I'll use this space to give you all some updates on a campaign I am running for four locals players on two teams: Ultramarines and Imperial Guard vs Tau and Inducted Imperial Guard.
Background:
The planet, Canto VII is on the Eastern Fringe and used to be the economic and administrative hub of the subsector. Five decades ago the Ork warlord Black Maw and his Waaagh tore through the region laying waste to the planets and establishing Ork strongholds. The greenskin presence was deemed too entrenched to recapture the planets until five years prior. Now the Imperium is locked in a grueling battle with stronger than anticipated Ork defenders led by the Blood Axe Kommander Rokfang. Morale of the guard troops hangs in the balance.
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The Forces:
Imperial Guard (loyalist force) - 14th Fernis Regiment, 1st Company (armoured fist).
The regiment is a relatively fresh combatant on Canto VII having made planetfall only four months prior. It's forces have been used to quickly reinforce key areas and just recently was instrumental in clearing out Ork bunker nests in the city of Avarus. Using melta equipped troops mounted in Chrimeras and devastating Hellhounds they excelled where other companies failed. Clearing the city two days ago they were preparing to launch a new campaign against the Orks when reports of Tau and ex-guard forces were converging from the east and west, presumably to take the city so hard fought for...
Initiative: 2
Starting Supplies: 6
Iron Heart, Steel Veins -
Fernis is a unimaginably mineral rich world with Geysers of molten ore. it's manufactorums are massive and are rivaled only by the great forge worlds. As such, the armies of fernis are in constant supply of munitions and armour. At the start of the orders phase collect one supply token.
Orders - may choose two of the following every orders phase
4th Artillery Support -
Sheltered within bombed out buildings Manticores, Hydras, and Earthshakers send forth punishing volleys disrupting the enemies abiltiy to adavnce and support forward units. Force the opponent to reroll a successful reserve roll.
Luke Dawson and the "Rough Cuts" -
The maverick Thunderbolt ace and his attack wing break from orders and lend a hand to the regions campaign efforts. +1 to the air superiority track
613th Supply -
collect two supply tokens.
Ultramarines (loyalist force) - 2nd Company -
Originally routed to fight the Tyranid menace to the east the 2nd Company has answered the request for aid, if only very breifly. Their task is to quickly destroy the enemies command, like a brutal knife thrust into the foes heart. A complete and total demonstration that the Emperor's light still shines in the farthest reaches of the galaxy, manifest in the armour of the Ultramarines.
Initiative: 3
Starting Supplies: 4
Orbital Assault -
The Ultramarines make planetfall on Canto VII in firey droppods and the massive Thunderhawk gunship "The Talon of Terra". On the first turn they may attack any Major Objective and automatically have their initiative token drawn first.
Angels of Death - each victory counts double on the `Sedition`track
Death to the Xenos - The Ultramarines may not bid supplies for the Blood Axe warbands.
Thunder Hawk Gunship Orders(may do one of the following each turn)
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harness TYPHOEUS - The Command station of the "Eagle of Terra" has an immensley powerful psychic manifold. Harnessed to TYPHOEUS, Brother xxxxx is able to pick up the surface ambitions of many of the continents more dominant personalities. Trying to discern the intent of the psychically unreadable Tau only through their human allies on top of filtering the whispers of the warp takes a tremendous amount energyfrom both the Thunderhawk and the Brother Librarian.
The Imperial side may place two inititive markers in the bag. These tokens may be used by either Imperial player.
Clear the Skies -
The Talon goes on assault and lends its considerable firepower and experience to the air battle
+2 bonus to Air track
Resupply -
Keeping Space Marines supplied for an extended period requires speciallised munitions that are not readily supplied by the other fighting arms of the Imperium.The Talon rendevous with ships making drop runs from the Ultramarine Battlebarge high in orbit.
Collect two supply tokens.
Thunderhawk Drop -
may assualt any strategic location and ignore enemy minor objectives en route. the Imperium must have Air superiority to use this order.
