This is a straight-up 'kill the leader' mission. Primaris Battle Leader Haldor Icepelt is on the field, with three Aggressors (each counting as an individual); while the Genestealers are being directed by Gilgas Vendella, an Acolyte Iconward.This one will end in just four turns, and whoever kills the opposing leader wins.We're still using the City of Traps table (for which I still get my bonus from Mission #1) and, even better, the Cult Reinforcements rule is still in play, so I'll get to respawn units. For the first time, however, I'm getting actual 'units' (one of Hybrid Metamorphs, two of Purestrain Genestealers), so Kraken will have to wipe out a whole unit before I can attempt to resurrect them.For once, I'm playing somewhat defensive, since Gilgas won't stand up to a stiff breeze, much less the full attention of an Aggressor volley. The Iconward and his entourage of Metamorphs bunker down in a ruined tower, while the two packs of Purestrains go into Ambush (I'm counting on them to do the heavy lifting).As Kraken has thoughtlessly chosen to leave one Purestrain alive, it means I can't recycle the unit. However, the gribblies that died in the previous turn are available to me, and for once I roll badly on my Cult Ambush. Instead of landing anywhere useful, they come down in the bottom corner of the field, ready to threaten the newly-arrived Aggressor. Not optimal, but at least Genestealers can haul ass when required.My command bunker remains bunkered down. The lone Purestrain attempts a charge on the Aggressor, but falls short (and sadly doesn't get killed to Overwatch, so I'm stuck with the under-strength unit).You can in Narrative Play. Your conscience is clear.

Forces

Space Wolves

Haldor Icepelt , Primaris Battle Leader : power axe, bolt carbine, frag and krak grenades

: power axe, bolt carbine, frag and krak grenades 3 x Aggresors : auto boltstorm gauntlets, fragstorm grenade launcher

: auto boltstorm gauntlets, fragstorm grenade launcher 5 x Primaris Intercessors : auto-bolt rifles, chainsword (sergeant), 1 x auxilliary grenade launcher,, frag and krak grenades

: auto-bolt rifles, chainsword (sergeant), 1 x auxilliary grenade launcher,, frag and krak grenades Asper the Frozen, Space Wolves Redemptor Dreadnought: heavy onslaught gatling cannon, heavy flamer, two storm bolters, Icarus rocket pod, Redemptor fist.

Genestealer Cults

Gilgas Vendella , Acolytle Iconward : autopistol, rending claw, blasting charges

: autopistol, rending claw, blasting charges Bregg the Anointed, Abominant : rending claw, power sledgehammer

: rending claw, power sledgehammer 5 x Aberrants : heavy improvised weapon (hypermorph), 2 x power hammers, 2 x power picks rending claws, 1 x hypermorph tail

: heavy improvised weapon (hypermorph), 2 x power hammers, 2 x power picks rending claws, 1 x hypermorph tail 5 x Hybrid Metamorphs : 1 x bonesword, 1 x cult icon, 1 x metamorph claw, rending claws, metamorph whips, hand flamers

: 1 x bonesword, 1 x cult icon, 1 x metamorph claw, rending claws, metamorph whips, hand flamers 8 x Purestrain Genestealers: rending claws

For those keeping score at home, the Space Wolves list comes in at 484pts or 25PL. The Genestealer Cults cost 549pts or 28PL. When I said I was going into this with every advantage, I meant it.



Meep.



Deployment

Imagine that you can hear the same sound effect as Mutley tiptoeing. This is how they sneak up on you.

Turn 1

Turn 2

Turn 3

Turn 4

I eat marines for Bregg-fast.

Back in the Wolves' Lair

Like these Navy Seals. They fit the description, but you wouldn't want to command them in battle.

