Baneblades, explosions and Grey Knights, Oh My!!!!

Yup, I fought a Baneblade today. Nuf said. Well not really, you'll want to know the whole story I guess, so here goes!

(Not really today, it was on the 14th(Wednesday) the report took 3 days to write!!!!)

I was going to fight two of my friends and their combined armies. (2 vs 1...thats not fair!)

I realise I said I would be fighting Tau today, and I still did. Only I was also fighting Tyranids, Imperial Guard and Salamanders(Space Marines)! To combat this, I fielded my entire Grey Knight army, all of my Space Wolves AND some of my friends Ultramarines(using his own chapter varient rules). As you can probably tell, it was an Apocalypse(tm) match. 5500 pointsworth of pure destruction. Lists are as follow.

The Good Guys (Me)

HQ

Grand Master Validi (acting) and 3 Grey Knight Terminators

Validi has a Psycannon, an Icon of the Just and Holocaust

1 Terminator with a Psycannon and Holocaust selected for the squad


Wolf Priest

Power Weapon, Plasma Pistol, Healing Potions and Balms, Wolf Tooth Necklace, Wolf Tail Talisman, Wolf Pelt, Frag Grenades, Melta Bombs, Iron Wolf Amulet, Runic Armour, Runic Charm

Wolf Guard Battle Leader

Master Crafted Frost Axe, Bolter, Wolf Tooth Necklace, Wolf Tail Talisman, Wolf Pelt, Frag Grenades, Melta Bombs, Belt of Russ, Runic Armour, Runic Charm


Space Wolves Venerable Dreadnaught

Twin Linked Lascannon, Close Combat Weapon with Heavy Flamer, Extra Armour, Smoke Launchers


Ultramarines...Guy with 3 wounds and his Command Squad

Storm Bolter, Master Crafted Lightning Claw, Iron Halo, Frag Grenades, Melta Bombs, and maybe some other stuff

Chapter Champ, Apocathary, Banner Dude, y'know - all the stuff you get in the Command Squad Box



Elites

Brother-Captain Zanobi and 2 Grey Knight Terminators, 1 with Incinerator and the Squad has Holocaust

Zanobi has a Master-Crafted Psycannon, an Icon of the Just and a Teleport Homer


Wolf Guard (Wulfen)
1 model
Mark of the Wulfen, Power Weapon, Power Fist (he doesn't need anything else)

7 Ultramarines Terminators

Cyclone Missle Launcher, Assault Cannon, a few chainfists, and the Sarge probably had something extra

6 Wolf Scouts

2 power Weapons, 2 Plasma Pistols, Meltagun, Frag Grenades and Meltabombs


5 Ultramarine Devastators(WTF)

2xLascannon, 2x Missle Launchers



Troops

10 Inquisitorial Stormtroopers and Chimera

7 Hellguns, Flamer, Grenade Launcher, Veteran Sergent with a Hellgun and Power Sword, Artificer Armour (I love stupidity) Teleport Homer, Melta Bombs, Purity Seals, Refractor Field

Chimera has a Multilaser, a Dozer Blade, Extra Armour, a Hunter-Killer Missle, Smoke Launchers and a Storm Bolter


5 Grey Knights in Power Armour

1 with a Psycannon, Justicar has Psybolts, a Targeter, Artificer Armour, an Icon of the Just, Frag Grenades, Meltabombs and a Teleport Homer


10 Space Wolf Grey Hunters(Tactical) with Rhino Transport

Bolters and Close Combat Weapons (Space Wolves have True Grit), Meltagun, Power Sword, Power Fist, Frag Grenades---Rhino has Extra Armour and Smoke Launchers

9 Space Wolf Blood Claws (Assault Marines without Jump Packs)and a Wolf Guard Leader with Rhino Transport

7xBolt Pistols and Close Combat Weapons, 1xPower Weapon, 1xPower Fist, Frag Grenades, Wolf Guard has a Power Weapon, Bolt Pistol, Wolf Tooth Necklace, Wolf Tail Talisman, Wolf Pelt, Frag Grenades, Melta Bombs and a Runic Charm---Rhino has Extra Armour and Smoke Launchers


