ProHammer Solo Campaign - The Iron Thorn Crusade

I had a free evening and decided to take ProHammer for a solo spin. I’ve talked about it before on the blog - this project is an effort to create a single unified “middlehammer” ruleset, pulling heavily from 4th edition Warhammer and allowing armies from any 3rd-7th edition codex. There is a WEALTH of goodness in this range and is peak 40k for me (I started playing around the time the “3.5” edition codicies began releasing, I still have my Space Marines 3.0 codex and its Blood Angels supplement from when I was a pre-pubescent nerd utterly captivated by the setting). I recently made some extra terrain for my home setup going and thought I’d take the rules for a spin and play a little narrative that may turn into a whole campaign for when I want to play Warhammer but dont have anybody free to play with.

Pyraxis-Tertius - Crucible of the Iron Thorn Crusade

—– data inload —– in progress —–

– clearance::::vermillion –

– thought for the day: Endurance is the armor of the faithful: let your suffering be a hymn to His glory –

For 12 years, the hive world of Pyraxius Tertius has burned. Its initial fall came suddenly - whispers of heresy suddenly rising to a crescendo of rebellion timed with the sudden appearance of a XX legion strike force. A similar fate befell numerous other worlds in the sector, the orchestra of Chaos blaring a dark hymn of victory as world after world fell to a combined assault from multiple Traitor Legions from a hence unknown warp storm.

The Imperium’s response was slow - as always - but inexorable. A mighty Crusade was proclaimed by Inquisitor Lord Argalia Regina of the Ordo Hereticus, keen to punish the clearly treasonous planetary governors responsible for the rapid collapse of order in the sector. Named the “Iron Thorn” crusade in honor of the massive Emperor-class battleship that serves as its flagship - Imperial Guard regiments, Adeptus Sororitas conclaves, and even a maniple of Titans from Legion Metallica were quickly amassed and flung against the enemy. Pyraxis-Tertius lays on the only stable warp route into the Chaos-corrupted worlds which makes its fall essential for the success of the Crusade.

However - the heretics resisted conquest stubbornly, and the lightning assault envisioned by Lady Regina quickly became a years-long siege - requiring the intervention of several chapters of Astartes to make progress. Such was the overwhelming force eventually brought to bear that the tide began to slowly turn in the Imperium’s favor until finally only Hive Scarmouth remained in traitor hands - the last Primus-class settlement on the world. Now as the thunder of guns echoes across the desolated wasteland, a strike force of Ultramarines breaks from the siege lines to investigate a devastated secondary hive of Scarmouth, thought abandoned and irrelevant by Imperial high command….

I put together two 1500 point (for those only familiar with modern 40k - in ye olde times 1500 was considered pretty standard and 2000 was seen as a larger game) lists using the 3rd edition Space Marine codex and the 3.5 edition Chaos codex. I wanted to use a variety of models and make use of my 30k Ultramarines (this company has a lot of old equipment from the Scouring left over)

Roughly:

Ultramarines

• Librarian, Artificer Armor, Force Weapon Librarian Flavius Varix
• Command Squad, 5 Marines, Techmarine w/Servo Arm, power sword and plasma pistol vt sgt, frag and krak grenades Honorguard Tertius
• Emperors Champion Aetius Cassian, Son of Macragge
• Tactical Squad, 10 Marines, Vet Sgt w/power weapon and plasma pistol, frag and krak grenades Squad Raptora
• Tactical Squad, 10 Marines, Vet Sgt w/power weapon and plasma pistol, frag and krak grenades Squad Invictus
• Terminator Assault Squad, Lightning Claws Cohors Ferratus
• Land Raider Imperialis Aegis
• Devastator Squad, 4 Missile Launchers Squad Ignis
• Whirlwind Lex Konor

Word Bearers:

