Hero of the Imperium

 When they announced the return of Commissar Yarrick it was fairly obvious at some point the model would be mone. What Guard army is complete without him?

He's awesome and I its not the guards thing but every now having a proper string character is wonderful  (Not you Lord Solar!).

Anyway I digress,  I picked up the model and build primed and painted him suoer fast. 

Here he is!

I am so happy with how he came out. A worthy edition to my army. 

Been a while!

Wow it has been a while since I updated my blog!

Damn well a fair bits happened so I will try and cover it over a few posts. 

First up  

Sisters of Silence Vigilators 

These came with the other sisters of silence i mentioned in another blog post.  The first lot were quite awkward to put together so these for our away to I was brave enough to try again. I sought some advice and used gel superglue and this made the world of difference.  So much easier, painted up and here's what they look like

They have turned out quite well and match my armies colour scheme also.  

Looking forward to supplementing my Custodes with these Warriors. 

Brand New Guard Units being released.

 So as well as a new edition of 40k we get more guard stuff! First up the Centaur

Looks cool almost exactly.like a ww2 half track hmm?? Not sure I will get one as I dont tend to use transports for my guard as they seem to die early. 

Next is the Hippogriff AFV

I really like this. Should provide a nice cheaper bit of armour than having to always choose a Sentinel. 

Now a new Commissar has arrived on foot or in her own vehicle 

As poor hammer podcast said, its the batmobile! Not for me thank you.

Announced before the preview but I'll put it in here

Its only old Bale eye!!! I need this model i have been whinging  for ages Guard have no good special characters (the 2 dudes on horses don't count they suck) since Yarrick and Colonel Iron Hand Stracken went away. Now we have Yarrick back ready to go.  This model shall be mine eventually. 

Some nice additions.  I wish they would do more regiments but the business side of that a argument  I can understand. The easy way paint either radiant or krieg your way and make your own regiment. 

40k 11th Edition

 

Well the worst kept secret has been revealed at Adepticon. A new edition of 40k is coming. Lots of new stuff to see and learn it seems. Nothing much revealed about the box it seems other than images of a new space marine intercessor and ork boy.

They are both ok in my opinion.  Space marines will.all look the same they have been done over and over again. Not much different you can do.i imagine. 

Its nice to see the ork having all the guns and a choppa as a proper ork would have. 

As for rule.chamges again all little bits of info have been let out. Sone nice person on Reddit put them together in a handy list!

So let's have a look . Codexes are still valid, good if you have spent a load of cash on one. Bad if your codex ain't great. Does mean not as good codexes will not be getting changes just yet. I do not have the experience playing to comment on what's a good codex and what's not so no deep dive there I am afraid. 

70 new detachments. That sounds a lot but split across the factions its probably 2 or 3 new ones for each faction.  

Now we will be able to combine detachments? I'm not sure how this works maybe my tanks can have an armoured  detachment while my infantry gets a more infantry specific detachment. Could work as long as it does not get to confusing.

As you will know with me narrative play beats tournament play every time! Having missions linked to detachments seems interesting. A fast moving detachment for a quick recon or smash and grab.  A heavier hitting detachment  for a take and Hold type mission. 

Round objective markers are off (typical just as I buy some!!!). Replaced by terrain....now this could be really great and thematic or just rectangle and square footprints. Im hoping for terrain or rules for you to use terrain. 

Benefit of cover changing to hit roll makes sense (my poor guardsmen will now be worse shots). Intriguing is the stay hidden rule that supposedly coming in. If you dont shoot you can't be shot at until they are within 15" of you. Guess this edition will be the melee edition!! 

No stacking of strats well I never remember them any way so I am safe there.  

The charge change is a nice boost to charging units so will be fun to see that in action. 

Well thats it , we shall all have to await the slow drip feed of previews and see what's what. 

Outpost 64

The Adeptus Sororitas have taken an outpost on the edge of Phalona Prine as a start of the operation into Phalona Prime, the planet capital.

The outpost fell quickly, the Lion Warriors saw an opportunity for a counter attack to help the beleagured Phalonians. 

The mission was unexploded ordinance so we had to drag the objective markers into the opponents deploynent zone. 

The forces clashed quickly, the Sororitas melee units and armoured vehicles closed quickly with the on coming space marines. 

What followed can only be described as the worst dice rolling ever. 

Initially the space marines had success virtually wiping out a squad  of battle sisters.  After that  their aim was off  for the rest of the game. 

The Sororitas paragon warsuits laid waste to many space marines . In the centre the my captain in gracis armour and his aggressor squad was killed before they even got to do anything meaningful. 

Then the death watch made an appearance!! Who knows what they are looking for!

Absolute show of power by the Sisters of Battle, I had more units to use but time was running out and the mission went I wasn't going to score anything to win so the space marines retreated. 

Phalona Reach VP total for Victory: 1000

Phalona Reach Defence Forces: 387

Ultramarines : 372

The Lion Warriors boarded their transports. Heads hung in shame. Cpt Krenal watched the last of his brothers board the craft. The Chapter master would not be impressed. This world was becoming a curse on their chapter. 

 Battle Barge Vigilant Nemesis 

A Shadow cast over a giant of a man, he sat in his throne grim faced. The hall of the Battle Barge was largely empty. After the latest contact from Phalona Reach Chapter Master K'narn had retreated to his throne. Only his personal guard and a few servitors running routine maintenance were present. 

The chapter master stared into the emptiness . After an hour he suddenly moved and made for the bridge. His personal guard snapped to attention and followed. 

The bridge was the opposite of the hall, full and bustling with activity. Everyone stopped when K'narn entered. 

“Back to work!. Bring me the reports from Phalona Reach” he barked. 

A bridge officer handed him several data slates. K'narn studied them closely. 

