The War for Beta-Garmon
Hammer of the Legio:
The Delta-Garmon Beachhead
"We will stand as the Emperor has bade us stand, and we will remain true even as our brothers are swayed by lies. Here among the relics of Mars, we soldiers of Terra prove our loyalty with our very lives. Let none who claim the thrice-cursed Warmaster as their lord set foot upon this world and live to see another day."
Order of Day, Delta-Collegia Battlegroup, Legio Astorum Prefectus Command
This mission represents the beginning of the Warmaster's full-scale invasion of Beta-Garmon, focusing on the Death's Heads Legio's spearhead assault against the defences surrounding the Harvest Domes of Delta-Garmon II. Delta-Garmon II was one of the first worlds of the Beta-Garmon cluster to feel the Warmaster's wrath. In the opening days of Horus' assault, the Traitor fleets drew away their Loyalist counterparts, breaking apart the defensive cordons and blockades around key worlds. With the defenders stretched thin and unable to be everywhere at once, the Traitors exploited the holes torn in Loyalist defences to land forces and create footholds on strategic planets.
Desiring a sudden and overwhelming show of force, the Warmaster used his Titan maniples to spearhead these attacks. In the Delta-Garmon system, it was the Legio Mortis, or Death's Heads Titan Legion, that led the way, its supporting Traitor fleet gathering above the wastes surrounding the largest harvest domes and using their apocalyptic weaponry to create open landing zones for the Titan Legions. Amid clouds of burning dust, the Death's Heads heavy transports made their landing on Delta-Garmon II, their Titans smashing apart the Loyalist fortifications and advancing upon the harvest domes. The Traitor Titans swiftly brushed aside the tank companies of the Deltairum 276th Armoured Corps, who for years had held rebel forces at bay, and it was only the Titans of the Warp Runners who managed to slow their advance, the Loyalists desperately attempting to contain the Traitors to their landing zones.
Battlegroups
One player controls the Death's Heads forces, while their opponent controls those of the Warp Runners. Each player selects a battlegroup as described on page 53 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook. The Death's Heads player's force should have a Battle Rating of up to 2,000 points, while the Warp Runners player's Battle Rating should be up to 1,500 points. Each force must consist of at least one maniple, plus any Reinforcements.
The Battlefield
The battle is played on a 4'x4' board. The Traitor player should select one of the board edges to be their landing zone. The battlefield within 12" of this edge should be clear of terrain, having been flattened by the Traitor fleet. The rest of the board can be set up to represent the largely barren wastes of Delta-Garmon II, interposed with rocky outcrops and regolith dunes.
Stratagems
The Death's Heads player has two Orbital Lance Strike Stratagems (see page 64 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook). The Warp Runners player has 4 points which can be spent on their choice of Battlefield Assets (see page 65 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook).
Mission Special Rules
Blast Shelters: Having been forewarned of the Death's Heads' arrival, the Warp Runners have retreated into subterranean bunkers to survive the brutal preliminary bombardment by the Warmaster's fleet. As the ground battle begins, their Titans are now emerging to oppose the invaders. In the first round of the game, Warp Runners units cannot be targeted by attacks, nor can they make attacks, until they have moved.
Deployment
The Traitor player deploys their maniples and Knight Banners anywhere within 12" of the landing zone edge and at least 12" from the other board edges. Then, the Loyalist player places their maniples and supporting units within 12" of the board edge opposite the landing zone.
The First Round
In the first round, the Death's Heads player chooses who will take the Opus Titanica and be the First Player.
Battle Length
The battle lasts for five rounds, after which either the landing zone is held and the Death's Heads forces land in force, or the Warp Runners have contained the spearhead and the Traitors must choose a new location to make their planetary assault from. If all of the units controlled by either player are destroyed at any point before this, the battle ends immediately.
Victory
At the end of the battle, the Death's Heads player scores Victory points equal to the Scale of each Warp Runners unit that has been destroyed and each Death's Heads unit within 12" of the board edge opposite the landing zone.
The Warp Runners player scores Victory points equal to the Scale of each Death's Heads unit that has been destroyed, or which has not been destroyed but which is Structurally Compromised, or which, in the case of Household Support units, has lost at least half of its models.
The player who scores the most Victory points claims victory.
