Daemon World Campaign - Scenario #4 - The Pool of Transformation

The Taint of Tzeentch is upon this land - change - transformation and mutation is in the very air... and in the water... 

SCENARIO

In the centre of the battlefield is a shimmering, radiant pool, that simultaneously inspires desire, and TERROR! The Pool is considered an Objective Marker and there will be four other Objective Markers spread evenly about the table. 

Drink of the Pool (Action): One unit from your army can start this action at the end of their Movement Phase if it is in contact with he pool (and wholly within 3" of the pool). The action is completed at the end of their turn if they remained in contact with the pool and no enemy are within engagement range of the unit. If the action is successful roll 2d6 The unit suffers wounds equal to the different between the dice - this number is reduced by 1 if the unit has the TZEENTCH Keyword and/or if the unit's army currently controls more Objective Markers than any of the other Forces. If the unit survives they may roll d6 to determine their boon: 1= +1 to Attacks, 2 = +1 to Strength Characteristic, 3 = +2" to Move Characteristic, 4 = +1 to Toughness Characteristic, 5 = +1 to Leadership Characteristic, 6 = Psychic Null - this unit can neither use Psychic abilities or be affected by them. This boon lasts until the end of the game. 

Mission Objectives

Seize Ground (Progressive): At the start of each players Command Phase, the player whose turn it is scores 10 Victory Points for each of the following conditions they satisfy (for a maximum of 20 Victory Points):

- They control one or more Objective Markers

- They control more objective markers than their opponents control. 

This Mission Objective cannot be scored int her first battle round.

Lords of Transformation (End Game): The player with the most units remaining on the table that have successfully performed the Drink of the Pool Action scores 40 Victory Points. If two ore more players are tied they each score 10 Victory Points. 

Victor Bonus

The victor may select one unit that participated in this battle and undergone transformation and make that change permanent! Add one to that units Crusade Points. 

Other Rules

Daemon World Battlefield Twist:

Aura of Mutation: A strange barrier surrounds this location, a shimmering field that can transform bullets into multi-coloured insects or turn flame into droplets of blood. However this aura can also twist the flesh of those who shelter within it into something altogether more monstrous. Units have a 4+ invulnerable save while they are within 3" of any of the Other Objective Markers (i.e. NOT the Pool), roll 2d6 at the end of your Movement Phase for each unit from your army that is within 3" of any of the Other Objective Markers. If the rest is a double, that unit suffers a number of mortal wounds equal to the value on one of those dice (e.g. if you rolled double 6, that unit suffers 6 Mortal Wounds). Units with the TZEENTCH Keyword suffer one less mortal wound. 

FORCES

Four Chaos Warlords and their Retinued took part in this battle. Details can be found on:

Daemon World Crusade Forces

(I've tried to keep this page current - so if you are reading this much after the game report was posted you are likely seeing the force as it was AFTER the game - or at the end of the campaign, if you are reading weeks, months, or YEARS later!? Regardless, it should give you some idea of the forces involved...)  

THE GAME

All set up with the Pool of Transformation in the centre and a monolith/Objective Marker near everyone's Deployment Zone

Emperor's Children Noise Marines - Ready to RAWK! 

ROUND ONE

The World Eater's went first. Most advanced towards the Pool in the center, but the Blood Bolters Chaos Space Marine Squad held back to claim the Monolith Objective Marker (would have thought that would be a job for Cultists... but whatevs... If I he'd put Cultists on it, I might have been tempted to sneak around behind and blast them off and seize if for myself!) 

Death Guard went next and also all Advanced towards the Pool - The Dysentery Dudes seized the monolith objective - and weren't destroyed by it! 

the Thousand Sons likewise shuffled forward at top speed - The Sorcerer, hanging back, couldn't actually SEE anyone to blast them with his psychic might, so he just used Weaver of Fates to make the Rubric Marines slightly even more indestructible - for a turn, when no one could really even target them... 

The Emperor's Children also advanced - but being armed with Sonic Blasters - assault weapons - they were actually able to fire at the World Eaters and Death Guard - but it did nothing at all... 

ROUND TWO

The World Eaters started their turn collecting 10 Victory Points for the Seize Ground (Progressive) Mission Objective (Controlling one or more Objective Markers).