Officers and space marines on the deck waited . They hadn't seen the chapter master like this before. After what seemed like an eternity K'narn laid the data slates down.  

“Put me through to Cpt Krenal. “ 

After a brief pause Cpt Krenal voice echoed across the Vox  

“Chapter Master. I have failed you”

“Cpt Krenal we will discuss that later. What is your assessment of Phalona Reach at this time? I have read the data slates and I have my own opinion but you are on the ground. “

A moment of silence followed silence filled the bridge

“Our losses have been catastrophic. The Ultramarines arriving and backing up the Adeptus Sororitas was an unforeseen complication. Reports are that the returning son Gullimann is also in the System now”

The chapter master nodded,

“Yes it does appear Phalona Reach has garnered more attention than we had accounted for. It is time, we will start the withdrawal. It is a shame Phalona Reach could not have been kept as a recruiting world but we must take what stock we have and leave. “

The vox crackled…

“Captain?” Chapter Master K'narn snapped impatiently 

“Master, I am uneasy about leaving the Phalonians.”

A power armoured fist slammed on to the bridge throne, the human serfs jumped at the sudden sound.

“This world is doomed! Would you doom our chapter? You may offer assistance while we withdraw but Captain you will be on those transports leaving. You have failed me enough times “

“it will be done”.

The chapter master took one look at Phalona Reach and cursed under his breath. 

Phalona Reach Command

Governor Snarpe saw the vox light up,  

“Captain Krenal to Governer Snarpe. I have some.bad news”

The Governor smiled, currently all news was bad news. 

The smoke over the Phalonan outpost did not rise; it drifted in heavy, greasy ribbons, hugging the shattered remains of the bastion walls. The air was a thick slurry of ozone and the coppery tang of high-velocity impact.

Canoness Angelica moved through the carnage with the slow, deliberate gait of a predator that had already feasted. Her power armor, once a pristine ivory, was now a tapestry of soot and the bright, spray-patterned yellow of the Lion Warriors’ heraldry. She didn't holster her plasma pistol; the coils still throbbed with a fading turquoise heat, a rhythmic heartbeat of contained miniature suns.

Around her, the field was a morbid hive of activity. Sister Initiates, their robes tucked into their belts to avoid the gore, moved like ghosts through the wreckage. They worked in silence, a sharp contrast to the ecstatic, melodic chanting of the Living Saint. High above, the Saint drifted on wings of pure, blinding light, a golden icon of the Emperor’s wrath made manifest. Her presence turned the battlefield into a cathedral; where her shadow passed, the Sisters of the Order fell into a rhythmic praise-song, their voices rising in a soaring polyphony that celebrated both the Master of Mankind and the cold genius of the Primarch’s strategy.

"His blood for our life," an Initiate whispered nearby.

Angelica stopped as she reached a cluster of fallen Astartes. These were the Lion Warriors—traitors who had traded their loyalty to the Throne for the hollow promises of the rebels. Their yellow plate was cracked, scorched by melta-fire and bolter rounds. A Sister Hospitaller knelt over a wounded Loyalist, her Narthecium whirring as she performed the grim alchemy of battlefield medicine. Beside her, another Sister performed a different rite. She stood over a Lion Warrior whose chest cavity had been hollowed out by a krak grenade. With a prayer that sounded more like a sentence, she delivered the Emperor’s Peace with a sharp, vertical strike of a combat blade, ensuring the traitor’s soul was sent to the Judgement he deserved.

"Record him," Angelica commanded, her voice raspy from shouting orders through a vox-grille.

The second Initiate stepped forward, the Tome of the Lost cradled in her arms. The heavy vellum pages flipped in the wind of a passing gunship. With a quill made from the feather of a cyber-eagle, she scratched a name into the margin—not of the traitor, but of the Sister who had fallen taking him down.

"Canoness," a voice grated, cutting through the Saint’s holy chorus.

Angelica turned. Standing near a matte-black Inquisitorial Rhino—its engines humming a low, predatory growl—was a figure of shadow and silver. A Deathwatch Lieutenant. His armor was a patchwork of ancient marks, the silver left arm gleaming with the etched icons of the Ordo Xenos.

He reached up, the magnetic seals of his helmet popping with a sharp, pressurized hiss. As the helm came away, a face of rugged, scarred granite was revealed. He looked less like a soldier and more like a cliffside worn down by centuries of salt and storm. One corner of his mouth hitched upward, pulling at a jagged scar that ran from his jaw to his temple.

"Congratulations on your victory, Canoness," the Lieutenant said, his voice a low rumble that seemed to come from his boots. "A fine display of purging. Though, I must admit, I’d hoped our quarry would have been found among this particular pile of scrap."

Angelica reached up and disengaged her own seals. She pulled her helmet free, and a cascade of shock-white hair spilled over her pauldrons, framing a face that was youthful in features but ancient in the eyes. She took a deep breath of the acrid air, her sharp gaze immediately locking onto the silver crux on his shoulder and the specific, notched insignia of his rank.

"Lieutenant," she said, her voice steady and demanding. "The air is still thick with the ashes of my Sisters. If the Deathwatch has seen fit to shadow our advance, I would know the price of your presence. Who, precisely, is your target?"

The Lieutenant’s smile widened, though it remained a fearsome mask of old wounds. He leaned back against the warm hull of the Rhino, the Inquisitorial "I" glowing a faint, menacing red behind him.

"A shadow, Canoness. A ghost in the machine who has been feeding the Lion Warriors more than just tactical data. We tracked a signal—a high-level heretic cipher—to this outpost. Someone was coordinating the retreat before your Saint turned the sky into a furnace."

"And who is he?"

The Lieutenant didn't answer he just turned his head in the direction of the retreating Lion Warriors, his eyes narrowed

Angelica nodded at the silent marine "Then we shall hunt him, ghost or not"

Phalona Reach the Push for the City

 

The battle for Phalona Reach continues! Though I forgot to take pictures again!!

