Wolves Strike!

On Thursday afternoon I had another game of Warhammer 40,000: Apocalypse - this time with Orion  and his Space Wolves.

A Warhost of the Biel-Tim Fleet, having successfully executed a mission against the Mon-Keigh, regrouped at the rally point and prepared for extraction through the webway...

Just as they were making their final preparations for extraction, the wolf-lords of Fenris struck! They were wild creatures, more animal-like than even the basest of the Mon-Keigh...

FORCES

Aeldari Forces of the Biel-Tim Fleet

Asuryani Battalion Detachment - Beil-Tim Fleet (as Biel-Tan) 
HQ 
Farseer - 4 PL - War Master
Warlock - 3 PL

Troops
Dire Avengers (5) - 4 PL
Dire Avengers (5) - 4 PL
Dire Avengers (5) - 4 PL

Elites
Howling Banshees (5) - 5 PL


Asuryani Battalion Detachment - Beil-Tim Fleet (as Biel-Tan) 
HQ 
Autarch (+ Warp Jump Generator) - 6PL - Warlord

Troops
Rangers (5) - 5 PL
Rangers (5) - 5 PL
Rangers (5) - 5 PL

Fast Attack
Warp Spiders (10) - 12 PL


Asuryani Spearhead Detachment - Beil-Tim Fleet (as Biel-Tan) 
HQ 
Warlock - 3 PL - Warlord

Elite
Wraith Guard (5) - 8 PL

Heavy Support
Wraith Lord (Bright Lance) - 6 PL
Wraith Lord (Missile launcher) - 6 PL
Wraith Lord (Scatter Laser) - 6 PL


Asuryani Super Heavy Auxiliary Detachment - Beil-Tim Fleet (as Biel-Tan) 
Lord of War
Tempest Heavy Grav-Tank (as Scorpion) - 30 PL


Asuryani Super Heavy Auxiliary Detachment - Beil-Tim Fleet (as Biel-Tan) 
Lord of War
Tempest Heavy Grav-Tank (as Scorpion) - 30 PL


Aeldari Total: 146 Power Level


Space Wolves

Space Wolf Outrider Detachment
HQ
Harald Deathwolf - 7PL

Fast Attack
Thunderwolf Cavalry (6) - 18PL
Thunderwolf Cavalry (3) - 9PL
Fenrisian Wolves (15) - 3PL

Space Wolf Vanguard Detachment
HQ
Canis Wolborn - 7PL

Elite
Wulfen Dreadnought - 5PL
Murderfang - 6PL
Wolfen (10) - 12PL



Space Wolf Spearhead Detachment
HQ
Iron Priest - 5PL

Heavy Support
Vindicator (+ Seige Shield) - 10PL
Vindicator (+ Seige Shield) - 10PL
Leviathan Dreadnought - 10PL


Space Wolf Air Wing Detachment
Flyer
Stormwolf - 20PL



Space Wolf Battalion Detachment
Troops
Blood Claws (5) - 3PL
Blood Claws (5) - 3PL
Blood Claws (5) - 3PL

Space Wolf Battalion Detachment
Troops
Primaris Intercessors (5) - 6PL
Primaris Intercessors (5) - 6PL
Primaris Intercessors (5) - 6PL


Space Wolves Total: 149 Power Level


THE GAME

We rolled for random scenario elements. The Deployment board was "Search and Destroy" each was deployed in opposing table quarters - less 18" from the center point. The Objective was"Invasion" - each layer place ONE Objective somewhere in their deployment zone and a victory point was scored for holding both at the end of a turn. The Twist was "Surprise Attack!" - which meant the Attacker was rolling d12 for initiative and the defender (me!) was rolling d6 - just like the game with Other Tim the previous evening... except I only got ONE extra Asset card if I won the initiative! Because I had less I got a Ruse; "Inspired Tactician" which was I could replace one order per turn - much like the ability my Autarch already had... I completely forgot about it and never made use of it...