Designer's Note
Blinding Dust
This is an optional rule that players can use to represent the aftermath of the Traitor orbital bombardment. In the micro-gravities of Delta-Garmon II, the regolith hung above the battlefield for days, obscuring enemies and muting the blazing lights of the harvest domes.
During the Strategy phase, the First Player should roll 2D10. For the duration of the round, the number rolled, plus a unit's Scale, is the distance at which it can be targeted with ranged attacks. For example, if the 2D10 roll resulted in a total of 9, then a Warlord Titan, with a Scale of 10, could be targeted up to 19" away.
12" 12" 12" Traitor Force Deployment Zone Loyalist Force Deployment Zone 24" 48" 12" 48"
Second Battle of Nyrcon City: Holding the Line
+++RANGE 1200 METRES AND CLOSING+++
Traverse right five-five degrees, lock spinward gyro-cores, open autoloader feeds!
+++RANGE 1000 METRES AND CLOSING+++
Target the leader; I want the first shell right between that Traitor's eyes!
+++RANGE 700 METRES AND CLOSING+++
Hit! Direct Hit... no damage! Fire Free! Repeat - Fire Free!
+++RANGE 500 METRES AND CLOSING+++
Watch that incoming! Verdius is down! Cover his arcs - they can't reach the wall!
+++RANGE 300 METRES AND CLOSING+++
Get the gatling blaster back on-line, all power to the void shields, we can't take another hit like that!
+++RANGE 100 METRES AND [unreadable]+++
Vent! Vent! Vent or we're de-
END OF LOG
Terminus Log Scion of Terra Legio Astorum Reaver Titan, recovered M32, Ruins of Nyrcon
This mission represents the Second Battle of Nyrcon City, when Traitor forces stormed into the city, smashing through the defences of those still loyal to the Emperor. It recreates the valiant last stand of the Warp Runners and Nova Guard, and the sacrifice they made to buy time for additional Loyalist forces to reach the beleaguered star cluster.
Of all of Beta-Garmon's battlefields, few saw as much carnage and brutality as the blasted plains surrounding Nyrcon City. Beta-Garmon II remained a key strategic location throughout the campaign, its equatorial fortresses and star forts changing hands numerous times. The city, and the Anvil fortress above it, were focal points of this fighting, and when the Warmaster's forces struck at Beta-Garmon II, it was to Nyrcon City that the blow was directed.
The Second Battle of Nyrcon, so called as it followed Rogal Dorn's retaking of the city in 010.M31, saw maniples of Death's Heads, Tiger Eyes and Death Stalkers Titans, along with supporting Knights from House Perdaxia and House Malinax, march through more than a hundred kilometres of fortifications to breach the walls of the city itself. Forced to land beyond the reach of the orbital defensive web of the Anvil star fortress - even as Space Marine Legions launched their own assault against Nyrcon's geo-stationary orbital - the Traitor Titans faced ground resistance from the PanCrypta Dust Clans, 216th Solar Auxilia "Titan-killer" Regiment and the Garmonite Nemesis Brigades.
These lesser enemies, and the kilometres of mines, gun emplacements and trenches proved ineffective against the Titans, even the constant barrages of Nyrcon's great Nemesis cannon barely slowing their advance. Only the presence of Warp Runners and Nova Guard Titans, along with Knights of House Vyronii and House Niagma in the shadow of the city walls, gave the Traitors pause, though even then it was time bought by the Loyalists at a hefty price, and time that ultimately bore witness to the fall of Nyrcon City to the Warmaster.
Battlegroups
One player controls the Traitor forces, while their opponent controls the Loyalists. Each player selects a battlegroup, as described on page 53 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook. The Traitor player's force should have a Battle Rating of up to 3,000 points, while the Loyalist player's Battle Rating should be up to 2,000 points. Each force must consist of at least one maniple, plus any Reinforcements.
The Battlefield
The battle is played on a 6'x4' board. Mark out a line across the board 12" from one of the short table edges. This line represents the walls of Nyrcon City, and can be represented by a mark on the table or any appropriate terrain the players might have in their collection. The smaller portion of the board - behind the walls - should contain four buildings, which can be placed by the Loyalist player. The greater portion of the board - outside of the city walls - is no man's land, and should be sparsely filled with terrain.
