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//Begin emergency transmission
Inquisition: Valour System under multiple xenos invasions. Chaos detected. Requesting Exterminatus.
Administratum: Negative, strategic value absolute.
Inquisition: Recommending enforced quarantine of the Valour System.
Administratum: Negative, strategic value absolute.
Inquisition: Requesting all available forces to repel enemy forces.
Administratum: Granted, Adeptus Astartes Dark Angels strike force already in system. All imperial units in sector converging on Valour System. Secure victory at all costs. The Emperor Protects.
//End Transmission
The Dark Angels strike cruiser arrived in orbit of Valour IX at full speed. The entire system was being overrun, and to make it worse, Valour IX was an ancient Tomb World starting to wake up from all the conflict on its surface. The Dark Angels had a very limited force, but deployed with tenacity. The objective; stall the Necron forces of Imotekh the Stormlord for as long as possible no matter the cost.
Two six man teams deployed as a pathfinder team at grid kilo two-three. Other tactical marine deployments were spread out. Due to the high magnetic interference from the planet’s composition, long range scanners were unreliable at best. Grid kilo two-three was called in as a hot zone within minutes. Confirmed identification of Imotekh the Stormlord.
The teams scattered in a ruins to hold the observation position and call in the Deathwing Terminators to deal with what was likely the most high value target on the planet. As the ship got into position, they launched a few Krak Missiles at the Tesseract Vault and got a quick head count. Four small units of Immortals, estimated numbers at twenty total. Ten Lychguard. Two advisors. A C’Tan Shard of the Void Dragon. And three small groups of Canoptek Scarabs Swarms. The missiles did no damage, but more importantly it got their attention and the whole force started to close in on their position.
The Tesseract Vault opened up with a powerful barrage of ancient power and Tesla weaponry. Two marines were slain, but the rest held their ground. All forces converged on their location except for some Immortals holding the back line.
The tactical squads resumed firing with little effect. However, directly in front of the entire Necron force a flash of light revealed a full unit of ten Deathwing Terminators. Accompanying them was the Chapter Master, Chief Chaplain, and Chief Apothecary, all in Terminator armour as well. The Deathwing already had their targets called in for them. All had Cyclone Missile Launchers, Stormbolters, and Thunderhammers.
Twenty Krak Missiles slammed into the Lychguard. Imotekh took most of the impact, as did his advisor. The Lychguard reanimated or repaired the damage, as did Imotekh and company. While that was unlucky, the barrage of Stormbolters cut down a lot of the Scarabs.
The tactical squads continued to fire in support, but had no ideal targets.
The Necrons responded by bringing all weapons possible to bear on the Terminators. The Tesseract Vault impacted them hard, but between the blinding arrival, the Chief Apothecary’s attention, and the Chapter Master using his Storm Shield, the unit weathered the attack with minor injuries. Gauss fire came in from their right oblique, slaying a Deathwing. The Void Dragon Shard materialized through a building slew a second one with a powerful blast of ancient power.
In an attempt to screen the Tesseract Vault, the Scarabs tried to intervene themselves. They swarmed in from multiple directions, doing their best to hold up the Deathwing.
Unphased, the Deathwing stomped forward after the slowly retreating Tesseract Vault. Stormbolters chattered once again and more Scarabs were destroyed. Several swarms pieced themselves back together in an attempt to get back in the fight! A full barrage of Krak Missiles slammed into the Lychguard again, keeping a few down this time.
They finished their initial assault by smashing into the Tesseract Vault! It put up a valiant effort and injured the Chaplain, but its Overwatch fire was completely blocked by the Chapter Master. Thunderhammers rained down on its hull, buckling armoured plates or sending them pin wheeling through the air. The Chaplain had a Power Fist and proceeded to beat it like a drum despite not having the power of a hammer! The Vault still hovered after the initial assault, but its engines and sponson weapons were crippled.
The tactical squads took pot shots at the Void Dragon, but had little effect.
The Chronomancer repaired the engines of the Vault, and it limped away as fast as it could move. The Vault pounded the tactical marines in the back in an attempt to remove their strategic position from the board, but only slew a few. Its sponsons combined fire with gauss guns from the Immortals and the Deathwing lost another Terminator, with the Chaplain suffering injuries. The Chapter Master continued to be a true god of war, intervening and blocking large numbers of shots with his shield and no injury to himself.
