The Dimas Campaign
We decided one day to play a game of 40K. That was it really. Before we knew it I had started making up the reasons for why we might be fighting, and this became the starting point for a narrative campaign. I was so inspired by this series of games and naturally unfolding storyline that I thought I would record the events of the campaign as it went on (and include the missions we played, as well of the actual outcomes of our particular battles).
We played this campaign in early 2010, and therefore it uses rules and missions from the 5th edition of Warhammer 40,000, and we used the Codices that were current at the time. Read on to find out what happened…
We played this campaign in early 2010, and therefore it uses rules and missions from the 5th edition of Warhammer 40,000, and we used the Codices that were current at the time. Read on to find out what happened…
HOw It All Began...
Dimas was a mining planet of little significance, contributing a tithe of its wealth to the Administratum, and with a modest Planetary Defence Force to protect it from cultist uprisings and incursions from aliens. Much of the surface of the planet was made up of ever-changing canyons and blasted quarries, with the rest covered with extensive factories and smelting refineries. The thick choking smoke of industry would be belched into the atmosphere day and night, whereas every hour scores of vast lifters would carry raw mined ore and metals up to waiting inter-stellar transports, the majority of which would be bound for the nearby sector naval base of Unlancth.
All that changed with the coming of the Tyranids. A tendril of hive fleet Leviathan slammed into the world without warning or mercy, billions of spores blocking out even the weak sunlight that could permeate the smoke clouds. The planet had no hope against such a numerous and superior foe, the PDF were swept aside and slaughtered almost to the man, and millions of citizens were butchered in a few short weeks.
With a ponderous inevitability the Imperial war-machine mobilised and the first cruisers emerged from the warp and headed in-system. The relatively small hive fleet lurking around Dimas was pushed back allowing the first planetary landings by regiments of the Imperial Guard. The war for Dimas had begun…
Nearly a year later, the war has ravaged the entire surface of Dimas, the sprawling industrial complexes have been reduced to ruins, and of the original Imperial Guard regiments deployed only a handful of soldiers remain. Over the course of the campaign more Imperial reinforcements have arrived from many different regiments, though the greatest presence at the present time is that of the Volkooni regiments. A sizeable contingent made up of several orders of the Adepta Sororitas have been the most recent arrivals, and they have proved relentless in their efforts, willingly taking on those missions deemed too treacherous for the more lightly equipped guardsmen regiments.
The war hangs in the balance between glorious salvation and utter destruction for Dimas. It appears that the assault on Dimas is nothing more than a vanguard force for a much greater threat as the hive fleets approach the vital forgeworld of Varen. Varen must not be lost to the Great Devourer but ultimate victory there could depend upon relieving Dimas quickly. The coming weeks could change the face of the Imperium forever.
All that changed with the coming of the Tyranids. A tendril of hive fleet Leviathan slammed into the world without warning or mercy, billions of spores blocking out even the weak sunlight that could permeate the smoke clouds. The planet had no hope against such a numerous and superior foe, the PDF were swept aside and slaughtered almost to the man, and millions of citizens were butchered in a few short weeks.
With a ponderous inevitability the Imperial war-machine mobilised and the first cruisers emerged from the warp and headed in-system. The relatively small hive fleet lurking around Dimas was pushed back allowing the first planetary landings by regiments of the Imperial Guard. The war for Dimas had begun…
Nearly a year later, the war has ravaged the entire surface of Dimas, the sprawling industrial complexes have been reduced to ruins, and of the original Imperial Guard regiments deployed only a handful of soldiers remain. Over the course of the campaign more Imperial reinforcements have arrived from many different regiments, though the greatest presence at the present time is that of the Volkooni regiments. A sizeable contingent made up of several orders of the Adepta Sororitas have been the most recent arrivals, and they have proved relentless in their efforts, willingly taking on those missions deemed too treacherous for the more lightly equipped guardsmen regiments.
