Author Topic: Battle Report - Among The Ruins scenario  (Read 2470 times)

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Offline grendeljd

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Battle Report - Among The Ruins scenario
« on: March 27, 2012, 11:00:14 AM »
OK, as promised, I'm attempting to make up a coherent battle report from my game held last Thursday with Germanicus [he's pretty silent around here].

The scenario we played was Among The Ruins, from Scenario Pack 1. I love this particular scenario because of the 4 randomly drawn Mission Objectives that compliment a general objective of achieving 800vp through enemy elimination.

For our game, I increased the force UPV to 1250, thus increasing our total Victory Point conditions to 1875, which also raised the VP's for the Activation/Destruction mission from 500 to 1150 [rounded off]. As we unfortunately did not have time to complete the game, I can't reveal what missions were randomly drawn by either of us at this point.

UNE forces:
2x Commando Section, FCL [1256 upv]

Machine Forces:
1x External Security Horde, FCL [638 upv]
1x *Modified* Command Pack, FCL [382+230 upv]
      - modified to include 2 G3 Predators & 1 additional G1B Nightmare.

Here's a shot of the game set-up;



Note the red EW chips laid out in what I termed 'The Copper Room' in the center of the map [containing the Activation/Destruction terminal objective]. These represented low level obstacles that did not have rubble in the surrounding squares, where all the other rubble counters on the board represent low level obstacles WITH surrounding squares containing rubble [+1 additional MP's to traverse per square].



Turn 1:
Commando Section 2 [the white painted squad] won initiative, followed by the Command Pack, Commando Section 1 [unpainted], and finally the External Security Horde.

A pretty standard turn entering all forces, cramming them in wherever they'd fit and using some leadership to help advance positions. 1 Section is splitting up, as is the ESH at this point.



Turn 2:
More movement with no contact yet. Initiative order: 2 Section [painted], ESH, Command Pack, 1 Section [unpainted].

The ESH has surged forward with a split group of Nightmares preparing to deal with the split squad from 1 Section. The other portion moves ahead of the room containing a terminal that may be a potential Commando objective, while the Command Pack is advancing a bit slowly with the exception of the MKII Assault Fiend looking to dive into some HtH, perhaps? 2 Section has begun to set up some defensive positioning in the long room.



Turn 3: Contact!
Initiative order: 1 Section, 2 Section, Command Pack, ESH.

The Sergeant of 1 Section advanced to a doorway in the corridor, opened it up and knelt down to get into a firing position, with a Heavy Weapon Trooper moving up immediately behind him. 2 Section continued to take up defensive positioning in the long room.

The MKII made a backtracking manouever using leadership to open the doorway to 'The Copper Room' and return to its previous square, headed for the other door into The Copper Room. This allowed the G1C Nightmare to walk forward and fire the negasphere into the room, possibly as both a defensive measure [-1 to shoot through the sphere] and a deterrent to the Commandos to enter from the opposite doorway in the Copper Room. The rest of the Command Pack continued its slow advance, the G1B Nightmares & the Succubot careful to maintain some spacing.

*During the end phase of Turn 3, the sphere moved 7 squares into the center of The Copper Room. Here we made an on-the-spot rules call and allowed the sphere to pass over the low level obstacle on a d6 roll of 2 or better. It would have deflected to the left or right on a further d6 roll if I had rolled a 1.

[I have started a topic in the Rules Discussion board regarding the Negasphere rules, please have a look!]



Once the ESH began it's move, the action started!!
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Offline grendeljd

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Re: Battle Report - Among The Ruins scenario
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2012, 11:56:31 AM »
Turn 3 continued;

One of the G1 nightmares in the far left corridor runs forward and opens up the doorway to reveal the waiting 1 Section Commandos down the hall. The kneeling Sergeant opens up with covering fire at a range of 10 past the low level obstacle with his blaster and takes out the Nightmare, drawing first blood in the battle. The heavy weapon Trooper fires over his head [yikes!], past the obstacle at the nearest of the remaining Nightmares 17 squares away, missing.

The same G1 Nightmare kneels down and returns fire at the Sergeant, but misses. Behind him, the next G1Nightmare remains stationary and takes a fatal auto-fire shot at the Sergeant!! A significant opening loss for the Commandos. The 1 section Corporal uses leadership to command the Heavy Weapon Trooper to sidestep out of the line of fire. The remaining two Troopers in the corridor are still exposed but helpless to move. Lucky for them, the last G1 Nightmare in the hall chooses to remain stationary and hold at a covering fire of 0.

The rest of the ESH moves to set up a firing lane into the long room containing the remainder of 1 Section from behind a low level obstacle between two small rooms, with one G1 kneeling behind the low level obstacle, another one spaced and standing behind it, and the MKIAI Assault Fiend spaced behind the G1's. Another G1 Nightmare moves to open another doorway into The Copper Room, and the rest of the Horde either shifts forward slightly or stays still covering at 0.

Turn 4:
Initiative order: 2 Section, 1 Section, Command Pack, ESH.

2 Section wins initiative, but perhaps unwilling to open the door to let the nega-sphere in, they choose to hold up in their defensive stances with some minor shifting for better firing opportunities should the Machine force their way in soon.

1 Section won a critical initiative roll over the ESH and the fighting continues. Desperately, the remaining two Troopers in the corridor attempt to clear the distant G1 Nightmares. Trooper 4 kneels and fires at a range of 17 but misses. Trooper 3 then remains stationary and takes out the nearest, kneeling G1 Nightmare at a range of 18!



