The Battle for Benin IV

Background To The Battle

Warmaster of Chaos and Leader of the Black Legion Abaddon prepared to lead a raid against one last planet before returning to his lair in the Eye of Terror. However even as his personal thunder-hawk descended onto the imperial planet he could feel a disturbance in the warp of such magnitude he hadnt felt since the Horus Heresy. Yet even with this knowledge he still did not realise the scale of the situation he was flying into. Indeed several weeks before all had been well and good on the neutral world of Benin, but slowly reports of the mobilisation of the planets feral Ork population had begun to come in. The Orks had remained a minor threat for a long time on the planet and at first these reports were simply dismissed. It was impossible that so many small tribes of Orks could manage to band together without outside influence and to this extent the Imperials were right. Unbeknownst to them, a small yet still coherent group of tyranids from the last tyranic war had laid in stasis under the planets crust since their defeat. As tentacle of the hive fleet approached the planet, these beings had awoken and infected the leaders of the Ork tribes with a virus that put their weak minds under Tyranid control. For years they had laid in hiding preparing their minions and bringing themselves up to a significant biomass. As Abaddon stepped out onto the planets surface, all he could see for miles around was complete and utter destruction. Hoarding of Orks, with skittering tyranids amongst them, attacked the wavering lines of the defenders. Abaddon could see that the Tyranid led force would soon break though the defenders ranks and totally annihilate them. An incoming call came up on his communicator, telling him that his space armada was engaged with a Tyranid splitter fleet and would be unable to retrieve him. In response Abaddon immediately called for any orbiting units that were ready and available to come down to the planets surface and prepare to fight. Less than an hour later, Abaddon surveyed his forces. As well as his elite core of terminator guards, who had teleported onto the battlefield, Abaddon also had a significantly sized force of Khorne Berserkers, who had arrived with earnest for blood from their death-claw assault pods. There was also a relatively large contingent of his average human soldiers and their assortment of vehicles, who had been on station at the time and which had arrived in several massive landers. Even so Abaddon knew that his forces were not large enough to defeat both of the two sides and he began to think of a plan. As idea came upon him, he quickly sent a message to the Grey Foxes, who were the planets Space Marines, telling them that they should ally against the attackers and together defeat them. Although this caused great outrage among the assembled chaos warband, particularly the Berserkers, Abaddon soon quelled this and he told the assembled commanders that he could see no problem with the alliance. The planet had long since denounced the false emperor and although they still maintained the teaching of the codex astartes and didnt fully embrace chaos, they certainly could be swayed into doing so, becoming valuable allies to the crusade after the repulsion of the attackers was fully achieved. With the reply of the Marines received, the warband marched to relieve their new found allies. Today would be an interesting day for all sides and the battle could go either way. This battle of apocalyptic proportions would decide the fates of billions and change the course of history forever.

Army Lists
Army lists may be made from any of the following: Any current codex (Must include 1 HQ choice and 2 troop choices) Apocalypse Expansion Rulebook Apocalypse Reloaded Expansion Rulebook Any Imperial Armour Rulebook (Must use the most current rules available)

Victory Conditions
Objectives
There are two types of objectives, standard and vital. Standard objectives are worth 1 point; vital objectives are worth 2 points. An objective may be captured by any scoring unit that is not a vehicle and an objective may be contested by any model (including vehicles). Additionally each player must choose one character to lead their force and write it down. This character must have the highest leadership in the force. If this leader is killed then the opposite team gain a point. As well each player gets one random secret objective chosen on the day of the game. If the secret objective is completed, then players team get an additional point. Players are free to discuss their secret objectives with their team. Unless one side is completely destroyed, the side with the most points at the conclusion of the battle wins the game.

Down to the Wire

If by some miracle from the Emperor, Khorne, Gork/Mork or whatever divine being you believe in, both teams control an equal number of objectives at the end of the game, then both teams receive one kill point for each enemy unit that has been completely destroyed. If a character has a retinue, the character and his unit are worth two kill points. However upgraded members of a squad (such as a champion) do not count as a separate unit and therefore are not worth a kill point. Vehicles only count for a kill point if they are wrecked or exploded. The team with the most points wins.

Deployment
After all the terrain has been set up, both sides make a bid for deployment. This bid must be a whole number less than 30. The team with the lowest bid may choose which corner of the board they want to deploy in. They then have 5 minutes of planning, during which no models may be put on the table. They then have the time they bid to deploy. The other team then have 5 minutes of planning and then they must deploy in the time they bid. Any units that are not entirely deployed at the end of the deployment phase are put into reserve. This includes squads that are only partially set up and models that are not standing up. Both teams may deploy anywhere that is with 18 of their respective side of the board, however if their area is too small to deploy all their units then it may be increased in 2 increments until the area is sufficient.