5 Legion of the Damned
Bolters, 1xMeltagun, Vet. Legionnaire with a Combi-Plasma gun



5 Ultramarines with a Plasma Gun and a Missle launcher

5 Ultramarines with a Plasma Gun and a Missle launcher




Fast Attack


Space Wolves Blood Claws Jump Pack...Pack

4xBlood Claws, Bolt Pistols and Close Combat Weapons, 1xPower Weapon, 1x Power Fist, Wolf Guard with a Power Weapon, Master-Crafted Plasma Pistol, Wolf Tooth Necklace, Wolf Tail Talisman, Wolf Pelt, Frag Grenades, Melta Bombs, Runic Charm and a Jump Pack



7 Ultramarine Assault Marines, Sarge has a Power Weapon and Storm Shield


Grey Knight Teleport Attack Squad

5 models, 1 with an Incinerator, Justicar has Psybolts, a Targeter, Artificer Armour, an Icon of the Just, Frag Grenades, Meltabombs

Grey Knight Teleport Attack Squad

5 models, 1 with an Incinerator, Justicar has Psybolts, a Targeter, Artificer Armour, an Icon of the Just, Frag Grenades, Meltabombs

Grey Knight Teleport Attack Squad

5 models, 1 with an Incinerator, Justicar has Psybolts, a Targeter, Artificer Armour, an Icon of the Just, Frag Grenades, Meltabombs




Heavy Support


Space Wolf Long Fangs Pack
5 models, 1 Lascannon, 1 Heavy Bolter, 1 Multi Melta, 1 Plasma Cannon, Pack Leader has a Bolt Pistol and a Close Combat Weapon


Space Wolf Predator Destructor

Lascannon Sponsons, Hunter-Killer Missle, Extra Armour, Pintle Mounted Storm Bolter, Smoke Launchers

Whirlwind with Vengance missles



Thats about it for my army, now the Bad Guys stuff, I don't know all the wargear they had though...


HQ

Shas'O with Plasma Rifle, Fusion Blaster, Shield Generator and 2 Gun Drones


Broodlord with 7 or so Genestealers with Extended Carapace and Leaping


Comissar with a Power Sword and Bolt Pistol


Heroic Senior Officer with a Power Sword and Bolt Pistol( and a retinue of 7 or so Imperial Guard annd 3 flamers all in a Chimera)


Salamanders Commander with 3 wounds using an Iron Halo, Storm Bolter and a Lightning Claw, and Terminator Honours

Elites


5 Close Combat Salamander Terminators, 2 Thunder Hammers, 3 Lightning Claw pairs

3 Tyranid Warriors


Troops

6 or 7 squads of 10 Imperial Guard, all with as many flamers as they cound get, vox casters and a veteran Sarge

3 squads of 8 Tau Fire Warriors, all with Pulse Rifles and 2 gun Drones

7 Genestealers with no upgrades

10 Salamanders, with a missle Launcher and a flamer, Sarge with a Close Combat Weapon and a Plasma Pistol

4 snipers with sniper rifles

3 squads of various types of Tyranid Gaunts (with 12 members)

Fast Attack

Not sure if they had any fast attack, oh wait, 2 ripper swarm bases and a sentinel with a Close Combat Weapon and a Multilaser


