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Adding a placeholder for possible fluff later, just to keep things in order before I put up the next installment - the Desert of Lost Souls! In which our heroes rescue lost tourists and a tree from the clutches of the elder before the Tyranids eat everyone.

Exalted, this thread is really quite unique.

Well thanks, never been exalted before. : )


Automatically Appended Next Post:
The Desert of Lost Souls

This was a role-play/battle combination, with models revealed as they entered the story and their actions never quite certain. There were some random rolls for things like searching buildings.

The Background:

“Desert of Lost Souls. We have a high priority Astropathic signal indicating that two high born landholders of Hinterland are there on safari. Frau Eldvin and Frau Hofstelon. The area is so remote it is possible they are unaware of the situation. There is a 50 M-Cred each reward for their safe return. A small group with transport would be needed."



Two archeologists are lost in the deep desert, unaware that the world is about be be overrun by Tyranids. Col. Helstrom, his bodyguard Kang (the infamous imperial guard beast man with a Jump pack and hand flamer), several feral world warriors (count as Wolfscouts) and a number of Loyal Crew embark on the newly captured Arvus Lighter. Making planetfall the expedition team finds those abandoned in the planetary evacuation considering how best to make their last stand. Needless to say they are not terribly popular and have to fight off an attempt to capture their flier, but eventually they manage to locate a trader who knows where the landholders have gone - a group of intriguing ruins that has emerged after an uncanny six day storm sweeps away a huge mass of sand.

A short flight later and the ruins are in sight. They are extremely well preserved, and there are some puzzling aspect readings.


Cautiously Helstrom orders a circle of the area, revealing a hidden enclosure.





He decides to land near a tent that turns out to be the women's camp. Perusing their notes, more is revealed about the ruins, Helstrom thinks it likely that they are pre-imperial, possibly even Xenos. Meanwhile, the feral worlders head off in search of treasure!



I greatly enjoyed creating the terrain for this battle, and for Luceron in general. I wanted the world to have a distinctive look, and further I wanted it to be DIFFERENT from our regular terrain, even if that meant it would not look as "good". While I could do a few pieces, there was no way I was going to come up with a whole new set of terrain for a maximum of 9 games. Therefor I settled on using a style I'd always liked since seeing it in the 3rd edition 40K rulebook - cloth drape. I do wish I'd had a bit MORE brown cloth - and all matching - might buy some in the future, as I can probably find other uses for it. Rocks are, of course, free, though not always easy to find in the winter, but by happy chance I have a pile in my basement. Additionally, by using cloth draped over whatever I could find (in this case plywood on paint cans) I was able to create significant "dead zones" and give the table a different feel than our usual gaming surface. Luceron is not a desert world per se, but it has less water than earth-like world, with seas of brine and many dry, dusty, rocky arid areas.

The party spreads out to investigate the buildings - but nothing attacks them yet.



Kang investigates the portal and notes that it seems to require some kind of key, though what it opens is unclear.



The Loyal Crew finger their weapons nervously looking in all directions as night fall, bathed by the landing lights of the Arvus.



The Feral Worlders pillage another building, this time blasting their way in with Krak grenades. Inside this one they find some interesting tech - sleek rifles and alien grenades.



"Eldar!" exclaims Helstrom as they brandish their newfound toys. Speak of the Xenos…. ….a sleek vehicle races in from behind the bluffs. Helstrom considers his options, as a passenger disembarks alone. With a really good tactics roll he realizes that these are Eldar Pirates, but the one disembarking has rather different equipment…



Cautiously, Helstrom advances to speak with the xenos. The masked figure suggests a temporary alliance - he desires something from within the enclosure, but warns that it is protected by automated defenses of wraith bone. He warns Helstrom that his companions in the Venom are rather… …excitable. In fact he admits that they are hearing a rather different conversation than the one that is actually taking place. He has the key to the portal, a miniature web way link, that will take them to the inner sanctum, but lacks the forces overwhelm the guardian. Helstrom considers attacking the Xenos then and there, but decides to bide his time. Meanwhile, Kang leaps up to the top of the bluff, discovering that there are automated elder weapons emplaced there! Flying in will be difficult. Down below a pair of Wraithguard emerge from hidden alcoves and are promptly charged by the Feral worlders. The Loyal Crew begin shouting about something moving on the opposite side of the bluff - Tyranid Vanguard Organism? Heinrich the Pulsegunner recognizes it from the boarding of the Orion - LICTOR!



Calling for a general assault, Helstrom advances through the now open portal. The Feral Worlders dispatch the wraith guard in close combat with some very lucky rolling. The Raider (which turns out to be full of wyches) boosts over the wall after Kang destroys the weapon emplacement. Turns out it is not the only one, and it is destroyed by intercepter fire.



More defenders emerge - this time wraith-spiders, constructs equipped with web spinners and jump packs who have waited thousands of years to defend their charge - a lone tree growing in the sheltered enclosure.



They are no match for the Wychs however, who are pursing some mission of their own that seems to involve a great deal of carnage.



Continuing the search for the Archeologists, or anything valuable that isn't nailed down, the feral worlders and Kang enter a building perched on a a high cliff. Meanwhile, the some of the Loyal crew takes potshots at the lictor as it moves from cover to cover, edging in on their position. Helstrom is content to lie low for the moment with another part of crew. He has reached the inner sanctum, but there is still no sign of the mission objectives.



But now a new player emerges on the scene - a wraith lord appears, but it is clearly tainted… … by Chaos! Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal! The wyches now turn on the crew, slaughtering several messily, but are in turn gunned down by Helstrom and the feral worlders firing from the cliff top. The Harliquin takes this moment to charge off on his own, obtaining his objective - a cutting from the tree which he places within a stasis sphere. Clearly this was something he could not allow to be devoured by the Tyranids….



At last the Archeologists appear, galloping their camels ahead of a writhing horde of tiny shapes. Tyranid rippers or chaos scarabs? Does it matter?



Helstrom executes a daring plan, using Kang to neutralize the intercepter guns ringing the valley while bringing in the Arvus, snatching the Landholders just in the nick of time. The feral worlders find a particularly impressive looking hand bomb, but decide not to try it out yet - good thing, since it turns out to be a Vortex Grenade! Helstrom offers the Harliquin a ride and he accepts, offering a favor in return - though he recommends Helstrom save it to ask for a quick death. In the final bit of drama, the loyal crew manage to outrun the Lictor over several turns (?!! Dice, who can understand em.), escaping with the precious pulse rifle once again.





Everywhere our heroes seem to go, Chaos dogs their steps. Is the Argo cluster doomed to fall to its insidious plots? Are the Eldar through with this doomed world? Which faction of the Mechanicus really won that civil war? Is there nothing Kang can't do? Tune in next time!

Meanwhile, in the third of the "Phase One" battles taking place on Luceron, landing parties from the Princess of Orion attempt to intercept a gene stealer cult convoy. If the convoy breaks through refugee camps will be compromised as cultists infiltrate those waiting to board the Orion, or infect them with the gene stealer's kiss. Therefore it must be destroyed or driven back. This used the new random victory condition cards. They were good for random fun. If I was going to use them seriously I'd monkey with the rules for when you can get them, and perhaps have the number of cards in play increase as the game goes on, so a player who falls behind in some random grabs in the early turns isn't out of the game.

