Last week I’ve visited Battlefield Bangkok store in Thailand. Great place and great people are working there! After short conversation via Facebook, they arranged the battle against Chaos Space Marines for me. Jack, one of the employees from the store was about to be my opponent.

We agreed to play 750 points battle. I used, as always, my two travelling squads of Blood Angels (one Tactical and one Terminators) plus Sanguniary Priest. This time I managed to paint them a little bit. Still, loots of work to do, but at least you can see red on the table and that’s progress. I borrowed few Dark Angles models from the store cabinet to complete my Army list. Really, appreciate that – I’m really grateful for possibility of borrowing models from store collection. Thank you guys!

Background Story

The time has come. The heresy is about to be purged. Exeteminatus has been ordered for planet of Baan. Several cults of Chaos were detected,  infiltrating local society for decades spreading the rot on the living flesh of Imperium of Mankind.. The planet was lost and Lord Commander Tytus knew that. It was too late to retake Baan – Exterminatus was the only option.

However, Baan was famous of Skull of St. Arthurius – sacred relic held in Cathedral of God-Emperror in the Capital City. It had to be recovered before scheduled Exterminatus. And that was the duty of Brother Gamaliel of Blood Angels. The Skull is the number one priority. Blood Angles and Dark Angels force were dispatched to find and secure The Relic.

…but Daemon Prince of Nurgle, Grabgross Plaguelewd, were determined to stop Gamaliel. This relic of False Emperor need to be purged and sacrificed to True Gods.

Forces

Blood Angels and Dark Angels

Sanguinary Priest Gamaliel (Warlord) (Valour’s Edge)

10 Tactical Squad (Sergeant with Power Fist, Melta Gun, Heavy Bolter)

7 Tactical Squad of Dark Angels (Sergeant with Chain Sword and Plasma Pistol, Lascannon)

5 Blood Angels Terminators (Cyclone Missile Launcher)

1 Dark Angels Predator (Twin Linked Lascannon)

Notes: My Blood Angels are almost finished. Basic colours, few details and bases are done. Just few days and they will be completed.

Chaos

Grabgross Plaguelewd, Daemon Prince of Nurgle  (Wings, The Black Mace, Power Armour, Psyker Level 3 – Biomancy and Nurgle )

8 Chaos Space Marines

10 Chaos Cultists

Forgefiend (with three ectoplasma cannons)

Deployment

We played Eternal War. Mission : The Relic.

Turn 1 (Chaos Space Marines)

The world of Baan was doomed long time ago. Chaos Gods took their claim over the planet many years ago. Cults secretly were gaining power in all levels of Baan society. Slowly, step by step, Baan has been taking over by Dark Powers and eventually Imperium lost another world. Grabgross Plaguelewd, beloved Prince of Plague Lord put the great effort into spreading decay and rot among humans all over the planet and now he was sent by his master to retrieve the Skull of Arthurius. Interception of this relic, sacred to followers of False Emperor, could shaken their morale across the sector.

..but first order of the battle – to kill those Space Marines. Grabgross, once, millennia ago, was part of the ranks of these loyal subjects of False Emperor, but he found the enlightenment and he chose Nurgle as his master. To this day, he hated Space Marines with hatred so intense, that only his devotion to Chaos could be stronger.

So, he ordered to move. All units advanced. Chaos Space Marines and Cultists moved to secure The Relic, and Grabgross Plaguelewd flew up high. He will descent upon his enemies in few moments. Flying up there, Grabgross released a warp charge and  summon Iron Arm, making his silhouette more resistant to any kind of attacks.

Meantime, Forgefiend, the warp daemon creature fired all ectoplasma cannons at Terminators.

Raw Warp ectoblasts twirled upon heavy armoured Astartes. There were no save from twisted cumulation of daemonic energy – three of them died in horrible agony. The blast area cover also one of Dark Angels nearby.

Turn 1 (Space Marines)

Brother Gamaliel knew it will be difficult task. Skull of St. Arthurius were in the middle of infected area, where great mysterious plague took hundreds of thousands of lives. Gamaliel were facing ancient foe here. The great Daemonic Entity leading Chaos Space Marines were standing on his way for The Relic.

He decided that the priority was to annihilate the enemy. Take down daemonic cannon engine and kill flying rotten creature of The Warp. The Relic should have to wait.

Terminators moved to get cover from any further daemonic ectocannon’s blasts and shot the salvo of Missile Cyclone Launcher at Forgefiend. One missile hit the target, damaging the armour slightly.

At the same time the beam from Predator’s Lascannon also penetrated the the hull of Forgefiend. Daemonic construction was starting to shake…

Turn 2 (Chaos Space Marines)

While Damon Prince started his descent slowly, Cultists and Chaos Space Marines were getting closer to The Relic.

Forgefiend didn’t move. Instead he opened one more the ectoplasma cannons salvo. Daemonic charges inside the cannons slowly started to cumulate inside the barrels. However, Warp creature’s body were overheating dangerously. The muzzle could not fire the energy in usual way and the blast instead of firing at the target melted the Forgefiend’s twisted head-cannon. The hellish machine exploded and the daemon soul escaped back to The Warp. Forgefiend became nothing more than useless wreckage.

Grabgross’s anger grew! Curse! That was unexpected! However the plan remained the same – kill them all. Take all Astartes down! He brought The Warp charge and casted once again Iron Arm upon himself – enhancing his body to abnormal sizes, Enfeeble draining the vital energy from Blood Angels Tactical squad, and Weapon Virus also on Blood Angels boltguns – infecting them with biomechanical decay. All attempts to Deny this Witchcraft were futile. Dark Gods energy were too powerful on this planet.