 Having advanced in the previous turn, the Helbrute ended up being JUST close enough to do a normal move and get in contact with the Pool - which allowed it to do the Drink of the Pool Action. 

The Helbrute successfully performed the action - through it cost him FOUR WOUNDS! The Boon granted it was +1 Toughness!? This was the worst thing he could get - for the rest of us! It put the beast at 8 Toughness - double the strength of MOST of our weapons - meaning they could only wound on a six... if they hit... and even then they could still be saved! Yikes! Things were looking up for the World Eaters! 

The Death Guard also collected 10 Victory Points and then most shambled forward and started unleashing withering bolter fire at everyone within range. The fire killed three cultists... but little else. The Cultists burned Command Points to auto-pass the morale. 

Thousand Sons moved up. Initially they'd rolled double fives for the Rubric Marines who were still within controlling range of the Monolith Objective Marker - which would have caused FIVE MORTAL WOUNDS due to the Objecrtives Aura of Mutation. Ian decided to Command Point Re-roll that! 

The Exalted Sorcerers Gift of Chaos ability was denied by the World Eaters Scorn of Sorcery stratagem! 

The Sorcerer then tried to blast the Helbrute with Tzeentch's Firestorm - and did absolutely NOTHING! 

Fire from the Rubric marines did knock two more wounds off the Helbrute, though. 

And then they charged!

The Rubric Marines charged and overran the Cultists and a consolidation move brought them into contact with the Pool of Transformation - which would contest control of it next turn - denying the World Eaters a bonus 10 Victory Points! 

Tzangors charged the Death Guard who gave as good as they got - three Death Guard were lost, as were SIX Tzaangors (I think three were lost to Overwatch Fire and another three in melee). 

The Emperor's Children then scored 10 Victory Points - everyone was even... 

The Emperor's Children Sorceress, Xoilaz Gafar, attempted to smite the Helbrute, but that was successfully denied by the Brass Collar of Bhourghast that the Warpsmith Wears - subjecting Gafar to Perisl of the warp - causing THREE WOUNDS! She then tried to Infernal Gaze and did one wound to the Helbrute. Just about EVERYONE else fired at the Helbrute hoping ONE shot would get through it's awful toughness and armour... and one did! The Soroibus Tortus Noise Marines took it out of action! Woo! 

Lord Felzik and the Sabbatum Nigreos Noise Marines then charged the Leprosy Lads Plague Marines. Lord Felzik took out one of them, the Lads took out one of the Noise Marines. 

ROUND THREE

the World Eaters still scored 10 Victory Points (brining their total to 20), but then the Blood Bolsters shifted off the Monolith and moved up to charge the Rubric Marines! One of the Khorney Marines blew himself up overcharging a Plasma Pistol! Three more died from Overwatch Fire - mostly from those awful, awful flamers with -2AP!? Another was killed by the Exalted Sorcerer, who performed a Heroic Intervention to join the melee... in the end they failed morale and only the Blood Bolters Aspiring Champion was left. 

The Warpsmith has been marginally more effective this round. He had killed two Rubric Marines with shooting and took out two more when he charged into the melee... 

The Writing was kind of on the wall for the world Eaters.. They would likely not be surviving this round, let alone the game... 

Sure enough 

The Death Guard also scored an other 10 Victory Points. One of their squads, The Bobonix Boyz - the one that had suffered casualties, fell back from their combat with the Tzaangors and Lord Slugbottom took their place. Lord Slugbottom killed three of the Tzaangors and the Dysentery Dudes killed another. The Tzaangors failed morale and another left, leaving only ONE behind... 

The Exalted Sorcerer smiled the last World Eater Chaos Space Marine and then finished off the Warpsmith with Gift of Chaos. The Rubric Marines blasted away at the approaching Noise Marines of Soroibus Tortus - taking two out of action. The Noise Marines return fire, however, took down two Rubric Marines. 

Lord Slugbottom killed the last of the Tzaangors, then set his sites on the Thousand Sons Exalted Sorcerer! 

The Emperor's Children also claimed 10 Victory Points this round - bringing everyone's total to 20. 

The Sabbatum Nigreos Noise Marines finished off the last of the Leprosy Lads and Consolidated into the Dysentery Dudes, who then fought and took out one of the Noise Marines. 