The Ultramarines tried an armoured punch to break through into Phalona Prime. They were met by Phalonas own armoured might. 

The battle started with a fast thrust from the  Ultramarines down the centre of the board. Magneus Calgar lead a charge of  blade guard into a squad of guardsman, predictably they were cut down but crucially they held up the marines.  My ogryns swept in and uneashed a hail of fire before charging in. Ultramarines fell to the Ogryns leaving only Calgar and one other left but Calgar isnt the chapter master of the Ultramarines for nothing. He slaughtered the ogryns leaving just the Commisar leading them alive. Meanwhile the Cerastus knight Lancer that pushed forward alongside Calgar was my no 1 target. 3 Rogal Dorns targeted the knight and brought it down in one turn! Then it exploded! Causing 8 mortal wounds to the 2 Land Raiders . 

This loss hit the Ultramarines hard, terminators teleported in and got out of the surviving Lamd Raider. My Gaunts ghosts aka Phalona team 1 were destroyed  by the terminators after they took my opponents objective in deployment zone. 

My infantry pushed forward along with reserves coming on . The one Rogal Dorn came face to face with the chapter master of the Ultramarines.  Everything it had went Into Calgar and took him out (I love the oppressor camera). The 2 land raiders were took out as well cutting off the Ultramarines from using the transport for rapid changes of location. 

After this my opponent conceded the game. His remaining forces would struggle to take objectives off me and I still had 3 Rogal Dorns that could pound him from range. 

.it was a fun game, when I saw the knight and 2 Land Raiders being set up i had a deep sense of foreboding but the knight blowing up and stripping 8 wounds of each land raider was a huge stroke of luck! 

Phalona Reach VP total for Victory: 1000

Phalona Reach Defence Forces: 372

Ultramarines :353

The hololithic display flickered as new data-streams bled into the projection, the ghostly blue light warping and reforming into a fresh vision of the battlefield. Icons shifted, some dimming, others vanishing entirely—extinguished like candles in a storm. The aftermath of the recent engagement was laid bare in cold, clinical detail. Roboute Guilliman stood unmoving for a long moment, one gauntleted hand hovering over the display. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, he began to adjust the formations. Entire companies slid across the map at his command, their new positions forming a lattice of containment rather than conquest.

“The fault is mine.”

The words were quiet, but they carried the weight of a thunderclap. Canoness Angelica did not immediately respond. She watched as a cluster of icons—representing the armoured spearhead—flickered uncertainly.

“The engagement was lost the moment I permitted overextension,” Guilliman continued, his voice measured, but edged with iron. “I anticipated a faltering line. Instead, the enemy committed fully. I did not account for the resolve of the Phalonan regiments.”

His hand passed through the projection. A towering sigil—once denoting the proud engine of a Cerastus Knight—glitched, fractured, and then vanished entirely.

“The destruction of the Knight Lancer broke the cohesion of the advance. Its demise was… spectacular.”

For a fraction of a second, something almost human crossed his features—regret, sharpened into frustration.

“Chain-reaction damage crippled both Land Raiders. A single point of failure cascaded into systemic collapse. It is a flaw I should have foreseen.”

Angelica stepped forward slightly, her armour whispering against itself.

“My Lord, the Sisters who witnessed the detonation described it as apocalyptic. No mortal commander—”

“I am not a mortal commander.”

The interruption was not harsh—but absolute. Silence settled between them, filled only by the low hum of the ship and the distant echo of the Chant. Guilliman exhaled slowly, the sound controlled, deliberate.

“That is precisely why the error is unacceptable.”

He resumed his work, more quickly now. Surviving Ultramarine elements—proud warriors of the Ultramarines—were redrawn into tighter formations, forming interlocking fields of fire. Retreat vectors became defensive bastions. What had been a failed thrust was reshaped into a shield.

“The Phalonan Astra Militarum have overextended in their success,” Guilliman said, his tone cooling into pure strategy. “Victory breeds carelessness as often as defeat breeds hesitation.”

He isolated a region of the map. A small outpost pulsed faintly at the edge of the contested zone, its defensive perimeter thin, supply lines stretched and poorly supported.

“Their advance has created a void.”

His massive finger descended, enlarging the projection. The outpost expanded into sharp relief—bastion walls, ammunition depots, vox arrays—all suddenly vulnerable in their isolation. Angelica followed his gaze, her eyes narrowing as she assessed the target. She could already see it—the approach vectors, the angles of assault, the hymns that would be sung as her Sisters advanced through fire. Guilliman’s eyes lifted from the hololith and met hers across the table. For a moment, the vast chamber seemed to contract around that single point of focus—Primarch and Canoness, reason and faith, united in purpose.

“Here,” he said, his voice once more that of the Lord Commander, absolute and unyielding. “Is your next target, Canoness.”

The image of the outpost hovered between them, bathed in cold blue light—waiting. Angelica stepped forward, the glow reflecting in the polished surfaces of her armour. The names within the Tome of the Lost seemed to weigh heavier at her side, as if the fallen themselves bore witness to the moment. She brought her fist to her chest in a crisp, reverent salute.

“It shall be done, my Lord.”

The words rang with conviction—unyielding, unquestioning. And in the shifting light of the hololith, the next battle had already begun.

Phalona Reach

The static metallic tang held in the air, unreal energies from the Knights reactor explosion still lingered on the breeze. Commander Cowley stood in his Rogal Dorns turret surviving the battlefield through his amplivisor. Even in defeat the Ultramarines were dangerous. The stroke of luck was the knight exploding, shattering the main assault of the ultramarines. 

They had surged forward like a tidal wave. The knight strode with purpose, a wicked looking spear held ready to impale any armour it got close to. A land raider accompanied the knight. 