The war hangs in the balance between glorious salvation and utter destruction for Dimas. It appears that the assault on Dimas is nothing more than a vanguard force for a much greater threat as the hive fleets approach the vital forgeworld of Varen. Varen must not be lost to the Great Devourer but ultimate victory there could depend upon relieving Dimas quickly. The coming weeks could change the face of the Imperium forever.
The Campaign
The campaign begins towards the end of the war for Dimas, in the final vital weeks that will decide the fate of the world. Each side can sense the end is near and the fighting gets more desperate and intense as the opposing forces struggle to gain the upper hand.
Mission 1: Retrieve The Assassins
Of the original inhabitants of Dimas the Death Cults of the northern continent have proven the most resilient. Utilising their knowledge of their homeland and its underground networks to remain mostly hidden from the Tyranid hordes, they have used their deadly skills to aid in the military efforts against the swarms in many confrontations. As the war intensifies the Inquisition has put in motion many secret missions to combat the xenos. One of these has been to use the Death Cults to infiltrate agents from the Culexus Officio Assassainorum temples deep into the swarm, as part of a mysterious plan to try to break the Tyranids psychic link with the Hive Mind. Not much is known of the exact nature of the plan as the Inquisition is a shadowy and secretive organisation that keeps its business to itself, but it is thought that apart from using their unique abilities behind enemy lines, they are also gathering information about the synaptic control of the swarms.
However, somehow sensing the threat the Hive Mind has found a way to paralyse the agents, leaving them vulnerable to the hunter-swarms sent to destroy and assimilate them. Not only would this be disastrous to the Inquisition’s plans, but the thought of what new horrors the Hive Mind could create should it be able to assimilate the DNA of several of the Imperium’s highly developed and deadly killing machines of the Officio Assassinorum doesn’t bear thinking about. The Assassins must be found and retrieved. Task forces of Battle Sisters are mustered and rapidly deployed to their last communicated positions, but time is short as the swarm closes in on its prey…
Mission: Seize Ground with three objectives, 2 are Death Cult assassins, one is a Culexus Imperial Assassin. All three are paralysed and play no active part in the game, other than representing the objectives as normal.
Campaign result from this battle: Tyranid win. As the Tyranids also managed to hold the Culexus Assassin objective at the end of the game he will be assimilated, allowing the Tyranids to use his DNA to develop the new ‘Ninja Lictor’ to be used in a future campaign battle.
However, somehow sensing the threat the Hive Mind has found a way to paralyse the agents, leaving them vulnerable to the hunter-swarms sent to destroy and assimilate them. Not only would this be disastrous to the Inquisition’s plans, but the thought of what new horrors the Hive Mind could create should it be able to assimilate the DNA of several of the Imperium’s highly developed and deadly killing machines of the Officio Assassinorum doesn’t bear thinking about. The Assassins must be found and retrieved. Task forces of Battle Sisters are mustered and rapidly deployed to their last communicated positions, but time is short as the swarm closes in on its prey…
Mission: Seize Ground with three objectives, 2 are Death Cult assassins, one is a Culexus Imperial Assassin. All three are paralysed and play no active part in the game, other than representing the objectives as normal.
Campaign result from this battle: Tyranid win. As the Tyranids also managed to hold the Culexus Assassin objective at the end of the game he will be assimilated, allowing the Tyranids to use his DNA to develop the new ‘Ninja Lictor’ to be used in a future campaign battle.
Mission 2: Unfortunate Events
The Imperial forces have made extensive use of Valkyries to scout out enemy locations and movement across the embattled world, as well as carry supplies and troops to where they are needed relatively safely due to the lacking aerial forces of the Tyranids so far encountered during the war. However, an unknown attack has led to the crash of one such Valkyrie into the ravaged cityscape of Delios. This Valkyrie was carrying a devastating cargo – the first of a new type of munitions developed by the Inquisition utilising the knowledge obtained by the few surviving assassins that returned from their missions into the swarms. These ‘anti-synapse’ shells could prove to be the turning point in the war, if they can be retrieved from the wreckage (and therefore tested to see if they work!). If not the knowledge of their construction will be lost and all will be for nothing. Such is the importance of this mission, Inquisitor Vaelor himself has joined the Imperial forces sent to hold the area and await retrieval.
