November Apocalypse - Army Building Rules

A list of rules to building an army for our club's Apocalypse game this upcoming November 12th.

1,500 POINTS PER PLAYER
These points must be used within a standard Force Organization chart (like a normal 40k game).

+500 BONUS POINTS PER PLAYER
These bonus points can be used three different ways.
1.) Buy more units for your army. Another squad of troops, two more transports, another support tank, etc, etc.  The only rule with this is, whatever it is you add to your army, it doesn't exceed your current Force Org chart by the standard number of slots +1. In other words, buying new units for your army with the bonus points adds one extra slot to all your Force Org chart slots. So now your Force Org chart should be: 3 HQs, 4 Elites, 7 Troops, 4 Fast Attack, 4 Heavy Support. However, only units bought with the bonus points can be added to the extra slots. Bonus points units can be added to previous empty normal slots too if they are available.

Example: if with the 1,500 points you already have filled the three maximum Heavy Support slots, you can buy a fourth heavy with the +500 bonus points, but couldn't buy a fifth heavy. You are not allowed to buy 5 Chaos Marines with the bonus points to unlock more force org chart slots and then use a part of your standard 1,500 points to buy a third HQ unit.

2.) You can purchase units that are not in your main army's codex so long as they don't violate the restriction of your standard Force Organization chart. Example: My main army is Chaos Marines, but I have 200 points of Orks that I think would be fun to have on the field too.

3.)  You can also donate and pool together these 500 bonus points with other teammates to buy Super Heavies.


ONE STRATEGIC ASSET PER PLAYER
Your team cannot have more than one Stratagem from the following list:
Rok 'Em Boyz
Darkstar Warhead
Icefire Warhead
Eldritch Tempest
Indiscriminate Bombardment
Any Support Asset Strategem

The following stratagems will be unavailable for the game:

Tactical Assets: Flank March, Strategic Redeployment
Battlefield Assets: Tunnels
Universal Assets: Hammer Blow (this asset becomes available as a Support Asset if the opposing team has three or more Super Heavies on their side)

AGREE UPON SUPER HEAVIES
Each team must report to the other team what super heavies they are bringing to the game at least a day or two before the game. This will give time for people to adjust their lists accordingly. Both teams must mutually agree upon the super heavy additions to the battle. Once both teams are fine with what super heavies each is bringing to the battle, those super heavies must be brought to the battle and cannot change.

Special Campaign Abilities and Advantages
If your campaign leader is on the field, you can use the abilities and advantages you've bought for the current campaign.

Missing Players
If a teammate is missing, making their side uneven, the other current players can fill in the missing teammate's force org chart with their own models as if there was a player to fill that slot normally. The standard above rules apply to building the army to fill in for the missing teammate.

Gate to Gortuloth - Final Battle!

So there it was. The final battle for the Imperium versus Chaos Campaign. Everyone gathered together at my house on a weekend afternoon and the six by eight foot table dominated my small dining room area. Gonna have to move these Apocalypse games into the garage next time. Two full sets of Citadel Realm of Battle Gameboards (provided by Cundo & Jay) were used to represent the battlefield.

There were a few side objectives worth one point each, but the main objective was the Summoning Cirle in the middle of no-man's land. That was worth two points.

The Chaos deploy on the southern end of the field while the Imperials set up to the north.

After making a few loose plans amongst themselves, the players set up their units, and then began the game. Nobody could tell quite yet who had the advantage from the start. From the Imperial point of view, they worried most about Renegade Reaver Titan an it's immense firepower. From the Chaos point of view, they worried about the three Baneblade super heavy tanks.

The Dark Angels immediately push forward on the western flank.

In the early stages of the battle, the western flank saw the most carnage. The Dark Angels pushed hard on that side of the field and decimated a large amount of Chaos Marines (mostly from my collection sadly).

The Ravenwing continue their lightning blitz through the western flank.

While the Chaos forces crumple on the western edge of the field, there was a stalemate on the eastern flank. Both sides would have to cross a large open patch of ground and so no one wanted to risk their assault troops on the charge quite yet. Instead, both sides continue to pound at each other's lines with long distance fire. Also, the Reaver Titans and the Baneblades continue to exchange fire.

Outflanking Deathwing Terminators arrive and decimate a Chaos Defiler

Awkward Moment: Loyal and Chaos Marines park their Land Raiders side by side.

Being extra sneaky, a Dark Angels Land Raider comes in off the back southern edge and deploy a squad of Terminators. Their mission, to disable that Reaver Titan! Then, a moment later, the Chaos Marines send in THEIR LAND RAIDER! Guess where they park it? That's right ... next to the Dark Angels Land Raider. :) "Hey guys, what's up?"

Things start to get nasty on the eastern side.

The Imperials finally are able to disable some of the more potent weapons off the Reaver Titan. With the threat of the Titan weaponry no longer around, the Imperials start to break from their positions and move forward.

A Bloodthirster joins the battle.

The remaining Chaos forces were worn thin and victory looked to be in the hands of the Imperials. However, just at the last minute, two greater daemons of chaos show up. A Bloodthirster and a Great Unclean One.

Great Unclean One spreads his disease all over the Imperial lines.

Reaver Titan has been shot up so much, nothing on it works anymore.

A handful of Chaos Marines grab the main objective.

As the Greater Daemons wreaked havoc through the northern Imperial lines, a few Chaos Marines drive up in their barely functioning beat up Rhinos and secure the main objective. The game ends and the Chaos side squeezes out a win.

