Heresy Conflicts of Legend – Battle of Armatura
Can you change the course of history? Grab one of these army lists and forge a new chapter in the Horus Heresy!
The Horus Hersey conflicts make up the foundation of everything we love about the 40k lore. Forge World (and soon Games Workshop proper) has brought that to life with an impressive line of figures and source books. Below I will give a brief overview of one of my favorite scenes from the Horus Heresy book series, then present two 30k army lists and a mission that I believe captures the excitement from the book.
TPM here, host of the podcast Forge The Narrative. We’ve been on a huge 30k kick recently and got inspired to put together a narrative mission set in one of our favorite novels in the series.
Warning.. there are a few plot spoilers below. If you do not wish to have any plot information from the book Betrayer revealed to you please stop reading.
The Battle of Armatura
Before the Shadow Crusade, orchestrated by Primarch of the Word Bearers Lorgar, Armatura was a fortress world in Ultramar.
Lorgar used the Primarch Angron and his legion, the World Eaters, to assault Armatura as part of the effort to disrupt the Ultramarines from being able to aid the Emperor of Mankind during Warmaster Horus’s eventual assault on Holy Terra.
You can change the course of history and affect the fate of the galaxy! At least on your own tabletop…
At this stage of the battle the World Eaters have given in to the Butcher’s Nails and are overcome by the Blood Madness. The Ultramarines have made their last defensive withdrawal and are prepared to give no more ground to the traitors.
The Ultramarine Evocati, through controlled demolitions, has funneled the World Eaters into a choke point to make the World Eaters fight on the Ultramarine’s terms.
Kharn has pieced his fighting force back together, barley fighting off the effects of the Butcher’s Nails, after a bloody battle where both of the featured traitor Primarchs were almost killed.
The characters below that do not currently have HH rules are given wargear and equivalent stat line to represent their abilities displayed in the novels. Pardon my liberties.
The Mission:
World Eaters/Word Bearers Objectives:
Kharn must engage Orfeo in close combat
Argel Tal must rescue the crew of the Warhound Titan Syrgalah
Eliminate all non-fortification, non-Orfeo enemy models by the end of turn 6
Ultramarine Objectives:
Orfeo must survive 4 rounds of close combat with Kharn
Have at least one non-fortification, non-Orfeo model alive by the end of turn 6
Destroy the crew of the Warhound Titan Syrgalah
Deployment:
Hammer and Anvil
No Night Fight
Scout Moves can not be taken
Outflank can not be used
Random Game Length starting turn 6. On a 4+ the game goes to turn 7.
Seize the Initiative can be used
Terrain placement in no man’s land should represent controlled lanes of fire over open ground but feel free to make the rubble that forms that only difficult ground and not always impassible.
Scoring:
1 point per objective
1 point for last blood (last unit destroyed)
1 point for slay the warlord (in this case Kharn and Orfeo must always be chosen as warlords)
Traitor Forces:
World Eaters
Kharn the Bloody 170
Legion Tactical Squad x20 265
Exchange Bolter for Chain Axe
Artificer Armor
Legion Tactical Squad x20 265
Exchange Bolter for Chain Axe
Artificer Armor
Legion Tactical Squad x20 265
Exchange Bolter for Chain Axe
Artificer Armor
Legion Tactical Squad x20 265
Exchange Bolter for Chain Axe
Artificer Armor
Apothecarion Detachment 135
Apothecary x 3
Rampager Squad 385
Heavy Chainsword x2, Meteor Hammer x2
Legion Destroyer Squad x10 430
Jump Packs
Artificer Armor w/ Thunder hammer
Rad Missiles w/ suspensor web x2
Word Bearers
Argel Tal 157
Legion Praetor
Jump Pack
Paragon Blade w bolter
Refractor Field
Artificer Armor
Legion Tactical Squad 150
Legion Vexilla 10
2497 pts
Loyalist Forces:
Ultramarines
Orfeo 525
Legion Praetor
Artificer Armor
Iron Halo
Master Crafted Paragon Blade
Mantle of Ultramar
Power Sword (Gladius)
Bodyguard
Invictarus Suzerains (Evocati) x10
Legion Tactical Squad 160
Legion Tactical Squad 160
Legion Tactical Squad 160
Legion Tactical Squad 160
Legion Tactical Support Squad 235
Volkite Calivers
Legion Veteran Tactical Squad 230
Volkite Serpenta x1
Power Fist
Artificer Armor
Techmarine Covenant 45
Legion Vindicator 120
Wall of Martyrs Defence Network
Firestorm Redoubt 250
Battle cannon x2
Barricade x2
Taglewire x2
Imperial Bunker 105
Quad Gun
Imperial Defense Emplacement 40
Imperial Defense Line 80
Imperial Defense Line 80
Vengeance Weapon Battery 75
Punisher Gattling Cannon
Vengeance Weapon Battery 75
Punisher Gattling Cannon
2500 pts
Mission Special Rules:
The Challenge
“Even amidst the storm, Kharn breathed in slow awe (of Orfeo). Perfect grace. Prefect fluidity. Perfect economy of movement and balance and application of strength. He had to kill him.
