Defending Grimaldus Battle Report Word Bearers: Dark Apostle Nabu (Chaos Sorcerer, Termi Armour, Mark of Nurgle, Nurgle Rot, Doombolt) Apprentice Erra and his Chosen (Power Weapon/MB, 4 x Plasma Gun) 5 man Chaos Space Marine Squad (PF, Plasma Gun, 3 Normal) 10 man Chaos Space Marine Squad (PW/MB, Melta, Flamer)

Imperial Guard Reconnaissance Force (lead by Master Albrecht) Company Command Squad Albrecht (Straken Count As, 2 x Bodyguards, MeltaGun, Carapace Armour) Platoon Command Squad (3 Grenade Launchers, Plasma Gun) Infantry Squad (Flamer) Infantry Squad (Flamer) Comissar Heinrich Richter (attached to Infantry Squad, Power Axe) Heavy Weapon Squad (3 x Autocannon) Veteran Squad (3 x Flamers, Chimera) Stormtrooper Squad (2 x Plasma Gun)

Battlefield Shot

Imperial Guard Turn 1 The imperial guard start their assault on the settlement on Lastrati by moving forward on the known position of the Lord of Plague. As the reconnaissance force moves forward the Master of the Recruits, Albrecht, barks at the platoon squad to Run, Run, Run! and the entire army surges forwards. The stormtroopers support their fellow guardsmen by advancing down the right flank jumping into the ruins close to the Word Bearer line. Ready to rain hot shot fire on the defenders.

As the rest of the army advances the autocannon emplacements providing covering fire look for a target and spot an Astartes on lookout duty and the lucky shot takes the man down. Word Bearer Turn 1 With the first Astartes falling to the autocannon fire, the Word Bearers under the watchful eye of the Apostle surge forward to meet the Imperial Guard. As others advance a single Word Bearer aimed at the speeding chimera. The crack shot Astartes unloads his plasma gun rounds into the front hull, exploding the chimera and leaving the men to appear from the smoldering wreck. From the original squad of ten, only four of the veterans surivived the blast, seeing the disorientation in the remaining guardsmen the Word Bearers opened fire, felling another as they ran for cover in nearby ruins. On the right flank, aiming to meet the fierce resistance of the oncoming stormtrooper, Apprentice Erra and his two plasma chosen unelashed their fire on the adancing troops. Most of the shots fell short, but one Plasma gun toting StormTrooper suffered the unfortunate wrath and was vaporised in an instance.

As the initial dust settles both armies are intact, Nabu warns the Plague Lord to take cover in the cathedral until the all clear is given.

Imperial Guard Turn 2 The Imperial Guard continue to advance on the Cathedral, moving as quickly as they can in order to detain the lord. As Albrecht sees the Astartes in his glance he screams to his guardsmen to First Rank Fire, Second Rank Fire but the order is lost on the vox network. The guardsmen in a blind panic try to steady their lasguns at the surging Astartes The front astartes falls to the massed lasgun fire from the twenty guardsmen. Contiuning with the reactionary shooting the Stormtroopers take aim at the Astartes attempting to hide in the Ruins across from them, but alas the plasma proves to much and melts the Astartes armour of another of Erras chosen. With the astartes trying to weather the stormtroopers fire, Albrechts command squad seize the opportunity to fell another chosen, the well placed Laspistol shot from the Albrechts bodyguard hitting an exposed armour plating from the previous fire. Word Bearers Turn 2 As the turn begins, 5 Lesser Daemons appear in the settlement, write in front of the Imperial Guard lines. They run towards Albrecht ready to pounce on his poor soul. With the stormtroopers having set up a kill zone, having killed Erras chosen, he retreats behind the cover, awaiting the opportunity to strike. The rest of the Word Bearers force continue to meet the Imperial Force head on. Two of the Word Bearers charge at the platoon, the lasgun fire bouncing off their armour and launch into assault with the squad.

The Word Bearers are unfazed by the upcoming massacre and are able to slay three guardsmen in the process. The guardsmen make their attacks and despite using their bayonettes to try and harm the hulking warriors, they stand and lock the remainder of the platoon in place, but for how long? With Commissar Richter getting ready to use his mighty power axe to cut through the reinforced Astartes armour. Imperial Guard Turn 3 At the sight of the Word Bearers making their counter advance, the Imperial presence continues to move forward aiming to engage the Word Bearers on their terms. The Stormtroopers protecting the left flank of the advance, continue to run in an attempt to catch Erra. The platoon command squad aim their grenade launchers and plasma gun at the Astarters coming round the corner but in their panic miss and the shots smash into the ruins next to them. Seeing Daemons through a ruin the Master of the Recruits attempts to assault the Daemons making contact with what remains of the squad.

In the ensuing combat Albrecht slays a single daemon, the bodyguards despite trying to support their commander are unable to wound the daemons. The Daemons in return attack Albrecht with all their daemonic might and cause him to take a wound. As the Astartes continue to attack the platoon they become surrounded from all angles, the guardsmen still unable to penetrate the armour of the astartes, this is not the case for Commissar Richter as his power axe slices through the armour cutting both the astartes down.

Word Bearer Turn 3 Despite the Plague Lord praying to the gods of plague to help save his life, no such aid comes and the astartes must fight this battle on their own. The Word Bearers continue to advance to meet the threat being presented to them.

