Battle Report: World Eaters versus Storm Dragons!

Tyran Khan, captain of the Storm Dragons 2nd company, faces off against the butcherer of Skalathrax!

Points: 1700

Mission: Seize Ground, 4 objectives

Deployment: Dawn of War




World Eaters (played by Skullchampion Sander):

 HQ - Kharn the Betrayer
Khornate Daemon Prince (Wings, Warptime)
Troops - CSM Squad (Lascannon, Plasmagun, Icon)
CSM Squad (Powerfist, 2 meltaguns, Icon, Rhino)
CSM Squad (Powerfist, Rhino)
Berzerker Squad (Powerfist, Rhino)
Lesser Daemon Squad
Heavy Support - 2 Obliterators (separate)
Predator (Havoc Launcher, Autocannon, Heavy Bolters)

Storm Dragons:
HQ - Kor'sarro Khan
Librarian (Avenger, Null Zone)
Elites - 5 Assault Terminators (1x Lightning claws, Land Raider)
Dreadnought w/TL Lascannon, Heavy Flamer)
Troops - 10 Tactical Marines (Powerfist, Flamer, Missile Launcher, Rhinow/Dozer Blade)
5 Tactical Marines (Power Weapon, Razorback w/TL Assault Cannon)
Fast Attack - 2 Land Speeders (Multi-melta, Heavy Flamer)
Land Speeder (Multi-melta, Heavy Flamer)
5 Assault Marines (Power weapon, Rhinow/Dozer Blade)
Heavy Support - Thunderfire Cannon

Deployment:
I placed my objectives on each flank so any units I decided to Outflank could reach one regardless of the table edge they arrived from. Sander placed both his objectives near cover.

I received first turn and deployed my Razorback with combat squad in the centre of the table to push the World Eaters back. The Librarian and Khan both deployed in the Land Raider. I reinforced the ruin on my right flank. I outflanked my Assault Marines to contest objectives.

The World Eaters deployed their Daemon Prince centrally and their Lascannon squad in the ruin across my right flank, claiming the objective there.

Sander chose not to seize, and the game was on!

Turn 1
My entire army save the Assault Squad moved onto the board. My Speeders took cover on my left flank. The Land Raider rumbled 12" onto my right, planning to put pressure on the Chaos Marines in the ruin across the board. The Dreadnought moved up behind. The Tactical Squad split up, the Missile Squad moving for cover behind my reinforced ruin together with the Thunderfire Cannon, while the Sergeant's squad moved up centrally in their Rhino. Finally, the Razorback retreated and tried to target the Daemon Prince, but failed to spot it in the morning fog.

The World Eaters advanced onto the board, the Obliterators taking cover, while three Rhinos rumbled forward, bearing Kharn, two CSM Squads, and a Berzerker Squad. One CSM Squad covered the World Eaters' right flank, joined by the Predator.

Kharn and his regular Chaos Marine entourage advanced centrally together with the Berzerker Rhino.

All Rhinos popped smoke. The Lascannon squad in the ruin aimed for my Razorback, spotted it, and Shook it.

Turn 2
My Assault Squad arrived and moved up on my left flank. I advanced them behind the ruin to attack the Predator or the Obliterator there next turn. My Speeders moved up to support.

With the sun rising, my forces gained a clear view of the approaching World Eaters and let rip. A twin-linked Lascannon blast from the Land Raider exploded the Berzerkers' Rhino on a lucky hit, and the Thunderfire Cannon tore four Berzerkers apart with Tremor shells.

Mad with bloodlust, Kharn's Rhino sprinted forward, the Daemon Prince flying up behind the armoured vehicle for cover. The stranded Berzerkers also slogged for cover.

The Obliterators took up firing positions but failed to do anything with their Lascannons. The Predator also failed to harm my Razorback. The CSM Squad on the Chaos right flank moved up in their Rhino, popped open the hatch and fired two Meltaguns at the Speeder squadron, but couldn't hit them.

Turn 3
I moved my Speeders up behind the ruin and they took aim at the Predator and Rhino there. The Assault Squad disembarked and moved up inside the ruin, intending to deal with the Obliterator on the roof next turn.

My Razorback and Tactical Rhino withdrew from Kharn's Rhino to delay the World Eaters' charge one more turn, but my Land Raider threw caution to the wind and advanced resolutely on my right flank.

Another lucky shot from my Missile squad this time destroyed Kharn's Rhino. The World Eaters disembarked into cover, intending to charge my Raider next turn.

Hoping to prevent this, the Thunderfire Cannon again fired a volley of Tremor shells, this time killing three of the Chaos Marines. My Razorback, Dreadnought and Land Raider combined fire on the Daemon Prince and took three Wounds off the monstrous creature,

The Speeder squadron fired their multi-meltas at the Predator and took off its (beautifully converted) Autocannon turret.

Eager to get their chainaxes blooded, the CSM squad on the Khornate right flank disembarked to charge my Assault Squad there (which of course was all part of my genious tactical plan for them, and totally not due to me completely forggeting about that possibility!) To make matters worse for the Storm Dragons there, the World Eaters summoned a horde of bloodthirsty Daemons to support their assault.

The Obliterator on the roof top morphed a twin-linked melta gun and blew the multi-melta off the lone Speeder. Meanwhile, the Predator targeted the Speeder squadron and Shook one of them.

