Purifying Force vs the Unpure Brotherhood 1750

by Corennus Fri Oct 07, 2011 3:23 am

Grey Knights vs Grey Knights.

FLuff to explain this:

In M41 992.445 a Strike Cruiser containing a force of Purifiers under Grand Master Mandalek and Garran Crowe, consisting of Purifier Squads Orlando and Garrus, Land Raider "Destroyer of Daemons" and Land Raider Crusader "Vigilance Eternal", along with a Vindicare and Callidus from the Assassins Temples, was caught in a vicious warp storm while enroute to cleanse a incursion of daemonic entities in an upper class hive world.
The Warp Storm was powerful enough to breach the Gellar Field for an instant, allowing the pure Warp to enter the ship before the Field re-engaged. Although no casualties or other injuries were sustained by this incursion a curious thing happened in the Warp.
The psychic resonance of the Grey Knight Force, with Crowe and Mandulek as psychic beacons, created a psychic template in the warp that slowly started to form into a perfect, yet twisted, copy of the Grey Knights force and cruiser. No explanation can be given for this, but the Grey Knight cogitators started to note incidents of supposedly Grey Knight presence on worlds that were not under daemonic assault, or had not been selected for interference.
After many months of research, and the efforts of the Ordos Malleus and Hereticus to find the reason for these reports, the doppelgangers were discovered.
Mandalek had died in M41 992.884, around 6 months before the first report of the false grey knights.

Tracking them to the barren plains of Herus III, Crowe took his Purifying Force, 25 of his greatest battle brothers, and called upon the dreadnoughts Litargus, Honorius and Vorn to aid him. Beren Cal, the Vindicare from the orignal mission, also was tasked to join the force, though Leani the Callidus could not be located in time to face her own doppelganger...

Annihilation, Spearhead

Armies: Euan (Grey Knights Unpure Brotherhood)

Grand Master
Master Crafted Halberd
Incinerator
Blind and Psychotroke Grenades
Servo Skull
205

Garran Crowe
150

Vindicare Assassin
145

Callidus Assassin
145

TROOPS

Purifier Squad (10 man)
X 4 Incinerators
X 4 Halberds
X 2 Daemonhammers
258
DT: Land Raider Crusader w/ MM & Storm Bolter & HK & Truesilver armour
295

Purifier Squad (10 man)
X 4 Incinerators
X 4 Halberds
X 2 Daemonhammers
258
DT: Land Raider/ MM & Storm Bolter & HK & Truesilver armour
295

1751

James: Grey Knights Purifying Force

Garran Crowe
150

Vindicare Assassin
145

Strike Squad Calibus
X 5 Nemesis Force Swords & Storm Bolters
X 1 Master Crafted Force Sword
105

Purifier Squads (5)
X 2 Psycannons
X 1 Daemonhammer
X 2 Halberds
DT: Rhino
945

Dreadnoughts (3)
T-L Autocannons
Psybolt ammo
345

1750

Board and Deployment:

Desert with hills to southwest and northeast. Urban ruins in southeast quadrant containing Tower in middle of board, ruined wall across to the east of it, and a bunker complex in deep southeast part.

Unpure Brotherhood deploys Land Raiders as far into northwest quadrant as possible, with raiders carrying the two Purifer units. “Crowe” deploys as close to the Tower as possible.
The Unpure Vindicare deploys on the northeastern hill, behind some sandbags.

The Purifying Force deploys in southeastern quadrant, with the rhinos bunched together between the bunker and the ruined wall.
The Dreadnoughts Litargus, Honorius and Vorn deploy to the east on the steppes of the northeastern hall, with the ruined wall to their left.
Crowe deploys in the bunker.
The Vindicare deploys on the ruined wall, with a commanding view of the battlefield.

Turn 1: Euan

The 2 Land Raiders move 6 inches forward. “Crowe” moves behind tower

Fires lascannon landraider at 3rd Dreadnought (Vorn) and manages to wreck it.
Fires Vindicare at 1st Dreadnought (Litargus) and manages to blow off an autocannon
Fires Crusader Hurricane Bolters and Assault Cannon at Vinidicare. Vindicare wounded 3 times but passes THREE Feel No Pain saves!

