Battle 13: The March of the Faithful

After the defeat against Ilse of the Krieg and Tómas of the Crimson Fists, the generals of Zebaot tries to lead their remaining troops and cultists in a “tactical retreat”. A column of chanting cultists are led by their herdsmen towards the undercity. Their mission is to get as many units as possible across the sector. The Flesh Tearers have managed to intercept the troop movement, and hurries to destroy the column.

- Location: Sector Phlegethon, the desert city of Tartarus, Cerberus XIII
- Imperial: Adeptus Astartes: Flesh Tearers
- Chaos Forces: Traitor Legion: Word Bearers
- Points value: 1050 per side

Special Rules:

- Maelstrom Deck without objectives. Replace objectives with own codex mission
- Deployment on short sides, 24’’ in between forces
- Kill points for units destroyed.
- Zebaot (Word Bearers) choses a minimum of 3 units. These gives 2 VP if they enters the opponents Deployment, in which case they leaves the game at the end of the player’s turn.
- Zebaot may sacrifice D3 cultists/guards for an additional magic die.
- Flesh Tearers gets one VP per unit put in reserves at the start of the match. When they arrive they do so randomly 1d6: 1 – long side, 2 short side, 3 other long side, 5 other short side, 5, choose side, 6 arrive next round on side of own choosing.

Excerpt from the Chronicles of Cerberus, or the Lay of Adamna; Volume IX,

Ch.23:v.1 'And as the Servants of the Corpse God came to the city of Tartarus, as Bringers of Death they came. Hungry for the flesh of the faithful, hateful of the true Gods, servants of Lies and Tyranny they were. The slain of the Faithful lay in the streets of the city, unblessed and unburied, while the Angels of Death grew fat on the corpses of the People.'

Ch.23:v.2 'In those dark times, The Speaker of the Truths called out to the Faithful. And he called them to his side, in the bosom of the City, near the Heart of the Gods. And all came, even though the journey was hard, and they were hounded at all times by the Foes of Peace.'

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Brother Hagenti, chaplain of the Host of the Flame of Truth, strode beside the commander of the 4thdivision of the Cerberus Defense Forces. He did not remember her name. He found her faith strong, but her command lackluster. The men looked more to their own friends and sergeants than to their commander. Naturally, he had built on that to foster their loyalty to himself, and to the Cause and their Great Teacher.
Times and places blurred. On a hundred planets, at a thousand times, had he done this. Walked with the faithful mortals, spurring them, inspiring them with words and shows of devotion. He hoped for a hundred, a thousand more, before he went to the Sprit Realm. Or, Gods willing, the end of the Long War.

The Long War, now a cause in itself to many of his brothers and sisters. He could hear their murmured voices in his mind and through the helmet vox. Sending their prayers to All Gods; Gods of War and of Death, gods of Passion and of Hate, gods of love and wisdom and perseverence, All the gods of the Warp, large and small.

Then a whisper roused him from his state of ambulatory meditation. There was a tremor in the warp, and disturbance in the vox chant. 'Foes are near. Hunting, chasing, hungry for flesh. Bastards of the ninth', the whisper said.

His amplified voice called out to mortals and his siblings alike. ”Wake, brothers and sisters! Our enemy is near! Hold your souls ready, for battle might be upon us!”
Sister Issachar's voice rang from the vox. 'Brother, contact ahead, foot and mounted'.
Then, from the sky, came the second arm of the attack. With a mighty thunder two drop pods crashed down behind their lines, disgorging marines in red and black, and on the other flank, a dreadnaught all in black. Melta guns blazed, shaking the tanks of the Defence Forces.

”Forward! Our hope is ahead!”

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Later, commander Zidan and her second in command was hiding behind the wall of the cemetary. They were trying to find a corner where the fire from the two drop pods could not reach them. She was ashamed to admit that her courage had broken in the first moments of the battle. The Apostle of Truth had called out the alarm, but they had hardly formed up when the sky had betrayed them and dropped Angels of the False God upon their heads! Two of her staff and bodyguard had been shot down, and they had fled.

Cowardice, perhaps, but they were alive, which some of her troops were not.
They could hear the battle move away from them. Explosions and gunfire. Then, the heavy tread of giants in powered armor, close. Giants in black and red strode into the cemetery, straight for them! A vox-distorted growl could be heard, like an angered beast denied its prey.
They tried to run, but did not come far.

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Hagenti was pleased as he tallied the survivors in his head. His brothers and sisters had taken almost no losses, injuries, yes, but nothing lethal. Of the mortals, only the mechanized squad had come through. But mortals died, it was their nature. All in all, he was pleased.
The Flesh Tearers had landed behind them, and while they were busy hunting the defense force tanks and troops, Hagenti, Volac and the Host of the Flame of Truth had charged ahead, taking out the predator tanks that had tried to stop them, and a battle group of loyalist marines. And then the way ahead had been clear.
After all, their test was to rejoin their Lord, not to do battle. With as many of their allies as they could bring.

Their time was near.


Win for the Word Bearers with 19-12 VP.

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Additional images courtesy of the ECBE (Esteemed Conclave for Battle Evaluation), Astra Militarum.