I don't remember the game well, but here are the pictures!



Kreigsmarine and Tanks



Cult deploys its most effective vehicles - Rhino variants - Assault ramp, Quad Gun, and red command vehicle.



Oops, forgot about the Demolisher. Guess that counts as effective. : ) Also, there most effective vehicles actually turned out to be trucks full of bombs, followed by trucks full of hybrids or beast men.



Quad gun fits perfectly on a Rhino as it turns out.



Magus. He mostly summoned demons in this game. I like to run the Patriach with telepathy and roll for invisibility. Invisible gene stealers are nasty.



Hybrids and an anti tank gun. I believe their ride had just blown up.



Kreigsmarine moving up.



Bomb Truck goes boom in the Kreigsmarine's faces.



Daemons!



Hmm - there was a great deal more to this battle that we didn't photograph it looks like, including the exploding sentinel flanking attack, and a whole lot of Insurgency Walker's tanks blowing stuff up. In the end, with the Valkyrie in play the cult got pretty roughly handled, though they hung in there on victory points by occupying more of the table.

All Three Objectives - (Black disks with white eagles) The Imperial guard must fall back from one to the next as the game progresses.

Turn 1-3 Objective 1 (the refugee camp) scores 1 VP per turn. Protect the escaping imperial citizens as they flee from their tents!
Turn 3-5 Objective 2 (the landing pad ramp) scores 1 VP per turn. Hold the ramp so the terrified citizens can stream up onto the pad.
I really need a terrified mob of refugees as a moving objective.
Turn 5-7 Object 3 (the landing platform). Hold this or you don't get off the planet!

The final objective was the players employer, the eccentric Lord Ikos. He moved randomly for the first 3 turns (2D6 each turn, based on the scatter die, with the players controlling the "hit" rolls), wading into battle if he contacted Tyranids, and was worth 2 VPs if alive at the end of the game. On turn 4 he was controlled by the player and moved as a normal infantry model. However, even dead his body was worth 1 VP and could be picked up an transported.



A Chimera with the Priest "The Fisherman" guard the refugee camp.



Col. Helstrom surveys the battlefield from a commanding view point, ready to swoop down where he is needed.



The loyal crew guards the East. Can Heinrich the Pulsegunner survive another battle? Will he eventually reach BS 3?



The landing pad is strongly held, while a loading sentinel stands ready.



Genestealers burst from cover in the hot desert sun, led by the patriarch and the battle is on!

A lictor bursts from a tent and is assaulted bravely by the Loyal Crew. That doesn't end well.



More gene stealers moving up:



The party in the refugee camp held off one group of gene stealers, but fell prey to the other.



Genestealers used the old "sustained assault" rules and kept respawing on random table ages. Spore mines also rained from the skies every turn

The landing pad group kept up steady supporting fire.



The Plasteel Falcon roared on and commenced blasting stealers.



Looks like we stopped taking pictures at that point. A small mawloc appeared near the landing pad and was bravely attacked by the Tech Priest driving the loader sentinel in the best aliens fashion. When the sentinel was destroyed he fought on foot, being reduced by Helstrom and Kang at the last minute. They then mounted up in the Falcon and flew down the board and snatched the body of their employer from some gene stealers on the last turn. Casualties were heavy, but at least some of the refugees escaped!

More of the Loyal Crew have been painted.

url=http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/683947-.html][/url]

The Engineers, led by the highly Dubious Engineer's Mate Cargus.



Boarding Party #1, led by Lt. Nakamura Gunther. Special weapon: Pulse Rifle.



Boarding Party #2, led Lt. Barbarossa with splinter rifle and meltagun.



Specialists and allied officers on loan from Toujours L'Audace

Slowly working on reactivating this campaign after a while off. The next scenario calls for a mechanicus installation. I'm doing it in kind of a desert theme, which should fit with Luceron pretty well.

Here's a start:

Looking forward to it, this whole thing is very neat and inspiring.

Luceron Expedition Update:

Phase one is complete and Phase 2 has begun.

In the early stages of the consumption of the doomed world, the Princess of Orion held her position above the planet. Three operations were carried out - the rescue of two Hinterland Nobles on an archeological Expedition, the Boarding of the Safire Star tramp Freighter, and a Mass evacuation.

Phase 2 has begun. Spores rain down on the planet, hive ships are in orbit. Tyrannid vanguard organisms lead the first mobile swarms. So far one daring recuse has been carried out, snatching the inhabitants of an agricultural district from the very claws of the Genestealers, though alas their lord, who paid for their extraction, was not among them, though is body was restored to his grieving tenants. The Princess of Orion has withdrawn to a lunar orbit, but it is still possible for swift shuttles, and the Tojours L'Audace to run the Tyrannid blockade.

The second Phase 2 operation will targer a Mechanicus Facility not yet fully evacuated. There is likely to be valuable "Salvage" in the base. Some Mechanicus forces remain, but few on the Princess have much love for the Mechanicus. In Considering the operation, Free Trader Bellepheron observed that any major Tyrannid forces were at least a day away, and Auspex visual images were updated by Orbital Vigil Drone every 52 minutes.

The landing party will secure the surface then enter the underground complex. Shuttles will carry the valuable materials away.






Automatically Appended Next Post:
As Col Helstromm leaves the briefing room and walks down a long vaulted corridor with Luceron rising in the arched portholes. Sgt. Trinkman hurries alongside. "Sir, there's something awry - the timeseals on these orbital Pictscans are wrong - these are badly out of date. I don't know who..."

"I did"

A hulking shadow detaches itself from the shadows - Kuliki, the Techmarine of the Kestrals. His helmet is removed showing his pale face, broad, heavy brows, thick lips, large luminous eyes and ears extended with gauges rimmed with tiny circuitry.

"It was necessary that Free Trader Bellepheron agree to the mission. The Risk is acceptable."

"You are a loyal servant of the Imperium, are you not?"

"You have seen the foul cultists celebrating in the streets of Pentegrad. You found something at the Uplink Tower though I do not yet know what. You have boarded a ship that should not exist, and found creatures of the Great Devourer within it's holds - holds that contained something valuable enough that the Thousand Sons mounted a costly expedition to retrieve it. We do not yet know if they succeeded."

"We need to know the causes and outcome of the Mechanicus civil war. A data core from a high value mechanicus installation might provide that information."

"I will accompany you, as will the Lexmechanic Pythia. After all, the risk is acceptable."


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Forces:

The Players will command 500 points of IG, 500 points of orkish Mercenaries, a boarding party led by Captain Jean-Dan Gbwe in a Rhino, a Hinterland Naval Infantry Squad led by petty officer Eliose, and two Hinterland Walkers.

(Walker, Armor 11-11-10, Transports 5, armed with 2 TL autocannons (Male version) or 2 TL heavy stubbers (female), plus a TL Blaster (Assault 1, St 5, AP 2, 12" range.

Gbwe's boarding Party:





Mechanicus forces are not yet known.

Tyranids will enter on Turn 1, with a D3 units entering each turn. Tyranids will continue to recycle as long as the game continues.

Minus 7 hours, 7 minutes Zulu time.

