Grey Knights vs Ultramarines. Outgunned but undefeated! 1750

Inquisitor Galen vs Ultramarines “1750”

Played this game on 20/4/11, and later found I had been playing against a force 400 points over limit! GO GREY KNIGHTS!
The battle was on a 48” by 48” table. So really really cramped.
Battle on Thoth.
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Three years after the incident on Formosa V, which led the Grey Knights to intervene directly to prevent the destruction of 4 Astartes forces, a Grey Knights force, under the command of no less than two Ordo Xenos Inquisitors, was forced to engage a superior Ultramarines force in order to fulfil its orders and destroy the remaining Chaos taint there.
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The Ordo Xenos Inquisitors, Kara Galen and Hex Rix, being tasked with the tracking and confiscation of xenos artefacts, had their investigation take them to the barren virus bombed planet of Thoth.
Once there they discovered a valley with ruins of a shrine to Khorne, and also a sealed crypt that was beyond the ability of the Inquisitors with their small retinues and limited psychic power to open.
Knowing the shrine to the Chaos God was a pertinent threat to the psykers in the Inquisitors’ retinues, Galen called for aid from the Grey Knights, asking for a Cleansing force to be sent.
In the weeks that followed Galen and Rix explored and excavated the site extensively, finding much evidence of xenos technology beneath the dusty plains. The Inquisition, though anti-xenos, always had interest in their technologies.
Soon a force of Grey Knights arrived to help the Inquisitors secure the area. The Rites of Cleansing were being carried out by Justicars Ulan and Iridius when a mass of blue vehicles crested the hill.
Captain Tyranus, Captain of the 3rd Company of Ultramarines, along with Captain Maximus of the Sons of Orar.
The Ordo Xenos Inquisitors quite firmly told the two Astartes captains that the area was off limits and any interference would not be tolerated. If they wished they could form a cordon for the Inquisition forces in case of daemonic or other activity.
Maximus agreed, before returning to orbit to oversee operations there. Tyranus on the other hand was adamant that the Ultramarines did not fall under the authority of the Inquisition and his orders came before all other considerations. Those orders being to investigate Thoth and retrieve any relics at the orders of the Ultramarines Librarium.
Galen and Rix, aware of the Grey Knights’ previous dealings with the maverick Captain, asked for confirmation of these orders.
At this Tyranus flew into a rage, announcing his forces would secure the crypt and investigate whatever lay within while the Inquisition could perform its “witch rites”.
Galen and Rix again reiterated their warning that any intervention could severely affect the whole area if the Khorne shrine was not nullified.
Tyranus left the meeting, and within five minutes the first Land Raider was moving towards the shrine.
Galen and Rix immediately set about stopping them.
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The Forces were:
Inquisition: 1750)
2 Xenos Inquisitiors w/ Conversion Beamers, 4 servo skulls between them, power armour.
2 Inquisitorial henchmen squads with 8 psykers in each rhino.
2 Strike squads (10 man) w/ 8 Nemesis Swords & 2 Psycannons
2 Terminator squads w/ 4 Force Halberds, brotherhood banners and 2 incinerators
3 Dreadnoughts w/ T-L Autocannons and psyammo
Total: 1750
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Ultramarines:
1 Captain w/ Artificer Armour, Power Sword & Bike
1 Captain w/ Terminator Armour & Combi-Melta
1 Terminator Squad w/ Cyclone Missile Launcher & Chainfist
1 Dreadnought w/ t-l lascannon
1 Tac Squad w/ Plasma Pistol, Powerfist, Teleport Homer in Razorback w/ T-L Lascannons & HK
2 Tac Squads in Razorbacks w/ T-L Lascannons & HKs
1 Assault Squad w/ Plasma Pistol
1 3 Attack Bike Squadron w/ Multi-meltas
3 Godhammer Land Raiders w/ HKs
Total: 2295!!!!! WTF!!!
The guy had only recently got back into playing, and was used to 3rd Edition. Still no excuse!
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The Grey Knights were deployed near the shrine in the southeast corner, with the Ultramarines coming from the northwest. The bunker was in the Northeast. The Ultramarines had to capture the shrine, and the Grey Knights had to capture the bunker. Two other objectives were up for grabs, a ruined tower and an outcrop of masonry in the centre line of the battlefield.
