[ooc]
I put up a warning about my lack of fluff knowledge.
I was looking at the front of the IG codex and thinking that might be a freighter in the background.
I'm happy to do an edit / undo on landing the freighter, and sub in a dropship... would a handful of units land in a dropship? For what it's worth, the adventure will be over before we leave planet, so it shouldn't be a major issue.
Feel free to fluff anything between touchdown and battlestart... just have your deployment and opening orders filled by Friday!
And I'm going to start a wee bit early, because I have time to do it now...
[/ooc]
Acer looked up from his dataslate as Adjunct Balorous "knocked" on the flap and let himself in. He'd been pouring over maps for what felt like hours, and the heat within his command tent was nearly intolerable.
"Sir!" The Adjunct began, "We believe we've found a suitable location to set up a base of operations..."
The servos on the right side of Acer's face moved upwards, twisting the outer shell of the metal half of his face into a hideous parody of a smirk. The adjunct recoiled momentarily, and then forced himself back into a composed state. Acer let his smirk drain away.
Another new recruit. I'm going to have to ask Ferrous if they can do something about the facial actuators. I'm giving people the creeps.Clearing his throat before he began, Acer asked, "So, what's the problem? Locals, I assume?"
Ivalyo VII's Planetary Defence Force had staged some kind of coup d'etat, and Acer's Ambrasian battlegroup had been sent to return the planet to Imperial control. His men had taken to calling the PDF "Locals". So far, there had been small scale skirmishes, but no battles to speak of. Acer had a feeling that was about to change.
"Indeed, Sir. There are several units stationed inside a small compound." Balorous was momentarily flustered. "I'm sure you already know, but we'd need to eliminate their presence before the area is secured, and I thought that you would want to give the order..."
Acer nodded his head in agreement, and rose from his makeshift table. Padia Avium, his constant bodyguard, rose with him. Her lithe, heavily tatooed body seemed to slide along an invisible rail, her movements fluid and graceful. Small motors and gears whined from within the cavity that used to be the right side of Acer's chest, as he reached for the Adjunct's dataslate.
Not that he was one to complain. The Techpriests had given him a masterwork of bionic replacements for his right arm, and everything else within about a foot of his shoulder socket. Most of the rest of his body was a scarred mess of burn damage, but it was his... and not a machine. His flesh body never needed a tune-up, and at least his scarred face didn't bother people so much as the metal side. The outer shell moved similarly, but not quite exactly, like a human face would. The faint dissimilarity seemed to rouse a sense of revulsion in many."Let's see what you have here."
"Well, Sir, on the nothern edge of the map, you'll notice a pair of reinforced buildings that the Locals are using as a base of operations..."
Mission 1: A Place to Call HomeYour mission is to eliminate resistance in sector "Carthos", and secure a location from which to set up a proper base of operations.
Primary Objective:Secure the two Reinforced Buildings at the northern edge of the sector. The buildings may be secured by eliminating any enemy forces on top of and inside the buildings, without destroying the buildings themselves.
Every unit is to be equipped with breaching charges, that can be used to open the doorways on the northern faces of the buildings, without compromising the structure.Secondary Objective:Destroy or rout all enemy forces in the area. If you kill them now, you won't have to kill them later, when they've had a chance to regroup in the capital.
Tertiary Objective:If the Reinforced Buildings can't be secured for the Emperor's cause, destroy them so that the enemy can't benefit from them. This is to be a worst case scenario, as we will have a weaker hold on this sector after reinforcements arrive to finish the job
you were sent to do...
Achieving objectives will make future missions easier. They have bonuses relating to their importance. In this case, the reward will either be for the Primary [Better], Tertiary [Not so great], or a penalty, should neither be accomplished. Keep in mind that you have a random game length of 6 to 8 turns!The Battlefield:This battle will take place on a 4' by 4' board, using Dawn of War Deployment Map.
Objectives:As previously mentioned, the objectives are to clear the "Buildings" [40k RB, pg 92] of their occupants. These buildings have "Battlements" [RB, pg 95] that can be accessed from inside the buildings.