• Chaos Lord, Terminator Armor, Accursed Crozius, Demagogue, Daemonic Mutation, Daemonic Rune, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Personal Icon, Combi Bolter, Frag and Krak Grenades Varnakar the Hollow
• Chaos Space Marines, 8 Chaos Marines, Aspiring Champion w/ Personal Icon, Plasma Gun, Missile Launcher, Frag and Krak Grenades, Rhino Covenant of Sorrows
• Chaos Space Marines, 8 Chaos Marines, Aspiring Champion w/ Personal Icon, Plasma Gun, Autocannon, Frag and Krak Grenades, Rhino Covenant of Misery
• Daemonettes, 14 daemonettes The Choir of Malachor V
• Obliterators, 2 Obliterators The Cursed of Oraxis
• 5 Chosen Terminators, 5 Champions Upgrade, Reaper Autocannon, Frag and Krak Grenades Apostate Guard
• Chaos Land Raider Desecrator of Sanctity

The Ultramarines are a fairly balanced Space Marine force with a good bit of fire support and a lethal assault unit in the Terminators with the Emperors Champion (in the older lore this guy was not unique to the Black Templars and could be used by any chapter, just representing an Astartes Hero who takes a specific vow to fight enemy characters in single combat, rather like the 30k consul of the same name)

The Word Bearers are a solid mechanized force, including daemons as I wanted to use the summoning rules of old.

Audio-capture - secure channel - Cannoness Verita Mealia, Siege Commander, Scarmouth Primary Investment Librarian Flavius Varix, Ultramarines 5th Company Strike Force

Verita: “My orders were unambiguous Lord Librarian, your Astartes are needed at the 87th Parallel to stiffen the Albarian 17th. Yet your Thunderhawks soar east, to the Bractix Expansion, a blasted and lifeless graveyard not worthy of our investment. Explain yourself.”

Flavius: “Theoretical - the shortest route to a breach in Scarmouth’s defenses is the western approach, your tactical dispensation reflects this”

Verita: pause in audio record“…and the practical?”

Flavius: “Practical - the Archenemy knows this. Every corridor, tunnel, and gate along that front is mined and fortified. Every hundred meters advance is paid for in the blood of thousands of Guardsmen and even the Astartes suffer attrition advancing against such defenses”

Verita: “And you propose…chasing ghosts? The Bractix Expansion was abandoned by the foe during the second year of this siege, after orbital lance strikes cracked its shell and severed its connection to Scarmouth Primus. There is nothing there but ash and corpses Librarian.”

Flavius: “Not quite nothing. My brother Techmarine informs me auspex-ghosts report stable power readings and the immaterium seethes around Bractix like a damn about to burst. Something stirs within the ash Cannoness. Something the enemy do not wish us to find”

Verita: “You think there is a flank to be turned?”

Flavius: “Theoretical: yes. The practical….I intend to discover. Strike Force Varix out.”

I decided to play the Intercept mission archetype to represent the Ultramarines discovering a chaos ritual in progress amidst the ruins of the Bractix Expansion. Using the mission book, I rolled for the specific primary objective and got Power Siphon. In this mission, the forces battle for control over several “consoles” (in this instances, tentacular ritual sites) performing the Siphon Power action to score VPs. The more controlled terminals the side has, the greater the number of VPs this awards. I really like ProHammers mission design - most scenarios seem to have a Threshold for Victory (the mission ends when one side reaches it or uses Variable Game Length otherwise which is familiar to us old 3rd ed vets). There is also a clever Margin of Victory system in place which I will explain later. The Ultramarines quickly realize they are not alone amidst the ash and corpses of Bractix….

Ultramarines Turn One

“Contact! The enemy is here - visual confirmation - XVII legion - engaging….Librariun Flavius has marked multiple points of interest, we need to control them at all costs!”

The Ultramarines won the role off for the first run and quickly advanced towards the ritual sites. Fire from the Land Raider’s Godhammer lascannons scored an early win - stripping the sole structure point off a chaos rhino and immobilizing it! A barrage of rockets from the Devastator squad failed to find its mark on the other chaos Rhino while the tactical squad in the industrial tank complex stared down the Chaos Land raider.

