The Siege of Ambrose House Part 3

  The air shrieked as the melta gun discharged, catching the Night Lords terminator square in the chest. For a second the ancient technologies intergrated into the armour withstood the energy beam before winking out, the breastplate sagged and melted, the marine inside howling in agony before falling silent.
  Tov'firn the terminators executioner felt grim satisfication as the other threat runes indicating the enemy terminators blinked out of exsistence one after the other. He tracked the mansions darkened halls with the barrel of his weapon, hunting for new targets. He barely registered the flash of silver as Avros blade swept by easily parting the marines head from his shoulders.
  Avros barely paused to savour his newest kill, instead falling upon Tov'frins battle brothers granting each a single perfect cut from the blade in his fist. The squad died in silence never even seeing their killer pass by.

  The Night Lords praetor came to rest a dead salamander at his feet the only noise in the building the tic of cooling metal and the steady drip of blood droplets from his blade joining the expanding pool at his feet.
  Fleshy lips part in a rictus grin as his retinue spread out darkness clinging to them like a cloak of shadows.
  The battle was his, even with their best ranged against him he had toppled the might of the salamanders eliminating a valuable ally under their nose. He turned ready to board his transport and leave triumphant.
  As his foot touched the ramp the approaching land raider and vindicator unleashed their full fury, corrsucating beams of light tearing through the fuselage like tissue paper causing it to explode throwing the Night Lords commander to the ground. Pulling himself up he quelled his rage, clearly the Slamanders had more fight than he gave them credit for, falling back into the mansion Avros checked the load in his bolt pistol and prepared to fight.

  Oth'hilo felt the familiar tingle in what remained of his arms that indicated his lascannons had recharged, activating his tageting array he waiting for the display to overlay the low profile of the remaining storm eagle and fired doing extensive damage to one wing, engines erupting in bright flame. Distantly he felt the tingle begin again as his weapons recharged.
  The veterans of Nocturns Pride and the terror squad of 3rd claw arrived at the mansion at the same time and a brief viscous firefight ensued, in the end the dimished squad of Night Lords proved no match for the overwhelming firepower of the salamanders.
  Cors cursed as the random fire from Kursh, the dying Night Lords land raider, obliterated a section of wall close to where Death of Kings was sheltering.
  "Return fire" bellowed Tan'Ro from his position in the drivers seat
  "Charging" replied Cors watching the gauges as they climbed towards full power
  A section of wall blew in less than a metre from their hull
  "Do it now" cried Tan apprehension making his voice tight
  "Charging" repeated Cor, he knew anything less than a full power blast wouldn't finish their prey
  A bolt passed by less than an inch from the hull of the tank, blistering the paintwork.
  "Cor!"
  "Firing" hissed Cors
  The bolt of light hammered out of the sicarans muzzle, hitting the towering landraider square in the hull, smashing the armour to splinters and cooking off the munitions inside. Oily black smoke billowed from the wrecked vehicle.
  "Did you get it?" asked Tan
  The gunner didn't answer straight away until a gust of wind blew a gap in the smoke, he felt a flush of shame seeing a once proud astartes vehicle brought low but quickly supressed it, this was the reality of the galaxy they lived in now. "Engine kill" he intoned looking up from the rangefinder
  "Good, lets find another victim" Tan said with relish gunning the engine.

        Smoke billowed from the engine compartment of the striken rhino as Kal'rath disembarked and began running towards the mansion. Overhead the jetbikes of Vulcans Fury passed overhead seeking entrance to the ruined mansion.

  Jareth strode into the ruined hall twisted flesh and scraps of cloth were all that remained of the govenor and his bodyguards, rent armour and split flesh were the hallmarks of his former bretheren. With a striken cry he launched himself at the laughing killers of his brothers the terminators at his back joining him.
  The apothecary and his retinue fought as men possessed reaping a high toll on the marines but they had underestimated the strength of their opposition and one by one they were overwhelmed. Jareth locked eyes with a tall marine, his ornate armour festooned with grisly trophies.
  "Face me" shouted Jareth leveling his gladius at the opposing commander
  With a dismissive shake of his head the praetor stepped back, blending into the shadows. Striking enemies out of his path Jearth bulled his way forward. He never saw the blow that felled him, he only felt the agony of chainteeth chewing through his flesh, rupturing one of his hearts.
  Jareth fell, watching as Ta'shen was swamped by the barbourous sons of Nocturne who hacked and tore at his venerable armour to slay the maine within.

