Warp Rift

The Battlefleet Gothic Netzine

Issue 20 Horizon
 From the Nexus Publishing House
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Editorial

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+++ Submissions +++ +++ Warp Rift Publication Team +++

All types of article are desperately needed, to keep this publication alive. In some cases, Roy (Horizon) Amkreutz Void Stalker II
submission includes inclusion on the web site at: www.epic40k.co.uk, or through www.
tacticalwargames.net. Please include a note with your submission if you would like this Iain (Cybershadow) Watcher in the Dark
clariied. Submission via e-mail implies approval for publication. Ray Bell Admirality
Reg Steiner Tyranid War Veteran
Send your submissions to: Davide ‘Kratz’ Ferrari Warmaster
Jack Watling Magician
horizon@epic40k.co.uk

or
Credits:
warprit@epic40k.co.uk Cover Picture Jack Watling
Lunar: Just_Me / Inidels: Roy Amkreutz

Additional Graphics & Pictures: Anargo Sector Project, Roy Amkreutz, Jack
Watling, Christian Schwager

Warp Rift • Issue Twenty • September 2008

 +++ CRITICAL HIT! +++ +++ Warp Rift Blog +++ Issue twenty – Contents:
You can check out our blog at the following
Uh oh, last issue I forgot a very important thank location:
you. I hope this isn’t to late and the person in
question will appreciate it. http://www.players.tacticalwargames.net/tiki- Encyclopedia Gothica
view_blog.php?blogId=10 Joint Operations 4
‘I’d like to express utmost thanks to Aaron Dickey,
we mostly know as member Vaaish on the various
Battleleet Gothic forums. He gave me as editor Tactical Command
+++ Warp Rift Forum +++
some very extensive feedback on the layout (and
Editorial

Escape Manoeuvre One 9

such) of Warp Rit. Some ideas I may not have
Check out the Warp Rift forum at:
taken at all, some a bit and some almost completely.
I think he himself will noticed what changes can be http://www.tacticalwargames.net/forums/index. Showcase
more or less related to him.’ Legion of the Damned 10
cgi?act=SF;f=89
GothiComp 2008 Finalists 11
Gothicomp 2008 is going full steam and by
the time this issue appears online you will
be voting on the entries in the Grand Finale. +++ Warp Rift Warmaster +++
Officer’s Mess
GothiComp2008 has already been a huge success High Anchor part 2 12
this year. he gallery consists of a wealthy 93 “Greetings admirals out there, I am honoured for the
submissions. Checkout all entries here: opportunity that Roy and Warp Rift staff have given me
to contribue at the expansion of this fantastic webzine.
First of all, my goals for Warp Rift are to create a new Void Stalker
h t t p : // w w w . e p i c 4 0 k . c o . u k / l i b / c o m p / Tau vs Tyranids - Ehlijen 25
Battle Report section, where you can read of adventures
gothicomp08/index.html and wars of others in our magniicent Battleleet Gothic Tau vs Tyranids - Volandum 26
Universe. Then, we are going to expand the Tactical
In this issues Showcase you will ind all Center with some Masterclass from the brave admirals
submissions which made it to the Grand Final out there and with deep analisys of manoeuvres. I am The Forge
this year plus the ghostly Legion of the Damned glad to serve in the ranks of Warp Rift, and hope that 3D Blastmarkers 28
leet. you and the Emperor (or other deity) gonna love my
In this issue you will alse ind the two submissions works. See you in Immaterium. Class Dismissed “
we received for the Tau Shadowsun Scenario Personal Ship Lexicon
Competition. Let us and the authors know what Davide ‘Kratz’ Ferrari
Incandescent 31
you think about them.
Send your battle reports at:
Of course there is more but space to type as well!
Davide@epic40k.co.uk
Enjoy!
Horizon
Encyclopaedia Gothica
Joint Operations
Multi-player games in BFG – rules and tactics
By Stefano Breviglieri

What’s so good about it then?

• Do NOT get a bigger table, unless you’re playing • When using alternate deployment, instead of
Almost all of the great naval battles described in 5,000+ points per side. he harsh truth is that tables placing one ship/squadron have all the players
the world of Warhammer 40k feature many leets bigger than 6’x4’ tend to favour those leets that try in the team do so, to make sure small, elite leets
on each side. At Schindlegeist, the decisive battle and avoid getting stuck in, such as the Navy and aren’t forced to lay down their cards too early when
of the Gothic war, Eldar and Navy ships formed Eldar. You don’t really want to spend a long time facing allied “hordes” (Tyranids come to mind).
a temporary alliance to stop Abaddon once and planning what turns out to be a shooting gallery
for all; the battle for the Ilithrium Belt was fought for one of the teams and a hell of an annoyance for • As for the rest, the battle should work pretty
by two Navy leets against the might of the allied the other. A 6’x4’ table will make sure everyone has much in the same way as a 1 on 1 game. Although
Chaos leets, and the list goes on. a chance to claim a couple of kills at the end of the some people might think it would be more fun to
A multi-player game requires some planning match. forbid players to give advice to their allies, we all
and a great deal of free time, for 3,000+ point • Count both leets as a single leet as far as Special know that “advice” in this case would be something
engagements are likely, but is deinitely worth the Orders are concerned, but each should have its own more like “send your escorts in a suicide run at that
efort. New tactics to develop, new lists to try out Fleet commander, i.e. if a ship from Fleet A fails a battleship or it’ll break through my line!” than
and a lot of bickering among the admirals of the Command Check, no other ship, including those genuine tactical wisdom, so let them speak if they
losing faction … I’m conident all of you will ind from Fleet B, can attempt to go under Special want to!
multi-player games highly rewarding. Orders, but that ship can only use a re-roll
from its own Fleet commander, not Fleet B’s. As far as scenarios are concerned, I advise against
his prevents people from allying with Orks using Raids or Surprise attack! for multi-player
How do the rules change from a normal game? to get “re-roll reservoirs” and ensures the games. he best missions for this purpose are
game is decided by clever manoeuvring and Fleet engagement, Conquest (from WD), Alien
My thoughts on multi-player gaming were sparked iring, rather than one trick ponies powered intervention (it’s a multi-player scenario already!)
of by the latest 40k supplement for big battles, by lots of Special Orders. and Rearguard attack. Escalating engagement
Apocalypse. In that book only minor tweaks are is just as good if you take your total number of
made on the rules, and yet Apocalypse games don’t • By the same token, capital ships from ships and divide it into ive groups, as having 10
get bogged down by the number of things to do diferent leets shouldn’t be able to squadron “blip” markers per side will slow the game down
during each turn. In BFG the same thing should together or mass turrets. Fighters launched horribly.
happen. Here’s a list of suggestions I’ve made for a by a leet should still be able to protect the A set number of turns would be welcome too.
multi-player game in BFG, but feel free to change other leet, and boarding torpedoes should Either 6 or 8, depending on the scenario, is a good
them to your tastes: ignore the allied leet’s ships as they do with idea in my book.
their own.
Encyclopaedia Gothica What to ield their Heroes can be used in a “steamroller” tactic
alongside Navy ships. A couple of Orca squadrons
As long as the point total is the same for both would make a very ine, and cheap, addition to
factions, the leets forming the opposing teams Space Marine leets due to their appalling lack of
don’t have to be equally sized. In a 3,000 point lances, while Space Marine escorts are fast and
game, if Team A comes with two 1,500 point Navy shooty enough to deal with anything that gets
lists, while their opponents ield a 2,000 point close to the Explorers; on the contrary, Defenders
Chaos leet and a 1,000 point Dark Eldar one, it’s become rather redundant if your team mate can
not much of a problem really. ield Cobras or Hunters, so see less of those. Space
he real decision comes next: do you both pick the Marines can focus on Battle Barges and escorts in
same leet or choose 2 diferent forces to face the such a game, since someone else will be forming a
enemy, provided the igures are available? Each better cruiser line with his ships than with Strike
choice has its upsides and downsides. Cruisers. I’m not too fond of Adeptus Mechanicus
ships, but an Ark accompanied by TWO Battle
If you go for a “single leet” approach, your tactics Barges would be an impressive sight. If your
will be very similar and most of your vessels will opponents aren’t playing Eldar, that is. Be careful
work together to win the game. What’s more, if you if you take an Admech leet as an ally, for you’re
can’t take everything you want you can ask your going to be outnumbered against almost any other
team mate to do so. An Armageddon and Gothic foe.
leet alliance is a perfect example of cooperation:
the Armageddon leet brings in multiple Mars Forces of Disorder
battlecruisers, the Gothic leet has the Swords and
Dauntlesses to deal with faster opponents. Finding a suitable reason to justify a Tyranid/
whatever alliance has always been terminally
If you go for the “two leets” approach, you have Forces of Order diicult in any game. BFG is no diferent. he wisest
to be more careful. One might think taking Dark thing that has come to my mind so far is “your
Eldar allies for a Tau leet (pah! hese Kor’Os must As far as I’m concerned you may well want to ield admiral tries to take advantage of the destruction
be gullible guys indeed!) is a really good bet for their Tyranids with Space Marines, but for the purposes caused by the coming of a hive leet”. If you can
extra speed… then as soon as the battle commences, of this article I’ll stick to the more conventional cope with that, you’ll ind that siding with Tyranids
the nasty pointy ears are already hurtling towards (and likely) alliances. is a very clever move. You just have to make sure
the enemy line, facing a leet twice their size, while your opponent takes a couple of Ld improvements/
the Explorers and Merchants slowly crawl across Space Marine, Adeptus Mechanicus, Tau (don’t lay re-rolls to avoid having the Special Order phase
the table. It is essential, then, that players ielding me for having put them in the Order list, please!) gobbled up (literally!) by his Instinctive Orders
forces from diferent lists think very carefully of and Navy leets really work well in a joint operation. checks. Apart from that, Tyranid ships are very
what their respective weak spots are and what the heir speed values are rather similar, ranging from scary, hard to kill and you can rest assured they
other leet can do to help them. For instance, Ork 20 to 25 for most vessels, and they fulil diferent won’t disengage when the going gets tough, leaving
carriers are very poor, while Chaos Devastations tactical roles. he Navy provides the team with you high and dry.
are among the best carriers there are, so if the Nova cannon-armed ships, cheap escorts, strong With Necrons it’s quite the opposite. heir ships
Chaos player went ordnance-heavy the Ork one cruiser squadrons and lots of torpedo markers. are just as scary, hard enough to kill for my liking,
could do without it altogether. he Tau give impressive ordnance coverage and but for unknown reasons almost every Necron
Encyclopaedia Gothica their allies engage the enemy battle line. An ideal
candidate for the allied leet could be either a long-
ranged (with lots of Devastations and Carnages)
or a fast-as-hell (with at least 3 Slaughters) Chaos
leet.