Land Raider incoming!

Command squad takes an objective

Land Raider advances

Squad Invicta and Lex Konor

Word Bearers Turn One

“Lord apostle, the servants of the Corpse emperor are here! Thin blooded sons of the accursed Robute…they must not interrupt the ritual!

The Chaos Land raider surged up the street towards the tactical squad sheltering amidst the leaking industrial tanks and disgorged its lethal cargo of Chosen and the Dark Apostle. A lucky shot from the cursed lascannons immobilized the Ultramarines land raider! The tactical marines Overwatch (having stayed stationary last turn) and fell a Chosen with bolter fire! Obliterators advance through the ruin towards a ritual site, firing meltaguns at the Land Raider but failing to pierce its thick armor

Rhino rumbling onwards

Chosen disembark

Overwatch for your lives brothers!

Chaos Marines exit their transports

Obliterators ready to…obliterate!

Ultramarines Turn Two

“What is that…Holy Terra, something is being birthed in the depths of the hive! Brothers, set demolitions on these sites, we must stop this abomination from entering the world!”

Ultramarines fire destroys the immobilized rhino and a hail of fire from the whirlwind downs multiple chaos marines - and the cowards fail their morale check and begin to flee! The command squad, in control of the ritual site, executes the action to score the Ultramarines Victory Points - 3 this turn. A hail of fire from every unit on the board downs two more Terminators (though they are immune to morale checks thanks to the Dark Apostle’s Demagogue ability). The Terminators and the Champion exit the Land Raider, positioning themselves to either assault the Chosen or force the Obliterators out of the ruin. A wave of Krak missiles immobilizes the other Rhino!

The fist of the Emperor, poised to strike!

Librarian Flavius, reaching into the Warp to smite the archfoe

Squad Invicta moving to take a flank

Ultramarines: 3 Word Bearers: 0

Word Bearers Turn Two

“The Dark Gods hunger…and we shall offer them a feast!”

The Chosen assault the tactical squad and absolutely eviscerate it in close combat - the Dark Apostle is a monster in melee and slays four marines alone. ProHammer uses a version of the old “prototype” assault rules from Citadel Journal so only engaged models can be removed - a nice touch that prevents the “one guy repeatedly walking up and dying” problem the vanilla 3rd ed rules introduced. The cowardly chaos marines rally before running off the board (ProHammer lets you rally at the board edge one last time before fleeing) while the 2nd squad advances towards the far objective.

The Covenant of Misery races towards the flank to secure the objective, their transport’s motive force spent.

The Apostate Guard will reap their due!

The Dark Apostle will absolutely smash these Tactical Marines around like Sauron in this combat.

The remains of Squad Raptora fall back and rally thanks to And They Shall Know No Fear (Throne I missed this rule in recent 40k…so classic)

Ultramarines: 3 Word Bearers: 0

Ultramarines Turn Three

“More firepower on those Terminators! Throne of Terra…they won’t die!”

An absolutely gobsmacking amount of firepower is absorbed by the Chosen as they march towards the Command Squad, including a Smite from the Librarian, with no losses! The Terminators and the Champion make the difficult call to go after the obliterators instead of avenging the tactical squad, denying Chaos an objective. With re-rolls to wound and a high WS from the Champion, one of the Oblits is cut down and the other left on one wound! The second tactical squad has secured another site, keeping the VPs going:

Aetius continues to carve his legend into the hides of the traitors

Squad Invicta holding a flank

Ultramarines: 6 Word Bearers: 0

Word Bearers Turn Three

“We can sense your souls…your torment will last eternally!”

The warp rips open as the Daemonettes arrive, summoned by the Dark Apostle. Old chaos daemon summoning was the best. Its so flavorful. The Daemonettes arrive within charge range of the last remaining tactical marines on this flank and promptly butcher them. In the climax of the battle, the Libarian duels the Dark Apostle! They slay each other as combat is simultaneous at initiative, the Force Weapon scoring a deadly strike as the Libarian is beaten into the pavement by the Dark Apostle! The Chosen break the honor guard who fall back - crucially losing an objective! The last Obliterator is cut down as the far chaos marine squad takes the objective in the crater.

