Battle Report: Imperial Guard vs. Space Wolves

A Fall of Masuda Campaign Battle Report:

Cadian 17th vs. Berek’s Great Company.

In the aftermath of the False Hope Crusade where several forces were fighting over the False Hope Sector, the forces of Order serving the Imperium had swayed the tide of most of the systems towards orderly control, if not peace. Many Xenos and forces of Chaos had been vanquished, but still others had managed to lurk and slip through the cracks of the defense networks established by the so called “Forces of Order”.

The False Hope sector has been ravaged by unending wars since the beginning of the last decade of the 41st millennium. Occupation of each of the systems is continually contested. To the galactic south of Sebastian’s Straits lies the planet of Masuda.

This once lush planet was suspected of being an Eldar Maiden world. It was also suspected of housing an ancient warp gateway that allowed the denizens of chaos to enter this reality unabated.

Whatever Masuda once was, today it stands in ruins. Lord General Militant Gaven Therarius’ last crusade to reclaim the False Hope sector for the Imperium saw no less than 24 decisive battles fought on this world. This constant state of warfare attracted Chaos and xenos alike, perpetuating the bloodshed.

One final push to claim the planet for the Imperium was initiated. Space Marines and Imperial Guardsmen fought side-by-side to rid the planet of traitorous Marines and Orks. But in the midst of battles, those who were once considered allies were suspected of deceit.

And history repeated itself again. The curse of the False Hope Sector is not its unusual location above the galactic planet. It is not that the Emperor’s Astronomican Light cannot always be seen. The curse of the sector is that, for some reason, brother seems to always turn against brother when fighting over a planet.

Could it be the work of the Chaos Gods to instill distrust on those who dare trespass on their ancient planets? Could it be a more sinister power at work? Or is this what happens when the Emperor’s Light can no longer be seen?

Colonel Colwyn Dray of the Cadian 17th had successfully led a Recon strike force into battles against various forces during the Pillars of Hatred Campaign. This stalwart combat veteran would be called upon once again to send his forces into battle into territories against forces unknown. They are in dangerous territory, the Havaria Sector clearly under disarray and chaos from the various battles and forces that have waged war here over the past decade.

Following their commander’s orders, the forces of the Cadian 17th Recon detatchment started establishing a centralized grid of operations. Using their experience as both a recon force and stalwart defenders, they had selected primarily mountainous terrain also located around portions of a ruined city. Col. Dray felt that his units would have an advantage in the higher grounds. Using Valkyrie and Vendetta transports they were able to establish a centralized base and start monitoring the other forces that have been arriving to Masuda.

“We’re going to have to prepare for anything men”, the Colonel had told his officers. “If we learned anything, it is that no one can be trusted, especially after that debacle with the Pillars of Hatred. We lost some good men and some of them to supposed Allies. At least we won’t have to worry about that cursed renegade Inquisitor, Lord Aki.”

The Colonel looked hard and long at his assembled officers before him. He knew this would be a series of long and hard fights. But he knew, after the trials, temptations, and tribulations that they had faced, he could rely upon them without question.

“We have sent word through our own networks for reinforcements and allies. It will be some time until they can arrive to assist us. So, under my orders, unless they are flying our banner or using our code, all forces are to be considered enemies. Even those forces of the Astartes. After our last encounters with them, even they are not immune to the temptations of evil. Your orders will be to obey me, and sometimes those orders may put us at odds with those who seem loyal to the Imperium, but again, we are not to trust ANYBODY! Do I make myself clear?!”

Of course the Colonel’s men all agreed in unison. They had witnessed their commander first hand, take them through dark times and come out better than they imagined. Yes, they would trust nobody else, save their own men.

As the forces of the Imperial Guard established their presence on Masuda, their surveillance network had already detected scout forces moving in on their location. Reports came back of ‘hostile intentions’ by the Space Wolves known as “Berek’s Great Company”, a near-renegade chapter of Space Wolf Astartes Marines who were taking to the field under the command of Wolf Lord Bulveye.

Looking to intercept the forces of Berek’s Great Company before they could become a nuisance, Colonel Dray led a small strike team through the mountains and intercepted the Space Wolf warriors in the Mountains, near a Command Bastion they had recently taken possession of.

The Plan was simple: Prepared Assault. Colonel Dray would establish a fire base in the mountains and than rely upon scout and recon forces to intercept and outflank advancing troops. The addition of a Leman Russ Executioner tank would further strengthen the bombardment. Col. Dray expected that the rough terrain of the mountains may create low-visibility situations and felt that the shorter ranged, yet massive firepower of the Executioner tanks Plasma Canons would seal any hope he had of a victory against so cagey an opponent.

1000 Points: Imperial Guard vs. Space Wolves, Imperial Guard go first.
IG turn 1: Preparing to do the most damage they could but still trying to control critical positions on the battlefield so as to allow them to possibly take the Bastion away from the Wolves. Colonel Dray took up positions in a ruined town square that was overgrown with a variety of foliage. Taking two snipers, a lascannon team and Major Thomas Gunns, a Master of Ordnance officer, Col Dray was happy to see his men along with a quintet of Ratling Snipers unload some fire power into an advancing squad of Sky Claws, the Space Wolves Jump Infantry.

