Korinthion V Campaign Update: Clash on the Arid Plains

After some early setbacks, the Ultramarines have enjoyed a succession of victories against the IVth Legion on Korinthion V.  The XIIIth Legion learned quickly how deadly the Iron Warriors' artillery can be even at long range.  Moreover, the 31st Grand Battalion's Siege Tyrants will wipe out anything that strays into their line of sight.  The Sons of Peturabo's quad mortars with Shatter Shells have short range. but can destroy an armoured line if they get the chance.

The only way to defeat the IVth Legion, therefore, is to advance towards them quickly but coherently, laying down fire, to pin units behind cover.  Any units that get too far ahead of the rest of the advancing line will be ruthlessly picked off.  And any stragglers might never get a chance to get into the battle.

Death from Below!

At the same time, the Iron Warriors' Terrax Patterm Termites are ideal for attacking sections of a an advancing line, their disembarking troops pouring melta or plasma fire into the rear armour of tanks and dreadnoughts.  Suddenly a coherent line becomes disjointed as a subterranean assault from a support squad with melta guns disrupts the advance on one side of the battlefield, and bogs units down as they try to contain the threat.

The Ultramarines deploy defensively, ready to defend against any Terrax pattern Termite incursions from underground

But the Ultramarines know that their Predators and Sicaran can be equally deadly, advancing and firing on any units not in cover.  And if their Spartan or Land Raider can close in on the IVth Legion's heavy support lurking in the Iron Warriors' rear lines and unleash the XIIIth Legion's terminators and Suzerain Invictarii, then they can make short work of any resistance.  Both Legion's tactics are pretty obvious, therefore.  But putting them into practice can be easier said than done.  With the campaign moving into the ferrous wastes of Korinthion V, the Legion that adapted its tactics for the change in the terrain would be the victor.

Strike quickly, strike hard!

The Ultramarines had the first move, forcing the IVth Legion to place their mortars, Siege Tyrants and Deredeo safely out of sight, or risk having them blown off the field before they could fire a shot.  The Siege Tyrants deployed behind one of the refinery's furnaces, ready to leap up the ladders to the platform above once the XIIIth Legion had fired their first barrage.  The quad mortars, too, deployed in the shadow of one of the furnaces, hoping they would get a chance to user their devastating firepower later in the battle.

With the Ultramarines first to advance, the Iron Warriors deploy in cover

The XIIIth Legion had some early successes in the first turn, their Deredeo dreadnought, Sicaran and predators able to strip some hull points off the IVth Legion's basilisks, Deredeo and the Sicaran Arcus, first seen in a skirmish in the wastes a few days' beforehand.  Simultaneously, the Ultramarines' line began to push forward.  In response, the IVth Legion's heavy support failed to have much impact, although the Siege Tyrants took up position on one of the furnace platforms, giving them a commanding view of the battlefield.  They would have to weather any fire for another turn, though, before the Ultrarmarines' units would come into sight.  At this point, the battle already looked to be slipping away from the Iron Warriors. Then the first of the Iron IVth's Terrax Pattern termites burst from underground in the middle of the battlefield, a tactical support squad armed with melta guns leaping from the hatches and crippling one of the Ultramarines' Predators.  Their target had been the Ultramarines' Sicaran, though, and the IVth Legion's Warsmith hurled abuse into the nuncio vox.

Tactical squad with nuncio-vox to call in the artillery

In the second turn, the Ultramarines' Predators and Deredeo were able to inflict further damage on the Basilisks and the IVth Legion's Deredeo, an orbital strike called in by the Damocles Command Rhino adding to the firestorm.  With their Arcus, Basilisks and Deredeo Dreadnought reduced to firing snap shots, it looked as if nothing could halt the XIIIth Legion's advance.  The Iron Warriors' siege tyrants did manage to claim a scalp in the form of one of the second of the Predators'.  Then the second Termite erupted from the barren earth, unleashing a second support squad, but armed with plasma guns, who quickly destroyed the Ultramarines' Deredeo who had been winning a personal duel with his opposite number in the IVth Legion's rearguard.

The second Termite erupts from the arid plains

The battle was turning, and the Iron Warriors' Sicaran Arcus ended the Ultramarines' Sicaran's battle.  The XIIIth Legion's advance had stalled and their only chance of redeeming the battle was to quickly dispose of the Iron Warriors' siege tyrants.  A plasma support squad disembarked from a Domocles Command Rhino, hoping to remove a few of the Siege tyrants, but at this stage it did not look like it would be enough to swing the battle.  The XIIIth Legion's Spartan pushed up, unleashing its cargo of Cataphractii terminators. But before they could tackle the Siege tyrants, they would first have to dispose of an Iron Circle Domitar Ferrum Battle Automaton.  Although they quickly hacked the automaton to pieces, they were left horribly exposed in the middle of the battlefield.

A plasma support squad line up the Iron Warriors' Siege Tyrants

Seeing their chance, the remaining Siege Tyrants quickly descended from the furnace platform to the plain below, unleashed a salvo of krak missiles at the Ultramarine terminators and charged.  The XIIIth Legion's Cataphractii didn't stand a chance, and with their slaughter the battle was won.