Stratagems
The Traitor player has 3 points to spend on any Stratagems they wish (see page 64 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook). The Loyalist player has 4 points which can be spent on any Battlefield Assets (see page 65 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook). These assets must be placed in no man's land. In addition, the Loyalist player has the Artillery Bombardment Stratagem to represent the effects of the Nemesis cannon.
Mission Special Rules
Walls of Nyrcon: Towering over the surrounding wastes, the walls of Nyrcon City were a formidable barrier in their own right. The walls of Nyrcon City count as Blocking terrain and line of sight cannot be traced across them. After setting up the terrain, but before either side deploys, the Loyalist player should mark a point the width of a Warlord Titan's base anywhere along the length of the wall. This is the gateway into the city and can be freely traversed by the Loyalist forces. Walls are, of course, little defence against Titans. Any Titan, Loyalist or Traitor, may smash a hole in the walls if they spend a Combat phase in base contact with them but do not attack with any of their weapons. Players can, if they choose, mark these holes on the wall to show openings that may then be exploited by other units.
Trenchworks: The wastes around Nyrcon City were riddled with trenchworks, gun emplacements and fortified tunnels. From this web of defences, soldiers of the gathered PanCrypTa Dust Clans, Solar Auxilia "Titan-killer" companies and Nemesis Brigades made their stand against the Traitor Titans and Knight Banners. After setting up the terrain, but before either side deploys, the Loyalist player should mark five strongpoints in no man's land - either using tokens or pieces of terrain to represent them. These strongpoints cannot be within 6" of the walls, nor can they be within 12" of another strongpoint. The Loyalist player can attack with any of these strongpoints in the Enact Stratagems step of the Strategy phase, using the profile below.
Each strongpoint counts as having an Armour value of 12, and a single successful Armour roll that exceeds its Armour value will destroy it, removing it from the board. Strongpoints are, however, well camouflaged, and cannot be targeted by models more than 12" away from them.
Deployment
The Loyalist player places their maniples and supporting units anywhere on the board within 12" of the walls, either in no man's land or Nyrcon City. The Traitor player then deploys their maniples and Knight Banners anywhere within 12" of the short board edge farthest from the walls.
The First Round
In the first round, the Traitor player chooses who will take the Opus Titanica and be the First Player.
Battle Length
The battle lasts for six rounds. At the end of the sixth round, the Loyalist player should roll a D10. On a 5 or more, both players play a seventh round. If all of the units controlled by either player are destroyed at any point before this, the battle ends immediately.
Victory
At the end of the battle, the Traitor player scores Victory points equal to half the Scale of each of their units that are within 12" of the wall but still in no man's land, or the Scale of each of their units that are completely within Nyrcon City. In addition, the Traitor player scores an additional 2 Victory points for each building within Nyrcon City that has been destroyed (see page 52 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook).
The Loyalist player scores Victory points equal to the Scale of each Traitor unit that is more than 12" from the wall and still in no man's land, or which has been destroyed.
The player who scores the most Victory points claims victory.
Deployment map dimensions and zones:
- Traitor Force Deployment Zone: 12"
- Loyalist Force Deployment Zone: 12"
- Distance beyond the wall: 12"
- Board dimensions: 72" × 48"
Trenchworks
| Ballistic Skill/Weapon Skill | Firing Arc | Range (S) | Range (L) | Accuracy (S) | Accuracy (L) | Dice | Strength | Traits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4+ | 360° | 6" | 12" | +1 | - | 4 | 5 | - |
On the Edge of the Void: War in Theta-Garmon
"There are few battlefields as terrifying as those perched on the edge of the void. I recall the battles on Theta-Garmon not with those common terrors of Titan warfare, such as a blast hitting the command canopy, the confusing rage of a wronged machine spirit or even the warning scream of a plasma reactor about to crack. On Theta-Garmon we were all listening for one thing - the gentle hiss that told us we were venting oxygen..."
Legio Atarus Princeps Gayran, The Titan's Graveyard
This mission recreates the Firebrands' ill-fated attack against the shipyards at Theta-Garmon V. For centuries, the shipyards of Theta-Garmon V had been a critical resource for the Battlefleet Imperialis, and vessels travelling to and from Terra. Enveloping the system's azure gas giant, so vast was the web of docks and orbitals, and the latticework of bridges between them, that a man might stand upon their hull and see a landscape of gleaming plasteel reaching out from one horizon to another. During the Beta-Garmon campaign, Titans strode the shipyard's artificial plains, fighting around their docks and fortress spires.