Commander Cowley remembered the frantic orders over the Vox and the disbelief when the knight exploded. The zealous requests to pursue the Ultramarines but he knew better than to try and run down space marines. He held the forces in check. Only Phalona team 1 disobeyed that order and they paid the price……

In the command centre several officers were slapping each other on the back at the victory they watched on their holo table. General Laricon stood off to one side, 

“Fools…..” He muttered to himself. The officers were plotting a grand strategy to take to the governor. Laricon noticed a weak spot in the lines caused by the advance. A position left exposed. He scratched his beard, he took out a data slate and wrote orders to try and reinforce the post but it was a matter of timing. Would they get there to help or clear the bodies?

He left the officers to their grand schemes. He dealt with reality and she was a harsh mistress  

.

Adeptus Custodes. The Story so far

 

As I have mentioned on an earlier post I have started collecting Adeptus Custodes. Over the past few months I have been collecting mostly second hand models  and I have around 1000pts now. 

I have 

Trajann Valoris

I bought him already painted. I have added a few little touches but he's pretty much as is. Quite excited to have a proper epic heroes that can kill many things (I know there are many heroes like this for Space Marines but when you run your own chapter not so many unless you use another characters stats. Which I have done to be fair).

Next up is

Allarus Terminators

The pics have had a filter added to try and brighten the pic bur hopefully you can see the paint job. I have painted these, they came undercoated black so I had to use the slap chop method. I am quite happy how they have turned out.

Blade Champion

This guy was going to be my leader till I decided to buy Trajann. he will be the only chap in my army with swords. I know the Guardians and wardens can have swords but honestly the axes and spears are much cooler. 

Custodian Wardens

These guys will accompanying Trajann around the battlefield. I love the axes!

Custodian Guard

These guys did not get the fancy filter treatment. I have this squad done and painted and a box of new ones that I need to make up this week. 

Weird having so few miniatures for 1000pts, can you imagine how many tanks and infantry my guard can have for 1000pts. Painting them was a new experience as well, the easy answer is just paint them with gold spray. You would be amazed how many of these miniatures are on Troll trader and second hand sites undercoated that exact way! That put me off as I wouldn't know where to start from a metallic gold undercoat. So I started my usual white primed and went from there. I went with Glittering Loot from the Army painter speed paint metallic range as the main gold.  i tried to pick out a few details like the red eyes and some silver pipe work on the armour. The models with capes and robes were slightly more easier to make something pop out. Then after the gold I covered them in Army painter Dark Shade. Which was then dabbed ( I quickly learned not to wipe!) off with a new piece of kit make up egg sponges!

After the dabbing I added a dry brush of a Stormhost Silver from the Citadel colours range. I was going to go with a lighter gold but my cousin Adam whose painting skills are ridiculous! suggested a light silver. 

After that just the bases and all done! The terminators are on different bases to my usual style because  I forgot to base them........yep so I used some Strickland Mud paint from Citadel colours to texture the base. After that i added some flock. 

What's next?

Well I need a cheap unit to hold the back field so my Custodes can go kill many many things. so some Sister of Silence seem like a good idea. We shall see what the second hand market offers up in the next few months. 

Both sides take a breath on Phalona Reach

 

Been a bit of a gap between our Phalona Reach Campaign. Don't worry we haven't forgot and the fate of Phalona Reach all be decided.  We have played a couple of 40k games using the mission deck (don't ask me which one ha ha ha I'm pretty sure it's the basic one) and seem to have got the hang of it. So we will use these for a good chunk of the games. I really enjoyed my missions and ideas for the victory points but they need more testing and ideas. There definitely still will be some home made missions but might chuck the GW secondary missions as another way of scoring VP. If each game can net us between 50 to 70 pts that should keep the overall total  ticking along nicely.    

To this end Matt has written a short story as a certain character of his just recently got a promotion and his own campaign.  I have added a short story from the Phalonians perspective.  I have the Matts story in this post but I would urge you to visit his page and have a look at the plethora  of stories he has written! Check it out here. 

The Weight of the War

The ramp of the Ecclesiastical lander hissed open, releasing a cloud of pressurized steam that swirled into the cavernous hangar of the Ultramarines' Battle Barge. Canoness Angelica stepped onto the deck plating, her every footfall ringing with the weight of her power armour. Behind her, two initiate attendants followed in a rhythmic, practiced cadence. The first carried her golden battle helm, a scarred relic recovered from the smouldering ruins of her Order’s Monastery. The second bore The Sacred Tome of the Lost, an immense, gold-chased volume whose vellum pages held the names of every Sister of the Adepta Sororitas martyred in the gruelling war on Phalona

The air aboard the vessel was a suffocating, holy miasma, a "soup" of cloying incense, melting candle wax, acrid promethium exhaust, and the sharp, metallic tang of sacred machine oils. It was the scent of a crusade. The soundscape was equally overwhelming, the Roar. Sub-orbital craft and heavy ground transports thundered across the deck, their engines vibrating in Angelica’s chest. The Chant, the rhythmic, binary-heavy canticles of a hundred Tech-Priests rose in a constant drone, attempting to soothe the machine spirits of the war-engines. Angelica felt a flicker of unease. The war on the surface had ground into a bloody stalemate, with both the Imperial forces and the Rebel insurgents pulling back to lick their wounds. With Lieutenant Titus, the stalwart bridge between their forces, unexpectedly recalled to Macragge by the Primarch’s decree, she found herself navigating a political and tactical vacuum.

The Resilient Heart

A chapter serf, clad in the pristine white and cobalt robes of the Sons of Guilliman, bowed low and began to lead them into the ship's guts. They moved past the bustling Stratagium, where she had once seen Titus hunched over tactical displays, and ascended into the command tiers. Here, the industrial roar faded into a heavy, oppressive silence. The architecture shifted from military utility to Gothic splendour—vaulted ceilings draped in tattered battle standards and marble pillars inscribed with the Codex Astartes. They finally reached a set of towering golden doors, guarded by the Victrix Guard. These elite warriors, statuesque in their ornate plate, offered a silent, respectful nod to the Canoness as the massive locks released with a series of rhythmic, hydraulic clacks.

