[40] chaos marines vs IG - englantia

[tneva82]

First some things cleared. This game was played using SECOND edition rules for warhammer 40k. Rules which we enjoy much more than either third or(horror) fourth edition rules. So most oddities you might see can be explained with this.

However as with all rulesets none are perfect so we are going to tinker down with them with bunch of house rules. Only rule of note that affects this game is that lasguns don't have -1 armour save modifier(to make armour bit more worthwhile).

The scenario was small force of IG troopers trying to get past ambushing chaos space marines. Though IG outnumber foe the ruins should work in favour of chaos marines(we hope!). Forces:

Imperial guard, remnants of second company:

Commisar with hand flamer and power axe(note technicly not legal but miniatyre had axe which wasn't legal anyway and we liked the idea of power axe with it's 2 mode of fighting) and refractor

2 squads of Imperial guard troopers. Sergeants have laspistol and chainsword. One squad had flamer and one had grenade launcher with frag and krak grenades.

Chaos marines of Crimson Angel chapter:

aspiring champpion with power fist, bolt pistol and frag&plasma grenades
leading squad of 3 chaos marines. Each with bolt pistol & frag grenades. One carries axe, second boltgun and third chainsword.

Squad of 4 chaos marines. Each with bolt pistol & frag grenades. 2 carries chainswords, one boltgun and one mark 1 plasma gun(risky. Imperial ones don't blow up. These do!).

For terrain we used area of roughly 4'x4'(bit small since we needed room for computer to be placed) and covered it with ruins that came with 2nd edition box. Lots of ruins it provided. Enough to suit our needs. So chaos marines deployed their squads near corners on their side(where IG was aiming to escape) with obvious plan of crossfiring the Imperial squads. Squad with grenade launcher deployed around center of their section while other squad went further right from chaos marine point of view. Commisar was between them, boldly leading squads forward. ”Forward or die!” being his motto.

Victory objectives: Imperium can win if he can get commisar and 5 troopers or 10 troopers without commisar offboard. Any other result is victory for chaos.

Imperial guard won dice roll to decide who start and gave the honour to chaos marines.

First turn saw chaos marines running forward for cover while Imperial guard headed forward as well. Turn 2 things spiced up. Second marine squad with plasma gun managed to reach suitable firing positions for next turn while other was still in open. Imperial squad with grenade launcher spied opportunity for early shooting success but ruins around ensured only few could see them and genetically enchanced super warriors shrugged shots without problem. Second squad started to head toward squad with plasma gun with nice ruin between squads...

Turn 3. Squad Plasma walked out of ruin they were hiding(and which blocked their sight) and prepared to shoot. Handily they saw squad that was rushing toward their friends. Unfortunatly bolter missed and I didn't even want to risk shooting with plasma in case it's out of range. Second squad however had more success. Walking behind suitable ruin marine with bolter took carefull aim and dropped leading trooper with ease. Don't walk in the open!

Imperial squad on right then took cover in ruins and opened fire. Flamer was too far to shoot but 7 lasguns and 2 frag grenades were sent toward chaos marines. One grenade flew way out but one hit squad head on and caused wounds to three marines. But power armour is made of numerous tough materials and wouldn't be penetrated so easily. Nor were they affraid of lasguns that just bounced off the armour. Imperial attack was being stalled...On left squad took firing positions, their morale bolstered by Imperial commisar that took control of squad. 8 lasguns fired at chaos marine squad in cover but fusilade of lasgun fire went mostly out of targets...

Turn 4. Since the grenades had reached them chaos marines knew 2 closest Imperial scumbags were in range...So charge! Marine with bolter and another with chainsword reached Imperial Guard troopers behind ruins. Combat itself was short and bloody, especially in case of chainsword marine who just ripped poor human apart and follow upped into sergeant but second marine killed his opponent as well without too much of an effort. Though got bit too close for comfort...

Second squad managed to reach big ruins intact. Precicely what IG had been affraid of. Now they were behind ruins they couldn't be seen from...

In return Imperial troopers swarmed over marines in combat. 2 troopers went to help 2 troopers already in combat while 2 troopers charged plasma gun trooper! Commisar led his troops toward center though detached himself from squad. Marines want to come, they face heavy ambush...When combat phase began both players knew game might be decided right here and right now...

Marine with plasma gun found himself charged from rear. But with inhuman speed he turned and smashed plasma gun into belly of first charger but somehow trooper just rose up(won by 2 but failed both wound rolls!). Before he could recover from suprise butt of lasgun hit into his helmet but such a weak blow wouldn't hurt him.

Second marine wasn't as lucky when three troopers swarmed over him. Though he fought hard first one managed to shoot his lasgun at him point blank. Helmet exploded along his head and first marine fell! But he was not the first. Brother Naryon fought against trio of imperial troopers as well. Though he fought hard and injured two of his foes(damn my luck! Kept rolling no higher than 3, even fumbling in first combat and when I won due to initiave couldn't get wound rolls working!) the sergeant decapacitated him with stroke of chainsword(note. Imperial guard troopers with chainsword=not good).

Suddenly squad was halved though remnants kept their head.

Turn 5. Seeing situation being turned from good to bad brother Charax charged two trooper swinging his chainsword high and decapacitated them both without much of an effort(now THAT'S more like it!) and instantly headed toward another victim. Brother Pallox fought and killed another trooper while being hacked at by yet another puny mortal. With such a carnage Imperial morale shaked but they kept fighting. Maybe too foolish or naive to run.

On second flank marines came around ruins and opened fire. Though bolt pistols and boltgun hit troopers straight on somehow they managed to survive. Aspiring champpion however had more funny suprise in his backpocket and threw plasma grenade at the squad. Two trooper were instantly incinerated with sergeant somehow still alive though didn't survive long enough to get out of the field.

Sergeant Jones from squad on right was getting desperate. Ordering troopers to pull away from combat he ordered flamer trooper to flame out the marines. Though friends would be burned as well trooper obeyed. After flames went out they were dismayed to see 2 huge troopers still standing, even if nearest was still totally in flames. On second flank Commisar charged nearest trooper alone while rest of his squad sent fusilade of shots into marines. Nothing was injured. Krak grenade from grenade launcher missing and even commisar surviving stray shot...

Power axe swung two handedly toward head of marine trooper who tried to parry it in vain. But mere seconds before hitting marine managed to raise his shoulder pad between head and axe and though his arm was nearly incapacitated he survived...Just.

Turn 6. Brother Pallox was overjoyed this turn when he got chance to use his plasma gun at last. At this range hitting wasn't problem and 2 imperial troopers were torched. Sergeant managed to avoid bolt pistol shot from nearby trooper but his morale was too badly shaken and ran.

And commisar found himself fighting not only trooper he had charged but another marine with chainsword and aspiring champpion of chaos! Another trooper behind him was shot by bolter marine but real fight was the commisar fight. Once more chaos marine survived power axe, this time wielded single handedly(lucky bastard. First surviving 6+ and then 5+ armour save rolls...). Second marine body tackled him which sent commisar crawling to ground, injured and trying to fend off the aspiring champpion but to no avail. Power fist slammed into his head and even refractor was unable to stop such a mighty blow...

With this Imperium couldn't hope to win so we called it a game.

End comments: Quick and bloody game more to familiarise us to 2nd edition rules. Imperium messed a bit when he divided his attack but guess he didn't like taking fire from 2 directions at once. Though if he could have stopped my attack on right with help of ruins it could have been another thing alltogether. Or if I hadn't managed to save everything at the beginning. Frag grenade hurting 3 marines really scared me there. Lucky me armour saved.