The Loyalist attack on the shipyards was devised to free those docks and habitats captured by the Warmaster during the initial stages of the war for the star cluster. Though fighting had raged in the orbital's corridors and chambers for months, it was hoped that the intervention of the Titan Legions, supported by elements of the Garmonite fleet, might drive the Traitors out. The Firebrands focused their attack around the Eye of Prometheus, a hydrogen-wellhead fortified by the Traitors and defended by the Tiger Eyes. Climbing the sides of the Eye's huge vapour tower, the Titans exchanged fire, often tearing apart the station underfoot to send god machines tumbling off into the void.
The Loyalists had all but taken the spire when the Dark Mechanicum detonated a cyclonic device within Theta-Garmon's star, triggering a solar event on a system-wide scale. Forewarned, the Tiger Eyes and Traitor fleet emerged unscathed, though the flash blinded the Firebrands, and what began as a glorious victory swiftly turned into a desperate fighting retreat.
Battlegroups
One player controls the Traitor forces, while their opponent controls the Loyalists. Each player selects a battlegroup as described on page 53 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook. Each player's force should have a Battle Rating of up to 2,000 points. Each force must consist of at least one maniple, plus any Reinforcements.
The Battlefield
The battle is played on a 4'×4' board. Place a marker or appropriate piece of terrain in the centre of the board to represent the peak of the Eye of Prometheus. The rest of the board should be sparsely covered in terrain, with features suited to a space station such as antennae, control towers and vox dishes.
Stratagems
Both players have an Orbital Lance Strike Stratagem (see page 64 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook). As both sides are benefiting from the close support of their fleets, this Stratagem may be used in each Strategy phase rather than only once per battle.
Mission Special Rules
Eye of Prometheus: Primarily a wellhead for one of the hydrogen refineries hidden within the upper layers of the gas giant, the Eye of Prometheus was studded with fuel tanks and pipelines for the refuelling of void ships. Though the armoured hull of the spire protected it from accidental detonations, those fighting on the Shipyard's hull were not so fortunate. Any weapon hitting a target within 6" of the Eye's peak (i.e., the centre of the board) gains the Blast (3") trait. If the weapon already has the Blast trait, then it generates one more Blast marker than normal.
Theta Flare: The Dark Mechanicum laid a trap for the Loyalists at Theta-Garmon V, triggering a powerful solar flare from the system's star that bathed the surrounding planets in exotic energies, blinding the auspexes of Titans and void craft. In the Enact Stratagems step of the Strategy phase of any round after the first, the Traitor player may declare that they are triggering the Theta Flare. If the flare has not been triggered by the beginning of round 4, it automatically triggers. As soon as the flare has been triggered, all Loyalist units become Blinded - Blinded units suffer a -2 penalty To Hit with ranged weapons in addition to any other penalties. However, triggering the flare also changes the victory conditions for the Loyalist player and so must be timed for greatest effect.
Deployment
The Traitor player deploys their maniples and supporting units anywhere within 12" of the centre point of the board. Then, the Loyalist player places their maniples and supporting units anywhere on the board, provided that they are at least 12" from an enemy model, or the centre of the board.
The First Round
In the first round, the Loyalist player chooses who will take the Opus Titanica and be the First Player.
Battle Length
The battle lasts for five rounds, unless the Theta Flare has been triggered. When the flare is triggered, the game will last for two more rounds - the round in which the Traitor player declared they were using it, and the following round. If all of the units controlled by either player are destroyed at any point before this, the battle ends immediately.
Victory
At the end of the battle, the Traitor player scores Victory points equal to the Scale of each Loyalist unit that has been destroyed.
In each End phase, the Loyalist player scores Victory points equal to the Scale of each of their Titans and supporting units within 6" of the centre of the board. If the flare has been triggered, then they instead score Victory points equal to the Scale of each of their units within 6" of any board edge.
The player who scores the most Victory points claims victory.
Traitor Force Deployment Zone
12"
48"
48"
The Titandeath: Tipping Point on Beta-Garmon II
Here upon the Twelfth Year of the 31st Millennium of Mankind, the Emperor's Most Glorious Legio Titanicus spilled Blood and Plasma so none might break the Union of Stars he had wrought.
