Carthis Prime - The Imperium Strikes Back

This Good Friday I play host and umpire for 8 of my regular gaming mates.  This will see the next major event on Quintas Maelstrom's primary world.

Since the Battle for Carthis Prime in December, the Quintas Maelstrom campaign has been progressing at a steady pace.  Tau and Eldar forces continue to take worlds across the western sector hedging in the Dark Angels.  Ultramarines and Necrons move their forces through the eastern sector maintaining an uneasy ceasefire.

Killteams from these Empires have battled in ruined Forge worlds and through the ruins of lost civilisations to gather intel on the enemy and secure better transit for the greater armed forces of their races.

The different armies have met across the Maelstrom and come to blows upon unclaimed worlds, slowing the losers progress while the victors make small additions to their total force.

The Imperium lost control of Carthis Prime in spectacular fashion the last time everyone got together.  Now they return to push the entrenched Xenos forces from the planet.  The Tau have forged a truce with the Necron forces gathering about Carthis Prime and have negotiated the services of a renegade chaos marine force to fight back against the Imperium's loyal sons and daughters.

The Imperium races towards Carthis Prime with a combined force of Ultramarines, Salamanders, Black Templars, Adeptus Sororitas and allies from the Mechanicum's Knight Worlds.

Communications intercepted from both forces also report the presence of Eldar meeting with both sides...

So all players have been instructed to bring an 1850 point army each.  They are allowed to use an allied force, formations and Knights as long as they are approved by myself before the day.  After a morning of 1v1 games all players on a team will unite their armies and add an additional 1850 points for a massive 4v4 pseudo Apocalypse game.  The Additional points can buy Lords of War, further units from parent codex's ignoring FoC, Fortifications and Formations.  These must be checked by me before the day.

Here is how the teams look,

Imperium
Cody(Captain) - Ultramarines
Joel - Salamanders
Ryan S - Black Templars
Wil - Adeptus Sororitas

Xenos
Stu(Captain) - Necrons
Aaron - Tau
Ryan L - Tau
Alex - Chaos Marines

Here are the 1v1 games which the players have already been sent - the teams may choose who on their team plays what scenario.  Hopefully making tactical choices to better ensure victory and rewards for the big game.

Due to the fact that Xenos forces control Carthis Prime, the Xenos players will be the defenders in each scenario.

Table 1
Encounter at Relay Station Carthis 149/X
SPECIAL RULES - SLAY THE WARLORD, Night Fighting turn 1 only, Variable game length
The table will be divided into quarters.  The defending Xenos players quarter will have terrain representing as heavily fortified outpost, including a usable Quad gun and Icarus Lascannon.  The Imperial attacker will have the opposite quarter.
The Xenos defender sets up first then the Imperial attacker.
The Imperial attacker will go first unless the Xenos seizes the initiative.
From the third turn onwards Imperial reserves may enter from ANY table edge.
VICTORY CONDITIONS
At the end of the game the force with the greater number of SCORING units within the defending table quarter is the winner, alternatively once one side has no scoring units left, their opponent wins immediately.

REWARD

The Relay Station also contains control cogitators for a Void Shield Generator in the ruined capital city.  The winning players team gets a Void Shield Generator to use in the team game with a total of 3 projected Armour 12 Void Shields - see page 31 Stronghold Assault

Table 2
Battle across the Tharxian Plains
SPECIAL RULES - SLAY THE WARLORD, Roll for Night Fighting from turn 4 onwards, Variable Game length
The table will be played on length ways but deployment zones will be up to 18" onto the table instead of 24"
Each side must choose half of their number of units to be in reserve at the start of the game rounding up.
Roll to choose sides as normal.  The side which chooses their deployment zone sets up first.
Once setup roll to see who goes first, no seizing the initiative.
VICTORY CONDITIONS
Imperial - The Imperium's goal is to push through the Plains towards the ruins of Carthis Prime's capital.  For every mobile vehicle or scoring unit in the Xenos deployment zone at the end of the game they gain 3 Victory Points.
Xenos - The Xenos objective is to attack and contain the Imperial advance.  Every Imperial unit destroyed is worth 1 Victory Point.
REWARD

The winning players team gains a Comms Relay to use in the team game, Any player with an unengaged model within 2" of a comms relay can re-roll Reserve rolls for their Teams forces.

Table 3
Scour the Starport
SPECIAL RULES - Slay the Warlord, First Blood, Variable Game Length
The table will be setup to represent one of the derelict Starforts orbiting Carthis Prime.  "Empty" portions of the table represent space and can only be moved over by Flyers, Skimmers, Jump Infantry and Jetpack Infantry.  Jump Infantry must begin and end their movement
on solid terrain.
Primary Objective - There will be 4 objective areas on the table, they are worth 3 Victory points each.  A Player controls one of these if he has a non-vehicle model within 6" of it and there are no non-vehicle enemy models within 6" of it.
Secondary Objective - Planetary Defence Lasers, There are 2 Defence Lasers that can be fired at enemy forces on the Planet below.  A controlling unit may fire a laser instead of their own weapons in the shooting phase.  On a 5+ they hit an enemy target and score 1 Victory Point.
Hard Vacuum - The Atmospheric field generators are in poor condition.  Whenever you roll a 6 to wound they count as an AP2 hit.  Daemons, Necrons and Wraithbone units are Immune to these effects.
Reserves may enter from ANY solid starport edge, representing shuttles or other transports dropping them off.
REWARD

The winning players team gains D3+1 one shot Orbital Bombardments as per the Space Marine Chapter Masters rule to use during their shooting phases.  These can be used all at once or spread over multiple shooting phases.

Table 4
The Relic
This will use the standard Relic scenario from the main rulebook and all normal rules involved.  However in addition to the normal Relic rules when the Relic is first taken control of please roll on the Archeotech Artifact table on page 106 of the main rulebook, these effects if any will emanate from the Relic for the rest of the game.
REWARD
Whatever the Relic's Archeotech results in, it also contains a powerful Vortex weapon.  The winning players team gains 1 Vortex Missile!  In any controlling players shooting
 phase they may use the Vortex Missile.  It has Infinite range, Strength D, AP 1, Ordnance, Large Blast, Vortex - see page 13 Stronghold Assault - it can remain in play! ;)

TEAM GAME
There will be 5 Objectives worth 3 VP each spread out across the ruins of Carthis Prime's capital and a lot of Warlords on the table to slay.

I  have most of the lists in and they all look good so far.  I am really looking forward to this.