A Grim Prophecy - Round 2 Update

After the Slaanesh Marines had fled, Tassius scoured the battlefield surrounding him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw one traitor marine attempting to slowly slither away.

Tassius walked over to the wounded heretic. He spun him over onto his back, and stamped on the marine’s chestplate, holding him in place. He was about to draw his bolt pistol to put an end to the traitor’s wretched existence, when the heretic began to chuckle.

“You servants of the false emperor have again done our Gods a wonderful favour!”

The marine’s jovial statement angered Tassius.

“You are beaten heretic. The Wolves began your demise, we have overcome you here and your retreating brethren are about to get a surprise from the Inquisition.”

“Don’t you see? Your faith in the emperor blinds you. This is EXACTLY what we want! Do you really think it’s a coincidence that we were discovered here shortly after the Hive Fleets arrived? Do you honestly believe the Wolves stopped our ritual? Who do you think told the Greenskins to come to Varlislia?”   

“Silence!” scream Tassius. He reached for his pistol, and shot the heretic. All fell silent. Tassius turned and began to walk back towards the rest of the Imperial Fists.

Suddenly, the sky darkened and the air grew cold. Tassius heard a deep voice laughing behind him. It was not human. Turning around, he saw the traitor marine sat up. The marine’s black and pink helmet had been replaced with a pale face, distorted and stretched. It writhed with energy.

“Tassius. Tell this to your Inquisitor. You have walked into our trap. All of you. When the body count is high enough, the warp shall open up on Varlislia. There is no escape. If you throw down your weapons, the Tyranids alone will cause the suffering required for us to complete our goal. If you continue to fight, well, you will receive your release sooner. There is NO ESCAPE.”

The body jerked, and fell to the floor. Tassius called back to his brothers

“Jorn, get your men to burn this entire battlefield. Make sure nothing remains.”

Round 2 Update

Quite an even run of results between Imperial and Non-Imperial factions - the overall position on Varlislia has not changed greatly this round...

Round 1 Update

Dear all,

Here is a quick breakdown of the games played in round 1. Please bear in mind the percentages are a quick back of the envelope calculation, so nothing hugely scientific. I hope this gives some high level impression of how respective factions are doing and how this is affecting the relative standings of each faction and the influence each faction is having over Varlislia.

Matt

A Foul Discovery

Coteaz awoke in a strange chamber; connect to an array of tubes and pipes. The walls were made from a white, ceramic material. Everything in the room was spotlessly clean.

The room was filled with surgical and life support equipment. Whatever had happened to him had been serious enough to warrant a great deal of medical care. The Inquisitor noted it strange that despite the work surfaces being covered in these tools, the glass fronted cupboards were bare.

These facilities would not be available to a normal inhabitant of Varlislia or the wider Imperium. This chamber must be reserved for the aristocracy.

With a hiss the door opened. A tall, gaunt figure appeared, covered in an array of bionic implants, the most striking of which were the greasy mechadendrites forcing their way out of his spine. Coteaz could not see the figure’s legs move – he looked as though he glided effortlessly across the marble floor.

Coteaz looked around. Everything around the chamber looked expensive. ‘Little wonder why Trantor had fallen behind with Varlislia’s tithes.’ he thought to himself.

“You were very fortunate to be alive” Trantor continued. “Chaplain Cassisus informs me that Calgar himself was beaten by a remarkably similar creature.”

“How did I get here?” The Inquisitor replied.

“The Swarmlord left you dying, but fled before she could deliver the final blow – you have your Paladins to thank. They slaughtered dozens of those bugs to create a perimeter around you. Their Stormraven extracted what few survivors remained, including your good self.”

“What news is there from the rest of the relief force?”

“Cassius and his Ultramarines have made planet fall, and encountered xenos almost immediately. Without vehicle support they were weakened, but clung on. They are still out in the field, looking to press home their advantage.”

“And the Wolves?”

“Something troubling, Inquisitor. Their planetfall revealed an unknown truth to us. It is not only the Emperor’s Servants and Tyranids present here on Varlislia. Some of the Wolves landed near an old temple, thought to have been abandoned for Millenia. They stumbled upon a ritual being performed by traitor astartes, led by a Daemon Prince. Whilst the vengeance of the Emperor delivered was enough to clear the immediate vicinity, we fear that this runs much deeper – they are likely to be back in force.”

Coteaz absorbed this new piece of information. The situation had suddenly got increasingly grim, but he was still confident that he could rescue Varlislia; his Grey Knights specialised in dealing with such abominations.

“Trantor, have my men informed that I intend to return to the field imminently; the xenos and traitor filth need to be cleansed, and there is no time to lose! At present, they have control of much of the planet. We need to force them back to regain territory and distance them from your people!”



Battle for Varlislia, Round 1 Challenge Thread (17th Feb to 2nd March)

Dear all,

Here is the challenge thread for round one of the Varlislia campaign. Each round will now run for two weeks. The first shall run from Friday 3rd to Thursday 16th Feb. The plan for this round is:

Round 2: Spearhead

After a successful landing, the Space Wolves and Ultramarines are quick to press home the advantages they have gained, having been reinforced and remaining out in the field.

After narrowly avoiding a brush with death, Coteaz returns to the field, sending out his forces to assist the Planetary Defence force and push the enemy away from Varlislia's centres of population.

Rolling, bloody battles ensue across the surface of Varlislia.

Challenges:
All 3 Imperial factions vs. All 3 Non-Imperial Factions

Suggested themes for scenarios/armies: Missions should have multiple strategic points (3 - 6 recommended) for capturing ground. There are a range of this missions available with varying deployment in battle missions. Missions from elsewhere can also be used

Players should play a minimum of 1 game each, but can play as many games as they'd like within the timeframe, to help build the storyline.

Players can play any size limit and scenario they and their opponent(s) decide upon.

When completing a battle, please PM me the following information:

1) Date battle played;
2) Players and armies involved;
3) Army sizes;
4) Army list themes (if any);
5) Scenario (and source);
6) Type of board/terrain;
7) Result;
8) Victory points scored by each army;
9) Narrative (can only be a few sentences if you want), including any cool/notable events worth reporting.

For an update on the campaign rules, please see my blog (linked).

Any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.  

Round 1 - Planetfall

Round 1: Planetfall

Inquisitor Coteaz, along with his Space Wolf and Ultramarine allies arrive at Varlislia. Fierce fighting is raging on the planet below them.

On making planetfall, they are shocked to find a significant Chaos presence on the surface.

Challenges:
All 3 Imperial factions vs. All 3 Non-Imperial Factions

Suggested themes for scenarios/armies: Planetstrike missions, and/or something with lots of Deep Striking.

Players should play a minimum of 1 game each, but can play as many games as they'd like within the timeframe, to help build the storyline.

Players can play any size limit and scenario they and their opponent(s) decide upon.

When completing a battle, please PM me the following information:

1) Date battle played;
2) Players and armies involved;
3) Army sizes;
4) Army list themes (if any);
5) Scenario (and source);
6) Type of board/terrain;
7) Result;
8) Victory points scored by each army;
9) Narrative (can only be a few sentences if you want), including any cool/notable events worth reporting.

For an update on the campaign rules, please see my blog (linked).

Any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Challenges

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.