Sgt Donner finished the maintenance ritual on his lasgun, slapped a hot shot pack in place, then stowed the weapon with the Plasteel Falcons emergency kit. "So the Col. Says this is going to be a hot LZ, wish we had more fire support for this one. "
His long time copilot Sgt. Southerland shrugged. "Kestrels will be on target. "
Sgt Donner leaned closer to his copilot, his unlit cigarillo dancing in his mouth "That's the problem, the Kestrals don't role out for the usual fethed up dookie, they only role for the real heavy duty dookie. And they are pulling the wool over the eyes of heresy hair Bellepheron just to poke around in this particular dookie pile."

"Is that what has Trinkmans undies in a twist?"

"That's about half of it, he thinks he got caught with his hand in the Kestrals cookie jar finding some data discrepancies."

Sgt Donner lit his cigarillo by shorting a power pack with his belt buckle before continuing.

"The Col. Thinks we will have to move fast, so our side of the operation will be totally airborne, just one veteran squad riding in the Falcon and No. 7 For The Col., Kang and the Marines."

"No Vulture support?" Sutherland asked

"No, Aces and Eights is being held in strategic reserve for support of engineseer Arclight. I tell ya, the Ork could learn a thing or too about looting from the Col. when it comes to recovering war material. The Col. Has a lead on a Macharius heavy tank. He can't let a beauty like that become a nid vitamin snack. Looks like TF 120 Lt Armored reconnaissance is about to gain some serious weight."

Sgt. Southerland finished stowing a grav chute harness under his copilots seat, "Oh... finding logistical support for a super heavy tank, no wonder Trinkman has been acting like he's about to birth a razor wolf. "

The Board



I enjoyed the set up as always. I'd delayed doing this game for about a year while I worked on terrain for it off and on, but then just said "screw it" and used whatever I could find around the shop and in the terrain bins. Worked out quite well I think.































The Underlevel on a sideboard. I feel like my space hulk stuff is too bright and cheery. Gotta darken it. Use a darker grey on the wall sections for starters, maybe overspray a dark olive green on the floors on one side with a dark grey on the other.

Sgt. Trinkman looked up from his workbench, distracted by the sound of powered armor moving across the maintenance bay. He recognized the familiar whir thump of Engineseer Arclights power armor but didn't recognize the towering individual behind him whom could have only been one of the Kestrals, a chapter of the adeptus astartes.

"Greetings Friend Sgt Trinkman, allow me to introduce Engineseer Brabus"
Trinkman did a double take as he recognized the red robes and power armor of a techpriest engineseer loom behind Brother Arclight.
The behemoth spoke through a vox system whose every syllable struck Sgt. Trinkman like a thunderbolt heard through a bank of church organ pipes.
" I see the circuits of your meditation, may the omnissa bless your workspace Sgt Trinkman. "
"Thank you". Sgt. Trinkman turned his gaze to brother Arclight his eyes hardening.
"Did Donovan put you up to this?"
"Up to what?"
"A space marine, dressed up as an engineseer ha, ha, lame joke."
The behemoth spoke again. This time less thunder, but more pipe organ, pipe organ in hurricane.
"I assure you there is no humor in our meeting Sgt. Trinkman, and I have not been modified with the gene seed of the astartes."

"But, your fething huge! You take up more space in a corridor than any spacemarine I have seen, even your power axe is huge!"

"Ah, actually the haft is the same length as mine." Brother Arclight interjected.

"Indeed, but the head is bigger though" the behemoth said with rather less pipe organ. "Is this a problem?"

"Oh, sorry no, not at all, let us not speak of this again."

Across the maintenance bay servitor Adjutus dropped a collet ring which rolled around in ever decreasing circles while he chased after it. He chased it for a full minute before it rolled to a stop.

Brother Arclight broke the silence first.
"I would like to see Col. Helstroms after action report, it has not been filed."

"Yeah, the Col. Is still on bed rest. He survived but at the cost of his refractor field. That is the fething second he has wrecked jumping between an ally and danger. Maybe the Kestrals can replace it, or aid in its repair. It was lost keeping brother Kuliki out of danger."
Trinkman pointed to a blank spot at a large chalkboard that had maintenance schedules for the company's vehicles recorded.
"We lost the Arvus too, fething shame the pilot didn't survive the crash he had skill. Sgt. Southland was riding in the back at the time with the survivors of the marauders. Came through without a scratch but swears he is never setting foot outside the Plasteel Falcon again. Good news is, the Mause is back up and running. Helstrom will like to get his command sentinel back. "

A single mechandrite from the behemoth picked up a pice of chalk and added a new name to the company vehicle list. "Well Sgt. Trinkman, I of the Barabus clan present to warrior Kang the assault interceptor 'Rightious Fury'"

For the second time in the last 10 minutes Sgt. Trinkman did a double take. "Kang? Wait, I thought you were the techpriest assigned to the Macharius heavy tank?, does Kang even drive? What's an assault interceptor?"

Brother Arclight chimed in, "all in good time Trinkman, it's a complicated logic diagram."

Sgt. Donovan stuck his head into the workshop and yelled out "hey Trinkman, you need to come see the Kangmobile" then disappeared quickly.

Brother Arclight turned to the behemoth and struck a submissive pose, "sorry, I'm sure Sgt. Donovan didn't mean any disrespect"

"It's quite alright engineseer Acrlight, 'Rightious Fury' has had many nicknames over the centuries, why as a child I called it Vroom Vroom Dakka Dakka. Still, if Kangmobile is used to many times it will stick, be sure Kang approves of it before then."

The set up.

Intel suggested that 3 main entrances would give us access to the lower level. Updated position reports on the tyranids painted a grim picture. We would have no time to conduct diplomacy with the mechanicus forces.

The lower level contained the data nodes that the tech marine needed to explore.

The action.

The combined arms of the main strike force arrived in mass. The Valkyrie Plasteel Falcon entered the field using outdated flight techniques striking deeply into the main defensive position of the base defenders. The loyal crew and engineers moved into position via foot and transport. We wanted to place the full weight of the strike force on a single entrance to the underground facility. Unfortunately the Arvus lander containing myself, Kang, Techpriest Kuliki, Sgts Trinkman, and Sampson plus a servitor had to wave off on its first landing approach. The Karelian irregulars, Ork mercenaries, chose not to deploy fearing the encroaching mass of tyranid life forms.

Sgt. Donner failed to exhibit his usual flying flair and the automated anti-air battery caused enough damage to force a landing. The base defenders moved to intercept our forces and continued to engage our transports but failed to cause further damage.

Then, perhaps luckily, the tyranids arrived.

Sgt. Harkness lead his squad out of the immobile Falcon and were joined by its crew. This time the Arvus hit its mark, I and my squad disembarked behind the defensive wall next to the bases mostly robotic defenders and their human leader. I suggested we combine our efforts and directed gunfire on the tyranids hoping we would appear to be the lesser threat. Even though their deployment was hasty, Sgt Harkness and his heavy bolter payback tore into the front ranks of the nids, and his teams snipers managed to pin the beasts, clear sign that the tyranids vanguard lacked any of the larger beasts that allowed for more fanatical persistent coordinated attack. Some crew entered an out building attached to the main complex hoping to find safety in cover, only to be engaged by a robotic defender.


