Epic 40K - MORE Orks

 MORKS!?

Another batch of Orks for the Tallarn on Xoxigar to deal with.... MWA-HA-HA-Ha-Ha-ha-haaaaaaaa....

The latest batch - another 8 elements of Ork Boyz and a Warboss.

The entire Waaaaagh! (so far...) 

As I laid these out, I wondered what I'd been thinking - there weren't enough trucks for all the Orks!? Had I miss counted something?! I think what happened was I just painted up ALL the Boyz I had based and ready and, because I'd painted way too many trucks before, it didn't occur to me that I didn't have enough... Not a problem, I have PILES of trucks I can paint up! More than I'll likely EVER need - even IF I painted up ALL the Boyz I have... and I think I have several hundred... I think I figured I'd have enough for all the Boyz and enough left over that every character model I have could have their own truck to ride around in... 

Lots to play around with here. Easily two Battalion detachments and probably a Vanguard Detachment... 

On the workbench I still have a Stompa and a few ministompas (gorkanots or morkanots?) Now that I have spare Ork Boyz done... I feel the urge to base up another four and enough trucks for all and do a THIRD Battalion Detachment!? 

We shall see... I should really get going on the Warhammer Underworlds stuff!!!

Campaign on Xoxigar - 3rd Squadron - First Contact

We played the first session of the in-person Wrath & Glory campaign that I'm running this winter. The campaign focuses around the crew of  an Astra Militarum Leman Russ Battle Tank in a Tallarn Armoured Regiment (451st Tallarn Tank Regiment 3rd Squadron, #3 Troop). We made characters on September, but just kind of haven't been able to get together since to actually PLAY! 

I forgot to take any pictures DURING the game... 

The Story so Far... 

4.666.013.M43 451st Tallarn Tank Regiment is founded on Tallarn and recruitment begins.  

Fatima Zara, who will become the tank's Commander, is from minor nobility. Her family forces her into the Military to learn some respect. Fatima owns her new existence and is determined to be one of the few that returns a victorious commander who will raise her OWN regiment... 

Farah Vasquez, that will become the tanks driver, is a dock worker that is conscripted. 

Antoin "Bey-Bey" Bey is the tank's main gunner. 

013-014.M42 The better part of a Terran Standard year and a half is spent training. Beginnning with basic military training, followed by specific roles within their chosen trades 

4.016.015.M42 The entire regiment begins to embark for warp transit to some distant part of the galaxy to serve the Emperor in defending humanity from the scourge of Xenos or the corruption of Chaos

4.124.015.M42 The flotilla begins the first leg of Warp Transit

4.216.016.M42 One squadron of tanks from a Reserve Squadron is disembarked for all the other squadrons to participate in planetside maneuvers on an agriworld. Unfortunately, The timing of the warp passage was off and the flotilla arrived a month later than planned and instead of doing maneuvers on dry freshly harvested fields, they ended up tearing up, and getting utterly mired in, fresh tilled and seeded (and very, very WAT) fields.

It was a highlight of the journey for all involved - to set foot on a planet completely different than the one they's spent their entire lives on filled everyone with wonder! What would the next world be like!?

5.600.017.M42 Will all reembarked aboard their respective transports, the flotilla begins the second leg of its Warp Transit. 

6.150.018.M42 Through the “Gaulntlet” – The portion of the warp passage through the Cicatrix Maledictum begins and things get... Weird.  

5.608.018.M42 Arrive in Xoxigar System. Though only 3.5 years have passed in realspace during the regiment's warp transit, due to the vagaries of Warp Travel, the subjective time experienced by the travellers was close to FIVE years! 

Once in system, the troops finally receive information about their destination and mission. The regiment is to be deployed to Xoxigar Secondus, a Forge World in the Xoxigar System. Part of the mission will be to defend it from external threats... but also to help out with a small Ork infestation that has been troubling the planet for a few generations. 

There seems to be much confusion about specifics. At least every cycle there is a complete change in plan for where precisely they are to be deployed. At first the regiment was to be deployed en masse. They individual squadrons were to be parcelled out to different factorums across the planet... then just to different factorums in one region... 

5.713.018.M42 3rd Squadron disembarks to Xoxigar Secondus. Chaos ensued. It was almost as if the Cult Mechanicus Council ruling the planet had no idea they were even going to be here, let alone any sort of plan for where they were to stay or, perhaps. 

After a few dozen cycles of being bounced around from location to location, living in tents that provided wholly inadequate protection from the toxic wastelands that surround the factorum. to sleeping in their tanks for days, or vast empty warhouses and storage facilities. Eventually the powers that be find and assign some, at least semi-permanent, living quarters and storage for tanks and other equipment. 