Inscription at the base of the Nyrcon Wastes' Cenotaph Titanicus
This mission represents the largest Titan battle of the Beta-Garmon campaign - the aptly named Titandeath. Though it would not earn the title until years later, when Imperial scholars sought to codify the tumultuous events of the Horus Heresy, the Titandeath was a name that became synonymous with both the Titans' role within the Beta-Garmon war, and the apocalyptic struggle for Nyrcon City.
Towards the end of the war, the Collegia Titanica sought to bring about a resolution on Beta-Garmon II. Some have surmised that this was the moment that the Warmaster had been waiting for, and it was here that the balance finally shifted in the Traitors' favour. Contemporary records, however, seem to simply indicate desperation on the part of the Collegia Titanica, and a fear that its resources would be squandered piecemeal on a dozen different worlds. There was also a hope, perhaps a vain one in hindsight, that by this point the defences of Nyrcon were so degraded as to offer the Traitor Titans little protection.
Almost every Legio and dozens of Knight Houses on both sides heeded the call of their commanders and mustered on Beta-Garmon II, the Loyalists marching across fortifications they had once helped defend. In their hundreds, maniples and Knight Banners met in battle, and for days, the god-engines tore each other apart upon a battlefield littered with their kin. In the end, hundreds of Titans were silenced and countless Knights slain, the plains of Nyrcon burning under a sea of shattered plasma reactors and twisted metal.
Although official records claim the battle as a victory for the Imperium, perhaps based upon the outcome of the Horus Heresy itself, many personal accounts are more ambivalent, and it remains impossible to tell if either side could claim the Titandeath as a triumph.
Battlegroups
One player controls the Traitor forces, while their opponent controls the Loyalists. Each player selects a battlegroup, as described on page 53 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook. Each player's force should have a Battle Rating of up to 3,500 points. Each force must consist of at least one maniple, plus any Reinforcements.
The Battlefield
The battle is played on a 6'x4' board. By this time, months of sustained fighting had turned the wastes surrounding Nyrcon City into a scrapyard of fallen war machines and shattered fortifications. The board should be set up with a moderate density of appropriate terrain.
Stratagems
Both players have 6 points to spend on any Stratagems they wish (see page 64 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook).
Mission Special Rules
Titanic Waves: Hundreds of Titans fought in and around Nyrcon City, more than in any other theatre of the Beta-Garmon campaign. Titans would attack in waves, those behind often striding over the wreckage of those which had been ahead, with even more war machines in reserve, should these too fall. In this mission, when a Titan or Knight Banner is destroyed, place it to one side. At the beginning of the round, before determining the First Player, both players may roll 2D10 to see how many of their reserves have reached the battlefield. They may then bring on a number of units whose total Scale is equal to or less than the number rolled. For example, if a 13 was rolled, the player could bring back a destroyed Warlord Titan (Scale 10), and a Knight Banner (Scale 3), or four Knight Banners (total Scale 12). Units returned to the table arrive fully healed of any damage they have suffered and with their full complement of models, in the case of Knight Banners.
When a unit arrives from reserves, it can be placed within 6" of its own deployment area and activate normally this round. Titans returned to the battlefield may be formed into maniples (as long as they meet the maniple's required components) or squadrons.
Players should keep track of the number of units in their force that have been destroyed and whether they are returned to the battlefield or not, as this will have an effect on which side is victorious.
Fallen Titans: With little hope of rescue or mercy from their enemies, many Titan crews continued to fight from the dying hulks of their war machines. When a Titan suffers a Silenced, Laid Low or Wild Fire result on the Catastrophic Damage table (see page 36 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook), after working out the damage effects, mark the location where the Titan fell. Randomly choose one of the fallen Titan's weapons. In the Strategem phase, the fallen Titan can fire this weapon, following all of the normal rules for shooting, though counting its arc of fire as 360° and ignoring any effects that force it to push its reactor. A successful Strength 10 hit or any Strength hit from a range of 3" or less will silence the Titan for good and remove the fallen Titan marker from the battlefield without the need for an Armour roll.
Deployment
The Traitor player deploys their maniples and supporting units anywhere within 12" of one of the short board edges. Then, the Loyalist player deploys their maniples and Knight Banners anywhere within 12" of the opposite short board edge.
The First Round
In the first round, the Traitor player chooses who will take the Opus Titanica and be the First Player.
Battle Length
The battle lasts for six rounds, after which either the Loyalists have smashed their way into the ruins of Nyrcon City, or the Traitors have blunted their assault.