In a multi-player game, Orks can consider dropping

the Hulk and go for a “swarm” approach. If they
don’t want to (and who can blame them?), the Hulk
will be positively ignored since the opposing faction
will surely ind another worthier, and easier, target.
An interesting tactic for the Hulk would be making
it hold an entire lank by itself. he enemy will be
both wary of getting close to it and reluctant to
waste ire on it, so it will roam unchecked, pouring
a stream of ordnance and harassing the enemy
with long-range ire.

Self-preservation and Eldar Admirals

As most seasoned players will know, it’s very hard

to enjoy a game against Eldar, even when you
win. heir tactics rely on staying out of range, out
of sight, or preferably both, of enemy ships, then
pouncing, scoring as many Victory Points as they
need to win the game, and slinking out of sight
once more.

player I’ve faced was so paranoid about losing a or Tyranid cruisers is virtually indestructible and While it is true that Eldar, being capricious and
vessel that he’d lee the ield as soon as I was about can provide both these leets with an unhealthy self-serving, make for excellent allies for any leet
to score some serious damage, even if that meant (for your opponent) amount of lances. he humble in the game luf-wise (apart from Necrons), it
drawing the game when he was winning. his Dirges can slip past the enemy line and deliver a goes without saying that no Admiral/Warmaster/
temperamental attitude can make them even less crippling blow to any carrier, such as Explorers and Hive mind/whatever who has decided to throw his
reliable than the pointy-eared gits (more about Emperors, reducing the disadvantage of having an lot in with them is likely to be thankful for such
them later). If your team mate doesn’t linch in the ordnance-less ally. he opportunities with Necrons a behaviour. Sure, even the most coward Eldar
face of ire, however, you have an unmatched ace up are truly endless. Prince will make his leet’s weight felt during the
your sleeve. Scythes are fast enough to keep pace Shooting phase, hordes of pulsar lances being one
of Slaughters or Dark Eldar Tortures, and a mixed As is the case with Space Marines, Dark Eldar work of the few things that scare 6+ armour battleships
group of those will be able to wreak havoc upon better with an allied force than on their own, since and re-rollable torpedoes being both deadly and
almost everything. A Tombship screened by Ork they can actually make opportunity attacks while plentiful. However, when the time of retribution
Encyclopaedia Gothica comes, chances are only the other player will be
targeted. What’s more, no coordinated attack is
ever possible with Eldar allies, as they don’t like
to follow predictable courses. his means that the
other player has to commit his ships on their own,
then hope the Eldar player joins in when the irst
strike has been delivered.

In a nutshell, Eldar and Cratworld Eldar are very

powerful allies on paper. However, due to their
utter lack of resilience and willingness to engage the
enemy in a prolonged attack, any team including
them will conduct two “parallel wars” rather than
a concerted engagement.

Putting my mouth where the money is…

… I arranged a multi-player game with a few friends

of mine, using these guidelines for a 3,000 point
Fleet Engagement. My Space Marine leet would
side with the Navy against the overwhelming
forces of Ork and Chaos ships.

And overwhelming they were indeed! hey went

for an escort-heavy approach, taking 34 assorted
escorts between them, 6 Chaos cruisers and a
mighty Space Hulk. Unfortunately for them, they
2 Devastations together to make the most of the enemy lines and had personally threatened the
made really lousy Ld rolls, something that was
his Warmaster’s Ld value, heedless of the Nova other player to prevent it! Both players preferred
bound to have dire consequences in the game.
Cannon barrage he was going to face. What’s not to launch ordnance.
more, he placed his 4 Slaughters on the let lank During our turn, I manoeuvred my Gladius
he forces of Mankind were more than ready to face
trying to brush aside the –very- limsy opposition squadrons on the let lank, hoping to get a clear
them, though. With 2 Battle Barges and an Emperor
we could mount there (a Dauntless, 2 Hunters and run at one of the Slaughters, while the battleship
battleship spearheading the attack, backed up by as
5 Gladiuses) and then slip past our line. However, trio made a slow but steady push towards the table
many irepower-heavy and torpedo-armed escorts
the pesky light cruiser would become a nut too centre. Our ire was less than impressive, however.
we could aford, and with a strong trio of Nova
hard to crack! Most hits on the Ork escort shoals were saved
Cannon armed ships, our joint forces were ready
by BFI rolls; the Devastations were thoroughly
to meet the incoming tide.
he opening moves of our opponents, much to our suppressed with Nova cannon ire, although no
surprise, featured a very slow advance of the whole actual damage was caused.
During the Deployment phase the Chaos player
leet. he Ork player had foreseen the risk of being
made 2 critical mistakes. He squadroned his
let behind by the Slaughters’ blind charge towards In the ensuing turn, everything went rather well
Encyclopaedia Gothica for our opponents. Not only did my lagship sufer
5 hits from the Hulk and braced Ramships, but our
Dauntless. he Navy player wanted to Brace for
Impact, but I convinced him not to because the
he game itself was great fun and everything went
well. Despite having on the table 4 leets instead
return ire was even worse. I managed to inlict only possible explosion would have seriously damaged of 2, it wasn’t as lengthy as one would imagine:
2 damage points on a Slaughter with 20 battery dice the tightly packed Chaos ships. He followed my, less than 3h 30’ for a 3,000 point game! Having 2
from my escorts, and my ally’s 5 locking on Swords erm, advice, but the cruiser was just reduced to players per side really smoothens things up when
weren’t able to wipe out a 3-strong, closing Inidel a burning wreck. Still, the charging Slaughter you’re playing with such large leets.
squadron. His Cobra squadron also had to lee the sufered two damage points in the process. Result!
ield, having been pounded by enemy ire, but at Having survived the enemy turn without a scratch Conclusion
least the Devastations were kept braced and unable (apart from the Dauntless, that is!), our forces
to reload ordnance. proceeded to mop up the under-strength escort Multi-player matches make for very enjoyable
squadrons. he persistent lack of ighters made games. hey have a lot of tactical possibilities to
By the start of turn 3 the Chaos player couldn’t it very diicult for our opponents to prevent our explore for the competitive player and provide an
control his “need for speed” anymore and sent his assault-boats from netting those Victory Points. excellent break from 1-on-1 gaming routine for the
cruisers at top speed towards the helpless Dauntless A Nova Cannon shell badly missed and instantly “easy” player. Enjoy!
and 5-strong Gladius squadron. Fortunately for vaporised an Onslaught escort, which was a few diferences in ship designs will now be magniied,
us, when the smoke cleared, the Dauntless still inches away from my own ships! enhancing playability. he local hobby group was
had 2 damage points let and I had only lost 1 re-invigorated to play BattleFleet Gothic, which
escort. hings looked pretty bleak for the Ork/ During turn 5 the remaining Ramships made a was my goal.
Chaos alliance, as the Hulk had failed to Reload desperate prow-on attack against a Dominator Enjoy!
Ordnance and there was nothing stopping our cruiser, which not only sufered just a couple of
A-boat horde from slaughtering the Savage and hits, but also destroyed
Ramship squadrons. 5 escorts were downed by an escort in return! he
ordnance alone. Hulk let loose again, its
torpedoes destroying
Our turn proved to be rather more signiicant. an escort squadron and
hanks to a lucky critical roll, the combined eforts inlicting 3 damage points
of a Battle Barge and a Mars class battlecruiser on the Emperor, but it
brought the Chaos lagship down, earning much was already too late. My
needed Victory Points. On the other side of two Battle Barges were
the battleield, the Swords that had survived a ready to sink the second
devastating torpedo run launched by enemy Devastation and before
destroyers wiped out the Inidel squadron in the start of turn 6, our
revenge for their fallen comrades. opponents surrendered.
Victory to the Loyalist
Luck deserted the Ork player once more, as the forces, but the Orks will
Hulk failed to Lock On. his severely impaired its come back – ater having
shooting prowess, which was beginning to show suitably chastised the
through now that it had targets on all sides. Before Chaos Warmaster, that
that, however, one of the Slaughters performed a is…
disastrous ramming attempt against the crippled
 Escape Manoeuvre One
TACTICAL COMMAND
By Reg Steiner