ROUND FOUR

The Death Guard collected 10 more Victory points and then Lord Slugbotton went off after the Thousand sons Exalted Sorcerer! 

HE actually made it into melee with him and tore ol' Bird Brain a new one... or a new few... 

Slugbottom consolidated into the remains of the Rubric Marines two fought back - causing THREE wounds! This would spell his demise, moments later when the Thousand sons took their turn and the Sorcerer leading the Rubric Marine squad Smote the Death Guard Warlord and did three more Mortal Wounds - taking him out of action. 

The Thousand Sons were unable to claim any Victory Points as the only objective they had any units near was the pool - and there were MORE Emperor's Children within range of the Objective! 

The Rubric Marines then fired on and charged the Soroibus Tortus Noise Marines. Xoilaz Gafar joined in that action, for giggles. Two of the Noise Marines were lost, but the Rubric Marines were utterly slaughtered... 

The Emperor's Children then went and scored 20 Victory Points - for controlling TWO Objectives! 

ROUND FIVE

We didn't play the fifth round... Actually, I don't think we even finished the fourth... The Thousand Sons and World Eaters were wiped out, I had 40 Victory Points, Finnegan had 30... There was NO WAY he was going to score more than 10, I'd easily get another 20. If we'd finished the 4th round, Lord Felizk likely would have took out Bother Brutt, the last of the Bubonic Boyz, claiming a third Objective marker (which there was really no need to even do as I had two and the Death Guard only had one). Also, on the fourth and 5th Rounds I COULD have had the Sorceress Xoilaz Gafar and/or D'Snydr - Champion f the Soroibus Tortus Noise Marines do the Drink of the Pool action... there was a one in six chance they might survive - and then I'd get 40 more points AND whatever boon they gained would become PERMANENT! But I just couldn't even bother....

So... I won... again... Seriously, folks, I don't even know what to do at this point!? I'm trying to make scenarios that will be fun and interesting, allow for some complete randomness, but mostly be fair and even possibly favour these guys... and then all they do is try to murder each other and COMPLETELY IGNORE THE VICTORY CONDITIONS?! By the end of round two, Finnegan was literally begging - to the point of almost shouting at the other two to STOP KILLING EACH OTHER AND ATTACK [me]. 

END GAME

All of my units actually survived this game! Only the champion of the Soroibus Tortus Noise Marines  was left standing in their squad... but there was ONE of them still on the table. Despite that, none partook of the pool and thus no victor bonus was gained. The Cadentiae Morbo Chaos Space Marines succeeded in accomplishing their Agenda (Sentinel) and gained a bonus 4 experience points - which brought them to Level 2 - Blooded - and they'll gain a Battle Honour before the next game, when I have a moment to consider it! Lord Felzik also, FINALLY, gained a sixth experience point and made it to Blooded - I'll also have to pick a Battle Honour for him as well! 

Two of the Plague Marine squads also survived a game for the first time. One of them, the Bubonic Boys, also rose to Blooded (and will need to pick a Battle Honour). Lord Slugbottom is at 23 experience points! (He'd selected King Slayer as his Agenda and took out the Thousand Sons Exalted Sorcerer!) Will he make it to HEROIC before our Crusade Campaign wraps up?! Finnegan and I may have to just continue playing - just so he can - AND so we can continue the Plague Marines narratives! 

Little changed among the Thousand Sons and World Eaters - both picked Sentinel for their Agenda... and failed to do that - being utterly wiped out - by each other, for the most part... Some experience points were gained, but not enough to level up. 

Ian said he might head down to the Dragon's Den (our FLGS) and see if they have some Tzaangor Enlighted - Tzangors flying around on Discs of Tzeentch - to knock off over the weekend before our next game! The Rubric Marines dropped in Power Rating with the rejigged ratings and he has 3 Supply that he's not using, so... 

Oliver, likewise, may FINALLY change up his force and add in some Raptors and/or Bikers - and stop bringing the ridiculous understrength Cultists!? 

Coming Soon to Tim's Miniature Wargaming Blog: 

Our next game is on Monday, but I may or may not post an August Games Part 1 before then... depending on how motivated I get.