40k SN Battle Report (Marines & Imperial Knight vs Craftworlds)

SN Battle reports brings you another great battle report with the newest codex’s! Clash of the Knights!

Mission: Purge the Alien (D3 victory points instead of 1 for slay the warlord and any gargantuan creature or super heavies destroyed )
Deployment: Hammer and Anvil
Points: 1400

Gelimer’s unblinking, bloodshot eyes were blind to the claustrophobic armoured cocoon in which his flesh resided. His legs spasmed occasionally as his brain fought to regain control of his mortal body against the wishes of his  conscious mind. Sensory input from all four of his senses failed to find purchase on his neuro-cortex. The fifth sense, hearing, had been obliterated by green skin ordnance in the battle of Ad Decium. Felix Belicosa bore the scars of that brutal ambush too. A notable lag in the second cogitation bank and overheating issues that flared up intermittently on the fifth dorsal manipulator. A wound that had never quite healed despite the tenderest ministrations of the red priests of Mars. Anger flared in the neuro-link that fused Gelimer and Felix Belicosa into one being at the memory of their shared brutalisation. Gelimer beheld the world through Felix Belicosa’s optic sensory array, cycling through targeting spectrums to optimise visibility, finally settling for the acidic green of low-light amplification. Gelimer’s thoughts impelled Felix Belicosa’s towering stride, taking care not to outstrip his allies, Astartes of the Raptors chapter. They moved with liquid grace from shadow to shadow, hugging the contours of the terrain in a way that seemed impossible for beings of such size and power, though to Felix Belicosa they were nought but ants. Gelimer knew better, having dealt with them shorn of Felix Belicosa and it’s God-like destructive power he had found the Astartes unnerving to be around, though as a proud knight of the House of Justinian, ward protectors of Constantinopolis Nova and the Byzant Stars, he would never admit his consternation to anyone. Except Felix Belicosa. In the neuro-link they were one, memory and data banks shared information freely, twelve hundred years of war and the memories and personalities of eight score knights amalgamated into a single being made of two bodies. The flesh of Gelimer. The Adamantium of Felix Belicosa. A data burst transmission from the leading Astartes units halted the general advance, industrial ruins ahead, scouting units despatched, air support standing off to maintain operational secrecy yet ready to streak in guns blazing should the need arise. Armoured units peeled off and began to flank the facility, their sound dampened and thermally sleeved engines rendering them almost as stealthy as the dismounted Astartes that even now skulked towards the ruins. All this had happened with just one data burst consisting of three short phrases in what could only be Astartes battle cant, entirely indecipherable to all but those initiated into the chapter. Gelimer-Felix Belicosa could not help but admire the efficiency of the Emperor’s finest, fearsome warriors who knew no other trade but death. The castigator pattern bolt cannon slaved to Gelimer-Felix Belicosa’s sight tracked the line of the industrial facility, covering the Astartes advance as his ancient power unit rapidly spooled up, raw energy running through its metal veins rendering the metal leviathan vital and alive with the joy of battle. The roof of one of the warehouses erupted in a volcanic display of force. “CONTACT FRONT!” The deep, tectonic rumble of the Astartes commanders voice broke the silence. The crash of the warehouses demise broke the gloom that had been pervasive up to that point. Something was rising through the dust cloud that marked the warehouse’ destruction. Whatever it was, it was large. At least five metres tall. No ten. fifteen. Throne! With alien grace, the Eldar wraith construct uncoiled like a dancer ending its stretching rituals, it’s garishly bright yellow and blue panoply dazzled in the light of the pale suns. The clatter of boltgun fire and shredding silk sound of shuriken catapults enveloped the battlefield. Gelimer-Felix Belicosa heeded none of it. Their mind/machine spirit united into a single will, propelling the ancient Knight Castigator to chew up the distance between it and the giant wraith construct with gargantuan ten metre strides of its plantigrade legs, actinic fire bursting along the length of its colossal tempest war blade and a flaring nimbus of ionised energy projected to its fore. The alien wraith-beast turned with a languid grace to face its titanic onrushing  foe, it’s immense arrogance and disdain for Felix Belicosa clear in its body language. Felix Belicosa’s tempest warblade held low to the rear as the knight bowled over trees and threw up huge clods of frozen earth as it charged, it’s castigator bolt cannon adding to the din of war with its throaty roar. Gelimer-Felix Belicosa’s thoughts were as one: “DIE XENOS BASTARD!”

