Assault Terminator Space Marine

The Chaos warband led by the mysterious Chaos Lord that assaulted the refinery in 0627 had been rampaging unchecked for months, making lightening assaults against unexpected targets and vanishing before the recovered (and increasingly frustrated) Commander Artos could muster a counterstrike.  With no transports spotted during any of the attacks, and still no signs of enemy ships in orbit, it was clear that the enemy had a different means of getting to and from battle.

Finally, luck was with the Marines, and the raiders attacked a facility that was guarded by a small Marine scout squad, at the same time that Commander Artos was personally inspecting the facility.  The target, this time, was presumably a collection of underground powernodes in the area - this was the sort of fragile infrastructure that the earlier attacks had focused on destroying.

The scouts were ordered to delay the advance of the enemy as long as possible, while Artos and his retinue rushed forward, frantically voxcasting for reinforcements.

The Chaos force still consisted of a squad of Khorne Berzerkers (reinforced), a Havoc squad, and a small Chaos marine squad, all lead by the still unidentified Chaos Lord.

They arrived from the east, through a scrapyard area, towards the power station buildings.

As the battle opens, the Scouts are hunkered down in a solid ferrocrete generatorium housing, and open fire at the approaching Berzerkers - the Sniper rounds clatter harmlessly from their blood red armour, but a krak missile proves too much and one of the Berzerkers is blown to small pieces - this does not deter his comrades, who charges forward in a mad bloodrush.

The massed return fire from the Havocs bathe the east wall of the housing in firepower, but the walls hold firm and only one unlucky scout is killed in the barrage.  The rest fall back to the far end of the building, out of sight of the heavy weapons, and out of charge range of the onrushing Berzerkers.

The roar of a Thunderhawk passing high overhead signals the timely arrival of the Assault Squad loki, dropping in a perfect insertion in position to charge the Chaos Havocs, and after felling one with bolter fire, they rush in, chainswords whirring in anticipation.  For all their flying prowess, though, their fighting is distinctly mediocre, and the combat is a stalemate. [Ed: We forgot that Deep Striking units may not assault on the turn they arrive. Oops.]

The following turn saw the Assault Marines finishing off the Havocs, and the arrival of yet more Space Marine reinforcements, in the form of a Land Speeder, barreling onto the field in the wake of the departing gunship.  The Landspeeder flying was not so impressive, and it leveled out far from its intended target, the Berzerkers.  The pilot tried to switch attack target to the nearby Chaos Marine squad, but both flamer and Multi-melta fire was wide off the mark.

The Berzerkers, perhaps because they were unable to see their prey, faltered in their frenzied charge, and advanced towards the Generatorium at a leisurely canter.

As they reached the building, clambering through the small windows on the, now rather pockmarked, eastern wall, they were frustrated by the sight of the Space marine scouts leaving the building by the windows on the far edge - deprived a target for their rage, they spent some time howling in anger and bashing on the walls [Ed: Bad difficult terrain rolls and no frenzy move slowed the berzerkers to a virtual crawl, here]

On the left flank, the Land Speeder was ineffectually trading shots with the Chaos Marine squad.  Much melta fire was expended on thin air, and not much was accomplished.  At least the speeder survived better than last time the Marines faced the raiders...

With the arrival of the victorious (but reduced in number by two) squad Loki, the Land Speed turned away and headed for the more dangerous Berzerkers, still not being able to hit anything with its Multi-Melta.  Loki and his men made short work of the Chaos Marines - after they lost a few troopers, their nerve broke, and as their ran they were cut down to a man.  Loki turned to help out against the sole surviving enemy unit, or alternatively to secure the powernode exhaust vent objective.

Finally, in the nick of time, the beacon that veteran scout sergeant Hugin had been lugging about beeped, indicating a lock-on request from the orbiting Cruiser Fjord. Hugin hurriedly put down the device, activating it with the flick of a switch, plotting in the range and direction to the Berzerker squad.

Seconds later, the air swam and Terminator Squad Mjollnir flickered into view between the retreating scouts and the on-slogging Berzerkers.  With a triumphant warcry, they waded into the fray, engaging the Chaos Lord and several of his minions. [Ed: Again forgetting that Deep Strikers don't get to assault.  In this case, the difference may be moot - the next turn, the Berzerkers would be forced to assault, and then the Terminators would have got the benefit of cover, letting them strike first]

The Berzerkers struck first, but whether it was from surprise or the close quarters in the Generatorium, their fighting was ineffective, and even the mighty blows from the Chaos Lords lightening claw and Daemonic sword were turned by the Terminator Storm Shields.  The fury of the Terminators was incredible - the lightening claws tore the Berzerkers limb from limb, and the mighy thunder hammers rained blow upon blow upon the Chaos Lord, whose armour buckled and finally broke. With a screech, the Lord was sucked back into the Warp, to face his unholy masters.

The last remaining Berzerkers eyed the Terminators warily, but in the end they were true to their nature, charged, and were cut down to a man.

Thought for the Day: Persistence is its own Reward.


Combat results: Space Marines Wins (Secure And Control Gamma level, 1500 to 0 points). 

Victory point score:
Chaos: No enemy unit reduced below 50%, No objectives secured, total 0 points.
Marines: Destroy Chaos marine squad 99, Destroy Havoc squad: 184, Destroy Berzerker Squad 295, Kill Chaos Lord 170, Four objectives controlled 750, total 1500 points.
Difference 200% of 750 points - Space Marines Victorious Slaughter.