  With shaking fingers Jareth reached to the container on his thigh, he could feel the intense cold even through his armour and a stream of liquid gushed from a hole in its side. The gene seed within would be ruined. As the darkness overtook him Jareth felt a wave of bitter despair.
  "Go, go, go" called Tarsus, pilot of the storm eagle Korvash-ull.
  The 10 marines of the terror squad in his hold flung themselves from their transport. Tarsus had managed to get his striken vessel under control and for a brief moment he contemplated abandoning the battlefield, but he had seen his lords storm eagle destroyed by loyalist fire. If he could save his lord from Salamander retribution he would be greatly rewarded. He briefly imagined himself being feted by the legion, groomed for higher office.
  With a grunt he threw the storm eagle into a bone crushing turn and powered towards the mansion broadcasting on his commanders private frequency.
  On the ground the Brotherhood of Duplicity landed by the salamanders veterans both sides tearing at each other viscously all of the veterans perished for the loss of four of the terror squad marines. Krant their sergeant looked around, their was no more victory here and that fool Avross was as good as dead, they needed to escape, he glanced over at the idling Salamnders rhino nearby and grinned. They didn't have any way off planet yet, but he had always found a smart commander could accomplish anything.

  Oth'hilo felt an unaccustomed pang of annoyance as his wounded target powered away from him he spoke a quick vow to himself that the traitors woud not escape. He opened fire his lascannon fire shearing away the tail section of the plane sending it spiralling into the wall of the mansion bringing the whole wing of the house down with it.
  Cor'tan watched with grim satisfaction as the Night Lords flyer demolished one of the mansions wall. "That's our way in" he roared gunning his bikes engine and leading his squad inside pouring fire into the traitors. The bikes slammed into the praetors squad crushing and tearing several members of the squad and losing none in return.
  This was too much for the Night Lords who turned and ran into the street, like rats seeking to escape a sinking ship.
  Avross stopped dead in front of him was his Salamnders counterpart.
  "This ends now" Kal'rath yelled across the courtyard to his enemy
  Avross swallowed his frustration, he did not need this complication but if he had to go through this blind fool to sucseed he would.
  "Yes it does" he agreed flourishing his sword and throwing himself at his enemy.

  Well that's it folks thats the end of the battle report let me know what you though and until next time.

The Siege of Ambrose House Part 2

  Kal'raths gaze bored through the armourglass windows of the rhinos driver compartments, his fingers tightening on the haft of the thunder hammer as he surveyed the tide of destruction that had washed through the once pristine streets of the capital. The his right he could see the noble vindicator Lost Scion surge forward, the quad barrels of its laser array glowing white as they heated up.
  "Lord, vox chatter and auspex reading indicates heavy Night Lords prescene" intoned the driver
  "All ahead full" ordered the praetor feeling his battle lust swell

  Death of Kings, the Salamanders vindicator, emboldened by the destruction of its Night Lords counterpart now hunted bigger game. Easing into the shell of a burnt out building it carefully lined up a shot to the rear armour of Korsh. The gunners aim was true, layers of adimantium plating flashing into molten slag in an instant, but this was still not enough to destroy the behemoth.
  Jareth and his terminator companions forge ahead towards their foes, the Bedlam Crypt but were bogged down by enemy fire.
  Having taken a circuitous route through the city the elite veterans of the Salamnders managed to infiltrate closer to the fight managing to blindside the marines of the faceless murder who were too focused on the pyroclasts in front of them.

  Under sustanied fire from the pyroclasts, their landraider and the veterans the Faceless Murder were utterly destroyed in a great conflagration.

  Back at the mansion the govenor and his retinue hear the raptor squad approaching, rather than cowering in fear they advance opening fire on their would be attackers, killing all but one and forcing the survivor to flee into the street where he was cut down by fire from the advancing jetbikes.

  Deep in the bowels of the mansion a hatch grates open and figures emerge from the foetid darkness below. Stretching and checking equipment after the confines of the tunnel below, support squad from the Salamders force prepare to lauch an ambush against the Night Lord aggressors.

  Ouside the mortis tries to bring down the enemy storm eagle threatening the reinforcements but it deftly avoids the beams of light streaking towards it.

