The Loyalists

The Loyalists

Now that I have started playing co-op games of 40k. 2 vs 2 or 2 vs 1, I have had to justify to myself why and how the Aureus would team up with other Imperial factions, as they are mostly ancient and heretical in nature and hate everything.

Well there was a simple solution, some of the aureus remained loyal to the Imperium. They did not chase down the Wolves and Thousand Sons or get tainted by the warp.

I was these guys that removed the Canis Aureus from record for their treason and the few hundred that were not executed in punishment, continued to work alongside various other imperial forces.

I decided to paint up some normal marines to play in these games instead of my usual heretical ones.

They were not prepared...

Their second battle was against the Eldar alongside the Salamanders. They lost of course, but it was an incredible game.

The first was against the Dark Eldar.  It was tense, I lost all of my forces but Jack held on with his Wolves allowing us to win the game.  Below is my fluff of the game.

The Darkness Comes

Alessandro Ermo had been there when Prospero fell. Slaying his brothers and watching the merciless Wolves slay their own. He had agreed with their methods but his chapter had not. All had left for the Warp that day, in pursuit of the 13th company in an effort to talk sense into them, to prevent the genocide that was to come. He had stayed with their allies. Promoted both to a High Jackal for his efforts and a Jackal Lord, he had fought with extreme prowes, worthy in the eyes of Russ himself. The first of his order to be of both ranks, he had spent the last ten thousand years pursuing chaos and aiding the Imperium. Alessandro had signed the paperwork and preformed the rituals to have his chapter stricken from all records. He knew the cost of the defiance the Aureus had exhibited. Now only his force of a mere five hundred warriors survived. They would be the last.

***

On hearing of his brothers emerging from the far reaches of space, Lord Ermo was both hesitant and elated. They had sent out feelers but was aware that they had already been in regular conflict with various imperial forces. Learning of Demens' awakening he had arranged for immediate dispatch. Commanding both his most trusted rune priests, ancients and a sizeable force of his allies he prepared for battle. Approaching the long forgotten world of Strain, the force descended. Clearly they were too late but that was irrelevant. They were here for the location of the mighty Typoon Seige Tank. He needed to reach it before his brothers. Making headway through the ruins the Wolves located multiple consoles that still emitted electrical power. It was then they came. At first they held back shooting from afar and hiding in the shadows. The marines made for the consoles, accessing, transmitting and deleting all of the data they could find as the storm of the Dark Eldar approached. Lord Ermo witnessed the agile and decadent force rip through his infantry and tear his allies apart. ascending the dilapidated communication tower, he heard them coming. The view from the ruin was horrifying. Xenos hordes like ants, seemingly immune to the firepower of the Astartes weaponry, surged beneath him. From above he observed the Blood Claws fighting until their last breath. Managing to upload the data to the central comms tower. One swiftly destroyed the consoles while the rest of the pack held grotesques and an aberration at bay. The mighty cannons of the Deredeo erupted and punctured the enemy fliers out of the sky, but not before all of Ermo's ancients had been sent to their maker. Hearing the cries of the rune priest below, he knew his time was over. It was only a matter of seconds before the wyches claimed him. Crushing the console with his fist he cursed. His mission had been a success information had been sent. Lord Ermo had wanted to see his brothers in person but clearly it was not meant to be. Throwing his storm bolter down, he drew his heavy and ancient blade. The wyches ascended to the upper floors. The first kicking the mighty warrior in the jaw, while another garrotted him from behind. It was over, the xenos had won. In orbit Decimus received the co-ordinates. Getting to the Typoon Seige Tank was going to take a lot more work than he had expected. With the loss of their Lord, they would need to find allies in order to achieve their goal and get the advantage over their tainted brothers.