After that patrolling began in earnest. First they were small troop patrols, shadowing the PDF to get the lay of the land around where they were based. Then longer patrols out deeper into the wastelands to get a sense of where they would need to got to find Orks

During the briefings, it was suggested that the Ork population was very small and the raids were little more than a nuisance, raiding the occasional distant, isolated outpost. Talking to some of the PDF members (the Cult Mechanicus locals wouldn't even acknowledge the Tallarn's presence, let along speak to them) it was hinted that the Ork might be a bit bigger of a problem that the Mechanicus Council led the imperial authorities to believe... but even the local PDF was unwilling to discuss specifics. 

4.860.018.M42 Squadron Fighting Patrol into the Fellbunk Wastes. 

Rolling out on their first longer patrol deep into the wasteland. I laid out Epic scale miniatures I had. The spacing is not necessarily to scale, and we did now roll for what everyone else was doing. They were set out to show the relative locations of the rest of the Squadron and give a greater sense of what was going on in the bigger picture.

The entire Squadron rolled out for this 

Leading the formation was #1 Troop, lead by Lt. Dalil. Immediately behind #1 Troop was the Squadron Commander, Captain Gilani in her Leman Russ Vanquisher. To the left of the formation was #2 Troop, commanded by Lt. Yousefi. On the right was #3 Troop, commanded by Lt. Arbab. On the extreme right of the formation was Leman Russ #333 (Alaintiqam), crewed by the player characters! 

In the middle of the formation was a Gorgon Heavy Transporter carrying an entire platoon of the 382nd Tallarn (Desert Raider) Regiment. The 382nd were mechanized infantry... but a significant number of their Chimera armoured troop carriers were lost in transit. Luckily, one of the products of this forge world, is Gorgon Heavy Transporters... so a few of the Companies have been outfitted with them. 

Taking up the rear are the tanks of the Regimenatal Sergeant Major and the Squadron Commissar (the latter being a Leman Russ Executioner armed with a Powerful Plasma Cannon (no, the model in the picture is not an actual Executioner... All I have is standard Leman Russ Battle tanks (and one or two Executioners) 

There were a handful of Sentinel walkers from the regiment's Reconnaissance Squadron ahead and to the flanks of the formation (There were more than two, but I only have two models... )

The crew spent days sitting in their tank rolling through the near featureless wasteland. After the excitement of the maneuvers on the Agriworld, it was a huge letdown to be deployed to a dismal world not all that different from their own. The sand and dust and sky were tainted a different colour. The toxic wasteland was poisoned by factorum emissions rather than persistent remnants of millennia old virus bomb residue... but it was all pretty much the same. 

All passed their Wil checks to avoid dozing off! 

After the first 12 hours, there was a sudden squawk of "CONTACT LEFT" from the Sentinel on the left flank and then the distant sound of an explosion could be heard reverberating through the hull of their Leman Russ. 

The Squadron ordered #1 and #2 Troop to turn to engage the enemy and #3 Troop was to watch the rear. 

Sounds of heavy combat soon followed... 

Shortly after a mob of horrifying, monstrous green beings loomed out of the smog shrouded dunes in the distance, accompanied by ridiculous-looking, giant walking cans festooned with weapons. The Troop commander had not issued any orders and clearly hadn't seen them, so Sgt Zara reported the contact and ordered her crew to engage! 

While making evasive maneuvers LCpl Vasquez ran the tank over a large rock she had not seen and nearly toppled the tank over, all were shaken for a moment. 

There was constant pattering of small arms fire bouncing off the hull. Occasionally a larger machine gun would trace its fire across the bow armour, which sounded like it might damage things, but didn't. Twice during the brief engagement the tank was hit by rockets with explosive warheads. Though the detonations nearly deafened all within, the hull remained unbreached (The Emperor Protects!)

It took the main gun four shots to finish off the two armoured walking cans. During that time the three Heavy Bolters in the bow and two sponsons mowed down nearly two dozen Orks that madly charged at their tank, clearly without a shred of selfpreservation and a deep, deep desire to overrun it and pull them apart with their bare hands. 

Near the end of the engagement there was near blinding flash of brilliant white light, followed by a deafening explosion that physically rocked the entire tank. 

Shortly after wards the "ALL CLEAR" was given and the infantry disembarked to finish off any wounded and drag all the Ork corpses into a pile to be burned. 

The equally long and dreadfully boring trip back the their base was, relatively uneventful 

During debriefing, they learned that most tanks of the squadron survived the engagement with only a few tanks sustaining minor damage and only a handful of crew sustaining minor injuries. So minor were these injuries and damage, that all tanks made the return journey unassisted... Except for one... 

The Squadron's Commissar had insisted having his own tank to accompany the Squadron on patrols. He had somehow procured a Leman Russ Executioner tank (with it's massive plasma cannon - that could blast apart a fleeing Leman Russ battle tank, if need be...), which are normally saved for the likes of Regimental or Squadron commanders or esxtremely elite crews... 

Near the end of the battle, the Commissars tank exploded in a great white ball of fire, instantly killing all within and utterly destroying the tank itself. 

Few were saddened by this turn of events. Some had a really hard time suppressing their jubilation at hearing the news. 

