Galus Crusade End Turn 1

Turn 1 has ended, and the forces of Chaos are on the move. In my last game, the Space Wolves faced off against the tide of Waaaaagh Gargunki in defense of the bridges of the Balan Trench. I failed to hold the Orks off, as did many of the Imperial forces. In our counter, the Imperials moved to improve our position, and now we wait for more Chaos moves.

Galus Crusade turn 1, phase 2

The Chaos forces waste no time in pushing the imperial defenders onto their back foot. Swift attacks against the Outer Defense Line leave gaping holes that are ripe for exploiting. Yet there are other musings about...perhaps this is just a feint from the real attack...perhaps the imperial forces are being drawn away from the true threat to the security of the Ballast and the safety of the Warmaster...

Time shall tell.

Unfortunately, Chaos was allowed too many victories in phase 1 of period 1, and took the victory. We'll have to fight back this week in phase 2 of turn 1, before striking back next week!




Also, since the week has passed, here was the first Imperial mission:

The Defense of the Western Outer Defense Line

Galus Crusade Battle Report 1!

Early before dawn, the Command Bunker picked up a faint transmission...

translation[drop troops ready........ dawn strike............... elite force ready to........ take control of command center.... open up the planet's defenses.....] end transmission



SLIGHT WARNING... for language.

The small Space Wolf force dug in to their trenches as the glint of sunlight just touched the horizon. The friendly transmission came over the communication lines as the Long Fangs anxiously awaited contact from within their bunker, "This is Rune Priest Víglundr. Hold tight, our force is preparing to drop to your location. We have Tau ships incoming on your position and we should arrive as they do. We must hold that Command Bunker!"

The Wolfguard, Skadd, spit in response, and commented to his squad of veteran marksmen, "They better get here soon. We have but a small force to battle what sounds like an elite battle suit formation. We've seen this type of attack before, Fangs. Just stay true to your senses".

As the morning sun rose, the first salvo hit. The orbital strike blasted around the Command Bunker, and destroyed an automated gun emplacement. Blasts peppered the tanks around the bunker, shaking their crew but ultimately doing no damage to the rest of the compound. Then the first enemy Crisis Suits dropped, along with heavy weapon support.

Helm Trueblood, last of his pack and now titled Lone Wolf, roared into the voice communicator, "There they are men! Leave the glory to me, and you just try to stay out of my way!" as he saw the suits ready to engage. They fired a salvo of plasma that tore at his armor, and wounded him even in his battle frenzy, and vaporized one of his trusted Fenrisian Wolf companions. "Bastards!" Just as the heavy Broadside battle suits fired their heavy railguns into the bastion that housed their compounds turreted battle cannon. The bastion came crumbling down. Another unit of battle suits dropped next to the Vindicator and fired of more plasma rounds. Before it could turn and blast them, the suits jumped onto the tank, and unleashed their grenades, disabling its cannon and destroying the tank treads.

"We're inbound now!" claimed Víglundr, as his drop pod crashed into the dense earth before the Crisis Suits. "Out and don't leave a single tin can standing!" he ordered as he activated the runes on his massive axe, their energy pulsing. His squad disembarked from their pod and rapid fired into the suits, cutting them down in a hail of Boltgun fire. Then the Long Fangs unleashed their version of Hell on the remaining Tau, and blasted them off the face of the planet. "AH! You c*cksuckers didn't leave any scraps for me, dammit!" shouted Helm, denied the glorious combat he deserved. Squad Beta's drop pod landed in front of the heavy battlesuits that had destroyed the bastion just moments ago. The Wolf Guard second in command of the defense of the Command Bunker, Mornstar, left from the pod and THREW his thunder hammer at the closest Broadside. A shield drone intercepted his hammer and exploded. "Don't just stand there you pups, show them what you've got!"

All around them, more teams of Crisis Suits were dropping from the sky, shooting into their ranks. Víglundr was struck twice as his unit began to fall to the massive amounts of plasma fire taken by his unit. "By Russ's beard these scum have a lot of plasma!" As Mornstar smashed through the remaining suits, he turned to see Víglundr gunned down by a massive Tau battlesuit of unknown design. "Dammit, no!"

As a Devilfish troop transport raced through their lines, undoubtedly with a deadly payload, another squadron of battle suits dropped in their lines, aiming at destroying their command bunker. "More pods coming in! Lets go boys!" Skadd shouted to his squad, and let loose with his Cyclone missile launcher. The drop pod reinforcements landed just within their compounds walls, and unleashed it's fierce cargo of the Grey Hunter squad within. As another pod dropped nearby, the wolves began pouring it on, and more tanks were rolling over the hills.

The firepower of the long awaited reinforcements proved too much for the Tau elite strike force, and they began to fall one after another. Mornstar ripped through suit after suit as he led his squad to the center of the enemy drop zone, and towards where Víglundr fell. Before him, the giant Tau suit rose up and fired off a few rounds, before it jetted straight for him with retinue in tow. "So you want to play, eh?" he mused, and then cleaved the suit in two with the might of two normal Wolf Guard! "Heh, no game at all".