Turn 1: James

Moves Litargus and Honorius to get better line of sight at landraiders (6” up)
Moves Rhinos up 6” to get in range of landraiders with psycannons.

Fires Vindicare at Landraider Crusader (Turbo Penetrator). Land Raider EXPLODES!
Fires all Psycannons and Storm Bolters at Purifier squad 2 in assault mode. All but Grand Master and 3 Purifiers remain
Fires Autocannons at Grand Master and remaining Purifiers. Only Grand Master and 1 Purifier left.

Turn 2: Euan

Callidus tries to Deep Strike but fails.
Grand Master moves forward to be in range of Vindicare with his Incinerator.

Land Raider fires both lascannons at Honorius. Manages to stun him.
Vindicare fires at Litargus, but fails to do anything
Grand Master unleashes Incinerator against Vindicare after remaining Purifier fails to hit him with storm bolter. Vindicare caught in burning flames but PASSES HIS FEEL NO PAIN!!

Turn 2: James

Rhinos move forward 6” to target Grand Master and put him down.
Dreadnoughts swivel to target the annoying enemy Vindicare
Strike Squad Calibus Deep Strikes behind the enemy vindicare, but scatters down the hill to appear in front of the remaining enemy land raider.

Dreadnoughts fire at the enemy vindicare, causing one wound, but not enough to kill him.
Vindicare fires at Land Raider, Wrecking it!.
Rhinos unleash psycannons and stormbolters at the Grand Master and his remaining Purifier. The Purifier is torn apart, but the Terminator Armour of the Master stands firm and he weathers the storm with a single wound taken off.
Squad Calibus fires at the Purifier squad behind them, but only manages to wound 2 of the warriors, both of whom pass their armour saves

Turn 3: Euan

The Callidus, with the aid of the Grand Master’s Psychic Communion. Coming in next to my Vindicare.
The Purifier squad by the wrecked land raider redeploys in a long line snaking around the back of the vehicle, allowing the Grand Master to join them!

Vindicare fires at Honorius, and manages to explode him! (turbo penetrator)
Callidus’ automatic attacks on my Vindicare after she arrives slaughters him easily. She can’t consolidate towards vehicles so she stays where she is.
The Purifier squad behind the rhino targets Squad Calibus and unleashes its 4 incinerators. Calibus and his men die in a white hot conflagration as the flames wash over them.
Turn 3: James

Rhinos split this turn. One moves to join the remaining dreadnought while the front 2 rhinos move up 12” to chase the remaining Purifier unit.
The rear two move 6”, with the right hand one aiming at the Callidus assassin, while the left hand one disembarks its Purifiers next to the tower where the enemy Crowe has been hiding all game.
My Crowe moves from his bunker towards the Callidus Assassin, determined to avenge the Vindicare.

Crowe fires his storm bolter at the Assassin, but fails to hit her.
The right hand rhino unleashes its psycannons and storm bolter at the assassin, but again fails to take her down!
The rhino next to Litargus aims at the Purifier squad, and manages to kill 3 Purifier with Psycannons and storm bolter fire.
The Dreadnought fires its autocannon again at the enemy Vindicare, keeping the assassin’s head down.
The front 2 rhinos unleash psycannons and storm bolters again, and take another 2 purifiers down.
Purifier Squad Alexander can just spy the enemy Crowe around the corner of the Tower, and prepare themselves for combat with the False Champion but are unable to fire.

Turn 4: Euan

The Grand Master and his remaining Purifier Squad move towards the front Rhinos, determined to make a last stand against the rampaging Knights.
The False Crowe moves to assault Squad Alexander, the daemonblade in his hands shimmering as it tries to stay in the shape of Antwyr.

