Battle Report: Ambush of Steel Star Nineteen.

Hello and welcome to another Great Crusade era Battle Report. The last thing that happened on the planet of Luruta (which the Death Guard and Dark Angels are attacking) was that Nathaniel Garro was captured when his attack failed and Mortarion led the Legio Mortis Warlord Titan Bone Garland through the valley to destroy the enemies defences utterly.

So if you want to check those reports out go to the Great Crusade Tab, scroll through our Timeline until you see The fall of the Purokar League and click on it to get caught up.

Let's begin. 

Elegeir Calcus powered forward as fast as his Cataphractii plate would allow. Just getting into the position they currently had had been a relentless grind in itself. His orders from the Primarch Mortarion himself had been unequivocal "get your force to Jiikun Major now" with a set of grid coordinates. He and the small force of Death Guard which were assigned to him immediately forced their way through the city. He himself had taken down a Ralidactra Knight and a dozen automatons to get here. The rearguard of his force still fought the reinforcements that the Purokar League had summoned to plug the hole that his force had torn through. 

'You are in position,' came the deep rasp of Primarch Mortarion over the Vox. 

'My lord. What are your orders?' Captain Calcus responded as he began blink clicking waypoint markers on his helm display for his units to get into position. 

'The Steel Star that is about to pass through here has a very important cargo, it can not be allowed to pass,' Mortarion answered. 

'Do we destroy the transports as they pass?' Elegeir asked as the first of the vehicles rumbled into view. 

'No. I will open them myself,' there was a wheeze which sounded like the last breath of a dying man which accompanied the Primarch's voice, 'begin the attack.'

Mission objective:

Legions - Don't let the Triaros off of the opposite table edge. 

Purokar League - Get the Triaros off of the far table edge. 

Warlord Traits: 

Solar Auxilia: Shattering Bombardment

Mechanicum: Dread Rights

Dark Angels: Conqueror of Cities

Death Guard: Paladin of Glory

Deployment:

Turn 1: Purokar League. 

Thallax shoot at the Despoiler squad felling one Legionaire, whilst the Ursurax shoot their chest mounted Volkites into the Terminators luckily killing two.

The Krios shoots its lightning cannon and kills three of the XIV Legion flamer support squad.

The Leman Russ fires at the Death Guard Sicaran but fails to damage, but the Medusa kills 2 Legionaires.



 

The Vorax and Dracosan round the corner and unleash their entire arsenal on Mortarion and his Deathshroud killing one of his chosen.

 

At the same time the Steel Guard turn their Lasrifles onto the Breacher squad laying low a son of Barbarus.

Turn 1: Imperium

The Death Guard advance and Mortarion slinks looks to the shadows. The Breacher squad shoot and kill 3 Steel Guard.

 

The Death Guard bolters chatter but the advancing Thallax are secure in their armour plates.

The Plasma Repeaters held in the disciplined grip of the Dark Angels manage to kill one Thallax, whilst the fire from the Despoiler squad bring another down to one wound. 

The Meltagun squad kill an Ursurax whilst the Terminators cause no damage. 

The Vindicator opens up on the Krios causing a glancing hit and stunning the crew. The Death Guard Master of signal brings down the fury from above causing the Medusa to lose one hull point and the Krios a to lose another Hull point.

The Dark Angels Plasma cannons destroy the Dracosan and kill a single Vorax. The explosion kills a five of the Steel Guard with Volkites within the transport, as well as taking a further 2 wounds off of a Vorax. Mortarion reappears closer to the Automatans with death in his eye.

Mortarion wades through the Rotor cannon shells to reach the Vorax and tears them to shreds.

Elegier leads his retinue into the Ursurax and unleashes his wrath. The Ursurax are torn down by Lightning claws and Elegier's Chainfist.

Turn 2: Purokar League

Mortarion approaches the Steel Guard elite with a smile. The Thanatar fires in the same moment missing the Lord of death completely, the plasma mortar melts two of the five Kuskar. 

The Leman Russ Incinerator fires and kills a single Legionaire. 

The Leman Russ fires upon the Death Guard Legion killing eight sons of Barbarus. 

The Basilisk fire misses it's target.

The Vindicator loses a hull point to the fire from the Leman Russ Vanquisher. 

The Steel Guard pepper the Death Shroud as they advance upon them, one is wounded. 