My instinct was true, the human mechanicus defender directed his squad to engage the tyranids. My heart was lifted but only momentarily as the other mechanicus forces continued to engage both the tyranids and the raiding party. The fighting turned to hand to hand as the tyranids vanguard charged over the defensive line into our grounded forces, engaging mechanicus and task force elements in a disordered wave.

I lead my reduced sized squad into the underbase, soon to be joined by the boarding party led by Captain Jean-Dan Gbwethe.


The Valkyrie Plasteel Falcon was critical to the success of our mission so I ordered Sgt Trinkman to join its crew and repair the vehicle. We were all relived when Sgt Donner announced over the come channels "behold the power of a fully operational Valkyrie." destroying the walking tank engaging the hinterland walkers. I was totally taken by surprise when I also heard Sgt Southlands com the Arvus and request "drop me by the air defense gun". Apparently he had taken an exception to the weapon that had wounded his ship, or perhaps it was the desire to engage the enemy with two twin linked auto cannons. Maybe one day I will ask.

The soul survivor of the mechanicus squad,a Sgt. reciting prayers to Phobos armed with a storm shield mounted up in a rhino, only to be joined by Sgt Harkness and the remainder of his squad. Being chased by tyranids, it looked like the end was near for them when the trusty transport got immobilized by a lucky assault.

Time was wasting, the tyranid waves showed no sign of slowing while we finally worked out a treaty with the mechanicus forces. We would be allowed to travel in the sub base from the tyranid threatened entrance to a safer exit on the other side. We now could come in proximity to the data nodes we needed, but could not interact with them without gaining the ire of the mechanicus commander.

The treaty in place, Sgt Southland employed the defensive battery to good effect on the approaching tyranids. The Valkyrie rained missiles from its pods onto the aliens killing scores.

While we continued negotiations with the techpriest Dominus, our forces continued to secure the sub base entrance by guarding the door. The lesser bioforms took pause and a true behemoth began to approach the entrance behind us. Dis Spite the combined arms of mechanicus and task force the tyranids where encroaching on all the entrances to the sub base.

Captain Jean-Dan Gbwethes boarding party came to loot, and loot they did. However they were spotted carrying a crate and soon created just the kind of diversion Techpriest Kuliki needed to slice the first node. I don't know what sorcery he used, but he didn't trip any alarms as he conducted his work. Unfortunately our truce was about to break apart. Captain Jean-Dan Gbwethe, chose to drop the looted crate while we tried negotiations to gain access to another data node. Perfect timing, base alarms klaxons sounded with the phrase "tyranids have entered the facility". Techpriest Kuliki would be allowed access to a node to give data recovered from the Princess on the tyranids to aid in the base defenses. Once again the Marine did his duty without tripping any alarms.

Outside, Sgt Southland gave up the high ground leaving mechanicus snipers the only friendly force to defend the autoguns. After many rounds of withstanding assault by tyranids, the immobile Rhino finally failed and was wrecked. The brave mechanicus Sgt. Leapt into the mass of hostile bioforms while Sgt. Harkness lead his squad over the wreck away from the nids.

Sgt. Southland asked to be dropped by one of the external features of the surface base. Mechanicus troops didn't like his tampering with their holy shrine and would have shot him for looting on the spot, but he pulled a quick sleight of hand and tossed the troops a set of waterwings from his survival vest which they attempted to return to the shrine. The ruse lasted long enough for him to grab a second bit of shrine and run onto the Arvus for a quick getaway. The pilot of the Arvus tried to jam the report of the crime but failed. Lucky for us, the situation in the sub base had become so desperate that only by working together would any of us escape. Tyranid Warriors had entered the sub base from all entrances and some huge monstrous creature had made it through the valiant rearguard defending our entrance point.

The Falcon, and Arvus were drawing fire while continuing to attempt to clear an escape path from the sub base. Encouraged by the presence of loot the Ork Raiders finally moved to ungage, but were caught in a cross fire of tyranids and mechanicus.

The Arvus moved to rescue Sgt. Harkness and his squad who managed to flee the perusing tyranids. The wreck of the red Rhino, blessed of Phobos and Deimos, continued to hamper the assault of the tyranids who got entangled in its wreckage. The Arvus pilot also engaged one of the larger bioforms menacing the Orks.

Deprived of a meal, and getting wounded by the combined fire of the falcon and Arvus the bioforms began to direct heavy fire on the two flyers. The Arvus went down in flames, with only Sgt Southland and Harkness surviving. The Falcon disengaged while Sgt. Trinkman continued repairs.

Below ground, my squad supported by mechanicus troops, engaged in more melee with the Tyranids as we ran for the closest exit. One of the Techpriests gave his life setting the facility's self destruct sequence, the Techpriest Dominus finally entered the fight to great effect. My bodyguard Kang cut through the gene stealers blocking our path leaving a single tall tyranid, perhaps a zoanthrope blocking our escape!


One last fight to freedom. All remaining strike force personal had converged on the entrance at the surface, clearing it of hostile units. My squad charged after failing to bring the zoanthrope down with pistol fire. In my hast to protect tech marine Kuliki I jumped between him and the raging tyranid. With a flash of blue light and the smell of ozone my refractor field failed as I was struck down. Kang, my faithful body guard, avenged me and carried my broken body to the safety of the waiting Valkyrie.

The tongue lashing was epic, and went on, and on. The effect was rather like being grilled by one's sarcastic opera singing overweight grandmother who has the authority to throw you out of the airlock. Free Trader Bellopheron was angry, very angry. Not only had the expedition failed to achieve any objectives (as far as she knew), but casualties had been heavy. Bringing on board a mid-to-high ranking Tech Priest was hardly a consolation, given that she, like many of the crew, had a distinct dislike of the Mechanicus. Then there was the matter of the faulty orbital surveys that had precipitated the mess. The search for the responsible person took an hour, and since the person responsible was, in fact, a space marine, it was never going to succeed. Eventually an Auspex officer was about to take the fall, when the Kestrels stepped in and declared the matter closed.

Finally the ordeal was over. Later that watch, tech marine Kuliki explained what had been learned.

"Our mission was, in fact a success. The data recovered has shed at least some light on the origins of the Schism of the Mechanicus and perhaps more. The schism occurred when a Data Event swept the Mechanicus mind web. It was extremely high clearance, and the data itself was not present in the cores we viewed. It may have been fully purged at this point. However, it's origin was recorded." With a ritual gesture he conjured a planetary image on the viewer - a world with a single massive continent amid oceans.

"UT - 326. Interdicted Xeno-Artifact world. Locally known as Zarathustra. The data event was triggered by an upload from a Mechanicus exploration team returning from a three year expedition to the major continent. If we want to know what caused the schism, and thus perhaps how to deal with it, we need to go to the source."

"There are several complications." A brief incantation, and the continent was outlined in red. "An ancient xenos weapon destroys any object in atmosphere over the primary continent. The mechanism is unknown, but it has so far proved impenetrable." A gesture and a small island near the mouth of an enormous river glowed. "Port Kain, gateway to Zarathustra. A small legitimate trade in exotic plant and animal products flows through it. Along with the massive and profitable trade in xenos artifacts. Expeditions leave from Port Kain and travel by boat along the coast or into the interior. We will need to occupy Port Kain to mount a full expedition into the interior."

