Hyperion Conflagration BFG Report - Surprise Attack Above Stigmata - T1

The 1st Marauder Fleet sped towards the Machina Tertius System to attempt to thwart the Eldar plans for the forgeworld. Their route took the Chaos fleet perilously close to the Imperial shrine world of Stigmata, which was certain to have a defending fleet due to its strategic and religious import.

As expected upon arriving in the Stigmata system an Imperial fleet was detected consisting of:
Glory Hound - Emperor Class Battleship
The Champion of Cherusci - Mars Class Battlecruiser
Star God - Lunar Class Cruiser
Designation unknown - Lunar Class Cruiser

(I forgot to take a picture before the battle, so just ignore the blast markers/tokens.)

Luckily the Imperials had not noticed the Chaos fleet dropping out of warp space. The Warmaster of the 1st Marauder fleet immediately ordered a Surprise Attack!

Turn 1-

Only the Glory Hound and Champion of Cherusci were on alert, with the two Lunar cruisers in orbit around the planet unprepared for the coming battle.

As the 1st Marauder fleet moved into the edge of the system a Radiation Burst scrambled ship-to-ship communications preventing any special orders. Meanwhile the Legendary Captain Tim the Enchanter executed a series of very impressive though completely pointless turns and barrel rolls (free Come to New Heading order).

Undeterred the Chaos fleet turned their guns on the nearest ship, the Star God. Despite her captain ordering the crew to Brace for Impact! the Battlecruiser was nearly destroyed, with the Chaos Battleship's lances striking the harshest blows.

The Heartless Destroyer launched assault boats towards the crippled cruiser hoping to finish it off once they made contact, and the Eternity of Pain launched boarding torpedoes towards the lumbering bulk of the Glory Hound Battleship.

- - - - -

As the Imperial fleet attempted to turn to face this attack a second Radiation Burst blanketed the area preventing one of the Lunar class cruisers from coming to combat readiness.

With the Imperial ships out of position the minuscule amount of firepower they were able to bring to bear on the Chaos fleet made no impact.

The Emperor Battleship launched waves of fighters and bombers, as did the Planetary Defense Force on Stigmata. These were too late to save the Star God as assault boats loaded with Chaos Space Marines damaged her Engine Room, and the subsequent Fire turned her into a Drifting Hulk. The Chaos boarding torpedoes crashed into the Glory Hound doing extensive damage to her Engine Room, and damaging the Port Armaments.

Turn 2 -

The Chaos Fleet continued to move ahead and fire at the Glory Hound. Fortunately for her crew the shields held, and no damage was done. The Heartless Destroyer launched fighters to clear the area of encroaching Imperial Attack Craft. Again Legendary Captain Tim the Enchanter took his ship through very complicated and beautiful to look at series of turns that had no impact on the battle at hand.

- - - - -

Unable to turn due to the damage in her Engine Room the Glory Hound continued to drift further from the battle, and the Star God was able to turn enough to bring her Nova Cannon to bear on the Chaos fleet.

(Ignore the Chaos Escort Squadron, the picture was taken after movement in Chaos turn 3.)

The Star God's Nova Cannon managed a direct hit against the Chaos Battleship Eternity of Pain, but was unable to inflict any damage through the powerful shields.

The Imperial Bombers were able to strike a blow against the Heathen Promise. Inflicting only minor damage thanks to the ships turrets and Bracing for Impact, but the Bridge was Smashed reducing her ability to follow any orders issued to her in the future and forcing Legendary Captain Tim the Enchanter to flee the ship in an escape pod.

Turn 3 - 

The Chaos fleet continued to move forward along the edge of the system, with the Fearmongers Inconoclast squadron pushing their engines to All Ahead Full.

Once again the Chaos fleet turned its guns upon the Glory Hound, but again her shields held and no damage was inflicted.

- - - - -

As the hulk of the Champion of Cherusci crashed into Stigmata in a fiery blaze, the Imperial fleet continued to maneuver to positions to use their Nova Cannons.

The unknown Lunar cruiser finally fired its first shot aiming its Nova Cannon at the Anarchic Vendetta. Unfortunately the shot went wide and missed, though it did force the Chaos captain to issue a Brace for Impact! order reducing the return fire the Imperials would take. The Star God fared better with a direct hit on the Heathen Promise that crippled the ship, thanks in part to the fact that there was no captain to issue the order to Brace for Impact!

Further waves of Imperial attack craft began to close on the Chaos fleet. The greater number of Imperial launch bays was beginning to tell.

Turn 4 -

The Chaos fleet continued its move towards the edge of the system, with the Heathen Promise desperately issuing All Ahead Full orders in a bid to escape the battle before being destroyed. Without her captain the crew failed to heed the calls for more speed ad her fate was sealed. The Fearmongers seeing their chance left the Heathen Promise to her fate and made good their escape from the battle.

In a bid to save the Heathen Promise the Eternity of pain Locked On, and fired at the Star God overloading her shield and inflicting moderate damage. Even while crippled the Heathen Promise could still bring fearsome weaponry to bear, but it was not to be and every shot went wide of the Star God or simply bounced off her armored prow.

- - - - -

The Lunar cruisers continued to chase the Chaos fleet, while the Glory Hound finally managed to turn the great bulk of the ship to start back towards the battle.

The Star God's broadside was just enough to finish off the Heathen Promise and turn her into a Blazing Hulk.

In retaliation Chaos assault boats boarded the Star God damaging her port armaments.

Turn 5 -

Incensed at the loss of a valuable ship the Chaos Warmaster ordered his Battleship to Burn Retros in order to take some parting shots at the offending Imperial cruiser, while the rest of the fleet caught up.

The entire Chaos fleet's salvo of shots was either absorbed by shields or skittered harmlessly off the armor of the Imperial ship as they attempted to gain some vengeance for the Heathen Promise.

- - - - -

As the Imperials took their final shots at the Chaos fleet, a Nova Cannon shot hit home on the Anarchic Vendetta, though most of the impact was absorbed by her shields. Other fire from the Imperial fleet failed to inflict any damage.

As the hulk of the Heathen Promise drifted out of the system, so did the rest of the 1st Marauder Fleet. 

Though the forces of Chaos had taken a blow, the destruction of the Champion of Cherusci was a greater loss for the Imperial fleet. Without the necessary forces to defend the sector the Imperial fleet was forced to cancel any patrols in the system, allowing the chaos fleet to raid the trade routes and small colonies throughout the Stigmata system. 

[Chaos Victory - 285vp vs 280.5vp]