Charadon Aflame: The Charadon Campaign Part 2

[Jye Nicolson]

Final Phase - The Siege of Metalica

After ten millennia of war, Typhus has finally made a fatal error.

He is winning his war against Fabricator General Khleng. His plan succeeded; his machinations prevented Metalica from being reinforced in time, and soon he will personally see the final infection of the Forge World's engines with his Legion's corrosive scrapcode complete. His vow to Warmaster Abaddon will be fulfilled to the letter.

But none of those who close in upon Typhus' fleet give a damn for the Fabricator General.

Inquisitors, Space Marine Captains, Canonesses, Marshals, Jarls, Generals, even High Lords of Terra - alienated by Fabricator General's recourse to Exterminatus early in the war and his shrill demands as it progressed, the bonds of camaraderie developing in their swelling Crusade easily override his nominal authority in the sphere.

Xenos in numbers and power well beyond Typhus' predictions smell destiny, riches or simply blood on the wind and race for the feast to come. The hunger of the Swarm, the cool calculation of the Aeldari, the joyous savagery of the Ork, none consider the survival of Metalica in their plans.

And of the forces of Chaos, precious few of Typhus' even nominal allies remain after the recapture of Fathom. Those loyal to the Terminus Est have been steadily cut down, devoured, and even betrayed. Those that remain - Thousand Sons, World Eaters, Dusk Raiders - do not bend knee to the Host of the Destroyer Hive.

Instead they have come to the Forge World for a single purpose - to kill Typhus, break his fleet, and put every last one of his plague creatures to the flame.


Period:

Invaders Win: Without the anchor of the Forge World, the Charadon sector is forever broken. Plague storms, scrap code, and a permanent tempest in the Warp render it impossible for the Imperium to hold, the few survivors not evacuated as the Crusade moves on easy picking for any warband that chooses to harvest them. Abaddon, regardless of his personal feelings, wisely rewards the victors, and your warband receives recognition, opportunity, or is just plain bought off. Your names are spoken in whispers of grudging respect by your erstwhile allies, and in fear by all others.

Defenders Win: Metalica is saved, but not before Fabricator Khleng is conveniently murdered by the Death Guard. After liberal application of purging flame the Forge World is recovered, and the Charadon sector secured as a bastion against the night. You will always be heroes here, gratefully feted and resupplied, and as the force you have gathered moves on as a new Crusade, you find the rest of the Imperium has heard of the legend of Charadon, and Inquisitor Tara has ensured your reputation as heroes has grown. This means respect, political muscle, but even more terrible duties...

Raiders Win: Once again the humans' ten thousand year long civil war has profited no-one but you. The Tyranids have returned vast stores of biomass to the Swarm and mass ready for the next feast. The Aeldari have manipulated events to their preferred future, with profit for the Drukhari and survival for the Craftworlds. The Orks have had a spectacular fight, and better yet - they've found out where an even better one will be, and they've told their mates...


Period:

Until the end of the September game day


War Zone Points earned per game:

Play any game: 1

Draw/Win Combat Patrol or Kill Team: 1/2

Draw/Win Incursion: 2/3

Draw/Win Strike Force: 3/4

Draw/Win Onslaught: 4/5


A maximum of 20 points can be earned per player per team during the phase.



Hubris

With the riches of House Raven filling their holds, the Xenos feel the wind at their backs, and do not fear to tread anywhere in Charadon...

As winners of the last phase, the Defenders (Imperium armies) have access to the Hubris mechanic.

At the start of the game, if you are playing an army of the Defender faction, and your opponent agrees, you may select any number of the following bonuses to receive at the end of the game:

- 1 RP
- Choose an additional unit to be Marked for Greatness
- Forge World Warzone: Gain a free Weapon Enhancement or Crusade Relic (40K) or 2 equipment points (Kill Team)
- Real food, not corpse starch: Any friendly unit that is destroyed but passes its Out of Action test gains 1XP. Ignore the first failed Out of Action test.

For each bonus you choose, your opponent may roll one die. At any time during the game, they may substitute the rolled value of that die for any die that is about to be rolled (ie that hasn't already been set to a value by Miracle Dice or other rules) and is not being rerolled.