Victory
At the end of the battle, both players score Victory points equal to the Scale of each enemy unit that has been destroyed. Note that a unit may give up Victory points multiple times if it has been destroyed and returned to the battlefield more than once.
In addition, the Loyalist player scores Victory points equal to the Scale of each of their Titans within 24" of the Traitor board edge, or half the Scale (round down) for any Fallen Titan within 24" of the Traitor board edge. The Traitor player scores 3 Victory points for each Loyalist Titan in reserve at the end of the battle. Finally, if in the End phase of any round, one player's total Titans on the battlefield outnumbers their opponent's Titans by at least two to one, they score 5 Victory points.
The player who scores the most Victory points claims victory.
Battlefield dimensions and deployment zones
- Battlefield: 72" × 48"
- Traitor Force Deployment Zone: 12"
- Loyalist Force Deployment Zone: 12"
A Hole in the Sky: Battle for Caldera Primus
"That hateful eye in the sky, it stared down at us throughout the battle, like some cruel god taking pleasure in our suffering. The only thing more awful than the sight of it was the sound of the oncoming storm, like a mag-train coming down a tunnel at breakneck speed - and there we were, tied to the tracks, just waiting for it to hit..."
Scion Herld of Vossilian, House Sterlund
This mission recreates the God Breakers' attack on the hive city of Caldera Primus. While the Titan-death raged around Nyrcon City, Traitor forces sought to take advantage of the reduced defences of Beta-Garmon III. God Breakers maniples assembled in their heavy landing craft above Caldera Primus, their orders to level the planet's principal hive city and send its remains crashing down into the magma geyser below. The main defence against the Titans' assault were the shields that protected the ancient hive from the world's acidic winds - Dark Age technology proof against all but the most devastating of weaponry. And yet the Traitors had learned the secrets of these strange devices, and how their function was keyed to the storm itself, something that not even the Lords of Caldera knew.
Around the hive, maniples of Nova Guard stood sentinel, confident in the strength of Caldera's shields, and the storm that concealed them from orbital attack. These illusions of security were dispelled when the Traitors detonated a vortex warhead in the upper atmosphere over the hive. The bomb blasted a hole in the storm, opening an area over one hundred kilometres in diameter to the sky - with Caldera right in the centre. Without the constant assault of the storm, forgotten fail safes within the hive's reactors awoke, and its void shields fell silent. Naked against the advancing God Breakers, the hive's defence fell to the Nova Guard, with both sides seeking a quick victory as the roiling maelstrom relentlessly closed in around them.
Battlegroups
One player controls the Traitor forces, while their opponent controls the Loyalists. Each player selects a battlegroup as described on page 53 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook. The Traitor player's force should have a Battle Rating of up to 3,000 points, while the Loyalist player's Battle Rating should be up to 2,000 points. Each force must consist of at least one maniple, plus any Reinforcements.
The Battlefield
The battle is played on a 4'x4' board. The Loyalist player chooses one board edge to represent the gates of Caldera. The rest of the board can be set up to represent the broken crater below the hive, with rocky outcrops, lava pools and any other appropriate terrain.
Stratagems
Both players have 4 points to spend on any Stratagems they wish (see page 64 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook).
Mission Special Rules
The Coming Storm: The Traitors are in a race against time to breach the gates of the city before the storm closes in and Caldera's impenetrable shield returns to life. Each round, in the Stratagem phase, the First Player should roll a D6 to determine the effects of the oncoming storm. If the dice roll is equal to or less than the current round, place a Storm token on the edge of the board. After this dice roll is made, count up the number of any Storm tokens and apply the storm effects as detailed below. Note, each of these effects are cumulative, so, for example, if there are currently three Storm tokens then the effects for Getting Darker, Acid Rains and Toxic Fog apply.