Ranged Weapons and Faction Abilities

No abilities or special rules may be shared between different armies, even if they are on the same team or are of the same faction. For example, an Ork Big Mek is not got be able to repair a Leman Russ Battle Tank back to appropriate Imperial Standards and the Hardy Imperial Fist does not care whether or not Calgar is on the field of battle. Any non-apocalyptic unit that has any ability or weapon which has an unlimited range instead has a maximum range of 72. This includes unit abilities that affect all of a certain type of model on the field such as Calgars God of War ability. It is unlikely that a space marine squad will be inspired by the fact the Calgar is miles away after all.

Lines of Retreat
Units that are forced to fall back will do so to your deployment edge, using the normal fall back rules. This represents them attempting to get away from the nightmare that is apocalyptic fighting and safely back to their own lines. If the unit becomes barred by an enemy it must find the shortest part around that unit and continue towards the board edge. If the unit is completely surrounded with nowhere to go it is destroyed, as the members of the unit are taken prisoner or simply shot on the spot.

Reserves
Reserves are forces in the same sector as the troops on the battlefield who can be called in to reinforce them at relatively short notice (as long as they dont get lost). Units that are in reserves are not deployed at the start of the battle, but will become available in later turns of the game. Every unit that wishes to come from on from reserves must roll on the table below to see if they can come in unless their unit description says otherwise.

Infiltrators may infiltrate into/onto any intact building, into any building that has at least three sides or from any point along the two side table edges, following the rules in the main rulebook for determining whether or not they are not too close to the enemy. All Deepstrikers may freely deepstrike into any part of the field of battle, however if they land on any piece of terrain they will suffer a deepstrike mishap as usual.

Terrain
Assaulting into Ruins and Unstable Terrain
When assaulting in ruins and unstable terrain models can become scattered, or the terrain may prevent a model from standing up in base contact with another model; it is then perfectly acceptable to place models as close to their foe as is safely possible, including above or below, providing you make clear to your opponent which of your models is in base-to-base contact with his models. If measuring across several levels distances can be measured from the base of one model to the head of another.

Terrain and Cover

To see how terrain affects your models consult the tables below.

Terrain Type
Rubble Craters City Ruins Dangerous City Ruins Razor Wire Tank Traps Intact Buildings Fences, Hedges, Bushes Trenches, Gun pits, Emplacements, Sandbags, Barricades Units (friends and enemies) Fortification

Infantry
Difficult Terrain Difficult Terrain Difficult Terrain Dangerous Terrain Difficult Terrain No effect Impassable Terrain Difficult Terrain Difficult Terrain N/A Difficult Terrain

Vehicles
Dangerous Terrain Dangerous Terrain Dangerous Terrain Dangerous Terrain No effect Impassable Terrain Impassable Terrain No effect Dangerous Terrain N/A Dangerous Terrain

Cover Save
5+ 5+ 4+ 4+ None 5+ N/A 5+ 4+ 4+ 3+

Unit Type
Infantry Bikes Jet-bikes Monstrous Creatures Jump Infantry Artillery Beasts and Cavalry Vehicles Walkers Vehicles Skimmers Vehicles Other

Slowed by difficult terrain?

Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No

Dangerous terrain test required?

No* Yes Only if move starts/ends in the terrain No Only if move starts/ends in the terrain No for crew*. Yes for gun models. No* No* Only if move starts/ends in the terrain Yes

*Unless terrain is also categorised as dangerous.

Cover and Movement within Ruins and Buildings

Even though different buildings can vary in exact height, it is assumed that every level of a building is 3 tall. A model on foot in a building therefore needs 3 of it movement to go up or down a level. This means that if a unit rolls less than 3 on their difficult terrain test they may not move up or down within the building. A ruin may be mounted on a base, in which case it is treated as area terrain. If the ruin has not been mounted on a base then the ground floor is not counted as either difficult terrain or area terrain. Units still have to take difficult terrain test if they move through walls or climb up floors.

Intact Buildings
Intact buildings may be garrisoned by up to 20 models. These cannot be monstrous creatures, beasts, cavalry, and bikes of any kind as well as models that are not permitted to enter transports, as these simply cannot fit within a building. However they may still assault building representing them attacking through the windows and doors. Jump infantry and any models that normally take up more than 1 slot in a transport take 2 slots in the building.