We've decided to run a little narrative campaign here in London so that we can all get a few different games in over the next couple of months. I've taken up the challenge of writing it, and after a long look through our armies, we've decided to play Marines vs Eldar. Every so often I'll write a new part of the story with a list of scenarios that people can play for a few weeks. After a fair few games are played, I'll use the results to write the next part of the story. Teams are as follows (I'll be coming in on whichever side suddenly falls short of people, but will start as White Scars as Fingers is the least available for gaming)
MARINES - TitanPrinceps (Ultramarines), Fingers (Ultramarines), Rinkydink (Exemplars), ArbitorIan (White Scars)
ELDAR - Panic (Iyanden), Fifty (Eldar), Dave (Biel Tan)
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CHAPTER 1 - RAID ON NOVA CRUX
(DOWNLOAD this chapter as a PDF here -
http://www.mesmer.tv/40k/40kCampaignPartOne.pdf )
In the closing years of 41st Millennium, the Imperium was beset by all sides. Wars rages across the galaxy, and on far-flung outposts of man, enemies of the Imperium chose this moment to attack. No-one suspected the true nature of the occasional pirate raids, or intentions of the alien Eldar towards the peaceful arable planet of Nova Crux.....
In 771, Nova Crux was a sparsely-populated farming planet in the Lewisainne subsector. It was maintained at a roughly blackpowder level of technology, with small communities of farmers providing nearby industrialised sectors with adequate food supplies. The only large settlement of any note was the planetary capital, Noirreath, which supported the small Imperial presence - some administratum scribes, a token blockhouse of Arbites and the subsector Inquisitorial keep. This far out in the Ultima Segmentum, rebel and pirate raids were relatively common, if small scale affairs, and the planetary militia were usually more than capable of handling themselves. However, in late 771, the raids started to increase.
This was not localised around Nova Crux at first - the whole subsector reported increases in xenos pirate activity, and contact was lost with many of the smaller settlements. In response, the Imperium stepped up military action, deploying the Nova Crux PDF off-planet to handle rebellious settlers, enraged at the Imperium for leaving them to alien invaders. Petitions were also sent to nearby Astartes elements.
By the end of 772 the pirate raids had reached unprecedented levels of activity, and elements of three different Astartes chapters were active in the system, protecting colonies where they could, and fighting small space battles against Eldar pirate vessels. The first to respond were the Exemplars, based nearby on the eastern fringe and in a good position to defend the subsector, followed by a small task force sent from nearby Ultramar. By chance, a White Scars hunt was passing through nearby sectors, and detached a small force to come to the aid of Lewisainne.
The Astartes elements took the fight to the invaders, but failed to bring them out in a decisive engagement. Lack of support from the poorly-trained Nova Crux militia in the sector meant that the opening stages of the conflict were fought as a distant, spread out series of raids.
After a year of constant small engagements, the true target of the raids was revealed as the xenos forces descended on Nova Crux and the city of Noirreath. Astartes elements were spread thinly across the system fighting diversionary attacks and the meagre forces of the the Nova Crux PDF had been bled dry, leaving the small spaceport poorly defended. As the Eldar forces descended, it was up to Inquisitor Lord Hecthor Green to organise the remnants into a defensive force, and hold out long enough to send word to the Astartes.
Battle Reports
* 2010/05/24 -
ELDAR PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE - Ultramarines vs Iyanden Eldar - 750pts -
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/296346.page
* 2010/05/25 -
BOARDING ACTION on SPACE HULK TILES - White Scars vs Iyanden Eldar - 750pts -
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/296601.page
* 2010/05/28 -
NOVA CRUX - TWO RAID GAMES - White Scars vs Iyanden Eldar - 1000pts -
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/297155.page
* 2010/05/29 -
NOVA CRUX - STRONGPOINT ATTACK - White Scars vs Eldar - 1000pts -
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/297339.page
* 2010/06/04 -
NOVA CRUX - MOBILE DEFENSE - Exemplars vs Altansar Eldar - 1000pts -
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/298335.page
* 2010/06/06 -
NOVA CRUX - SABOTAGE RAID - White Scars vs Iyanden Eldar - 1000pts -
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/298760.page
* 2010/07/04 -
NOVA CRUX - ASSAULT ON NOIRREATH - Witchhunters vs Eldar - 2000pts -
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/303572.page
