A massive contingent of infantry from the 3rd Converged Division advance upon the Necron attackers on Myopolis.

“The 3rd Converged Division has suffered heavy casualties after being attacked by Necron forces that appear to be advancing on the capital city of Xintorgo.“
—Imperial Voxcast (6 941 743.M41)

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Setting

The Necron invasion of Myopolis, a Mechanicus-allied world, began more than five years ago, but it was only this year that the  Forge World of Helios formally requested assistance from the Adeptus Militarum and Imperial Navy to help deal with its xeno foe.

In the waning days of the year (6 941 743.M41), Necron forces shifted troops away from the Magdalena Desert, where the Adeptus Mechanicus had deployed a Mechanicum Ordinatus Ulatoris, one of the most potent war machines at the Imperium’s disposal. This weapon’s introduction resulted in significant casualties for he robotic xenos.

Through means unclear, the Necrons redeployed thousands of kilometers away and launched an attack toward the Xintorgo Hive City, site of two forge temples and seat of the planetary government.

The Necrons targeted a portion of the Imperial defensive line defended by the 3rd Converged Division, an amalgamation of Cadian, Tallarn, and conscript PDF troops whose regiments had been badly mauled in the years of fighting.

Scenario

The scenario rolled was “The Relic.”

In this 7th Edition scenario, a single objective is placed in the center of the table. The objective is worth three points. One point each can be earned by meeting the objectives of Linebreaker (having a unit in the enemy deployment zone), First Blood, and Kill the Warlord (both self-explanatory).

For narrative purposes, the objective was designated as a piece of archeotech, a highly-prized sample of advanced technology from the Dark Age of Technology. The still-mysterious device was uncovered recently, half-buried in the desert sand, by nomadic tech barbarians who search the desert for remnants of long-lost manufactorums, forge cities, and abandoned equipment.

As it happens, the location of this archeotech is exactly in the path of the Necron advance, and the Mechanicus is willing to pay any price to hold the site. So, the 3rd Converged Division is told to “stand firm.”

Imperial forces greatly outnumber the Necrons, and the plan of the 3rd Converged Division’s commander is to simply swamp the xenos with numbers.

Deployment

As this was a solo game, I tried to lobotomize my brain into two generals.

As the Imperial Guard player, I decided to go with a “blob army.” Each infantry platoon (a battered regiment in the narrative) would consist of five combined squads, supported by a commissar to bolster its durability.

The plan was to plow straight forward and attempt to seize the objective immediately, counting on the survivability of my large platoons to weather whatever the xenos threw at them.

One other novelty to my plan was the lack of vehicles. I loaded up with 15 lascannon heavy weapon teams. As long as I kept them behind the front lines, and my troops held, it would be difficult for the xenos to target them (you have to shoot at the closest target).

As the Necron player, my goal was to plant my Monolith on the objective—and laugh at the idea that squishy humans could push me off the objective. Most of the army would sit behind the massive mobile fortress and blast away from a distance until the Imperial were all dead.

Also, I put some Necron warriors and a Triarch Stalker in the heavy cover of undamaged buildings on the left flank of the Imperials. In 7th Edition, undamaged buildings are considered a transport for targeting, so I could rake the human flank mercilessly with little danger of harm. (The buildings had plenty of firing points.) That should be as annoying as hell.

The army point value was 1,500 points.

Imperial Turn 1

Thousands of infantry, supported by nine lascannon batteries, advance across the desert of Myopolis.

It’s 30 minutes until dawn. Three 50-man platoons race toward the objective under the cover of darkness. Their lascannon crews (five per platoon)  hang back and, as best they can, target the Monolith.

Fifteen lascannon open fire on the massive xeno structure, but darkness interferes with their targeting auxpexes. Only three lascannon strike home. One fails to penetrate the Monolith’s armor. One is a glancing hit. The third penetrates and Immobilizes the craft. Good job!

Oh, wait. The Monolith is constructed of necrodermis, a living metal that flows over the damage and begins to repair the massive craft. One point of damage is healed. The Monolith remains Immobilized, but the Imperial commander is upset that only one point of damage was done by his massive heavy weapons attack.