However, more is at stake, as Delios hides a fortified and as yet undiscovered subterranean command bunker for the Imperial forces, and it would be a major blow to the future of the campaign if it were to be infiltrated and destroyed by the xenos forces.
Mission: Seize Ground with 4 objectives. The board should be set up as a ruined cityscape to represent the destroyed factory workings of Delios. 1 of the objectives represents the ‘anti-synapse’ warheads, 1 is the Valkyrie itself (which contains tactical data on the disposition of Tyranid forces), and 1 represents the comms-pylon for the underground bunker. The 4th objective is the hidden entrance to the bunker itself. So secret is the whereabouts of the facility that neither force knows its exact location, but may detect it during the game. A third independent person should secretly write down which city ruin on the board contains the secret entrance. At the end of the game this city ruin counts as an objective as normal. At the end of turn 1 roll a dice, on a 6 the city ruin is revealed as the objective to both players. Roll again each turn, adding 1 each time (i.e. 5+ on turn 2, 4+ on turn 3). The objective ruin is revealed at the end of turn 4 automatically if it has not already been revealed before this.
Campaign result from this battle: Draw – 1 objective held each. The Battle Sisters held the Valkyrie which will enable them to track the landing sites of new Tyranid forces deployed to the world (including the fearsome new ‘Ninja Lictor’!), however the Tyranids captured the ‘anti-synapse’ warheads so these will remain unavailable to the Imperial side. Neither force captured the comms pylon or secret entrance, though the entrance ruin was occupied by Battle Sisters so the complex remains undiscovered and safe from Tyranids. (During the game it also transpired that the fate that had befallen the Valkyrie was that it had unknowingly had a Deathleaper Lictor on board! After the crash the Battle Sisters being transported within the Valkyrie made short work of destroying the abomination.)
However, more is at stake, as Delios hides a fortified and as yet undiscovered subterranean command bunker for the Imperial forces, and it would be a major blow to the future of the campaign if it were to be infiltrated and destroyed by the xenos forces.
Mission: Seize Ground with 4 objectives. The board should be set up as a ruined cityscape to represent the destroyed factory workings of Delios. 1 of the objectives represents the ‘anti-synapse’ warheads, 1 is the Valkyrie itself (which contains tactical data on the disposition of Tyranid forces), and 1 represents the comms-pylon for the underground bunker. The 4th objective is the hidden entrance to the bunker itself. So secret is the whereabouts of the facility that neither force knows its exact location, but may detect it during the game. A third independent person should secretly write down which city ruin on the board contains the secret entrance. At the end of the game this city ruin counts as an objective as normal. At the end of turn 1 roll a dice, on a 6 the city ruin is revealed as the objective to both players. Roll again each turn, adding 1 each time (i.e. 5+ on turn 2, 4+ on turn 3). The objective ruin is revealed at the end of turn 4 automatically if it has not already been revealed before this.
Campaign result from this battle: Draw – 1 objective held each. The Battle Sisters held the Valkyrie which will enable them to track the landing sites of new Tyranid forces deployed to the world (including the fearsome new ‘Ninja Lictor’!), however the Tyranids captured the ‘anti-synapse’ warheads so these will remain unavailable to the Imperial side. Neither force captured the comms pylon or secret entrance, though the entrance ruin was occupied by Battle Sisters so the complex remains undiscovered and safe from Tyranids. (During the game it also transpired that the fate that had befallen the Valkyrie was that it had unknowingly had a Deathleaper Lictor on board! After the crash the Battle Sisters being transported within the Valkyrie made short work of destroying the abomination.)