Since the 3rd Squadron was formed, FIFTEEN of their original sixty had died and been replaced. Three died in accidents. Four had died of disease (mostly during the transit through the Cicatrix Malledictum). The remaining EIGHT had been executed by the brutal Commissar Comsarius...

I had a lot of fun. I got to use all the Epic 40K stuff I've been painting up - not that I was keeping track of what ALL the tanks were doing - playing out the ENTIRE squadrons battle, but it was a helpful visual aid to set them all out in the formation of advance and explain what was going on around them. 

Using the Wrath & Glory system (including the vehicle rules from Church of Steel and a few tweaks I came up with myself - including a few new actions for various crew to take, beyond the standard DRIVE and SHOOT presented in the published rules), we resolved the combat between the Leman Russ tank and Two mobs of 10 Ork Boyz and two Killa Kanz. Orion and Nic seemed like they were having fun too...? Hopefully we'll get in another game sometime in December!? 

This is one of TWO, casual (once-a-month) games of Wrath & Glory going I've tried to organize this fall. To save on preparation, both were to involve tank crew of a Tallarn Armoured Regiment deployed to the Xoxigar System. The plan was to run, more or less, the same campaign for both groups - one, members of 1st Squadron, was to be run online with friends who do not live in Saskatoon, the other, members of 3rd Squadron run in-person for friends that do live in Saskatoon... Initially, both groups had four players. 

There was a bit of enthusiasm in August/September. Characters were made For the first group in August. The first game was planned for a time when everyone was available in September... two showed up... 

The second group got their characters made in the third week of September and we even planned to start playing the next weekend... that one had to be cancelled (because I was sick, so that one was on me...). 

No games got played in October... Just could not seem find a day where anyone seemed to be available - for BOTH groups!? At least, among those that responded to messages...!? it was all pretty discouraging. 

Honestly, if it weren't for the 40 Days of 40K Drawing Challenge I probably would have lost all interest. 

As November drew nearer, i reached out to see if anyone was available to play in either group. 

Group One (1st Squadron, Online), two people responded and both were available one day in November... and it wasn't the same day... After a bit of discussion, another player chimed in and it was decided to try on the second Saturday. Never heard from the fourth. 

The other group two responded and were available the second Sunday, one of the players later admitted they were just too busy with other stuff this fall and weren't going to be able to play and officially dropped out. Never heard from the fourth..

Mid way through the second week of November I checked in to see if things were still a go. One person responded from Group One with an enthusiastic "YES!" No one else responded. This is all done through facebook messenger, so I can see who has SEEN the message (everyone!?)... Checking in on Friday... still no response, so I cancelled that game Saturday morning. Aye-yi-yi!

Sunday rolled around... Orion and Nic actually showed up and we played this game! Yay! Enthusiasm restored!

It was pretty much the same adventure I ran for the two players from the other group that showed up in September. Establishing the setting a bit more and setting the stage for some future DRAMA and then ran then through a patrol and their first contact with the Orks infesting the wastelands of the Forge World they've been tasked with defending - mostly to test out the vehicle combat system. 

We might look for another player for this in person game... I'm not sure if I should give up on the online players or give it one more chance in December...?

Epic 40K - Orks Preview

 At the same time I was painting up the Imperial Guard Armoured Task Group, I also got a bunch of Orks done as well. I haven't really organized them into Detachments yet. Or, rather, my initial plans have changed and I'm in the middle of painting MOAR ORKS, so this is really just a preview of what I've done so far and when I finish up a few more things, I'll post pictures of the entire force (so far... because I have piles and PILES of Orks that I'm just not going to get to soon!) 

The Orks, so far... 

• 4x Morkanaut (or maybe Gorkanaut?)
• 10x Trucks
• 80x Ork boys (on four stands - one of those I painted previously) 
• 4x Warbikers
• 1x Killa Can
• 4x Warbuggy (not sure what to classify that as now...? Maybe the Kustom Boosta-blasta?) 

I have some more Ork Boyz and Trucks and a couple of Nobs and a few more Morkanaut (or maybe Gorkanauts?) and a stompa that I'll need to figure out how to put all together in to Detachments. Seems like two Battalion Detachments, a Spearhead Detachment, and an Auxilliary Super Heavy Detachment...? We shall see... 

The Workbench - as you can see, Epic stuff had kind of taken over... I have a second Imperial Guard tank squadron on there (I figured the first one went quick enough, I might as well knock off this second one while I'm at it...). There are a few other things I have that will join these... when there is some space on the workbench!? MOAR ORK walkers and stuff - I might even assemble the Gargant! (Don't tell my player characters!! Most of this is for the Wrath & Glory role-playing games I am running this fall/winter)

Aeldari Expansion

 I've been working on the Assuryani again - the Craftworld Aeldari. Partly because I've had new ideas about where to take the narrative in the Xoxigar System... But, the hint of a new Codex and New CORSAIR models might have had something to do with it as well. 

I haven't really painted any NEW minis - though there are a few on the workbench - to finish up existing units! This is mostly bringing the rest of the currently painted Aeldari up to the current basing standards - as with the Biel-Tymm Combat Patrol Force I did last September. 