Heavy Support

Skyray Gunship with a Smart Missle System

Hammerhead with a Railgun and a Smart Missle System

The Baneblade Thor

Broadside Battlesuit

To conduct this Massive Battle, we marked out the area we were going to use on the floor and played it there, with ruined Buildings on each flank and a crashed Ship in the center. We set up with 12 or so inches of no-mans-land. On my left flank, they placed the 3 squads of Fire Warriors ans 1 squad of Guardsmen. To assault this flank, I decided to use my Blood Claw Jump Pack Team, the Ultramarine Terminators and the Ultramarine Commander and his Command Squad, joined by my Wolf Priest and Wolf Guard Battle Leader, and here's why. They set up the Baneblade to the left of the building, with another Imperial Guard Squad on its right. I then placed the Ultramarines Assault Squad opposite it to try to take it down with their Meltabombs. Behind the Assault Marines, I placed one of the Ultramarines Tactical Squads and the 5 Grey Knights in Power Armour. He placed his Snipers on top of the crashed ship and the Chimera to my left of that. I put the Elite Devastators opposite the Snipers, ready to take pot shots at the Baneblade, Then, going from right to left, the Blood Claws Rhino, then the Grey Hunters Rhino, Brother-Captain Zanobi and his Squad with my Pradator behind them, the Inquisitorial Stormtroopers with the Long Fangs behind them, the Venerable Dreadnaught and my Chimera in my entrance to the ruined building on my far left flank, with the other Tactical Ultramarines Squad. Facing them was a mix of the Imperial Guard and Tyranids, with the Genestealers on my left flank and the Carnifex behind them. the 2 Tau vehicles stayed at the floors edge, in the centre.

I kept the Teleport attack GK, Validi, the Wolf Scouts, the Whirlwind (I actually forgot to deploy it) and the Legion of the Damned in reserve.

They kept the Salamander Terminators, the Salamander Commander and the Tau Commander in reserve.


GAME ON!!!!

I won first turn and advanced the Rhinos, Assault Squads, B-C Zanobi, the Command Squad, the Grey Knights in Power Armour and the Terminator Squad straight forward, with the Assault Squads ready to Charge, the Termies in the Ruins, the Command Squad to the right of the right hand Ruins, hugging the floor edge. the Rhinos popped Smoke and disembarked the Wolves. the Legion of the Damned teleported in behind the Carnifex, ready to distract it from the main battle.

The Legion of the Damned Rapid fired some Gaunts and killed a few of them, the Ultramarine Terminators shot at the Tau behind the ruins and Imperial Guard( whom had been placed in vain, trying to cover the Tau) and killed 1/2 the squad. The Devastators tried to do something to the Baneblade but failed to penetrate it's armour. More Fire Warriors fell to the Grey Knights Psycannon and Storm Bolters. The Genestealers Squad was wiped out by concentrated firepower, despite being behind Imperial Guard. Some Imperial Guard fell from the Grey Hunters and Blood Claws Bolters and Bolt Pistols respectivly. My Chimera shot at the sentinel opposite, imobilising it and some other Stealers(in the Broodlords squad) fell to the Ultramarines beside it. Sadly, my Long Fang with the Plasma Cannon Blew himself up, despite his repaeted success in the fields of prevoius battles (he has killed a whole Squad of marines in one battle). The Predator Destructor blew up the Skyray.


In the Assault Phase, the Blood Claws Jump Pack Pack (I know what I'm saying) charged the Imperial Guard protecting the Fire Warriors, tore through them and Consolidate-Massacared 1 inch into a Fire Warrior Squad. The Ultramarines Assault Squad Hit the Baneblade with MeltaBombs and took off 2 Structural points( wounds for super heavy vehicals, the 'Blade has 3)


The enemy moved all his squads closer to mine, with the exeption of the Fire Wariors and Snipers and unleashed the huge amount of flamer they had on me, killing a few Space Wolves and most of the Stormtroopers. With one shot, the Baneblade killed 6 of the Ultramarine Terminators, leaving the one with the Assault Cannon and most of the Command Squad, leaving the Wolf Guard Battle Leader, the Ultramarines Commander and the Chapter Banner Bearer but killing the Wolf Priest. The Hammerhead exploded the predator.

The Veteran Stormtrooper killed an Imperial Guard when they charged him but died as well. The Imperial Guard Command Squad charged the Blood Claws along with the ripper swarm and killed no-one, and the Heroic Senior Officer and the Commisar were wounded by the Wolf Guard Leader. The Grey Hunters were Charged be another Imperial Guard Squad and the Tyranid Warriors. They lost a few men but took the Warriors down to 1 wound each and killed a few Guardsmen. the Carnifex charged the Legion of the Damned, killed 2 of them and recived one wound, leaving him with 3. The Ultramarine Assault Squad who attacked the Baneblade were bogged down by more Guard and little Tyranids. The Broodlord and his Genestealers charged the Ultramarines on the far left flank, but only managed to kill two of them (The Broodlord killed the 2, and I removed the only models in base to base contact, so the Genestealers couldn't attack )

