1500pts: Imperial Guard vs Sisters of Battle (vassal pictures, background story)

[Frost89]

(the story pictured in this batrep can be considered as the continuation of THIS (1500pts: Imperial Guard vs Grey Knights) battle)

Imperial Guard - 184th Cadian Shock Troops
HQ:
Company Command Squad (vox, Lascannon, regimental standard, Astropath) [Major Kaufmann]

Troops:
Platoon 1 (17th heavy)
Platoon command squad (Autocannon)
Infantry squad (Lascannon)
Infantry squad (Lascannon)
Infantry squad (Lascannon)
Infantry squad (Lascannon, vox)
(4 squads combined)
Heavy Weapons Team (3x Autocannons)
Heavy Weapons Team (3x Autocannons)

Platoon 2 (4th assault)
Platoon command squad (Autocannon)
Infantry squad (Autocannon, meltagun, Sergeant with Power Weapon and Meltabombs)
Infantry squad (Autocannon, meltagun, Sergeant with Power Weapon and Meltabombs)
Infantry squad (Autocannon, meltagun, Sergeant with Power Weapon and Meltabombs)
Infantry squad (Autocannon, meltagun, vox, Sergeant with Power Weapon, Commissar with Power Weapon) [Commissar Sedgwick]

Platoon 3 (24th light)
Platoon command squad (AlRaheem, 3x Meltaguns, vox) [Capt. Earl Mahe]
Infantry squad (meltagun, Sergeant with Power Weapon, Meltabombs)
Infantry squad (meltagun, Sergeant with Power Weapon, Meltabombs)
Infantry squad (meltagun, Sergeant with Power Weapon, Meltabombs)
Infantry squad (meltagun, vox, Sergeant with Power Weapon, Commissar with Power Weapon) [Commissar Donovan]

Sisters of Battle
HQSaint Celestine (115)


ELITE
5 repentia, mistress
5 repentia, mistress


TROOP
10 SoB, superior, multimelta, melta bombs
immolator, H.flamer, dozer
10 SoB, superior, multimelta, melta bombs
Immolator, H.flamer, dozer


FAST
4 dominion, superior, 2 meltagun
MM immolator w/dozer
4 dominion, superior, 2 flamer, comb-melta
MM immolator w/dozer


HEAVY
exorcist w/ hunter-killer missile
Penitent Engine x 2
Penitent Engine

Mission: Capture and Control
Deployment: Pitched Battle

---

From Major Kaufmann diaries:

It has been one month from our last battle with Inquisitional forces. The Colonel hasn't been able to regain contact with Sector command and even the Imperial Navy ships in orbit are ignoring us! The morale of the troops is spiralling down, and the commissariat has already executed a great number of troops. If nothing will change soon, I suppose that the 184th will be destroyed from within itself.
The Colonel even promoted me, for my "outstanding skills and remarkable achievements" of last battle. The truth is that even high ranking officers will suffer casualties when inquisition is on the way, and a replacement was needed.
At least we have plenty of supplies and ammunitions, and we will fight for our lives and for the emperor, as we always do every day.
We've spent this month exploring the planet surface and preparing extensive plans for the defence of our quadrant. Every firing lane, every natural obstacle has been noted down and will be taken advantage of when the inquisiton will try again to judge us. Let they come, the Emperor will prove we're loyal and will award us the victory!

K.'s attendant: "Sorry to bother you, Major, but the Colonel has called an emergency meeting in his quarters"
K: "Finally, they decided to try the second round, right?"
...
Colonel: "Our Astropath council has detected several incoming vessels jumping out warp travel last week. Our long range radars have confirmed at least 3 transport ships have landed south our positions. We don't know who they are, but for sure they're hostile. This time we know the terrain and we must use this knowledge at our best advantage. Kaufmann, you'll take command of the combined forces of the 4th heavy, 17th assault and 24th light platoons. Design a trap for our enemies and be sure to cut off their retreat. Captain Mahe will follow you and will lead directly the flanking maneuver. Move now! we haven't much time before enemy arrival."

