It is the Gothic war, Abaddon the Despoilers armies are mounting a massive push into Imperial space in the Cadian sector. His objective, the awesome destructive power that is the Blackstone fortresses.

In the Basino system the capital planet of Basino Inferno is a massive planetary dockyard, its atmosphere burnt out many years past. An inhabited moon takes a plodding orbit around this spaceport with pretty much every soul living out their exsistence in enormous hive cities.
Cancello Inferno is a small but extremely well defended fortress world which also has a well established manufactorum. It is also believed that situated upon the northern polar ice cap is an Inquisition stronghold.
Invidia is a richly fertile agri-world that provides food stuff to not only the Basino systems planets but all resupplying vessels.
The system is well defended but it is bolstered by currently having two Blackstone fortresses in orbit around the dockyard planet.

Chaos:
Abaddon covets the Blacksones that he has sent forces to take them but he is not so ambitious as to leave his war effort lacking. Thus only a relatively small portion of his forces are mounting the assault into the area.
The forces of chaos objective is to sieze control of the Blackstones at all costs.
Necrons:
Strangely enough the Necron objective is the same as the chaos warhost. So much so that a fragile alliance has been formed, of course the Necrons true intent remains shrouded in mystery.
Orks:
Orks love to fight but always is the problem of getting to the punch-up. Knowing that Blackstone fortresses can transport a phenomenal amount of boyz they want to steal them. If things don't go according to plan then smashing them into the dock planet is the next best thing.
Eldar/Dark Eldar:
Though not allied to the chaos cause the Eldar forces are not helping the Imperials either. Knowing the potential of the currently dormant Blackstones the mon-keigh posses leaves only one option, their total and utter destruction.

Without further ado here is next weeks matchups.

1. Chris vs. Stu
2. Doug vs. Andrew
3. Fred vs. James
4. Dan vs. Craig
5. Graham vs. Jim
6. Andy vs. Jon (Q)
7. 'lil Chris vs. Dicko
8. Ash vs. Jamie
9. Big Jim vs. Marc
10. Sam vs Martin

Good fight, Good night

Hi All,

I've sent an email to the St James Hall Owners to see if the Hall is available.

NOTE: Into the Maelstrom is on the 19 & 20th of March.
So the following weekends that I requested are:
Saturday 26th March and Saturday 3rd April.

Will discuss more on following Monday.
Cheers,
DaBoss

....The story so far,

With Imperial forces spread across the system, with ships in roving picket lines and armies patroling planetside, the Chaos and Xenos struck almost without warning attacking on multiple fronts. Giving the armies of the Emperor a beating across the board the only forces to present any kind of resistance were those of the Space wolves, Black templars and the Ultramarines. The attacks at first seemed random but it soon became clear that the Chaos warlord was using these attacks as a feint with the bulk of his forces heading for the systems fortress world, Cancello Inferno. The Xenos, following in the wake of the chaos advance, took up their own agendas with the Orks deploying almost in support of the Chaos armies, the Necrons performing attacks from nowhere before disappearing without a trace. The Eldar and their Dark eldar allies were sighted pretty much everywhere apparently searching for something and, with regards to their Dark kindred, taking prisoners.

So onto the next phase of the conflict, a massive assault upon Cancello Inferno and strategic strike on Basino moon.

Phil dear boy the 3rd of april is a sunday so i'm sure you mean the 2nd...

The offensive into the Basino system has entered a new level, Chaos and Ork forces mounting a massive assault upon the fortress world. Meanwhile the Eldar have made landfall on Basino moon, without a fleet presence coincidentally.

Without further ado, here is this weeks matchups:

1. All round defence (battle mission book page 70) Dicko? vs. Andy
2. Waaagh (battle mission book page 60) Phil vs. Dan
3. Pillage (battle mission book page 10) Martin vs. Big Jim
4. Invasion (battle mission book page 20) Jim vs. Fred
5. Sever the head - Craig vs. Chris
6. Hold the line - Stuart vs. Lil' Chris
7. Dawn Raid (battle mission book page 26) Q vs. Ash
8. Slave Raid (battle mission book page 28) Jamie vs. Graham
9. Vital Objective - Andrew vs. Sam
10. Under cover of Darkness - James vs. Doug

Sever the head,
This mission is annihilation (roll for deployment as normal) with the following exception: Both players nominate one of their HQ choices at the start of the game, these models are worth D3 kill points rather than 1.

Hold the line,
This mission uses pitched battle deployment and 3 objectives spaced evenly along the centre of the board.

Vital objective,
This mission is a sieze ground mission utilising the spearhead deployment type. 1 objective must be placed in the middle of the board, this counts as 2 rather than 1 objective for victory purposes.

Under cover of darkness,
This is a standard mission generated in the normal way except the nightfight rules are in play throughout the entire game.

Good fight, Good night.

Note to All: I have been able to hire the St James Hall for the Saturday 26th March for the Apocalypse games of the End of this Campaign.

Please confirm with James that you can attend, as usual Hall available from 11am and finish around 7pm.

