A full report on Sunday's battle, played in an asymmetric style but using regular troops on both sides. This was used as an introduction to someone who fancied trying something different from the usual 40K slaughterfest, so I tried to keep the rules fairly simple. The photographs were taken in-game so apologies for their poor quality.
A small unit of Neo Colonial Commonwealth Marines has established an observation post in a
small compound. With rumours of AFCFA forces gathering in the area, the local
commander has made the decision to pull his men out before the
situation degenerates into open fighting as happened a few weeks ago. An APC and an MBT have been dispatched to the
village to cover the withdrawal of the observation unit. NCC
observation post forces: 4 power armoured troopers, 4 marines, 1 Goanna
scout car. Relief force: 8 Marines, 1 Glaive grav APC, 1 Sabre grav
MBT. All are confident, TQ8, morale 10, equipped with light armour
(+1D defence), GPMGs (med support +2D firepower), LAWs (med support +2D firepower). Powered armour carry light support weapons/grenade launchers (+2D firepower)
Armed Forced of the Charity Freedom Alliance commanders have been building their forces and feel
that the time is right to take on some of the NCC troops. When news of
the relief force's approach reaches them, they rush to launch their
attack on the observation post before their entire force is in
position. AFCFA assault force: 3x 4-man fireteams deployed by die roll close to the reinforcement markers. Reinforcements
arrive at the end of each turn, 1 fireteam on turn 1, 2 fireteams on
turn 2, 3 fireteams on turn 3 etc. Once all spare fireteams have been
used up, weapons teams will be deployed instead. All are confident,
TQ6, morale 10, equipped with hardsuits (+2D defence), light support weapons (+1D firepower), light missile launchers (+1D firepower). Weapon teams include ATGMs, light support weapons, snipers, light missiles.
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| AFCFA troops receive their first of many casualties. |
The Marines and powered armour in the observation post opened fire on
the AFCFA troopers in nearby buildings. They caused several casualties
without suffering any of their own. The MBT and APC moved rapidly down
the track towards the village. One fireteam stayed in the APC but the
other started the game dismounted and trotted across the track towards
the cover of a small outbuilding.
The APC hurtled on towards the
observation compound. Seeing it approach, the marines and powered
armour moved down into the compound where they would be hidden from view
until the transport arrived. The MBT slowed, the turret traversing
towards the nearest of a group of buildings with several AFCFA troopers
visible inside. With devastating accuracy the tank's main gun sent a
shell straight through the front windows, the resulting explosion
causing the entire building to collapse into a dusty heap of rubble.
The remaining AFCFA troopers kept their heads down, waiting for better
targets to present themselves.
 |
Marines de-bus to cover extraction from the observation
compound as the Goanna roars past. |
The APC slowed as it approached the compound, the fireteam debussing to
take up a firing position close to the meeting house in the centre of
the village. The marine fireteam inside the compound piled into the
scout car and swerved out through the gates and off towards the meeting
house. AFCFA troops traded a few shots with the NCC marines but to no
obvious effect. The MBT turned its attention to the building adjacent
the observation compound, this one also vanishing in a cloud of dust and
brick fragments. The NCC marines were performing well. They had no
casualties and their fast and decisive actions meant that were well on
the way to successfully extracting all their forces from the village.
The AFCFA forces were suffering severely, most fireteams containing some
injured troopers - but their forces were still building, and now some
of their weapon teams were starting to arrive in the battle area.
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| Powered armour marined prepare to move to the APC. |
The Scout car accelerated across the village, past the meeting house and
between the hills at the edge of the village. One of the most recent
AFCFA units to arrive was an anti-tank missile team. Seeing the Goanna
hurtling towards them, they swiftly finished setting up the system and
were able to launch at the unarmoured vehicle. The ATGM skimmed out low
from the building before lifting skywards so that the top-attack
warhead could achieve the optimum firing position. The charge
penetrated the top of the Goanna and detonated inside, blowing the scout
car onto its roof. The driver and 3 of the marines were able to drag
each other clear of the burning, twisted wreckage, but the remaining
marine had been killed outright by the missile.
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| AFCFA weapons teams (ATGM team on right). |
Back at the
observation compound, the APC had arrived and the power armoured marines
clambered inside. The marine squad near the meeting house continued to
trade fire with an increasing number of AFCFA troops but managed to
keep causing casualties while losing none of their own. Despite this,
their isolation was causing problems with their morale and they were
feeling far less confident than they had at the start of the battle. It
didn't help that an eliet AFCFA sniper team had joined the battle.
This unseen enemy had already caused casualties, though fortunately they
had only been wounded rather than killed. The MBT fired again, this
time directly against a squad of CAFCA troops visible on top of a
building. The entire unit was taken out of action by the shellburst in
their midst.
At the wrecked Goanna, the survivors desperately
fought for their lives. Time and again them somehow avoided serious
injury whilst taking down enemy troopers, but it was only a matter of
time before weight of numbers overwhelmed them.
As the MBT searched for another target, a second ATGM team crawled into
position in the rubble of the first house that the takn had destroyed.
