Lord of Khorne: Cutter the Choppa'

After my victory with a proxy Chaos Lord (As I forgot my actual Lord) I decided to make a Lord of Khorne.

I took a primaris body and two ork arms as well as a few chaos bits and made Cutter the Choppa into an actual model. Suitably huge when compared to a standard old marine.

But what is a Khorne Lord without skulls? I hear you say. Well I thought similar, so I decided to give him twenty skulls on his person and seven on his base. The base is a 40mm base which is too big but I think he justifies it.

The same day I painted him and then he was ready for battle.

Last week the might of Cutter the Choppa, clashed with Jamie's Pax'nera T'au Sept.  It was a brutal and brief game. I claimed first turn. Charged from the rhino and ate into the t'au gun line. The retaliation was bloody but it didn't stop my Lord cleaving through the blue-skinned bodies until he claimed victory.

A Servant's Wrath

Removing his helmet their Lord revealed his scarred and pitted visage. Twisted leathery flesh, fused with bone and metal. Like his other warriors, he bore the fresh wounds of self mutilation. Blood poured from his large gnarled hands and wrists into the numerous orifices in his face. His dark eyes stared with glee out into the battlefield before them. Beyond the haze of gore he could see the Pax’nera landing in the ruins opposite starting their advance. Cutter the Choppa clambered into his rhino and called his berserkers forward. Klash began to shiver and chatter as Mauler howled with anticipation. All at once they began the berserkgang. First waves of cold hit them, their joints seizing as they uncontrollably shivered. Moans and roars erupted as their flesh bulged in deep reds and purples. Fever soon bled into rage, chainswords revved into action as the rhino’s hatch was released. Crashing into the t’au battle line the renegade berserkers took the first volley of fire. Bodies riddled with mortal injury they continued to fight on. Amongst his dying warriors Cleaver entered the fray. His huge axe in hand he cut three t’au in half with one blow narrowly missing a fourth. He cared not for his brothers. As six fell down dead the remaining two turned to run. In one swift motion the Chaos Lord cleaved down his own as they attempted to flee, the mighty choppa severing armour, flesh and bone. He was not surprised their fate had been foretold. A precognition had been implanted into his head by På Veg prior to their landing. The mighty greater daemons eyes penetrating his corrupted soul and had foretold his success. Med Leen’s visions had been more grave. They had prophesied his warriors foul fate and the blind rage as he cleaved them down. He knew he would turn from this battle, let the enemy flee, wipe out the tiny horrors in anger at their masters predictions. Recalling the malevolent jeering made his rage boil over. Turning from the enemy he directed his rage towards the warp spawn. Cleaver the Choppa was no ones puppet!

The horror propelled itself onward sullen, chortling and whining. Tears of rage filled its diminutive contorted face. Surrounding him were the six remaining little daemons, laughing and cackling as they simmered and popped. They all knew that they would soon return to their master. Two of the horrors would flee, hide and burn up to nothing, while their blue leader and four other critters would be decimated by the mighty ork weapon. Clambering around the last remaining drones they managed to secure themselves on one and pull it to the ground. Weeping and stamping in a volatile rage, the radiant blue leader slammed his ever-changing form into the dirty below. Unable to focus on their victory he was sealed by the misery of his fate. Turning around he saw the large bulky figure approaching them. “Tell your Lord to get outa my ‘ed!” Yelled Cleaver as he brought down the Choppa, dissipating the horrors into nothing but fire and crackling energy. The Pax’nera had fallen back, the great ones claimed what they wanted and now more of the planet was theirs. Before he had a chance to rejoice, the crackling static and flames seized the Chaos Lord. Sparking and convulsing, his muscles expanded and were filled with a new vigour, a new vigour that would allow him to claim and defend the eldar moon.

Freehand Flyer

Gradually since just before 8th Editions release, I have been experimenting with freehand painting. A few weeks ago I purchased a Storm Raven for £8 and was pretty hyped about it. Soon after I realised that I could not use it with my Space Wolf force. I then sold it on ebay for £35 and acquired this Storm Wolf instead.

I have never been a fan of painting vehicles (aside from walkers), so I thought I would try a different approach. After priming it black I have started to treat the blank vehicle as a canvas. My aim is to cover most of it in freehand.

