This was a really fun game where we put little model count per player in a battle royale. It all started when one of the old timers wanted to learn the basics of 8th and I proposed to play a small starter set game with him.
We set aside a Start Collecting Necrons and a Start Collecting Space Wolves to play, but then two other players gathered in to also learn/play and we made a Carnage Free-for-all battle with 450~500points per side.
Carnage is an interesting mission in where if you over commit against one player you are just setting the others in to victory. It really is the last two rounds that define the match, as if you make too much of a head start you'll just get pummeled by the three other players.
The armies - 450~500pts
Necrons
- Overlord (Warscythe)
- 12x Necron Warriors
- 3x Necron Scarabs
- 1x Triarch Stalker (Particle Caster)
Dark Angels
- Chaplain
- 10x Tactical marines (Special Weapon: Plasmagun)
- 2x Land Speeders (Heavy Bolter, Assault Cannon)
- Rhino (Stormbolter)
Space Wolves
- Wolf Lord (Power Axe, Storm Shield)
- 10x Grey Hunters (Special Weapon: Plasmagun)
- 3x Thunderwolf Cavalry (Thunderhammer, Stormshield)
Nurgle Demons
- 20+ Nurglings
- Herald of Nurgle (Plaguesword)
Prelude – Lost in the Mist
The ruined buildings surrounded them, casting deep shadows like walls in the dense fog. Nothing could be seen more than a few feet ahead and the fog seemed to also block radio and radar signals, cutting off the Hunting Pack from their main detachment. It had been ten days already and even the Thunderwolves couldn't sniff prey nor friend anymore.
The faint signal came as a blessing for the Wolf Lord. On the pict-screen of the auspex, a garbled message could be read:
The faint signal came as a blessing for the Wolf Lord. On the pict-screen of the auspex, a garbled message could be read:
"Seek*0m beac0*n *1$* activate, #%$## location (5543) rescue"
The signal was weak, but it had a vector that his Grey Hunters could follow. He motioned for the Thunderwolves to cover their flanks and kept moving towards that signal into the mist.
First Turns – Dark Shapes and hot blood
Following on the signal's vector took a few hours until the Grey Wolfs could see something in the distance. A red glow like a beacon could be seen in the distance. As if confirming their path as correct, the fog thinned with every step towards it. In the distance, they could see shadowy shapes moving towards them.
"Run and claim the beacon! – bellowed Rurik, pack leader of the Thunderwolves already making a charge against the dark shapes – we'll keep whatever is coming busy, activate the beacon, call for aid!"
The Grey Hunters picked up their pace and advanced towards the red glow, revealing a mysterious tombstone with a large red gem in it. Their advance was matched by that of the three Thunderwolf Cavalry already charging against whatever they came across into the mist...
"I read three large signals ahead, coming fast!" – the pilot of the Land Raider trusted his Chaplain with the utmost devotion, and awaited his orders.
It had been months since his squad had been lost in that place. Brother Gerrad's prayers had given him no visions until recently, showing him the path in the endless mists leadingto the red glowing gem in the middle of the court ahead. He knew his answers laid there, he knew his and his squad's salvation lie in there. Nothing would stand in their way. "Open fire brother – he ordered from inside the Rhino transport – it is time for answers brothers, our purgation at this place is at an end!"
In disciplined manner, the tactical squad disembarked the Rhino ready to fire at the incoming shapes through the mists.
The combined fire of the bolter discipline and autocannons from the landspeeders hit the first Thunderwolf rider with a thunderous impact. Startled by the hail of fire, the Thunderwolves closed their formation and pressed forward, invigorated by the loss of their packmate.
Slowly, lazily, tiny arms were stretched and eyes blinked amongst long yawns. Phanrus, a herald of nurgle, stretched his legs bathed by the red glow of the artifact, now intensified by flashes of orange and yellow followed by the hissing of bullets streaking the misty air around them.