Tau (revolutionary force) - Commander Au'Sum - Aun Korst'la Sept -
Years after the Orks took Canton VII the Tau Ethereals started looking at ways to add the planet to their empire. Knowing that no lasting peace would ever exist between the Orks and the Tau the Ethereals approached the citizens that had been abandoned to face the maelstrom headed their way. A private deal with a majority of the aristocracy was reached: Evacuate the planet to the Orks and when the majority of the threat has passed, return to their holdings, as new members of the Tau Empire. Quietly, over the last six months the Tau have been making planetfall and amassing its strike forces to capture key targets. The city of Avarus is a key city for the Tau. There are plenty buildings that house information the Tau can use against the planets old keepers and Commander Au'sum and his honour guard have their eyes set on that prize.
Initiative: 3
Starting Supplies: 5
Deploy Stealth Team:
Neutralize one minor Objective. This Objective becomes uncontrolled.
Orders - may choose two of the following every orders phase
Water Caste:
The diplomats of the Water caste turn their attentions to the beleagured elements of the Guard that have been fighting in the province for the past four years. With promises of a freer life and holdings off world they are able to turn the hearts and minds of exhuasted guardsmen. Shift the Sedition track one spot.
Air Cadre:
A flight of Barracudas from the Pa Hain sept attempts strafing runs on exposed Imperial elements. Add one to the Air Track
Earth Caste:
Collect two supply tokens.
Imperial Guard (revolutionary force) - 3rd Regiment "Sons of Canton" 1st Company -
The returning scions of Canton VII. Embittered that they were left to die by the same Imperium that demanded tithe when Ork roks choked the light from Canton's days the Sons have come home to fight for the titles and family they left behind. Going to war with liberated armour and weapons the "Sons" are waging a desperate war for their very history and heritage.
This is our home: When Assaulting up to two enemy minor locations may be ignored when determining ambushed reserves.
May issue two of the following orders per turn:
Water Caste:
The diplomats of the Water caste turn their attentions to the beleagured elements of the Guard that have been fighting in the province for the past four years. With promises of a freer life and holdings off world they are able to turn the hearts and minds of exhuasted guardsmen. Shift Sedition track one spot.
Air Caste:
A flight of Barracudas from the Pa Hain sept attempts strafing runs on exposed Imperial elements. Add one to the Air Track
Earth Caste:
Collect two supply tokens.
Rokfang's Horde (enemy) - Blood Axe Warboss .
The dominating Warboss for a thousand kilometers, Rokfang is a terrible beast of low cunning. Since the taking of Canton VII the ork hordes had fallen into decades of infighting and constant war. Four years ago the Imperium came back to the planet as the majority of the Waaagh having headed off to the eastern edge of the galaxy to crush one of the many tendrils of hive fleet Behemoth. Now, the Orks and the Imperium are locked in a stalemate, with neither having the resources to drive the other utterly from the planet. With the recent arrival of the Tau and its human allies the dastardly Blood Axe is striking deals and offering his lads as mercenaries to the highest bidder. "If da Orks are gonna fight, why not make some extra loot in the process."
The Blood Axe warband is run by the
GM. Only Minor Objectives are claimed by the Orks. At the end of each night phase one minor objective that saw no conflict is randomly lost to the Ork warband. If someone is able to drive the orks from a location the player may collect a Teef token. This may be used in the silent bid to hire ork mercenaries.
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TURN ORDER
Orders - In secret, players write down their orders for the turn. These are typically request for aid or use of specific equipment. Blind bids to Blood Axe bosses that still control the mountains and highlands are also written down.
Initiative - Initiative tokens are collected for each player and placed in a cup. The first player to have their token drawn may launch an assault from one of their Major Objectives or from their board edge to another, enemy controlled, Major Objective. Both players are now locked. Another token is drawn from the bag. If it is one of the remaining, unlocked players, they may launch an assault against an enemy held Major Objective. If a locked players token is drawn again, return it to the bag. If the second assault is launched against a player already locked in assault (for example, the locked player owns two or more major objectives) the locked player's ally will fight the battle to defend the location.
Should the ally successfully defend the location they will take possession of the objective.