With the last summoning circle secured, the ritual began. The ancient gate came to life with wild warp energies. Within moments, the daemon Gortuloth stepped through.

Campaign Battle 7 : Objective 5

Dark Angels vs. Death Mages

While I was getting a firm wake-up call from Cundo, the next table hosted another attempt by Lynell to bring down Sam's Dark Angels. They were also playing a "Seize Ground" game. Both Marine armies fought over four objectives, but in the end, the Dark Angels won. They were able to secure one objective over the Death Mage's zero objectives.

Keep trying Lynell! You'll get him eventually! In the meantime, the Imperium win another objective for their team. They now have full use of the Mammoth Teleport Platform! I'm pretty sure losing that piece of hardware is going to hurt Chaos in the upcoming Apocalypse battle. I'm already imagining all the different nasty ways they could use it.

Campaign Battle 6 : Objective 3

Elysian Drop Troops vs. Angels of Ecstasy

aka "When Tim wept tears of despair."

Ah, the dreaded Chaos Marines. Powered armored monstrosities that plague the Galaxy. Imagine taking the fearsome Space Marine and stripping him of his loyalties to the Imperium. Then you mold him into a blood thirsty deviant that has no remorse when it comes to inflicting mass carnage. It is no wonder that Imperial civilians fervently pray to the god-emperor that these fallen Marines never invade their home worlds. Yes, the mighty and dreaded Chaos Marines should strike fear into the hearts of all mortal men. Yes?

Well, yes . . . unless they're being led into battle by me. On the night of August 24, 2009, Cundo led an Elysian Drop Troop army in a glorious battle that spanked my Chaos Marines so hard, they ran back to their foul shrines, lit candles, listened to "Dashboard Confessional" songs, and cried for a week. How can my Chaos Marines ever face the others after this?

The mission was "Seize Ground". We rolled for how many objectives were on the field. and even though the max you can roll is five, some how our weird math made it six. Yeah, I know. Sometimes you're in such a hurry to set up and start, you have these little brain farts like this. After rolling for mission, we rolled for the set up and it was "Spearhead".

My Chaos Marines got to go first. I split my force in two. One half staying near three objectives and defending it, the other half going just a little ahead to the right of the grey winged arraw (see picture above). I try to keep the second group positioned in a way that, while able to claim a fourth objective, they can still draw line of sight to enemies threatening the first half of my forces and offer support fire.

In the hills north of the downed Aquila Lander, (NW corner of the board), my Havoc Squad with three missile launchers fire frags into the Elysians south of them as often as they can in hopes of deterring them from moving forward to capture the objectives in the middle. However, the Elysians don't waver under the constant fire and advanced anyways.

Above: Deep striking Storm Troopers land in my deployment zone and cause mass carnage. I will never laugh at Strength 3 weapons again...

Soon, I have a new problem. I knew there were more troops in reserve waiting to come on, most likely by Valkyrie transport. The trick was, where would they come in. The back field? Most likely, but I was confident I could repel such a move if it happened. I was so very wrong.

After just a few turns, the Elysians drop down two full squads of Storm Troopers with Hellguns. I laugh at your puny weapons! No wait....

Yes, AP3 weapons from these elite shock troops in large volumes took down my fearsome armored Marines. The thing I failed to keep in mind was the "one way terrain". That's what I call terrain that only gives cover from what direction. Which was most of the cover my Marines in the backfield were using. So now, here came withering Storm Trooper fire and ... I had no cover to use. What a seriously noob mistake to make. I should really remind myself to not take these games TOO CASUAL next time. Lol.

Anyways, that was one of the tipping points that led to Elysian victory. Congrats Cundo!

Campaign Battle 5 : Objective 4

Imperial Guard & Daemon Hunters

vs.

Death Mages

Mission: Capture & Control

Once again, Thomas take his Imperial Guard and Daemon Hunter allies to the barren north. Last time he fought for objective 4 on the "no terrain" table, it ended with a tie against the Angels of Ecstasy. In his second attempt he fought Lynell's Chaos Marines, the Death Mages.

After slugging it out with the Death Mages, the Imperial Guard could still not win the objective. The game ended with another tie.

Campaign Battle 4 : Objective 2

Dark Angels vs. Iron Warriors

Mission: Seize Ground

It seems the Iron Warriors have developed quite a grudge against the Dark Angels. After having denied them the capture of North Point, the Dark Angels have truly angered the Iron Warriors. Not long after their previous battle, Chaos picks another fight with the Emperor's first legion.

I wasn't there during the whole thing, but from sporadic visits to Sam and Scooter's table, I can tell things were very bloody between the two.

From what I've heard, The Iron Warriors were inflicting a lot of damage to the Imperials. There were Dark Angel casualties strewn all over the field.

However, despite the huge amount of loss to his army, Sam was able to secure 1 more objective more than Scooter. The game ended with the Angels just barely hanging onto one objective high in the ruins of a building. If it had gone one more turn, Sam admits he probably would've been tabled.

Stay tuned for Sam's actual account of the battle to be posted later.

Campaign Battle 3 : Objective 1

Dark Angels vs. Iron Warriors

Planet Strike

The Dark Angels moved into the defensive perimeter around North Point to secure the communications array. Soon after, the Iron Warriors started their bombardment on the fortified structures. Before the dust cleared, the war machines of Chaos marched toward the Dark Angels and unleashed their awesome firepower.

In the end, the Dark Angels held firm and defended North Point. Although they were many battle brothers that died that day. The cost of victory was high.