Week 10 of the Aftermath Campaign: The Battle for Karsonis

'Curse that Typhus!'

The concussion from the exploding torpedo's ripped through the starboard launch bays of the Contagion. Klaxons began going off throughtout the Retaliator Class Grand Cruiser as she groaned under the relentless pounding she was receiving from Inquisitor Fortez's fleet.

"Commander, the starboard launch bays are venting atomsphere" said one of the bridge engineers. "The servitors are reporting extensive damage to the hanger decks as well. They advise not allowing the fighter wings to land on it."

'If the Terminus Est doesn't show up soon, I don't think there will be any escort left for him to command' thought Encephalatitius as he worked his way through the wreckage and smoke filled bridge of his ship.

"Helmsman......bring us about so our fighters can double up and use the port landing bays. I want those birds back on board immediately!" growled Encephalatitus.

"Aye, aye sir." Replied the officer.

"Send word to the Doomblight and Filthbringer to bring their fighter squadrons back as well" barked Encephalatitus. "As soon as all of our birds have safely landed, I want the fleet to disengage and head back to the Alpha site."

'We can't take too much more of this' he thought as he stood there surveying the damage reports coming in from all of the ships in the fleet. 'IF the Terminus Est doesn't show up soon, this system will slip firmly into the control of the Imperium, and we won't be able to do anything about it.'

'Typhus better show up soon.'

2000pt Planet Strike: 'Deffwing vs Plaguewing

The set-up for this battle will be: Planetstrike, with three objectives.

This is a battle being fought and recorded for the online Warhammer 40K online Aftermath campaign.

The forces taking place in this battle are:

Ork 'Deffwing:
Mega Nobz squad with Warboss and Battlewagon (645 pts)
Mega Nobz squad with Warboss and Battlewagon (645 pts)
Mega Nobz squad with Grotsnik and War Truck(375 pts)
Forgeworkd Mega Dread (205 pts)
Forgeworkd Mega Dread (205 pts)
Total: 2045 pts

Plaguewing:
Chaos Lord: Typhus (225 pts)
Chaos Lord: Encephalatitus (175 pts)
Greater "lesser" Daemon (100 pts)
Plaguewing Terminator Squad (330 pts)
Plaguewing Terminator Squad (300 pts)
Plaguewing Terminator Squad (300 pts)
2 man Nurgle Obliterator Squad (150 pts)
2 man Nurgle Obliterator Squad (150 pts)
Lesser Daemon squad (91 pts)
Lesser Daemon squad (91 pts)
Lesser Daemon squad (91 pts)
Total: 2003 pts

*Special Rules:
As per outlined in the Planet Strike codex.


The 'Deffwing player is the attacker, so he will go first.



Turn 1:



The 'Deffwing unleash seven barages of "Firestorm" missile strikes to cover their initial advance. With the two battlewagons full of Nobz in Mega Armour pushing towards the center objective, the Wartrukk with Grotsnik races up the left flank towards the second objective.

Knowing full well that my lone Plaguewing squad could not hold the center objective against the tide of Mega Nobz headed their way, I summoned the "lesser" GUO and "lesser" lesser daemons to help bolster their defense.

Turn 2:



Lol...the speed bump that I summoned to throw in front of the Mega Nobz was just that....a speed bump. The "lesser" daemons were wiped out within 1 round of combat. It was time to see what the Plaguewing and GUO could do.

Turn 3:



The battle for the center objective comes to a close with the GUO and Plaguewing being wiped out as well. There was a silver lining to the loss of the center objective. One of the squads of Nobz in Mega Armour was forced to flee after failing a morale test when they were taken below 50%.

On the left flank, the trukk carrying Grotsnik and his retinue of Nobz in Mega Armour was destroyed, forcing them to have to advance (slowly) on foot. The two Ork Mega Dreads that were supporting Grotsnik relentlessly pounded away at Typhus and the Plaguewing squad that were defending the second objective.

Turn 4:



While the Orks consolidated and dug in to protect and hold the center objective, Typhus and the Plaguewing squad race out and assault Grotsnik. After an intense but brief fight, Grotsnik and his Nobz are defeated. Typhus and the terminators prepare to go after the Mega Dreads.

Since the third objective was not under any threat of being captured, Encephalatitus and his accompanying Plaguewing squad had left the obliterators behind to guard the objective while they advanced towards the Mega Nobz holding the center objective.

Turn 5:



Typhus and his accompanying Plaguewing squad are able to destroy the Mega Dread they assaulted, and prepare to go after the last of the Mega Dreads.

Turn 6:



In a surprising victory, Encephalatitus and his Plaguewing squad were able to drive off the Mega nobz holding the center objective. The battle was brief but intense. Yet again, the Mega Nobz were forced to flee after failing a morale check.


Game ends with a Deathguard Victory: 3-0

Since this was our first attempt at playing Planet Strike, we naturally made a few mistakes. The one fairly major mistake we made was that the attacker declared his table edge before the objectives were placed. Since the defender gets to place all objectives, I naturally placed them all within heavily fortified buildings that were as far away from the Ork deployment as I could make them. If we would have placed the objectives before the Ork player picked his deployment zone, (as we should have) I really don't think the outcome would have been the same.

Hehehe.....do you know how terrifying it is to see 18 mega nobz and 2 warbosses closing in on a lone terminator squad. Those terms just don't seem all that tough anymore :)

Week 9 of the Aftermath Campaign: The Battle for Karsonis

'War makes strange bedfellows' thought the Lord Commander as he reviewed the astropaths message from Mortarion.

'To think I thought our Primarch was gettting weak for allowing a mere heretic, much less a follower of Tzeentch, to assume command of such a large assembly of Deathguard.' Laughing to himself, Encephalatitus couldn't help but be impressed with what the Deathguard had been able to accomplish during the past nine weeks. 'Not only have we created a permnant base of operation within this sector on Ignus, but we have also been successful in turning the planet of Flamberg into a Daemon World.'

'But now this?!?'

"Commander....?"

The voice brought the Lord Commander out of his thoughts and back to the message from their Primarch.

"Commander, what are your orders?"

"Inform our brothers that our Primarch is quite pleased with our recent success" said Encephalatitus. "Mortarion has now commanded that we proceed to the Karsonis System and await the arrival of Terminus Est. Once the Terminus Est arrives, we are to lend support and act as an escort in it's mission. We will be briefed as to what the mission is once we join up with the Terminus Est."

"Until Typhus arrives, we are to harrass and harry the fleet commanded by Inquisitior Fortez as much as we can without engaging in a protracted, time consuming campaign."

The Lord Commander paused to allow the magnatude of what their Primarch desired of them to sink in. The Deathguard will once again be under the command of Typhus, however brief it may be. "Make sure to relay the message from our Primarch to the commanders of the Doomblight and Filthbringer. I want both of those cruisers ready to depart by 13:00 hours."

"Yes my lord" said the deck officer as he prepared to carry out his orders.

As the deck officer turned, Encephalatitus motioned for him to stop.

"My Lord....?"

"Inform the sorcerers that I will need to communicate with the Daemon ships. Tell them they have permission to use however many captives they need for their rituals. I have a sneeky suspicion that we will need all four of those hellspawn ships before this is all said and done."

"As you command my lord" said the deck officer, but Encephalatitus didn't hear him as he was already back to his personal thoughts. 'Strange bedfellows indeed.......'

(The Battle for Karsonis is but a small part of the online Warhammer 40K Aftermath Campaign.)