I started with the portrait of the Wolf Mother, a greater daemon unaffiliated with any of the four Chaos gods that saved the Canis Aureus in their time of peril. I began with the basic image and worked up the highlights. The eyes needed to be larger in order for me to get the detail into them.

After this I did the portrait of the Wolf Mothers' true form. A woman with a humanoid body, a clawed hand and the head of a Jackal (See video below).

Finally, I painted over the cockpit of the Storm Fang. Is the beast alive or is it a paint scheme designed to bring terror into the hearts of the Aureus' enemies? One thing is for sure, it is going to take me some time to finish this, but I am sure it will be worth every hour.

Marquee Models vs the World

Marquee Models vs the World is an annual event run by the stores owner Kieth. In the event he takes on all comers and matches the total combined points. 2016 was my first time attending and nine 500pt armies faced off against 4500pts of Imperial Forces. It was a long and tough day amounting to 8 hours of time and only 2 rounds of the game. That and a couple of games against a heavy cheese Guard list almost put me off of the hobby entirely.

Jostein and his entourage 

This years event was far better. Five armies led by my Warlord: Jostein of the Wolf Mother, clashed against a 2500pt list of genestealers and two hive tyrants. 

The storm surge and cheesy guard list (the same force, but different list I faced a year ago) cleaned their table out very quickly and with minimal threat or effort, whereas the Tau, Salamanders and the Aureus came into close quarters very quickly.

"There's more on the horizon! I'm on my own out here... guys..."

Jamies Tau squad was hit hard in turn one, losing all but their Sgt. and two infantry to the vicious hive tyrants assault. The survivors hit back hard causing three wounds to the xenos beast in front of them, before two fled leaving the Sgt. alone.

The support came in from my hellblaster squad and the remainder of his Tau forces, tearing the threat apart as the genestealers broke through in large numbers.

These loyal souls sacrificed themselves. Holding their ground the ancient Aureus fell, allowing the next generation to take the xenos scum apart.

By the Tyranid swarm's third round there was only one unit left on the table.  As my HQ was nominated warlord at the start of the game by my allies, I was given a certificate and a dice bag for leading our forces to victory.

Below is my first small piece of fiction in a while. It depicts my forces outlook on the battle.

New Blood

The horizon blackened with the mass of xenos that approached them. Thick, fast and gnashing the genestealers were ravenous with hunger and eager to consume their prey.  Jostien observed the writhing landscape for a few minutes before moving. He had not been in existence for long. All he knew of battle was a few small scale conflicts, in which he had proven his worth as both a marine and the new perfect breed of super soldier.  

The first attempts at creating primaris marines had gone horribly wrong, weak pallid and mutated, most had to be incinerated. Jostien and Harker had been the first true successes. Both had been assigned units of newly grown marines but Jostien was identified as a leader. Strong, smart and frighteningly agile for his size, he appeared to be the perfect warrior to lead the Jackals in these new times. It was Grendel's belief that warriors of over 10,000 years of age were being outpaced by the new races across space. While they had beaten the Tau at every turn and the ancient and manipulative Eldar, there numbers were slowly being thinned out.  It was true that the mighty Frode had returned with the forces of the warp on his side, warbands and renegades willing to throw their lives down to serve the wolf mother. The Chapter now had allies and resources like never before, but it was losing touch with its roots. 

Fenerus had always been cocky and too eager, taking himself to the front lines and leading his forces with unmatched aggression. He had embraced the warp and it had changed him. Whereas before he took warzones in days, now he took them in mere minutes.  Having tired of the lack of conflict he had taken his forces to Konor and proven his might in the light. Tearing down the Imperial Guard defences, crushing the eldar, resisting Dragonforce and decimating the Tau. His efforts along with the return of Frode had created fall to chaos within the Chapter. Jostien understood this path, it was a path to untapped and potentially the ultimate power. Some of his new kin were born with this corruption in their cores but he was untouched.  Grendel had explained this made him closer to the original Canis Aureus' than most of the High Jackals. 