"However, the Mechanicus has tasked a detachment of the ON(SF) with preventing smuggling. The space based defenses we can deal with, but there is a network of ground to orbit missile silos mounted on a series of tiny islands. These are of a class we cannot defeat safely from Orbit. The silos in turn are defended by airfields with a small but capable compliment of aircraft which assist in the anti smuggling operation. We will need to insert an airborne force and conduct an island hopping campaign to defeat the ON(SF) and take control of the silos. With the silos in our hands, we will not only be able to conduct a bulk landing at Port Kain, we will also be safe from interference while we attempt to retrace the steps of the Mechanicus explorator team."

"Clearly, we need more planes. We will also need to convince Trader Bellepheron to undertake the expedition, though given her fondness for treasure I do not think that will be too difficult."

Turning to the view port he gazed contemplatively at the doomed world of Luceron. "And of course, our work here is not yet done. I am certain Bellepheron will brook no early departure."

Next Battle will be Apocalypse! Intro fluff:

Crescendo:

The death of a world.

The crew of the Princess of Orion continued to carry out operations as Luceron died. Typical missions involved descending on remote locations with overwhelming force to carry out extractions and were successful with minimal casualties. The Princess hung in high orbit with the rest of the Jackal pack, eluding roaming drones and occasionally swooping down for extraction easily outrunning the more numerous and aggressive hive ships in low orbit and blasting aside light units. By and large however the invaders were focused on devouring the arid planet’s biomass, many of them tethered to the surface by feeder tendrils and uninterested in a few morsels in a fast moving metal shell.

Now a great prize beckons - the city of Valrathin, Jewel of the Mindrith coast. Evacuations had been carried out early and in haste, but the wealthy had left behind much of their wealth for later removal, guarded by loyal retainers, PDF, and even some well equipped Imperial Guard units. The freighter tasked with the second evacuation was caught in orbit attempting to run the Tyrannic blockade. The Orion was happy to take it’s place, but how many of the original owners would get their objet’s d’art back would be a subject for negotiation.

Initial landing went smoothly with a substantial force deposited by bulk lander. The city was all but deserted and the nearest Swarm was days away. The city seemed to be inhabited only by scurrying shadows and a few household staff barricaded in high tech mansions, aside from it’s military defenders.

Then disaster struck. The Princess suffered a massive drive failure. Estimated repair time was five or more days. The Saphire star lacked the performance characteristics to make an orbital pass and Toujours L’Audace the ability to carry enough bulk landers to do the job. Small shuttles might evacuate a handful of personnel, but with hundreds in the city with valuable heavy equipment, the decision was made to attempt to hold. The limited biomass of the city would warrant only a (relatively) small force in attack. The Tyranids might bypass it entirely in favor of nearby thorn forests and marsh flats until an overwhelming force could be gathered, but which time the free traders hoped to be long gone. As a bonus the city boasted a strong fortified perimeter which the previous defenders had spent more than a month improving.

Sot the Prophet, called by some the Fisherman, woke with a start. He’d dreamed he was in a hole and dirt had been thrown in on top of him. Was it his time to die? Was the Emperor calling him home? He thought for a moment. No, it was clear he was meant to bury himself inside the perimeter and attack the tyranids from below!

Sub Magos Donovan intonned a the primary canticle of Optics and ran through the optical device rites of propitiation for the second time. Suddenly the image sprang into clear focus and he shouted for the protection of the All-Circuit while fumbling for the alarm.

Sgt Eliose strolled to the mansion’s enormous bay window looking out of the city dressed only in her knickers. Just as she was vaguely thinking about breakfast, sirens began to wail. Landing Party Crew spilled out of their billets the couryard, some wearing odd items of high fashion. An ancient woman with leathery brown skin and a cloud of white hair dressed mostly in feathers ran down the street clutching a plasma caster.
“Where the feth did she come from?” Eloise wondered briefly before squinting at the horizon where something was emerging from the dawnlight.… Something massive and terrible. She shivered remembering that she was on a world where every living thing would die within weeks.

But what of it, really? She’d slept this night in a bed bigger than the house she’d been born in and eaten feotal whale steaks which cost more for a bite than her mother earned in a week. She’d leapt from one starship to another across the void and lived to tell the tale, rubbed shoulders with peoples from a hundred worlds. Not bad for a girl born the youngest of eight in on a goat farm. She turned and ran for her gear.

Troops hurried to defensive positions, squinting out over the rocky plain, hoping to blunt the assault long enough to convince the devourer to go elsewhere for a time. The swarm, a churning sea of black and yellow carapace, began to coalesce, homing in on the weakest point in the city perimeter. On the battlements, Heinrich the Pulsegunner caressed his Xenos Rifle and wondered if that button the side really did what he thought it did.

Lt. Von Bingarten lowered her field glasses. “Well, there is upside. Several bounty-forms are present. If we survive, we’ll make a tidy sum. “ At that moment one of her naval infantry arrived at a run, pausing to gasp for breath.
“Mamzelle Lieutenant! There are irregular forces approaching from the rear! Gene stealer cult with light vehicles!”
Von Bingarten sighed. It seemed the scavengers had come out of the shadows. “Now we’re for it. Vox operator!”

Forces: Approximately 3,500 points of Tyranids, 1,500 points of Genestealer Cult.
4000 points of Player forces, plus Loyal Crew and fortifications.

Set up:

Table is played Lengthwise. Terrain is urban on one half of the table, relatively open on the other. Buildings tend to be intact.

The free Traders set up in a 36” inch deployment zone, 36” from one edge and 24” from the other. Tyranids deploy up to 12 inches out from the short table edge 24” from the player line. The Genestealers enter from the opposite short edge on Turn 2. Tyranids have first turn and set up first, no seizing allowed.

The winner is the side who removes 75% of the enemy’s force (by points) first.

In addition to survival, the player objective is to capture the carcases of several newly discovered bio-forms. When one of these creatures/units dies it becomes an objective. If the players control more than half of them and have more than half their forces remaining, that is a major victory.



Hadecyst.
These grub like creatures are seeded from orbit and burrow into the ground, lying dormant until sensing the approach of other members of the swarm while nurturing a clutch of spore mines. They are fed by small stealthy symbionts. When battle develops their vile heads emerge from their shallow hole and vomit forth the mines.

WS BS S T W A I Ld Sv
2 3 3 3 3 1 2 10 5+

Spore Launcher (Identical to Biovore but has only an 18” range but must target the nearest non vehicle unit).
Infiltrate
Deep strike (On turn 1).
Stealth
Vulnerable to blasts
Rocky burrow (2+ armor save vs. shooting).







Cephalon

This creature represents a new and terrifying development in Hive evolution. One great weakness of the tyranids is that they find the Imperium, particularly it’s technology, as incomprehensible as the Imperium finds them. The Cephalon represents an attempt by the Hive Mind to understand it’s enemies, rather than just devour them. Should it succeed, the consequences would be dire. The Cephalon has an enormous brain, but few obvious psychic powers. It is independent and curious, with many appendages designed to help it explore its environment. With an insatiable thirst for knowledge, it explores humans and their technology rather like a child with a new toy. A hideous, ten foot tall child with wings and tentacles for a face.

