Apocalypse 40K, Chaos Vs. Chaos

[Brass Scorpion]

Though the object of the main event was to set a record, we kept the amount of models on our 4'X8' piece of the 41st millennium to a somewhat reasonable amount so that there was actually time to move and shoot most of the models each turn. As it happens, the four of us who ended up on the painted models only table know each other somewhat well and get along well and we quickly discovered that we didn't even need to use timed turns to accomplish something. We actually took full turns, moving, shooting and assaulting with all the models we wanted each turn and played a good solid game to conclusion in one afternoon.

The genesis of this game was Games Workshop Jennifer Square in Annapolis, Maryland participating in the worldwide January 22, 2011 Apocalypse event. We had two 8'X4' tables, one for fully painted armies and one for models of all types. Again, four of us participated in the fully painted table. The two of us with Chaos Space Marines each had the largest number of points while the two Chaos Daemons participants had somewhat less, so we faced off with two teams each comprising a Chaos Space Marines force and a Chaos Daemons force. We had approximately 7,500 points on each side of the table with roughly two-thirds of each force composed of Chaos Marines. Here are some photos with a brief description of each.

One of the main things I wanted to do out of having a painted models only table was get some good photo opportunities of some epic 40K action. Fortunately, this game provided plenty of that with massive machines and daemonic monsters roaming the battlefield. Here's the result:

Battle Setup 1
The opposing Chaos Marine force on the far side of the table with some of my own Daemon allies in the foreground.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/25/177754_md-Apocalypse%2C%20Battle%2C%20Battle%20Report%2C%20B iggest%20Game%20Ever%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Daemo ns.jpg

Battle Setup 2
More of the opposing Chaos Marine force. Note the large crab-like converted Defiler.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/25/177755_md-Apocalypse%2C%20Battle%2C%20Battle%20Report%2C%20B iggest%20Game%20Ever%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Daemo ns.jpg

Battle Setup 3
Here's my own Chaos Space Marine force with some Renegade allies in a traitor Stormblade and Stormlord. The GW website What's New Today feature showcased the Tower of Skulls (http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/blogPost.jsp?aId=14000014a) and Chaos Linebreaker Vindicator Squadron (http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/blogPost.jsp?aId=14300117a) in 2010 at the links provided if you'd like a closer look.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/25/177756_md-Apocalypse%2C%20Battle%2C%20Battle%20Report%2C%20B iggest%20Game%20Ever%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Daemo ns.jpg

Battle Setup 4
Some of the Chaos Daemon allies joining forces with me for the day.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/25/177757_md-Apocalypse%2C%20Battle%2C%20Battle%20Report%2C%20B iggest%20Game%20Ever%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Daemo ns.jpg

[Brass Scorpion]

Battle Setup 5
These are some of the forces on the "anything goes, painted or not" table. I photographed this part of it because of the preponderance of painted models and numerous Baneblades.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/25/177758_md-Apocalypse%2C%20Battle%2C%20Battle%20Report%2C%20B iggest%20Game%20Ever%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Daemo ns.jpg

Battle 1
Our opponents got the first turn, but fortunately there were few casualties from that first round of shooting, leaving our forces free to charge up onto the objective later that turn. I'm glad Scabbiathrax is on my side! Fire from my Super-heavies, Chaos Vindicators, the Brass Scorpions and Renegade Stormblade and Stormlord destroy many opposing Chaos Marines and several vehicles, but the enemy's numbers seem endless and the nastiest stuff is in reserve.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/25/177759_md-Apocalypse%2C%20Battle%2C%20Battle%20Report%2C%20B iggest%20Game%20Ever%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Daemo ns.jpg

Battle 2
One of my Chaos Vindicators is reduced to a burning wreck. An allied Nurgle Daemon Engine moves fiercely ahead of it.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/25/177760_md-Apocalypse%2C%20Battle%2C%20Battle%20Report%2C%20B iggest%20Game%20Ever%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Daemo ns.jpg

Battle 3
Two of my Brass Scorpions attack the enemy daemons on and near the objective. The minor daemons would suffer horrendously at their hands, but a counter-assault by enemy Daemon Princes would soon result in epic duels of mutual annihilation.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/25/177761_md-Apocalypse%2C%20Battle%2C%20Battle%20Report%2C%20B iggest%20Game%20Ever%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Daemo ns.jpg

[Brass Scorpion]

Battle 4
My Chaos Stormlord is reduced to a wreck by the Traitor Warhound's turbo-laser destructor and the Chaos Terminator Champions lurking inside disembark. They are quickly engaged by a winged enemy Chaos Lord.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/25/177762_md-Apocalypse%2C%20Battle%2C%20Battle%20Report%2C%20B iggest%20Game%20Ever%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Daemo ns.jpg

Battle 5
Enemy Chaos Chosen flank march against our forces. A powerful Chaos Daemon Prince with many sorcerous powers also moves against us.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/25/177763_md-Apocalypse%2C%20Battle%2C%20Battle%20Report%2C%20B iggest%20Game%20Ever%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Daemo ns.jpg

Battle 6
An enemy Soulgrinder does battle with its Nurgle counterpart.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/25/177764_md-Apocalypse%2C%20Battle%2C%20Battle%20Report%2C%20B iggest%20Game%20Ever%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Daemo ns.jpg