The priests had filled his mind with the Chapter's rich history and eventual betrayal. From this data acknowledged the importance of the Wolf Mother but also the deep malevolent danger and corruption that she brought with her powers. No matter if she was a greater daemon or a goddess, Jostein knew that her power came at a great cost and he had to be ready when she came to collect.  He had to prove himself and muster allies of his own. He had departed to meet the incoming Hive fleet with a small recon force. Little to his superior's knowledge he had also arranged to meet with the Tau Sept Pax'nera and the Salamander faction, known as Dragonforce, that his own kin had been at war with. Through careful diplomacy he had managed to get their aid in facing this Hive Fleet head on, rather than letting it consume the planets before it. The system was after all of mutual interest to them all and no good being digested by the Hive Fleet.

Leading the conflict on the ground the Jackal decided it was time to act. Standing from his seated position he held out his bolter high. The Tau Storm Surge began firing its volley as the forces Sun Shark flew ahead. As the fire ripped through the landscape the approaching wave parted. Renegade Guardsmen began firing the artillery as the Tau and Astartes moved forward, ready to greet the assault. The Hive tyrant tore through the tau firing line, cleaving the blue skinned warriors apart, sending their corpses scattering across the battlefield. The Sgt. called his last two remaining men to retreat and began firing his carbine into the beasts terrifying visage. Jostein commanded his Hellblasters to support the blue skin, they managed to slow its approach as the xenos allies brought it down to it's knees, thrashing and wailing. 

From the buildings above Dragonforce lived up to their name, belching fire forth into the incoming swarm, turning the tide into a vibrant molten ichor.  The ancients stood firm as the burning tyranids approached, their claws punching into their reinforced armour, tearing and rending the flesh beneath. Each endured the pain, knowing their sacrifice was worthy of the advancement of their chapter. In exchange for their death, they would get revenge for the decimation of their home world. As the marines fell, Jostein gave the signal. The flamers once again erupted, incinerating both his kin and the xenos that were slaughtering them. His own marines picked off the last termegants, while the mighty leader of the Dragons, drove his spear through a mighty broodlord.

As the battle drew to a close Jostein knew the day was won. His chapter and allies had suffered minimal casualties and yet crushed the Hive Fleet. The battle in orbit was drawing to a close and it appeared that the Tau forces had won the the battle in orbit. He hoped this victory would be enough to get him noticed as a warlord in his own right, to lead his own Jackals for the benefit of his Chapter.  If the Imperium did not recognise them, they needed to stand with other allies in there time of need, chaos and internal conflict was not the answer. 

Shrike

I was commissioned to paint this lovely Raven Guard Shrike model in my clients custom scheme.  My iPhone camera didn't pick up the gradients properly but he was happy with the work.  

The Aureus Expand: My First 40k Tournament

Eight armies gathered for the fight over one sector of Konor. The Aureus were keen to make a name for themselves and get vengeance against the Imperium. Six of these armies were Forces of the Imperium, one was Eldar and the other the Canis Aureus. 

The tournament was three games per army, the warlord with the most victory points winning the tournament. The points requirement for each force was 750 and each army had to be battleforged.

Canis Aureus
x1 Chaos Lord (Fenerus) with combi-bolter and powersword
x1 Spawn
x5 Chaos Marines
x4 Havocs with x 4 Autocannons
x9 Khorne Berserkers (Sgt with power fist)
x1 Rhino with x2 combi-bolters
x1 Hellbrute with combi-bolter, fist and multimelta

The boys without their Lord

My first game of the tournament was the one that I dreaded the most.  It was against a veteran Imperial Guard player and a rules buff at that. In my first few months of playing I faced this army in a small 500 point game as was crushed mercilessly, almost putting me out of the hobby. It sapped my fun out of the game and was just nasty.

Now, despite having vowed to never face this opponent again, it was time to try and get my revenge. A few weeks before the tournament I had told Ed about my fears of facing 50 man conscript squads in such a small game.  He advised me to go with the Berserkers in the rhino. 

The first turn of the game I managed go first and took out the heavy weapon las cannon team. I advanced my rhino up to the conscript wall. In the Guards first turn I lost my marine unit and the rhino took a beating. As turn two began I deployed the Berserkers and their two attacks made them devastating. They piled out of the rhino and managed to wipe out 38 conscripts in a round. The rhino managed to pin in the basilisk making it useless for the remainder of the game.