Mission 3: Entrapment
The crashed Valkyrie’s databanks contained scans of new Tyranid troop movements, including what appeared to be new landings from a series of isolated spores. Inquisitor Vaelor – a veteran of the fighting on the doomed world of Medusa – had seen this before…
Vaelor wasted no time. He knew what the pattern of landings meant. It meant the Tyranids were trying something new. He had witnessed it on Medusa. In that ill-fated campaign the Hive Mind had used the warzones as a live testing ground for the first deployment of the ‘Deathleaper’ Lictor. It was theorized that if all of the Deathleapers could be located and destroyed then it would prevent their re-assimilation by the swarms and subsequently prevent the evolution of more such strains – deemed a failure by the Hive Mind. The increasing prevalence of such deadly organisms encountered across the galaxy is testament to the failure of that endeavour. But here was a chance for redemption. This time, Vaelor vowed, none of whatever hell-spawn the bugs had created would escape the Emperor’s wrath.
He immediately mobilised the Volkooni 5th regiment. The Volkooni were famed trackers and hunters – their skills honed for generations against the indigenous claw-weevils of the dark forests of their homeworld. After forming xenos hunter-teams and personally taking command of a contingent of the most experienced soldiers of the regiment, they rapidly deployed on their covert missions to all known coordinates of the latest spore landings. Simply destroying all of the landing spores would not suffice. Vaelor needed to know the nature of his quarry so he could record it, study it and ensure its total extermination from the world. Therefore the mission briefing outlined one of the most dangerous and nigh on impossible tasks ever called upon for Imperial forces to undertake: capture a Tyranid!
Recently landed upon Dimas was a legendary figure known throughout the entire sector – the infamous Missionary Dateum Mentallus, who had arrived with the latest Battle Sister reinforcements from the Alcantor sub-sector. A trusted ally of the Inquisition, upon hearing of Vaelor’s desperate plan and its importance he sought out the Inquisitor and arrived just as the task force was set to deploy. He ignored any arguments for him not to accompany the mission, instead leading a contingent of Battle Sisters to join the task force. Vaelor realised there was no time to argue, and that Mentallus’s mind was set on his course of action and would not be swayed.
It was certain the Tyranids would detect the approaching attacks and move to intercept. All that mattered was that the new life-form was captured… somehow…
Mission: Capture and Control with 2 objectives. However in this game there is a twist – the objectives are actually units from the opposing sides. The ‘Ninja Lictor’ is one, and Missionary Mentallus is the other. Both can (and must!) be deployed as usual and fight in the battle.
The Tyranid force must include 1 (and only 1!) special ‘Ninja Lictor’, who follows the unique rules described below. The Imperial force is made up of both Imperial Guard and Battle Sisters, and must include at least 1 Troops choice and 1 HQ choice from each army list, and the combined force uses a single Force Organisation Chart. The Imperial side must include Inquisitor Vaelor and Missionary Mentallus (a priest with bionics).
If Missionary Mentallus is killed – leave his body in place. He immediately becomes one of the mission objectives for both sides and can be held and contested as normal. Such is his value to the Imperium, any Imperial unit can hold this objective, not just troops. If Mentallus is still alive at the end of the game, the Imperial side count as having claimed this objective regardless of the presence of friendly or enemy models.