  Movitium rolls forward intent on delivering its terminator payload deep into the heart of the conflict, but the tank traps set on the defnces perimiter do their jobs, fouling the tanks wheels and pinning it in place. Inside the terminators howling at being denied the chance to join the bloodshed drop the assault ramp and charge forward.
  Overhead the storm eagles wheel and open fire doing mininmal damage to the land raider Pax Mortum.
  Kursh, enraged at the cowardly attack, grinds ponderously to face its tormentor. However, the shot has done more damage than anticipated and its targeting matrixes wouldn't function properly its shots going wide.
  The govenor drunk on the glory of seeing off the raptors assault focuses his fire on the terminators but finds them more than a match for his weaponry and their return fires kills them to a man.

  Jareth turns his eyes to the east and feels the first glimmers of hope as he notices streaks of orange and red on the horizon, like the whole sky was catching fire, the sun was coming up.
  The apothecary is now within striking distance of the rival terminators, he couldn't save the govenor but he could avenge him. The salamanders swept down upon their opposite number killing them all with no loses of their own.

  At the walls of the mansion the newly arrived terminators of the Head Takers stomp forward unheeding of the danger surrounding them. Errupting from cover the members of Dragons fire and Drakes Wrath trigger their weapons and obliterate the terminators ending their threat once and for all.
  Outside the mansion the vindicator and the two rhinos race forward seeking to aid their brothers. Disaster struck as the veterans found their vehicle snagged on machinery and the engine overheating in the second, slowing the advance of the loyalists.

  The Sicaran stunned at the continued survival of the land raider fires again the impact of the hit visibly lifting the tank from the ground before slamming it back down, one track a fused and molten mess.
  Third Claw finally emerge from the rubble of their ruined building and unleash their fury upon the members of Dragons Fire, cutting down all but their sergeant

  Kursh, blooded but unbowed, tries once more to target its enemies but fails to score any hits the behmoths frustraion is palpable.
  Korvash-ull hovered over the battlefield, powerful engines whipping up a storm of debris, and unleshed its payload at the loyalist terminators but failed to fell any of the mighty marines.
  The troop compartment of the traitor storm eagle Nishallitha Valas was as pitch black and as silent as the grave. The warriors entombed within stood still as statutes despite the turbulence they were the hunters of the legion, experts at the fine art of the killing blow and they would not strike until absolutely necessary.
  "It's time" a voice like a dying gust of wind blew through the compartment barely disturbing the air
  The ramp at the front of the craft yawned open and air thick with the smell of burning and carrior wafted in finally stirring the monolithic marines within.
  As swift and silent as a shadow Avros Jasster, blooded praetor of the Night Lords, flung himself from the plane his cloak whipping and writhing behind him like a living being. boots hammered into the cobblestones of the mansion. Death had come to Ambrose House.

Thats part two finished. Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion. 

Daveco's Black Book of Heresy

It started as these things tend to, in the beginning. As our Bloggers arrived at warhammer world for our yearly pilgrimage to the Heresy Weekender. Abe and Stoned Rose, had vehicle issues as well you readers know. But what is not covered in the main weekender stories and fun is my Black book.

Black Library released a journal, a small black book with a golden book mark and lovingly embossed leather bindings. Its pages are thick and lined, at the bottoms of them is the heresy time line, detailing the important dates in it.

Front

Back

This was clearly a special thing, I myself am no writer or record keeper. So what to do with such a prize.

Nice thick pages

Important dates

Designed apparently by Tony Cottrell

I set myself the challenge of gathering every person who has anything to do with Heresy and getting them to autograph it. Normally not my thing either, some fans spend their lives gathering signatures and memorabilia of their heroes. But I am very new to this, so I set out at the weekender to get as many of them as I could. Artists, Designers, Authors and anyone else, it was like heresy Pokemon. But after the Entire weekend of my Ninja Commando actions and much sharpie scribbling I got every one of them except three. The three that got away. I will offer you no excuses as to why I did not get them but rest assured I will be tracking them down...

I missed Dan Abnett, Andy Hoare and Simon Eagn

Last one - Gave Thorpe

I will be at some point starting my Blood Angels army, that will naturally be posted on as it is built.
Hope you are enjoying Me and Abe's battle report too.

Newer stuff from day three of the weekender

Here’s some pics wiping comment for sake of speed, amazing necromunda stuff and some great new vehicles!

Pyrrhic cats for eschers


Water stealing bounty hunter I can’t remember the name of


Sumpcroc for Goliaths!


Cawdor bomb rats

Little blue familiar thingy- caryatid, apparently nowt to do with total recall, seems like I cheesed off the dude who wrote the rules by suggesting this....Quaaaade!

