While I have been doing a lot of battle reports for Age of Sigmar of late, this is the first for Warhammer 40,000 in a long time – so, we'll see how it goes!
We have decided to fight the entire Badab War, and this weekend we kicked off the fight on Bellerophon's Fall.
While the Secessionists launch an ambush on the Karthan Convoy (and we'll be coming to that soon enough!), the Loyalists target the industrial moon of Bellerophon's Fall, a vital navigation and supply point held by the Mantis Warriors.
Using the campaign tree we created (https://ttgamingdiary.wordpress.com/2016/09/10/the-badab-war-begins-phase-i/), we can see we are starting off with the Surprise Attack mission (drawn and adapted for the latest edition of 40k from the old Battle Missions book).
The Story So Far
The Maelstrom Warder Chapters had been guardians of the Badab region of space under direct charter of the High Lords of Terra. Led by the Astral Claws, they had provided an effective barrier against the horrors of the Maelstrom. The Chapter Master of the Astral Claws, Lugft Huron, was aggressive in safeguarding against all threats to the Imperium that entered his territory and when a civil war erupted on Badab itself, his marines crushed it brutally and installed himself as effective planetary governor – Lugft Huron began styling himself as the Tyrant of Badab.
This was not without precedent, as the Warders Charter gave him great scope to act and, far across the galaxy, the Ultramarines ran their own fiefdom. However, friction rose with Terra when Huron refused to pay the tithe of Badab, citing a complete lack of support from the Administratum in providing resources to properly protect the Maelstrom Zone – if Terra was not going to give him the required support, he would have to provide himself from the resources of his worlds.
The High Lords of Terra did not see it that way, and dispatched a fleet to take the tithe by any means necessary. This grand fleet, the Karthan Convoy, was ambushed by the Warder Chapters as it voyaged between Vyaniah and Khymara. Ready for hostilities, Loyalist chapters gathered and began invading the Maelstrom Zone – civil war between Space Marines had begun.
As the Karthan Convoy was attacked, Loyalists started hitting at holdings of the Secessionists, starting with the industrial moon of Bellerophon's Fall. An important supply and navigation point, it was garrisoned by the Mantis Warriors. The Salamanders and Marines Errant launched a series of landings with the aim of creating a beach head from which they could then combine their forces and defeat the Secessionists.
The Salamanders were the first to touch down, quickly deploying their lead elements and heading for a small refinery known only as Alpha-Six-Gamma. The Mantis Warriors had been using the refinery as a staging post during long-ranged patrols and the small force there was completely unaware that the Salamanders were closing in on them.
Lots more piccies with the rest of the report at: link
takes a gamble on a blurry image in an auction.
