Labor Days Revisited: A 40k and Horus Heresy 3,000pt Game

Traveling through the Warp can be a harrowing experience.  In one instance you enter the Warp in one planetary system and three weeks later you are halfway across the galaxy.  In another instance you enter the Warp near Terra and exit 300 years in the past orbiting Cadia.  Usually Warp travel is harmless and will get ships in the far future where they need to go but occasionally something goes wrong, very wrong.

009.M31

Warsmith Martok of the 82nd Grand Company of the IV Legion, also known as the Iron Warriors, glances at his command chair's left arm which has a small display showing the ETA to their destination.

The Mercian system was their destination.  Since the civil war broke out, his Grand Company and his fleet had been constantly on the move.  They have had to fight many battles on many planets and quite a few naval engagements in space as well.

Most of these missions were intended to cut off supply routes, capture resources, or silence listening stations of the loyalists.  Martok was not a fan of these types of mission but he knew they were required if this war was to be won.

The war had been going on for two years now and it showed no signs of slowing down, in fact it seems as if the engagements were simply going to get larger and larger until the inevitable clash on Terra itself occurred.

His relatively small fleet was going to need to be resupplied and he knew that the Mercian system, within the realm of the Ultramarines would have the supplies he needed and would also be relatively lightly guarded as Guilliman was distracted by the deception of the Word Bearers at the moment.

Master Ziggarauth of the Signals entered Martok's command chamber to report to the Warsmith their status.  He was an older warrior who was exceptional in his ability to calculate trajectories for artillery.  He was also excellent at logistics, having organized many of Martok's Grand Company's operations including orbital drops, supply trains, barrages, etc.

Ziggarauth came to witness the translation back to realspace and be available on the bridge to help coordinate the drop to the surface of Mercian 55.

As they translated out of the Warp their ships were suddenly struck by heavy impacts.  They weren't weapons fire, Martok was sure of it.

Ziggarauth, what is this? Martok asked by just thinking.  He had, many years prior, installed a Mind Impulse Unit so he could communicate faster with Ziggarauth and the rest of the ship in cases of emergency, which this definitely was.

The system is gone, the Master of Signals replied, we are in a debris field.  Navigation is compromised.  We do not have a bearing.

Apparently Mercia had been destroyed somehow.  The decision was made and the drop began.

For more story and the scenario rules follow these links from Excursions Beyond the Call of Duty Blog:
Story Part 1
Story Part 2
Scenario

Battle Report


I had a 3000 point Heresy Era Iron Warrior army.  I used the Hammer Of Olympia Rite of War.

 Iron Warriors

 1500pts Adeptus Sororitas and Inquisition

1500pts of Astra Militarum

 An Astra Militarum heavy gunner hunkers down in a ruin.

 A squad of Guardsmen deploy next to a ruin.

 A Devil Dog next to some brush.

 An Astra Militarum flamer squad.

 Another Devil Dog with Imperial guard backing it up.

The line of Guardsmen bravely stand at the ready. 

The Iron Warriors deploy.

 An Iron Warriors Vindicator stands at the ready.

 An Iron Warriors Tactical Squad deploys in the ruins.

Tactical Marines taking up firing positions.

 The Contemptor Dreadnought backs up another Tactical Squad.

 A Tactical Squad readies their weapons.

 The Contemptor Dreadnought lines up a shot on the Astra Militarum Basilisk.

 The Sisters Of Battle and an Inquisition Land Raider line up.

 The rest of the Iron Warriors deploy.

 A look from the back of the Iron Warriors' lines.

Iron Warriors' Armor.

 The Ratling Snipers line up their shots.

Deployment is done and tune in next time for part 2.

Go to Part 2

Until then...