Mortarion shreds the last three Steel Guard elite. 

Elegier stands strong as the Charonite Ogryn charge his unit. Their armour protects them from most of the blows as Elegeir guts the first mutant. Sensing defeat, the remaining two turn to run, but the deadman switch kills one of the brutes, forcing the other to turn back into his foes. 

 

Turn 2: Imperium

The Dark Angel Tactical support squad equipped with Meltaguns fire at the Leman Russ Vanquisher command tank, reducing it to one hit point. 

At the same time the Tactical Support squad with the Plasma Repeaters, fire on the flanking Thallax in support of their brethren, killing two of the Automatons. 

The Dark Angel primary tactical squad concentrate their fire on the rear of the buckled Medusa wrecking it as the high explosive shred the crew inside. 

The Vindicator fires it's cannon at the Krios obliterating it, whilst the Contemptor tries to wreck the Leman Russ Incinerator. 

The Breachers and Deathshroud fire at the Steel Guard felling many. 

The Death Guard Tactical squad fires at the Thallax wounding two and are reinforced by the Sicaran which destroys the Leman Russ in a hail of Autocannon and lascanon shots. 

Mortarion seemingly slips back into existence by the Thanatar. The walker reacts too slow and it is torn asunder by the Death Lord's massive power Scythe. He then confronts the Triaros holding his Battle Captain. 

Keen to destroy the tank before any more first Legion fall, the Contemptor advances and strafes the side of the Leman Russ Incinerator bringing the tank down to one hull point. 

 

Elegier and his squad split the last Ogryn into bloody chunks and look for a new foe. 

 

The Steel Guard kill a single Deathshroud as they bring their vicious scythes down upon them. Unable to bare the Legion wrath, they flee into the ruins. 

 

Turn 3: Purokar League

The Triaros speeds past Mortarion as the Steel Guard Flamers and the Dominus try to bathe the spectre in fire. The Death Lord strides out from the inferno unscathed. 

 

The Thallax fire at the Death Guard Tactical squad killing one whilst the Leman Russ Vanquisher fires its cannon at the Death Guard Vindicator, failing to cause any damage. 

The Leman Russ Incinerator tries to destroy the Dark Angel Contemptor but fails. 

 

Turn 3: Imperium

The Deathshroud and Dark Angel Contemptor converge on the crossing as the Triaros approaches. 

 

The Dark Angel Heavy support squad destroy the Incinerator in a hail of Krak missiles. 

Elegier roars his fury as he tips tears his way into the hold of the Leman Russ Vanquisher, gutting the Steel Guard as the shake in terror. 

The First Legion Contemptor barges into the side of the Triaros and tears off it's track in one giant fist.

 

 

The Triaros, or Shock Barge to the Purokar League, rang with a huge impact and the whole left side lifted off the ground momentarily. Sparks showered from a split conduit inside the vehicle's hold, cascading over the battered white and green of the prisoners within. A loud sound of spinning metal and a series of k-tunk, k-tunk, k-tunk, eluded to the issue the transport was facing. 

'Tracks are shed,' came the voice of a Legionaire which Nathaniel recognised as Diafor. 

Garro nodded in agreement as he turned his attention to the two Thallax which were regaining their footing. 

There was a quick series of strikes at the back of the compartment before the whole rear opened up like a fungus pod. The Thallax barely had enough time to react before they were sliced in to pieces. 

They fell into two heaps, segments still smoking and red. 

Into the hold strode the Death Lord Mortarion at a stoop. Two precise blasts from Lantern straight through the internal wall into the cab, put down the driver and slave servitor within. 

He turned his gaze onto the Death Guard, their hands manacled to the roof of the hold. His frosty gaze took in every Legionaire in turn as he walked the hold. When his gaze fell upon Garro it seemed to be full of disappointment. 

The Lord of the Legion walked casually to the centre of the hold and raised his scythe. He casually circled his Manreaper in a circle at roof level as though he was showing a child how to use a scythe for the first time in the agri-fields, the ping-jingle, ping-jingle of their chains being released sounded ominous when framed against the silence of their Primarch. 

At last they were all standing in silence. Mortarion looked once more to them all. 

'There is a war to be won,' he began, 'no more dilly dallying.'

With that the Death Lord left the hold. 



Well that is another Battle Report down.

Imperial victory. Now to take down the planet!