Sunday, September 11, 2011

Week 4: War of Attrition

 Despite a concerted push, Expedition forces were unable to turn the Occupation flank.  Showing an unprecedented level of coordination, Tyranid and Dark Eldar forces were able to meet the push and turn the quick strike into a protracted battle.  Despite the setback, the Imperial forces were close to attaining victory when the failure of several disruption missions left large detachments of Traitor Guard free to reinforce the Occupation lines.  The failed missions were without exception planned by Captain Fabian, and in the backlash of the tactical disaster he has stepped down as Imperial commander, leaving the fleet in the hands of a cabal of Inquisitors.

With the failure to break through the Occupation lines, Expedition leaders have been forced to focus on keeping their units intact, and have been unable to deny the supply depots to the enemy.  While the Occupation gained significant reserves of promethium from the seizures, the information implied by the drops might be more valuable.

Week 3 results:
Primary: Occupation
Secondary: Occupation
Tertiary: Tie



Mission 4: War of Attrition

The time for maneuvers and subterfuge is over.  The besieged underground cities of Talassar have made contact with Expedition forces, begging for aid.  With starving citizens rioting in the streets, the liberation of Talassar’s cities must come quickly, or the would-be saviors will find Talassar devastated from within.  To further increase the atmosphere of desperation, Occupation units have started disengaging and making for the population centers.  Questions about how the Occupation could know of the civilians’ weakness are troubling, but they must wait.  Each side is aware of the situation and the stakes: they must bring the enemy to a battle of annihilation and destroy his ability to interfere in the Talassarian sieges.  The race is on!

Primary Objective: Destroy your opponent’s ability to make war.  This objective will be determined by kill points, with Heavy Support choices worth 3 kill points each.
With the ground war rapidly developing into a massive pitched battle, communications have become the key to a defeat in detail.  An element without a direct line to the main forces can be isolated and destroyed.  Additionally, Occupation leaders who capture Imperial communications equipment may be able to tap into the Strategium communication networks for valuable tactical information.  Expedition leaders are likewise eager to capture communications apparatus in order to discover the source of the Occupation’s unprecedented coherency and organisation.

Secondary Objective: At the beginning of the game, nominate a single Elites or Troops unit.  For the duration of the game, that unit may re-roll all Leadership, Morale, and Pinning tests (but not Psychic tests!)  If you destroy your opponent’s nominated unit and they do not destroy yours, you achieve this objective.

The psychic disturbances speckling the planet’s surface have started to develop into something much more disturbing.  Bizarre manifestations are appearing with greater frequency and spreading across the planet.  Eldar Seers have developed a temporary solution to the disruptive phenomena in the form of psychic “lighning rods” that will hopefully contain the disturbances.   Unfortunately, the psychic chaos works to the advantage of the warp-spawned and tainted in the Occupation ranks, so all Occupation forces are ordered to destroy these devices wherever found.

Tertiary Objective: After deployment, the Expedition player places an objective marker in his deployment zone.  Psychic powers used within 18” of this marker have their range reduced by d6”.  If, at the end of the Expedition player’s turn, the Occupation player has an unengaged HQ or Elite unit in base contact with the marker, they destroy the device and complete this goal. If the Occupation player does not complete the objective before the end of the game, the Expedition player completes this objective.

3 comments:

  1. Vanguard purification squads of the Forgotten Legion had reached the outskirts of the minor populations centers. Armed with flamers, molotovs, and meltas, they began a systematic burning of every structure within arms reach. However an advanced Eldar force intercepted them before too much of the city had been ignited. Catching the Traitors off guard and ill-prepared the battle was a slug fest. Eldrad lead this honorable counter attack. Showing up a moment too late, a Stormtrooper packed Vendetta appeared on the scene. The Stormtroopers gunned down the Fire Dragon squad just before being cut to ribbons by neighboring Dire Avengers and Scatter Lasers. With the enemy closing in, the leader ordered the mob of guardsman to rush in and take out the war walkers with their krak grenades. Troopers of chaos were crushed underneath the heavy wraithbone feet of the Eldar warmachines. Their agile movements making it difficult for the grenades to make contact, however the powerfist wielding commissar both held the unit together and tore apart the offending machines. Finally taking the last one apart piece by piece as Eldrad and his body guard arrived to provide assistance.

    In the end, the occupation forces won in kill points due to the destruction of 2 Eldar heavy support choices.

    However, the expedition forces secured the secondary and tertiary objectives with cunning use of transports and running.

    ReplyDelete
  2. A force of Imperial Fists and Space Wolves managed to hold off an Ork tide and secure all 3 objectives.

    *reported results in store as well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Grey Knights Revenge! A company of Grey Nights with a special unit of assassins set out to take down the Winged Terror of Cerberus. Having successfully tracked down the Winged Terror they sprung there trap. In an impressive hail of psycannon, las cannon, and auto cannon fire, the dreaded tyrant was brought down. The tyrant tried to shield itself with an entire swarm of gargoyle, but to no avail as they too were annihilated. A triumphant cheer was heralded, only to be silenced buy the planet fall of a tyranid prime that took immediate command of the field. The Tyranid prime was accompanied by a unit of tyranid warriors, hive guard, and zoanthrope, which a shot out followed. This uncharacteristic ranged combat took a heavy toll on the Grey Knights which almost wiped them out. In the end the Grey Knights were able to protect the Psychic Rods but at a heavy cost.
    The defeat of the Winged Terror of Cerberus was a moral victory at best, because the knowledge that the Tyrant will ultimately be spawned and met once again is only a matter of time.
    Primary, and secondary objectives achieved, Victory!
    Tertiary objective failed.
    Great Battle Steve.

    ReplyDelete