The doors swung wide to reveal a grand observation chamber dominated by a massive hololithic projection of the Phalona system. In the centre stood a figure that defied the natural order. Roboute Guilliman, the Lord Commander of the Imperium, stood over the table. His towering form, encased in the Armour of Fate, made the Primaris Marines nearby look like children. As the doors closed, the Primarch turned. His movements were a paradoxical blend of ancient authority and cultured refinement, carrying across the room with effortless power. The heavy boots of the Victrix Guard remained motionless as Angelica passed, their presence like statues carved from cobalt and gold. As the massive doors hissed shut behind her the low, rhythmic thrum of the Battle Barge’s warp drive and the frantic clicking of data-slates were replaced by low muttering voices of strategy and logistics.

The chamber was vast, a cathedral of logic and logistics. Shafts of pale light filtered through stained-glass viewports, casting long, multi-coloured shadows across the marble floor. In the centre of the room, the hololithic projection cast a ghostly blue glow upward, illuminating the face of the Avenging Son. Roboute Guilliman did not look up immediately. He moved a massive, armoured hand through the flickering light of the hololith, shifting troop icons with the grace of a musician. Even without his helm, he radiated an aura of such sheer, crushing authority that Angelica felt the breath hitch in her throat.

"Canoness, welcome, you find the air of my ship a bit thick?" Guilliman asked, his voice a deep baritone that seemed to vibrate in the very marrow of her bones. He finally turned, his eyes, ancient and weary, yet burning with an intellect that moved faster than any mortal mind, settling on her.

"It is the scent of duty, Lord Commander," Angelica replied, her voice steadying as she found her resolve. "It is not unlike the incense of the Cloister, merely... more industrial."

Now I had to make a short story from my side, just be warned my writing skills are much less than Matts.

“Are these confirmed” Governor Xavier Snarpe waved his hand over 2 data slates he had just read.

“Not 100 % Governor, Vox intercepts can be unreliable but the tech priests say the degree of certainty is within acceptable limits. “ his aide said as he picked up the data slates clearing the holo map projector. 

Snarpe lost in thought noticed the movement and snapped back to reality, he activated the holo map. The reds and blues showing enemy forces and friendly forces looked the most stable they had been in a long time. Both sides had stopped and pulled back from fighting to reorganise and re-arm. He smirked, they had not expected this from just one planet. Phalona Reach had given the Imperium a bloody nose at the very least. 

“Gather the commanders please” 

The room was filled with generals and other officers all scanning copies of the data slates he had been reading minutes before . Their faces expressionless as they digested the new information. Some carried injuries sustained in Phalona Reach's struggle for independence but all knew what they had signed onto before this whole thing had started. Not much would surprise them. 

“Governor, this is not ideal, “ General Laricon said. His grim features showed a young man aged by what he had seen not by any natural process. 

Snarpe snorted a laugh down at the General's dry response,

“No General, it's far from ideal. I feel we should take it as a compliment. Our little planet has caused such a nuisance that the Commander of the Imperium has stopped by to put us in our place. “

That drew a laugh from the assembled officers. The slates contained intercepted vox traffic saying Roboute Gulliman Primarch of the Ultramarines and Commander of the Imperium had arrived in System. 

“I believe the end game is closing. It seems we have made to much of a nuisance of ourselves. I was hoping for a defence against an imperial General and after a bloody nose they leave us alone to avoid anyone knowing their shame. Rotten luck to have Astartes in the area at the start. The Adeptus Sororitas have been a constant needle and Marshall Drevals obsession did nothing to help our

cause. 

I will try and draw the battle to here Phalona Prime . I believe that is what Roboute will ask of the Adeptus Sororitas and Ultramarines. Cut the head and the snake will die. “ Snarpe looked round the room and swelled with pride. Non of his commanders looked frightened just determined. 

“The defence of Phalona Prime will be priority. Start to move your forces into the city. They want the head of the snake well they will have to work for it” 

murmurs of ascent rumbled through the assembled officers.  

“Right get to it. Send Dutch and Lt Dimitriv in please as you go out”

Snarpe sat down in his chair as the generals filed out talking strategy. Barging through the last few officers leaving a burly man in combat gear and smoking a cigar .

“You requested my presence . “ Dutch said a permanent look of boredom on his face.

“You have a prisoner from a skirmish on the city limits. “ Snarpe enquired

“Yes she was awaiting meeting your esteemed self. “ Dutch followed this with a small fake bow

“Quite. I need you to take her to the edge of our lines and release her. “

Dutch looked shocked

Snarpe pleased he had managed to break the soldiers wall of indifference.

“Yes, I am not full of vengeance like Marshall Dreval was and I have no need of her. There will be no negotiations for which a hostage would be useful. “

Dutch saluted, “Your wish is my command” he walked out the door as loudly as possible it seemed. 

In comparison a smaller man marched in and stood at attention.

“Lt Dimitriv reporting for duty!”

“Ah Lieutenant, I was reading a report about how you held your ground against the enemy with honour and skill.”

The Lieutenant looked shocked that a commander had actually read a report of bis. 

“I have a special mission for you. In sector 23 there is a column of vehicles assembling. They will need you and your unit to lead them to these coordinates.” Snarpe slid a data slate over the Lt Dimitriv. “Where you will hand over the cargo to our mysterious allies the Lion Warriors. After the cargo has been transferred you're free to return here and aid the defence or form a guerilla unit and disappear somewhere to strike at the enemies rear.” 