Introduction 2. Roll 6D6. Added up equals the movement in escape maneuver any time other than gravest
During our campaign games, we found ourselves centimeters, with the provisions below. need, would discover that not only is the order
to be less than happy with the disengagement rules, 3. Straight line movement only. Collision with not carried out, but that he’ll be hanged by the
as written. ships is not possible for ramming attacks. crew! Once attempted successfully, no matter the
Normally, when a ship is in a bad way, crippled or 4. Full movement rolled must be moved. Collisions distance moved, that’s it.
worse, that same vessel is surrounded by enemies. with asteroids, ordinance, mines, etc. are still
Shutting down all systems and attempting to drit resolved using the base rules. Game Implementation
out of harm’s way sounds okay, but too oten all 5. No weapons or ordinance may be ired in the If starting a new campaign, and not letting any
those other enemy ships so close just weren’t fooled! next turn. player start with this ability, then let players
I came up with an emergency maneuver to help 6. Normal movement and special orders are still retroit ships. he retroit installs the one-use
fellows get their capital ships home. We started possible on the next turn. thruster packs that supplement main engines, as
with just the Imperium having this modiication 7. In practice, ship captains have discovered well as needed wiring, etc. he retroit adds 10
available, but even with this house rule, enemies potential problems! Battle damage, etc. can points to the cost of any ship. Capitol ships only
still captured ships so equipped. Well, the secret interfere! have this ability. he retroit also requires the ship
was a secret no more. So any race can now have A. Movement total of 10cm or less = Malfunction! be “Withdrawn” as if for repairs at a base outside
this ability, at the cost stated below. To recover from this malfunction, and make the campaign’s parameters. he ship will return
Suggestion: If you want to incorporate this rule into normal movement (No special orders possible!) on the next campaign turn. Multiple ships can be
your own campaign games, try starting out with the in the upcoming turn, another command check withdrawn in this manner, but this decision must
Imperial Navy vessels only having this ability. Let must be passed. No turns possible. (Not even be made prior to the next battle, perhaps leaving
the other race(s), and even Chaos forces learn of it a Reaction roll - if using simultaneous move one in a position of disadvantage! If ships start
the hard way. By capturing Imperial vessels. hen rules.) Failure = 10cm move only next turn. with this ability, it still adds 10 points to the cost
the secret is out. B. Movement total of 11cm to 20cm = “Captain! of each vessel.
All engine power was not rerouted in time!”
Special Order: Escape Maneuver One! Another Command Check must be passed.
Successful roll = normal move/turn possible,
his special, Special Order is only attempted in the next turn. Failure = Straight move up to ship’s
End Phase of a turn. maximum only, no turns.
C. Movement total of 21cm to 36cm = Complete
1. Attempt a ‘Command Check’ using ship’s base success! No restriction to move/Special Orders
Leadership. A re-roll can only be attempted if the on next turn!
ship is the one with the Admiral (or other race’s 8. his is a one-time-only maneuver. (Once per
equivalent). No time to ask permission! game.) Any ship captain that tries to order this
 Legion of the Damned
By Zelnik

Ships discovered driting

in the rings of Syrix IV
by Rogue Trader Simon
hule. When he returned
to salvage the vessels they
Showcase

had dissapeared.

Anomalous hulk discovered by Cobra squadron 634301-1 (a.k.a. Bulwark Squadron),

on deep recon in the Persephone system. Scans showed no life signs, when they
closed to investigate, the ship disappeared of their scopes. Scans identiied the
vessel as a space marine battle barge, but the unusual chains (each link the size of a
bomber strike crat), that hung from the hull. Suspected chaos inluence?

Ghostly vessels descovered hiding in an asteroid belt, shortly before they entered
a nearby battle against the forces of chaos. Image taken by damaged strike
crat before the pilots death.
 GothiComp 2008 - Grand Final
Hosted at www.tacticalwargames.net
Showcase

GothiComp 2008 - Grand Final

Here is the link to the voting thread:

http://www.tacticalwargames.net/forums/index.
cgi?act=ST;f=38;t=13533

he inalist are:

Top let: Eldritch Storm - Canucks Fan

Down right: Eldritch Path - Giullio DDM
Top middle: Invictus - Canucks Fan
Top right: Sunderer of Souls - Zhai Morenn
Down right: Retribution - Vaaish

Voting started at september 15th and will end at

september 30th at 4 p.m. UK time.
Make your vote count.
 High Anchor - part two
By Richard Swan
Officer’s Mess

SIX Mulbern stopped just short of the man, out of breath, with a fresh sheen of
perspiration marking his brow.

Mulbern decided to run down the arrow-straight corridors of the command “Admiral wants you on the bridge, ASAP,” he breathed.
centre, away from the bridge and out towards the elevators that would take him
to the barracks decks and garrisons. hough slightly scared, he couldn’t help but “hat’s just where I was heading, First Oicer Mulbern,” Grechte replied, and
feel a thrill of excitement that he would be leading the men into ight whatever with a warm smile, turned on his heel and strode towards the command centre.
ilth they found in the power core – and pride that the Fleet Admiral had chosen
him to do it, above everyone else. ***

A brief acceleration alarm warbled into life for a few seconds, before dying down An unnerving silence had descended over the Divine Glory. Unnerving because,
again. Mulbern ignored it, making sure his footing was good as the G increased only minutes before, the command centre had been illed with the snarling and
slightly. snorting of a rampant spawn.

His boot heels clunked loudly against the metal grilling of the cramped, gothic Now it had stopped, Fulden didn’t know what to do.
corridors, attracting the attention of various command personnel – Guard
Generals and crewmen in the planning chambers surrounding the bridge – as He didn’t exactly know what a Chaos spawn was – and thus what it was capable
he continued on his way. he prospect of iring a weapon again sent surges of of. He didn’t know if it could trick him into thinking that it wasn’t there, or if
adrenaline through his veins. it had some kind of teleportation abilities, or had turned invisible – not that it
mattered when he was blind. But the simple fact was, the Captain had gone from
He was just reaching the end of the command centre and entering into the oicer’s being insanely frightened and knowing that the spawn was charging towards the
quarters, when Grechte appeared outside a latrine chamber. bridge with all the speed and fury it could muster, to being insanely frightened
and not knowing where the spawn was. And he felt a whole lot worse as a result.
“Grechte!” Mulbern called. he Equerry turned to face the First Oicer, and to
say Mulbern was startled would have been an understatement. he aide de camp he vox headset crackled into life, and with all the courage he could muster,
was immaculately turned out, his midnight blue tunic and jacket straight and he scrabbled for the controls to try and clean the signal up. He was therefore
clean, his cream breeches pressed, and his boots polished to a mirror shine. His surprised when the broadcast came in loud and clear.
dark hair was slicked back, his Navy-style goatee trimmed and perfect.
“Fulden, this is Grant. My SVO tells me you haven’t said anything in a while. If
He casually tipped a white glove to his forehead on the First Oicer’s approach, you can hear this, then you are on approach in excess of one thousand, that’s one-
who now felt decidedly self-conscious about his appearance. zero-zero-zero, knots. We’re coming to board, but you need to stop. We only have
one shot at this. If you do not slow down, I cannot come back for another turn, I
 must look to the enemy attack. Please acknowledge.”
A holoscreen informed him that the power level had risen from 89% to 100%, and
Fulden felt his heart race at the sound of the Fleet Admiral’s voice, and unglued he cancelled it, satisied. Mulbern hadn’t been gone long enough for it to have been
his lips to respond, but found he couldn’t. Still absolutely terriied by the spawn his doing – Grant doubted that the First Oicer had even reached the barracks
and traumatized almost beyond repair, the Captain found that he had been struck deck yet. But it was a relief, at least. He knew it had been vermin all along, not a
dumb out of sheer fright. As desperately as he tried to shout back across the vox, spawn. He would have felt it if there was a spawn on his ship. He still wanted to
his larynx stubbornly remained unmoving. talk to Grechte – his uncanny link with the power was still to coincidental to be
let un-investigated. But he suspected nothing would come of it.
Officer’s Mess

“Fulden, please acknowledge,” came Grant’s voice again.

He turned his attention back to the link to the Glory.
Fulden began to experience a sensation not unlike drowning. He tried to shout
again, but his throat was sealed. Only in dreams did such things happen. “Please acknowledge,” he said once more, unenthusiastically, for what would be
the last time.
It was then he realised he was sufocating.
He sighed loudly as the link faded for a second, illing with some kind of buzzing
“Fulden, acknowledge son, or we’re heading back,” Grant’s voice came a little static he wasn’t familiar with. When it resumed, he could hear heavy breathing
more frantically. Soon he would think he was dead. If he didn’t already. ill the link.

Fulden began to clutch at his throat, feeling his epiglottis locked over his windpipe. “Fulden? Is that you?” he asked suddenly, feeling his heart leap.
he seizure racked his body with pain, and he felt warm blood streaming from
his tear ducts and ears. “Yes Fleet Admiral,” the Captain replied in a perfectly calm voice, “stopping as
ordered. Have you my bearing?”
Khorne.
“What? Oh, y-yes, yes I have,” Grant replied, uncomfortably lummoxed. he
Fulden wheeled around, gasping for air. He could feel his skin bulging under his voice was so calm for a second he thought someone else had come on the link.
tunic. Buzzing once again illed the air, rising in volume. He tried to scream. He “Fulden…is everything alright? Are you alright?” he asked cautiously.
tried to weep. But there was nothing.
“Of course I am sir. Slowing down now sir. Estimated stopping distance at four
Only Chaos. hundred kilometres.”