Come the end of turn six the guard only had two models on the battlefield, ending the game at a score of 9-3. Revenge was sweet.

My second game was against an infantry heavy Eldar list. MY good pal David got first turn and rolled pretty badly, allowing me to steam in and hit hard. The hellbrute tore through his first squad like a mallet through butter and the beserkers piled into the nearby building, wiping out another squad.

By turn three it was over, a 10-0 victory. Savage and efficient the Jackals came out on top. Quite literally as F.G. Bio (My Warlord) ascended the tower and killed the rangers hiding above.

The third game was a battle on the harshest battleground. One trench in an open wasteland.  It was against Darren who I had spent the last few weeks playing intro games against. With some skills up his sleeve and some borrowed miniatures, he had worked his way up to the final. We both had 19 victory points and the other contenders were behind us by a long shot. With a firm handshake the game began.

His Salamanders (Dragon Force) hit hard.  The mighty intercessor marines punching my marines armour and tearing the flesh beneath many of them fell in the first round.

The "Relic" in the middle of the open battlefield.

My havocs held their ground and punched back pulling down a few intercessors, while the khorne troop and the spawn tore into combat against the thick masses of tactical marines.  After a couple of successful rounds all of the tactical marines had died, but Vulcan He'stan carried on swinging. Killing most of the khorne beserkers and saving every wound with his 3 up invulnerable save.

Again my Aureus managed to win a large 9-0, enabling me to take the top spot. Sadly Darren came 3rd due to my win but claimed a prize along with David who claimed best sportsman.

My army won best painted and due to my overall win I walked away with £25 in vouchers and a certificate.  

From left to right (Front row) Darren, Me and David

More Tournament Prep

I finally made a list for the 750pt tournament. Now I just need to make sure everything is painted for it.  I decided being an actual tournament that I shouldn't use any proxy models, so I dug out my only chaos spawn and painted him up, along with the four autocannon havocs that I need for it. Now to base them!

My rhino also needed a touch up, something to make it more chaotic. I think he turned out alright.

Vulcan He'stan

A new player to the world of Warhammer paid me to paint his Vulcan He'stan. As always the camera really doesn't get the gradient across but both me and him were very happy with the result. 

Yet another salamander terror I will have to face on the battlefield. 

Raven Guard

Regretfully I did not have time to photograph these two gents.  I was commissioned to paint them locally but neglected to actually take a picture.  thankfully the client sent me this picture of them in the cabinet at the local shop.

A huge part of commissioning for me is just to see the joy of people playing with the miniatures I have painted for them. It's nice to know that they go to loving homes.  

8th Edition Release Night

On the warm up to the Eighth Edition's midnight release, Marquee Models held an open games night, From six until one in the morning.

Myself, Jamie, Ron, Joshua and Marisa all attended along with plenty of others. 

Jamie and Mia formed a Tau alliance and decimated the forces of Khorne.

Meanwhile Josh's orks were locked in combat with the Canis Aureus.  the orks put up a good fight but the Aureus prevailed.

My final game saw the Eldar and Aureus face off against the Tau alliance and we won a narrow victory. My leviathan exploding in the process.

At the end of the night I was lucky enough to win the top prize in the raffle and snag myself a Space wolf book bag.

That night I also made and painted this fellow when I got in. The Aureus' failed attempt to make their own primaris marine. (Older marine used for scale.) Clearly they need more gene seed.

Carpet Campaign with Chaos

At the weekend I played my first 40k campaign.  Three missions and two Kill team challenges.  This was expanded upon when my girlfriend came home and wanted to join in the fray.  Having lost all but one Kill Team Jamie (My opponent) wanted a big final game using all of their Tau Forces. In total this came to 3300pts of Tau.

The biggest lesson we all learnt during this campaign is that dirge casters in chaos rhinos versus Tau are horrible. Preventing over-watch in an army that depends on its ranged combat was crippling.

The first game was: 1500pts Tau vs Chaos Marines using Echoes of War: The Scavenger War (Customised) from the Gathering Storm: Fall of Cadia supplement.