Turn 2 (Space Marines)

Forgefiend was destroyed. One of the major threats on the way to secure The Skull was taken down (it blew by itself with just little help of Space Marines:). All efforts from now, will be focused on killing Daemonic Warlord of Chaos.

Terminators moved at better position – and took the missile shot. Also Predator aimed The Daemon. Unfortunately, the powered Grabgross Plaguelewd’s body (Iron Arm power was still on) made all the shots reflected with no harm done. He will be more difficult to kill as it seemed at the beginning.

At the same time, Blood Angels squad  took a shots at Chaos Space Marines. Two of them fell dead, but Chaos forces were still coming.

Turn 3 (Chaos Space Marines)

Grabgross Plaguelewd charged the squad of Blood Angels. They tried to snap shot the beast, but not even one bolt hit the target. Daemonic wrath fell upon them right from the sky. He landed before Gamaliel and cried boldly:

Space Marine! Do you wish to prove yourself in the eyes of your Emperor? I bet you wish to see my fall. You are most welcome to try, but know one thing – maggots will eat your body and rot will spread on all your comrades. Nurgle has already won! Step out and kneel before me, so I could sacrifice your puny soul to my Lord!

Gamaliel did not chicken out and responded to the challenge. He drew his Valour’s Edge and stepped forward. Unfortunately the combat was quick and  one-sided. Grabgross was wielding cursed Black Mace (and his body was still enhanced by Iron Arm. Bomancy Psionic force). He was flying around Gamaliel with caution, and all of the sudden he made swift deadly attack. He struck his Daemonic Weapon and Gamaliel fell down without any movement. He had absolutely no chance against this abnormal creature, but still decided to fight against it. Oh, brave Gamaliel, we cry over your soul…

Blood Angels squad morale was shaken. Their leader was dead and they had no chance to even hurt Daemon in close combat. Their only chance was to retreat and regroup later.

However, Grabgross suspected that Space Marines will try to fall back and purseued them with fury. He cut them off to the last man in the matter of minutes. He was true slayer of The Astartes on Baan!.

While Blood Angels were massacred – Chaos Space Marines and Cultists were securing Skull of St. Arthurius. The ancient Imperial relic were in the filthy hands of Chaos!

Turn 3 (Space Marines)

After the retreat of Blood Angels squad and death of Gamaliel, the chances to achieve victory in this battle were less than small…

The only way to tip the scales towards the side of Imperium was to kill this daemonic spawn of The Warp. Remaining Space Marines decided to hit The Daemon with all they had in their disposal. Hit it hard.

Predators twin-linked Lascannon, Dark Angels’ Lascannon and Terminators’ Cyclone Missile Launcher. All targeted the Daemonic Prince.

Well, Grabgross simply laughed uproariously with so pathetic, futile efforts to wound him. His body were tough and well protected by Iron Arm, and no rocket or lasbeam were able to hurt him. Grim laugh of The Dark Gods echoed over the battlefield. The battle was lost…and entire planet as well…

Turn 4 (Chaos Space Marines)

After getting rid of the Blood Angels, Grabgross Plaguelew faced towards Dark Angels squad – they meant to be his next victim… (he ignored the Pradator tank – he was too weak to penetrate trough the heavy armoured hull). He also casted Enfeeble to weaken Dark  Angels Squad and sent the mechanical Nurgle infection to all of their weapons – Weapon Virus made bolters and Lascannon more vulnerable to malfunction.

At the same time Chaos Space Marines killed one of Dark Angels with boltguns rapid fire.

It was slowly getting dark on the planet of Baan. The battle was almost over…

Turn 4 (Space Marines)

The extraction time for remaining Space Marines were given. In one hour, Thunderhawk will descent to rescue last two squads. The plan to retrive The Relic before the Exterminatus failed. The Planet of Bann was doomed. It was irreparable loss for Imperium of Mankind.

At the very end, right before extraction – Terminator’s Cyclone Missiles were fired one last time at Daemon Prince and this time both rockets hit the creature and wounded him badly. Grabgross Plaguelew roared. The pain was so physical, so real. His corporeal form and all its flaws always annoyed him…

Space Marines retreated, and the wounds inflicted to Grabgross were their last action of this engagement.

The Exterminatus will begin shortly…The Chaos infection will be stopped either way…

After battle

The battle was great. I lost one more time, but I had my share of fun as always:) I’d like to thanks to all Battlefield Bangkok crew for help in arranging this battle and also special thanks to Jack for being my opponent that day:)

Few thoughts:

• Well, I can honestly say. Iron Arm Psyker Power plus T6 makes Daemon Prince flying killing machine. It ate my Tactical just like that and there were no chance I could fight back. Eventually, I managed to inflict 2 wounds, but the battle ended and all my efforts were not enough to eliminate it. Bugger.
• I should have added Lascannon Side Sponsors for Predator. With them, my chances to kill Daemon were slightly higher. I was lack of some points, and because of some unclear reason I decided to give up on additional Lascannons. How unwise of me…
• My tactics were as wrong as only could be. I should advance – as soon as Forgefiend was destroyed, my squads should go for it. Cultists were just Cannon Fodder, and Terminators could actually take Chaos Space Marines down. Lesson learned.

Plans for the future: Still working on Blood Angels. It is taking me longer than I thought, but look at the battle report. They look al right already, and every day they look better. Hopefully, next week they will be finished. Until end of the week, I’m going to be in Georgetown on Penang Island, Malaysia and then – back to Thailand, Koh Lanta.

Until next time!