WS BS S T W A I Ld Sv
2 2 4 5 3 2 5 6 5+

Shrouded
Stealth
Wings - Moves as Jump Infantry
Hit and Run
Infiltrate
Scout/Outflank
Independent. The nature of the Cephalon’s mind means that it is less closely bonded with the Hive Mind. It is not affected by any rules for synapse creatures, etc. It follows its own whims and is not a scoring unit or able to capture objectives.

Tattered Skulker - The stealthy Cephalon is relatively non threatening (compared to other tyranids, and the danger it poses is rarely realized. It cannot be shot or assaulted unless it is the closest target.

Hideous Curiosity
When the Cephalon assaults or is assaulted by roll a die before any attacks are resolved.


1 Beyond probing a few things, the Cephalon accomplishes nothing.
2 One vehicle suffers a glancing hit automatically. Or one model of the Tyrannic player’s choice must pass an armor or invulnerable save or be removed from play.
3 The Cephalon takes control of the vehicle’s weaponry and immediately makes a normal shooting attack with it, including a pivot if needed. On super heavy vehicles it gets to fire a single weapon. Against infantry this causes them to take a Leadership check or flee the combat as though they had lost it without striking blows. Tyrannic units still get to make their attacks and the fleeing unit can be “swept”.
4 The Cephalon detects a weakness and gains preferred enemy against the target as do other Tyrannic units in the same combat, for this turn only.
5 The Cephalon learns how to avoid the weaponry of one type of vehicle or unit in the combat and passes this information to the Hive Mind. Tyrannic units may re roll saves against all models of the same type (e.g, IG infantry squad, Space Marine Sternguard, Chimera or Leman Russ) for the remainder of the game. Gaining this benefit is optional, however if you do remove the Cephalon as a casualty as bonding with the hive mind is fatal to it.
6 A fatal weakness has been found. All tyrannic units gain preferred enemies against units of one of the types in the combat. Remove the Cephalon as a casualty if you choose to use this.




Toxicrene Alpha

The Toxicrene Alpha has Tendrils that are fully aware weapon symbionts, able to attack on their own. Though less venomous that a normal Toxicrene’s tenticles, these weapons can each seek out its own targets and stretch further.

As per normal Toxicrene, except reduce Attacks to 3.

Add “Sentient Tenticles”.

The Toxicrene gets an additional shooting attack

9” range, Assault 8, S6, AP 3, Poisoned 4+, Interceptor, Skyfire (Optional).

The Toxicrene may attack with the Tendrils in Close combat. The tendrils are WS 3, S6, AP 3, Poisoned 4+, and can make 8 additional attacks at Initiative 8. They snake through terrain and ignore all penalties for assaulting into cover.







Aveceptor

One of the most Bizarre bioforms every encountered, the Aveceptor has twelve limbs, and is in fact two tyrannic life forms bonded together, giving it unprecedented mobility . It appears to be an evolution designed to deal with aircraft, since the Skaith hive has few flying creatures.

WS BS S T W A I Ld Sv
5 4 6 5 5 4 4 10 3+

Monstrous Creature

Bio Aspex. The Aveceptor has the Interceptor and Skyfire rules. It can also grant these abilities to one Tyrannic unit within line of sight during each turn, (including enemy turns) which lasts until the next turn of the same type. Further the unit in question may make an immediate out of sequence shooting attack against a flyer or deep striking unit when this rule is invoked.

Quadriped. Moves 9”, Assaults 3D6, Runs D6+3. Can “bound” D6” inches as part of its movement or assault. For those D6 inches (rolled before movement) it ignores terrain and enemy models.

Twin Link Impaler Cannons. S7, AP 3, Range 30”, Assault 3.


Parisite of Mortared - See Tyrannic Codex.

Doom of Malan’tai. Same.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Stupid autocorrect. Really need to adjust my preferences.

Additional Misc. Rules.

Prepared Positions:

The cities defenses are well prepared with fields of fire, escape routes, and lines of attack thoroughly mapped. Three times during the game the human player may invoke the prepared position rule to do one of the following:

Allow a unit to overwatch at full ballistic skill.
Allow a unit to hit and run.
A vehicle will be hit only on "6s" when assaulted, in addition it immediately moves backwards 2D6.
Allow a unit to use the counter Attack rule.

Only units in the Defensive belt may invoke this rule.

Venom cannons will use the Old Assault 2, S 7, AP 4, 36" glancing hits only rules.

Buildings will use vehicle embark/disembark rules with two models able to fire per window. Assaults are resolved against the models in the building, though attacks can be alocated to the building. Penetrating hits strike the models inside, who make take armor saves or invulnerable saves, but not cover saves. Large blast hits D6, small D3. Template simply hit D6 models no need to penetrate if they can touch a window or door. In addition, the building may collapse. Roll to wound for each penetrating hit vs T8 (light buildings), T9 (Normal ones), T10 (fortifications). If the building is "wounded" it collapses. All models must take an armor/invul save or suffer a wound.

Web way portals are active. You may "embark" into the web way like a vehicle. Each turn a unit is "in the web way", roll D6

1) The unit gets lost and is removed from play.
2) If there are enemy units in the web way they immeidately fight a close combat. Neither counts as assaulting or in cover.
3) Still in the web way.
4-6) You may disembark from any portal, as long as that would not place you within 1" of an enemy model. Otherwise remain in the webway and roll again next turn.

Like the Aveceptor conversion.

Thanks - my son did most of it actually.

The Tyranids deploy to devour the city...



The left flank has advanced further than the right, sweeping along the causeway over the tidal flats:



The cult and various gribblies remain in reserve:



The city's defenses - the buildings are a little small compared to super heavies...

Veterans prepare to defend the formal Nihon gardens against the genestealer cult attack.



Naval infantry also deploy to the rear in the harsh glare of Luceron's young sun.



Turn 1 The Tyranids surge forward with little strategy other than to use the Toxicrene's cover cloud and get into hand to talon combat as soon as possible.



Hormaguants prepare to go into the wire....



The cult Armor roles in. They would duel fairly effectively with the Imperial tanks for several turns.



Cult infantry occupies Hab buildings along the edge of the battlefield including heavy weapons teams.



As expected, the Tyranid shooting accomplished little turn 1. As was not expected, the imperial shooting also accomplished little - though they annihilated the cult heavy weapon teams in the 2nd story of the tentiments. Things were looking grim for the defenders !

Here smoke billows from the 2nd story cult weapons positions wrecked by a storm of imperial fire. Labor Platoon 23 is in position to assault next turn below the cars.



Never really finished this report, so here is the quick summary:

"Aaagghhh! Hormagaunt!" the hormagaunts and various shooting eliminated the infantry screen.



Labor Platoon 23 battles the Hinterlanders. The surviving Hinterland naval infantry would escape in the car as more genestealers arrived on the scene.



Dominus Dicto tries to slow the genestealer advance. Not bad for a bulldozer.



The doom of Malan'tai tries to pop up from the web way and use its power to suck life force and gain a zillion wounds, but something went wrong, I forget what. The Plasteel Valkyrie prowled the battlefield, here targeting a truckload of cultists.



Rough Riders take on a Trygon! If I remember correctly they lost.



Flank Attack!