The Grey Knights deployed the psykers in the 2 rhinos to the southeastern edge, behind a small hillock. The two inquisitors were deployed next to the rhinos so they could fire at different targets. The Psynaughts were arrayed to the southwest, using the ruined tower as cover, and the strike squads deployed, one behind the dreadnoughts, one behind the rhinos.
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The Ultramarines deployed in a battle line. 3 land raiders (empty) and 3 razorbacks (full) 12” into the board, with the captain on his bike behind them and the terminator captain and terminators in reserve, along with the bike squad.
1.
First turn, the Ultramarines got the initiative. The Servo Skulls the Inquisitors had sent to seed the area with safe places for the Terminators to deep strike in with were forced to flee or self destructed as the behemoth land raiders rolled over them or near their hidden positions.
Bracing themselves, the Grey Knights prepared for the inevitable lascannon onslaught.
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Without fail the Ultramarines unleashed a volley of fire from each vehicle. At the end two psynaughts were stunned and shaken respectively, a rhino lost its storm bolter and was stunned, and 1 grey knight in each strike squad was struck down by a heavy bolter shell. 9 lascannons (twin-linked) and 3 heavy bolters (twin-linked) plus 6 HK Missiles had only managed to anger the Grey Knights.
Out of range of assault the Ultramarines prepared for the Inquisition’s wrath.
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And what wrath!
Moving the left hand strike squad forward to take advantage of the cover of the ruined tower, the strike squad now had both psycannons clearly targeting a razorback. The other strike squad moved forward, its psycannon wielders moving on to the hill to give their weapons unrestricted line of sight.
The dreadnoughts, casting Fortitude, shook off the debilitating effects of the Ultramarines’ shooting, and cycled their autocannons, ready to fire.
The Inquisitors, realising their great conversion beamers would be little use against the armoured might of the Land Raiders at this close range (30”) instead moved up towards the shrine of khorne, determined to make sure the daemonic energy there could be contained and not activated by the battle around it.
The psykers rhinos did not move. The Rhino pilot cast Fortitude, and his vehicle came back to life around him, allowing the psykers to gather themselves ready for the terrible blast they could create....
Whether it was the proximity of the Chaos shrine, or the effects of being shot at, both psyker squads failed their Ld tests, rolling over 8 on each test. The Inquisition’s most devastating long range weapons were being rendered ineffective!
However the Ultramarines stay of execution was short lived. With a roar of supersonic shells the dreadnoughts opened up on the razorbacks, knowing that even their psychically charged ammunition would not easily penetrate the land raiders. The Strike squads added to the onslaught against the Razorbacks and when the smoke cleared one razorback was a smoking wreck, one had exploded in an impressive fireball, and the last was weaponless and immobilised. In one fell swoop the Grey Knights had forced the Ultramarine troops to walk to the fight!
Justicar Iridius resisted the urge to assault around the ruined tower and face the disoriented tactical squad stumbling from the wreckage, as he knew it would leave his squad facing two heavy bolters and the other tactical squad, with no cover....
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2
The Ultramarines were certainly taken aback! Their prized lascannons had failed to do anything and now all their troops were out in the open!
Composing themselves, Tyranus on his bike zoomed forward to take control, speaking into his comms unit, conversing with Maximus in orbit,advising him to prepare the reinforcements.
The Ultramarines Dreadnought, Blade of Tarsis, moved forward slightly so its lascannon had a line of sight towards the distant Inquisition rhinos.
The land raider furthest to the west rumbled forward past the wreck of the razorback to its left. The other two land raiders remained stationery, content to act as fire support.
With a scream of jets, an Ultramarines assault squad slammed down in front of the unprepared Inquisitors, chainswords whirring and bolt pistols loaded. Even in power armour the Inquisitors knew they were facing their doom, and steeled their souls.
Across the field, on the southwestern edge a flash of light bloomed. Maximus had arrived! And behind him 5 Terminators of the Sons of Orar. Commanding them to take the fight to the enemy, Maximus eyed the closest enemy and readied his combi-melta.