Nabu and his brothers shoot at the advancing platoon, felling to as they begin to charge. In the ensuing charge, one of the marines is dropped by mass las fire whilst Nabu and his brothers then get ready to slaughter the platoon. Seeing an attack of opportunity a sergeant and marine charge into the combat with Albrecht, hoping to slay him before he reaches the cathedral. Nabu sets out about doing as much damage as possible with his force weapon, slays four guardsmen and the marines following in a similar fashion slay the two sergeants. In return, the guardsmen kill both of the astartes, leaving Richter to attack Nabu, however the overwhelming presence of the Dark Apostle means that the Commissar misses. The guardsmen seeing the commissar unable to make short work of Nabu panic and being to flee. A bolt pistol shot leaves the commissar shoots one of the fleeing guardsmen Stand you pig dogs and the platoon rally around him ready to attempt to kill the Apostle. Across from Nabu and the platoon Albrecht and the remainder of his command squad prepare to take the fight to the daemons and astartes. The Word Bearer screams out a challenge for Albrecht, for which he answers, aiming to slice the Master of Recruits down with his Power Sword but misses with all his attacks, having gone so head strong into the Master, the Sargent is easily slain with the

hulking weapon of the recruit. The remaining Astartes begin to slay the command squad, felling a single model as does the daemons. The command squad stunned by the daemons still are unable to hurt the enemy force.

Imperial Guard Turn 4 Despite focusing on his summoning power, the plague lord could summon monsters of the warp to save him and with the Astartes numbers dwindling it was going to be a hard pressed task. Yet again the autocannons of the imperial guard to tough for the Astartes armour and punctures another sentry from the cathedral. The stormtroopers do not fare as well and with both their plasma guns overheating the radiation burns them and one dies falls to the searing hell of being fused with his weapon. In the ongoing combats, the platoon command squad along with Albrecht were determined to remove this menace from the world of Lastrati. The lone chaos space marine slashes at two of the bodyguards but the carapace armour means that the grind of the chainsword has no effect. Albrecht determined to banish these daemons from this world swings his giant weapon through a daemon. Repaying in kind the platoon command and bodyguards of the Master of Recruits slay the lone marine and banish the remaining daemons allowing them to continue forward to the cathedral.

Nabu sensing the tide turning out of his favour, turns to the commissar, knowing that with the falling of the commissar he would be free to take on the main stay of the army. Upon calling out the commissar Nabu swings his mighty force weapon at the commissar smashing him to pieces. Scared with the loss of their strict master Richter the guardsmen flee from the sight of Nabu. He turns to chase the Master of Recruits determined to remove him from the blight of this world. Word Bearer Turn 4

The daemons sensing the potential stealing of one of their masters, move themselves into position with a lone sargent to protect the plague lord. Astartes recognising they are the last ditch attempt at stopping the Master of Recruits reaching his goal and extracting the location of the other lords. The final approach was coming and Nabu, Erra and his final men charge head strong into the upcoming combat. The plasma marine moved up to the top of the building, the dreaded sentry point where the autocannons had hurt the Word Bearers greatly, launched a salvo of plasma at the Stormtroopers, vaporising two of them in its wake. Seeing an attack of opportunity the last plasma chosen aims at Albrecht and fires his super heated plasma shots at the leader, the first shot aims straight towards the Master but is intercepted by a bodyguard, laying down his life in duty to his master. The second salvo from the plasma gun back fires and kills the astartes contained within the power armour.

Hearing the roar from Nabu charging into the remainder of the veterans squad, Erra charges fool hardly into the platoon command squad and is struck down by the reactionary fire. The two chaos space marines defending the remainder of the cathedrals charge Albrecht, unfazed he aims his plasma pistol straight at the meltagun toting astartes and removes his head, dropping to the ground leaving just one astartes trying to hold off the imperial advance. The Remaining Turns (IG and Word Bearers Turn 5-7) Albrecht and his men keep working through the appearing and disappearing tide of daemons, focusing on slaughtering as many as they can before the time runs out and the plague lord escapes. Nabu works his way towards the Master of recruits, determined that word of their advance and appearance would not get back to the Black Templar force garrisoning this world. He advanced on the command squad. Despite having rallied previously a new group of Daemons has surged forward to counter the platoon. The daemons slaughtered the platoon, with Nabu making short work of the remaining platoon command squad whilst advancing on the position of Albrecht.

The daemons knowing that Nabu wanted to have Albrecht from himself, kept him in place , surrounded for only a few to see that his time was coming. He hacked and slashed at the remaining daemons in an attempt to escape, but it was to late his fate was sealed. After mopping up the Platoon command squad, Nabu charged through the ruins straight for Albrecht.

In Albrechts final moments he saw the daemon taint take hold of the settlement, over 30daemons had come to watch his slaughter. Nabu charged in with his force weapon slaying Albrecht with a single swipe of the weapon, having him fall to the ground and to lay there awaiting his final visions.

A victory had been gained for Nabu and his host, but at what cost? The slow process of helping the Astartes regain and recover was now a problem, meaning that he would have to await his continued success on the planet of Lastrati. The Plague Lord thanked him and gave him the co-ordinates of a meeting point in the centre of the planet, where all four lords would hear his callallowing him to advance in his pilgrimage.