5th Jan, first game. Clive attacking, Ian defending.

Let's just say that DoW & Annihilation really messes up Clive's army, and that short dudes really shouldn't be able to climb tall buildings that fast... No change in ownership of tile.


5th Jan, second game. Ian attacking, Rob defending.

Capture & Control, Pitched Battle, no events.
Darn Plague Marines! We had a base camp each in the upper levels of a ruin. Rob defended his with some Zombies and attacked with the Plague Marines and Sorcerer in a Rhino. I defended mine with a unit of five Warriors with Missile Launcher, and had the Assault Squad in Rhino, 5 Bikers and two Multimelta Trikes.

First tactical error of the game - move the Trikes up too close (while the Bikers truboboost towards his objective), so that the PMs bundle out of their Rhino and shoot the Trikes down, thereby taking out 2/3 of my S8 anti-PM guns. Oops. Reminder to self - Trikes with Missile Launchers can sit on the other side of the board and still kill PMs on a 2+, Multimeltas aren't necessary...

The mid-game consisted of my Biker unit flaming and shooting down most of the Zombies and eventually killing the rest in combat but taking casualties in the meantime, while my Assault Squad charged the PMs and Sorcerer - killing the Sorcerer but losing four Squats to the terrifying contagion of Nurgle's Rot and the rest to the PMs who were just too tough to kill! The PMs then charge the lone unit of five Squats on my objective. The mid-game could have gone quite differently if Rob had remember to roll for casualties in the Zombie assault coming back as Zombies.

End-game. The Bikers, having wiped out the Zombies, realise that the objective is on the second floor and out of reach, while my one remaining infantry unit is getting pasted by the PMs on my own objective. My Rhino rushes across the board to contest my own objective. It gets charged and wrecked by the PMs, but this pulls them off my objective. At this point the game ended on the fifth turn, resulting in a draw and no change in ownership of the tile.


5th Jan, third game. Rob & Clive attacking, Chris O. & Ian defending.

Annhiliation, Spearhead, Random Event - USRs.
Chris chooses his usual Relentless Devastator Squad, I give FNP to the Thunderers, who don't get shot at or assaulted in the entire game. Clive's Broadside gets Relentless, but gets blown away on the first turn. Rob - what did you choose?

Attackers - 1 Broadside, 1 Crisis Suit Commander, 4 Stealth Suits, Fire Warriors in Devilfish, PMs and Sorcerer in Rhino, Braaainz!
Defenders - Devastator Squad, Scout Squad x 2, Attack Bike, Ironclad, Thunderers (AC, AC, HB), Warriors x 5 with a Multimelta, Warriors x 5 with a Missile Launcher, 2 Trikes with Missiles, 2 Trikes with Multimeltas, Bikers.

As you can see, the defenders went for guns. Lots of guns. Especially ones that could shoot Plague Marines.

Defending Forces of Good deployed first, filling a three-level ruin with big guns, hiding some Bikes, 2 Missile Trikes and an Ironclad behind it (Meltatrikes in Reserves), and infiltrating some Scouts later. Attackers huddle behind the opposite ruin, Crisis Suit and Stealth Suits in reserve.

Early game - Broadside gets nailed by half a dozen Krak missiles and some Autocannon shells, dying before getting to fire a shot. Rob's Rhino full of PMs and Sorc come out and pop smoke, taking insane amounts of incoming fire without getting wrecked. Zombies and Devilfish continue to cower in the corner while the Ironclad lumbers towards them. Bikes nad Trikes turbo-boost around the edge of the table to try and pincer the cowering dogs fishmen and zombies.

Mid-game - Sorcerer leaves Rhino and charges towards the Attack Bike which had failed to do much to the Rhino, while the PMs head off towards the Scout unit that had infiltrated into a nearby ruin. Stealth Suits arrive and shoot down the Missile Trikes, Crisis Commander arrives and blows an arm off the Ironclad. Devastators leave their nice cover and continue to fire on the move. Shortly after the Tau arrive on the wrong side of the board, the Meltatrikes arrive from reserve, right behind them! Rhino eventually succumbs to weight of fire, Crisis Commander dies to a Multimelta, Stealth Suits die to Multimeltas and loads of Bolter fire, apart from the leader who rapidly runs the whole width of the table to run screaming home. Attack Bike dies to Sorcerer in close combat, while Sorcerer manages to keep 3mm out of the Ironclad's charge range, but then dies to being shot.

End game. PMs finish off their Scouts, Ironclad eventually gets into combat with the wimpy Zombies (again, no rolling to see if they came back, naughty Rob!). Some shooting from Clive makes the Bikes run, eventually falling back off the board before they could rally. Devilfish goes down to the Meltatrikes, who in turn suffer a single unsaved wound from the Fire Warriors. Fire Warriors are reduced to one model by massed heavy weapon fire, but don't run! PMs get bored and rush across open ground in front of the big guns, and manage to charge the other unit of Scouts. Game ends at end of turn five.

Rob had a PM left in combat, about to be charged by quite a few units, Clive had a Fire Warrior left facing two Meltatrikes and an Ironclad. Eventual KPs 7 to 4 to the forces of order. No change in ownership of tile.

A good evening's battles to get the campaign rolling.

Ian