---

To be continued in 8-12 hours! cast your votes

[Frost89]

60 miles south 184th HQ
Guardsman: "Major, our scouts have reported an enemy mechanized column marching towards our positions. They'll be here in about six hours"
Kaufmann: "Thanks, guardsman. Captain Mahe, mobilize your platoon and begin the flanking maneuver at once. There is no time to lose: your assault must cut off the enemy retreat routes, to prevent any reinforcement to reach the battlefield, otherwise we must fall back to the main HQ. We cannot afford that! Move!"
Mahe: "Yes sir. We'll need 8 hours to be in position to strike properly"
K: "This is unacceptable! You'll be there in six hours, or you'll talk with the commissars! The main line can't withstand two hours of combat against the whole expeditionary force of our opponents. You'd be there on time, captain"

Capt. Mahe saluted and ran to his platoon, starting the key maneuver asked by the major. He was well aware of the importance of his mission: if he failed, the whole battle would be lost, and most probably, the whole regiment.
Major Kaufmann began deploying the firing lines, digging trenches and preparing traps. Every lasrifle shot will be necessary to slow down the enemy advance. A weak presence is deployed on the hills on the left, to reach for side shots and force the enemy to not shoot everything at the main corps.

Deployment
Sisters of battle took first and deployed everything on the table.
Imperial guard deployed everything, aligned with the enemy objective to allow the outflankers to threat more easily both enemy attack and enemy defence from a single flank.
Two transports scouted ahead the enemy line and popped smoke

0.jpg

Turn 1- Sisters of Battle
Sergeant: "Here they come! Get ready!"
The enemy war engined roar filled the valley with their incredible noises. Troop transport and walkers ride forward, launching smoke grenades to cover their advance.
Hidden by the smoke, enemy artillery opened fire on the hilltop. The missile explosions raining on the men were deafening. Luckily the trenches absorbed much of the incoming fire, but two of the firing line were caught by shrapnels, tearing them apart.
Lt Gavrin: "Damn! these were antitank missiles! Our positions on the hilltop can't hold! Fall back! FALL BACK!"
When the dust cleared, half of the firing positions on top of the hill have been abandoned.
Lt Fabien: "Traitor! You'll be executed by the commissar if you don't come back at once!"
1A.jpg[note: green platoon command should be fleeing at this point, not pictured]

Turn 1 - Imperial Guard
Major Kaufmann: "Heavy weapons, open fire!"
Every weapon on the line opened fire at once, greeting the incoming enemies with a deadly wall of lead and lasers.
K: "They must not reach our lines! Destroy that Immolator!"
Autocannon personnel aimed at the cloud of smoke in front of them, but the noise of the roaring engine didn't stalled.
K: "Damn it, fire at these coordinates, anticipate its movement!
With the coordinates inserted in the heavy weapons targeting cogitators, multiple hails of antitank shells find the desired target. Their success is marked with a loud explosion, which shook the trees nearby the firing positions
Sergeant: "What the hell is that...?"
Descending from the clouds, an angel-like appearance landed in the middle of the valley, screaming preaches to the emperor and urging the sisters to battle!
K: "Fear not my brave! There is nothing that the hammer of the emperor can't smash. Everybody, shoot that thing at once! NOTHING WILL GET THROUGH!"
Following the lead of their sergeants, all the gunline opened fire against the closing in, angel-like threat just appeared in the valley.
Guardsman: "our weapons are ineffective! She is shrugging off our lasers!"
Most of the incoming fire failed to reach the target, halted by an invisible energy field
1B.jpg

This is the end of turn 1!

[Frost89]

Turn 2 - Sisters of Battle
K: "Don't stop! Keep firing! They must not reach our lines!"
Lasguns keep firing relentlessly versus the incoming foes, but they cannot halt the enemy armor advancing the field-
The enemy engines keep closing in the distance between them and the firing line, the artillery keep pounding the fortified hills, destroying the imperial firing positions.
Lt Fabien: "Watch out! They're targeting us! Hit th..."
A serie of quick explosion fell around the last firing position manned by Lieutenant Fabien and his command squad, leaving only dust and human pieces all around. A single guard is left alive, screaming at the top of his lungs for fear and anger.
Down in the valley, the enemy is now close to the trenches, and several flaming spurts fall inside the imperial trenches, burning the hapless guards inside without any retaliation.
With a super-human jump, the angel-like entity launches an assault to the screaming, flaming guardsmen. Useless is the sergeants call for bayonets on the line, because no human can hope to overcome the incredible close combat ability of the angel itself. Only the commissar stands up, urging his men forward.
2A.jpg