During the Command Pack's turn, The MKII moves up and opens another door into The Copper Room, followed behind by the G1C Nightmare. The G1B Nightmares advance into The Copper Room, while the Succubot sidesteps to allow the G3 Predators to move past her down the corridor.

On the ESH turn, the remaining two G1's in the corridor exact a punishing return fire, each one taking out a Trooper using auto-fire. The remainder of the ESH changes tactics a bit, breaking up the firing lane position. Two G1's advance into The Copper Room, another one moves to follow the MKII into the same room, the MKIAI sidesteps and the far G1 takes a long shot at the closed door concealing the remains of 1 Section but the deadbolt rounds don't break down the door just yet.



During the end turn, the negasphere rolls into the closed door, deflects to the right and burns out in the corner.


I hate people generally, but I like them specifically - John Malkovich

Offline grendeljd

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Re: Battle Report - Among The Ruins scenario
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2012, 12:49:29 PM »
Turn 5:
Initiative order: 2 Section, ESH, 1 Section, Command Pack.

2 Section [painted] wins initiative and once again holds its defensive position.

The ESH is next, starting up a new firefight across the series of small rooms as the G1 kneeling behind rubble opts to snap fire at the closed door, and is successful with a leadership assist from the MKIAI. Unfortunately for that Nightmare, Trooper 2 is well positioned to take covering fire at it before it ducks back down, and trashes the machine with a hail of blaster fire!

Another G1 kneels at a range of 12 and misses its shot past the low obstacle in the middle doorway. However, the G1 behind him auto-fires from a range of 14 past the same obstacle and takes out Trooper 2. Fully half of 1 Section is now dead.



The first of two G1's positioned in The Copper Room behind the terminal takes a stationary shot at the nearest door concealing 2 Section and blows the door down. Two Troopers from 2 Section with a clear line of fire and the MKII Assault Fiend are now exposed to each other past a low level obstacle at a range of 11 and choose to take their covering fire at one another. The kneeling Trooper misses his shot, but the second Trooper opens up with Blaster fire and scores one kill on the MKII, while a streak of lightning erupts from the MKII's Thunder Lance and dances over both Troopers via spread fire. Fortunately for the Commandos, it does not cause any EMP damage to either of them.

The other G1 in the Copper Room then steps out and takes a shot at the nearest kneeling Trooper but misses as well. Not a good exchange overall from the Machine standpoint.

On 1 Section's turn, they make a move to attack, with Trooper 1 sidestepping to shoot across the pair of small rooms at the kneeling, fired G1. His shot misses and he steps back out of the line of fire. The Heavy Weapon Trooper in the corner steps out and with a little leadership assist manages to melt down the same G1 with a gout of scorching plasma fire. He returns to his spot in the corner. The other Heavy Weapon Trooper & the Corporal remain stationary, safe for now in the narrow passageway.



Here was where we had to leave off the battle, with the Command Pack yet to take its turn during turn 5. Hopefully Germanicus & I can get together soon to finish the fight :)

At this point, the Machine has an edge in base VP's at 304 [Commando casualties: 1 Sergeant & 3 Troopers] verses 168 for the Commandos [Machine casualties: 4 G1 Nightmares]. Looking at the strategy so far makes it difficult to determine what hidden objective each side has drawn, though its worth noting that the Machine is currently controlling The Copper Room but has yet to try retrieving the Terminal there... so perhaps they didn't draw Objective #4.

This was also only Germanicus' second time playing. I chose the scenario and forces and I may have overloaded the game with too many figures but I think it has played out well so far. Sure was fun, I can't wait to finish it up!!
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Offline bobloblah

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Re: Battle Report - Among The Ruins scenario
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2012, 03:43:14 PM »
Nice job! Looking forward to the conclusion. Who was playing which side?
Best Regards,
Bobloblah

Offline grendeljd

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Re: Battle Report - Among The Ruins scenario
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2012, 08:32:39 AM »
Thanks! I've been very busy woking overtime & doing projects around the house, but hopefully in the next week or two we can finish the game up.

I was playing the Machine, as I usually do... I always liked playing the bad guys when I was a kid - I always played as Cobra or the Decepticons whenever I hauled out GI Joe or Transformers toys, lol!!
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Offline SgtHulka

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Re: Battle Report - Among The Ruins scenario
« Reply #5 on: April 10, 2012, 01:20:04 PM »
Thanks for posting this, Grendeljd. It was a very complete and well-described battle report. I particularly liked how you left the counters of killed figures down for the pictures so that you could identify exactly which spaces the dead figures had previously occupied.

I've got my money on the machines, but it seems like the UNE player is starting to catch on. If he continues to play more aggressively, he may snatch victory from the jaws of defeat!

I'm sure you negelected to remind him that he has forcewall grenades ;)

Offline grendeljd

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Re: Battle Report - Among The Ruins scenario
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2012, 07:55:38 PM »
Thanks for posting this, Grendeljd. It was a very complete and well-described battle report. I particularly liked how you left the counters of killed figures down for the pictures so that you could identify exactly which spaces the dead figures had previously occupied.

I've got my money on the machines, but it seems like the UNE player is starting to catch on. If he continues to play more aggressively, he may snatch victory from the jaws of defeat!

I'm sure you negelected to remind him that he has forcewall grenades ;)
Wow, sorry it's been a long time since I updated this... We managed to get together one afternoon but only got to play a couple more turns. I've got pics, but was waiting until we finish off the game, which still hasn't happened.

Glad you liked my reporting style, SgtHulka - it's my first one. I was trying to get good shots that helped show off the good moments, as well as an end shot for each turn.
I hate people generally, but I like them specifically - John Malkovich