The Valkyrie “Warthog” boosted over the enemy lines, executed a 180 spin and roll and also fired multiple rocket pods into the Sky Claws, effectively breaking their moral and forcing them to fall back.

Space Wolf 1: Evaluating their situation the Space Wolves looked none-too-pleased with the Imperial Guard taking a fight to them. A rune priest along with a unit of Grey Hunters secured the Western Flank. The priest called out with the “Living lightning” and only managed to shake the Valkyrie. A drop pod arrived, slamming home close to the command squad of Col. Dray.

Long Fangs atop a mountain bluff unleashed their fury of missle launchers also into the Valkyrie, but the extra armor on The Warthog kept it mobile and moving. The Blood Claws in the middle of the battlefield attempted to assault the Valkyrie, but to no avail. Also, the Sky Claws fled the field of battle, clearly not ready for the trials of combat.

Imperial Guard 2: The ‘Warthog’ moved North East and unloaded its cargo: Veteran Squad Delta, who unleashed Plasma-hell upon the Long Fangs on the mountain bluff. All seven shots hit (3 Plasma guns and a plasma pistol for good measure. Four of the Six Long fangs failed to retain their footing).

With the drop pod and Wovles so close, Colonel Dray ordered his men to fire upon his target and selected them. All of his troops combined their fire into the six man squad. Snipers, ordnance, pistols, a squad with a Heavy Flamer, all made short work of this unit of Space Wolves, leaving just one man in the mob, who smartly turned tail to fall back as well.

On the Western Flank, the scout sentinel walker and a squad of Kasrkin stormtroopers arrived, and they also combined fire into the Grey Hunters, and took them out to a man thanks to the Hot-Shot lasguns of the stormtroopers. Only the Rune Priest remained and he was also injured.

Space Wolf 2: One lone Long Fang remained. He aimed his missle launcher at the Valkyrie, scored a penetrating hit, but again only stunned, it and the extra armor on the Valkyrie was its saving grace. The Rune Priest attempted to use “Jaws of The White Wolf” on the stormtroopers and killed one with a melta gun.

The lone grey hunter near the command squad regrouped and turned around to assault the guard unit that gunned down his friends. He ended up taking a few of the guardsmen down with him and remaining locked in combat.

Imperial Guard 3: Concentrated fire from the Lascannon team destroyed the Drop pod in a brialliant explosion that killed off a few more guardsmen too close to the vessel. On the North Eastern zone, the veterans of Delta Squad moved again and finally finished off the last Long Fang atop the mountain bluff. The Valkyrie, unable to fire, moved to receive a cargo full of troops next turn.

The Sentinel and Stormtroopers finished off the Rune Priest and repositioned as the Wolf Lord, Bulveye himself broke free of his once large squad of Blood Claw troops, who were trying to hold their ground under the continued pounding fire of the Leman Russ Executioner’s Plasma Cannons and the sniper attacks of both the Ratlings and the command squad. Slowly but surely, the Space Wolves were running out of troops.

Space Wolf 3: Blood Claws scurry to attempt to control 2 objectives. Wolf Lord Bulveye moves through the woods looking to close in on the Sentinel and Stormtroopers in the West. They are powerless to stop the Leman Russ and troops again fail to do any damage to the Valkyrie.

Imperial Guard 4: Stormtroopers turn their hot-shot lasguns on Lord Bulveye. They desperately try to gun him down and manage to kill his Fenrysian wolf and inflict a wound upon him. Executioner tank and Valkyrie continue to rain down fire into the Blood Claws. Delta Squad starts to run towards the next objective.

Space Wolf 4: Wolf Lord Bulveye closes in on the stormtroopers squad. He charges them in a heated frenzy, killing several of them and running the rest of them down, scattering the squad in a sweeping advance. Blood Claws desperately try to hold off closing forces of the Imperial guard, killing one of the 3 remaining men from Veteran Squad Epsilon, the ones that took the brunt of the explosion from the drop pod.

Imperial guard 5: Concentrated firing kills off 4 more Blood Claws, leaving just a handful of troops left. The Sentinel attempts to shoot the Wolf Lord as well as snipers, who fail to do any more harm to him. The Sentinel engages the Wolf Lord in an assault, but fails to hurt him.

Space Wolf 5: The remaining Blood Claws try to consolidate their position in the middle of the field inside a forest, desperately trying to hold onto their objective. The wolf lord manages to immobilize the Sentinel but is still locked in close combat with it.

Imperial Guard 6: The rest of the Imperial Guard forces combine all firepower into the few remaining blood claws. Sniper rifles, plasmas cannons, lasguns, melta guns and rocket pods target the woods. When the smoke clears, no more Space Wolf troops can be seen.

Veteran Squad Delta secured the Northern most objective. The remnants of Veteran Squad Epsilon also secured the central objective.

Space Marine turn 6: The only remaining model for the Space Wolves is Bulveye. He finishes off the sentinel walker in a specatular wreck. The game would end here, Imperial Guard: 2 Objectives, Space Wolves: 0.

Due to the campaign rules and such, the Imperial Guard selected the Command Bastion territory owned by the Space Wolves. (in the campaign, I needed to roll an 8+, and rolled a 10, thus gaining a new territory).