Lt Dimitriv started to stammer out words before visibly taking a large breath to calm him self. 

“Yes cpmmander . I will do as you ask” he saluted and took the data slate . He marched out the room.

Snarpe leaned back, he could feel the command level start to pulse with activity, he had been distance from the fighting for to long. Now he would lead his people.

 Already blue dots on the holo map started to move back towards Phalona Prime. Snarpe nodded with satisfaction. 

A few hours later, 

2 figures marched through a wooded area. One a tall male smoking a cigar the other a woman of smaller statue but burning with a defence that could not be tamed. Ropes held her wrists securely as they walked. She scowled at the man as he lead her . 

“Why didn't you just shoot me here or back in the city in front of the rest of the heretics?” the prisoner asked her words dripped with hate.

A deep chuckle came from Dutch

“Oh we have a special surprise planned for you.” 

After ten more minutes Dutch stopped, the prisoner looked around, a hint of nervousness passed over her face. She was clearly struggling to read Dutch and his intentions. 

Dutch unsheathed his combat blade and approached the sister of battle. She did not shy back, her eyes burned with hatred. 

“I am not afraid to die, I go to the emperor with a song in my heart knowing you heretics will burn .”

Dutch brandished the blade in front of the sisters face, a flicker of fear sparked inside her, before he moved inhumanly fast and slicing her bindings. 

“Well you won't be meeting the Emperor just yet. You wanna be heading that way” he pointed out into the woods away from the city they had walked from. 

“Now shoo “ he gave her a gentle push in the direction he had pointed and then walked away disappearing into the woods without a trace.  

The Adeptus Sororitas stood for a few minutes unsure of what to do before starting to walk the way she had been shown. 

A new 40k Project

 Another one I hear you say! Well yes, to add to my guard and space marines.  It's mainly due to one animation I saw while scrolling through FB (Cheeky FB page plug here). It's from a warhammer TV show called Tithes I believe.  The clip I watched portrays a Adeptus Custodes absolutely mulching some Tryanids. Their Guardian Spears are just awesome. 

Now I know it's another Imperium force but hear me out .

I looked at Chaos and I have never been that bothered by them but I thought Death Guard might be cool but I don't have an awful lot of room left so a small deadly elite force that can fit in one box is preferred.  Also have you seen the models,  the details? I don't have the skill for all that detail and would end up hating them. Tau again don't have the room for all those battlesuits! Tryanids and Orks are both horde and I absolutely have no more room for another horde army. If I did i would be an Ork player in a heart beat. 

The plan is to fill one easy plastic storage box A4 sized with the force. I reckon I could get just over a 1000pts in one box though GW not helping recently dropping the cost of a Custodes squad. Yeah won't be any vehicles in that but its mainly the infantry i like the look of.  

Yes these sound like famous last words  but I'm gonna try!

So far I have 4 custodian guard. 3 terminators and a shield champion. All second hand sound need a touch of work. Christmas is fast approaching so highly unlikely to have them painted soon. 

*Update* 

Got some wardens as well ! All built ans sand on the bases just awaiting an undercoat

Phalona Reach Campaign Update.

 

So we are quite a few games into the Phalona Reach campaign. I hope you have enjoyed it?

 Its been great fun to play even though I lose a lot. The addition of the Sisters of battle was mainly as my friend Matt wanted to give his Sisters a proper go as he plays Ultramarines a lot ( and I mean a lot! ha ha ha). The Lion Warriors made an appearance as I was bored of getting killed all the time and it was lovely to roll saving throws that I actually survive.

After one of our recent games we had a brief chat about how it was going and we think the way I chose how we earn VP is really costing me as a Guard player. 3 VP for character elimination and 2 VP for destroying a unit but the Guard rely on sacrificing units so puts me at a disadvantage ( Space Marines I think is just me being terrible at 40K) We could use the standard 40k missions and secondaries but we haven't really got the hang of them and keeping track of the scores. So maybe we will try in the future, for now we were going to look at super simple missions. e.g. One player defends a base the other is the attacker, simple job is to take the base. 

We also have the missions I wrote before the campaign started, I think maybe we got a bit carried away with our narrative ha ha ha and need to pull it back to sorting the details of the mission a bit more before we play while keeping the narrative at the fore front of the games as that is  the thing we love most about wargaming. We do have a habit of discussing the inside and outs of the rules when we sit down at the table.  Probably better that we get those all sorted  before we sit down to play then we can just crack on.  

I know if I had a xenos army (Tau are cool but they require way to much thougjt to play) as well as my guard Phalona Reach would have succumbed to the influence of the xeno's but I just have imperium forces. 

Lessons learned 

Don't go to big straight away. 1000VP may have been to ambitious.  If we used GW missions maybe it would be ok as people tend to end games with 50 to 60 VPs. 

 I'm thinking maybe in the new year we give the GW missions and secondary missions a game to see how we cope.  We could try a thing called Colosseum. It's from Play on Tabletop and is a 500pt  battle designed to be small and quicker. 

Don't just assume missions in your head.will always work . That's why people play test! 

So there we are. We are having fun which is the main thing and I hope.everyone is enjoying the fate of Phalona Reach being decided. 

If you have any suggestions or ideas feel free to drop a comment and let me know.

Sisters Revenge

 

After the "successful" rescue of Marshall Dreval.  It seems as the space marine forces retreated the Sisters wanted revenge and charged straight after them. 

2 small forces meet in battle!

The sisters advanced first  posing hard to hold the centre ground. The Space marine outriders and Stern Guard  were the targets of choice. Both units fell eventually to focused fire and charges. My Infernus marines held an objective but were killed trying to defend the objective. Sister of Battle tanks pushed the centre of the board and the Sisters took the middle objective.

