For the end of Phase 1 we ran a huge game of 4 vs 4. Or so THEY THOUGHT!!!!
Just as the forces of the Faustian conflict were losing sight, beginning to question the wisdom of the war, commands came down the line. Intellegence, which told of a long a abandoned Holopict station on Warrens End was picking up a signal. A signal, which was crucial the aims of the Necron Overlord and thus essential to his enemies. Though, thanks to the Cathartic Denier, Warrens End was dying. Her atmosphere was becoming irradiated, inhospitable thanks to the mysterious planet killing weapon fired by the Tyranids on Nolan.
Once again, the Bringers of Silence and the Sentinels of Fire raced to the crisis point, the latter aided it seemed once again by the Tyranid Hive Mind. But many were blind to the shatter points in the fragile alliance. Something had to give.
And give, it would.
The game would centre on the seize and control of 4 points on a 8' by 4' board. Each point would represent a tall augur array sprouting from the ground like giant spear tips. Using Space Hulk room and corridor cards, they would be shown on the board as small Zone Mortalis sections, blocking Line of Sight and the contents being untouchable bar from direct fire through the door or inside. Teleportation or burrowing deep strike was possible, but risky.
Each turn, each objective would give the holding side 1 point. Though First Blood and Linebreaker would be ignored, the plethora of Warlords on the field would make Slay the Warlord a tie breaker.
The Defenders, this time the Sentinels of Fire, would hold the centre against two pronged attack by the Bringers of Silence. Lords of War were unrestricted for this game and wrecks would be removed instantly. Space was a premium and any excuse to throw points into the big un's was a bonus.
The game was simple and set. But there would be a surprise in store. A betrayal.
The Cryptek noted the array of Bone coloured warrior constructs as they shambled towards the defenders lines. It had calculated the reduction of incoming fire perfectly. Though the gigantic narcissistic warmachine of the humans was irritating. How he longed for a phalanx of Heavy Destroyers... Still. What was most troubling was the Druchii. Sensors from microscopic scarabs detected a change in their scent. Focusing in on the lithe and serrated figures to his right, he leaned forward redundantly as something shining caught his attention. They seemed to be smearing themselves and spraying themselves. Combat drugs were administered via ocular nerves or via artificial organs. This was, crude, especially for their standards.
Readings filtered into his mind like music and a conclusion echoed like a timpani.
No!
His gaze snapped across to the defending lines. The bizarre behaviour of the Tyranids, which recently had caused major distress to their tender alliance with the Post Human Black Scorpions, took a shift. They, ignored the Druchii. He could not believe his sensor augers and watched in complete awe as a pair of Dark Eldar combatants danced around a Tyranid fighter organism like baby herbivores around a disinterested apex predator. The Cryptek ran calculations, and turned to give the order to shift fronts.
"Hi!!" came a voice. Turning slowly, he became keenly aware of his vulnerability, alone and lacking his LychGuard. A serrated shadow stood before him, the silhouette flickering with a void flame. Some sort of dark matter shield?
"Bitchsezwhat?"
"WHAT?" The cryptek replied.
"Exxxactly!" Said the figure, firing a purple tinted line of dark-light into his face.
Lucky for the Cryptek he returned to the Tomb Resurrection halls, and didnt see what came next. The Dark Eldar turning on their allies with abandon and the Tyranids doing the same.
The war had took a great turn...
The Great Turn...
So at the end of the deployment. I explained to the teams that the Tyranid and Dark Eldar players, Eivind and Chris, had teamed up. They got to redeploy with arguably harsh restrictions, and would get the edges of the no-mans land as reinforce points.
Ahh, I can still here the curses and promises of retribution!!
So there we have it. The game turned into a 3 side fustercluck of a game, with 3 sides taking their turns. The rules were modified simply to take it into account. Any rules problems being decided by rote, vote or the riktocracy! (Me!).
It was clear that the heavily Imperialised Defenders of the Sentinels of Fire had not made plans with Eivind, their deployment went largely unchanged. But on the other side, the Bringers of Silence suddenly felt the full betrayal of one of their number.
"Damn your inevitable and sudden betrayal!" - Anon
During the game, the turns went swifter than expected, though reserve restrictions needed to be loosened to keep the campaigns principles. Fun first, fair second. At first, it seemed the points would remain level, despite biased and fearful fire obliterating Rottimus' artillery. That said, I've seen that boom train in motion. KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!
An interesting and undisclosed point, was the sudden addition of some Slaaneshi Chaos in Chris' Dark Eldar. Not though of as usual bed fellows, and though this is probably to do with Chris beginning a new army later this year...
I wonder if Archon Ozzy has fallen foul of the great enemy?
At the end of the game, a spectacularly desperate attack from the Warhounds anti everything weapon (Turbo Lasers?) firing INTO one of the objective spire control rooms saw the GM, me, make an executive decision. If Kaia rolled a 6, the whole thing would come crashing down ala Battlefield 3.
She rolled a 4. Then, noticing the grumbles. I asked for a democratic veto. The decision was virtually unanimous. And hey presto, the gigantic spine collapsed, crushing two transports, several guardsmen and a Dark Eldar air craft whose last words were "JINKING IS FOR PU#####!"
After the game, the teams in order of victory were:
- Bringers of Silence
- Sentinels of Fire
- Bearers of Change.
In this order, the teams were then invited to place new flags in the new worlds: The hive world of Nest, the borderland of Tresium, the mysterious Wake, the lost Sordid and the extra space hulk.
The points were then tallied up, from before this expansion, taking note of things like Manufactorums held and Grand Warlord Traits et al.
The final score for Phase 1?
- 1st - Bearers of Silence with 44 Faction Points
- 2nd - Sentinels of Fire with 22 Faction Points
- 3rd - The Bearers of Change with 12 Faction Points
An interesting development was the shift of Points at the last minute from Chris and Ozzy's Dark Eldar. Rottiums and Magnus have vowed revenge! However when asked if players would have their points as Faction of Personal, both Eivind and Chris said Personal?!!
Highest on Personal Points so far?
- 1st - Chris (Bearers of Change) with 21 Personal Conquest Points
- 2nd - Eivind (Bearers of Change) with 19 Personal Conquest Points
- 3rd - William and Thomas (Both Sentinels of Fire) with 4 Conquest Points each
Meanwhile, though the remaining Bringers of Silence pushed for Faction points, the larger surviving team of the Sentinels William began asking for Personal Points! Has the betrayal opened up old wounds? Are the players now looking to split off on their own agenda?
As the GM, this opens up two horrible possibilities which are both awesome and terrifying:
- I'm really going to have to come up with something for using those Personal Points. Making it more interesting.
- The original factions may need to be either enforced (IE no more betrayals!!) or, more tempting, allowing for more freedom to back stab, reducing the evolving game into a game of negotiation and traitors! (You should have heard Thomas grumble about xenos!)
Either way, this was but the first Phase. 1/3rd of the way. As players pound out new and more deadly figures and combinations we may yet see a vicious change in fortunes.
Next?
On Warrens End, the Black Scorpions are working every element to rescue who they can before the planet goes radioactive. The Tyranids meanwhile, see the grouping of biomass as an opportunity.
The Craftworld Eldar of Imbraesil continue their investigation into the truth about Agatha, now Rust, though their Nemesis the Dark Eldar of Archon Ozzy still rule there. A reckoning is destined.
Thanks for reading, more soon!
R