Remaining fire from the World Eaters was ineffective. On to assault! With a mighty bellow, "KHOOOOOOOORNHE!", the CSM Squad on the right flank charged my Assault Squad, together with the Lesser Daemons.

They utterly destroyed the surprised Storm Dragons and consolidated into the ruined building. On the other side of the table, another mighty bellow rung: "KHAAAAAAAARNHE!" as the Butcherer's retinue followed their bloodcrazed leader into assault against the Land Raider. The Daemon Prince joined in, but despite plenty of hits they only managed to Glance the Raider thrice, which was enough to Immobilize it, however. In his frustration, Kharn slew one of his own with a single strike from Gorechild.

My Speeders converged on the CSM Squad and Daemons who had just butchered my Assault Squad, burning a handful of Daemons back to the Empyrean with their Heavy Flamers. The late Assault Squad's Rhino moved behind the Speeders for cover.

The Dreadnought took aim at a Obliterator but the blast was absorbed by cover. Combined fire from the Thunderfire Cannon and Tactical Marines killed three from Kharn's squad, leaving only the Champion and a regular Marine standing beside the Betrayar. The Razorback fired at the approaching Berzerkers, which had been footslogging across the table the past few turns, and failed to penetrate their armour.

With their transport surrounded by the Daemon Prince and Kharn's followers, there was only room for one model to disembark from the Land Raider. The questionable honour befell Khan. His eyes set on the Butcherer, he drew his blade and charged.

Kharn spun around, a shout escaping his surprised lips: "KHAAAAAAAAAAN-", but before he could finish his sentence, Tyran's blade cut through his guts, instantly killing the ancient Blood Champion. The remaining two Marines from Kharn's retinue could not harm the captain, and the fight continued.

The Daemon Prince, meanwhile, finally destroyed the Land Raider, forcing the Librarian and the Assault Terminator to disembark on the other side.

Leaving the ruined vehicle and the stranded passengers behind, the Daemon Prince swooped down next to the Missile Squad and Dreadnought. The Obliterators fired their freshly morphed plasma cannons at the Terminators and did nothing. The Speeders came under fire from the Rhino and the CSM Squad, the lone one becoming Immobilized while the squadron was reduced to a single, weaponless Speeder.

Khan killed the two remaining Chaos Marines and consolidated towards the Lascannon squad in the ruins.

The Daemon Prince leapt at the Dreadnought, burying its massive sword in the ancient's sarcophagus before it could retaliate. The walker's reactor went critical and exploded in a massive blast, taking the traitorous monster with him in his death.

The Missile Squad, witnesses to this display of epic awesomness, promptly wet their power armoured pants.

Turn 5
The Assault Terminator moved up to support my Tacticals in the centre of the table, while the Tactical Squad in the Rhino moved up behind the Land Raider to claim the objective there. The weaponless Speeder and the empty Rhino on my left moved to contest the objective swarming with Daemons and Khornate Marines.

The Librarian moved up through cover to follow Khan in his one man assault on the Chaos Marines in the ruin. The Razorback targeted the Berzerkers and killed one.

 Khan charged into the Lascannon squad and killed three World Eaters, a chainsword cleaving through his shoulder guard and dealing him a wound in return. The World Eaters held.

The Chaos forces on my left flank coverged on the two Speeders and Rhino, destroying them all with their firearms and daemonic blades. The Berzerkers moved up to the Razorback, as the Obliterators destroyed the vehicle with their lascannons.
The Berzerkers climbed over the wreckage, killing all disembarked Marines but the sergeant, who in return killed two Berzerkers with his power axe. The sergeant tried to flee but was caught, but he passed his armour saves and fought on.

Khan killed another two Chaos Marines but went down at last, the World Eaters eagerly impaling his torso on their icon. The Chaos forces now held two objectives to the Storm Dragons' one!

We rolled to see if the game would continue, and by the blessing of the Emperor, it would.

Turn 6
The Librarian moved just within charge range of the Lascannon Squad, burning with vengeance for his fallen captain. He would have to roll very well for his difficult terrain check to exact that vengeance, however.

My Missile Squad embarked on the Rhino their Sergeant had abandoned and moved to claim the central objective. I had nothing to contest the faraway objective surrounded by the burning wrecks of my Speeders, so I had to contest the objective held by the Lascannon Marines. The Librarian rolled a 6 for his difficult terrain check and charged, force staff swinging! He smote three Marines, but suffered a Wound. The surviving World Eaters held, and I prayed the Librarian would survive next turn.

 The Assault Terminators charged the Berzerkers but could not kill them before they killed the lone Tactical Sergeant. They could kill them afterwards, though.

 The World Eaters moved up their empty Rhino to contest my central objective but could not reach it yet.

The fate of the battle, however, rested with the Librarian and the Lascannon squad still duking it out in the ruined building. The Librarian killed but a single World Eater, and suffered a Wound in return. I rolled the save...and passed! In the name of the chapter the Librarian contested the objective, and with two objectives now in Storm Dragon hands, we rolled to see if the game would end...and it did.

Victory for the Space Marines!

This game was extremely close and the only reason I pulled off a win was by the blessing of the dice gods at critical times! As befits Khorne my Marines were subject to some bloody carnage but through the heroics of Khan and the Librarian hanging in just long enough to contest the enemy objective, the World Eaters were repelled!