The warp is torn asunder- Daemons come to feast!

The duel of fates!

The Covenant of Misery trades fire with Squad Invicta

The last of Squad Raptora meet a brutal end

Ultramarines: 6 Word Bearers: 0

Ultarmarines Turn 4

“Libarian Flavius is down I repeat Librarian Flavius is down! Get him to the rear damn you! Remember the Primarchs!”

The Devastators light up the daemonettes with a barrage of frag missiles that banishes over half the unit. ProHammer uses BS for direct fire blast weapons and then you scatter if you miss - I really like this system. The Ultras other shooting is ineffectual - though points continue to be scored!

The center is a mess now!

Ultramarines: 9 Word Bearers: 0

Word Bearers Turn 4

“Varnakar has fallen! The ritual is destabilizing! His vengeance will be swift if he awakens….secure the ritual sites brothers!”

Chaos shooting fails to accomplish much as the remaining daemonettes rip the sole surviving member of the command squad apart (poor techmarine). The Chosen do hold a ritual site allowing Chaos to score some VPs. The weakened chaos marine squad inches towards its objective.

The Techmarine is in for a rough fate.

Ultramarines: 9 Word Bearers: 3

Ultramarines Turn 5

“Vengeance for Brother Flavius! For Ultramar! Courage and Honor!”

The Emperors Champion leads the surviving assault terminators against the chosen! The combat is sharp, two Ultramarines terminators fall for one Chosen!

Ultramarines: 12 Word Bearers: 3

Word Bearers Turn 5

“The ritual is stabilizing…keep defending the ritual sites brothers!”

The Chosen fall at last before the Emperor’s Champion, but the Word Bearers are starting to catch up on VPs, holding two uncontested points now! A lucky shot from the Chaos Land Raider blows a lascannon off the loyalist land raider.

Ultramarines: 12 Word Bearers: 9

Marines Turn 6

“Keep firing! Whatever Warp Accursed thing they are doing can’t be easy under a rain of shells!”

Ineffectual shooting this turn but the Ultramarines do control more objectives again thanks to the heroics of the Emperors Champion.

Ultramarines: 18 Word Bearers: 9

Chaos Turn 6

“The Dark Gods take them…the ritual can’t be completed now, but the Warp still sings, fall back brothers, we’ve bled them at least

Similar story for Chaos, holding objectives and taking pot shots.

Ultramarines: 18 Word Bearers: 15

The game ended here - according to the scenario the Threshold for Victory was 24 VPs (four times the number of objectives rolled, which was 6). As neither side broke the threshold, and there was not a clear Margin of Victory (one side leading by 5 or more) we consult the secondary objectives for victory points. Minor objectives are things like slay the warlord, linebreaker, etc - I really like that these only come into play if the primary mission isnt completed (I absolutely hate secondary objectives in modern 40k - its too complex and turns into two armies playing minigames instead of battling IMO- this I like much better)

When calculating a Minor Victory, Primary VPs are discarded and you consider only the secondaries (as its only a minor victory, in a campaign this would not have drastic consequences)

Both sides got Slay the Warlord. Both sides wiped out at least 50% of the opposing force but less than 75% in terms of total points (Ultramarines endured an eye-watering 73% loss with Chaos not far behind at 66% - vehicle with more than two damage effects are counted as lost). The tiebreaker came from having a clear deployment zone - Chaos forces remained in Ultramarines lines so Chaos eked out a minor win!

I really liked the system and will be doing more games in this “story” - next I think the Word Bearers will try a breakout assault from the Expansion, trying to inflict massive casualties to re-ignite the warp ritual the Ultramarines rudely interrupted (next time they will be more the “lead characters” for the batrep)

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Do check out ProHammer if you like middlehammer - this was a lot of fun for me and really brought out my inner child (with much more terrain and better painted models….)