The forces of Chaos, led by Daemon Primarch Angron of the World Eaters, had advanced on the Imperial defenders’ lines in the morning. Now it was time to get serious!
Turn Two
With the defenders in sight, most of the Chaos forces started charging forwards…
Angron, accompanied by the Bloodthirsters and World Eater Legionnaires, holds the bridge and taunts the Imperial Guard.From the Imperial point of view.On the left flank, the Plague Towers disgorge hordes of Beastmen, while Blightlord Terminators cross behind them, and Tzeentchian Daemons appear in front of the Blood Angels.Daemons of Nurgle and Khorne appear behind enemy lines!On the right flank, the Deathwing teleport in to deal with the Chaos artillery.Chaos and Imperial Titans face off in front of the city walls.
With Chaos advancing and the defenders bunkering down, the firing begins again.
On the near right flank, the big Plague Tower approaches the walls while the defenders have to split their attention between the besiegers and the newly-arrived Nurgle and Tzeentch Daemons behind their lines.Not that they need to worry about the Plague Tower for long, after it blows up in a big way.On the far right flank, the Slaaneshi Daemons soak up punishing amounts of firepower, gaining masses of Blast markers (the glass beads).On the far left flank, the ponderous Warlord Titans turn around to deal with the incursion of the Warp into realspace.
Chaaaaaaaaarge!
The Leviathan and Warhound defending the back lines are charged by massed Flamers of Tzeentch, and fare poorly.Watched by the Floating Ice Cream Waffle of Doom, aka a Warp Palace of Tzeentch.In the middle, Angron and his retinue crash into the Warlord holding the other bridge, and also the Shadowswords behind.BAM! KAPOW!With an Assault total of 110 (our record so far for a game of 3rd edition), the Bloodthirsters easily win.The Warlord and Shadowswords are vapourised…But the Bloodthirsters are badly damaged in the ensuing explosions.On the far left, the Drop Podding Blood Angels Assault Marines are fought off at range by a company of traitor superheavy tanks.While Plague Marines and Warhounds kill a Leviathan and some Sisters of Battle, and the Blood Angels are pushed back.Angron, at the end of turn two, is down to one wound!
Interlude: Dead Piles
We had several tables set up around the main table, for carry cases, casualties etc.
A surprisingly small pile of Blood Angels casualties.And about half of the Sisters of Battle.The Imperial Guard in the centre that took the brunt of the attack, plus some Ravenwing.Many many dead Slaaneshi Daemons and Emperor’s Children.The Chaos aritllery after the Deathwing did nasty things to them, and a few of the Tzeentch Daemons.Almost all the Chaos Cultists and Leman Russ Demolishers that had acted as a vanguard for Angron had died.
Turn Two-and-a-half
As it was now nearly 6pm and we only had the hall booked for the daytime, it was time to wrap up.
While the Khornate forces in the centre had pushed forwards hard and caused mass casualties, on the flanks the defenders had dug in and were repulsing most of the attackers. With limited time left, we bought on the Grey Knights and fought a limited third turn with them and the Daemons they attacked.
Strike Units led by a Brother-Captain in Dreadknight assault the rear of the Plague Hulks, Reaver, and Berzerkers.Resulting in mass casualties on both sides.And even more when the Reaver’s plasma reactor broke open.With Angron finally across the river, one of his Bloodthirster bodyguards valiantly leaped in the way, while Angron made silly numbers of Saves.In total, I think he made something like ten 4+ Saves across the game!Still on one wound, Angron lives!
The Aftermath
Angron was alive! A lot of the other Chaos forces weren’t, but Khorne cares not from whence the blood flows.
The far left flank. All the Daemons suffered so many Blast markers that they hadn’t managed to assault.The whole table from the left flank.The middle, with dead Reaver Titan, and Angron across the river.The right flank, with Chaos Marines taking the left end of the city wall.The remnants of the Slaaneshi forces.The whole table from the right flank.The Nurgle Daemons holding a city park, aka the failed to assault.The back of the Imperial centre.The left flank from the Imperial side.
Thank you to everyone who took part!
I might organise another megabattle next year, when I’m 50 again… 😜