The Volkooni guard have had little time to prepare for the mission, but have adapted one of their hunting net-launchers to capture the Lictor. One squad of guardsmen can carry the net-launcher. If the Ninja Lictor is killed by this squad by any means while the Lictor is within 12” of the squad then instead of being killed it is instead captured in the net. It counts as a casualty for all game purposes, but leave the model in place on its side. It immediately becomes an objective for both sides. Any unit from either force can hold this objective – not just troops, but such is the skill of the Volkooni trappers that if a squad of Volkooni guardsmen is within 3” of the objective they will count as holding the objective, regardless of any contesting units from the Tyranid side. If the Imperium capture the Lictor by holding this objective at the end of the game they count as having 3 objectives (and will therefore automatically win the scenario). If the Ninja Lictor is killed by any other means during the game, he is removed as a casualty as normal (ie. does not become an objective), however the Imperium counts as scoring one objective if the Ninja Lictor is killed or ‘netted’ at the end of the game and Inquisitor Vaelor is still alive. If the Volkooni squad with the net-launcher is killed and the Lictor has not yet been netted, leave 1 model in place on its side to represent the location of the dropped weapon. Any Imperial infantry unit can pick this up in their movement phase by moving into contact with the fallen weapon. If the Lictor should be killed by a unit which does not contain any Volkooni guardsmen, but which is carrying the net-launcher, the Lictor will only be ‘netted’on a roll of a 4+. On any other result it will be killed and removed as a casualty as normal. If the Ninja Lictor is still alive at the end of the game, the Tyranid side count as having claimed this objective regardless of the presence of friendly or enemy models.
Any Volkooni units may be equipped with Auspexes in this game for 2pts per unit, to represent their tracking and hunting skills. The Auspex rule can be used against deep-striking or outflanking units, as well as (of course!) Lictors deploying using their unique special rules.
The Ninja Lictor: This counts as a Lictor with the following additional special rules:
All of its stats except wounds and Ld are increased by 1.
It rolls three dice for its fleet rolls and choses the highest.
It has a 5+ invulnerable save due to its preternatural reflexes.
Campaign result from this battle: Imperial win. The Volkooni attempt to net the Ninja Lictor were thwarted as before their target was in range the squad with the net launcher was overrun by a large swarm of gargoyles. Unable to recover the net launcher the Imperium was forced to bring down the Lictor with the firepower of an Exorcist tank! The rest of the Imperial forces formed up in tight formation in defense of the last remaining Chimera APC. The Tyranids destroyed this vehicle in the last turn, but were dismayed to discover Missionary Mentallus was not within – he had been safely inside the Imperials’ Valkyrie assault carrier all along!
Vaelor wasted no time. He knew what the pattern of landings meant. It meant the Tyranids were trying something new. He had witnessed it on Medusa. In that ill-fated campaign the Hive Mind had used the warzones as a live testing ground for the first deployment of the ‘Deathleaper’ Lictor. It was theorized that if all of the Deathleapers could be located and destroyed then it would prevent their re-assimilation by the swarms and subsequently prevent the evolution of more such strains – deemed a failure by the Hive Mind. The increasing prevalence of such deadly organisms encountered across the galaxy is testament to the failure of that endeavour. But here was a chance for redemption. This time, Vaelor vowed, none of whatever hell-spawn the bugs had created would escape the Emperor’s wrath.
He immediately mobilised the Volkooni 5th regiment. The Volkooni were famed trackers and hunters – their skills honed for generations against the indigenous claw-weevils of the dark forests of their homeworld. After forming xenos hunter-teams and personally taking command of a contingent of the most experienced soldiers of the regiment, they rapidly deployed on their covert missions to all known coordinates of the latest spore landings. Simply destroying all of the landing spores would not suffice. Vaelor needed to know the nature of his quarry so he could record it, study it and ensure its total extermination from the world. Therefore the mission briefing outlined one of the most dangerous and nigh on impossible tasks ever called upon for Imperial forces to undertake: capture a Tyranid!
Recently landed upon Dimas was a legendary figure known throughout the entire sector – the infamous Missionary Dateum Mentallus, who had arrived with the latest Battle Sister reinforcements from the Alcantor sub-sector. A trusted ally of the Inquisition, upon hearing of Vaelor’s desperate plan and its importance he sought out the Inquisitor and arrived just as the task force was set to deploy. He ignored any arguments for him not to accompany the mission, instead leading a contingent of Battle Sisters to join the task force. Vaelor realised there was no time to argue, and that Mentallus’s mind was set on his course of action and would not be swayed.