I deployed Chaos Marines and a renegade knight while Jamie used his refreshed Tau force including a riptide battle suit.  Having heard many terrifying things about riptides and also previously having faced a stormsurge, I was worried.  Sadly Jamie rolled beyond awfully in the first match and the Corrupted Aureus won 10-0.

Gottfried my second hand knight restored.

After this we moved onto a Kill Team Challenge: Against the Horde.  70 Chaos Cultists vs 200pts of Tau in a building granting 2 up cover.  This came down to the last hit of the final turn, in which my cult leader killed the Tau's final specialist in hand to hand.  As a reward and for flavour I rolled on the Chaos Boon table and got a 65 result.  Now I have to invest in a daemon prince, as the mighty cultists recived the best blessing from the dark gods.

The cult. The shotgun leader at the back is to become a prince!

Game 2 was 1000pts Tau vs Chaos Marines Echoes of War: The Sword of Defiance (Customised) from the Gathering Storm: Fall of Cadia supplement.  No knight was used in this game but again the score ended 13-0 in my favour.  a brutal and swift advance left the Tau forces in a lot of close assault.  Those that did not die in assault fell victim to the might of the deep striking obliterators.

My custom obliterators

Kill Team 2 was Prey Stalker: 200pts of Deathwatch (7 Astartes) vs a fully kitted out Riptide with two shield drones.  The challenge was a close one.  The riptide took 4 wounds but managed to take down all 7 men pretty swiftly... as one would expect.

In game 3 we played 2400pts Various Imperials vs Tau Tau  Echoes of War: The Emperor Protects (Customised) from the Gathering Storm: Fall of Cadia supplement.  In this the Tau were winning 8-5 but in the final two turns the Order Extermini caught up and the game ended 11-8.  Once the hammerhead and riptide fell the tables turned pretty swiftly.  Maulerfiends fare well against riptides :D

The days highlights.

Finally we played the 3300pts of Tau vs Chaos. Echoes of War: The Fall of the Kriegan Gates (Customised) from the Gathering Storm: Fall of Cadia supplement. It took 3 and a half hours and was the largest game of 40k I have ever played.  The Tau hit hard but deployed too close. Once again it was a swift comeback from the Corrupted Aureus.

After 14 hours of 40k myself and Jamie were pretty damn tired but it was worth it.  Since I started in the hobby just over a year ago I wanted to play a thematic campaign and this weekend I achieved it.

Below is some fluff from the final game.

The Fall of the Peacekeepers. 

Lord Faustus had led them to victory in many battles. He had defeated the Salamanders, clashed with Death Guard, tore apart an Orc Warband and crushed the Tau, claiming three worlds in the process. Despite his overwhelming presence on the battlefield he had been taken from them seven times. Dragged into the warp to reemerge months later with even greater forces. Giant beasts of metal and flesh came to aid them from beyond the mortal realm. He had attracted warbands of traitor marines and cultists from nearby systems to defend the name of the Aureus. His direct link with the wolf mother had made him a beacon of the twisted and the lost. One uprising had successfully crushed the Tau without the Astartes intervention. The lead cultist being blessed and transformed into a daemon prince. He was without question, in their eyes, the High Jackal even if others did not recognise his status. Now without him again, they had to act. The odds stacked against them they descended into the Tau stronghold. With a mere fifty Astartes, a band of cultists and two demonic machines they disembarked from their vessel. Cranus could smell the Tau in the air. Tormented and tamed he longed to be released. As soon as the chains were cut, the mechanical monstrosity lurched into motion. Tearing through the fortified walls he made his way into the fort. The Tau weaponry bounced off of his hard metal carapace as he advanced. Out of the shining bronze central chamber burst the riptide battle suit. The beast had already eaten one a few days prior, Cranus was not perturbed. Dashing after its prey he flung himself from the ground and collided with the gleaming giant. Locked in brutal combat his fists punched into the suit, while the magma cutters tore at the cabling and circuitry beneath. From the opening the cultists strode through. Auto-rifles in hand, they spattered the central tau sentry point with fire. Instantly the xenos began to fall like dead fruit from a tree. Each impacting with a crunch spraying blue blood across the brass structure beside them. Hollering with glee the fanatics steadily advanced onto the building, tearing apart the enemy warlord with their firepower. Beside them spread out two units of Astartes, twenty strong each. Opening fire with their bolters they wiped the remaining sentry points clean. Not showing any signs of remorse as their brothers fell to the taus superior firepower, the Aureus pushed forward. Their Wolf Mother's Chosen emitted a sickly cloud of miasma that entered the surrounded piranha. Panicking the tau pilot opened fire. The vehicles corrupted weaponry lurched with vile energy before erupting in a ball of fly blown bile. Across the field of battle the other Chosen took off his helmet to reveal his twisted feminine face. With a seductive caress of his lips the kroot rifle team began to thrash and seize. Tearing at their own contorted, smiling faces five collapsed to the floor dead, before the rest fell victim to the hellbrute's heavy flamer. From the east the Baron Gottfried advanced. He refused to let the Canis Aureus down. His knight tore open a hammerhead before lurching into the hordes in front of him. Making light work of the infantry, he tried to ignore the systems alert signals. His knight had not yet recovered from its battle in the Exterminii's compound. The Barron knew the commander was his. The Aureus had taken down the bodyguard and left two crisis suits by his side. Walking over to their leader, he let her stare in horror before bringing his gigantic blade down upon her. With the battle over the remaining tau began to leave the system. Their losses had been too great and they needed to pool their resources before attempting another war. The Aureus would take control swiftly and with force. The war was far from over but the system was won.