The engineers bravely defend the bastion against the giant tyrnoslug thing! Forget what it was, but I remember they escaped out the back after managing to do a few wounds. Rippers devour the formal gardens.



The Tyranids are at the walls!







And over the walls! And Genestealers Outflanking!




View from the Imperial Lines at the the peak of the battle:



Up to this point the super heavies had been mostly hull down with few lines of fire and played a limited role. Now as the tyranids came up over the berm they opened fire and.... ....the nids pretty much evaporated. What's that you say, if you don't move you can shoot the mega bolter twice...? Err, Ok. Old one eye was the last hope of the nids and rampaged on flipping a tank or two, but that was pretty much the end of the line. So it goes.

Col. Helstrom's quote says it all:


"They came for our flesh but we gave them our steel, and didn't let the door hit our a** on the way out."

Game to the Rogue Traders, who made off with a pile of superheavy gear and a vacation resort's worth of treasure and objet d'art. Lady Bellepheron has been mollfied and the coffers of the Orion at least partly filled. But will her greed by the undoing of our heroes as she insists they remain during phase 3, as the tyrnnids complete digestion of the planet and move on.

A game from over the winter.

With Luceron's consumption by the Hive Fleet well under way, few have the courage to walk the surface if they have any choice and any way off the planet is well worth killing for. Two space Marine chapters, the Iron Wolves (with a few grey hunters, the ever resourceful feral worlders, and a pack of wolves), and an unnamed chapter with a team of scouts, veteran sniper and a scout speeder clash over the control of the Arvus lighter sent to retreive the feral worlders on their final mission to the Sojack river delta. One of the most significant biomass densities on the otherwise dry and arid planet, it has been over run by a riot of growth. Stalking both groups through the jungle are the tyranids - a brood of termigants (always liked the old, small 'gants - why make your disposable soldiers larger than a dog really), a hive guard and a trio of warriors. We used the combat patrol rules. There were three objectives, of which two were important to each faction. So for example the shuttle was an objective for both Marines but the Tyranids cared nothing about it.























Combat patrol was decent, and it seemed much less abusable than some of the previous iterations of it, though who knows. We didn't see any Ork looters. The Hive Guard proved nearly unstopable however, unleashing a torrent of deadly spines from it's hiding place. The wolves battled the Gants, and the marines traded shots. The Scouts rushed the landing platform to try to seize the shuttle but were wiped out. The feral worlders crept the long way around the masses of hive growth, only to encounter the warriors under the platform where a final, desperate combat ensued. In the end, the Nids were victorious, if I remember correctly.

You have such an amazing, colorful campaign full of unique terrain and models. So much good inspiration on this page. Someday after much more work, I hope to have this many biomes and settings to fight over in my campaigns!

But I have to ask, with such a variety of painted miniatures, why do you use unpainted models for a battle report? It takes away a bit from the magic.

But I still enjoy anything new you that you post because I know it will be packed with originality. Keep it up!

Thanks! I enjoyed your batrep too and hope to see more- video batreps are the norm now but just not my thing since I like to savor the pictures and fluff in my own time. Not to throw anyone under the bus, but it's not MY miniatures that are unpainted in most cases. I love a completely painted battle with good terrain, and we always give a little bonus (usually a once per battle reroll) to any painted unit. That said, I've gotten a lot less picky about it. Painting is not equally difficult for all due to health, vision, schedule, etc. for everyone. Given a choice between seeing new units on the table and playing all painted but with the same figures every time I can understand choosing the former. I found I was delaying games for months because not everything was quite right - and I don't get to play many games as it is. So I've given up on the perfection some are able to achieve alas. Hats off to those who can!

The Argo Cluster is a way to work though all the figures and terrain in my collection with episodes ahead such as:

The Plains of Skaith - all about ORKS and CARS.
The Skies of Zarathustra - Air War with PLANES
Voyage into the Heart of Darkness - our heroes on a RIVER GOING IRONCLAD vs LIZARDMEN
Vaurenheim War - Military advisors to feudal worlders, aka BRETONNIANS. beset by the THOUSAND SONS.
Return to Pentegrad - RPG episode involving CIVILIANS and GLADIATORS.
And so on.

Just gotta get my act together to actually play. : )

 The Riddle of Steel wrote:
You have such an amazing, colorful campaign full of unique terrain and models. So much good inspiration on this page. Someday after much more work, I hope to have this many biomes and settings to fight over in my campaigns!

But I have to ask, with such a variety of painted miniatures, why do you use unpainted models for a battle report? It takes away a bit from the magic.

But I still enjoy anything new you that you post because I know it will be packed with originality. Keep it up!

I AM GUILTY!

You may notice the slow painting of the Valkyrie over the reports. I'm one who moves at glacial speeds on models. I also have forgotten how to paint over the years. To put things in perspective the stretched sentinel was started in 4th edition maybe? Back when you could include sentinels in the HQ slot, almost like a heavy weapon team. GW sold bits, so I was able to purchase the legs from a penitent engine, and when the new kit came out I swapped out the old big las canon for the new smaller las canon just so the parts would span a decade.

Action on Luceron, post Consumption.

In time, Hive Fleet Skaith finished the digestion of Luceron and retired to deep space. Timidly at first, then with increasing boldness, like jackals moving in to a mostly eaten kill, hungry for meat but wary of lions, ships began to approach. Skaith was a typical of hive fleets, both in its general behavior and the specifics of it's feeding. It left scraps behind on the table. A wisp of atmosphere. A few living organisms, some origial species, some seeded by Skaith itself. A few pools of stagnant water. Some ruins. The intent was clear to the Magos Biologos - in 10,000 years the planet would produce another meal for the hive fleet. Unlike other fleets, that like locusts, intended to devour all life in the galaxy and move on, Skaith's intent was to remain as an Alpha predator. In the end it mattered little for it is unlikely any sentient life survived on Luceron.

A tyranid Void Kraken emerged from low orbit and devoured a scoutship, then unfurled its membranous drives and departed. Another scout approached, circled the planet, made planetfall.

Now the scavengers moved in en mass in a frenzied mob from where ever they had been hiding in system. There were treasures to be had. Vaults of precious materials overlooked by the 'nids. Holy relics the tyranids might not have gnawed. Samples valuable to the Magos. Data cores still broadcasting. Perhaps most of all, with the planet wiped of human life, the mineral rights belonged to whom ever first filed a proper claim. But such a claim required landing and placing markers, drawing up and broadcasting maps and pict scans. Possession was 9/10 of the law. Records were incomplete, lost or hidden. A mine might be profitable or played out. Someone had to go and see, and other someones might object.

Her hold full of treasure and lucky refugees, the Princess of Orion was still not sated. She drew in close. It is fair to say it was not the crew's finest hour. They had been united during their flight from the Mechanicus, and during the harrowing battles with Tyranids, but the scramble for the Tyranid's leftovers brought out the worst. At times teams from the Orion fought each other. In the confusion teams were often stranded for long periods of time and had to fight to survive. There were various reasons for this. Trader Bellepheron was occupied with the earlier spoils and leadership was in short supply. The aftermath of the Mechanicus expedition had exposed factions in the crew with different priorities. Some saw a subtler hand at work as well, sewing discord and confusion....

