Horus Heresy Batrep 1: Iron Warriors vs Night Lords

Mission: Forlorn Hope (HH4: Conquest) 

Points: 1000
Deployment: The Hidden Blade

Iron Warriors (Raiders):

Forge Lord (100pts): Artificer armour, Cortex controller

10 Legion Tactical Squad (150pts)

Rhino (35pts)

10 Legion Tactical Squad (150pts)

Contemptor-Mortiis Dreadnought (180pts): 2x Keres assault cannons

2 Castellax Battle-Automata (210pts):

Sicaran Battle Tank (175pts): Lascannons, Shrapnel rounds

1000pts

Night Lords (Defenders):

Praetor: Artificer armour, Iron halo, Jump pack, Lightning claws, Melta bombs, Trophies of Judgement

14 Legion Tactical Squad: Artificer armour, Melta bombs, Nostraman chainglaive

14 Legion Tactical Squad: Artificer armour, Melta bombs, Nostraman chainglaive

7 Night Raptor Squad: Artificer armour, Melta bombs, Nostraman chainglaive

Sicaran Battle Tank: Heavy bolters

Pre-game Thoughts:

I'd really been looking forward to getting my army to this stage and having the chance to play a game of Horus Heresy. Being a very small game, and not having the models, we opted for armies using the standard force organisation chart and left out the fortifications. To keep the feel of the mission, the terrain was set up with a strong point in mind.

We both felt that the Forlorn Hope mission fitted the Iron Warriors fluff, being an expendable force testing the enemies defences, so we agreed that I'd go as the attacker this time around. After reading the High Alert special rule for this game, I knew this wasn't going to be an easy mission as anything I destroyed could potentially come back from reserves the following turn. 

Deployment: 

Turn 1:

Now was the time. Signalling the advance, the Forge Lord and the tactical squad headed for the crater in the centre of the field. Out of range with their bolters, they ran to close the ground with their enemy. The Sicaran repositioned, drawing line of sight to the Night Lords' counterpart. Unleashing a hail of autocannon rounds and lascannon fire, it reduced the Night Lord tank by two hull points, shaking the crew. On the right of the battlefield, the Iron Warriors tactical marines embarked in the rhino advanced and deployed into the manufactorum ruins where the objective marker was located. Also out of range, they ran to get into a better position. The Contemptor and Castellax emerged from the cover provided by the rocky outcrop in front of them, clambering over the obstacle. Unable to bring their weapons to bare, they advanced with the rest of their legionaries.

The shaken Night Lords crew of the Sicaran pivoted their tank to draw their guns on the advancing Contemptor, firing wildly in all directions. Seeing the wall of iron approaching, the two units of tactical marines manning the barricades held the line awaiting the imminent arrival of reinforcements. Opening up with their boltguns on the Castellax and Iron Warrior marines opposite, what little shots that hit their target simply bounced off the armoured ceramite.

Turn 2:

Heading for the breach in the enemy lines, the Forge Lord and his squad traversed the crater, shooting on the advance. Shells hit the building opposite failing to cause any wounds. The Iron Warriors tactical marines followed their leader's example, clambering through the manufactorum ruins. Their shooting proved more accurate, felling a single Night Lords marine in the building opposite. The Contemptor, picking up signals of jump packs, remained stationary to intercept the foe, but along with the advancing Castellax, they poured fire into the building on the right of the breach, cutting down five marines. Defiantly, the Night Lords held their ground. The Iron Warriors Sicaran took careful aim before unleashing all its fire at the damaged Sicaran, wrecking the Night Lord tank. 

Aware of the patrolling Contemptor, the Night Lord Praetor and his Raptors arrived from reserve, advancing down their left flank. Carefully calculating the distance they needed to cover, they activated an addition boost to close the gap with the Iron Warriors marines ahead of them. The Night Lords tactical squads stubbornly held the ground. Controlled bursts of fire into the advancing marines and Castellax proved useless, either missing or failing to penetrate the Iron Warriors' armour.

Turn 3:

With the destruction of the Night Lords' tank, the crew of the Sicaran pivoted to support their centurion and tactical squad. Taking careful aim, the marines unleashed fury of the legion, with supporting fire from the Sicaran into the marines opposite, killing four Night Lords. The Castellax and Contemptor continued their advanced up the centre of the field putting pressure on the Night Lords ahead. Six of the Nostramans fell to assault cannon and mauler rounds. Again, the Night Lords stubbornly refused to abandon their positions. Sighting the advance of the Praetor and his Raptors, the Iron Warriors tactical squad in the ruins turned their guns on them but failed to inflict any casualties.

The Night Lords tactical squads continued to hold their ground, firing at the tactical squad and Castellax advancing on their centre. Two Iron Warriors fell and a Battle-automata took a wounding hit. The Night Lords Praetor signalled for armoured support, but the Sicaran battle tank failed to arrive from reserve as scheduled. Realising that a strike on the Iron Warriors marines in the manufactorum was all but impossible, the Praetor and Raptors descended upon the Rhino, wrecking the armoured carrier and hiding in the shadows of its burning shell.