Luck was with them as their missile soared above the tank and a jet of
fire streaked down through the armour and into the power cells. 2 crew
managed to clamber free of the blazing tank but their comrades succumbed
to the fire. The isolated squad by the meeting house moved quickly to
the tank crew and they stumbled off towards the firefight near the
wrecked Goanna. As they moved, they exchanged fire with the growing
number of AFCFA troopers in the rubble and succeeded in silencing
several of them, including the ATGM team which had destroyed the tank.
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| The bailed-out tank crew and survivors of a fireteam make a break for it. |
The
APC swished past the Goanna and its survivors, the automated machine
gun turret spewing shells into the AFCFA troopers nearby. The ATGM
team frantically tried to reload their launcher but their inexperience
showed, and they were unable to get it ready to fire.
 |
| As the APC skims past, survivors from the Goanna try to deal with their casualties. |
Then things got worse for the NCC marines. A chem alert was sounded
and they immediately started to don their protective equipment. Already
burdened with wounded, the marines now found their effectiveness further
degraded by their chem suits. Finding themselves on a more even
footing, AFCFA troops started to inflict greater damage on the
struggling marines. The marine APC's machine gun mount was destroyed
and rather than risk further loss of life, the driver carried out his
orders and whisked his passengers out of the village and to safety.
Despite
this, not everything was going AFCFA's way. To add to the confusion, a
dust storm blew up, then an AFCFA unit away from the main battle area
decided to lend some indirect fire support. Their mortar fire landed on
one of their own units, causing severe casualties. The main building
overlooking the exit to the village was being used as a strongpoint by
several AFCFA squads but they now realised the error of this choice when
it became clear that the shoddy construction of the building gave them
no protection from enemy fire ("What's this wall made of, Swiss cheese?").
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| AFCFA armoured infantry fireteam with wounded. |
Although the marine APC had gone, a
light armoured missile carrier rolled up to the edge of the village to
provide fire support. Their first target was the surviving AFCFA ATGM
team who were immediately taken out of action. Return fire spattered
ineffectually off the vehicle's armour. Most of the AFCFA troops
concentrated their fire on the marine who were trying to make their way
to safety. Marines went down, were hauled upright by their comrades
only to be hit a second or third time and fall to the ground again.
 |
| Overwhelming AFCFA firepower brings down the already injured marines. |
The marine unit that concealed itself in the small hut overlooking the
exit from the village now rushed out to aid their fellow marines. With
the number of AFCFA units ever increasing, they stood little hope of
turning the battle. The AFCFA commander requested that the sniper unit
fire on the missile carrier as it mowed down more of his troops.
No-one was expecting the enormous explosion that followed. Exactly what
it was that the sniper hit isn't clear, perhaps it was the warhead or
fuel tank of one of the missiles but whatever it was the vehicle was
completely destroyed. Meanwhile an AFCFA tank had finally reached the
battle area and was rolling into the far end of the village.
Having
seen all their squadmates cut down around them, the surviving three
marines decided that they could do no more, it was time to cut and run.
Throwing caution to the wind, they sprinted in the direction the APC
had taken. Luck was with them and only a single squad of AFCFA troopers
were able to fire aftetr them, missing with every shot.
The
battle was over. The NCC marines had extracted their powered armour
team and ¾ of a fireteam from the village, but at what cost? A scout
car was easily replaced but the loss of the MBT would be felt.
Including the vehicle crews, 14 marines were either dead or wounded and
captured by the Charity Freedom Alliance. Some of the AFCFA troops had
obviously had cameras recording during the battle because footage of the
NCC MBT destroying buildings quickly found its way onto the news
networks, as did additional footage of the destruction of the tank and
the battered and bloody marines being led into captivity.
Many AFCFA troops had been killed or wounded.
I
had forgotten to set victory point criteria before the game began, but
with fog of war cards giving a -3 penalty to the NCC and a +3 bonus to AFCFA, I think I
know who won! The loss of ¾ of their vehicles was clearly not good for the NCC marines.
The battle was certainly going the NCC way for the
first 2 or 3 turns, they wiped out entire AFCFA squads without taking
any casualties of their own. As reinforcements started to build, the
situation started to change. On some occasions towards the end of the
battle, marine units were taking so much incoming fire that they actually ran out of return fire dice! What really swung things
in the AFCFA's favour was the fog of war NBC warning that caused the
marines to drop to TQ6. Very lucky rolls by the 2 AFCFA ATGM teams
also made a big difference. Until that point, all ant-tank fire against
NCC vehicles had bounced off, but good rolls by the missile teams
and unbelievably bad rolls by the tank (the Goanna scout never really stood
a chance anyway) followed by an outstanding roll on the damage table
meant that the MBT's fate was sealed. The off-board sniper team also had an extraordinarily lucky shot against the missile carrier.
A fun game and what effect the bad publicity will have will be interesting to see. Incidentally, it
was the NCC marines who fired first in this battle - but only because they won the TQ roll against the AFCFA squad who were trying to shoot at them! There is also the question of the marine prisoners who could probably do with rescuing, preferably before they get subjected to a show trial by the Charity Freedom Alliance...