The tactical squad closest to the ruined tower moved forward, sighting the Strike Squad...
The tactical squad with the teleport homer, under Sergeant Harkus, moved forward from the wreck of the Razorback, getting ready to assault the massive dreadnought that had destroyed their transport.
The opening shots came from the lascannons, again they fired at the dreadnoughts. This time with more success....
The middle dreadnought was immobilised, but its autocannons still very functional. The dreadnought most eastward had one autocannon blown off, and the third suffered only scorched paintwork. The rhinos were not so fortunate. Both suffering immobilisation. But still this was not enough to stop the threat of the psyker barrage...
The tactical squad under Harkus threw Krak Grenades against the might of Titan’s Fist. One lucky grenade stuck in the leg apertures of the giant machine and detonated. The Dreadnought was shaken.
The tactical squad facing the strike squad unleashed a hail of fire into the waiting Grey Knights. But the armour of the implacable warriors was strong, and only two fell to the withering storm of rapid fire shots.
The other tactical squad (to the east) raised their bolters, and fired at the strike squad on the hillock.
Shots pinged off armour, but two grey knights were laid low by lucky shots to their helms.
And finally, the assault squad in front of the Inquisitors raised their bolt pistols. 5 shots slammed at close range into the Inquisitors. The power armour of Hex Rix buckled and caved, lucky shots punching through armour joins and exploding inside him. Kara Galen was luckier, even though she suffered two shots at close range, the armour she had selected from the halls of the Inquisitorial Keep all those months ago was made of sterner stuff. She looked on unharmed at the waiting chainswords, knowing at any moment these superhuman men would carve her in two if so ordered.
Maximus fired his combi-melta into the stunned dreadnought Titan’s Fist, but the power linkages had failed to achieve full power, and the superheated shot that should have erupted from the barrel merely blackened the paintwork of the ancient dreadnought.
The Terminators fired their Cyclone Missile Launcher into the remaining fully functional dreadnought, and the Grey Knights lost Sword of Janus as the missiles penetrated and exploded inside the ancient’s sarcophagus.
Harkus and his men swiftly assaulted Titan’s Fist, seeking to destroy the towering Dreadnought, but the Grey Knight inside was not an easy prospect. Lashing out side to side with his legs and cannons the knight landed two hits on the attacking squad, but it was not enough. Both warriors’ armour protected them against the normal attacks.
Sergeant Harkus strode forward, his powerfist raised. Smashing it against the underside of the sarcophagus he tore into the systems ensconced there,but could cause no critical damage.
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The Grey Knights quickly responded to this threat. With one inquisitor gone it was likely the ritual could not be safely completed by just two justicars....
Justicar Iridus, seeing the forces arrayed against him, and receiving word from his brother Knight Ulan that Inquisitor Rix was dead and Galen outnumbered, ordered his squad to move towards the crypt to the north. In their way was an Ultramarine tactical squad,but they would be no match for the clinical battlefury of Iridius’ Knights.
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Across the field to the West Inquisitor Galen gazed into the eyes still of the Assault Squad before her. The sudden rapid descent had robbed their armour of power for a few moments, making them vulnerable but not to anything she had at her disposal. Her conversion beamer was too dangerous to use at this close range, and if she tried to assault them their armour would re-activate before she could make her hits count....
A movement to her left caught her eye, Justicar Ulan and his squad were hurtling to her aid!
Seizing the moment, she ran as fast as her power armour would allow her, climbing into the safety of the nearest rhino. From there she watched the assault marines turn to face the incoming Grey Knight squad.
The dreadnought Herald of Titan moved over to the Inquisitor’s Rhino to its right, its remaining autocannon seeking targets....
Inquisitor Galen triggered her comms unit, sending a flash signal to the Strike Cruiser in orbit above.
With a flash of light two Grey Knight squads in full terminator armour, halberds gleaming and incinerators alight ready to burn away the corruption before them.
The lead squad walked on near the opposing Terminators and captain Tyranus. The other to the east, ready to swing around the wrecked dreadnought and engage the remaining tactical forces, closing the vice...