It started with the Warp Spiders of the Shrine of the Mean Red Spiders - lead by Exarch Nyswandir

I'm not entirely sure WHY I started with them... but that's where I started. 

I decided to do the unit in two base colours that were reversed - five that had blue bases with purple rocks and five that had purple bases with blue rocks. I wanted them to have a similar look that echoed each other and wouldn't look weird when operating together... but could also be fielded as two separate units of five - and have distinct bases to differentiate them. 

First group - with Exarch Nyswandir.

Second Group - no Exarch. 

I actually have TEN MORE Warp Spiders I could paint up some day... but I think I'll finish up some of the other aspect warriors first! 

Next I did a squad of Dire avengers from the Shrine of . 

These all have orange bases, but I did five with green stones and five with pink stones... in case I ever wanted to field THESE are two separate units of five... I'm not sure why I would... 

Finally I got to work on finishing up the Wraithlords. 

Wraithlord Kloethades

Wraithlord Phinyndros

Wraithlord Melynaearian

The whole rebased force - so far! 

(not including the Super Heavy Detachment of Tempest/Scorpion Tanks) 

I have four Howling Banshees to finish up to make a unit of ten of those. 

I also have a weapons platform and two gunners to finish up to complete a unit of ten Guardians. 

I have a unit of Wraith Guard that just need to be rebased - but I need to get some 40mm bases for them! 

After that... things need a bit more painting! 

I have based and prepped a few Phoenix Lords: Jain Zar, Fuegan, Baharroth, and Karandras (these are the only ones I have). I have also based a squad of ten Striking Scorpions and the additional ten Warp Spiders (though, as mentioned, they are VERY LOW priority).

Still to be rebased, AND painted, are fifteen more Scouts, two squads of Guardians, two Dire Warrior Exarchs (if I wanted to have exarchs in each of the potential four units of five) three or four more Warlocks and some Swooping Hawks (nine) and Fire Dragons (eight) - need a few more of each to make full units. 

That's about it... 

I feel like I want to chip away at these and finish them all up this year and be DONE with them. 

(Oh, I guess there are also the old Armourcast Eldar TITANS I picked up a few years ago and still haven't finished painting... but that's for some other time... ) 

(and SO MANY other things!?) 

Kill Team: Relic Recovered

 Finnegan and I FINALLY got back to playing Kill Team on Monday this week. 

The story here picks up from The Aeldari Assault on the Genestealer Cult stronghold in a cave system under the jungles of Xoxigar Tertium. Farseer Thymiltelyir lead a Beil-Tymm Combat Patrol (including Maesenir's Rangers). The attack was an utter debacle. The Assuryani were surprised and overwhelmed by the unexpected numbers of cultists they faced and were unable to recover the ancient Aeldari artefact they had gone there to recover. 

Kill Team Coranos has been operating in the region, under the direction of Lord Inquisitor Drusilla Kyros and monitoring both the Aeldari and Genestealer Cultists. The sudden appearance of the full combat patrol tipped off the Deathwatch Kill Team that they were after something very important. In the immediate aftermath of the battle, Sergeant Laescos Coranos led his battle brothers into the cavern to take advantage of the cultists while they were still reeling from the violence of the aeldari attack. 

We just made up our own scenario here, and ignored Tac Ops. It was simply whoever controlled the artifact at the end of the fourth Turning Point won. 

Both of these forces are Finnegan's (through I painted both) and I have to admit, I wasn't really familiar with all the Genestealer Cultists tricks and probably didn't play them... optimally...? (It's also been three months since we've played this relatively new game and we kept confusing rules - "Is this a thing..?" - "No, that's Necromunda...")

All ready to go. 

Kill Team Coranos enters the Caverns...  

Brother Icasos Scamedes, Brother Nasirdan Cannistus, and Brother Borealis Issolis advancing on the Deathwatch's left flank report the first contact with sentries in the cavern complex. 

Sergeant Laescos Coranos and Brother Benatos Diodexious on the right also encounter sentries. 

Turning Point One

The alarm is raised and panic spreads through the team guarding one of the cults stashes. 

Before the cultists could react, Brother Icasos Scamedes, formerly of the Thunder Chickens Space Marine Chapter, charged at the first barricade, blasting the sentries behind it with his Deathwatch Shotgun. Bother were grievously wounded.

Despite their injuries, the cultists answered with their own shotguns... injuring The Thunder Chicken, slightly. 

Brother Nasirdan Cannistus, of the Silver Skulls, followed his Battle Brother down the tunnel. As Scamedes peeled away, drawing the sentries fire, Cannistus finished off the both of them with a double tap from his Stalker Pattern Bolt Gun. 

The Cultists sentries on the other flank were terrified by the sudden appearance of Brother Scamedes in the side tunnel and the violence of the Deathwatch's assault on their compatriots. One blasted at Scamedes with a shotgun and the other fired on the advancing Sergeant Coranos. 