Corrupted Canis Aureus vs Orks!

New blood is a great thing to have in 40k.  The more opponents I can get the greater I enjoy the game. Having different people to face off against keeps the game interesting and fresh, especially if people use different forces. This is why I was thrilled to see that my pal Richard had finally been coerced into the hobby by Ed and myself.  

It was a small 500pt game that lasted until turn 5 and also my first game playing as Chaos Marines!

It was only a matter of time until I delved into Chaos. with such heretical marines it was an inevitability. I started work on these obliterators and a mauler last week and also purchased a maulerfiend off of a friend.  

Playing against Richard was great. He had learnt his codex and we had a great game.  Sadly his charge rolls didn't go too well and my flamers and lone obliterator made swift work of his ork lines.  Faustus sucked himself into the warp once again. that now makes a grand total of six times.

The game ended 7-4 to the Aureus. Another victory to the hunted chapter. 

After our game we played Tanks, a game I had bought Richard for Christmas.  He got his sweet revenge, swiftly tabling my German tanks. I managed to take out one British tank but suffered a crippling defeat.  A simple but very entertaining game to end the night.

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.

A Relic Uncovered

Two weeks ago I acquired my first piece of Forgeworld kit.  Granted I got it second hand as getting the gear new is a bit out of my price range.  Regardless it was still pretty new.  I had to wash it, build it and paint it.  In total after five and a half hours work, I finally finished him.

My first encounter with a Deredeo was maybe my fifth or sixth game of 40k ever.  Needless to say my Jackals were under-equipped and I was tabled by turn three.  I vowed that day to not play in the big leagues, but then one was put in front of me, at a price I could not refuse.  Old, not built and unwanted I felt it needed a home.  My dreadnought addiction knows no bounds though, as the same day I acquired two more dreadnoughts in need of a home, thanks to my new pal Jack.

Ignis - the first of the two multi-melta dreadnoughts
and by far the nicer of the brothers.

So far out of all the games my Deredeo has been in he has performed well.  It really filled the gap in my army in terms of anti-air weaponry.

In the second game the Deredeo was fielded the Salamanders nearly engaged
him in close combat, but my grey Hunters were quick to charge to his aid.

Now for the fluff based on his first fielding vs Tau.

