Into the Maelstrom

When Matt suggested a game of 2nd edition 40k, I saw it as an opportunity for my nascent Astral Claws/Tyrant's Legion army to hit the table in anger for the first time.

They would be facing Matt's Squats in what most likely is a pre-Badab War incursion into the Maelstrom to drive out undesirable enclaves, such as Squat prospectors operating without Imperial (or more pertinently, Lugft Huron's) sanction.

My Astral Claws featured all the models I'd painted so far tooled up to the nines to reach 1000 points:

Captain - Power Sword, Combi-Plasma, Bionic Eye, Displacer Field, Melta Bomb

Company Standard - Chainsword, Bolt Pistol, Krak Grenade, Banner of Macragge Badab

Tactical Squad - Flamer, Missile Launcher, Krak Grenades

Tactical Squad - Flamer, Heavy Bolter, Krak Grenades

Matt's Squats were a more varied bunch as he has been working on them longer and had more to choose from.

Warlord with Plasma Gun

Battle Standard Bearer in Squat Exo-Armour

Engineseer Guildmaster with Servo Arm

Ancestor Lord with Power Sword

Attack Squad with Bolt Pistols and Power Axes

Thunderer Squad with Plasma Gums

Thunderer Squad with 2 Lasguns, 2 Heavy Bolters and Missile Launcher 

3 Heavy Weapons Bikes with Multi-Meltas

Matt drew the mission Take & Hold, meaning that he woul have to move into the centre if the board, whereas I pulled the Assassins mission. This meant that unless Matt advanced his Warlord into harms way, the lack of speed in my army meant I would have very little chance of achieving my mission and would have to focus on stopping Matt achieve his.

Mat deployed with his squads and characters directly facing his objective with his Bikes on the flank, clearly aiming to move around my lines and cause all kinds of problems.

Somewhat predictably I split my force into combat squads. Two squads faced the main Squat force whilst one was positioned to intercept to inevitable flank attack.

One of my combat squads, the one with the missile launcher, was delayed by Matts cunning use of a strategy card 

Astral Claws Turn 1

Without the range to hurt the Squats, most of my line advanced whilst the delayed missile launcher squad finally arrived.

Only the heavy bolter could fire and it spat shells at the Thunderer squad with the heavy weapons and felled three of them.

Astral Claws 1 - Squats 0

Squat Turn 1

As the Heavy Weapons Bikes whizzed over the hill I remembered that templates were a thing in 2nd edition 40k and realised that I should probably have spread out my flank guards.

Meanwhile, the remaining Squat squads and assorted characters advanced towards the centre of the table, hugging as much cover as was possible.

Sure enough, the multi-meltas opened up and obliterated my combat squad in a devastating salvo.

That could have gone better...

Astral Claws 1 - Squats 2

Astral Claws Turn 2

Fortunately for me I had the Reinforcements strategy card and so my destroyed unit was able to come immediately back onto the board and take aim at the bikes.

Desultory fire spattered towards the Squats in cover but failed to inflict significant damage barring the Captain, whose Combi-Plasma opened up and fried the Squat Standard Bearer, despite it wearing Exo-Armour 

Bolter fire managed to kill one of the bikers, causing the bike to veer out of control and into some rocks. The gunner still lived, however, meaning that he bike was salvageable.

Astral Claws 2 - Squats 2

Squat Turn 2

Multi-meltas roared again, but the shots went wide and only two marines were killed. The gunner of the out of control bike managed to clamber into the driver's seat and head back towards the action.

Plasma gunners in the ruins failed to make an impact on the power armoured Marines.

Meanwhile, the Squat Warlord lurked behind a ruined temple, risking the occasional pot shot. Without any means to get to him, this subject cowardice meant that my objective would remain totally out of reach for the rest of the game.

Astral Claws 2 - Squats 2

Astral Claws Turn 3

With the battle half over, I was aware that I would need to do something about the cluster of Squats heading for their objective in the centre. If they captured it, victory would surely be theirs.

Therefore I launched an all out attack. The Company Standard's squad ran into the open and hurled frag grenades into the ruins where the plasma team were lurking. The resulting explosions killed all but one of them.

In typical fashion, a fumbled attack saw a grenade detonate in a Marine's hand. Fortunately, power armour saved all caught in the blast.

Grenades also flew out towards the Squat Attack squad nearest the objective, killing two of them as well.

The missile launcher squad turned their fire onto the bikes, killing another driver, causing a second bike to veer out of control.