Brother Borealis Issolis having no immediate targets, moved up to join Scamedes and Canistus. 

Targets would present themselves soon enough - more cultists came running down the tunnel to see what was the cause of all the ruckus. Spotting the Marines advancing thought the gloom, they immediately opened fire. Brother Cannistus was peppered with shot and bullets. One of them found their mark and wounded him slightly. 

Brother Benatos Diodexious advanced past his sergeant blasting at the sentries before them. One was taken out, the other lingered, briefly. Sergeant Coranos charged past Diodexious and finished off the filthy xenos-tainted cultist behind the barricade. 

A cultist carrying a special weapon moved up to the barricade on the left and fired it at Brother Cannistus. Canistus was able to duck the relatively slow moving blast of sticky goo meant to entangle slow it's target. 

The rest of the cultists repositioned themselves to try and get cover and good sightlines to defend their stash. 

Turning Point Two

Situation at the beginning of the second turning point. Four of the Cultists were taken out, but ten more remained! Cannistus and Scamedes had both been injured but the ceaseless firing of the defenders, but not terribly so... 

The Battle Brothers resumed their assault - The two cultists that had rushed to regain the barricade on the left went down in a hail of rounds from Brother Issolis' Infernus Heavy Bolter. Issolis, himself, then rushed forward to take cover behind the sentries barricade. 

Other Cultists ducked and took pot shots at the Deathwatch marine, but whether it was the Cultist's own Barricade, the Marines Mk VIII Power Armour, or Brother Borealis' unshakable faith in the Emperor... no bullet could harm him. 

Brother Cannistus moved forward past Brother Issolis tracking targets, but was unable to bring fire on them 

Brother Cannistus drew some fire from the defenders, but was unscathed. 

Brother Scamedes followed Brother Cannistus and took another of the cultists down with a single blast from his shotgun. 

A cultist armed with a Grenade Launcher seriously damaged Sergeant Coranos with a Krak Grenade. The Deathwatch Sergeant was undeterred and charged forth and chopped a cultist clean in half .

A Cultist with a seismic cannon repositioned to get a clear shot at the invaders. 

Turning Point Three

Terrified Cultists scatter for cover as the Deathwatch Kill Team enters the cavern containing the cults stach , that they were tasked to defend. Nearly half of their number already gone! 

Sergeant Coranos pressed his attack, charging another cultist. This one was a slippery customer and ducked and dodged all of the sergeants swings of his Xenophase Blade. 

The Cultists' leader rushed to the aid of the cultists being attacked by the Deathwatch Sergeant. Springing out from his concealed position in the rubble, he drover his Power Pick into the Sergeant's side, dropping the mighty warrior!

The Cultists' Leader's triumph was short-lived, however, as he went down in a hail of Bolter fire from Brother Diodexious. Diodexious followed up his fusillade by charging the same cultist the sergeant had attacked, but he too found it hard to land a blow on the dexterous cultist!? 

Another Cultist joined the melee, only to have his head stoved in by a backhand blow from Brother Diodexious' power armoured fist. He then finished off the original target of his charge, when the cultist exposed himself while trying to land a blow on the Marine, thinking him distracted by the dead cultist's assault.

Bother Scamedes continued forward, taking down another Cultist. 

Brother Cannistus moved forward and secured the target of their adventure and prepared for extraction. 

A foolhardy cultist took shots at the marines... only to be blasted apart by Brother Borealis Issolis's Heavy Bolter when he poked his head out from cover.

Turning Point Four

The cultist with the seismic cannon finally got off a shot and slightly damaged Brother Cannistus and Bother Scamedes, as they prepared to depart with their prize. The latter was heard to moan "Oooh, right in the Neuro Glottis... that smarts!" 

Finnegan references the weirdest things in his banter between the Deathwatch Brothers. the Neuro Glottis is, apparently one of the dozen, or so, specialty organs Marines have implanted in them... Neither of us are sure what they hell it does, but it sure made me laugh when he uttered it! 

Brother Diodexious covered their extraction, taking down the Cultist with the Grenade Launcher and then charging the other cultist with the Seismic Cannon. this gave the others some time to get away with their prize and drag their fallen sergeant out of the dank cavern. 

Thanks to the many aforementioned specialty organs implanted in the marines, Sergeant Coranos survived his injuries. 

As these were Finnegan's Kill Teams, I left if for him to update fighter cards and experience and such. 

Kill Team - Destroy the Ruins

Lord Inquisitor Drusilla Kyros has summoned her Deathwatch Kill Team to execute another mission for her, this time deep in the jungles of Xoxigar Tertium! The Inquisitor has obtained intelligence that a band of Aeldari have been operating in a area centered on an ancient ruin of some sort. the Kill Team has been tasked with demolishing one of the central edifices - to see if that dissuades the Aeldari from remaiing in the region, so close to where a regiment of the Astra Militarum are operating. 

Finnegan and I played another game of Kill Team last night - expanding on our campaign on Xoxigar Tertium. We rolled for a random scenario in the Octarius and tried to build a scenario around it. 

