Hi all. This week, we thought we’d introduce something we’ve been planning for a while now. We’re going to be running a Warhammer: 40,000 campaign from the recently released Warhammer 40,000 box set, Urban Conquest. We’ve got three brave forces, three brave (if not foolhardy) warlords, and a lot of painting to do. Here at Master of Magics, we’re really excited about 8th Edition 40k, and we’ve been beavering away on building some armies to look at all the exciting things we can do, especially as we’ve reached the point where there’s a codex for every single army. What heady days!
We’re going to present this a little differently though. We’ll start by giving you an introduction to each of the three forces and some special characters we’ve developed for them (using the character creation rules from Chapter Approved 2018). We’re going to do this through a little bit of war fiction. We’ll present you with highlights from each of the battles we have in each round and with some pictures of our painted models clattering into each other, along with a battle map whenever our narrative games create an excellent encounter we think you’ll enjoy.
Our city is Divinius. And it is being torn asunder. War rages through the mega-hive, as hab-block and tech-shrine alike are battered by the forces of a deadly three-way struggle for supremacy. City Governor Manus Sivertson has been acting strangely, indulging certain sects of Imperial worship whose interpretation of the true faith is, at best, unorthodox. His forces maintain a loose control of the city, but he has called upon Astra Militarum detachments to aid his policing of the situation. Led by the dauntless and revered Mordian Commander Leto, the noble guardsmen have found themselves embroiled in conflict on two sides.
From above, the Adeptus Astartes, led by the venerable Imperial Fist mastermind Captain Raldine Aktorian, have been sent on a secretive mission of utmost importance, their dictats going far above and beyond the ken of such mortals as the guardsmen and the Governor’s increasingly inept PDF troops. Their strikes began as surgical and precise sallies into the core of a troubling infection growing at the heart of Divinius. But soon the warriors from the Emperor’s own lineage were dragged down into the rubble in a way that suited their foe: Guardsmen or Xenos alike clawing them down into the mire of protracted urban conflict.
Deep below the shimmering spires of Divinius, buried beneath the cluttered hab-blocks and hive tunnels of the narrows, there had been a terrible, slow stirring. The festering wounds inflicted by a single kiss decades before had grown and bloomed into a tireless network of infection. The Cult of the River Wyrm has spread its vile tendrils over the generations and has finally been forced into the light before its time. Eyes burning with loyalty to the Emperor Wyrm, the cult has erupted into the city, causing chaos at ground level, and yet Governor Sivertson’s advisers seem ineffectual or uncaring. Marshalled by their psychic conduit, Magus Orinocus III, and inspired by their legendary Kelermorph assassin Rubicus Holliday, the cult have thrived in the chaos brought about by the divided Imperial forces, driving a cruel Xenos tendril into the heart of the city.
Jim will be marshalling the brave boys from the Imperial Guard. Trying to navigate their way through the campaign with a hearty blend of muscle, grit, and utter revulsion at anything with a vaguely alien hue.
Jake will be coordinating the deadly, precise strikes of the Space Marines, the emperor’s finest – guided by his holy hand in all divine matters, and with a sense of arrogance that beggars belief.
Chris will be plotting the ascension of the Genestealer Cult. Born in darkness, adopted by the hive mind, and having fostered an inferiority complex since their codex came last.
We’ve created our city and had our first meeting to claim our spots on the board. Whilst The Imperial Fists and Mordians are named in our fluff, we’re being charitable enough to allow each other to pick different faction traits for our armies depending on the mission type. Each character has some special abilities and we’ll introduce them shortly, along with the rules, in case you fancy having a go yourself. In the meantime, we’ll be busy getting our figures painted and our scenery ready. Please join us for the campaign for the soul of Divinius.
We’ll be providing content about the status and battles of the campaign each week, so make sure to stay tuned. If you enjoyed this article, make sure to follow us here to keep up to date with all we do here at Master of Magics.