Still, the Monolith cannot advance and sit atop the objective. That’s a big deal.

Necron Turn 1

Damaged but undaunted, the Monolith opens fire with three Gauss Flux Arc projectors. The central Tallarn platoon is targeted, and massive explosions erupt in the middle of the mass of men.

The result is a nightmare. Casualties are more than 25 percent with the first volley. Oh, Emperor’s balls!

The shock of the onslaught demoralizes these hardened veterans, and the guardsmen waiver. A commissar steps up and shoots the first man to take a step back, and the platoon miraculously finds the willingness to stand its ground..

To the west, the Cadians on the left flank advance toward what appears to be a deserted village. But it is infested with xeno scum, and Necron warriors open fire with volley after volley of Gauss Flayers. Cadian casualties are high, and the advance halts. The buildings ahead are built of mud bricks and stone, and the guardsmen need heavy weapons for an assault. Alas, all lascannons are focused on the Monolith.

What’s more,  the men see a Triarch Stalker and Annihilation Barge in the distance, advancing south and obviously looking to turn the Cadians’ flank.

The battle has not begun well.

TheGM: Yikes. I knew the Monolith was a monster, but its firepower really slaps me with the reality of it. And the Necrons in the buildings . . . as I said earlier, those mud-bricked buildings will be a pain in the ass.

As I put on my Imperial Guard hat, it really hits home the tactical challenge here. I can”t help the Cadians. Every lascannon has to keep slamming that Monolith.

The Imperial plan goes amiss almost immediately, as the technology of the xeno weapons easily overpower the more numerous guardsmen. On the western flank, the xenos actually advance, giving  up the defensive advantages of the village.

Imperial Turn 2

Curse my left brain lobe. As the Imperial commander, I make a major mistake. Rather than stick to my plan, I am so intimidated by the xeno fire coming from the village, as well as the Necron move to turn my flank, I order the Cadians to fall back out of range of the xeno small-arms fire. I’ll guard my flank. Once I destroy the Monolith, then I can order the Cadians to seize the village with heavy weapons support.

In the center, my Tallarn continue their advance, despite the looming Monolith before them. As the sun creeps over the horizon, every lascannon targets the Monolith again, hoping that they can finish it off quickly.

It’s not to be. Imperial fire just bounces off the xeno’s black armor.

The only good news is reported on the east flank. There, a motley crew of conscripts are advancing under the cover of some ruins. One lascannon team, which doesn’t have a line of sight to the Monolith, sets its sights on an advancing Ghost Barge transport. The team scores a hit, shuts down its energy shield, and immobilizes the skimmer.

The sheer amount of firepower unleashed by the Necron Monolith slaughtered a third of the Tallarn contingent within the first 10 minutes of fighting.

Necron Turn 2

Seeing the Cadians fall back on the west flank, the Necrons pounce. The xeno infantry leaves the village and gives chase, once again bringing the guardsmen within firing range. The Triarch Stalker and Annihilation Barge swing east, using a tall message to shield themselves from any lascannon crew that might be tempted to disobey orders and shoot at the closer threat.

Once again the Necrons open fire across the line. The Tallarn stagger back, and the Cadians visibly recoils 100 meters under the onslaught. Scores die. The Necron commander, viewing is data relays, notes that combat algorithms estimate his likelihood of victory has risen to 69.3 percent.

TheGM: I hate when my nerve breaks, and I abandon a perfectly sound plan. Instead of distracting the Necron left flank as my center went for the objective, I’ve fallen on the defense and not only lost the initiative, but I’ve exposed my advancing center to flank fire. Dumb!

On the other hand, when I put on my Necron hat, I am delighted. The humans are intimidated, as they should be, by the power of the foe they face, and I intend to exploit that. Advance!  Keep on the pressure! Don’t surrender the initiative as my opponent has.

Click here to read the conclusion of this battle.

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The Corvus Cluster is a Warhammer 40K blog documenting our gaming adventures in the fantastical sci-fi universe of Games Workshop.