The remaining Scarab units charged the Deathwing with the Lychguard. Overwatch fire took out several scarabs, but more made it through. The Chief Chaplain slammed his Power Fist into the ground and challenged Imotekh to a dual. He accepted, and lashed out with his blades, inflicting no injuries. In turn, the Chaplain bolstered himself with an Omen of Potency, inspired the unit to fight more aggressively, and than pulverized Imotekh into a barely recognizable and functioning piece of scrap. Imotekh stumbled badly, but was not out of the fight yet!
The Scarabs bounced off of the Terminators in an annoying swarm, but were unable to get through their armour. The Chief Apothecary drew his Combat Knife and decimated one of the Scarab units. They did not get back up this time. All of the remaining combatants had massive slow and unwieldy weapons, resulting them hitting in each other at about the same time. Several Terminators were slain, and after reanimation only two Lychguard remained.
With the Scarabs in the barrels of the weapons, the Deathwing had no choice but to fire in close proximity. Stormbolters removed the last of the Scarabs and the remaining Cyclone Launchers fire Krak Missiles at the Lychguard. The last two refused to stay down, and reanimated again.
The Chaplain leveled his Stormbolter at Imotekh, but failed to injure him. Realizing his Power Fist was to unwieldy, he reverted to grabbing Imotekh by the cloak and punching him repeatedly in what was left of his face. Surprising, Imotekh continued to be lucky and survive! Imotekh in turn failed to get through the Chaplain’s Rosarius, but got a lucky blow with his large staff at the last second and cut him down.
As the Chaplain fell, so did that last of the opposing units in Melee except for Imotekh. as he tried to regain his senses, he was overwhelmed by the brutality of the Deathwing and was trampled under foot as they surged forwards towards the Vault again. He faded away into green light as he was teleported away in defeat!
The Necrons tried to screen the Vault with two Immortals and the Chronomancer. Gauss fire and the Vault’s Impressive Weaponry beat into the Deathwing again. The Void Dragon moved towards the rear lines, but blasted the Deathwing as it passed. Another Terminator was slain, but the Chapter Master could not be harmed by something as debased as a xenos scum it seemed. The Chief Apothecary suffered some wounds protecting his charges, but was still in the fight!
The tactical squads took up fire on the Void Dragon again, but only scored minor injuries. The Deathwing fired their dwindling amount of Cyclones at the Void Dragon, nearly killing him. But fate had determined they would have to truly earn victory this day! Stormbolters cut down the tiny shield of Immortals and the Chronomancer. None of them got back up.
Hammers raised, the Deathwing were bloodied, but no where close to beaten. The Tesseract Vault was hammered into a million pieces as the Chapter Master soaked the Overwatch fire on his Shield and leapt into the core itself, repeatedly pulverizing the trapped C’Tan and its housing generator. A massive explosion rocked the battlefield as the power generator destabilized. The Chapter Master was injured by this blatant act of violence, but only barely. The Deathwing screened out and faced the Immortals, ready for the next foe to defeat.
The Void Dragon shot and stabbed the last of the tactical marines to death, reveling in the slaughter. The remaining Immortals closed in, firing into the Terminators. Another one dropped from the intense Gauss fire. The last Advisor attempted to run past the Deathwing to secure a critical point on the field and make a comeback for the worse turn of events.
The Deathwing chortled in xenophobia at this and cut him down with Stormbolters. He did not reanimate. Only three Deathwing were left at this point. Six Krak Missiles found their mark on the Void Dragon, slaying him in vengeance! They moved forward and hammered a group of Immortals into oblivion. None of them reanimated.
The Immortals continued to move and fire, trying to close in for accuracy or pull back for distance. They had not effect on the terrifying Chapter Master that refused to die or even be injured unless it was caused by exploding the trapped power of a star!
The few left were most assuredly doomed, and teleported to their chambers deep beneath the planets crust or to another world. Their destination may be unknown for now, but the Deathwing held the field. With the Necron’s Foothold denied, perhaps a respite from them would be possible, allowing Imperial forces to deal with the other Xenos attacks and the dark rumours of Chaos?
The game was a Tie! 6 to 6. This game was designed to stress test the Steady rule on mass fielded Cyclone Launchers and Stormbolters. The Deathwing death ball was over 2600 points and performed as we had hoped. Steady is effective, but only a handful of Chapter specific veteran Terminator units can push the limit like this. Also tested was the new Tesseract Vault powers, and they performed perfectly!
Alternate 40k Rules 