This weekend the Barn hosted a Cookout and day of gaming on Saturday as opposed to our usual Friday night gaming. Knowing this was coming I spearheaded a large, multi-player team game. My friend Jeff also pitched in with developing a unique, themed mission for the battle. In the end we had a total of 7 players, 4 for the forces of 'Order' and three for the forces of 'Disorder'. The game ran at 6000pts per side with the four forces of order bringing 1500pts apiece while the 3 players for Disorder brought 2000ts each.
The mission Jeff came up with was the Evacuation of Tarsis Ultra with the following rules:
Board Size 4' x 12'
Deployment
Forces of Order deploy first anywhere on the table or in reserve
Forces of Disorder go first and can either be in reserve or come in on first turn like dawn of war
Objective
Forces of Order
Defend the evacuation craft
Forces of Disorder
Destroy the evacuation craft before they are able depart the planet
Evacuation Craft
Starting on turn 2 roll a d6. On a 4 up the next evacuation craft arrives. Roll a d3 to determine the number of game turns the craft remains on the planet loading passengers
While landed the evacuation craft have 4+ cover saver from enemy shooting but count as stationary for assault purposes. The evacuation craft can fire their weapons normally during the FoO turn.
After the number of turns have elapsed the evacuation craft depart the battlefield at their max speed toward the defenders board edge.
Evacuation Craft
FA 12 SA 12 RA 12
Fast Skimmer
TL-Multi Melta - Nose
TL-Lascannon - Turret
Ceramite Plating
Power of the Machine Spirit
End of Game
Game ends when either the last craft is destroyed or is safely off the table.
Winning
The side that either defends/destroys the most evacuation craft wins.
In addition to this primary mission I really wanted to make this a true 'beer and pretzels' game. So I came up with a fun little side mission.
At the beginning of the game each player was allowed to place 2 objectives anywhere on the board not 12" from another objective. Then starting on turn two, at the beginning of their sides turn any player who solely controlled one of the objectives could 'claim' it. Once claimed they would turn the objective in to me and on the bottom of the objective (we were using poker chips) I had placed a number. I would consult a legend I had in my pocket and the player would either recieve some pretzels or one of a variety of beers [Mug root beer for the minors (-;]
I also wrote up a small bit of fluff to accompany the battle.
Farseer Madiyas of the Saim Hann craftworld after casting the runes saw a swirling vortex that would cost thousands of Eldar lives if not quelled swiftly. At the heart of this maelstrom was a human dignitary from the planet the mon-keigh call Tarsis Ultra. The planet is currently acting as a staging point for several chapters of Space Marines a well as a regiment of Imperial Guard. Knowing that his craftworld lacked the military might necessary to face such an assemblage of forces he and his council of seers decided upon a desperate plan. They would lure a host of their dark kin from the webways and a splinter of hive fleet Leviathan to the planet. Tarsis Ultra would be utterly destroyed by such a force, but what concern of the Eldar is that so long as the machinations of chaos are stopped.
For the Forces of Order we had Dale with his Imperial Guard,, Yancy with his Tau, Reese with his Space Wolves and Tim with his Copper Dragons Space Marines (for his perspective and more pics you can check out his blog at http://talesoffireandice.blogspot.com/2012/06/escape-from-tarsis-ultra.html)
The forces of Disorder were comprised of Austin with his Tyranids, Jeff with his Dark Eldar and pulling the puppet strings were my Saim-Hann Eldar.
Anyway, onto the pictures.
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| Setting up the battlefield. |
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| The forces of Order prepare to defend the evacuation. |
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| The forces of Disorder arrive. |
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| Farseer Madiyas and the Seer Council do battle with aThunderwolf cavalry and a Wolf Lord on Thunderwolf mount. |
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| The battle is joined by some Dark Eldar Wyches (Reese had to leave for a time so the Sentinals are standing in as proxies till his return) The Council and Wyches would end up winning out on this one but... |
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| In this picture you can see some of the spoils of War! |
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| .... later some Grey Hunters, with a little help from Vulkan would get their revenge. |
In the end the forces of Disorder were able to win out by destroying two of the escape craft. My Fire Prisms linked up to take out one while a Carnifex managed to punch one down before it could make it off world. This game was a ton of fun. Afterwards we all agreed that the primary mission needed some tweaks, but it worked well enough for an afternoon of fun. I also think the beer and pretzels mission needed some tweaks, I was afraid that it would be too easy and we'd run out of beer, but I was wrong and we actually had leftovers (for shame, guess I'll have to drink 'em at home.)