With my left flank being overwhelmed I shifted to my right flank. A squad of 10 Intercessors pushed for the right objective. Against them was a squad of 10 battle sisters. Bolter fire was exchanged and the marines slayed 5 sisters in one volley. They charged in and spent  a turn or 2 wiping the unit out (Bleeding Imaginifier  giving them a 2+ armour save!)

Intercessors pile in!

My blade guard charged the Seraphim and Canoness to get revenge for the fallen Stern Guard. A whirling  melee over 2 turns occurred and due to some shocking rolls on my space marine captain  part he was killed easily by the Canoness

Started off so well.

I was left with one unit left! I pushed to get revenge on the Canoness. She had flew to the top of the building in the centre . My Intercessors levelled their bolt rifles and thanks to Target Elimination and Oath of Moment the Canoness and the last Seraphim had 36 saves to make!!! The fusillade was to much and she fell! that was the end of the battle. On VP points another victory for the Sisters.

Phalona Reach VP total for Victory: 1000

Phalona Reach Defence Forces: 326

Ultramarines :334

The apothecary and another marine brother dragged Captain Krenal away into the trees and the rest of the intercessors provided covering fire. The apothecary wasn't worried about imminent danger. The intercessors had managed to swat the enemy's leader out of the sky in a hail of bolter fire but this mission had failed, not even that victory could save it. The Phalonian Marshall was dead. Crushed beneath the tracks of the Adeptus Sororitas tank. The captain would not be happy when he recovered. 

Aboard the Lion Warrior Strike Cruiser Vigilant Wrath Captain Krenal winced at his injuries …..no he corrected himself more so the shame of failure. He had lost battle brothers and the mission objective. The chapter master would not be pleased. Krenal started to wonder if this world was worth the effort the chapter master was expending?

Governor Snarpe read the message showing no emotion. The Space marines confirmed Marshall Dreval has been killed in action. Run over by a frakking tank . Well he mused her hatred for the Sisters of Battle set a course that would lead to her death eventually.  

He realised his staff were waiting. 

“Toll the Bell of the Reach. Marshall Dreval has perished battling the enemy. Let it be known she stood and cut down many enemies of Phalona Reach before she was struck cowardly from behind! Her sacrifice will not be in vein ” 

Several members of staff noted things down on data slates and left the room.  

Xavier Snarpe  went back to the holo table. There was an awful lot of enemy signifiers all over the planet.. His world was burning in its fight for freedom. Phalona Reach must stay strong he thought.

​Canoness Angelica stood over the body, firmly waving away the Medicae Sister who approached her for the second time. The wound was unimportant; she had stopped the bleeding for now and she would deal with it properly when they returned to base. Right now, it was infinitely more important to ensure the escaped witch was truly dead.

​She gazed down at the shattered corpse. The recognizable features confirmed it beyond any doubt: it was her.

​Angelica dropped to one knee amidst the rubble and offered a silent, fervent prayer to the Divine Emperor for the deliverance of the wicked soul she had just dispatched. Reaching out, she detached the distinctive, identifying emblem from the foe's splintered breastplate, securing the trophy in her own pouch.

​Rising slowly, she turned to Sister Superior Cassian, who was organizing the final sweeps. Angelica simply nodded.

​"Ensure nothing is left. Burn everything," she commanded, her voice raw with fatigue.

​As the heavy wumph of a flamer began to sound in the background, consuming the evidence of the heretic’s hideout, Angelica walked toward the waiting transport. She climbed inside and sat down, resting properly for the first time in eighteen hours. Outside, the murmuring rhythm of the Sisters reciting the Litany of Purification rose to meet the roar of the cleansing flames.

Ambush!

Tonight's Battlefield

 Somewhere on Phalona

Dawn bled pale light across the ridgeline as the column of soldiers moved through the valley. From the treeline above, two figures crawled through pine needles and damp soil, a rifle dragging behind them like a second shadow. They had no orders to fire, not yet. There mission was simpler: watch, follow, and wait until waiting became death, they stopped the leader raised a pair of magnoculars to there face and carefully looked down at the valley, the column was just getting moving again, the troops forming up looked ragged and when the image zoomed in on the first armoured vehicle in line, a Leman Russ, the cogitator in the magnoculars picked out scarred hull plates indicating battle damage, the observer pressed a button on the side of the magnoculars and the images were beamed away to a nearby receiver, a few seconds later a voice sounded in the scout snipers ear "Data received, unit approaching strike point, maintain stealth observation, do not acknowledge this transmission"
As the transmission ended a small smile tugged at the corner of the scouts mouth, soon now, soon, as they watched the column unknowingly marching to it's doom.......

The column of troops trudged on through the valley.  2 Leman Russ tanks headed the column, the commander of the lead vehicle stood tall in his turret and watched the route ahead. Some younger soldiers in the column looked enviously at the tankers as fatigue made their feet feel like lead with each step. The veteran soldiers however knew the potential of tanks to turn into metal coffins in the blink of an eye.  They would take their chances outside where they can dive for cover.  

In a wooded area along the valley side a lone figure rested against a fallen log watching the column go past.  

“That idiot tank commander,  there's something out there watching us. Why won't he believe me? “ Dutch checked his pistol's action and started to shadow the Phalonian forces as they moved on.

Tonight's battle was an ambush Scenario. 

Ambush

2pts - Unit Destroyed

3pts - Character destroyed

2pts - Defender unit off board

3pts - Defender Character off board

The battle started with the Sisters of Battle launching the ambush with an Ultramarine orbital strike thanks to their victory in space.

The weary column of troops heading back from battle

The sisters of battle waiting for the right time to strike

Dutch is scouting ahead and he knows something isn't right

The forces engage. Sisters of Battle tanks move out of the tree line to block the way forward.  The armoured vehicles and walkers pounded each other. Dutch the hero of Phalona was spotted and blasted by melta guns, taken out the battle early on.

Ambush!

