Sunday, August 28, 2011

Week 2: Breakout!

The Expedition forces have set foot on Talassar, but are denied the secure landing zones they desperately need.  Despite the massive casualties inflicted on the Occupation, the ground war remains a stalemate into which no reinforcements can be safely landed.  Indeed, the situation is growing desperate for the outnumbered Expedition forces, as the fight for the landing zones quickly becomes a war of attrition.

The turning point in the initial strike came at the primary landing zone, where a strike force comprised of Space Marines of the Imperial Fists, Black Templar, and Space Wolves were tasked with the destruction of a strongpoint held by Traitor Guard forces.  The fight went well despite the unexpected arrival of a Tyranid swarm and and Ork warband on the Astartes flanks, until an aerial bombardment forced the Marines to withdraw.  The valiant vanguard action could not counter the loss of over sixty percent of the Imperial forces, including almost all of the command staff and the entire contingent of superheavy tanks.  The cultists were left in possession of the field.

After-action reports confirm that the crippling ordnance originated with Imperial forces.  Confronted with angry Astartes, Inquisitorial elements have launched an investigation.  Preliminary results show that the air strike order was issued properly through the Ultramarines cruiser Fidelis, despite Captain Fabian's insistence that he never issued such an order.

The only bright spot for the Expedition forces in the aftermath of the initial action is their success in denying the Defense Towers to the Occupation forces.  While the failure to hold the towers is still a setback, allowing the Occupation forces to access the systems would have compounded an already grim outlook.

Week 1 Results:
Primary: Occupation
Secondary: Tie
Tertiary: Occupation

Mission 2: Breakout!

The failure of Expedition forces to establish a beachhead has necessitated a change in plans.  Orders have come through to attempt a dispersal: though casualties will be high, command feels that preventing the Occupation forces from concentrating at the next dropsite is top priority.  Once the Imperial forces have scattered, forces can be landed at the lowest concentrations of enemy strength.

Primary Objective: Kill points.  Expedition players can move their units off the opponent's table edge.  Units moved off the table may not return, but they award kill points to the owning player instead of their opponent.

With the massive casualties already inflicted on both sides, leadership and direction may turn the tide of the coming battles. 

Secondary Objective: Nominate one HQ unit as your General.  You achieve this objective if your General is on the table at the end of the game and your opponent's is not.

As forces disperse from the initial battlefields, the Defense Towers are still denied to both sides.  Rather than waste forces on an attempt to break into the towers, Each side will attempt to destroy the facilities to deny them to their foes

Tertiary Objective: Before deployment, place a building with AV 14 in the center of the table.  The side who destroys this building will achieve this objective.

3 comments:

  1. The unexpected arrival of a Tyranid hive fleet, during the expedition’s forces attack was disastrous. More disturbing is this hive fleet is yet another new strain not yet encountered buy the Imperium Astaire’s. Record started Imperium star date *****. Classified “Hive Fleet Cerberus”.
    The majority of the damage in flicked on the battle at the landing zone was caused by the tyraid force, which destroyed two super heavy tanks, two land raiders, and three support tanks. Also killing the space wolf storm caller and his unit! 90% of the Black Templar forces were devastated, buy the Tyranid force which were lead buy a monstrous Winged Hive Tyrant. Only the Black Templars Commander and half his unit were able to teleport to safety at the last moment before death took them down.
    The trader Chaos Guard and the Ork war band traded blows with Imperium forces, when the Tyranids took the eastern field in advance. Then Mycetic Spores, Burrowing Trygons and raveners, and a full aerial assault of gargoyle’s and harpies ascended right into the middle of the Imperial force. Stopping the annihilation of the ork war band, who just went along with the Chaos in destroying the Expedition forces.
    The Black Templars did not take kindly in the defeat at the hands of the Hive Fleet Cerberus, and planned a retaliation assault. The Black Templars Commander called in some favors and brought with him a unit of Grey Nights Lead buy there chapter’s commander. Besides revenge on the Templars mind there was strategic dual purpose to be gained. Infiltrate and gain information from an unmanned defense bastion, KILL that dammed winged Hive Tyrant, make it through the remaining tyranid forces to reinforce expedition force elsewhere.
    This plan did not work at all, and failed in all objectives. When the Templars and Grey Knights arrived at the Bastion site, they were ambushed by several units of genestealers that wiped out a unit of Templars and crippled the grey knight’s squad. At the same time a giant carnifex charged and annihilated the bastion building and didn’t even stop to notice. As the Black Templars and Grey knight charged the assaulting force bravely, a Trygon prime, Mawloc, Raveners and a creature that fits the description of the Doom of Malantai appeared at their flank. A massive unit of gargoyles and harpies had another creature that fits the description of the Parasite of Mortrex assaulted the front. Meanwhile the field was over run buy termagants coming from a tervigon, as the parasite creature’s ripper swarms burst from the corpses of its victims. Expedition forces were destroyed. Only the Black Templars commander with two men and the Grey Knights Chapter Commander were able to teleport to safety escaping death yet again at the hands of the Winged Terror of Cerberus!
    Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary objectives achieved buy hive fleet Cerberus.
    Major victory!
    Black Templars swear Vendetta against the Winged Terror of Cerberus!
    End Report, week two.

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  3. Kat's Moldy Nee-Kappas won Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary objectives against Scott's Space Marines on 09/03/2011.

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