SEVEN “Get on it,” Grant shouted into the amphitheatre. Another chorus of ‘aye’s
answered him, and he felt the Titan Imperial slow down to docking speed.

he bridge of the Titan Imperial had long since fallen silent at the prospect of “Hold in there Fulden. We’re coming for you,” Grant said, wishing the Captain
boarding a tainted ship, and Grant almost relished in the relative quiet. he fact would sound frightened again.
that Fulden wasn’t responding to the Fleet Admiral’s hails seemed to be having
a positive efect on them, however, which he noted with some disgust. He and “I know you are, sir,” Fulden replied, not entirely reassuringly. “I know.”
Fulden hadn’t always seen eye to eye, but he was not about to abandon any
Imperial Captain to such a horribly gristly fate on principle, no matter who they ***
were.
 By the time Mulbern reached the barracks deck, he was thoroughly out of breath. “Mulbern!” he shouted back, and as the First Oicer reached him they briely
He came to a clumsy stop outside the bulkhead, which had been daubed in embraced. “What in the name of the hrone are you doing here?” he asked
various army obscenities, and held up his signet ring to the passcode slate. he incredulously.
greasy doors slid aside into their magnetic alcoves, and he walked into the wide,
arched corridor that ran down a full two kilometres of the ship, each wall lined “I need you,” Mulbern replied, “three squads, possible trouble in the power core.
with hundreds of billets. You up for a bit of action? I have clearance from the Fleet Admiral himself.”

he deck was in chaos. Battle stations had meant every soldier and naval armsman “Emperor yes,” Grippen breathed, “I’m getting so sick of this place. What kind
Officer’s Mess

had made ready for counter-boarding actions, and it mean a lot of screaming by of trouble?”
NCOs, a lot of shouting by troopers, and a lot of swearing on both sides.
Mulbern hesitated, “look, I’ll tell you on the way. Just get three squads together,
Luckily, however, because the Guardsmen had already been on QRA for planetfall, and I’ll meet you at the bulkhead.”
they were all already armed to the teeth. All Mulbern had to do was pick three
squads, and he would be set. “Aye aye, sir!” the Sergeant replied, grinning, as Mulbern moved of through the
crowds again. His memory served him well, and he soon reached the armoury
But it was proving more diicult than he had originally anticipated. As he waded – little more than a square hole in the wall preceded by a shelf. He got a lot of
through the grizzled crowds of Imperial Guard, he found himself attracting a angry looks as he pushed to the front of the queue, explaining that he was very
lot of unwanted attention – most directed at his apparent cowardice and ‘fancy high priority; but luckily no-one was stupid enough to start a ight.
uniform’, and all of the comments interspersed with generous amounts of
expletives. He reached the stand, and confronted the quartermaster.

“Sergeant!” he shouted to a nearby Guardsman, “Can I have a word with you “I need the most lethal shipside weapon you have,” he said in one dramatic
please?” exhalation.

He didn’t quite catch the man’s reply, but he was sure it wasn’t ‘yes, of course First he quartermaster squinted at him. He was a fat man, wearing a simple grey
Oicer’. smock covered with gun grease, and a cigar poking out his thick lips.

He pressed on, heading for the armoury whilst now trying to ind any naval “On ‘oo’s aufori’ee?” he asked.
armsmen. hey would be ininitely more helpful than Imperial Guard, having
also to live on a ship and therefore not partial to the same prejudices as the Mulbern was slightly taken aback for a second by the man’s appalling diction.
troopers.
“he Fleet Admiral himself,” he said conidently, almost feeling the jealousy
He caught the glimmer of a man in grey form-moulded body armour, and behind him. he quartermaster squinted at his profered identity card, and
instantly made for him. He smiled as he recognised the man – Sergeant Grippen, bustled away to some dingy corner of the armoury. He returned a few seconds
of the battlegroup’s 6th naval armsman company. later with a bulky carbine of some sort, looking like a stripped-down heavy bolter
but with a wooden inish. he man slapped a few boxes onto the shelf as well.
“Grippen!” he shouted. he man turned towards him; grubby, tired and unshorn,
he looked positively haggard. But when he saw Mulbern, his face brightened “Medium-range stubbah, subsonic ammo,” he said. “I ‘ope what yer shootin’ at
noticably. is big,”
 “I don’t,” Mulbern replied, shouldering the deceptively heavy weapon. spawn was enough to frighten anybody. But the sudden change in his demeanour
meant something more, of that he was sure. Fulden had made no mention of the
He let the armoury shelf, thrusting the ammo boxes into a canvas satchel, and spawn when his temperament had reversed. In his calm – almost lucid – state, it
once again pushed his way through the jostling crowd of milling Guard. He was as if nothing had happened.
reached the bulkhead to see that Grippen had indeed assembled three squads of
naval armsmen – something which he was visibly glad about. He couldn’t deal here were only two possible explanations the Fleet Admiral could think of:
with any more snide Guard comments at the moment. either the spawn was gone, and Fulden was a very adaptable character; or the
spawn was in Fulden.
Officer’s Mess

he men Grippen had picked seemed a good bunch – most were noticeably
strong, with the traditional buzz haircuts of the naval counter-boarding wing. he irst scenario, he supposed, was viable, but it did mean that if the spawn
hey carried an array of subsonic ammunition-wielding weapons, to prevent had just up and vanished, Fulden had not only overcome the whole ordeal,
someone putting a hole in the hull and collapsing an entire compartment through but overcome it in a spectacular fashion. It didn’t make enough sense, and he
explosive decompression, and the standard grey body armour naval armsmen. dismissed it quickly.

“So, you gonna ill us in?” Grippen grinned. he second scenario seemed equally unlikely. Grant had never heard of a spawn
possessing someone – as far as his knowledge reached, a spawn was simply a
“I said I’d tell you on the way,” Mulbern replied, and punched the door release pure manifestation of Warp energy, channelled into Chaos Champions who, for
catch. some God-Emperor unknown reason, seemed to think it was a good thing. A
physical being could not have possessed his Captain. Besides, the only thing it
“hat good huh?” would explain was Fulden’s change of mood. He was pretty damn sure a spawn
didn’t know how to pilot an Imperial cruiser.
Mulbern laughed out loud, though why, he didn’t know.
hus, the second scenario was abandoned.
“Just be prepared for the worst,” he said, waiting for the doors to open once
again. He would have asked Mulbern were he there, but Grant was tiring of his First
Oicer’s suspicions of sorcery – the main reason why he had had him personally
Behind him, the band of armsmen exchanged nervous glances, before donning dispatched to oversee the mission to the vermin in the power core. His assumptions
their helmets and following him into the dark corridors of the deck. of Chaos magicks working themselves into his equerry had unsettled his crew,
and the man deserved to be berated for that. But his absence would do for now.
*** He quietly terminated the personal vox link to his First Oicer, to give him some
peace. heir indings of the state of the power core would have to wait until the
Grant felt the ship slow down as if he himself was slackening the pace ater a long party got back.
run. he massive hulks of the two mighty cruisers slowly approached each other
– a manoeuvre one might make to come to broadside – and the irony of their Which, hopefully, would have been illed with a productive interview of his aide
situation was not lost on him. de camp.

He wondered if the irony was lost on Fulden. “Two kilometres until docking,” his Senior Auspex Oicer shouted. “One
kilometre. Target vessel is stationary and locked down.”
he man had gone from being completely insane with fear, to completely calm,
in a matter of minutes. He could forgive the Captain’s fear – alone with a Chaos “Good,” Grant said, “Vox? Inform the garrison, port side.”
 Behind the Sergeant, the eighteen armsmen made the sign of the Aquilla and
“Sir?” clutched Imperial rosary beads, reciting various prayers and litanies. hey looked
absolutely petriied.
“Inform the arms garrison that we will be docking port side,” he snapped again
irritably. “On this ship?” Grippen continued.

“It’s only –” “Look, we don’t know, it’s just an investigation. Fleet Admiral thinks it’s just
vermin.”
Officer’s Mess

“I’m not taking any chances dammit!” Grant bellowed, nowhere near as angry as
he thought he should be. He decided the next man to defy him would be shot. “Vermin don’t leak…Warp energies,” the Sergeant said in an almost comically
low voice, now particularly frightened. “Only Warp energies have the power to
“Aye aye, sir. Very good sir,” replied his SVO. shut down a power core. We’ve all heard the stories.”

In front of him, the proud grey hull of the Glory grew on the holoscreen. “It could have been a blown power coupling…” Mulbern said helplessly. He wasn’t
even convincing himself anymore. “You know how the rats chew through them
Soon, he thought. I will destroy you. all the time?”

EIGHT “Enough to shut down 60% of a Mars-class cruiser’s power?” Grippen laughed
bitterly.

he freight elevator to the power core level was an old, corroded machine that “Look, what do you think the Guard do when they ind them planetside? hey
had no business on a working Mars-class cruiser, squealing down the shat ight them. hey kill them! hey aren’t invincible. All we’ve got to do is shoot
in an unbearable cacophony of metallic, rusty shrieks. It clanked and rocked it!”
as it descended the decks, so loudly it almost drowned out what Grippen was
shouting. Grippen snorted, his chest heaving upwards with the motion.