Turn 2 - Imperial Guard
K: "Damn it, they're already here! Our lines can't hold much longer! Where is Captain Mahe? He should be here now! He's late!"
Astropath: "My lord, don't be afraid. I sense his presence nearby. He's closing in from that creek, the plan is unfolding perfectly"
K: "You'd better be right, because i don't call "perfect" to lose a quarter of the first line against flamers. It's an horrible way to die..."

A great cloud of dust arises from the left: the unending, rythmical trump of countless boots on the march can be heard even above the engines clattering and explosions blasting in the valley.
Captain Earl Mahe is arrived!
The left flank of the battlefield is now overrun by imperial guardsmen, heading straight for the enemy landing zone, going to cut off enemy supplies!

Every guardsman cheered at the beautiful sight, the morale now high as never before. Firing positions opened against everything in sight, threatening the first line involved in the close combat fight: the foul flamers which costed the life of many guards are now lying in blood.

Commissar Sedgwick: "Charge on, men! The glory of the emperor is upon us! Put that aberration down, slash it with your bayonets, THE HAMMER OF THE EMPEROR WILL NEVER FAIL!"
Shouting and cursing, the guards fight like a single man, overcoming even the incredible protection of that monster killing their brothers.
The angel fell to the ground, dead.

Sergeant: "Get ready for the second wave! to the firing positions! Move!"

Across the valley, Commissar Donovan is leading Mahe's troops in a daring assault against the rear guard of the enemy, downing half with the first charge alone:
Donovan: "For the Emperor! Glory awaits us behind that hill!"
2B.jpg

[Frost89]

Turn 3 - Sisters of Battle
No time for the guards to cheer the incredible feat, that another great spurt of flames fell on the now regrouping first ranks. The cheers now turns to pain screams, where the flames have meet flesh. Trailing the flaming wall, an enemy war machine charged the shocked troops.
Commissar Sedgwick: "Don't fall back men! we will destroy this contraption!"
He charged the enemy walker, but his heroic attack is halted effortlessly by an enormous power fist, hilling him on the spot.
The sight was too much for the few survivors of the line, which disengaged the monster and fell back to secondary firing positions [luckily they fled only 3 inches! great ]
The hills on the other flank are now lost, conquered by an enemy team, unloading their weapons to the last heavy weapons entrenched behind the hill. Only one survivor remains, still hiding in the craters.

Commissar Donovan: "Watch out for the rear, here they come to slow down our glorious advance! Prepare your bayonets!"
A screaming squad of repentia sisters crashed on the rear of the flanking platoon, already engaged with the battle sisters defending the landing zone. Half of the troopers prepared their bayonets and fought hard. Many fell, but the assault has been stopped without too much problems.

Suddendly, the fallen angel in front of the remaining gunline, stood back up on her feet, and opened fire to the nearby Capt Mahe command squad, opening fire on the surprised officer
Kaufmann: "In the Emperor's name... how is that possible?"
3A.jpg

Turn 3 - Imperial Guard
Kaufmann had already too much things to think about, and the whole battle was looking most dire. Mahe's flanking attack is being slowed by the enemy defenders, the first ranks of the line are fleeing, the right flank of the hill has been completely overran. The greatest sacrifice shall be demanded to the 184th to win this fight, cutting off enemy supply lines to secure the Imperial stronghold on the planet. Every rifle shall be necessary.

With a bellowing shout, his voice reached the fleeing men of the 4th assault platoon, urging them to fight back and sell dearly their lifes. Shame on their eyes, they regained the firing position, preparing themselves for the last charge.
Covering their comrades, the gunline opened fire against the dreadful monster which has killed so many. The high energy laser beams hit the target, destroying it. After all, not everything is lost!

