First Blood

This past weekend (12 Mar 2016), I played my second game of Horus Heresy Zone Mortalis.  It, like the first was against the warriors of Legion XVIII, Salamanders.  The short version is that Fire Drakes are an incredibly tough unit, especially against other Astrates.  This includes thrashing Butchers.  The World Eaters nearly brought it to a tie, but failed to dislodge a unit of Salamander Breachers from the tying objective.

Battle begins and the World Eater force is engaged by Fire Drakes

The Fire Drakes made fast work in turns 1-3 of the majority of the World Eaters force.

MVPs of the Battle

Engaging the first tactical squad on the Salamander turn 1, having weathered 60 Bolter firings as they advanced.  The Salamander Legion Champion called out a challenge to the World Eater Sergeant, who accepted with abandoned, crushing the Terminator armored Champion with his fist only to be taken down by the Champion's Thunder Hammer.  This gave the World Eaters Slay the Warlord, their only victory points for the entire battle.  The Fire Drakes finished off all nine legionaries.  (First Blood was given to both sides or no sides.)

The Butchers and other Tactical Squad arrived from reserves.  The Butchers came in behind the Rampagers to support and here I, the World Eater's commander.  Made a critical mistake.  Instead of being lucid and taking the Rampagers towards the Salamander deployment zone objective, I charged the Fire Drakes in a blind hope of taking them down.  All the Rampagers and Kharn would fall in combat to the Fire Drakes on that charge.

Oh for another turn!

During the Salamander turn 2, the Fire Drakes charged the Butchers and exchanged blows.  The Butchers did take down some Fire Drakes with their axes, but were overwhelmed by the Thunder Hammers the Drakes carried.

At the top of turn 3, the remaining Tactical Squad began a made dash towards the nearest objective.  In the vain hope of achieving a tie for the battle.  Over the course of 3 turns, the Salamanders Breachers and World Eaters Tactical Squad would race to the objective, exchange fire for a turn and finally the World Eaters charged the Breachers in hopes of pushing them off the objective.  They failed.

Another win for the Salamanders.

Casualties at the end, mostly the work of Fire Drakes