Storm Table
| Storm Tokens | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Getting Darker: The air is thickening, reducing visibility to a few thousand metres. Reduce the range of all weapons by 6", unless their range is already 6" or less. |
| 2 | Acid Rains: Heavy caustic rain pelts the battlefield. When a Titan activates, it must immediately make a Void Shield save as if it had taken a single hit. If the Titan does not have functioning void shields, it loses 1 Structure point on a randomly determined location - note that this may disable weapons or cause Critical Damage. Knight Banners are affected in the same manner as Titans, though may make Ion Shield saves against Acid Rains, counting the rain as having a Strength of 8. |
| 3 | Toxic Fog: Banks of toxic fog roll across the battlefield. In the Stratagem phase, each player, starting with the First Player, places three markers anywhere on the battlefield at least 12" from an already placed marker. Roll a Scatter dice for each marker. If Hit is rolled, leave it in place. Otherwise, move it D10" in the direction indicated and then place a 5" Blast marker centred on the marker. Units touched by the marker immediately suffer the effects of Acid Rain as detailed above. These markers remain in place for the remainder of the round and completely block line of sight drawn through them. |
| 4+ | The Storm Breaks: The full force of the storm comes crashing down upon the battlefield, and Caldera's void shields begin flickering back to life. At the end of this round, the battle ends. |
Magma Geysers: The area below the hive is ravaged by geological activity and sections of the crater are constantly breaking open in plumes of lava. In the Stratagem phase of each round, each player, beginning with the First Player, places three markers anywhere on the battlefield. These markers must be at least 12" from an already placed marker. The players should then number these markers 1-6 and roll a D6. The marker indicated then explodes in a geyser of magma. Place the 5" Blast marker so it is centred on the marker, and work out a Strength 8 hit to any unit touched by the template; Titans are struck on their Legs. This hit bypasses void shields.
Deployment
The Loyalist player deploys their maniples and supporting units anywhere within 12" of the gates of Caldera and at least 12" from the other board edges. Then, the Traitor player places their maniples and supporting units within 12" of the opposite board edge.
The First Round
In the first round, the Traitor player chooses who will take the Opus Titanica and be the First Player.
Battle Length
The battle lasts for six rounds, unless the storm breaks, after which either the Traitors have breached the gates of Caldera, or the Loyalists have successfully held the line. If all of the units controlled by either player are destroyed at any point before this, the battle ends immediately.
Victory
At the end of the battle, the Traitor player scores Victory points equal to the Scale of each Loyalist unit that has been destroyed and each Traitor unit within 12" of the gates of Caldera.
The Loyalist player scores Victory points equal to the Scale of each Traitor unit that has been destroyed, or which has not been destroyed but which is Structurally Compromised, or which, in the case of Household Support units, has lost at least half of its models.
The player who scores the most Victory points claims victory.
Battlefield dimensions: 48" × 48"
Loyalist Force Deployment Zone: 24" wide and 12" deep
Traitor Force Deployment Zone: 48" wide and 12" deep
The Needle Breaks: Beta-Garmon Endgame
"All at once the screams from Beta-Garmon ceased. The eerie silence that followed was more terrifying than the cries from a million damned souls, as it spoke to us of suffering swallowed whole by the emptiness of space. Perhaps most horrifying of all was what it said without words: Beta-Garmon had fallen."
Astropathica Quintus Eolas Shylor
In the closing days of the Titandeath campaign, Traitor forces sought to silence the Carthega Telepathica. This mission represents the Battle for the Diviner's Needle, and one of the Imperium's last attempts to halt the Warmaster's inexorable advance on Terra. While the Imperial commanders were focused upon the war raging in Nyrcon City, and the unfolding fate of Caldera Primus, the Warmaster sent his veteran Titans to destroy his true objective - the Carthega Telepathica, Beta-Garmon's link to Terra. Only a handful of damaged Loyalist Titans and battered Knight Banners defended the spire, the greater measure of the Legios drawn away to defend Beta-Garmon II. Though conventional forces and fortifications covered the slopes leading up to the Needle, these were as nothing to the Death's Heads maniples and the maniples of other Traitor Legios that followed in their wake.
On the treacherous mountain top the two sides met, the boiling storm clouds rolling around the peak and concealing everything below it. The Traitors used this to their advantage, emerging from the clouds at different points to divide the already weakened Loyalist defences. To even the odds arrayed against them, Warp Runners, Imperial Hunters, Firebrands and many other Loyalist Titans made their stand on the spurs of mountain ridges, where only individual war engines could face each other at a time. All the while, the astropathic choirs of the Diviner's Needle cried out for aid, until the mountain top became flooded with psychic screaming.