Battle 7
The enemy's crab-like Defiler assaults my Tower of Skulls. I used my newly painted Ork Killa Kans as allies in the game. The Orks try and protect Khorne's huge daemon engine along with help from daemon allies, but it is not to be. After being fired upon and assaulted repeatedly the Tower of Skulls provides the ultimate in 40K entertainment with an apocalyptic explosion that vaporizes and damages many of the models around it. Two of my three Brass Scorpions would also suffer the same fate, destroying many models around them, friend and foe alike. Unfortunately for us, they seemed to destroy more of our forces than that of the enemy. Khorne is a fickle master and he likes his skulls no matter to whom they belong.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/25/177765_md-Apocalypse%2C%20Battle%2C%20Battle%20Repor%2C%20Bi ggest%20Game%20Ever%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Daemon s.jpg

[Brass Scorpion]

Battle 8
My Cult of Destruction Chaos Obliterator formation deep strikes to protect our flank from the enemy's Chosen. Twin-linked plasma guns at close range destroy about 70% of the enemy Chosen in one round of shooting with some supporting fire from the nearest Brass Scorpion.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/25/177766_md-Apocalypse%2C%20Battle%2C%20Battle%20Report%2C%20B iggest%20Game%20Ever%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Daemo ns.jpg

Battle 9
A huge formation of enemy Chaos Terminators teleported in to fill the gap left by the Chosen, also assisted by their Obliterators and Daemon allies including Skarbrand. The duel with my Obliterators left both forces severely depleted.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/25/177806_md-Apocalypse%2C%20Battle%2C%20Battle%20Report%2C%20B iggest%20Game%20Ever%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Daemo ns.jpg

Battle 10
My Daemon Prince of Slaanesh takes on the Chaos Sorcerer and the few remaining enemy Terminators. The enemy Chaos Sorcerer and the Daemon Prince of Slaanesh annihilate each other! My Daemon Prince of Slaanesh (http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/blogPost.jsp?aId=12500016a) also proudly appeared on the Games Workshop website What's New Today blog post on August 13, 2010.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/25/177767_md-Apocalypse%2C%20Battle%2C%20Battle%20Report%2C%20B iggest%20Game%20Ever%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Daemo ns.jpg

Battle 11
After cutting a swathe through my Chaos Terminator champion formation, the enemy Chaos Lord advances behind our armored line to fight with the Daemons behind it. Enemy Bloodcrushers break my remaining Nurgle Terminators and massacre many of my Nurgling allies.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/25/177768_md-Apocalypse%2C%20Battle%2C%20Battle%20Report%2C%20B iggest%20Game%20Ever%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Daemo ns.jpg

[Brass Scorpion]

Battle 12
Forces on both sides are getting thin in the fight near the objective Chaos ruins. The incredibly powerful and sorcerous Daemon forces of the enemy begin to gain the upper hand over the heavily depleted forces we have remaining. At this point we have little firepower able to deal with so many large, tough, multi-wound monsters and the spells and combat abilities of the larger Chaos Daemons now outclass our remnant forces.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/25/177769_md-Apocalypse%2C%20Battle%2C%20Battle%20Report%2C%20B iggest%20Game%20Ever%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Daemo ns.jpg

Battle 13
It's been a fun and hard-fought battle for both sides with massive casualties everywhere, but in the end after one last fight with Scabbiathrax the massive enemy Daemon commanders roam the battlefield unopposed and claim the magical Chaos ruins for their own.
http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/1/25/177807_md-Apocalypse%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Daemons%2C%20Ch aos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Converting%2C%20Daemons .jpg

This was the most fun multi-player Apocalypse game I've played in a long time. As luck would have it, we had four friends playing on the painted models only table and we simply had a blast. There was plenty of action, cool looking epic battles, and we had an easy-going fun time. We played so smoothly we quickly abandoned the idea of timed turns as time limits simply were not needed. Models were removed at times by the handful and the entertainment lasted about 4 hours, just long enough to fill up the afternoon with massive 40K fun without being exhaustively long.

I generally bring few troops to multi-player Apocalypse games in lieu of bringing some of my larger Super-heavies simply because not a lot of customers in my community can bring those models to these events and I feel it adds a much-needed atmospheric visual to these Apocalypse 40K games. It's just not Apocalypse without some outlandish massive constructs! Unfortunately, the relatively small number of models I field often proves a disadvantage if others field full armies of many troops and nasty HQ choices as happened in this case, but I have few regrets because my main objective was to have an ultra-cool looking massive 40K Apocalypse battle full of action and excitement and we certainly accomplished that. Even with so few models compared to the enemy the firepower unleashed by my Super-heavies and high-point formations like the Obliterators caused massive casualties and it took more than three hours to destroy our effective fighting ability. My friends provided all kinds of great looking complementary forces on both sides of the table, allowing for the epic combats seen in some of the photos here. This definitely got me excited about playing more games and next time I may try and work in some Chaos Daemons of my own after seeing some of the frightening things they were capable of in this game. For those interested, larger, close-up pictures of some of my models shown here are available for viewing in my Dakkadakka Gallery (http://www.dakkadakka.com/core/gallery-user.jsp?u=13937).

[Hawkeye]

Awesome battle report. I may have to use that idea in the future of splitting up the painted and unpainted minis for Apoc games. The demon prince you made that ended up on the games workshop website actually inspired me to convert my own demon prince who is still a WIP.

[Tynskel]

every time I see those vindicators, I am always impressed by their siege shields. Such a simple way of unifying a theme!