Everything's on the table for the final battle! And this time, the Space Wolves have the initiative: all they need to do is trigger two demolition charges (essentially control two objectives in the Cult's deployment zone, and trigger it in the shooting phase) and the campaign is theirs!Three wins to zero, which means I go into this final game with every possible advantage: +1 to City of Traps roll; Aberrants re-roll wound rolls of 1 against the Dreadnought; Haldor starts off with one fewer wounds. What could possibly go wrong?The battle lasts for five turns, but for a whopping 3CP the Space Wolves can buy one extra turn. For my part, the Genestealer Cults can no longer recycle destroyed units for free () but for 1CP I can achieve the same effect (except for the characters: when they're dead, they stay dead).The 'Tower Cower' manoeuvre worked out well for me last time, so I do the same: stuffing Gilgas and the Metamorphs into the ruin next to one of the demolition charges. I'm allowed to put no more than half my units into Cult Ambush, so the Aberrants and Purestrains are sent into hiding. This does mean I'm leaving one of my objectives far away and entirely unguarded, but I'm relying on my Ambush rolls to move around the board.I also get my first licks in with another big roll on the 'City of Traps' table - one mortal wound as the Redemptor Dreadnought steps on a carefully-placed garden rake.Not to be sniffed at, but I'd rather have had the bonus to my Ambush rolls (which Ihave got without the bonus from my Mission #1 victory - a victim of my own success here).My command group doesn't feel like showing so much as a mutated snout to all that Space Wolves firepower, so they stay put and I drop both of my Ambush units.And sure enough, this is where it all unravels: a roll a 1 for my Aberrants. I really can't have this unit out of place, so I spend one of my precious Command Points (which I need to respawn units, let's not forget) to re-roll the dice and get a more respectable 4, which puts them 9" away from the the Redemptor Dreadnought.Time for the Purestrains - and it's another 1! I can't afford to re-roll this time, so they're just going to have to lump it at the back of Kraken's now-empty deployment zone. At least I have the good sense to place them out of Aggressor range.This leaves the Aberrants as the only unit who can make a charge - and they just fall short. I spend the second of my Command Points to re-roll one of the dice - and I'm in! The loss of one wound to Overwatch is drowned out by my sigh of relief(luckily they dropped close enough to the Iconward to take advantage of his Nexus of Devotion banner - a 6+ FNP - which actually worked!)And it's straight to the Combat Phase, where all five Aberrants get to dance with their old pal, Asper the Frozen. Though not all of them get a turn, since the Hypermorph immediately takes off six wounds with his improvised weapon (the 'stop sign') and the power hammer Aberrants knock off another six. That's it! The Dreadnought is down!One objective down already, and there are still too many bolters out there for my taste, so Gilgas and his buddies stay in cover. The Purestrains sprint across the field, relying on the large, central tower to keep them out of gunshot.Which just leaves the Aberrants to move menacingly towards Haldor Icepelt. It's an easy charge, and they start swinging away at him. He puts up a spirited defence against the Hypermorph, blocking two of the four wounds that land. But with double damage, he's still a gonner, and Kraken considers it not worth spending a Command Point to save him. So it's another early bath for this headstrong pooch.Agreed. Haldor deserved no better. He was a bloody liability.With my two big units still lose on the field, albeit somewhat truncated, I'm feeling pretty good by this stage. The Aberrants and Purestrains both charge into the Aggressors, and even the Iconward and his lads feel confident enough to move out from cover, to lend the aura of his banner to the combat units.Without the bonus I gained against the Dreadnought, my attacks are going a little wild, and I only land two hits on the Aggressors, one of which fails to wound. I spend my last Command Point to generate a second wounding strike - and with the -3AP and D3 of the Power Hammers, that's enough to kill two of the squad.It's looking like a done deal now, but Bregg the Anointed will not be denied! He charges into the fray, swinging his power hammer back and forth to annihilate the last two Intercessors.The last demolition charge remains intact, which means the Thirsting Wyrm keep control of the reservoirs of Greigan Hollow. I hope the planet Vigilus has plenty of Evian in stock.Victory for the Genestealer Cult!Well, we reckoned this campaign was an uphill struggle for the Space Wolves, and I reckon that was borne out!Cult Ambush and Cult Reinforcements were a huge advantage to me. If we were to play this again (and maybe when I get the actual models on the table, a rematch could be on), I think limiting the reinforcements, or making them Command Point dependent (as they were in the last mission) would be the way to go.Ultimately, it does seem like the story of Genestealer Cults is: if you do well in the Ambush rolls, your opponent is screwed. Although that lesson was obvious from Mission 1, so I think Kraken could have been a bit cannier with screening his limited number of troops - certainly the Aberrants should not have been allowed to deepstrike within charge range of the Dreadnought.The unfortunate consequence of that would be to turn the Space Wolves force into a cumbersome firebase (probably their best bet, given the firepower of the Redemptor and the Aggressors) rather that trying to fight ... tooth and claw. In a street fight, there was only going to be one winner.On balance, this box set did act as a very nice showcase for the Genestealer Cult army. The Abominant and Aberrants are the standout stars, but it made me take a second look at both the Iconward and Metamorphs, which were two units I'd previously dismissed. And everyone loves Purestrains, of course.Conversely, I don't think it's a great introduction to the Space Wolves. I do like the models, but they don't seem to play into either the character of the chapter or the type of missions here. If we assume they wanted to shift new models, then maybe swap Intercessors for Reivers?It's shame they seemed married to an all-Primaris theme, because swapping out the Dreadnought for some Wulfen (similar monetary cost and power level to the Redemptor) could have made things very interesting. Putting a Dreadnought against Aberrants just feels like bringing a pair of scissors to a rock fight.For all that: a fun mini-campaign! (maybe I enjoyed it more) It was nice to play small games of 500pts, so maybe we'll have to homebrew some of our own in future.