Mahe recovered by his surprise, and carried a reckless attack versus the closing in enemy monster. With incredible speed, his men flanked the enemy and put her down again, this time definitely (they hoped): The momentum was kept, and the squad met with the fighting platoon nearby.

The brave men fought with honor and courage, killing all the repentia sister and the first squad of defenders in a single push.
The main objective is now at an arm's reach! Charge on!
3B.jpg

[Frost89]

Turn 4 - Sisters of Battle
As soon as the big war engine fell to the ground, two more walkers took its place, throwing more flames to the infantrymen.
The whole first line is now depleted, leaving the heavy lasers open to enemy fire! With the flamers still blazing, the two war engines charged the now undefended gunline.

Exorcist artillery aimed its gun versus the running Mahe's command squad, now in the open behid his platoon. Several antitank missiles blasted nearby the squad, leaving only blood and gore in its wake.

Donovan: "Don't be afraid, men! keep charging! The landing zone shall be ours, in the Emperor's Name!"

The firing line, assaulted by those huge cranking monster, was weaponless and hopeless, after seeing the fate of their comrades from the first rank. The poor men cannot withstand anymore, and fled the battlefield under the cursing from Major Kaufmann

K:"Get back here, you morons! We have a battle to fight and WIN!"

But they won't come back. Kaufmann now was directly facing the huge combat monsters, and he instantly knew that the highest sacrifice will be required to allow the rest of the regiment to win the battle.
4A.jpg

Turn 4 - Imperial Guard

K:"So this is it. Bring it on!"
The last remaining guardsmen opened fire against the enemy walkers, now closing in for the last kill. Kaufmann itself directed the last active Lascannon against the machine, hitting and disabling one of them.

The last survivor of the fortifications on the hills, stood back up and grasped his hands on his lasgun. Took a deep breath and aimed for the nearest Sister of Battle, only 10 meters below him. The laser gun crackled with energy, and the shot hit exactly where he aimed it: behind the head of the sister, which fell without a single groan.
Guardsman: "Duty ends only in death..." - while staring the wrong end of 4 bolters.

Donovan: "These are the last defenders of the landing zone! The glory of the Emperor is upon us! KILL THEM!"
Commissar Donovan took command of the 24th platoon when the artillery killed Capt. Mahe with its last salvo. He ordered his men forward, to another charge against the remaining enemy guarding the landing zone.
The charge was cruel and fast, and shortly every enemy was down in blood

Donovan: "Good job, guards! Now we must secure this position! The whole regiment is depending upon us!"
4B.jpg

[Frost89]

Turn 5 - Sisters of Battle
Kaufmann was now facing directly the remaining enemy war engine, knowing that he must give the highest sacrifice to allow his men to achieve the victory in the name of the emperor.
K:"Guardsmen! fix your bayonet and brace for the impact!"
The war engine charged, shooting flames from its hand.
With a single, poderous swing, the enemy wiped the remains of Kaufmann's squad. The other claw slammed against the refactor field, causing it to explode. The major fell to the ground.
The remaining of the enemy forces, now cut off from theirs supply line, tried a last push to regain control of the landing zone: the sister driving the immolator drove straight into the guard formation entrenched behind the hill: an heroic guardsman tried to stop the tank with his meltagun, but failed.

Donovan: "Destroy it! Victory is at hand!"

Turn 5 - Imperial Guard
Donovan: "The main force will join us soon! THE LINE MUST HOLD!"
Every single gun opened against the immolator, roaming into the formation: Several hits are on target, and the enemy vehicle is no more.


We rolled to continue and got a 2, ending the game at turn 5.

IMPERIAL GUARD victory! 1-0

(Sorry if this took a while to complete XD)

[Lord Borak]

Very, Very bloody by the sounds of it!! Awesome Victory for the Guard though (which always helps). So, how many guardsmen were actually left?

[Frost89]

About 2/3rd of the outflanking infantry squads. Maybe less. And an heavy weapons team of 3 ac :-) really really bloody :-)

[Lord Borak]

Awesome. See, thats the way Guard armies should be!! My 1k list has 118 men in it so your list is a list after my own heart!!

If you can't kill them with guns, drown them in the bodies of your dead.

[Frost89]

I'm at 138 if my math is correct. And I ended with around 30 lol