Astral Claws 3 - Squats 2

Squat Turn 3

The out of control bike crashed into the cargo crate, but the remaining two bikes headed directly for the missile launcher squad aiming to get behind the Astral Claws for the final turn.

However, the remaining multi-meltas shit wide and the twin-linked bolters only managed to kill a single Marine.

Meanwhile, shots rang out across the battlefield as the Squats poured fire into the attacking Marines in an attempt to clear the objective.

When the smoke cleared, both squads had been reduced to half strength, but the Astral Claws were still a threat to the objective.

Astral Claws 3 - Squats 4

Astral Claws Turn 4

I had two goals. Firstly, I needed to get enough Marines close enough to the objective to deny it to Matt, and I needed to kill enough models to win the day.

My remaining troops rushed forward, the closest forgoing the opportunity to shoot in order to get in range of denying the objective. However, enough shots did hit home to reduce the Squat Attack squad to a single Space Dwarf.

Bolter fire dost put towards the bikes, killing the two drivers of the damaged vehicles, and sending them out of control again, but worryingly leaving one fully operational.

I'd made my final play and now had to hope that Matt couldn't manage to kill two Marines and claim his objective.

Astral Claws 5 - Squats 4

Squat Turn 4

In a totally unsurprising move, the Living Ancestor and the last member of the Attack Squad charged the Marines contesting the objective whilst a crew less bike passed behind them to no effect.

Meanwhile, the remaining bike bore down on the remnants of the missile launcher squad and unleashed all of its weapons at them.

The multi-melta struck home and ripped through. The Marines in a devastating display of firepower. A single Marine emerged from the conflagration only to be gunned down by the bikes twin-linked bolters.

This blow swung the battle in the Squats' direction and now the outcome depended on the vicious close combat taking place around the objective.

In an attempt to behead my force Matt opened fire on the Captain only to have the shots saved by his displacer field which then propelled him directly into combat with the Living Ancestor.

Blades flashed and one Marine was cut down before the two champions came to a stalemate. In an attempt to tip the balance, the Ancestor parried and handed victory to the Captain.

His power sword whipped out but only managed to score a single wound, leaving the ancient Squat injured, but still standing.

Astral Claws 5 - Squats 6

A close end to a close game which ultimately could have gone either way. It was a reminder the 2nd edition is loads of fun, and in my opinion especially so when it's not being dominated by psychic powers. I do think the tables will turn in my favour when I have more to play with than just Tactical Squads.

The narrow loss also fits the background of of the Badab War as it exactly the kind of situation that would cause the Astral Claws to petition for more aid in pacifying the Maelstrom and build their frustrations when their petitions are ignored.

Observant readers will have noted the two new arrivals in the form of the Captain and the Company Standard. 

These two were completed whilst I was on holiday and I did something I've never done before and took a small tin of paints with me to keep myself occupied in down time on our cruise, making them the most marine Marines I've ever painted.

The exact format of the Badab War project which is being done by Arbitor Ian's YouTube channel still hasn't been formally outlined but I believe it will focus on building escalating forces for Kill Team, Combat Patrol, Boarding Actions and then finally 40k 10th edition.

Therefore my choices of miniature are being dictated by those parameters and also the Tyrant's Legion list in Imperial Armour: The Badab War.. 

As I'm intending to use Chaos rules for my forces, mainly because they offer a wider range of firstborn profiles these days, but also because they also off Lugft Huron himself, my 'Captain' is destined to serve as an Aspiring Champion in both Kill Team and Combat Patrol, in fact his Combi-Plasma and Power Sword (Accursed Blade) handily matches up with profiles present in both those games.

His iconography doesn't scream Astral Claws, but it does tally with the fact that the chapter's action were driven by a desire to loyally serve the Emperor, but this fanatics devotion ultimately drove them into the arms of Chaos.

I've not finished his base as I'm trying to come up with an optional base system that potentially allows him to also serve as a Chaos Lord later on.

Similarly, this chap will serve as an Icon Bearer in my pseudo-Chaos force. I like the idea that the icon itself is the Maelstrom Warders symbol, as it was dedicated service to this duty that ultimately corrupted the Astral Claws.

My progress numbers have taken another hit as I received another batch of miniatures from old collections which had turned up when they friend that had the previously moved house. 

On the up side, this helped me to resist subscribing to the new Combat Patrol magazine.

Acquired: -16
Painted: 318
Lead Mountain: 719