Astaramis is a well-ordered and heavily defended hive world, the largest center of population in the Konor System and a potent symbol of Imperial dominance.
Having gathered significant momentum with their early victories on the outskirts of the Konor System, the armies of Chaos spread out across the region like poison seeping into the blood stream of the Imperium.
A vast segment of the Chaos armada descends upon Astaramis, the most populous planet in the system. With its teeming cities arranged in vast concentric rings, the well governed and prosperous hive world exemplifies the grand dream that is Ultramar. However, even Astaramis’ formidable orbital defence platforms and veteran garrison are not enough to hold back the oncoming tide. The Chaos armada launches waves of magmatic torpedoes, and macro-cannons obliterate planetary fortifications and engulf entire regiments of defenders in searing firestorms. Heretic Astartes and their allies slam to earth in blistering drop pod assaults, blasting apart anything that moves even as they march implacably onwards towards targets of strategic value.
During the Great Crusade, the Ultramarines Primarch Roboute Guilliman made landfall upon Astaramis. In the centuries since, the population has come to regard him as a saint, raising vast statues and temples in his name. Hearts emboldened by the revelation that Guilliman has risen from his millennia-long slumber to defend Humanity once more, they fight on bravely in the face of an unceasing onslaught. From the shrines of Saviour’s Landing to the vast and imposing Quintus Gate, the streets echo with the unceasing chatter of las-fire and the dull thud of bolters and high-explosive rounds.
Yet for all the tenaciousness and devotion shown by the people of Astaramis, they cannot stand alone. With every passing hour, the invaders push further inward, taking hab-block after hab-block. Xenos forces have also been spotted planetside, exploiting the confusion of battle in order to kill, loot or pursue their unknowable ends. Imperial forces have already been forced back as far as the hive’s innermost spires, and the outer districts are little more than a rubble-strewn wasteland. If reinforcements do not arrive soon then Chaos will have gutted the Imperium’s greatest source of manpower in the Konor System, and destroyed a potent symbol of Imperial faith.
Astaramis has come under direct and heavy attack from the forces of Chaos. Yet it seems they are not the only threat, for alien forces of every ilk have been reported on the planet’s surface. If this is true, their intentions as yet remain unclear. In response, mighty armies are mustered to defend the sprawling hive world and battle is joined in earnest.
THE ARMIES
Each player must first muster an army from the miniatures in their collection. A player can include any models in their army, but if their army is Battle-forged, they will also be able to use the unique Fate of Konor Stratagems and the appropriate Stratagems included within this mission.
In this mission, if one player’s Warlord has the IMPERIUM keyword, they are automatically the Defender, and their opponent is the Attacker. If both players’ Warlords have the IMPERIUM keyword, or neither player’s Warlord has the IMPERIUM keyword, the players must roll off to decide who will be the Attacker and who will be the Defender.
THE BATTLEFIELD
Create a battlefield using the deployment map included with this mission and then set up terrain. The battlefield should contain several defensible pieces of terrain, such as such as buildings, bunkers and obstacles, representing the territory that the Defender has been tasked with holding against the invading forces.
DEPLOYMENT
After terrain has been set up, the players then alternate deploying their units, one at a time, starting with the Defender. A player’s models must be set up within their own deployment zone, though up to half of a player’s units can instead be placed in Reserve (see the Narrative Play Mission Rules in the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook).
FIRST TURN
The Defender rolls a dice. On a roll of 6, the Defender can choose to take the first turn; otherwise the Attacker has the first turn.
RESERVES
Starting from the second battle round, each player makes a roll for each of their units in Reserve at the end of their Movement phase. On a 3+ the unit being rolled for arrives from Reserve. Units automatically arrive at the end of a player’s fourth Movement phase if they have not already done so.
When a unit arrives, set it up anywhere within 6″ of the controlling player’s battlefield edge that is not within 9″ of any enemy models.
BATTLE LENGTH
The players should use the Random Battle Length rules (see the Narrative Play Mission Rules in the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook) to determine how long the battle lasts.
VICTORY CONDITIONS
At the end of the game, the player who scored the most victory points wins a major victory. If both players have the same number of victory points, the game is a draw. Victory points are achieved for the following:
Breach Their Lines: The Attacker scores 1 victory point for each of their units with at least one model completely within the Defender’s deployment zone at the end of the battle.
Destroy Any Approach: Each time one of the Attacker’s units is destroyed, the Defender scores 1 victory point.
Slay the Warlord: If the enemy Warlord has been slain during the battle, you score 1 victory point.
STRATAGEMS
In this mission, players can spend Command Points (CPs) to use the weekly Fate of Konor Stratagems, which are available in all participating stores or with any purchase of special weekly units at games-workshop.com. Players also have access to the following bonus Stratagems:
1CP
AT THE DOUBLE-QUICK
Attacker Stratagem
Use this Stratagem in the Charge phase to charge with a friendly unit that Advanced earlier in the turn.
2CP
SUPPRESSING FIRE
Defender Stratagem
Use this Stratagem immediately before firing Overwatch with a friendly unit in your opponent’s Charge phase to re-roll all failed hit rolls for that unit. In addition, your opponent must subtract 1 from their charge distance for each model in the charging unit that was slain by your unit’s Overwatch fire.
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