SCENARIO

The scenario we played was Mission 2.2: Saboteurs - our of the Octarius book. The attacker (Deathwatch) had to plant explosives on a "Vital Installation" - the Ancient Aeldari Arcane Ruins - Victory points for both sides were determined by how many damage points worth of bombs were planted during the game. No bombs planted meant 0VP for the attacker and 12VP for the defender, 1-3 Damage Points of bombs planted meant 4VP for the attacker and 8VP for the defender, 4-6 Damage Points of bombs planted meant 8VP for the attacker and 14VP for the defender, 7+ Damage Points of bombs planted meant 12VP for the attacker and 0VP for the defender. 

If bombs were planted on TOP of the thing it did two Damage Points, using Melta charges (special mission equipment available to be purchased) also caused more damage. 

Now experience (XP) in a campaign is gained from completing mission actions or through doing things that gain you VP. There was no indication how many XP were to be gained through for the defender. I mean, for the attacker it's clear - if you do the Plant Explosives action, you gain an XP... but the VP gained by the defender are just from preventing the enemy from doing the things...? Which is a little harder to quantify. We kind of just did the reverse - if the attacker gains 12VP - defender gets 0XP to distribute, if the attacker gains 8VP - defender gets 2XP to distribute, if the attacker gains 4VP - defender gets 5XP to distribute, if the attacker gains 0 - defender gets 7XP to distribute...? 

Also, only half of the defenders start on the table. The other half can dice at the beginning of the 2nd Turning Point to see if they arrive, any that don't arrive at the beginning of the third. 

FORCES

Kill Team Coranos - Deathwatch Kill Team

• Sergeant Laescos Coranos - Deathwatch Veteran Watch Sergeant - Xenophase Blade and Storm Shield 
• Brother Borealis Issolis - Deathwatch Veteran [Heavy Gunner] - Infernus Heavy Bolter 
• Brother Nasirdan Cannistus - Deathwatch Veteran [Warrior]- Stalker Pattern Bolt Gun
• Brother Icasos Scamedes - Deathwatch Veteran [Warrior] - Deathwatch Shotgun
• Brother Benatos Diodexious - Deathwatch Veteran [Gunner]- Combi-Plasma

Maesenir's Rangers

• Maesenir (Ranger - Leader - Ranger Long Rifle and Fists) 
• Ylessar (Ranger - Warrior - Ranger Long Rifle and Fists) 
• Aurelyc (Ranger - Warrior - Ranger Long Rifle and Fists) 
• Klorandos (Ranger - Warrior - Ranger Long Rifle and Fists) 
• Lechanna (Ranger - Warrior - Ranger Long Rifle and Fists) 
• Kaedoreth (Ranger - Warrior - Ranger Long Rifle and Fists) 
• Tallariel (Ranger - Warrior - Ranger Long Rifle and Fists) 
• Jairyllian (Ranger - Warrior - Ranger Long Rifle and Fists) 

I decided the best chance to deal with this was just to harry and snipe at the Deathwatch as they tried to approach the ruins and leave the Dire Avengers in the Webway to rest and recuperate - as two had gained Battle Scars in their last action - and resting gives them a bonus to recovery rolls (to remove battle scars!) 

Though he'd played with the Kill Team before, Finnegan hadn't really filled out cards and a Data Slate and picked equipment or a Spec Ops campaign or Strategic Assets. He Spent his four requisition points on two supply drops (2 Suspensors - one for each of his Operative with Heavy Weapons - and 2 sets of Frag grenades) and two Strategic Assets (Med Bay and Tactical Uplink) 

I had to re-sort some of mine... I'd written down different things down in different places - on teh data slate itself, I had one Spec Ops written down... but had noted that I had completed objectives for a completely one...!?  I couldn't really remember what I'd been thinking or if I'd made a decision one way or another... so changed the Spec Op the Data Slate said I was working on to match what I said I'd accomplished. Narratively, none of the Spec Ops really fit what this team is up to... So I went with what they CAN do and selected the "Breakout" Spec Op...

THE GAME

Table and teams set up and ready to go... 

Unfortunately, as defender I had to set up first and had no idea where Finnegan would set up his guys. I wasn't sure where they would be. I tried to set up, hoping his guys would beeline for the objective and I could work on some Tac Ops to gain some bonus VP (and XP) before his guys got close to the Ruins, where I'd hoped to pick them off as they came out of hiding to plant explosives... there were a few problems with this plan.... 

Ehhhhh... whoopsie... I guess Aurelyc is not charging into THIS quarter to grab points any time soon! 

Other Deathwatch Marines all set up and ready to go. 

Ylessar hiding. Waiting. 

Other Rangers waiting. Silent. Patient. 

I figured I had it covered from both sides - any that approached would be caught in a crossfire. 

Aurelyc, the picket, passing on information to the others about the intruders dispositions and desperately calling for the others to return to the site! 

Wow, I took a lot of pictures of the set up... 