The Buildings have an AV of 13. Note that both Template weapons and Grenades may be used to attack occupants inside a building, without any likelihood of damaging the Building. [40k RB, pg 94]
"Called Shots" may be used to target infantry inside a building with ranged weapons that couldn't normally do so, by waiting for a face to appear in a firing port. The occupant is granted a 3+ cover save, that CAN'T be improved by going to ground. Typical weapons inflict a single hit, Blast weapons inflict D3 + 1 hits, and a Large Blast would inflict D6 + 2 hits. Any hit that is "cover" saved will be resolved against the Building, possibly resulting in unintentional distruction.
Deployment:Warlord Trait: Colonel Acer Macrophyllum's Warlord Trait is "Inspiring Presence". [RB, pg 111]. Acer uses the rules for Colonel "Iron Hand" Straken. [IG Codex, pg 60] NOTE: Acer distains the use of Plasma, following his self inflicted injuries. He does not have a Plasma Pistol, and furthermore no member in a unit he is joined to may use Plasma Weapons, such as Pistols, Guns, Cannons, or Grenades.
Deploy Forces:The green things are forrests, the cardboard boxes are ruins, and a watch tower on top of the green hill. There are some low white walls along the northern edge of the black road, and a couple of eggshell container cut-outs to represent the objective buildings. Buildings, not Ruins.
The following picture is the "fixed" setup of the Ivalyan rebels, viewed from their deployment zone.
A: Commandant, Infantry Squad w/ Plasmagun, Missile Launcher [Occupying Building]
B: Infantry Squad w/ Plasmagun, Missile Launcher [Occupying Building]
C: Ill-Equipped Infantry w/ Lasguns
[Note that these infantry are all behind low walls]D: Ill-Equipped Infantry w/ Lasguns
E: Ill-Equipped Infantry w/ Lasguns
F: SWS w/ 3x Sniper Rifles [On Battlements]
G: PCS w/ 4x Flamers,
Chimera w/ MuL, H Bolter
H: Vets w/ 3x Meltaguns, Autocannon,
Chimera w/ MuL, H Flamer
I: Vets w/ 3x Grenade Launchers, Autocannon,
Chimera w/ MuL, H Flamer
J: Basilisk w/ Earthshaker, H Bolter
This picture is the "flexible" setup of the Ambrasian Loyalists.
Sorry about the flags, my printer cack'd and I had to use my
very limited freehand skills, to make flags that could show up in pictures...
Acer: [20] Infantry Squad, 2x GL, 2x Lascannon, Vox / Astro "Quirk", 2x Bodyguards
Cassie: Vets: Cassie, with 3x GL
Haltius: Haltius, Grenadiers w/ 3x Meltaguns,
ChimeraMadigan: Devildog, loaded with Meltas and a Heavy Stubber, if desired.
Oxnard: Ogryns w/ 2x Autocannons
1: PCS w/ 4x Grenade Launcher,
Chimera w/ MuL, H Bolter
2: Demolisher w/ Hull H Bolter
[In case you can't see it, it's to the right of the watchtower on top of the hill]3: Infantry Squad w/ Grenade Launcher
4: Infantry Squad w/ Grenade Launcher
* * * *
Please describe where you'd like to be placed on the battlefield. Right now you're "off table". The Right flank is mostly protected from serious Anti-tank, and the central Ruin is a tall spot where you'd have a commanding view of the battlefield, within range of most targets.
The infantry on top of the watchtower are actually on the ground floor, taking cover within it's structure.
I can move any friendly units, if it's in your way. Otherwise, first come, first served for location.
If you'd like pictures from any location, just say where to start from, and where to aim towards.
* * * *
This picture is the side view of the battlefield.
First Turn:Will be had by no-one... everything is simultaneous!
Night Fighting:Is in effect for the first turn.
Reserves:Nothing is in reserve so far. If you wish to deploy using reserves, that's all good. You benefit from an Astropath, so long as Acer's Vox-man "Quirk" is alive. If you want to have other NPC units in reserve, feel free to make a request.