War Zone Assets

You may use the following rules if all players in a battle agree, and if you do so each player will earn a bonus War Zone point for the battle.

War Zone Assets represent the advantages gained by the opposing factions in their battles so far; the rules suggest teams should choose them from a list (with previous winners getting to pick first), but since we don't really have stable teams in the Age of Nurgle I will be picking them narratively for now.

Each Alliance has two War Zone Assets to choose from. After determining Attack and Defender, you may choose one of the two to use for that battle. In a Strike Force or larger game, you may spend 3 CP to use both.

Defenders:

• Inquisitorial Precognition (Witch Sight): Once per battle round, use the Command Reroll Strategem for 0CP
• Orbital Scrying: After both players have deployed their units, you may redeploy up to 1D3 units within your deployment zone.

Invaders:

• Ritual Sites: If your roll for determining first turn is a 1, 2 or 3, you may force all players to reroll.
• Scrap Code Vox Scream: Halve the range of enemy aura abilities.

Raiders:

• The Spoils of House Raven: Grant one unit a Weapon Enhancement for the duration of this battle (this does not raise its Crusade Points). Once per battle round, you may use a Wargear strategem for 0CP.
• Deep Void Battle Station: Gain D3 Command Points

Special Mission: Plaguebearer Offensive (pg 58, Book of Fire)

This will not be another bloody stalemate where the Imperium is battered but stands; today, Typhus finishes the war for Metalica himself. He will deliver the scrapcode into Khleng's brain personally, or he will at last die.

You gain a bonus War Zone point the first time you play this mission in this phase.

This is an objective control mission where the Defender has the advantage in controlling objectives, but the Attacker can put a powerful debuff on the Defender by performing an action on the Alpha objective.

The victor bonus is a massive gain in RP and extra XP for the Warlord.

I intend to paint Typhus and a LOT of poxwalkers and play the Attacker in a 100PL game on the September game day. I will offer a bounty of a free Battle Trait and 5XP for the unit that destroys Typhus, plus a free use of the Relic Requisition for their Crusade.


Strategic Value Points

The winning Alliance for the phase gains 3 Strategic Value points. At this point that means they will win the campaign.



Crusade Rewards

Note: XP rewards can be distributed as you please between units on your Order of Battle

Winning Alliance: 5 XP, Hubris next phase

Second Place Alliance: 2RP

Losing Alliance: 2 RP




Achievements

All according to plan: 1 RP or 5 XP (your choice) if you lose every game for the phase

Vengeance for Nagoya: If you beat an opponent who defeated you earlier in the phase, you may choose an extra unit to be Marked for Greatness for that game

Vengeance for Fathom: If you beat a Defender force, you may choose an extra unit to be Marked for Greatness for that game

Master of the 10th Company: 1 RP or 5 XP (your choice) for teaching someone to play 9th Edition 40K

Khorne Welcomes You: 1 RP and 5 XP for playing your first Crusade game of 9th Edition

[Jye Nicolson]

Standings after the July Game Day

Raiders: 8
Defenders: 7
Invaders: 2


It was a day of incredibly resilient armies grinding at each other in epic battles over objectives...and one band of elves very much On Their Bullshit.

Since we were starting from scratch and their was fairly even representation I just kept my points in Raiders; I won't be playing Aeldari next time (probably some flavour of Imperial) so it'll work out.


War Diary of Master Inquisitor Tara

The Warp calms before us, speeding our road to the Siege of Metalica. It seems even the corrosive and contrary power of the Empyrean is in agreement that all should gather for the final battle.

But there are other battlefields to be secured upon the way. There must be no possibility of escape for the Terminus Est; the noose must be drawn tight. And thus we clash with the other hunters closing in upon the Forge World.

The Sable Lions and Tarsonian Ashwalkers report that the Dusk Raiders have struck again, and while they have been turned away at great sacrifice, we know all too well how little they are deterred by apparent defeats. More disturbing still, they both report the presence of the Aeldari, and honoured Dreadnoughts pierced by Bright Lances.