FIRST TURNING POINT

To start things off, I used revealed the Triangulate Tac Op (Operatives can take a "Triangulate" special action within 3" of a Kill Zone edge - if two edges are Triangulated they gain 1VP. If a third is Triangulated they gain an additional VP)

Deathwatch moved first. Brother Benatos Diodexious was the first to advance on the ruins. Though he tried to be sneaky, he wandered directly into Ylessar's sites... 

The shot came, seemingly, out of no where...  Benatos was advancing on the ruins, which seemed to be abandoned, then he was down and bleeding and in paint. 

The shot cause 8 wounds. Brother Benatos was seriously injured but the high wounds and Marine armour saved him from being taken out.

Shooting at Brother Benatos was a bit mistake on MY part. He had done his movement. He wasn't going anywhere. Ylessar could have taken his shot ANY time... what I SHOULD have done was activate Aurelyc! Triangulate and shoot... Triangulate and get out of the way... Shoot and get out of the way... ANYTHING!? 

Because not doing so meant they would not be used in the game! Brother Borealis Issolis, with his Engage Order, just marched out of cover to a place where Aurelyc DIDN'T have cover and blasted them out of the game with his Infernus Heavy Bolter.

Ah well, live and learn... or, in my case, live a life full of regrets and keep making the same damned mistakes because I CAN'T seem to remember these mistakes and learn from them!?

As a torrent of explosive bolter rounds came pouring into the trees where Auralyc thought they were secreted, shattering heavy trunks and kicking up a cloud of branches, leaves and splinters, they went to ground and ramined there for the rest of the action. letting the Marines pass them by hoping to catch them with a shot in the back. But after the marines had passed by, they realized that their long rifle had been damaged and were unable to take a shot. Being of no further use, they slunk away from the skirmish in despair. 

Maesenir took a long-ranged shot at Brother Nasirdan Cannistus - but cover and marine armour meant it did little harm - 3 wounds. Maesenir spent his other action Triangulating. 

Brother Scamedes and the Sergeant, hearing from the others that they were not alone in these woods, was a little more careful to remain in cover as he advanced. (and with a Conceal order, was thus not a viable target). 

Klorandos, not having any viable targets, and not wanting to rush out to a point where he could actually shoot at Marines - and dangerously expose himself. Patiently waited in cover and triangulated the area. 

Brother Cannistus rushed forward to join Brother Borealis

Because the aeldari Rangers started with fewer figures on the table, They actually got one turn of Overwatch fire - and Ylessar used it to take a second shot at Brother Benatos, finishing him off. His transhuman physiology would save him, but he was down for now, and out of the action. 

1 VP for me for Triangulating at two of the edges of the Kill Zone... 

SECOND TURNING POINT

Leachanna arrived on the scene. 

As did Jairyllian. 

Lechanna was able to Triangulate another edge of the Kill Zone (Which would score me a second VP from the Tac Op) and then shot Brother Borealis, dealing them 8 wounds! 

Brother Borealis charged Lechanna's position and damaged her slightly... but he was slowed by the wounds caused by the Ranger's shot and she was able to put him down with a few lightning fast moves, going for gaps in his armour... 

I guess we're BOTH still learning. Close Combat is nasty and deadly. I pointed out, Finnegan would have probably been better off just moving to within 2" - where Lechanna would no longer benefit from being concealed in cover, and unloading with either of Brother Borealis' weapons. I think, for MOST of our Kill Teams, this is the best option. Unless they are warriors that are BUILT for close combat - Drukhari Witches, Genestealers, Assault Marines... better to just stand-off and shoot where they can't hit back! 

Ylessar dashed around to a corner where they could get Brother Cannistus in their sights and took a shot. Again the Marine's excellent armour saved them... 

Brother Cannistus rushed forward into the ambush until they could see who was shooting at them, firing as they advanced. Ylessar was obliged to retire and call it a day. 

Sergeant Coranos rushed up to the ruins and started planting demolition charges. 

Brother Scamedes followed and did the same. 

(in between these two activations, I simply had to pass... as there were no visible targets and no way to move that wouldn't dangerously expose my own troops....) 

And so we come to the OTHER problem with my initial plan, of picking off Marines as they came out of cover to plant bombs on the ruins... The Marines did not HAVE to take engage orders to plant bombs - they could remain concealed, AND there were lots of Obstructing bits of cover/terrain about that ruin... so even when they GOT to it, there were few angles that I could easily get a clear shot to one of them!? 

THIRD TURNING POINT

Tallariel and Kaedoreth finally turned up. 

Tallariel took a quick shot at Brother Cannistus - the third shot taken at the Marine - and STILL could not take him down. Realizing the shot had drawn his attention, Tallariel dashed completely out of view. 

Brother Cannistus ran the OTHER WAY around the clump of vegetation and caught Kaoreth just arriving and still trying to get her bearings and locate the intruders. Finnegan had used the Bolter Discipline Strategic Ploy, so Brother Cannistus was able to unload into Kaedoreth twice. She quickly retreated from the scene to regroup with Ylessar and Aurelyc. 