With an overwhelming defense the Imperials managed to hold the line against the encroaching Chaos and Ork hordes. Sadly not all was well as coven of sorcerers managed to cast a hex upon a blood angel contingent causing the genetic flaw in their geneseed to surface. With blood maddened rage they attacked the space wolves they were sent to reinforce. Yet the might of fenris proved too much and the afflicted were cut down with pity but no mercy.
Meanwhile both Craftworld and Dark eldar forces upon Basino moon smashed those sent to oppose them unearthing as they did some truly ancient webway portals. Not having seen their like before, imperial tacticians are reluctant to guess at the destinations reachable.
The next confrontations will now be quite vital with imperial units mobilising for a counter offensive against chaos and ork positions upon Cancello Inferno. Having left forces guarding the web gates the Eldar have moved onto the next part of their plan leaving imperial garrisons wondering if they will be next to feel the wrath of the xenos.

Ok boys and girls here's this weeks games

1. First contact (battle mission book page 82) James vs. Chris
2. Counter attack (battle mission book page 76) Phil vs. Graham
3. Fighting withdrawal (battle mission book page 78) Stuart vs. Andy
4. Surprise attack (battle mission book page 68) Dicko vs. Sam
5. Vanguard (battle mission book page 66) Martin vs. Ash
6. Cut and run (battle mission book page 62) Jim vs. Lil' Chris
7. Implacable advance (battle mission book page 54) Andrew vs. Dan
8. Prepared assault (battle mission book page 42) Craig vs. Big Jim
9. Divided we fall (doubles) Jamie+Q vs. Fred+Doug

Divided we fall
This is a doubles mission with the following force organisation chart:
1 HQ (compulsary)
4 troop (2 minimum)
2 elite
2 fast attack
2 heavy support

This mission uses dawn of war deployment with each player able to deploy a HQ choice and two troop choices as normal and seize ground mission type. All may not go according to plan though with allied units interpreting the battle plan in their own way. To represent this any time a unit of your allies fails a morale check within 6" then your unit needs a pinning check as the seeds of doubt and confusion are sown.

Good fight, Good night.

The empire strikes back...

...although not as concisely as they required.

Pushing back the chaos and ork forces imperial assault groups met with focused resistance that they either brushed aside or completely smashed through with just a few unexpected exceptions. It now seems apparent that some of the supposed retreats were in fact presisely set ambushes.
In the process of searching for ancient web gates the dark eldar started to replenish their slave stocks which in turn drew the attention of the black templars. In the ensuing engagement the black templars could not pin down the dark eldar and they themselves could not breach the templars stoic defence.
Meanwhile upon the verdant planet of Invidia craftworld forces succeded in finding one of the webway portals with just one problem, a taskforce of crimson fists commanded by none other than chaptermaster Kantor. Although opposing him in command of the eldar was none other than the phoenix lord Asurman. Attacking suddenly and without warning the eldar drove off the fists with the injured form of Kantor carried away under the care of the apothecarion after the building he was defending was leveled by the firepower of a falcon grav tank.

At this stage in the assault it is starting to become clear that the eldar involvement is becoming more and more impossible to predict and that the chaos and ork forces are holding back the main assault wave of the attack...

Greetings and salutations, here is this weeks matchups.

1. Night fight (battle missions book page 18) - Chris vs. Jamie
2. Fight to the death (battle missions book page 22) - Graham vs. Q
3. Feigned retreat (battle missions book page 30) - Fred vs. Craig
4. Flank attack (battle missions book page 36) - Big Jim vs. Jim
5. Mobile defence (battle missions book page 38) - Dan vs. James
6. War of attrition (battle missions book page 44) - Sam vs. Stuart
7. Trench warfare (battle missions book page 46) - Andy vs. Dicko
8. Ambush (battle missions book page 50) - Lil' Chris vs. Martin
9. Recon in force (battle missions book page 52) - Doug vs. Dan
10. Blitzkrieg (battle missions book page 58) - Ash vs. Andrew

Good fight, good night

Suffering massive losses on all fronts, Imperial battlegroups have been forced to yield ground and fall back to pre-prepared defensive positions hounded all the way by combined Chaos and Ork armies. Upon the planet Invidia Salamander space marines burnt swathes of woodland in an attempt to flush out the Eldar and Dark eldar hiding within hopefully pushing them into the waiting forces of the Crimson fists and the Ultramarines. The Crimson fists fought a contingent of Dark eldar to a standstill with fire raging all around whilst He'stans Salamanders were ambushed and slaughtered without mercy.

With reports of Abaddons flagship the planet killer en-route to the Basino system the conflict has entered the final stages with Chaos and Ork forces attempting to seize control of the orbital defence batteries guarding the Blackstone fortresses. The Eldar have also discovered the final location of their web gates upon Invidia and with Imperial tacticians believing that they may have a link to the Blackstones efforts are being doubled in readiness for the forthcoming assault.

The gauntlet has been thrown down with mighty heroes converging upon both sides.
This weeks match-ups are all Clash of Heroes games from the battle missions book.

1. Graham vs. Stuart
2. Andy vs. James
3. Dan vs. Q
4. Chris vs. Craig
5. Big Jim vs. Phil
6. Doug vs. Jim
7. Fred vs. Dicko
8. Sam vs. Jamie
9. Ash vs. Martin
10. Lil' Chris vs. Andrew

Good fight, Good night