Assaults - Battle are now fought between players at the locations being assaulted. These are fought with the fixed 1500/2000/2500 point armies, depending on the number of victory points the highest scoring player has. For each enemy controlled minor objective the assaulting army must pass through the defender may choose one Troop choice that is not arriving via infiltrating/deep striking/outflanking to come in as reserves as the unit has been waylaid by the enemy. Terrain sets are different for each of the three areas, notable Avarus battle use the city fight rules. Unit experience rules from the
BRB are used.
Patrols - Once the assaults are resolved players engage in patrols. These are small scale skirmishes as forces try to recon and clear roads, bridges and other avenues to the enemies forces. Setting up listening posts, securing supply drops, are also mission types for these smaller battles. Again, players tokens are drawn from the bag and patrols are launched from controlled objectives (minor or major). These may only be launched against adjacent minor objectives. Players are *not* considered locked when a patrol is launched against them, however, they may not launched patrols from that minor objective if their token is drawn afterwards in the phase.
Scoring - Players score one
VP for each major objective they control at the end of the turn.
GAME TERMS
Major Objectives - These are the primary way of scoring victory points. A player scores one
VP for each Major Objective they control at the end of the Assault Phase.
Minor Objectives - These are loosely controlled and patrolled areas. For every enemy held Minor Objective an assaulting force must move through to launch an assault the defending player may force a non-
HQ unit to enter the battle using the reserves rule. Note: Units that are already enter by some sort of reserve rule are not affected and may not be chosen.
Supplies - Each player starts with a number of supplies. These may be used to re-roll an unsuccessful reserve roll. These may also be used in the Orders phase to hirer one of Rokfangs mobs to overrun a minor location. The players secretly bid any number of their supplies. The player that has bid the most number of supplies will not have one of their minor locations overrun in the night phase.
Air Superiority - Players have various ways of trying to affect the air battle going on above the mountain valleys. If a side has one point on the air track there side may add an initiative token. this may be used by either player, if drawn. If a side has two points on the air track the are able to collect extra supplies as transports and drops ships are able to make safer runs with less risk of being shot down. The side get the initiative bonus described above and each play may collect one supply token.
Sedition Track - The sedition track is a measure of the morale of the loyalist guardsmen that have been fighting on Canton VII for the last three years. They are exhausted and have been seriously understrength-ed for most of the campaign. Imperial propaganda and Tau promises now struggle for the hearts of these men but, as always, deeds are louder than words. For each assault won, attacker or defender, the side moves the sedition tracker one space. Space Marines move it two spots. When one player has caused the Victory track to escalate they may take one of the 200 point Loyalist reserve cards. This may be used in one upcoming assault.
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Here is the starting positions and map for the campaign. Please note the scale of the campaign is very regional, distance are mere kilometers and the turns are a day and night cycle.
Legend
***THE MAP BOARD***
This is a node based map with assaults and patrols are launched along the lines.
The Major Objectives are the larger, named nodes. Players score one point for each of these that they control at the end of their turn.
The Minor Objectives are the small and medium nodes. These score no points and are fought over in the night phase using combat patrol battles.
The Victory Track (hard to read). Ten blocks. Three sets of three and one large one in the tenth block. Players score one point for each Major Objective controlled at the end of day. Players play games using fixed 1500 point armies. When one player moves their point marker to the next, larger set of three blocks the game escalates. The next assaults are played using 2000 points of a new fixed army. Same happens at the seventh block, except now players have 2500 point armies. When a player moves their marker to the tenth block an apocalypse game is played for dominion of the map. The side with the most victory points will get additional strategic assets.
The Air Superiority Track - represents the air battle going above the battlefield. As a force gains control the skies, bonuses to initiative and supplies are gained in the upkeep phase of the turn.
The Sedition Track - this track shows the morale of the guard that have been mired in a stalemate for the last four years against a dug in foe. Now, new forces have landed, these promising an end to the fighting and escape from the planet. Scoring on this track is a one block shift for each successful assault (not patrol). The Ultramarines count successes as double shifts. The Tau and "Sons of Canton" can influence this through use of the Water Castes.
**edit: supplies effect on the Orks. Added Ork mercenaries**
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