Almost. “You be my guest!”

He gripped the guard rail next to him, turning to address the First Oicer in a
Mulbern wanted to crawl up into a ball and block his ears. But he knew if he had manner that only foreshadowed imminent matter-of-fact statements.
told the Sergeant what he and his men would potentially be up against before,
they wouldn’t even have come this far. And he knew that the elevator opened “We aren’t Guard, Mulbern,” he said dangerously, “We’re armsmen. We garrison
directly into the power core. At least once they reached the bottom, they wouldn’t ships, playing bloody cards!’
have a choice but to investigate. here was a pause, and Mulbern was about to speak when Grippen cut him of
again.
“A Chaos spawn?” the man shouted incredulously. “A CHAOS, SPAWN!” “Any anyway, this is a damned lagship! We counter enemy boarders once a year
– if we’re lucky! Do you think anyone has made a serious enough dent in the side
“Maybe,” Mulbern replied, holding his hands out palms irst – the way one of the Imperial to ever warrant a –”
does when backing away from a large ugly man wielding a knife. “It hasn’t been
conirmed.” “Sergeant, SHUT UP!” Mulbern suddenly interjected, sick of the armsman’s
whining and almost tempted to backhand him across the face. “If there is a Chaos
 spawn on this ship, then by the God Emperor we shall ind it and kill it, or so help
me I’ll report you to the Commissars faster than you can say insubordination! Grechte rounded the corner of the bulkhead, and strode silently on towards the
Are we clear, Grippen? Enough of your complaining!” bridge.

he elevator screeched and ground to a halt, the long line of runes ribbing the ***
doorway blank excluding one glowing red icon.
“he garrison has been informed, sir,” his SVO said quietly. “Port side, as
hey had reached the power core level. ordered.”
Officer’s Mess

“Alright everybody, concentrate,” Mulbern said, not in the strong voice he hoped “Docking position reached.”
it would be. “We’ll be ine.”
“Engines locked down.”
he Emperor only knew how he had been excited by the prospect of this
mission. “Shields at defence level ive.”

he elevator doors slid open. “Port side batteries online and loaded.”

*** Grant sat in silence, only half listening to the information being shouted at him
from all directions. Of course he already knew all of these things. He knew the
It wasn’t long now. He could feel the power inside him; hear their voices in his Titan Imperial like an extension of his own body – which, in essence, it was.
head. hey tempted him with promises of riches and glory beyond his wildest
dreams. hey showed him images of the Lords of Terra paying him homage, He stared at the external sensor pict images broadcasting directly onto the
of beautiful exotic women, unclothed and beckoning him, images of hoards of holoscreens in front of him. he long, crenelated hull of the Divine Glory illed
riches, precious stones, of sumptuous feasts, of great halls and palaces. All this more that three of them, and still extended beyond the reaches of the picters.
they could promise him, and more. Docking umbilici waited inside the Imperial, their potential energy like adrenaline
in his stomach.
His head throbbed with pain, but it was a good pain. he buzzing in his ears had
turned into sweet melodies. he mess in his breeches had gone, and his uniform Dare he board? He had never been so unsure of something in his long, long
was immaculate. life. Every second it took him to think, he knew it was costing the lives of the
thousands of crewman under his command currently engaging the Chaos leet
He was conident, swarthy, astute and powerful. He was a better man than the without him. But there was a feeling he just couldn’t shake. A dark foreboding,
Fleet Admiral. hey told him so. and ominous feeling that deeply unsettled him. If there was a Chaos spawn in the
ship, it would be easy enough to destroy. But if Fulden had been tainted – or even
And he believed them. worse, possessed – what then would he do? Kill him? And how would he know
he even was? His perceptive faculties had abandoned him. Now they were this
It wasn’t long now. He could feel the energy of another Anointed nearby – not close to a tainted ship, he suddenly wasn’t so sure it was just vermin in the power
on this ship, but on another, close to them. he other could sense him also. hey core. And hadn’t Fulden mentioned something about his First Oicer assaulting
could feel each other, taste each other’s blood, smell their sickly-sweet odours of him? Had his First Oicer also been possessed and tried to kill him? Because of
pride and arrogance. hey shared visions of sweet corruption, of decadence and the Warp energies in his power core? By boarding the ship, he would virtually be
debauchery. hey would become one, soon. When they were closer. inviting the danger in.
 he core.
He tried to reopen the direct vox link to Mulbern, but found a temporary
electronics disruption prevented him. It was simply breathtaking to behold. In the dead centre of the dome, the cables
and piping from the uncountable plasma stats converged like the roots of a colossal
“Sir?” someone asked. He didn’t know who. He didn’t look up. “What are your electrostatic tree, and surged towards the ceiling. he ‘trunk’ exuded frightening
orders, sir?” amounts of energy – with bolts of electricity like miniature lightning storms
lashing across the aperture in the dome’s apex. It almost deied the imagination
Grant wasn’t about to admit he had no idea what to do. He needed to get control – yet it made sense how such a mighty ship, a Mars class battlecruiser, would
Officer’s Mess

of the situation and fast. need an equally astonishing power supply.

He thought for another ten seconds, weighing up the pros and cons of possible Mulbern was the irst through the elevator door, stubber prone. here was a
scenarios so quickly it would have taken a normal man many days to do the same. suspended walkway that led directly to the trunk – yet certain lapses in safety
Once he reached his decision, he knew he was going to have to see it through to had meant that no signs were visible to warn of the high energy death awaiting
the potentially bitter end. anyone who got within a hundred metres of it.

“Vox? Anything on the net?” he asked in a tired voice. He, along with the eighteen-strong party of armsmen behind him, began sweating
instantly. Hair stood absurdly on end as the static charge almost succeeded in
“Nothing sir. It’s deader than a corpse in there, sir.” polarising their bodies, and hearts palpitated. In the short time it took them to
accustom to the environment, electrostatic energies had completely invaded their
Another prolonged silence. bodies.

“Let’s move in,” he said, inally. hey walked on cautiously, weapon butts to shoulders, eyes on sights. Low energy
lasgun barrels swung round in short quick arcs. hey linched with every shower
In the cold gulf of space, the Imperial’s docking umbilici noiselessly slammed of sparks, with every crackle of power. By the time they reached the halfway point
into the side of the Glory. on the seven-hundred metre walkway, they were all torpid and thoroughly out of
breath.
NINE
“What now?” Grippen asked the First Oicer, beads of perspiration dripping of
his forehead. He was sweating so heavily it was dribbling through the gaps in his
he power core level was hot. Very, very hot. body armour.

he huge domed chamber was racked with hundreds, maybe even thousands of Mulbern turned around, his eyes frantic.
plasma powerstats, all glowing a fantastic cerulean in their dank metal alcoves.
Steam and heat distortion misted the air, vented from a million kilometres of “I don’t know,” he said, “everything looks ine here. I mean, I’m no expert on
piping, coolant ducts and couplings, and cables smothered and draped the ceiling what any of this stuf does…”
like a myriad of rainforest vines. Every second there was a crackle and shower of
sparks, as the hyper-ionised plasma gasses worked up such powerful electrostatic he others looked about, thoroughly perplexed. hey would need a legion of
charges they briely overshot their containment chambers – but the mighty core techpriests to tell them how it all worked. Mulbern hadn’t the faintest clue what
was long since used to dealing with such minor occurrences. it was supposed to look like.
 “Let’s keep looking,” Grippen said. “hen at least we can say that we didn’t see the others were out of earshot, spitting a wad of saliva into the tangle of pipes
anything and mean it.” surrounding the walkway like some kind of thicket. It sizzled and evaporated
quickly.
Mulbern thought for a second.
“What?” Grippen asked.
“here was something in the power core,” he said slowly, “deinitely. It came up
on the sensors. A power drain of some kind.” He brought an arm across his brow. “Yeah, all the crew’s missing. It’s just Captain Fulden let. Last I heard of him
“Which means there’s deinitely something still in here, because Grant hasn’t told he was stuck in the command centre with the damned thing, blind as a serval.
Officer’s Mess

me the power’s come back online yet.” Grant’s taken us in to investigate. Nasty business.”

“What do you mean?” Grippen asked, licking his lips. he Sergeant took little time to digest the news.

“hink about it. Grant’s got a direct vox link running,” he said, tapping the “Shouldn’t he just be destroying the ship?” he blurted. “If it’s tainted, he –”
comlink on his epaulette. “Don’t you think he would have said something if the
power had come back online? To save us wasting this efort?” “Er, Sergeant? Remember what we’re looking for?” Mulbern said, horriied that
the man hadn’t picked up on the obviousness of the predicament.
A series of thuds rang out through the ship, and it vibrated for a second. hey all
instinctively ducked. “Right. Of course,” Grippen replied, slightly embarrassed.

