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2019/09/26 01:15:36
Subject: The Triskelion War Game 24: Boarding Assault (Bonus BFG Game) Pics and Narrative, all fully painted
Welcome to game 24 of our long running (so long…) campaign. In this report, Chaos and Imperial fleets clash over an orbital fortress, followed by simultaneous
boarding actions by Traitor and Loyalist Astartes, as the respective forces seek to claim the fort for themselves.
I’ve Included the Battlefleet Gothic game we played first to set up the boarding action in the spoiler below for those interested.
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Captain Faust of the Segmentum Pacificus Battlecruiser Zealous looked across his command dais and out through the viewing port that dominated the front of the bridge.
Arrayed before him was the combined might of the Imperial void assets currently deployed in the Triskelion System.
His squadron sat alongside the main orbital fortress protecting Triskelion III, the main populated system planet. Sitting adjacent was the mighty Mechanicus Battleship, Omnissiah’s Will.
Further out towards the planet’s elliptical disc was a second squadron, led by the Battlecruiser Justicar. And finally, several thousand kilometres towards
the system edge was the glory of the Salamander Fleet, commanded by the Battle barge Vulkan’s Wrath.
The captain smiled grimly – woe betide the heretic rabble who dared cross swords with so potent a force.
A chime from the auspex officer caught Faust’s attention. “Captain, warp signatures from the system edge detected. Incoming fleet of significant size. No Imperial ships due at this time.”
Faust sneered. “So, the enemy shows their face. Come about to a new heading and fire up the reactors. We will send them back to the warp from whence they came”
The auspex officer looked up from his station, concern creasing his face.
“My lord – further warp signatures detected, size indicates capital class vessels.” Far out across the span of space, un-lights and contrails of madness appeared as ships tore themselves back into reality.
“Give me identifications auspex and do it now!” Bellowed Faust. “I want to know what we are facing”
The auspex officer fired out rapid updates as more and more Chaos ships bore down on the Imperial fleet
“Confirmed signatures – cruisers Horrific, Deathblade. Confirmed Signatures, escort squadrons”
The officer paused and cleared his throat, his face paling.
The officers voice quavered despite his discipline. “Confirmed signature, capital class….battleship....it's the Hellbringer my lord”
Faust swore under his breath, before raising his voice to the bridge crew.
“Get to it then! Plasma reactors to full, run out the guns – it seems like we have a fight on our hands after all!”
His eyes were drawn once more to the fortress hanging in the void and its attendant fleet. As the rumble of the drives sent vibrations through the soles of his boots he prayed to the Emperor that it would be enough.
So, with the station boarded by both sides, the bloody work of void combat begins…
The respective Boarding parties must now race to secure the man plasma reactors – Chaos to seize the fortress, the Imperials to scuttle the station.
Note: We set up the board and then randomised where squads deployed up to represent a chaotic contested boarding action – squads landed wherever they could.
In the loading bay, two terminator squads square off, along with marine command
In the barracks, Berserkers come face to face with Elite Salamander Cataphracti terminators
Veterans and Deathguard burst into the station on opposite sides of a wall
More Deathguard board into a ward room
Salamanders punch through a wall into a store room
‘Come and get me” sneers the Berserker Champion as he moves away from the lumbering terminators
Stand-off – who will strike first?
For the Emperor! The terminators charge at their Deathguard counterparts
The pure vs. the unclean
Disaster! Three Salamanders are cut down before they can strike
Things aren’t much batter elsewhere in the cramped corridors, as Berserkers ambush and shred the Veteran Squad
The slower Cataphracti can only watch in fury as their brothers are slaughtered
We will have vengeance…
The tactical squad is almost wiped out by Deathguard firepower
The Salamander heroes join the fight and prove to be much tougher customers than even the terminators (relic blades and multiple wounds for the win…)
Another Deathguard squad joins in to try to overcome the rampaging space marine heroes
Why. Wont. You. Die!
The lone sergeant charges the Deathguard for a glorious (if messy) death
The Cataphracti hold off the newly returned Berserkers
…as they head for the reactor
‘Back, traitor – this station is ours…”
But then up steps the Berserker Champion…
In an extraordinary round of hit, wound and (failed) armour rolls, the entire Cataphracti squad is wiped out….
The Salamander Command finally fells the last Deathguard - but they are now far from the reactors
The remaining Berserkers close in on the target…
As do the Deathguard…
The orbital fortress falls to the forces of the Ruinous Powers…
Chaos Victory!
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That was a great couple of games – the void battle was an absolute free for all with mass losses on both sides. Luckily, DC (on the Chaos team) remembered
the objective whilst the rest of us were lost to blood lust and the joy of killing ships. He alone snuck his ships through to board the station.
Then the boarding action itself – the random deployment worked well and threw up all sorts of match ups, heroics and doomed stands.
The title fight in the loading bay was epic, with terminators and heroes battling in melee for the entire game.
In the end, it looked as if the Cataphracti would steal it for the Imperium, only for them to roll so many 1’s for their saves that the entire (10 wound!) squad
died in a single turn (Sandy’s legendary dice strike again!). Chaos rolled in and took the win.
Next game, we start a three-part series of battles. The Mechanicus have dug something ancient up from the soil of Triskelion III and everybody wants a piece of it….
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Very nice, linked battles like this are my favourite. Especially when they're about fleet actions and claustrophobic boardings, mm-yeah. More reasonably small and desperate actions like this, please
Good looking sallies, too, especially the terminators.