Some Loyalist maniples and Knight Banners would find their way to the battle before the end, their craft tearing through the blockading battlefleets around Beta-Garmon III and making reckless landings on the mountain's slopes, their Titans and Knights smashing their way out of the tangled wreckage of their landing craft to join the fray. In the end, however, the defences of the Diviner's Needle were broken by the Legio Mortis and their allies, and the spire itself was brought down amid a screech of twisted metal and the piteous wails of the astropaths within.
Battlegroups
One player controls the forces of the Traitors, while their opponent controls those of the Loyalists. Each player selects a battlegroup as described on page 53 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook. The Traitor player's force should have a Battle Rating of up to 3,000 points, while the Loyalist player's Battle Rating should be up to 2,500 points. Each force must consist of at least one maniple, plus any Reinforcements.
The Battlefield
The battle is played on a 4'×4' board. Mark out a 12" area in the centre of the board to represent the mountain top and the Diviner's Needle. The rest of the battlefield represents steep slopes and mountain spurs and can be covered with sparse terrain such as rocky outcrops and isolated ruins.
Stratagems
Both players have 3 points to spend on any Stratagems they wish (see page 64 of the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook).
Mission Special Rules
The Brave Few: Only a handful of Loyalists were on hand to defend the Diviner's Needle, and though some reinforcements reached them before the end, theirs was as much a defiant last stand as a battle where they had any hope of victory.
The Loyalist player begins the game with no more than 1,500 points of Titans and Knight Banners on the battlefield. Many of their Titans and Knight Banners have already suffered damage, and after deployment, the Loyalist player must roll a D6 for each Loyalist Titan and Knight Banner on the battlefield. On a result of 4 or 5, randomly determine a location on the Titan and reduce the location's Structure points by D3 (if the location rolled is a weapon, the weapon becomes Disabled). Knight Banners reduce their number of Knights by one. On a roll of 6, randomly damage two locations on the Titan instead of one or reduce the number of Knights in the Banner by two.
The remainder of the Loyalist force is held in reserve and will drop into the battlefield during the battle. In the Stratagem phase, the Loyalist player chooses one of their Titans or Knight Banners currently held in reserve. Place the chosen model(s) anywhere on the board more than 12" from any board edge and 1" from another model. Then roll a Scatter dice, moving the model(s) 2D6" in the direction indicated. If the model touches another model after it has been moved, both the scattering unit and any other units contacted suffer a Strength 12 Hit to a random location. After working out the effects of the hit, if the models' bases are still in contact, move the scattering unit so it is at least 1" away from other models. Models that arrive from reserve cannot move in the round in which they arrived but may be placed facing any direction.
Born of the Storm: Toxic storms surround the Diviner's Needle, and during the battle provide cover for the attackers. Titans and Knight Banners wholly within 12" of any board edge are harder to hit, and attack rolls made against them suffer a -1 penalty. In addition, any unit within 12" of the board edge may be removed from the battlefield at the end of their movement activation. Place this model to one side. In the following Movement phase, as an activation, the model may be placed anywhere on the battlefield wholly within 12" of any board edge and facing in any direction, though may not move this round.
Deployment
The Loyalist player deploys their maniples and Knight Banners anywhere within 12" of the centre point of the board. Then, the Traitor player places their maniples and Knight Banners anywhere on the board, at least 12" from an enemy model or the centre of the board.
The First Round
In the first round, the Traitor player chooses who will take the Opus Titanica and be the First Player.
Battle Length
The battle lasts for five rounds, after which either the Traitor forces have felled the Needle or it still stands. If all of the units controlled by either player are destroyed at any point before this, the battle ends immediately.
Victory
In the End phase of each round, the Traitor player scores Victory points equal to the Scale of each Traitor unit within 6" of the centre of the board. The Loyalist player scores Victory points equal to the Scale of each Traitor unit that has been destroyed.
The player who scores the most Victory points claims victory.
DESIGNER'S NOTE
A Scream into the Void
The constant psychic screaming from the Diviner's Needle saturates the mountain top, clouding the minds of Princeps and making machine spirits restless. If both players feel like making this mission more challenging, they can use the rules for A Scream into the Void. This has the effect that Princeps find it more difficult to convey their orders and must roll two dice when making Command checks and choose the lower of the two results. In addition, machine spirits are more prone to rages. When rolling the Reactor dice, the blank side counts as the Awaken Machine Spirit symbol and risks awaking the machine spirit.
Loyalist Force Deployment Zone 12" 48" 48"