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Terminator Justicar Orpheus raised his storm bolter, bidding Brother Pradiel fire his incinerator at the nearby terminators. Bathing the terminators in holy fire, while the rest of the terminator squad fired their storm bolters, Orpheus snarled as only one of the elites succumbed to the punishing flames.
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Terminator Justicar Yridis’s squad tore 2 tactical squad troopers next to the ruined tower apart in a storm of fire...
Once again the psyker squads tried to fire their psychic barrages.......to no avail.
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And then Iridius was among the northernmost tactical squad, his Nemesis Force sword imbued with the power of Hammerhand. His squad hardly needed the psychic boost, as their power weapons cleaved through the power armour even as the chainswords of the ultramarines scored down the ceramite of the strike squad’s armour. Leaving one brother mortally wounded, the now 5 man squad consolidated towards the forbidding crypt, shielded from the nearby land raider by the burnt out razorback.
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The Strike Squad of Justicar Ulan smashed into the ultramarines assault squad, determined to avenge Inquisitor Rix. This they did in an awesome display of masterful sword work, making the assault squad look like lowly neophytes as the Grey Knights slew them for no loss of their own men.
The Shrine was now firmly in the hands of the Grey Knights...
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3.
The Ultramarines called in their last reserves
. An attack bike squad came screaming in from the bottom of the valley, having outflanked the Grey Knight forces, to arrive behind the Grey Knight Rhinos!
Across the field the Terminator Captain Maximus moved on to add his powerfist to Harkus’ combat with Titan’s Fist. The Terminator squad meanwhile came down off the ridge to do battle with Justicar Orpheus’ squad....Powerfists crackled, and Halberds were raised...
The Terminators unleashed a storm bolter fusillade into the Grey Knight Terminators, managing to fell one!
The remaining unengaged tactical squad fired atJusticar Yridis’ squad, the terminators unaffected by the long range bolter fire.
The Land Raiders fired again, immobilising the unengaged dreadnought, and wrecking one of the rhinos. The psyker squad got out of the charred vehicle, their anger giving their eyes an eerie glow of power....
The Bike squad fired all their meltas at the remaining rhino. It exploded in a shower of flame and gore. Inquisitor Galen and all but one of the psykers were torn apart in the explosion. Justicar Ulan’s saving action had just been turned to ashes...
And then the Ultramarine terminators, with Captain Tyranus aiding them, charged into Orpheus’ squad....
The Grey Knight terminators, even more highly trained than their ultramarine counterparts, struck first with their halberds. But fate, or the proximity of the Chaos Shrine throwing out daemonic energy, meant all but two blows caused a wound. And neither could bring down the captain or his terminators. In reply the Ultramarines slaughtered their way through the Grey Knight Terminators, their weapons given deadly power by the shrine???
The added power of Maximus was too much for Titan’s Fist, and with a roar at the death of his fellow Terminators he crashed to the ground, his sarcophagus finally cracked and leaking amniotic fluid.
The Grey Knights elite had been beaten.....but the Ordo Malleus elite were not done yet....
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Justicar Ulan’s squad moved towards the Attack Bike Squad, while Justicar Iridius’ squad moved into the crypt..
Justicar Yridis’ squad moved up to get in incinerator range of the tactical squad closest the ruins.
The remaining dreadnought swivelled its autocannon to target the remaining Ultramarine terminators...
The Psyker Squad who had been forced from their wrecked transport before now drew their anger together, and sent a searing ball of flame towards the Ultramarine terminators who even now were moving to regroup with their captain. A Massive Large Blast of unbelievable power engulfed them (Str 10 AP1) and of the 4 terminators that had been standing only 2 remained. Tyranus, his armour scorched and charred by the blast, got ready to move out of range.
The dreadnought’s autocannon roared and took another terminator down. Now only one, and Captain Maximus remained.
Justicar Ulan’s squad fired into the attack bike squadron, wounding all but killing none.....yet.
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Iridius’ squad running to the crypt entrance, raised their force swords. Summoning their psychic might, they plunged the weapons into the ancient ferrocrete and adamantium. The doors exploded as the psychic power focused through the arcane weapons. Striding through the dust and rubble, the Strike Squad started to descend into the crypt.