“What was that?” one of the troopers shouted. “It’s not one rule for one, another for another I’m afraid. At least this way he
might be able to save the Captain and then destroy the ship.”
Mulbern strained to hear, but the throbbing hum of the power core formed some
kind of pressure wall blocking his ears. “But what about this ship?” Grippen asked. “Has anyone been tainted here
then?”
“Dunno. Sounded like boarding tubes,” he said. “Grant said we’d be heading for
the Glory. Maybe they’ve found it.” “We don’t even know if there’s a spawn yet.” Mulbern replied, squinting into the
distance briely. “Admiral thinks it’s just vermin. But if it was a spawn, there’d be
“And we’re stuck down here,” Grippen said bitterly. Warp energies all over the place. Especially with interference in the power core. I
mean, everything’s dependent on the core.”
here was a pause.
“I suppose,” Grippen replied sullenly. “I mean the Fleet Admiral especially.”
“Spread out,” Mulbern said to the armsmen ater a while, “see what you can ind.
And for hrone’s sake don’t get too close to the core.” Mulbern froze, his skin breaking out uncomfortably in gooselesh despite the
heat.
hey obeyed, exchanging further nervous glances before moving of down the
walkway. Up ahead was an intersection, and the group split into three squads, “What...did…you say?” he asked slowly, rounding on the Sergeant. Grippen was
covering all the angles. Mulbern and Grippen watched them for a while, before slightly taken aback.
turning back to each other.
“Well, I mean…well, um, you were talking about Warp energies in the power
“here’s a spawn on the Glory as well,” the First Oicer said when he was sure core, and that because everything’s linked to it, they’d be susceptible to Chaos
 taint. All I was saying was that if the Admiral’s directly hardwired to the power, the Imperials as toying with them. Huge salvos of torpedoes lashed and lickered
if someone was tainted near him – or if he was tainted, it’d shut down the power. across the void, their potent plasma warheads exploding with muled crumps.
Amongst other things. Right?” Energy beams and lances arrowed through space, forming expanding circles
of white-hot energy as they punctured defences and melted great sections of
Mulbern stared at him, knowledge and understanding exploding through his hull into slag. Broadsides thumped, recoiled; hammered. Fantastical arrays of
neural strata like a sledgehammer. Of course, it all made such perfect, perfect munitions chattered through the void, blossoming into sprays of miniature blasts
sense. He should have seen it before. Dammit! How could he have been so blind! and lashes as they thumped into overloading void shields.
Officer’s Mess

“here’s nothing in here,” he said quietly, glancing back to the door. “here’s no Despite the overwhelming odds, Imperial attack pattern two, in traditional 701st
spawn in here.” He was sweating feverishly now, and it wasn’t the heat. He looked form, was determined to make a good account of itself. Using admirable skirmish
at Grippen. “Don’t you hear me? It’s not in here!” formation tactics and improvising long-successful attack protocols, they were
able to employ their only strength admirably: their size. hey were small as a
“W-what, it’s gone?” Grippen asked, a little too hopefully. formation, and thus manoeuvrable. Lightning pincers worked best on the medium
size Chaos cruisers – the ones slow enough to take two full broadsides without
“No you idiot!” he broke out into a jog, a run, and inally a sprint, his boots shiting fast enough, but small enough to not carry masses of batteries. Similarly,
thudding loudly on the not too stable walkway. “Get the men to the bridge, and hit and run on the larger cruisers worked equally excellently. he Archenemy
fast!” He yelled behind him. escorts could be simply engaged in a straight exchange, and held at bay extremely
comfortably – even rammed.
“Why?” Grippen called ater him, but Mulbern didn’t answer. He hadn’t even
heard properly. Blood was crashing about in his head, and adrenaline knotted his For the twenty-six minutes of remaining shield integrity the Imperials had,
stomach painfully hard. they had destroyed four Chaos escorts and two cruisers. Glowing hulks loated
seamlessly through the frozen wastes of space, leaking atmospheres, debris and
he spawn wasn’t in the power core. corpses into the void. he crenelated forms of the two-strong Imperial skirmish
formation soared and dived through the cross-grid of lethal ire, avoiding targeting
he spawn was in Grechte. beams, missile locks and the myriad of other volleys. Executing exhilarating
turns through the frictionless environment, using inertia to guide them round
*** in mind-bending three dimensional manoeuvres, they powered through Chaos
formations, unleashing salvos of high energy death and destruction in their
Imperial attack pattern one was, as both the Captains of the Steadfast and wake, ripping up great sections of enemy armour, decompressing bulkheads and
Varagar acknowledged, thoroughly doomed. Holding a shaky mid-to-low anchor overloading void shields.
over the planet, and with a combined shield integrity of less than 50%, even with
the imminent arrival of attack pattern two, there was simply no way they were But their success was not to last.
escaping the conlict with their lives.
As the two ships span around each other in attack protocol 91 – rising from
he mass of Chaos ships – iteen all told – had inally aligned into working attack the planet and towards the underside of the battle plain, the Wings of Varagar
formations. Cruisers doubled or tripled into gun lines, escorts in support, whilst was suddenly engulfed by a volley of purple-contrailed Chaos torpedoes. Usually
the False Emperor moved amongst them efortlessly, its obscene bulk gliding slow enough to penetrate void shields, the warheads sped greedily towards their
through the miniature gulfs between vessels. With attack pattern two still a target – wargear bioptics relaying their path directly back to Pustria’s sickly
comfortable eight thousand kilometres away, and the Titan Imperial over twenty yellow eyeballs.
thousand kilometres distant, Fleet Magister Pustria wasn’t so much prosecuting
 But the torpedoes did not pass through. Instead they slammed into the Varagar’s reasons.
shields, and spat out thousands of swirling balls of disease-ridden frag directly
into the cruiser’s voidspace. Unhindered by the vacuum of space, and the shields Firstly, the Imperial Guard had been on Quick Reaction Alert for planetfall,
themselves – designed not only to prevent enemy munitions but radiation, and were thus geared up and mentally prepared for combat. hough it had been
solar winds and particle migration – they tore straight into the observation argued by some that the naval armsmen were in a similar state, the Fleet Admiral
deck, puncturing three metre-thick bulkheads like they were paper. Crewmen had ignored them.
were ripped apart like rag dolls; layed and utterly liquidated, along with power
conduits, electrical piping, coolant piping, and thousands more vital arteries Secondly, they were better assaulters than the armsmen, and undoubtedly had
Officer’s Mess

necessary for maintaining the ship. hey lanced through the command centre, more ighting experience.
trailing with them explosively decompressed chunks of debris and meat. he
Captain’s skull was burst like a watermelon by a lump of polybonded carbon – And inally, Grant deemed them highly expendable. If they didn’t die on the
before the remainder of the bridge utterly dashed him to pieces as it was wrenched Glory, they would most likely die on Omicron Septimus. At least this way, he’d
out into space by the gaping hole in the port hull. still have his armsmen should he Imperial be boarded later.

In the night time sky of Omicron Septimus, the last seconds of the Varagar would hus, three hundred men, from two separate companies of Guard, lined up in ill-
have been mistaken for little more than another star. itting pressure suits in the docking tubes, nervously awaiting orders.

Yet to the Steadfast, its utter destruction couldn’t have been more damaging. At the head of one of these lines was Captain Greeves, a somewhat grizzled
Flares of expanding gas licked upwards from the blossoming supernova of veteran from the Corusdor V campaign – a three-year action that had seen him
exploding Imperial cruiser and sent the auspex haywire. Hundreds of lumps promoted twice, poisoned, shot on several occasions, and gassed. Decorated with
of hull swarmed the ship’s targeting consoles, blurring the obvious distinction the mandatory scarring of a lifetime soldier, the forty-one year old Guardsman
between Chaos munitions and hunks of wreckage. Its void shields were was a respected and competent leader, and had been the obvious choice to lead
bombarded, energy massing to exact counter-force where it was not needed, and the speartip into the ship.
sensor clusters simply shut down – most fried by the ionising plasma radiation
from the Varagar’s power core. Yet right now, he was shaking like a leaf in the wind.

Its last message was sent on the long range vox at 04:34 Imperial, and logged in he reason was simple enough. hrough his twenty-four years of service, he’d
the receiver on board the Titan Imperial a full two minutes later. never once – quite strangely – encountered the Archenemy. It was unusual, though
not unheard of. A protracted series of campaigns – the longest of which lasting
Spinning blind and out of control, the Steadfast was struck square on by the eleven years – towards the coreward lank of the galaxy, had kept him comfortably
False Emperor’s prow-mounted quad-power energy lance, and boiled away into out of the reach of the Eye of Terror and other Chaos hotspots. Tyranids, Eldar,
nothing. Orks – all of these he had faced and defeated – or at least retreated from.

But never once Chaos.