As the remains of their force were run down and blown to pieces, one remaining squad of Broadsides unleashed their railguns again, striking into the command bunker. As it began to crumble, Skadd leaped from the nearest firing port to safety, and his power armored squad brothers followed.

As Mornstar made it to the wreckage of Squad Alpha's drop pod, a pile of Tau and Space Wolf bodies began to .. As he readied his hammer, Víglundr slowly rose to his feet and laid his brothers down who had died honorably in battle. He surveyed the battlefield and annoyingly looked hard at the ruins of the command bunker. "Hey, we didn't lose it" Skadd joked as he walked up to his commanding officer. Mornstar let out a bellowing laugh.






WHERE: 4b

SIZE OF THE GAME: 2500
TYPE OF GAME: Planetstrike Galus Mission 1
SIDES Imperial Space Wolves vs Chaos Aligned Tau

WIN/LOSS/DRAW: Win for Space Wolves


*Mornstar = counts-as Arjac Rockfist

Rhellion turns 100, Mrs. Blood Angel, and Víglundr!

Thanks for reading my blog, because today Rhellion's Tabletop is 100 posts old! I've almost been kicking around a year now, and this blog has really enhanced my hobby experience and kept me motivated.

In other Rhellion hobby-related news, my wife has decided to give 40K another go. She played Eldar about 6 years ago, but was mostly a painter not a gamer. This past weekend she took a trip to our FLGS Pandemonium and picked up Codex: Blood Angels, a squad of new Death Company, and a Baal Predator. She also drafted a bunch of my unused Codex Marines to fill out a full 2000 points already. She has a ways to go to learn the rules of the game, but I'm already excited. Haha.

In Galus Campaign news, I've created my campaign Hero with the 40K Fight Club Character Creation Rules. I'll be playing my first Galus game this Friday, and should have a full battle report next Wednesday, after the first period is over (so as to not reveal stratagems). Here he is:




Víglundr, Son of the Bear, Slayer of Daemons



Víglundr was a massive man even by Space Marine standards when he was discovered by the Wolf Priests in his home village. He was the Village Seer's son, but as a great warrior he lead war parties in defense of his village against the warring factions of Fenris. While going through the trials of the Space Wolves, he was singled out because of his attunement to the Rune's, and his ability to harness their powers specifically for hand to hand combat. He became a Rune Priest while his other brothers became Blood Claws, and as they all because Space Wolves together he stood not in the rear commanding the powers of lightning and storm, but in the front line swinging his force weapon and slaying the enemies of the Chapter.

His attunement to the runes and martial prowess with his runic axe, Kjonir, earned him place on expeditions to the fringe of the Eye of Terror in defense of the world there from Daemon and Chaos Cultist raids. On one such defense mission, Víglundr was at Brom Wolfheart's side when a great Keeper of Secrets was summoned to the battlefield and began to lay waste to the Space Wolves before it. Víglundr stepped forward and took a mighty blow from the Daemon that would have cleaved a normal Space Marine in two, and stepped forward and sundered the Greater Daemon in turn. Instantly the Chaos warband's resolve left them, their battle lust gone, and they fled. Víglundr just stood and led the howl of victory, with a gaping hole in his side.



Rune priest

Wargear: Runic Weapon, Terminator Armor, Wolftooth Necklace

Psychic Powers: Jaws of the World Wolf, Murderous Hurricane

Galus Upgrades: +1 Initiative, +1 Wound, Force Weapon, Eternal Warrior

Points: 220

[The Force Weapon upgrade allows him to cause instant death even if the enemy is immune to instant death.]

The Galus Crusade

The Galus Crusade is a 40K Fight Club-wide campaign event that is beginning now! Galus V: Endgame is the latest chapter in the club's campaign, and this will be my first time taking part. For more information on the history of the Galus Crusade, download a pdf of the detailed history here.

Speeding towards the distress call coming from the Galus Sector and Gallad Prime, young Wolf Guard Battle Leader Brom Wolfheart paced anxiously in his chambers. It was his first time leading such a massive war party without the guidance of his Wolf Lord, Ragnar Blackmane. Brom was sent due to the short, and frantic notice coming from The Ballast, with hopes that his strike force could stem the tides of Chaos from overtaking the system. He must hold out at the very least until reinforcements from his Great Company arrive.

Pacing the deck of his chambers, he longed to mount his trusted friend and Thunderwolf, Jer'fang, and lead his Claw into battle. The drop to the surface of Gallad Prime and The Ballast was being prepared. A great Claw of Russ would rain from the skies, and Chaos would be stamped out before the other forces of the Imperium even arrived!

Army: Imperium (Space Wolves)
Name: Brom's Claw
Player: Brad (Rhellion)
Area of Operations: Pandemonium, Garden City MI

 If you're in Michigan, or any of the other areas covered by the 40k Fight Club, and you are interested in joining the fight for The Galus Sector, register now at 40K Fight Club!