Escher character


Goliath weapons pack

More weapons

Squat bouncer hunter! Not the white dwarf in space 

House Orlck overlord and cyber mastiff

Orlock weapons pack

Orlock weapons pack

Painted warlocks

Deredeo middle rack

Spider man, spider man, mechanicum spider man

New dreadnought drop pod!

Horus Heresy Weekender Day Two- New Releases

We attended a fair few seminars today, mainly the new releases for necromunda and Horus Heresy. So here’s few pics from those. 

Heresy wise, aside form the actually releases of Dorn and co. I suppose the big news is the upcoming release of Alpharius and also the long awaited Lernean Terminators for the Alpha Legion. We have a member who should be posting some Alpha Legion soon, no doubt he’ll be keen to add these to his army.

Is this really Alpharius?

These look to be nice figures, long awaited for many Alpha Legion player

Next up there was a lot of necromunda stuff. This game is shaping up to be a great continuity game, lots of background, an evolving ruleset and extra stuff for each gang (like pets for your leaders, bounty hunters and new settings). After today I am far more excited about Necromunda and really glad I painted my Delaques!

Those new Escher weapons packs look great, I’m waiting until they come out to build my gang!

Lastly, some of the other stuff coming out this year for HH was far more esoteric and exciting with the return of a few old favourites.

I love the Termite, what a fun model this looks!

You will need a pretty big hole for this mole!

An auxiliary transport so you don’t need a Gorgon!

Maddest spider body since the Soul Drinkers!

Heresy Weekender- Day 2, Slate is clean, time for hobby fun

Here we are at day two of the Heresy Weekender, despite its best attempts, we beat Friday, today will be better!

A brief thank you to my long suffering fiancée, who a year ago agreed that I could carry on going to he Weekender this year, despite our baby being about seven weeks old on the dates in question. I do feel a bit guilty being away, but only a bit! So big thanks to her for letting me keep the sequence going, having been to all of them so far. I’ll pay her back with my time, she’s set for a spa day over the next couple of weeks so there’s a start. Here’s what I missed of my new daughter yesterday:

Clearly musical frogs are better than toy soldiers

Lots of seminars today to attend and stuff to buy. Abe and JB are a bit bummed that there’s nothing Dark Angels wise going on for a while, I’ll cover some of what went on in the next post, but we are more of a hobby blog than a news site, so I’m sure you’ve already heard about most of the stuff, never the less I’ll give my take on it and maybe you’ll see some stuff you didn’t elsewhere....

Horus Heresy Weekender 1- an unexpected journey, the lament of Abe and Stonedrose

Well, today was day one of our road trip to Nottingham for the Horus Heresy weekender and an auspicious day it was.....

Abe tries to start his car...

So the Weekender nearly ended early for us, let me relay the story....

We all got to Warhammer World at around eleven today. Abes car died..... of course it did, it’s Abe. Needless to say we carried on, we had gotten there and we had a game to play, Abe decided to test his car afterwards.

JB And Stonedroses glorious world eaters

We went back in time. Playing Istvaan III, with World Eaters vs Loaylist Death Guard And Sons of Horus (SoH commanded b6 our friend JP, who was with us for the Weekender). The fighting was bloody and I got to try out my Mastodon and new chain axes for my world eaters (anvil industries- highly recommended as they don’t snap!).

Daveco and JPs loyalist Death Guard And Sons of Horus 

We suffered some early losses when an assault squad and legion champion perished to a deep strike mishap, but my caestus assault rams and mastodon really helped get our ravening hordes in close. Kharn also got chopped up by a leviathan dreadnought!

The caestus prepares to send Legion veterans into the heart of the Death Guard formation 

The mastodon is so tough! It really helped to keep my squishy infantry locked up tight until the right moment, it also killed a few things too!

Chicken?

The world eaters won the day, holding a few extra objectives and just genrally killing more stuff! Thanks to the Warhammer World staff for getting us tables at short notice! We will have to plan ahead next time.

So, we check on Abes car, no dice... we jump start the car, no luck. Abe calls the RAC and we are trapped at Warhammer World for a bit. A burger or so later- it was a simple blown fuse and Abe Is back on the road, our fleet of three is ready to go...

My car battery is dead...many thanks to Dave, another gamer at Warhammer World from Cardiff, who tried to give me a jump start....this failed so I called the breakdown, they fixed the battery and advised me to drive ten miles, hence the “unexpected journey”.

We’re all in our respective hotels now, everything is ok. It’s been bit stressful and somewhere i appears to have lost a mastodon lascannon sponson so if anyone sees it at Warhammer World or can help, please let us know!

More tomorrow!

SR