Note: For the end of January, I prepped and painted my forces for a two-part game of Kill Team and then 40k against my buddy Mike’s Adeptus Mechanicus forces. The battle started with the Feint Kill Team mission (varied to have civilians as the objective markers which the forces of plague were trying to infect). The 40k mission following was Blitz, with the winner from the Kill Team mission getting to use concealed deployment for the larger game. The narrative battle report starts this post, with the painting progress below. 

Confusion and Clash

The larger battle for Segunda 144B’s dual moons raged between forces of the Death Guard and the Adeptus Mechanicus contingent from Forge World Graia tasked with defending the system. While the battle raged hotly on the outskirts of the urban sectors, the Death Guard were keen to exploit the various urban populations behind Mechanicum lines in order to sew disruption and and disease. Small bands of raiders were tasked with lightning assaults into urban centers in a variety of spots, hoping that they would effectively feint the Mechanicum–or at least make them draw their strength back to deal with a disease-and-threat-laden population.

Utilizing access tunnels and steam vents, small squads made their way into the population. They struck quickly at the populace, managing to infect people simply with a touch or drip of putrescence placed in the right spot. This unsuspecting citizen could do nothing as the very machine spirit of his mobility hover chair was infected by the merciless tendrils of a Death Guard warrior of the line. The Death Guard shoved him onto a transit carrier bound for the interior of the city, and the vector spread.

Finally the Adeptus Mechanicus was able to send squads to respond, but they were too late as the Death Guard reached the populace–people fleeing in terror from the warriors unwittingly carried plagues with them as well. The dispatched Skitarii fought well, but their firing lines were too short and the plague marines’ putrid bodies able to continue to function in the face of devastating wounds. While a few newly-turned poxwalkers were slain, the Skitarii were slain and the Death Guard plodded back into their sewers to return to their units.

With the confusion sewn virally, the Adeptus Mechanicus command structure was forced to send a portion of their rapid-response forces back to the cities to respond to the crisis. With their scouting elements withdrawn, the Death Guard were able to attack without relative warning, striking at a weakened point at the larger battle line with a spearhead force.

The Mechanicum had to deploy their forces broadly, and while the natural choke point of two buildings helped, they had the wrong units facing the Death Guard forces at the start of the battle. Huge burly daemons with ghastly snail shells led the charge, followed by ranks of plaguebearers and the more orderly support of Death Guard Legionaries.

The Forge World Graia Dragoons tried to mount an attack along their left flank, one taking some damage from a Foetid Bloat Drone as it fought. Unfortunately the accuracy of the Plague Marines’ destructive shooting eliminated the other Dragoon–whose exploding form did the last of the damage to the injured one. With the fiery cataclysm, the flank collapsed and the Death Guard closed in around the remaining forces.

The lines of Skitarii warriors poured damage into the onslaught of beasts, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with their attacks nor their ability to heal and revive members of the two large squads of the disgusting creatures. With their troop line decaying, finally the trio of Dunecrawlers that made the back line had to face their opponents. While their destructive power had downed the Daemon Prince and a Bloat Drone, the power of warp-laden hides managed to shrug the power of their weapons as the daemons rumbled in for the kill. With the lines of of the Mechanicum fully mixed with Nurgle forces, the triumph went to the Death Guard and their demonic allies. They were not pushed back, nor killed in numbers sufficient to stop the tide of filth. Another planet will fall, and the Grandfather smiled again as plagues bloom on his watch.

Was a great game to play, and I really enjoyed linking the Kill Team with the final game. Mike had some brutally unlucky rolls which skewed the result to a pretty clear Nurgle win (best example was using a command re-roll to try to avoid the Dragoon explosion, and rolling the 6 a second time). And it was a mission well-suited to my durable force. Overall a great game, and love building narratives through play. 

Painting Progress

Got a lot of painting done, and pretty pleased with my progress. I was hesitant with my scheme for the Death Guard marines, but I think I got something that I like.

Biologus Putrifier first up. Definitely enjoyed painting all of the bottles and vials he bears. Was a lot of fun to do them all slightly differently. He makes Marines pretty nasty with the grenade strategy, tho in his one outing so far I didn’t get to see anything at all from him. 

Death Guard unit #1. Champion with plasma pistol and plaguesword, two plasma gunners, and then a marine with a plague flail and a marine with a bubotic axe. They were the MVP’s of my first game with them hitting the table. Excited to start to explore what these troops can do, as another unit of five is on my painting table to give me options and variation. 

Another Poxbringer for my Daemons force, this time the official model. Certainly pleased with how he turned out, as I like my daemon scheme quite well. And that smug little Nurgling amid the growths is about my favorite Nurgling sculpt ever. 

To not let 40k dominate the whole post, I finished two more Marvel Crisis Protocol characters as well: Hulk and Okoye. He was easy enough, she was tough–I went for her head tattoo to be the movie version rather than the comic version. It’s hard to see in the pic, but if it were more extreme it would look strange too.

2020 Painting Challenge Progress

35/366 Warhammer 40k Power Points Painted

12/25 Marvel Crisis Protocol Models Painted