‘He’s mine,’ Kharn said. ‘He is mine…'”
Kharn and Orfeo must issue and accept a challenge from each other at the first opportunity. Place the two models in base contact.
While Kharn and Orfeo are engaged all models within 12 inches of them stop fighting and watch the duel. Models still consolidate and pile in to close combat but no blows are struck. Any World Eater or Ultramarine units not currently locked in close combat but within 12 inches of the duel must attempt to join the assault by moving into base combat with an enemy model. If they can not make base combat with an enemy model they are not compelled to join the close combat. If the melee swirls and expands farther than 12 inches away from Kharn and Orfeo then those models may fight in close combat but only against models that are not within 12 inches of the challenge but also locked in combat.
Wounds caused by Kharn and Orfeo against each other are not allocated to them. They are instead allocated to units not locked in the close combat by the attacking player. The attacks keep the same STR and AP characteristics. This represents the tragic attrition on both sides. All attacks from that round of close combat must be allocated to the same enemy unit. They may not be spread out to multiple units. These wounds may not be allocated to independent characters. Example: Orfeo does 3 wounds to Kharn. Instead of Kharn taking those wounds the Ultramarine player allocates those wounds to the World Bearers Legion Tactical Squad. Kharn, in turn, allocates his wounds to the Ultramarines Tactical Support Squad. The unit make take the saves on any models in the unit they wish.
If there are no models outside of the combat for the attacking player to allocate wounds, wounds may then be allocated to models in the close combat that are not Kharn or Orfeo (unless they are the only option). If the game goes to turn 7 Orfeo must demand the surrender of the traitor forces. They will reflect on the levity of the situation for a moment and then deny the request. If Orfeo is alive at the end of turn 7 things still end poorly for him. Very poorly.. read Betrayer.
Survivors of Warhound titan Syrgalah
Crew: S 3, T 3, W 1, I 3, A 1 LD 7, Sv 5+
Without intervention from the Syrgalah the two traitor Primarchs would have certainly been killed on Armatura. When this titan is destroyed by an enemy Reaver titan several of the surviving crew are rescued by Argel Tal before they are gunned down by the Ultramarines.
To represent this on the table top at the start of the Traitor Forces round 3, both players roll a d6. The player who wins the roll may deepstrike a unit of 3 surviving crew members onto the tabletop. The Survivors must be placed at least 18 inches away from any table edge before the scatter dice, for deepstrike, are rolled. These crew members can not mishap and if the deepstrike distance would put them in base contact or on top of impassible terrain or another model they are instead placed the minimum distance to avoid a mishap. They can not scatter off of the table. They can not leave the battlefield on the turn they arrive.
If this unit is targeted by a shooting attack immediately place Argel Tal in this unit and he takes all saves for the attack. This occurs no matter how far away Argel Tal is from the Survivors unit and can cause him to be removed from close combat, removed from any sort of embarkation, or removed from any unit he is currently joined. He can not leave the Survivors unit until the unit is considered rescued or the game ends.
The surviving crew must attempt to reach either of the long table edges or the short table edge of the Traitor Forces. If they reach any of these edges with a regular move or a run then Argel Tal is considered to have saved the survivors. Argel Tal does not leave the table with them. He will stay on the field of battle and is free to move on his own again.
Of course everything here is subject to your own opinion. Mix up the lists however you like. This games is fun.. just like the old 3rd/4th edition days.
If you are interested in hearing more about the Horus Heresy time period and are not already a subscriber please check us out. We start to get down and dirty with it in Episode 107, Episode 108 and Episode 109.
Whew… big wall of text.
What is your favorite battle in the 31st millennium? Look for more themed “Heresy Battles of Legend” in the weeks ahead from Forge the Narrative.