Farseer

Spiritseer+ The Spirit Stone of Anath’lan

5 Rangers…

10 Guardian Defenders
• Heavy Weapon Platform
+ Scatter laser
• Warlock Leader
+ Singing spear

10 Guardian Defenders
• Heavy Weapon Platform
+ Scatter laser
• Warlock Leader

8 Wraithguard

Wraithlord
+ 2× Flamer
+ Scatter laser
+ Bright lance
+ Ghostglaive

2 War Walkers
+ 2× Scatter laser
+ 2× Scatter laser

Wraithknight
+ 2× Scatter laser

What a sight! Absolutely beautiful like always great work by the team to set the table up and making the board a great setting for a great battle. The mission would be Purge the Alien but after a bit of discussion between me and Keeran we decided to make things a bit more interesting and go for D3 victory points for the Super Heavies, Gargantuan Creatures and Warlords. We rolled no night fighting and after a epic roll-off it would be me that would have first turn.

start to deploy my units making good use of the Cover from the trees and my chapter tactic which gives my army stealth first turn combined with Scout on any non-bulky or very bulky units. this meaning I could go full on assault with my marines in the rhinos and be an instant threat to Keeran on the first turn.

I deploy my centurions in the ruined statue memorial making sure they have some good cover saves as they are a nasty hard hitting unit but are very vulnerable to AP2 weapons. Deploying them there meant I would not be in range of any unit on turn 1 but that’s a chance I would have to take.

The heart of the army, my Imperial Knight deploys as close to the deployment edge as possible but still making good use of the trees just in case Keeran was lucky enough to steal initiative

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Now it was Keeran’s turn. He got to deploy in the side of the Factory which had a lot better cover but I just had to deploy in the forest area as it would give a fantastic appearance of the Raptors ambushing the Eldar. All for the lulz

The toughest units on the table: Keeran’s Wraithlord and Wraithknight deploy behind the Factory making them near impossible targets to shoot at in turn one.

Keeran uses his Guardian Squad and Warlock to give some extra protection to his Wraithguard unit making sure they had some cover saves when being shot at. He also attaches his Farseer and Spiritseer to the tough squad of 8 Wraithguard. Which Btw I must add are beautifully painted.

Finally with no infiltrators on my side Keeran Deploys his rangers at the very top of the Factory having a perfect vision of the whole battle field but a limited range of 36″ good or bad move by Keeran?

My forces (3 Rhinos) scout move forward. Keeran then tries to steal initiative but happily for me he fails.Let’s get this show on the road for the Emperor!

Turn 1 (Space Marines) I move my Castigator Knight forward close to the big Wraithguard unit and prepare to fire. Yes a bit crazy to get so close to those D weapons but that was going to be my philosophy for the battle now or never and full advance.

Turn 1 (Space Marines) My Razorback and Bike squad move forward closer to the factory fences. They then fire at the Guardian squad with the Razorback’s heavy Bolter killing one Guardian.

Turn 1 (Space Marines) I radio in the coordinates for my chaper masters orbital Bombardment but some miscommunication means the blast scatters off and hits nothing. what a shame……. at least Keeran was happy.

Turn 1 (Space Marines) The Castigator targets the wraithguard and fires at them… POW POW POW POW POW!

Turn 1 (Space Marines) A volley of shots hits and wounds the Wraithguard killing three after keeran fails his cover saves. Not a bad start.

Turn 1 (Eldar) Keeran Starts his movement phase and it looks like he is also going for the alll out approach forward into the heart of battle.

Turn 1 (Eldar) The Wraithknight finishes his movement phase just in front of the two big factory buildings and scans for his first target.

Turn 1 (Eldar) Great view of how the table is looking just after the wraithknights movement as you can see units are very close to each other. This is going to be a blood bath!!!

Turn 1 (Eldar) The fearless Wraithguard move forward towards the Imperial Knight accompanied closely by the Farseer and Spiritseer

Turn 1 (Eldar) The Wraithlord also moves forward getting good line of sight on the approaching marines. Another epic pic!

Turn 1 (Eldar) The Psychic phase begins and Keeran grants conceal on both Guardian Squads granding the units with the shrouded rule. He then dooms the Imperial Knight. Yikes!!! this is going to hurt!

See the full Battle Report Here for the exciting conclusion and remember to subscribe!

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Author: Steven Pardo

Steven is a Gibraltar-based veteran tabletop wargamer with over 10 years of experience. He is the man behind SN Battle Reports. His specialty is organizing Warhammer 40K narrative events. He began writing for BoLS in 2015.