While Brother Cannistus was focused on blasting away at the trees hoping to kill the Aeldari hiding within, Jairyllian was able to sneak up behind and put a couple shots into the marines back- putting rounds through both the Power Armour's stabilizers and Marine's spine, dropping him to the ground in agony. 

FOUR shots to take him down. Wow... These were definitely NOT the Genestealer cultists they'd previously faced. 

Sergeant Coranos and Brother Scamedes planted more bombs on the edifice to the hated ancient Xenos.

Realizing there wasn't much they could so in the positions they were in, Maesenir and Klorando relocated

This was a move to try and score a few VP via the Overrun Tac Op - 1 VP if they had one Operative in each quarter of the Kill Zone and not within 3" of the center. They did score 1VP this way. If they could score a second, it would mean the game ended in a tie. The marines had planted four bombs - which meant they'd be scoring 8VP and the aeldari would score 4. There were only two of them left on the table which meant there was NO WAY they could plant three more - which would put them in the next bracket of 7+ bombs planted (for 12VP and ZERO for the Rangers). If the Rangers could score 4VP from Tac Ops and deny the Marines from scoring any more... the game could be tied up. 

I can't remember what my third Tac Op was... Mark Target...? I guess I forgot about that possibility!? I mostly just wanted to get everyone out of the way. 

FOURTH TURNING POINT

Realizing his shooting down of Brother Cannistus had drawn the attention of the two remaining Marines. Spotting a shadow of movement, Sergeant Coranos gave chase. Sergeant Coranos IS built for Close Combat and cut entire trees in half with his Xenophase sword in pursuit of the Ranger... the shear violence of his onslaught caused the Ranger to disappear into the jungle and trouble them no more! 

Brother Scamedes also went hunting and caught one of the Aeldari moving in the open. A few blasts of his shotgun encouraged the Ranger to vacate the scene. 

Masenir made one last act defiance before withdrawing from the skirmish. He leapt our from cover and peppered Scamedes with monofilament shuriken-like projectiles from his pistol. The marine was seriously injured and before he could respond, the lithe Aeldari had vanished.... Gone to check on the rest of the team - continuing this engagement would be fruitless as the damage had been done and the Marines themselves were ready to vacate the Kill Zone. 

It was a VERY close game ending with the Marines winning 10-9. 

POST GAME
Going through the Post Game Sequence... 

Casualty Checks

Among the Death Watch, Brother Borealis Issolis, Brother Benatos Diodexious, and Brother Nasirdan Cannistus had been taken out of action. Checking to see if any of it was serious, they FAILED TWO casualty checks. One was able to be re-rolled (thanks to the Medbay) but Brother Nasirdan Cannistus ended up with a Critical Impairment of some sort - which means he will not be able to perform Dash actions or increase his APL. 

The Aeldari all passed their Casualty checks, their wounds were minor and easily dealt with back in their webway retreat. 

Update Experience

We did add in the Experience the Deathwatch Kill Team would have earned from their first game against the Harlequins. With the XP gained in this game, both Sergeant Coranos and Brother Scamedes made it to 6XP and, thus, Veteran status. Finnegan said he'd look through the options for the various Specialisms and the skill they can gain later. 

The Aeldari gained very few XP... but Ylessar did gain one and that brought him to six and made him a Veteran. I haven't decided what to do with him... don't just want to give EVER YONE the same things... 

Take Recovery Tests

The Death Watch didn't have any Battle Scars, but the Aeldari sure did! Talariel did not recover from their Sapped Strength - but who could expect them to, running around in the bush instead of resting. The two Dire Avengers, having sat this one out, got a bonus to their rolls. The Bonus helped Naermenyl recover from her Lingering Ailment - some rest was just the thing to help her body adjust to the regrown leg! Zelanys is still suffering from her Sapped Strength. 

Complete Operations (Spec Ops) 

The Aeldari did gain VP from both Triangulate and Overrun - two of the Tac Ops that need to be completed in a game to move forwards in their Spec Op.

The Deathwatch did not succeed in any of their Tac Ops. 

Neither Team gained anything from the Mission's Spec Ops Campaign Bonuses. 

Strangely, only the Missions in the Octarius book have Spec Ops Campaign bonuses - bonuses if you happen to be doing certain Spec Ops campaigns AND achieve a certain objectives. 

For this one there was  bonus requisition point if the attacker scored 3 or more VP from Infiltration Tac Ops or the Defender scored 3+ VP from Security Tac Ops AND/OR a team could reduce the number of games required for their respective Spec Op if the defender was currently undertaking either Honourbound or Secure District Spec ops and NO DAMAGE was done to the Vital installation or if the attacker was currently undertaking the Demolition or Infiltrate Spec Ops and the installation suffered 7+ damage. 

None of these applied to either of our Kill Teams... 

After a few games into a couple campaigns... I've had some thoughts about the campaign system - and miniature skirmish campaign systems in general... but I think I'll save those for another post...