For Warlord Abilities, my Farseer got a "Master-Crafted Weapon" which gave him +1 to wound rolls... Harald got +1 to leadership for units within 12".



The Aeldari all set up - less the battalion being held in reserve.

 

Orion, setting up his Sons of Russ.



Spearhead Detachment and part of the Outrider Detachment.



Wolves of the Outrider Detachment and the Vanguard Detachment.


TURN ONE

Things started off with some serious banging - first the Marine Spearhead Detachment went - hammering away with their Vindicators - piton Large Blast Marker on one of my Tempests - thanks to their gun's Destroyer ability...



Well the Tempest fired back and put FOUR Large Blast Markers on the Vindicator!? (That must have been all hits and all wounds!? Yowza!)



The Stormwolf then came screaming in over my objective marker and I realized I'd made a horrible mistake: no "Objective Secured" troops by my own objective!! All the Stormwolf had to do was drop one troop of Blood Claws on there and they'd control it... the Storm Wolf was carrying THREE squads of Blood Claws!!! It also fired on the tempest and left a few more blast markers on there...



The other Tempest fired on the Stormwolf and left three Large Blast Markers on it!?

The intercessors just hung out on their own Objective.



The Wraiths moved up, occupied a building and took some pot shots at the charging wolf-things ahead, with little noticeable effect...



...and then the wolves charged! By the Tears of Isha! Only the Fenrisian Wolves made contact with anything - the building - where the Warlock leading the Wraith detachment was hanging out - and left him with a Large Blast Marker - OUCH!

The Dire Avengers advanced and occupied a building.

the Wulfen and Dreads advanced.

DAMAGE PHASE

The Tempest took one damage and the Wraith Detachment lost their leader... Ugh... I'm going to have to paint more Warlocks and leave TWO in each detachment - so when the first one is killed, there's a second one to continue leading the detachment (and generating Command Asset cards!) - for at least another round!!!

The freaking Vindicator saved against ALL FOUR Large Blast Markers on them!? Brutal... AND it passed morale, somehow... The Storm Wolf saved two and took one damage marker.


TURN TWO



Thunderwolves changed direction and charged at the Dire Avengers! By the Molten Balls of Kaela Mensha Khaine - do they ever get a fü¢k-tonne of attacks!?! Collectively, they left four large and two small blast markers on the three units of Dire Avengers in that building!?



Orion then played a Seize the Initiative card to activate the Vanguard Detachment next, and they swarmed in and surrounded the Wraith detachment.



I played Trophy Kill and started sniping at the Warmaster with one of the Tempests! putting a large and small blast marker on him.



The Marine Spearhead detachment went next and one of the Vindicators left another blast marker on a Tempest. Their Leviathan Dreadnought flamed one of the squads of Rangers (that had showed up at the beginning of this turn).

The Warp Spiders unleashed a flurry of monofilament wire from their Death Spinners on one of the Primaries Intercessor squads - which translated into a Large Blast Marker. The Rangers in the Detachment all tried to snipe the Warmaster as well, a solitary blast marker upgraded a small one into a second large one..



The Intercessors returned fire, hitting and wounding the Autarch and a squad of Rangers.

The Wraiths fought against the Wulfen that were overrunning their position.



The Blood Claws disembarked from the Storm Claw and two squads tried to secure the Objective and attack one of the Tempest Tanks, while a third joined the Wulfen and attack one of the Wraithlords.

Having delivered it's payload on the objective, the Storm Wolf flew off and strafed one of the Tempests on the way out.

The Tempest on the Aeldari Objective thrashed about shooting pointblank into the Blood Claws that were trying to climb all over it!

DAMAGE PHASE

A squad of Intercessors and a squad of Blood Claws were obliged to retire from the action with their casualties, and the wolfed took one damage marker... out of FOUR they could take! Yikes! Harald saved both of his blast markers... dagnabbit...