The Vindicare fires at Litargus, but only manages to immobilise the dreadnought.
The False Crowe fires his storm bolter at Squad Alexander and manages to kill one of the psycannon wielders.
The Grandmaster and the 4 incinerator purifiers open fire against the 2 lead rhinos......and manage to explode them both! In the resulting explosion all but Knight of the Flame Cairos and 3 members of Squad Herakles perish, leaving them facing the enemy Grand Master and Purifier Squad at greatly reduced combat ability.

Crowe crashes into Squad Alexander, his daemonblade striking each brother in glittering arc. The Purifiers reel back, but none of the hits could penetrate the Aegis armour, and therefore Crowe has to face all 4 Purifiers.
Squad Alexander set about Crowe with no hesitation, Alexander’s halberd, along with Brother Jerome’s spark off Crowe’s Iron Halo shield, and Brother Jarel can only try and fire his bolt pistol at the constantly moving Crowe to no effect. Then Brother Harald, with his Daemonhammer glowing, comes into Crowe’s path, and swings his mighty weapon at the False Champion.
The blow connects, and the Nemesis Circuits flares as Harald sends his psychic might down the weapon to obliterate the False Crowe. The Champion is pulverised as his iron Halo fails.
Squad Alexander consolidate towards their beleaguered brothers to the north.
The Grand Master and his Purifiers consolidate towards the broken squads of Herakles and Cairos.

Turn 4: James

Squad Alexander moves 6”to be in position to assault the False Grand Master.
The easternmost rhino and dreadnought fire at the enemy vindicare. Finally managing to take the annoying assassin out as the rounds penetrate through the sandbags and through his synkskin suit.
The rear rhino to the west, the only one there now with Purifiers still inside, fires psycannons and storm bolters at the enemy Purifier squad. Squad Herakles, Knight of the Flame Cairos, and Squad Alexander add their weapons to the tirade, and when the smoke clears........ 5 men remain standing, including the Grand Master

Throwing caution to the wind, and enraged at the sight of their counterparts and the death of their battlebrothers, Cairos, Herakles and Alexander charge into the remaining squad ofenemy Purifiers.
Psykout grenades fly both ways....but the enemy Grand Master throws both Blind and Psychotroke Grenades at the squads.
Herakles and Cairos are reduced to Leadership 2, while Alexander is reduced to one attack and is automatically hit as the grenades affect their autosenses.

Cleansing Flame engulfs all the combatants as Cairos, Herakles and the enemy Knight of the Flame unleash their psychic power. But only 1 purifier from the enemy succumbs to the flames.
Splitting his squad between the 3 squads the Grand Master strikes first at I7, with his master crafted nemesis halberd splitting Brother Jarel in two before the others can react.
Then all 3 squads engage the remaining purifiers fully. Cairos taking on 2 purifiers by himself, and Herakles and his 2 purifiers engaging the remaining 2.
In a brilliant display of mutual skill the halberds flash out, and cleave through armour and bone.......leaving two piles of corpses......
Only the Grand Master remains as Squad Alexander tries to kill him. But nothing can get past his Iron Halo...

GAME ENDS

Victory Points:
Euan: Vindicare, 2 Purifier squads, 2 Rhinos, 2 Dreadnoughts = 7
James: 2 Purifier squads, Crowe, Vindicare, Callidus, 2 Land Raiders = 7
DRAW

Epilogue.

Even as the Grand Master fights for his life against Squad Alexander, Purifier Squad Namiel and Purifier squad Krakus race to aid their brothers. Crowe boards the rearmost Rhino and also joins the battle finally.
Being outmatched and outgunned the Grand Master is defiant, even as Garran Crowe pronounces him and his army an abomination against reality and faces him in personal combat.
The combat prowess of the Grand Master is awe inspiring, and the psychotroke and blind grenades serve to distract Crowe for a second.......but the Purifier Champion fights through the haze, and plunges Antwyr into the Grand Master’s heart, before rocking back to behead the false Grey Knight.

A costly endeavour, but one that has saved the Grey Knights from an intolerable situation of having a force loose in the Imperium bearing the faces of battlebrothers which are to be kept secret from the populace.