"Rise my darling children – chanted Phanrus in a mix of a lullaby and prose – let's rise and play, play, play of death and slippery grounds. Newbies have come to join our grounds! He whom dies first feeds the soil where the second will fall! Die, die, die, fertile grounds to make! Die and die and die, for something new to awake!"
Driven by their master's chanting, the Nurglings lurched forward in a frenzy, spreading across the battlefield and the artifact that they had been guarding for so long.
Nurglings swarmed the bronze slate at the center of the battlefield. The red glow was mixed in with emerald green flashes as yet another force emerges from the milky white background. A Necron Expedition force mercilessly deconstructed Nurgle`s little soldiers. An arachnid construct, shimmering with its clean shapes projected large explosions that felled droves of Nurglings with each shot, splattering guts all over the place.
Final Turns – The great Nurgling march
For Phanrus it was clear that Nurgle had sent these friends to litter the artifact's surroundings with corpses. "Life's circle starts from death – the herald taught to the little ones around him – there's no need to fear death, it's quite a ride!"
"Come, I'll show you how easy it is" Bellowed the herald, leading his remaining hundreds of children on a charge against the incoming Grey Hunters.
Surrounded by death, target of the combined Necron, Space Wolf and Dark Angel fire, the demons made an impressive breakout and charged in all directions. Soil would be manured with corpses today one way or another!
The Nurgling charge was met with grim resolve by the Dark Angels. Having killed the foolish Space Wolf riders before they could even reach their ranks the Chaplain ordered his vehicles to ram whatever was around the artifact. Opening way for himself to reach it. Gerrad could feel his opportunity slipping trough his fingers, the artifact held answers for him. It was all or nothing and his speeders had to be put in harms way. His resolve was resolute as he crushed the last of the diminute demons around him with a last swing of his heavy Crozius.
The Necron Overlord Sarrak allowed himself a nanomillisecond to run a satisfaction protocol as his warriors and scarabs felled the last of the inconsequential enemies that charged his formation. The feeling was fleeting, though, as autocannon fire ripped through them and wiped out his entire warrior squad. As their remains phased out back into their tombworld for repairs. "At least the emergency repair algorithms still work, even at this place". Sarrak spent another nanomillisecond to make a note of that fact, another possibility for an exit of this place.
This place defied his comprehension, yet he knew much of the answers on how to return laid with the gleaming red gem in front of him. The one where now a duo of Dark Angels had placed themselves in between himself and it. He promptly ignored all of that and dashed towards the artifact. "If this fails, a valid option would be to activate my emergency repairs algorithms..." The overlord spent several nanomiliseconds on the damage that would cause to his reputation on the royal court. Decided not to let go of a more dignified return he would destroy everything in his path to claim that artifact.
End of the game – Revelation
Hundreds of nurglings lay wasted, broken, bloated, ripped apart. They covered the grounds, their enemies and the air stank of their innards. "Be-au-ti-ful – smiled Phanrus – it is finally done..."
Draw between Space Wolfs, Dark Angels and Necrons.
Nurgle was ever watchful of the battle from his garden. He was happy at Phanrus and his children for their dedication, but the Necrons where an unfortunate turn of events. Probabbly an ill-intended jest from his brother Tzeench, their guts didn't spill blood and they hardly screamed in pain as they where felled. Those Necrons would spoil his work...
In the mist, the red glow so sought after suddenly vanished, being sucked back into the warp by Nurgle for another day. Phanrus and his Nurglings would regrow in time, but his prized seed would have to wait for another day.
The Wolf Lord, Dark Angels Chaplain and the Necron Overlord found themselves robbed of their prizes sharing an uncertain stare at each other for a brief moment while the white fog rolled back in thick.
The loyalists shared a grim exchange, finally recognizing brothers in each other.
"Death" uttered the Chaplain, bringing his crozius to challenge the Overlord.
"Death!" Yelled the Wolf Lord following in a charge against the xenos.
"You don't know the meaning of that – processed the Necron Overlord – I can make you a demonstration."
Obs: Many Nurglings were harmed in violent ways for the creation of this Battle Report.
Memorable moment: Five marine saves against a Nurgling charge...