A Leman Russ tank succumbed to fire and was knocked out but the infantry pressed forward. Paragon war suits and Sisters of battle infantry made the battle close work.

Paragon Walkers get up close and personnel

Shooting raged between the two sides, the Paragon walkers charged the command squad. The command squad held up longer than I thought they would but they eventually fell to the sisters. 

Last stand of the command squad!

Sisters of battle infantry advance towards an infantry squad shooting. They return fire holding their ground.

The Phalona infantry go tank hunting

The Sisters of Battle Immolator has grenades thrown at it by the infantry and blows up. Celebrations were short lived as the paragon war suits have closed the distance.

The squad crumbles under the attack

The Phalona forces are under immense pressure and are taking heavy casualties. The Sisters infantry are dropping from sustained las fire though. Another infantry squad makes off into the woods away from the fighting. A Leman Russ Demolisher held out  as long as it could. Pulling forces towards it while the infantry tried to get away. The sisters of Battle lost their armoured vehicles and a Paragon war suit. 

  

A lone Phalonian trooper fights to the last

Infantry try to fall back from the unstoppable war suits.

The Paragon war suits finish off the infantry that had tried to fall back.  The Sisters of Battle are killed by the guns of the demolisher tank at close range. Which in turn dies to the war suits melta guns and that was the end of the game.

On the face of it the ambush was a success but at what cost? We counted this as a victory to the Phalonian Forces due to the casualties the ambush force took. The demolisher tank was the star holding the forces up so the infantry could escape. 

Phalona Reach VP total for Victory: 1000

Phalona Reach Defence Forces: 96

Ultramarines :161

“Get out of here! I will hold them here!”Davrio, the commander of Wrath of Phalona, the Leman Russ demolisher, shouted into the vox net. The inside of the tank was filled with smoke and noise. The crew shouting out targets, bullets clanging off the armour. 

“Received,  Phalona protect you” 

A sergeant took his finger of his ear and pointed to the North for his squad. They all looked relieved that they would not have to go back to the battle. The squad slipped away into the woods as the lone tank fought on.

Warning lights blinked and alarms sounded, Commander Davrio looked around the inside of the tank, the Demolishers driver lay dead in his seat, the loader clutched a stomach wound desperately trying to keep his insides in. Through the tanks' periscopes he could see the corpses and burning tanks. They had felt the wrath of Phalona! He spotted the walkers turning towards him and a bright flash of light. Suddenly the tank erupted in flames, Davrio scrambled for the handle of the hatch as the flames licked at his clothes and then bright light as the tank blew up sending the turret flying high into the sky.

Battle Barge Resilient

The darkness was absolute, formless, silent. She felt nothing suspended in this void unaware of how long she had been here, time was meaningless, she tried to recall how she arrived here but the more she tried to seek the memories the more they slipped from her grasp, eventually she became aware of movement in the pervasive darkness and a gentle pressure against her form, this triggered a sudden image to appear before her mind a young blonde girl, little more than a child sat cross legged upon the cold ground her hands preesed together in prayer prayer papers inscribed in both high gothic and phalonan script affixed to her crimson and black robes rustled gently as a breeze brushed her lithe form, the girls face was familiar but her identity remained frustratingly out of reach. An unknown amount of time later she became aware again of the movement the pressure returned, greater this time less a breeze than a gust of sudden wind and again a memory surfaced, the same blonde girl, now older in her late teens early twenties, her now athletic but voluptous form clad in dark armour with gold and silver ornament, high gothic script accros the pauldrons, frustratingly she knew she should be able to easily read the words but the meaning escaped her in her current state, she saw the armoured woman begin a series of exercises using both bolter and sword while watched by another before the image fades. Again an unknown time passed, again the movement in the void but this time was different, the wind hit her with a ferocity unknown before and was accompanied by a blazing golden light that banished the darkness in a single blazing instant at the centre of the light stood a single figure clad in

beautiful golden armour his elegant face framed by long dark hair his eyes blazed with golden light, but she knew though without doubt that he was gazing upon her when the figure spoke she felt his rich voice at the very core of her suddenly aching form "My child, your work is not yet done, go back, your sisters need you yet" the voice echoed, it was the voice of her father, her brother, her first lover, her teacher Cort all the voices taken from her past, tears streaked her face as she nodded her suddenly heavy head at the words a small smile twitches the corner of the golden mans mouth as the light begins to fade.

     With a gasp Canoness Angelica bolts upright in bed the lights in the Resilients apothacarium dimmed by the ships night cycle, the beeps of the health monitors attached to her becoming almost a continous tone before dropping back to there more normal rhythm she turned her head, her aching neck protesting, to see Sister Superior Khalan in her robes clutching her aquila amulet as she sleeps in a chair next to her bed, her full lips moving silently as she recites a prayer in her sleep, she looks around and sees sister Liliana sat in a chair, still in her armour undersuit her right arm in a heavy cast a medicae surf finishes giving her an injection and moves off down to another bed in the ward, Liliana rose in rush and stepped up beside her bed gasping out "Emperor be praised!!" clutching her aquila with her good hand "Canoness, we feared you would never wake" Khalan's eyes opened as she woke a smile formed on her lips before shifting to astonishment "Sister, your hair!!" Her hand reached out and touched Angelica's previously shining blonde hair which had miraculously to white. Khalan gathered herself and reached into a pocket in her robes and withdrew a set of blooded militarium holotags which she set in Angelica's open palm, she read the name upon them, Lieutenant Kranor "It cost us more than we would have liked but we exacted The Emperor's justice upon the traitors that destroyed our home and murdered our sisters" Angelica turned the tags over in her palm, her vision rose in her minds eye momentarily before she closed her fist on the blooded tags, her purpose renewed before she spoke "Tell me all that has happened while I was absent, omit nothing" so Khalan began to talk.......