CHAOS SPACE MARINES and Emperor's Children versus Ultramarines and Space Wolves

Game: Warhammer 40,000 3rd edition
Allies: Wayne and Chris, both using Emperor's Children
Opponents: Kevin and Morris using Ultramarines and Space Wolves
Mission: Take and Hold (modified)
1st turn: Chaos Space Marines and Emperor's Children
Points: 3000
Date: 01/04/2003

Chaos Space Marines (lone pilgrim)

• Daemon prince Lamprey - Mark of Chaos Undivided, Daemonic Stature, Daemonic Armour, Daemonic Aura, Daemonic Spawn, Dreadaxe
• Squad Hotep – 9 Chaos Space Marines, Mark of Tzeentch, Aspiring Champion, Bolt pistol and close combat weapon, Bolt of Change, Minor Psychic Power, Talisman of Tzeentch
• Squad Infractis – 7 Chaos Marines, Infiltrate, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Bolt pistols and Close combat weapons, 2 x Plasma Pistols, Aspiring Champion with Powerfist
• Squad Profuge - 7 Chaos Marines, Infiltrate, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Bolt guns, 2 x Plasma guns
• Torius - Predator, Twin-linked Lascannons, Heavy Bolt gun Sponsons
• Atrocitor - Dreadnought, Twin-linked Lascannons

Emperor's Children

• Lord with flight and lightning claws
• Lieutenant with strength and power weapon
• Possessed with flight
  
• Dread with plasma
  
• 2 x Daemonettes
  
• 2x Havocs with blastmasters
• 5 x regular marine squads, 3 x rhino, 1 with warp amp

Space Wolves

• Logan Grimnar with 5 Terminators in a Land Raider Crusader
  
• Predator exterminator?
  
• Dread with twin Heavy Bolters
  
• Dread with twin Las cannons
  
• Grey hunters on foot
  
• Blood claws in rhino

Ultramarines

• Chaplain with 8 Marines in rhino
  
• Predator annihilator
  
• Scouts with sniper rifles
  
• Scouts with bolt pistols and ccw
  
• 5 assault marines
  
• Land speeder with multi-melta
  
• 5 terminators
  
• 8 man tactical squad

Terrain and deployment
The best and most enjoyable game I have played at Games Workshop for ages. We just set up twelve inches onto the board and went at it. I moved into the centre with the intention of soaking up fire with my Thousand sons and the daemon prince. I had to secure the objective. Chris was on our left and had to attempt a flanking manoeuvre with his two rhinos (against Kevin). Wayne was on our right and had the tough job of holding up Morris’ Space Wolves (and Kevin's HQ in a rhino).

The game
Wayne got stuck right in and admirably held up the entire Space Wolves force, albeit at the cost of his whole army (bar 3 models). Notable moments included his daemonettes immobilising the Land Raider with their rending claws, his possessed and Lord taking on Kevin's HQ in the assault and his dread taking on the Wolves dread in close combat, both blowing up and taking out numerous bystanders in an explosion.

Chris barrelled up the flank unharmed, most of Kevin's force moving up to the objective in the centre. By the time the flank attack was noticed (by a horrified Morris!) it was too late and the scout squads and predator were destroyed in short order. On the final turn the lieutenant and squad took on Kevin's Marines in combat and won through, leaving them in the centre of the enemy deployment zone. Chris only took maybe five casualties in the whole game!

My daemon Prince stood on a hill in our deployment zone to attract enemy fire and it worked, leaving most of our forces unharmed in the early turns. The prince also passed all of his own saving throws. Meanwhile the rest of my force advanced into the centre and the objective, taking down the land speeder and the assault squad in a hail of fire. The dreadnought had to be man of the match as it took on the bloodclaws and terminators in combat, won and routed both units! It then shot the power fist off a dread and charged back in. Finally the Thousand Sons took the objective and were holding off an assault by two scouts on the last turn before time ran out (we played four turns).

I thought it was pretty clear we were going to win with Chris one turn away from the objective with almost 1000pts of Emperors Children, my daemon prince within 6” along with squads Profuge and Infractis and the remnants of squad Hotep. For the enemy, they had the dread without powerfist in contact with squad Infractis (with a powerfist), two scouts fighting three members of squad Hotep, and Logan Grimnar two turns away. Kevin's HQ had also remounted their rhino but its side armour was presented to Wayne's three remaining Havoc squad members.

In the end we called it a draw as the game had been so much fun.

Result: Draw

Commendations

• Dreadnought

Turning point
Chris' flank attack.

Learning points

• This was a fantastic game, full of spectacle, awesome fights and cunning plans.
• Thousand sons can soak up an awesome amount of fire. Everyone who saw them in action vowed to get a squad. And they took the objective.
• By concentrating on the mission objective we got the upper hand. We immobilised the Land Raider out on our right flank and held up Kevin’s Rhino in an assault. At best they would have gotten to the objective on turn six, if at all.