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Yridis’ squad, seeking to avenge Orpheus, opened fire against the unengaged Ultramarines tactical squad closest to the ruined tower. In a hail of stormbolter fire and incinerator inferno, the 5 men were reduced to the single sergeant, who looked on at the advancing Grey Knight Terminators and saw his death.
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In close combat the Melta Attack Bikes were fallen upon by Ulan’s Strike Squad, Nemesis Swords cleaving apart the bikes and decapitating the riders in a swift round of swordsmanship for no loss on the Grey Knights’ part.
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Yridis’ Terminators crashed into the remaining Ultramarines sergeant. With one deft stroke of his halberd, Yridis himself impaled the stoic warrior, lifting him up over his head, and throwing him at the remaining Ultramarine warriors twenty metres away.
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4.
At this point, with nearly all his infantry destroyed or terribly depleted, only his land raiders remaining operational, and the crypt, and its contents, in the hands of the Grey Knights, Tyranus activated his commlink to the waiting cruiser in orbit.
In a blinding flash he teleported away from the battle, leaving his stricken forces, with Maximus, to face the rising fury of the Grey Knights.
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In orbit the Ultramarines Strike Cruiser “Blade of Maccrage” fired up its main drives and pulled away from the planet. The Grey Knights Strike Cruiser “Hammer of Righteousness” opened fire on the fleeing cruiser but failed to stop it entering the warp.
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Back down on the planet, Yridis took command of the remaining Grey Knight forces, having received a comm signal from the Righteousness. Broadcasting a general hail, he called for the remaining forces to stand down or they would face orbital bombardment from the waiting Grey Knights cruiser.
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Maximus, cautiously making his own assessment of the tactical situation, and realising Tyranus had betrayed them all, called on his squad and the remaining Ultramarines to stand down and submit themselves for judgement.
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WIN FOR THE GREY KNIGHTS as they had the bunker and shrine!
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In an addendum to this report, Inquisitor Varl of the Ordo Malleus, and Inquisitor Bude of the Ordo Xenos make the following conclusions:
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The crypt explored by Justicar Iridius contained no fewer than seven highly suspect scrolls from the days before Thoth’s viral bombing, along with the shield and sword of the occupant of the crypt. This occupant was apparently a missionary of the Ecclesiarchy, buried with it seems a lot of respect and ceremony. On further examination the Ordo Malleus determined the blade of the power sword had been imbued with the blood of a daemon, making it possibly able to become a daemonblade. Some ancient feud had taken place on this spot, possibly against a daemon of Khorne.
The shrine to Khorne was rendered inactive by the Justicars Iridius, Ulan and Yridis.
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On the subject of the Ultramarine forces the following has been determined through communications with the Ultramarines chapter and Sons of Orar:
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Captain Rules Maximus was reported missing in M40 771.4 after a fierce battle against daemons. Him and his terminator retinue never returned to the cruiser after the battle and was presumed dead. He has now been taken by the Ordo Malleus for extensive interrogation. His retinue have been executed.
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The Ultramarine forces recovered from Thoth have been summarily executed as traitors to the Imperium. The land raiders recovered are being inspected by the Ordo Malleus techpriests and may be converted to use by the Grey Knights Order.
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Captain Tyranus of the 3rd Company of the Ultramarines was found to have gone missing in M35 640.4 along with elements of his company.
Inquisitor Thoth of the Ordo Malleus is to be summoned to answer as to why this information was not found sooner after the incident at Formosa V.
The Ultramarines Captain is now declared Exommunicatus Traitoris and all forces are ordered to kill on sight. It is likely Tyranus is either declared for Chaos, or seeking items to put him in favour with Chaos.
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Fantastic report Brother; I thoroughly enjoyed the extra work you put in to make it a story as well; something I highly respect. It's the main reason I play games after all.

Congratulations on your win, your foe having quite the hefty handicap. Those LR's I imagine must have been an annoyance, to say the least.

The Land Raiders were the only vehicles left on the table at the end.
If you ignore them they really can't do much. If they were Crusaders i'd have been a bit more careful.

And thanks for the compliment! Working out a story for the game is the reason I play!

Congrats on the win. Nice touch with story-telling to spice the batrep up.