TEN
Of course, he’d heard of them. He’d heard the stories – the bleeding, the headaches,
the obscene symbols that defaced and degraded the Imperial creed and made
It had been quickly decided that the Imperial Guard should board the Divine grown men weep. He knew of the four gods that dwelt in the Warp. He’d heard of
Glory, and not the naval armsmen. hough conlict between the two ighting the manifestations of the Warp, the daemons, unspeakable horrors, the mutants,
wings was inevitable, the decision had been made for several very obvious heretics, cultists, spawns. He’d heard of their raids of innocent and defenceless
 cities, their massacres of civilians, their foul acts of ritual and blasphemy. to disabuse them. If anything, he wanted to be eager. But he was just illed with
dread, and a dark foreboding.
hough he had boasted encountering Chaos Marines as a lowly Corporal, ighting
of hoards of twisted cultists and mutants in desperate last stands; though he had He was nothing more than an impostor and a coward. A true Guardsman feared
said he’d seen the twisted and dark energies of the Warp and emerged a wiser nothing. He should have only to think of the Emperor’s Halls, the Great Feast
man, he had not. where merriment was eternal and tales were exchanged with His audience and
blessing, and his fear should melt away.
And now he thoroughly regretted all those stories. Because now the men looked
Officer’s Mess

to him for guidance. Many of them were young – and though experienced, had But it didn’t.
yet to face the horrors of the Warp.
“Keep your movements tight,” he whispered over the comlink, “and keep your
He felt a lump in his throat, as fear took hold. He wanted to cry. He gripped his eyes peeled. You never know what these Chaos bastards have in store.”
medium-power lasgun harder and harder, feeling his body tense up. In front of
him – less than three metres away – the pressure-suited adepts worked to clear Of course he didn’t know. He’d never fought them. But, pleased with his
through the melted lump of the Glory’s hull blocking the end of the docking encouragement – it did ater all, give the impression he wasn’t afraid – he raised
tube, where the heat exchangers had welded the umbilicus to the ship’s armour his lasgun prone, and trained it on the door.
plating.
he blockage was inally cleared with another slice of the energy-cutters, and a
hey were working too quickly. hey would have the blockage cleared in the thick, circular slab of metal thunked onto the loor of the docking tube.
next minute. And then it would be up to him to lead one hundred and ity
Guardsmen into the cramped conines of the Imperial cruiser, locate the bridge, “Let’s go! Go go go!” Greeves said, running headlong through the hatch.
secure Captain Fulden and any surviving crew members, and withdraw them to
the medicae level for extensive testing. ***

hey had been warned of taint. he Litany of Warding should prevent the Grant watched on the holoscreen in front of him as the boarding party of
infections of the Warp permeating their pressure suits. he priests had seen Guardsmen charged headlong into the Divine Glory, a nervous anticipation
to that. Should any man succumb, however, he, along with the Commissars gnawing at his stomach.
accompanying them, had been ordered to terminate with extreme prejudice.
“So it begins,” he whispered.
hey had also been briefed on the course of action to take when encountering
Chaos spawns – not spawn, spawns. hat had seen Greeves’ stomach turn “Sir!” his SVO shouted, “Message from the Steadfast, high priority.”
somersaults.
“Municipal, please,” Grant said. he link illed with solar static for a few seconds,
“Shoot them,” the CO had said, “shoot them long and hard. With medium- before the message began, hundreds of alarms sounding in the background and
powered lasguns, it’ll take longer than it would planetside. But with sustained almost drowning out what the speaker was saying.
ire, they’ll die like anything else.”
“his is Captain Ourne of the Steadfast, 04:43 standard Imperial time, seventh day,
Brilliant, Greeves had thought. two hundred and thirty-irst year, forty-irst millennium. Our sister ship, the Wings
of Varagar, is gone, Lord, and I fear we’re not much longer for this life. We’ve made
Some of the men had been eager. Eager to engage the Archenemy. He didn’t want as good an account of ourselves as I feel possible, true to the oaths we took on the
 founding of the 701st battleleet. It’s been an honour serving under you, sir…the His vision failed completely, and blood drooled from his nose. Hundreds of
Emperor pro-” warning graphics about his ship support powerstats and interface piping lickered
across his vision. Pain like no other crippled his let hand side.
he sound of frantic shouts and crackling blasts illed the link, before it
terminated. “Sir? I believe you wanted to see me?” asked a familiar voice.

“Message ends,” his SVO said quietly. “Whosaidthat?” Grant blurted.

Officer’s Mess

here was a pause whilst all eyes turned to the Fleet Admiral. He could feel them “It’s me, sir,” the voice said again, ininitely more malevolent.
watching him. Feel them doubt his command. hey should have gone to join “Grechte.”
attack pattern one, they all thought. hen the Steadfast and Varagar would not
have been destroyed. Instead they were out here, investigating a tainted ship ***
which would have to be destroyed anyway. heir unspoken blame and hate stung
him deeply. He felt himself lush red with embarrassment and anger. Mulbern was still sweating nervously, willing the elevator to speed up. It trundled
through the decks, ascending in typical ramshackle fashion, the runes lining the
“It is regrettable…” he began, but faltered. Did they dare mutiny against him? A side of the door documenting its progress from the bowels of the ship to the
Fleet Admiral of the Imperial Navy? A man who had dedicated entire centuries upper decks. here lay the command level, containing the higher-ranking oicer’s
of his life to its service? “hose that perish in the service of the Emperor are…” quarters - huge staterooms with luxurious dining halls, decorated with expensive
his words failed him again. What was wrong with him? His abilities of speech furniture and itted with exquisite bathrooms – and the command centre and
seemed to be abandoning him. His vision briely blurred, and was then restored. bridge, nearer to the observation deck and upper embarkation level. Only those
he holoscreens in front of his face wavered and crackled. He could hear a distant with the right clearance could make it into the command level, as allowed by
buzzing over the municipal address system. various biometric scanners implanted on all the elevators.

“Can…anybody else…hear that?” he slurred, a line of drool running of his “Come on, come on!” he shouted. Only rusty shrieks answered him.
bottom lip and onto his breastplate.
Followed by the complete cessation of movement - a power failure.
“Hear what, sir?” a crewman asked – though it was distant, and though being
said from a thousand kilometres away. He could hear his breath ragged in his “hrone,” Mulbern whispered. His microlink remained silent, alive only with
ears, and blood pulsed painfully in his arteries. static. “Dammit! Dammit dammit dammit!” he cried, each time kicking the
doors as hard as his foot would tolerate.
“What’s…happening…to…me?” he asked slightly more urgently, the buzzing
increasing in volume. He could hear the shouts and cries of his crewmen – some It wasn’t too late, he told himself. here was still time. He thought for a precious
inquiring as to his wellbeing, some uttering profanities as the ship lurched slightly few seconds. here had to be another way out of the lit. He looked around
to the side. His direct interface with the cruiser’s hardware was jumping on and desperately – there! he maintenance hatch!
oline, his spasming hand sending the vessel to starboard and port. hough the
docking tubes holding them to the Glory were lexible, there was only so much He crouched and leapt upwards with all his might, grasping hold of the two
punishment they could take. handles lanking the hatch that allowed access to the roof of the elevator. Years
of press-ups and crunches in his quarters had served him well, and he found that
“Power…failure!” he mumbled through his lethargy. with a few acrobatics, he could swing himself upwards with enough force to hook
his feet over the rim of the opening.
 He gasped with the efort, hauling himself up in his uncomfortable, sweat- “Well this is a tainted ship,” he hissed back over his armoured shoulder. His
drenched uniform, until his hand found the winch cables on the top of the brown-smudged, yellow ochre armoured shoulder. Perfect for the desert terrain
elevator, and he hoisted himself out of the cramped conines of the carriage and of Omicron Septimus. Decidedly useless for the drab grey interiors of a ship.
into the musty, stale air of the shat. Looking up, the long atrium stretched away
from him, dark and dank, with small lights marking the progression of decks. He had long since decided, as they covered the irst few kilometres of decking,
that he would conceal his utter cowardice with an absurd combination of bravado
“Emperor,” he breathed. It would take him an age to climb the ladder that ran the and generally being an arse. his involved getting angry at the most innocent of
Officer’s Mess

length of the shat. And even longer to climb the winch cables. questions to make it look like he’d heard them all countless times before – and
answered them; and running a lot, throwing caution to the wind.
Grasping the descent counterweight cable, and aiming the stubber, he ired of a
stream of clumsy rounds, loud reports echoing of the metal walls of the shat. He was fully aware that he was jeopardising the lives of his company; but if it
he hawsers snapped and lickered all about him, and Mulbern, narrowly missing meant they thought he was brave – and, above all, he had defeated the Ruinous
evisceration, cried out in pain as the cable yanked hard on his shoulder. Powers before, then he just didn’t care.

“Sorry Grippen,” he said as the lit fell away, and he was pulled inexorably towards He suddenly held a ist up over his right shoulder, and extended a lattened palm
the command level. towards the decking. he men behind him stopped and crouched low.

*** Greeves sidled up to the wall, and inspected the ship’s schematic bolted to the
metal.
he corridors of the Divine Glory, they all agreed, had a strange smell to them. It
was a pungent odour, and not and obvious one, though none of them could get “If we’re here…” he breathed to himself, “then we need to go…hm. We could take
used to it. It persisted, clinging to the nostrils, a constant, smarting scent that this…right, I see, so that leads up…there.” He turned to his men – though to call
reminded Captain Greeves of rotten alcohol – not that there was such a thing. all of them men wouldn’t be entirely accurate. here was a healthy sprinkling of
men – mostly oicers. he rest were boys. Seventeen, eighteen. Too young to see
he ship was also eerily empty. He wasn’t entirely sure what kind of ship it was – a what he had lied about seeing. Probably.
Dauntless maybe. But he did know that some of these ships could have in excess
of three thousand men just to crew it, and countless thousands more in garrison “Alright,” he said, “we need to keep moving down this corridor. At the end, there’s
and in transport. hus, despite their size, it was fairly common – particularly a stairwell that leads up to the command centre. hat’s where Captain Fulden
if it had been on action stations – to see ensigns and ratings rushing about the should be. Everybody understand?”
corridors, or armsmen loitering, waiting for orders.
he men nodded or grunted their assent. He didn’t think any of them suspected
On the Glory, however, the only sound to be heard, as they sped through the he was a coward. hat was good.
corridors, was their own boot soles thumping on the metal grilling of the loor.
hat, and the terrible grinding of the docking tubes as they threatened to snap “OK, let’s move out!” he shouted, spinning on his heel and charging of down the
under some immense and unknown strain. corridor again.