A Relic Uncovered

With a dark sense of foreboding Faustus knew it was time. Demens was to be released. The wolf mother demanded savagery and the onslaught of excessive force to all who opposed them. The High Jackal knew that he could not justify releasing the Brothers, but waking Demens was a risk worth taking. Contorted and buckled within the small confines of his prison, the Astartes hunched sedated. His ancient flesh, intertwined with the thick cabling and age old mechanisms that kept his one forsaken heart beating. For seventy centuries he had been locked beneath the surface of the death world of Strain. His location concealed and indeterminable to the imperium. A relic of a bygone age, dormant and trapped in an eternal chemically induced slumber. Haunted by the slaughter, the battle against his own kin. Demens was free of the taint of chaos but consumed by crippling insanity. Placing his hand over Demens' ravaged and tormented head, Faustus disconnected the makeshift stasis tubes. Crusted with rust and centuries of blood, he threw them to the ground. Gradually the beast began to wake. As the dreadnought's systems engaged Faustus knelt on his brother's chassis, peering into the dead, unfocused stare. "Aerial bombardment inbound High Jackal." Grekus said the dank confines of the bunker. "The Tau are coming." "Let them come, our brother here needs to adjust to the new order of things." Emerging into the piercing sunlight Faustus saw them descend. Lunging into action he was desperate to burnish his reputation with the Wolf Mother. As he gathered his men he worked up his chant of the incantations into a vehement rage. Bolts of energy veered into the sky before thundering down into three of his brothers. Instantly each one split and then erupted into a shower of crimson. In the plethora of demonic activity, a giant claw broke through the confines of the material plane and wrenched Faustus into the unknown.

Waiting for their transport to arrive the Jackals wondered where Faustus had been taken.

***

Advancing towards their enemy the Tau rushed into battle. Fraught with horror, they advanced using the cover of the ancient ruins. The peacekeepers had grown a deep hatred for the Aureus. The larger force this side of space seemed to be darker and greater in number than the Jackals that they had encountered first. Their use of daemonic energy seemed beyond acceptable for the average Astartes. On discovering their new-found mission, they new they had to make an aggressive advance. Demens was more than a tool of war, he was a symbol of power and more horror to come. Sniper fire punctured into Faustus' remaining squad. The last of his marines collapsed into the rubble, claimed by the sharp accuracy of their foe. As the snipers lined up their next target, he'll rained from the skies. Demens had opened fire. The devastation of the planet and the sight of these radiant and efficient xenos disturbed him. Surely the imperium of man had not buckled to such flimsy invaders. His vision blurring he saw Brother Janus calling him forth. The ancient was sure that Janus had been slain in the assault on Prospero. Regardless he was pleased to see his brother again. Taking heed of his advice, Demens obliterated the oncoming crisis suits and breacher teams. The rest of the Astartes sweepers forward, crushing the xenos advance and forced them to retreat. It was clear that they would be retiring with even greater numbers. Even with the ancient one here, they were now eleven warriors. There was nothing of importance left on the dead planet.

Facing a Tyranid Hierophant Bio-titan

Last Wednesday at Marquee Models Veterans Night, myself and Adam faced off against Ed.  Two 1000pt armies (Wolves and Salamanders) vs 2000pts of Tyranids.  I thought we would lose, as I have nothing high end in my army at all.  Deciding to leave the heavy gunning and defence up to the Salamanders I went for light and fast... It was the wrong option.

We got dominated.  The Aureus were pretty much tabled two turns in and my Culexus Assassin was one-shot in the first round... 140 points straight down the drain.  Somehow my psykers managed to survive until turn three and one until the game was called to an end at the end of the third round.

Scoring 8-0 Ed won a mighty victory.  I have never faced off against something so hideously powerful. We were swamped by the Bio-titan on our 6x4 board and there was no hiding or escape.  

As per usual, I was unprepared for what faced me.  A few weeks ago My Aureus managed to take down a Storm Surge with standard firepower and have also once felled the Primarch Vulkan, also with standard fire. Dumb luck is my friend,  however, as with most of my battles, I tend not to go stat hunting to understand my enemy.  In the words of Sun Tzu: "If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles."

Perhaps if I did more research I would win more battles.

Regardless it was a punishing experience as it is never nice to see your loved figures perish under the might of another so rapidly and pathetically. The game itself though was still a good game and certainly one for the history books of the Aureus. They sure do hate the Tyranids!  The Salamanders tried their best to kick up a Storm but nothing could quell the overwhelming power of the Tyranid invasion force.

To check out Eds Bio Titan progress head on over to his blog by clicking here.