My contract with the Shadowseer and her allies has protected the Daughters of Russ, the Sisters of Battle and the others closest to me, but not the Imperial forces in general. Their goal is clear to me - to see our ancient civil war against the Traitor Legions bleed both sides dry. My colleagues are not fools and will see it too; I am in a delicate position...

[Jye Nicolson]

Standings after the August Game Day

Raiders: 13
Defenders: 13
Invaders: 12


The Emperor's Children arrived on the battlefield...but not in the way anyone expected. While their quest is to hunt down the traitors who turned against them so many long millennia ago, the "Third" or the "Tenth and Final Company", resplendent in their purple armour, were heavily distracted by a new menace, mutant humans in thrall to the Hive Mind of the Tyranids. While they enacted successful purges, the sheer numbers of the cultists made hunting down every cell an obvious waste of time, so the Astartes attempted a decapitation strike by sending the spearhead against a concentration of behemoths of the Hive.

It was then the Thousand Sons struck, a brilliant ambush upon the heavily engaged forces. Given a chance to engage the Heretics at last, the Third's counterattack was elegant and vicious, but the wily sorcerers absorbed the brunt of it with their gullible cultists, preserving their precious Scarab Terminators for the decisive fight. Yet the Tyranids were no mere bystanders, and the fury of the Hive Mind sorely oppressed the Astartes, Loyalist and Traitor alike.

The main engagement ended in a bloody stalemate, but a bold independent action lead by the Duelist and an honoured Redemptor Dreadnought crushed an auxiliary detachment of Magnus' sons, resulting in a narrow strategic victory for the Imperium.

(the points were kind of messed up since I've played far more than anyone else this phase, resulting me getting the majority of the points for the Raider and Invader factions even though I played the most with a Defender team. However I thought it fair and just to count @MiJ's thorough drubbing at the hands of his son, demo game or no, which coincidentally leaves us on a finely balanced tally going into the very last game day of the campaign)


War Diary of Master Inquisitor Tara

The plan is intact.

It is not my finest, and with the forces at play it is a miracle that I have enough influence to enact a plan at all, let alone a good one. But it will suffice.

Typhus will fall. It will not be at the hands of the Daughters of Russ, though they bay for the privilege. Nor the Abbess Sanctorum or Captain-General, though I can give them no orders, merely lure them to other opportunities. It will be other heroes, or even villains - Typhus has no shortage of enemies in his own warhost, let alone the Ruinous Host as a whole. All my work, all the heroism of the tireless defenders of Charadon, has smoothed the path to his destruction.

And I will raise a toast to whoever takes his accursed head. Even if they are too late to save the Fabricator General...

[Jye Nicolson]

Final Standings

Raiders: 27
Defenders: 22
Raiders: 20


The final game day for the campaign saw a lot of Xenos swarm the battlefield of Metalica, and on the whole they did very well indeed, particularly the spectacular victory of an Ork and Tyranid alliance of convenience over the forces of the Terminus Est.

As a result, the Raiders win the campaign, with a total of 4 Strategic Value Points to the Defenders' 2. The Invaders, once again, miss out largely due to being a bit under-represented (in spite of Tallgeese consistently and courageously planting the banner of the Ruinous Powers irrespective of their current fortunes in the meta, bravo!).

In short, that means:

- The Asuryani and Harlequins can indulge in a hearty "just as planned"
- The Drukhari can drag back a glorious haul of plunder to their dark city, and most likely have Imperial and Chaos heroes as headlining acts in the colosseums.
- The Necrons can smugly congratulate themselves on their superiority, and eject the damn humans from their lawns
- The Orks can rightly claim to be the strongest, and call a massive Waaaaaaagggh on their next target with immense credibility with the head of Typhus himself hanging from their Bosspole.