My 2nd turn, and I brought on the whirlwind and killed a few more Guard with it, and my scouts used their Behind Enemy Lines rule and ran on from the enemy floor edge behind the Baneblade. The last Ultramarines Terminator sporting an Assault Cannon killed a few more enemies, Ultramarine Devastators tried to shoot the Hammerhead but failed to do anything, the Long Fangs took down some little enemies. not very much shooting because most of my units were stuck in assaults. My Chimera destroyed both of the Sentinels weapons, rendering it usless as it cannot move either. One Squad of Grey Knights Teleported into the Battle, north of Zanobi and the Grey Hunters, but I forgot they were there in the Shooting Phase.

The Blood Claws Jump Pack Pack killed most of the Tau they had consolidated into, but the Tau passed their leadership. the Venarable Dreadnaught charged a group of Guardsmen after toasting them with his Heavy Flamer and killed a few of them. The Wulfen charged another squad of guardsmen and killed a few in his rage. One Tyranid Warrior fell to a Grey Hunter with a Power Sword, and more Guardsmen were killed by the rest of the Grey Hunters and Brother-Captain Zanobi who ran in to help, but failed to use Holocaust. The Guardsmen broke, and ran for their lives. Another Legion of the Damned was killed by the Carnifex, but dissapeared before he hit the ground. The Legion are fighting a losing battle, but at least they are keeping the Carnifex busy. The Broodlord and Genestealers killed the remaining 3 Ultramarines, and ran round behind the Chimera, ready to attack the Long Fangs.

In the midst of all this, the Wolf Scouts run up and place more Meltabombs on the Baneblade, removing its last Structural Point. Super Heavies appear to have a crazy damage chart thingy after they die, which determines if it is just wrecked, explodes, is annihalated or has an Apocalyptic Explosion. Guess which one my friend rolled. We rolled 3 more dice, getting 11 inches. Not good. Everything in that radius gets a Strength 9 AP 2 hit. The scouts died. 3 Blood Claws who were attacking the Tau died. Only one Tau out of the 15 or so left, only 3 or so survived. The Last Ultramarines Terminator died. The Broadside Battlesuit died. The Enemy Snipers were down to one man (3 died). Only the sarge of the Ultramarines Assault Squad survived, and 2 Grey Knights died (I managed to get two 1s on the 4 wounds they took ). The Enemy Chimera died, but my Blood Claws' Rhino survived!!!

Quite an eventfull 2nd turn.


In the Enemies 2nd turn, they brought on their Salamanders Assault Terminators and Salamanders Commander via Deep Strike and put them in the Right hand side Ruins, to try to finish off the 7 of my men left there. No shooting, or very little, as almost everthing is now in an Assault.

A squad of Gaunts shot their silly little weapons at the Teleported Grey Knights, and killed one through sheer massed firepower, and then charged them, but killed no-one in the assault and recived 5 casualties. The Warriors failed to hurt the Grey Hunters, but they failed to hurt the Warriors in return. Another Squad of Imperial Guard charged Zanobi and his 2 Terminators, recived 3 casualties, killed a terminator, and got blasted by Zanobi's Holocaust, which killed another 3 in the squad. The Long Fangs were slaughtered by the Broodlord, who consolidated into contact with the Venarable Deadnaught who had killed the last Guardsmen in the Squad he had charged. Another Legion of the Damned was killed, vanishing like the ones who had gone before him, leaving the Veteran Legionnaire to contend wih the 'Fex.



The 3rd (and last) turn began with Validi and his Retinue Teleporting in, on my left of the Gaunts and Grey Knights in Close Combat. The other 2 Squads Teleported in, one behind the Hammerhead (sadly, they scattered, just enough that the Justicar materialised with his head inside one of the Hammerheads engines.) and the other locking on to Zanobi's homer, appearing inbetween the Gaunts and Grey Knights, and Zanobi, the Grey Hunters and the 2 Warriors. The Chimera moved through the ruins, and shot at the Salamanders Squad, along with Validi and the other Grey Knights Teleported Squad, wiping them out apart from the Veteran Sarge, who turned and ran.