“Something’s not right, sir,” one of the Guardsmen behind him hissed.

Like he didn’t know it. To be continued....

 Fall of Ar’Cianr
By Ehlijen

Background Hive ship ld 8, no upgrades, up to 120 points of 10), Aun’va (two extra rerolls)
3 Wardens
Void Stalker

weapons
When the 3rd sphere Colony Ar’Cianr fell under 2 Escort drones Protector Starsong – ld 8
Tyranid attack, the wisest Aun’va decided that time 2 Escort drones Protector Destiny – ld 7
was right to demonstrate to both these strange Hero Long Reach– ld 8
invaders and the population of the inner sphere Force 2: Explorer Progress – ld 8
colonies the strength and resolve of the united Tau Cruiser, no upgrades, up to 50 points of weapons 3 Orcas
Empire. It was hoped that a show of force would Cruiser, no upgrades, up to 40 points of weapons 3 Defenders – ld 8
make the Tyranids decide to either inally answer 3 Vanguard drones 4 Castellans – ld 7
the requests for negotiation or at least convince 3 Vanguard drones
them to bypass Tau space. To this end Commander 2 Kraken Drones Defenders:
Shadowsun, the latest hero of the Empire, was tasked 3 Planetary Airields (Mantas and Barracudas)
with liberating Ar’Cianr… Force 3:
Hive ship, ld9, up to one evolutionary upgrade, one Convoy:
reroll, up to 120 points of weapons 5 Transports
Forces 3 Escort Drones
3 Kraken Drones Alternative forces:
Tyranids:
Force 1: Tau Tyranids:
Hive ship ld 8, no upgrades, up to 100 points of Fleet: Force 1:
Weapons Custodian Aspiration – Commander Shadowsun (ld Hive ships and escorts up to 750 points
 Force 2: Special rules: moves on Force 3 from within 15cm of this point.
Cruisers and escorts up to 500 points At the start of every Tyranid turn, roll a d6 for every Any ground defence still present at the end of the
Force 3: planetary ground installation: on a 4+ they have been game contributes one assault point for the Tau
Any up to 400 points overrun by Tyranid ground forces and are removed. player.
he Tau player can stop this by landing troops. For he Tyranid player has already landed all troops and
Force 1 and 2 may be considered 1 force for every assault point he has scored, he passes one such is in the process of setting up digestion pools. He
composition restrictions, 3 must meet any on its roll per turn. may not attempt to gain any further assault points.
own. For as long as a hive ship remains stationary in high Tyranid ships may only disengage of the far board
orbit, it is assumed to be in synapse range of all ships edge.
Tau:
Void Stalker

on the low orbit table.

A leet of up to 1750 points using both ECF and CPF Any ship on the low orbit table that reverts to
ships. instinctive behaviour and has to approach the planet Game length:
Up to 3 planetary ground defences. does not have to approach the planet any further but he game lasts until the Tau player has achieved
5 transports. may hold station. hey also will always consider two objectives or cannot achieve any more for any
enemies on the low orbit table closer than those that reason. he Tau player may not withdraw any ship
Battle zone: aren’t and all enemies not also on the low orbit table unless the Aspiration has been crippled. Such an act
Place the planet (medium size) in the centre of one to be in their side arc. of cowardice would be unthinkable in the presence
short table edge 150 cm from the other short edge. If the Tyranid player starts a turn with at least one of Aun’va.
Generate other celestial phenomena as for a Primary ship crippled, he may call in his force 3. He places
Biosphere battle zone. one contact marker on each long board edge and Objectives:
rolls a d6 at the beginning of his next turn and he Tau player must achieve two objectives in order
Set up: any subsequent turns until successful. On a 4+ he to win. If he achieves only one, it is a draw, otherwise
he Tyranid player deploys force 1 no more than randomly picks one of the contact markers and he looses.
20cm away from the planet, facing away from the far
short edge by at least 135 degrees. He also deploys Tau Fleet he objectives are:
force 2 on the low orbit table facing no more than 45 and Convoy
degrees away from the planet. Force 3 will move on deployment zone • Do not loose a single Tau capital
from a random long edge later.
ship until all Tyranid ships are
he Tau player then sets up the Fleet and convoy up
Tyranid Force 1 destroyed or disengaged. If Forces
to 30cm from the far short edge, staying at least 120
1 and 2 are destroyed before Force
cm away from the planet. he defenders are set up on
3 arrives, count this objective as
the low orbit table and represents the last planetary 120cm
Planet completed until it arrives.
defenders.
• Deliver at least 10 assault points to
the planet (ground bases only count
First turn:
20cm once the game has ended through
he Tau leet has irst turn if the Fleet commander
other means)
passes a ld test; otherwise the Tyranids have irst Tyranid Escape • Do not let a single Tyranid capital
turn. Edge ship from Forces 1 and 2 escape.
 Unknown Weapons
By Volandum

Background Tyranids Tyranids:

Void Stalker

may ield a Tyranid hive leet with the following While the Tau conventional weaponry is matched by
he Tau view the incursion of a new splinter leet as a restrictions: Vanguard Drones and Kraken are not the weaponry normally at the Hive leet’s disposal, it
major threat to their expansion in a sector, and seek to allowed, and no evolutionary mutations may be taken is imperative that an understanding of Tau ordnance
take advantage of the sluggish nature of the Tyranid (the Tau efort of denying the Tyranids information be improved, so that accelerated adaptation may
leet to defeat it in detail, as they understand that on the adaptations which are appropriate has been take place. Destroy a Tau carrier, and the ship or
they cannot efectively confront massed Tyranids, successful, and Tau actions have severely cut down squadron dealing the inal blow to the carrier must
and conventional hit-and-run tactics would switly the mobile elements of the Tyranid leet). disengage. Only units disengaging for this objective
become inefective -information from captured may attempt to disengage – ships which leave the
Imperial crews informs the Tau of how quickly the It is recommended that the Tau leet be 1.5 times the table are considered destroyed.
Tyranids might develop countermeasures. size of the Tyranid leet.
50 cm
To date the Tau actions have worked, though Deployment:
not consequentially -raids on Tyranid vanguard he Tyranids deploy in the centre of the table, and
elements have largely wiped them out, but there have Tau ships are deployed pointing inward at any points
been no ventures against bigger Tyranid units. As on the table edge – in contact with the edge. he Tau
the Tyranids approach inhabitable systems where player takes irst turn.
they may replenish their forces, the Tau recognise Tyranid
that more aggressive actions will be necessary. If terrain is desired the outer reaches are Deployment
50 cm
recommended as the zone.
Guided by the tactical wisdom of Commander
Shadowsun, they endeavour to strike a Tyranid A 200 cm by 200 cm table is ideal - in which case the
Hiveship group. Tyranids are expected to deploy in the central 100
cm by 100 cm.
Fleets:
Scenario Objectives:
Tau:
may ield any standard Tau leet, and if they wish Tau: Outcome:
gain twice the number of gravity hooks on each ship he enemy must be switly destroyed and not If the Tyranids achieve their objective, they are
with them, as they are close enough to inhabited permitted to escape. Destroy the Tyranid leet within considered to have won. If not, and the Tau achieve
space for shunting of escorts prior to the battle. ten turns. their objective, the scenario is a Tau victory.
Otherwise it is a draw.
 3D Blastmarkers
By Admiral Dadde

Good day cadets,

today we gonna spend some time transforming your
standard blast markers in something better and
cooler. STEP 2 :WIRE SUPPORT
The Forge

STEP 1 : EQUIPMENT: Take the wire and the scissors.

Cut the wire for 10 cm ,then
roll it around a pencil,making
the support group for the whole
structure. REMEMBER: keep the
wire a bit long! You gonna lose 1/2
cm with the cotton-explosion.

you are going to need the following equipment

_Wire
_Cotton
_Hard glue (like “Attack” or similar)
_Water+glass
_Colours you need to make an explosion
_Sot liquid glue (like “vinavil”,you gonna mix it
with the water)
_Blast Markers (optional)
_Scissors
_Phon (optional)
 STEP 3: 3D EXPLOSION STEP 4:CONCLUSION

Take the Sot Glue and mix it with water in the glass. Add Glue until you feel Take the wire support that we made in STEP 2, put some hard glue on
with your ingers that the mixture is dense as milk. Rip a bit of cotton,but it .Quickly,take the cotton explosion and put in on the wire support.
remember that the explosion must me proportioned to the ships. When you think that all is assembled,put more glue on the support.It
Put the cotton ball in the glue mixture,then create with you inger a simil- must be very very resilent. If you want,you can glue the whole structure
explosion. he cotton will become durable in hours,so take your time to on an original blast marker:in this way, you gonna respect the BFG
create your cotton explosion. rules. With this 4-step process,you can make thousands explosions in
OPTIONAL: When you inish,you can accelerate the drying process with no time!
the phon. Next time,we gonna make some 3d asteroids. See you in space,cadets.
When you think that the cotton explosion is durable, paint it!Everyone got Class Dismissed
his style for the colours of an explosion,but I think that bright colours are
The Forge

best : remember that you gonna play on a black table!