It was certain the Tyranids would detect the approaching attacks and move to intercept. All that mattered was that the new life-form was captured… somehow…
Mission: Capture and Control with 2 objectives. However in this game there is a twist – the objectives are actually units from the opposing sides. The ‘Ninja Lictor’ is one, and Missionary Mentallus is the other. Both can (and must!) be deployed as usual and fight in the battle.
The Tyranid force must include 1 (and only 1!) special ‘Ninja Lictor’, who follows the unique rules described below. The Imperial force is made up of both Imperial Guard and Battle Sisters, and must include at least 1 Troops choice and 1 HQ choice from each army list, and the combined force uses a single Force Organisation Chart. The Imperial side must include Inquisitor Vaelor and Missionary Mentallus (a priest with bionics).
If Missionary Mentallus is killed – leave his body in place. He immediately becomes one of the mission objectives for both sides and can be held and contested as normal. Such is his value to the Imperium, any Imperial unit can hold this objective, not just troops. If Mentallus is still alive at the end of the game, the Imperial side count as having claimed this objective regardless of the presence of friendly or enemy models.
The Volkooni guard have had little time to prepare for the mission, but have adapted one of their hunting net-launchers to capture the Lictor. One squad of guardsmen can carry the net-launcher. If the Ninja Lictor is killed by this squad by any means while the Lictor is within 12” of the squad then instead of being killed it is instead captured in the net. It counts as a casualty for all game purposes, but leave the model in place on its side. It immediately becomes an objective for both sides. Any unit from either force can hold this objective – not just troops, but such is the skill of the Volkooni trappers that if a squad of Volkooni guardsmen is within 3” of the objective they will count as holding the objective, regardless of any contesting units from the Tyranid side. If the Imperium capture the Lictor by holding this objective at the end of the game they count as having 3 objectives (and will therefore automatically win the scenario). If the Ninja Lictor is killed by any other means during the game, he is removed as a casualty as normal (ie. does not become an objective), however the Imperium counts as scoring one objective if the Ninja Lictor is killed or ‘netted’ at the end of the game and Inquisitor Vaelor is still alive. If the Volkooni squad with the net-launcher is killed and the Lictor has not yet been netted, leave 1 model in place on its side to represent the location of the dropped weapon. Any Imperial infantry unit can pick this up in their movement phase by moving into contact with the fallen weapon. If the Lictor should be killed by a unit which does not contain any Volkooni guardsmen, but which is carrying the net-launcher, the Lictor will only be ‘netted’on a roll of a 4+. On any other result it will be killed and removed as a casualty as normal. If the Ninja Lictor is still alive at the end of the game, the Tyranid side count as having claimed this objective regardless of the presence of friendly or enemy models.
Any Volkooni units may be equipped with Auspexes in this game for 2pts per unit, to represent their tracking and hunting skills. The Auspex rule can be used against deep-striking or outflanking units, as well as (of course!) Lictors deploying using their unique special rules.
The Ninja Lictor: This counts as a Lictor with the following additional special rules:
All of its stats except wounds and Ld are increased by 1.
It rolls three dice for its fleet rolls and choses the highest.
It has a 5+ invulnerable save due to its preternatural reflexes.
Campaign result from this battle: Imperial win. The Volkooni attempt to net the Ninja Lictor were thwarted as before their target was in range the squad with the net launcher was overrun by a large swarm of gargoyles. Unable to recover the net launcher the Imperium was forced to bring down the Lictor with the firepower of an Exorcist tank! The rest of the Imperial forces formed up in tight formation in defense of the last remaining Chimera APC. The Tyranids destroyed this vehicle in the last turn, but were dismayed to discover Missionary Mentallus was not within – he had been safely inside the Imperials’ Valkyrie assault carrier all along!
Conclusion
As the victors in the final scenario we declared the Imperium the overall winners of our narrative mini-campaign! It was really good fun to play a small narrative campaign between just two players, and create twists and storylines based on the events. We looked forward to the next one…