On the right flank, the Wolf Guard Battle Leader, the Ultramarines Commander, the 2 remaining Blood Claws Jump Pack models (wielding a Power Axe and Power Fist) the Ultramarines Chapter Banner Bearer and the Justicar and Psycannon armed model (who had finished off the Imperial Guards and Tyranids along with the Ultramarines Assault Sarge in the previous turn) all charged the Salamanders Terminators and Commander from 3 different directions, hemming them in. The Wolf Guard Battle Leader and Ultramarines Commander single handedly killed 4 of the Terminators and gave the Salamanders Commander 2 wounds, and recived no hurts to themselves.

The afore-mentioned Ultramarines Assault Sarge charged and killed the last sniper and moved closer to an Imperial Guard Lascannon team and the only Fire Warrior left on the Battlefield. Zanobi and the Grey Hunters finished off the Imperial Guard and Tyranid Warriors. The Blood Claws who had been charged by the rippers and Imperial Guard Command Squad with the Heroic Senior Officer and Comissar (whom they brought down to one wound each) was brought down to two men left (Power Fist and Sword) and after killing the rippers, but held.

The Grey Knights failed to hurt the Hammerhead and the last Legion of the Damned was killed bu the carnifex, who consolidated a menacing 1 inch towards Validi and his Squad.


The enemies turn began with the Tau Shas'O flying down next to Validi and opening fire on him with 2 plasma Rifle shots and a Fusion Blaster, missing with one of the plama rifle shots, and failing to wound with the other, so only 1 Terminator died (Tau are good at ranged combat, I THINK NOT!!!)

The Ultramarines Assault Sarge dodged the Lascannon shot, and didn't get hurt by the Tau's Pulse Carbine.

The Salamanders Commander and Terminator Sergent were killed by the Wolf Guard Battle Leader, but they gave the Ultramarines Commander 1 wound before they died.

The 2 Blood Claws finally Broke, and fled 8 inches but regrouped, ready to defend the Ultramarine Devastators form the Imperial Guard

The Carnifex charged Validi, but he calmly dispached it with 3 great swipes of his sword. (He only missed once, and didn't fail to wound!!! and thanks to the Legion of the Damned, he wouldn't need to risk a Psychic test for his Force Weapon!!!) Don't mess with an acting Grand Master in Close Combat.

Epilogue

The Venerable Dreadnaught exploded, taking all the Genestealers and the Broodlord with it (somehow...) and the Blood Claws Rhino moved out of the way of the Ultramarine Devastators, allowing them to destroy the Hammerhead. the remaining Tyranids were easily dispached by the Grey Knights, without a Syanpse Creature anywhere near them, and the Tau Shas'O was killed by the combined might of Zanobi and the 5 remaining Grey Hunters. The Ultramarines Assault Sarge killed the Lascannon team and the last Fire Warrior. The 2 Blood Claws charged back into the Imperial Guard Command Squad and killed every last one in their fury, but were slain themselves for their heroism.



I'm never going to write another Apocalypse Battle Report, they take waaaaay too long to write and it's hard to remember each thing that happened (I ended up editing and re-editing almost everything). AND it's so big I need more than 1 Post.


Here's some Pics I took with Dawn of War.

Nice batrep. I'm impressed on how much detail you actually remembered. I can barely recall what I had for breakfast most days. Through all the carnage it looks like you might have come out on top. Was there any objectives or victory conditions for the battle? I'm not sure how Apocalypse works for declaring winners. Looks like it was a fun time though.

We just decided to have a slaughter rather then go for objectives, although blowing up the Baneblade before it did serious damage was a priority, and stopping the Genestealers, although I did ignore the Broodlord and his squad it was because all my units were too busy in Close Combat with Guardsmen and other bugs, and it wouldn't have been beneficial to send all the firepower his way, and the Broodlord wasn't in a position to severly disrupt my battle plan (assuming I actually had one )

It's amazing how many units went to CC on turn 1!!!

Nice rep! very long and detailed, I also forget things very fast so I'll start taking notes on my battles (or pictures )

If I had, had my basilisks then I wouldn't have gone down so easily and I have a plan for your sneaky little SW scouts! And for the record the epilogue didn't occur.