The Autarch was knocked out of action as were all three Dire Avenger squads and a squad of Rangers! The Wraithguard were critically injured with two damage markers.

The Wolves held both Objective Markers... so +1 Victory Point for them!!


TURN THREE

I used a Vortex Grenade against the unit of six Thunderwolf Cavalry... two of the three d12s came up ones... I tried using Quicken to get my Banshees and Farseer out of dodge and back towards their own objective...



Unfortunately the wolves went first and their Thunderwolf Cavalry chased them down...




Vindicator and Tempest exchanged blows - and the Storm Wolf helped out a bit!



Blog Claws continued their melee with the Super Heavy tank.



Damn, that Warlock just refused to go down!

DAMAGE PHASE

The Vindicator finally took ONE DAMAGE - it failed morale - but used Insane Bravery to stay in the game... another Unit of Blood Claws was annihilated...

The Farseer and Howling Banshees were lost and the remaining two squads of Rangers faded into the shadows and disappeared. One of the Wraithlords was pulled apart by the Wulfen and another was damaged. One of the Tempest tanks took THREE damage, was critically injured, and had to also use an Insane Bravery card to remain in the fight.

With the loss of the second squad of Blood Claws, the wolves were no longer holding both Objectives, so no one scored any Victory Points... so... at least there was that...


TURN FOUR



...and then the Thunderwolf Cavalry swarmed the Tempest!

So... Many... Attacks...



Wraiths still getting beat down pretty hard by the Wulfen.



The Green and Purple Tempest had used a card to redeploy near the Wolves Objective - in hopes of giving the Warpsiders there some support in taking it! Earlier in the Phase Orion had brought back one of the Intercessor squads with a Reinforcements card.



The Blood Claws left the wracking of the Wraiths to the Wulfen and scarpered back to try and secure the Objective (as if the Thunderwolf Cavalry needed any help!?)

DAMAGE PHASE

The reinforcement Intercessors decided to just go back to wherever they'd come from... but there was still one squad sitting on that objective. One of the Vindicators FINALLY blew up!

The Orange Tempest took three damage and failed morale (giving it a fourth damage marker!). The Green Tempest was put out of action and would need to be recovered at a later date. the Warp Spiders miracilously saved against two blast markers and passed morale. The Warlock also survived - but only by the use of a Divine Intervention asset card. Another Wraithlord was KOed, but the Wraithguard soldiered on...

Holding both Objectives, the wolves scored their second Victory Point. As there was only one turn left and I had NO Victory Points, winning was an impossibility and the Aeldari faded from the field of battle to regroup at the secondary rally point and attempt a webway extraction there...

Fun Game. Space Wolves are BRUTAL. Hopefully next time I face Orion, he brings his Knights... and I can blow some holes in them with my Tempests! (or... not...) maybe I need to finish up some of the Eldar Titans!!!


Coming Soon to Tim's Miniature Wargaming Blog:

One more game report - from Sunday afternoon - to get all caught up!

I may have a game Monday afternoon with a fellow that plays Necrons. Not sure if it's going to be apocalypse or regular 40K. I am less excited about regular 40K at the moment - really enjoying Apocalypse. I had thought if that falls through I'd get one of the kids to play me (maybe Finnegan - I costed out his orks and my Guaiacan Commandoes and they're pretty close in Power Level and I think would make a good match up)... but I'm now thinking if the game falls through I'll just take the time to finish that outstanding game report and get in some games with the kids later in the week.

As tempting as it is to try and get some of the Eldar Titans done, I'm probably going to hold off on that...I'm hoping to get in a few more games of Apocalypse this week - while I still have the massive gaming table... but then it will be time to tear it apart and get going on the basement renovations. I'll have to take a break from Apocalypse games while that's going on. Hopefully we'll get to revisit the game in the fall.

In the meantime, I do hope to finish up some Necromunda stuff, as that we can play on the dining room table on the main floor while the renovations are still taking place!