from opposite short table edges.  The Alpha Legion units were buried in the sands and are able to deep strike as they become available.

Objectives: 

Mechanicum defend their observation equipment.   3 VPs for each observation objective still in their possession at the end of turn 6.

World Eaters, kill the mechanicum and wreck their stuff.  1 VP for each loyalist unit destroyed.  1 VP for each objective controlled at the end of the game. 

Sons of Horus, also kill the mechanicum and wreck their stuff.  Same as World Eaters. 

White Scars stop the destruction of mechanicum stuff.   2 VPs for each objective in loyalist hands at the end of the game.  1 VP for each traitor unit destroyed at the end of the game. 

Alpha Legion also stop the destruction of mechanicum stuff.  15 VPs if any loyalist force has more VPs at the end of the game than any traitor force. 

Offline Pictors Studio

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Re: Horus Heresy Escalation League
« Reply #9 on: August 03, 2022, 07:49:33 PM »
At the start of the game the World Eaters were approaching the mechanicum post from two sides.












They advanced, firing and reaping a heavy toll in dead robots, the subsequent explosion killing many skitarri. 



When the mechanicum fired back, massive holes appeared in the XIIth Legion lines as plasma mortars and deadly lightning guns scythed down frothing traitor berserkers.



The Sons of Horus showed up right behind the World Eaters with about half of their force, while the Alpha Legion popped most of their forces up on the table to deal with the advancing traitors who were going to do so much damage to their carefully laid plans.

The White Scars appeared directly behind Angron and poured lascannon fire into the World Eater Primarch before the Khan himself disembarked from his ivory chariot to deal with his wayward brother.








Angron, heading towards a knight armour, turned and faced Jaghatti and his bodyguard.  The daemon-primarch started to move towards this new threat but the Khan and his warriors were faster.  Soon Angron was down, bleeding from numerous cuts from the Khan's sword.  The Terminators piled in ensuring that the XII legion would be without their head for the time being. 



Quickly the rest of the White Scars and their mechanicum allies eliminated the threat posed by those that had arrived with their primarch and the mechanicum and Alpha Legion reduced the screaming hordes of World Eaters coming from the opposite direction. 










The Sons of Horus entered the fray with a vengeance.  But their attack was too little, too late and the station stayed in the hands of the loyalists.




 

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