Warhammer

Warhammer 40,000: The Bax Stars Crusade

A Local Game Store has started a Warhammer 40,000 9th Edition Crusade using the new Narrative rule-set. These are the battles of Adepta Sororitas…


So, let’s go over some basics; Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop Wargame set in the far future. Players assemble armies of miniatures and move squads around the table to capture objectives and kill their enemies. Typically, these battles are one-off affairs whose results do not carry from battle to battle. In a Warhammer Crusade, the units can gain extra abilities as they progress.

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Our Deployment

In our first battle, the traitors of the World Bearers Chaos Space Marines launched an orbital assault against our Hive-City. The Sisters of the 1st Commandery put up a hasty defense of the God-Emperor’s finest gun lines in whatever buildings they could put between them and the arch-enemy. The Commandery contained three squads of 10 Sisters of Battle, two squads of five Retributor Sisters with heavy weapons, three Mortifiers with heavy bolters and buzz-blades. Lastly, they were led by the Canoness Cadenzia and Canoness Somnia. Their enemy contained Cultists, possessed Space Marines, several daemons, and an armored Rhino transport.


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“Stand fast, my Sisters! Our Faith is our Shield, this wall is our cover!



Turn 1 opens with a firestorm of shells from orbit dealing damage to the structures of the defending Sisters of Battle, and much of the Chaos forces advanced into the city. Their opening volleys wounded many Sisters of the 3rd Squad known as the Gloom Ward, and several sisters of the 1st Retributor Squad ‘Compassionate Choir’. Following their shots, the human cultists charged with bayonets and foul screams to their false-gods. Many cultists were cut down by the thunder of the blessed bolters of the Sisters and granted the Emperor’s Light by Sister Avadaia’s Flamer. The cultists failed to cut down any of the Sisters while suffering heavy losses.

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“Black is the Heart of the traitor. The Mortifier shall bring illumination”

Now the Sisters act, shifting positions to line up their shots, but the dense cover of the hive-city blocks many of their sightlines. Nevertheless, the Sisters persisted. The mortifiers advancing on the enemy transport, blasting it in unison with the 9th Squad ‘Night Guard’ before hacking it to pieces. Meanwhile, the Gloom Ward and Canoness Somnia killed the cultists to the last man.

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“For the Faith, we give our lives!”

Turn 2 and 3 see the last of the Gloom Ward and Compassionate Choir unable to continue their fight, breaking the flank. The Mortifiers also fall to sustained fire, while the survivors scramble to fill the gaps and pour bolter fire into the Enemy. The Night Guard falls to the chaos-infected guns, but not before eliminating the Chaos spawn terminator.

The final turn, the Royal Guard, Canoness Cadenzia and the Penance Stare are all that remain of the defenders. The Choosen of Chaos bears down on Cadenzia, the Penance Stare rallies and chargers the Summoner, while the Royal Guard stands fast, dealing as much pain as they can bring to bear.

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The meeting of Champions in mortal combat!

In the end, it was an overwhelming victory for the forces of Chaos, scoring 12 points for 4 captured objectives, while the Sisters scored 10 for being fully painted (See Dungeon Craft!). The Sisters went into the battle looking not to win, but make the price of victory unbearable, gaining 2 exp for two first strike bonuses. Despite their losses, the Sisters suffered only permanent damage to their pride, while the Cultists of Chaos are now bearing the scars of their battle.