This episode is a Shadow War Armaggeddon Campaign, mostly standard rules. There is a mix of Kill Teams with NPC teams playing the extra games to keep everyone at the same number of games each round. Victory uses the standard conditions with generic "Treasures" replacing "Promethium Caches."

The Teams:

Disperate prospectors, pirates, scavengers and survivors fight through the ruins of world partially devoured by Tyrannids for the treasure and supplies the hive did not consume (or couldn't digest).



The Void Jackals Explorator Team. Sadly, space suits don't stop bullets all that well it turns out and more guns might be better, though Aphrodia and her grenades have done a bit of work. Counts as Astramilitarum with a Void Monk (commisar Specialist) and Ogryn.



Looks like the Hinterland Naval Infantry have found some of the last water on the planet - but is it safe to drink? And can a kill team based on as many lasguns as possible backed up by Krak grenades work?



Mechanicus Tech Guardians with a skitarii - count as Space marine scouts with some specialists in the background. Not painted by me, unknown Ebay person.



Engineer Squad. These guys nearly took out a Carnifex in regular 40K play by themselves, can they match those heroics in Shadow War format? Count as scouts.



Jean Dan Gbwe and the away team of the Tourjours L'Audace away team. Another Astra Miitarum counts as.



Ruglud's Armored Ladz.



Muglug Necksnappa and his yoof horde - the more feared gang on the planet.



Feral Worlders from the Princess of Orion.



The Action so far -

Aphrodia kicked at the strange material under foot. It as an odd mixture of rock fragments, sand, and other, less identifiable stuff and covered everything in sight. Here and there great boulders or ruins jutted up, or green slime grew across the scree. "What is this stuff?!" she demanded. The Skitarii ranger accompanying her group glanced at her, inscrutable behind mask and lenses. "Roughly equal part pulverized concrete, silica substrate, and dried tyranid excrement." Her foot squelched on something much fresher and she looked down. "I see. That, on the other hand, is Ork in origin... ...and I hate orks!" She drew her hotshot laspistol.

The Void Jackals battled Muglug and the Yoofs -
Ork Deployment:


Explorators hiding behind a wall. This would be a theme.


The explorators try to fend off a two pronged advance by the orks!


Falling back to their final position, they fire madly through the gaps trying to stop the green tide!




To no avail!




Despite a great deal of sneaking around, bottlenecking and grenade throwing, the Yoofs were just too much for the explorators, especially after the sniper ran out of ammo on the first shot! The Explorators need some hand to hand might to counter the Orks and fled the field with heavy casualties. No one died, but many were out of action for the next battle.

The Feral worlders fought the Orks next, and played the objective for a win from destroying the Promethium tank without much actual combat. This reminds me that the scenarios are really important for mixing things up. We may need to bring in some extra scenarios to keep things fresh. No pics though.

The third game was a 3 way. The explorators are returning to their vehicle hoping to reclaim it from the orks. Unbeknownst to them the Orks are ready for them. Unbeknownst to the Orks, the Feral Worlders are planing to take out everyone!


The Jackals reach the Vehicle. Unfortunately, much of their team is too hurt to fight.


Muglug leads one party agains the Feral Worlders while another assaults the hummies skulking around the bubble car.


Though the Jackals put up a better fight than last time, they are still roughly handled and bottle out! Once again their Skitari ranger runs out of ammo. What is with that guy? At least he fights off several orks climbing up the vehicle to get him.


Muglug with the rest of his team shot down in his wake, charges alone into the Feral Worlders:


And is captured! Will he escape? Tune in next month!

I am looking forward to it! the bubble car is quite fitting for a mostly devoured world setting i think

We do hope to get some vehicles involved at some point - glad you like it! Right now it is just terrain.

Day 2 -
Round 1

The orkish raiding party battled to rescue their leader, Muglug. Slipping through the twisting maze of an underground facility, they fell upon the unsuspecting Feral Worlders in a flurry of choppas. Not only did they resuce the Nob, but they captured the Feral World Leader in the bargain. Fabio the Wonder Yoof played a staring roll, earning the hatred of Feral Worlders who vowed revenge after he took down two or three of them.







Meanwhile, on the other table, the Void Jackals advanced on a half buried sanctum, determined to recover a casket containing Heronomus The Second, believed to be buried with a cache of Archeaotech. Disembarking from their bubble rover, they searched but to no avail. Heading towards the last possible location, they suddenly ducked for cover as Pulse rounds strobed by. Fithy Xenos Tau wanted the tech as well, having detected it's energy readings! The Void Jackals moved up along the galleries to the right. THX-35, the mechanicus sniper, did stellar work pinning down the tau and keeping them out of the major lines of advance as well as duelling the Rail Rifle xenos. The tau reached the treasure first, but Ivar bravely dared their overwatch to hurl in a grenade, wounding the pathfinder with a well thrown grenade. At the point the tau drone opened up, scattering the terrified void Jackals with a S5 barage! Aphrodia and Geminia ran up along the gallery and threw more grenades driving the tau back and damaging the horrifying drone. Benson bravely tried to charge the tau position, and got his head blown off for his trouble by tau overwatch. RIP Benson. : ( Revenge was swift however, for Specialst Vaul was now within range for his meltagun under cover and he blasted the drone at the same time THX-35 put down his opposite number, redeeming his lackluster previous games. The Tau bottled at this point with only a few minor wounds.









Round 2

The Feral worlders now found themselves sneaking back into their lair which had been taken over by the Orks to rescue their leader. They fell in with a rogue space marine and hired him as a Deathwatch Veteran... ...only to discover that he apparently had some deal with the Orks, because he literally rolled nothing but 1s before vanishing from sight while fighting Muglug. None the less they exacted a terrible revenge, three of them ganging up on Fabio the Wonder Yoof and killing him perminantly. Alas, poor Fabio. in Gorkamorka he wound up with a squig brain. For good measure they killed the Ork banner bearer and rescued their leader in fine style, putting them solidly in the lead on the campaign.

The Tau retreating through the buried sanctum encountered the Hinterland Naval Infantry for their second game, and approriately rolled a raid with their objective being simply to move off the board, which they did without too much trouble despite running through some heavy las fire and a well thrown grenade from Sgt Elois pinning a number of them. The tau bonding ritual is pretty awesome. They came through without major losses and some good advances ready to battle for survival on Luceron V!

General tactical thoughts:

So far no one is undefeated and things seem pretty even. The feral worlders are doing well, but they also haven't been in many brutal knockdown drag out fights. We need more missions I think - I'd like to adapt a few from other skirmish story games.

We also think we'd like to have vehicles, though we're not sure how to do that.

Long range shooting, close shooting, and assault all seem to have had their moments, so that makes me happy. So far Shadow war seems like an excellent system, though somewhat let down by the lackluster story mode. However, that is the easiest thing to fix.

The balance could be illusory though - we don't know how to play very well and often forget modifiers.

House rules for reference:
You only add 50 points to your warband when you spend a "Treaure", aka "Promethium Cache". Warbands thus have to choose between better gear and more members and and winning the campaign.

You roll an advance and give it to whoever you like, though you can't give the same model an advance twice.

We have a different, more dangerous "out of action" table. This is a grim struggle after all! Also, keep track of who hated who was confusing.