40k - The Road to the Apocalypse, part 5.

Well, a week late, but never say I don't get stuff done...eventually.

This Monday just gone, before the heatwave of hell here in the UK, we met up to have a test game of Apocalypse.

250 Power Level a side and the basic "Race to Destruction" mission, with 5 objective markers and cumulative victory points.

With five of us present, the army lists were as follows:

Imperial forces:
Black Templars Supreme HQ -30
Terminator Commander
Terminator Chaplain
Terminator Commander/Chaplain
5 Assault Terminators
Black Templars Battalion -48
Emperor's Champion
Apothecary
2x 20man Crusader Squads
10man Shotgun Scouts
Black Templars Outrider -31
JP Commander/Chaplain
3x 10 man Assault Squads with JP.
Black Templars Vanguard -35
Venerable Chaplain Dread
3x Venerable Dread
Sororiatas Vanguard -31
Canoness
Hospitalier
Imagnifier
10 Celestians (1 heavy weapon)
5 Celestians
2 Rhinos.
Super Heavy Auxiliary -25
Sororiatas Knight.
Custodes Battalion -27
Vexilus Praetor
3x 3 man Custodian Guard squads
Blood Angels Patrol -27
Blood Angels Lieutenant
10 Blood Angels Intercessors
5 Blood Angels Hellblasters

Chaos Forces:
Black Legion Supreme HQ -28
Terminator Lord
Terminator Sorceror
Terminator Sorceror
5 Terminators
Black Legion Battalion-32
Lord Mallus
Master of Possession
10 CSM (Sargent, 8 Bolters, Heavy Bolter)
10 CSM (Sargent, 8 Bolters, Heavy Bolter).
16 Cultists (Traitor Guard, Commissar, Ogryn).
Black legion Vanguard -37
Lord Discordant
Hellbrute
Hellbrute
Decimator
Black Legion Vanguard -47
Chaos Lord
Master of Executions
Maulerfiend
10 Chosen (CCW)
10 Berserkers
10 Berserkers
Black Legion Spearhead-39
Chaos Lord
Exalted Champion
Havoc Squad (1 of each heavy weapon)
Havoc Squad (1 of each heavy weapon)
2 Obliterators
Traitor Knight Detachment -66
Knight
Knight
2 Armiger

So a lot of gear on the table.
Speaking of, we arranged the table as if it was the outskirts of a ruined city with lots of buildings, etc.

With the roll for initiative, the Imperial players won and elected us to deploy and take the first activation (as I was the only one who has a copy of the rules, I was elected to show them how the turn worked).

Deployment:

We set up a strong center with the Traitor Knights, and I took the flanks with my large detachments, the left to rush forwards and chop stuff with the Berserkers and the right was to be a more sedate advance, focusing on firepower.

The Imperials placed their large crusader squads in the center for an advance that way with the sisters for finite support. Over on their left flank, Chaos right flank, the Custodes deployed supported by the Blood Angels.

And so did the battle begin:
On the left flank, the Berserkers and close combat chosen slammed into the Templar assault formation and began a huge melee.

This went on for. The duration of the game, with the Berserkers outclassing the Templars, but they refused to give up due to asset cards keeping them in the fight.

Behind them, the chaos knights RETREATED...so much for our "strong center".

So I had to pull my Dreadnaught brigade back to cover the objective. That the Templar terminators who teleported in were threatening to take.

If they had gone into the assault squads like planned, then we could have rolled up that flank I think.

The Sororitas Knight (in the center) had charged forwards and was dueling with the chaos knight warlord (purple one).

Again, having to pull the chaos dreads back buggered up the plans of rolling into the knight with the close combat specialists and any surviving dreads...

Anyway, On the left flank, Chaos Marines, Cultists and Traitor Guard charged into the Thin Gold Line of 10 Custodes...

There are nearly 50 heretics  here facing down 10 custodian guard...Paltry odds for the Custodes!
Incidentally, the Black Legion heavy support detachment (Obliterators, havoc's, shooty chaos marines) were meant to support me by shooting up this flank, but he placed them too far back because he wanted "cover"...
These units of mine were meant to range duel with the enemy, but when. The Custodes came forwards,I  obliged and counter charged him,, helped by use of the "Warptime" psychic power to shove everyone an extra move forwards.
Essentially giving my units a triple move and assault this turn!

Lastly, this is where we lost the game:

See that number 1 token?
That was the objective abandoned early on in the game.
Thanks to the Templars terminators contesting it, they were constantly one point In front of us the entire game, due to a strategic asset card being played earlier on.

We had to call the game at the end of turn three as Element Games were closing earlier then their website said.

Overall, I enjoyed this a lot more then regular 40k and can see myself playing it a lot more, even if my chaotic partner for the day didn't really have his heart in the game...I mean retreating like that on turn one...

Things we liked:

• Less faff per unit, weapons are abstracted together in groupings.
• Less dice rolling, no longer handfuls of dice going everywhere.
• Easy to understand rulebook, not flipping through for a rule mid game was a godsend.
• Huge game (by my standards) which flowed easily and quickly once we got into the swing of it.

Things we didn't like:

• Wildly different stats for the same weapons. We found three different stat lines for various Dreadnaught power fists...
• Some damage rolls seem too high, characters on average need an 8+ on a D12 to wound the enemy...

Not much to complain about then. A solid set of rules which are very enjoyable and will see a more regular outing from me at least, compared to normal 40k.

I hope you enjoyed reading this, things will be back to more normal proceedings soon with another update on the Orks and my new Test of Honour has turned up, so something to do with that will be soon.

Until next time...

 - Lewis