Turn 4:

The Sicaran traversed the crater in support of the Forge Lord's advance, firing at the Night Lords to the left of the breach again. Two marines fell to high calibre rounds of its autocannon. The Castellax crossed the roadway ahead of them, lumbering towards the breach. Controlled fire on the move, killed another two Night Lords. Their lone sergeant in the ruins before them kept his nerve in the face of such wanten destruction. Recognising the danger to his brothers, the Contemptor moved up to support the tactical marines in the ruins. Taking aim on the Raptors preparing to attack from behind the destroyed Rhino, he gunned down three of their number. 

Their ranks decimated, the Night Lord tactical marines emerged from the safety of the barricades. The remains of the squad opposite the Iron Warriors in the crater fired their bolt pistols, killing a lone Iron Warrior, and charged. The Nostraman sergeant met the Forge Lord in single combat. For all the power of the the Night Lord's chainglaive, it failed to breach the Olympian artificer armour before the centurion's axe cut him in two. His comrades fared better, hacking down two Iron Warriors without loss. The Iron Warriors, however, never wavered. The Sicaran arrived from reserves, taking up position on the breach. It unleashed all its firepower on the Castellax, causing only a single wounding hit. The lone sergeant, seeing his comrades strewn about him, readied his chainglaive and charged at the Castellax. Controlled bursts of mauler-pattern bolt cannon burst apart the brave Night Lord. Once again the Praetor and Raptors took to the sky, landed amongst the Iron Warriors in the ruins, butchering five marines for only a single loss. The Iron Warriors fled to the edge of the ruins, escaping the expected sweeping advance.

Turn 5:

With a single command from their Forge Lord, the Castellax positioned themselves to aid their master and charged into the melee. Gaining the upper-hand, the Iron Warriors hacked five Night Lords to death. Routing from certain death, the remaining two fled to safety back towards their lines. The tactical marines consolidated onto the objective in the ammo dump and the Castellax moved towards the breach once again. The Sicaran took up a firing position and unleashed its fire into the Raptors, felling two. Iron resolve rallied the tactical marines being chased by the Praetor, but their snap shots failed to halt their foe. With the arrival of the Night Lords Sicaran, the Contemptor was forced to diverted its attention towards the imminent threat. The incarcerated veteran's assault cannon shells tore through the tank's armoured ceramite leaving a smoking wreck in its wake.

The remnants of the Night Lords tactical squad rallied and loosed bolt shells into the flanks of the Castellax who were heading into their breach. Despite the power of the mass reactive round, the automata's armoured shell held. Reinforcement tactical marines arrived at the breach and fired at the Castellax, again their armour proving too tough. A third Night Lord Sicaran arrived from their lines opposite the manufactorum. The distinct thudd of autocannon rounds strafed the Iron Warriors Contemptor removing two hull points and shaking it. The Praetor and his retinue closed in on the remaining Iron Warrior marines mercilessly hacked them down to a man and retreating deeper into the ruins.

Turn 6:

Seeing the massing Night Lords in front of them, the Castellax closed in on the breach objective, gunning down four marines of the reserve squad as they advanced. The distance between them and their target proved too much and they failed to reach combat. Shaken, the Iron Warriors Contemptor lumbered into the crater to the right of the road, snap firing into the Sicaran. Shells strafed the ground to the side of the tank failing to hit their target. Taking up a strong position, the Iron Warriors Sicaran fired into the Raptors squad, decimating the squad and leaving the Praetor completely unsupported. 

The remaining two Night Lord marines and the squad manning the breach unleashed fury of the legion on the Castellax. The explosive rounds blotted out the automata, but only a single wound was caused to the walkers. The crew of the Night Lords Sicaran, sensing the Contemptors end, continued to pound the dreadnought with autocannon fire. In a series of flashes, the automantic shielding deflected the successful hits. Reserve Raptor deep striked into the ruined manufactorum, landing on the objective located there and penetrating the Iron Warriors' lines. In a final act, the Night Lords Praetor activated his jump pack, charging into combat with the Contemptor. Ducking and twisting in combat, he placing a melta bomb on the mighty machine, which tore through its hull before colapsing to the ground.

Final Points:

Iron Warriors: 3 (1 Objective, First Blood, Enduring Hope)
Night Lords: 3 (2 Objectives, Linebreaker)

Post-game Thoughts:

Forlorn Hope is a really fun mission, but very hard for the raider! Despite ending in a draw, I felt that the Lord of Iron would be satisfied with his Centurion's performance, losing less than half of his force while destroying a steady stream of enemy forces. We discussed our armies performances and I didn't see much I would change about the army, whereas we both agreed that the Night Lords could have taken some better unit choices, especially with the High Alert rule in mind.

"12th Grand Battallion assigned.
58% casualties, successful reconnaissance of Night Lords' battle capabilities, losses acceptable."

We'll hopefully try out another mission soon! :)