With the end of the phase, that means Xenos/Raiders gain:

- 5 XP to spread among their units

While everyone else gets:

- 2 RP

Xenos/Raiders may spend their 4SVP, and Imperium/Defenders their 2SVP in the following fashion:

- You may spend 1 Strategic Value point to increase any Crusade or Spec Ops tally you are tracking - for example Living Saint progress, or Charadon Achievements tally, or missions of a particular kind won.
- You may spend 2 Strategic Value points to purchase a requistion worth 1 RP and waive its normal requirements (eg you might grant a relic to a character inbetween level ups, or a Saga to a Space Wolf character without needing to activate it in battle). You might want to avoid this if it makes some crucial Requistion feel too easy (for example I'd probably avoid "redeeming" a Sisters Repentia squad I'd barely used just to get the free strats for some Sacresants), but it's a good way to get a story element for a unit that's been with you in the campaign but the stars didn't align for.
- You may spend 2 Strategic Value points to grant a Battle Honour to a unit (remembering units have a maximum of six Battle Honours regardless of source)


For the Invaders, who missed out on Strategic Value points largely due to difficulty making games rather than any lack of performance on the table, there is a consolation prize of 1 RP or 5XP to spread on your roster.



Thanks for playing the campaign everyone - even if it was entirely involuntary on your part and you are just victims of my incessant game tallying Its been about as scattered as you'd expect for playing in the age of Covid but I still feel like I've watched awesome feats from forces I've come to know well.

[Jye Nicolson]

"To the Warboss!" As promised, Master Inquisitor Tara raised her glass high to the slayer of Typhus, towards the stars where the Waaaaaaaggh was believed to be attacking after vanishing in a triumphant vortex of green lightning. The great audience chamber of her flagship shook with the laughter of her guests, though in all fairness that laughter was unevenly distributed. The Daughters of Russ contributed far more than their share, the High Lords somewhat less.

Katarinya Greyfax contributed none.

"Tara..." she began, rubbing at her temples with an unprecedented mix of fury and exasperation.

"Katarinya!" Tara replied with all of her inexhaustible equanimity. "Shouldn't you be with Celestine? She doesn't enjoy these parties, really, and without you I'm not sure she can be convinced to delay the next Crusade by even an hour."

This woman, thought Greyfax, is literally trying to make me grind my own teeth to dust.

"Tara." She refused the amsec offered by the senior Inquisitor, bitterly reflecting that such seniority must be due only to Tara's habit of keeping to the absolute hinterlands of the Imperium where she would not suffer any competition.

"Lord Tara, if you insist on that tone." Tara finished the amsec herself and began to look for another bottle, or at least a likely Space Wolf who could locate stronger.

"Lord Tara, the murder of a Forgemaster General by Orks is traditionally considered a defeat. While the Charadon sector exists, it has done so largely to the profit of a menagerie of Xenos. While I appreciate you may have felt extreme measures required to defeat the Archtraitors, as many Inquisitors have before you, we do not traditionally CELEBRATE that fact in open court."

"We already have a new Forgemaster General. House Raven will rebuild. There are...obstacles...to recovering the souls and material lost to Commorragh, but measures can be taken." She turned to regard the stars again, glittering beyond the great dome above "The Warboss will enjoy his reign but briefly before he is cast down by the arms of our heroic warriors; our Crusade is not at an end. But Typhus' is. Ten millennia of hatred and corruption, snuffed out in an instant. Our story is that of a Charadon shaken and ravaged, but emerging triumphant to rebuild. Typhus' story is over. Nurgle will not find his like again."

Greyfax began to object - she was never short an objection - but Tara would not have it, at last insistently pushing a glass into her hand.

"Inquisitor Greyfax. Katarinya. I esteem you beyond measure. Your courage, your cunning and your fury are always welcome wherever I make war. That will never change. But I will not have you lecture me on my ship for accomplishing a task your Order Hereticus has neglected ten thousand years too long. Now go ask Celestine to dance, for if you do not, Sigrun Russdottir will."

As Tara swept off towards a somewhat awkward collection of heroes that would probably really rather be back on the battlefield - Tarsonian Ashwalkers, Black Templars, Sable Lions and more - Greyfax sipped the amsec and grudgingly found it exquisite.

"You didn't bloody do anything, the Ork did" she muttered, and then looked around for wings...