The Dolgath Legacy: Part 22: I am open to your suggestions

Dolgath sat alone in his private audience chamber monitoring the feed from the command center on his desk’s holo-display.  He had a bad feeling about this mission from the very beginning.  It was rash and ill-considered of Nelthas to lead this mission personally, and yet, he understood her choice.  Under the circumstances, in his youth, he might have made a similar choice – who was he kidding, in fact he had done something very similar some sixty-seventy years ago… He was lucky to still be alive…

Dolgath very much understood her decision.  The Space Marines had been her force of choice and early on she had achieved great success with them, but the xenos had adapted.  Originally, the xenos expected a similar force to the Imperial Guard hammer he had used to crush the invaders on their first assault of New Boston.  On their second assault, the lightning tactics of the Space Marines disconcerted them, and Nelthas was able to mount a significant string of victories, yet the xenos adapted once again.  Nelthas’s tactics began to fail in the face of the enemy’s new strategies.  It was the chink that the Ordos droogs had been waiting for.

Dolgath had been unaware of Nelthas’ enemies.  All Inquisitors had them; of course, Dolgath had legions of them, as a matter of fact!  Yet Dolgath had assumed that Nelthas had her enemies well in hand – apparently not… Dolgath initially implicated Welch, but he quickly realized Welch was nothing more than the errand-boy he seemed.  If anything, Welch’s presence was more to monitor him.  Sadly, the machinations of the Ordo Xenos were quite outside his personal experience.

On a darker day, he might have suspected Treyquill, the Ordo Hereticus could never be trusted, yet Treyquill was gone – off clear across the galaxy chasing the specter of his old nemesis, Sylax.  The thought of that name sent sudden shivers down his spine… Sylax and Ozymandius…  He had sent them to their graves, and yet, somehow, he still did not sleep well at night.  He wished Treyquill the very best in his endeavors!    In fact, Dolgath had danced across the line between the various Ordos factions of Maleus, Hereticus and Xenos many times in his career, and he had made untold enemies in his wake; any of which might be singling out Nelthas as a target simply for her association to himself.  The thought of it filled him with rage…

The holo-display flickered with a sudden chaotic blurt of activity…  The Grey Knights had made contact and engaged.  Stupid fools, Dolgath thought, their mission was one of rescue, not revenge… The footage was pixilated and highly fragmentary; the Ordo Maleus restriction filters were preventing a clear, real-time picture of the events.   Helmet-cam images flickered rapidly between combatants, finally settling on a steady backfield view.  It focused clearly on several locations, before… The last images transmitted were of intensely bright orbital strikes falling on the scene.

All communications ceased after that.   Dolgath left his audience chamber and stormed up to the command center.  As he entered the command center he witnessed complete uncontrolled chaos.  He saw Welch standing at the command nexus attempting to shout out commands, but no one was listening.  Dolgath stood at the center of it all for a moment gathering it in… Information was streaming in unfiltered… Servitors moved about without porous… junior officers shouted out irrelevant commands… Senior officers had nothing to give command for… As his master had taught him long ago, Dolgath drew it all to himself and focused it, concentrating the chaos into a moment of clarity…

“Stop!”  He shouted.  The reverberations of his voice echoed throughout the chamber.

Quickly silence prevailed.

“What is called for here is a hammer, a hammer even larger than the one I brought to New Boston in the first place,” Dolgath said aloud.

Only silence greeted him in return.

At last a singular voice spoke: “I am open to your suggestions…” said Inquisitor Welch.

 

 

 

 

Cemephon II: Turn 2

Cemephon II: Turn 2

Cemephon II Deployment and Turn 1

Cemephon II at Deployment:

Cemephon II: Turn 1

Hyperion Campaign: Part 2

Part II:  The Hyperion Surface

Indications found on the planet surface and the charts and files aboard Icarus indicate an archeological site that seemed to be of great importance.  It’s likely this site was the focus of the Hyperion’s inhabitants before they mysteriously disappeared.  With both sides now vying for the secrets of Hyperion, this dig site becomes the next bloody battlefield.

Some rules are based on the results of the last game.  The winners of Part I are the Victor, while the losers are referred to as the Defeated.  If Part I was a tie, these rules don’t apply.

Points: 1750

The Board: Ruins scattered among the sands, with one central temple in the middle.  There should be terrain–ruins, abandoned equipment, camp sites–but not necessarily a whole lot of it, as this is a remote desert site.  If possible the central temple site should be a large piece of either flat scenery or a ruins (I have something in mind at GE).

Deployment: Use the Spearhead table quarters, rolling to see who picks their zone.  Models are set up 12” from center.  An army may deploy as many units as they like and may keep whatever they like in reserve.

Units: This is open desert and so accessible to all units (unlike the orbital station).

First Turn: As the Victors are searching the site and feel secure in their advantage, they are not expecting the enemy anytime soon.  Therefore, the Defeated get the first turn (unless the Victor can Steal the Initiative, succeeding on a 1).  If Part I was a tie, roll off.

Victory: This is a Kill Point game, one for each unit wiped out (or otherwise removed from play).  At the end of turn 5 roll for a turn 6, and then for a turn 7 (standard rules).

Special Rules:

Watch Your Step: The central temple, be it a platform or ruin, counts as Dangerous Terrain for all units.  Those unlucky few who discover why will find the floor an unpredictable puzzle that allows them to fall to their deaths into the deep underworld below.

Veteran’s Rewards: Don’t forget to grant one unit from Part I a Universal Special Rule to mark their experience.

Victor Special Rules:

Orbital Bombardment: Once in the game, the Victors can turn the huge railguns aboard the Icarus Platform against their enemies below.  This is exactly as the OB for space marine chapter masters.  Designate one HQ model to have the firing command.  Once per game, if they did not move in the Move phase (but they can still assault later that turn), they call down an S10 AP1 large blast Ordnance Barrage with unlimited range, though if it scatters it goes the full 2D6 (BS doesn’t help).  Should the HQ with command die before it fires, one other HQ model may attempt to get control with a Ld test.  If failed, the weapon is lost.  (Note that if you have more HQs only one may try to get control—more than one on the comm line would just confuse the gunners even more).

Orbital Inference: If the Defeated Deepstrike with any units the Victor may ask them to reroll the scatter dice.

Defeated Special Rules:

Surprise Attack: As above, the Defeated get the first turn (unless the Victors steal it).

Desert Power: Speeding across the open sands to reach the temple site in time, the Defeated’s faster moving units build up momentum.  Non-walker vehicles, bikes, jetbikes, and cavalry/beasts may make Scout moves before the first turn.

The Rancid Blade

The Kabal of the Rancid Blade engages a space marine rapid strike force.

 

Hyperion Campaign~ Part I: The Icarus Platform

THE HYPERION CAMPAIGN

While overseeing reconstruction on Rynn’s World, chapter master of the Crimson Fists Pedro Kantor is startled when a lone Eldar ranger materializes from the scenery. Having been aided once by the Eldar during the fight for Rynn’s World against Waaagh! Snagrod, Kantor allows the alien to speak. The Eldar warns that “fallen Eldar of Commorragh” seek an alien device on the Imperial planet of Hyperion. She implies that should the Dark Eldar retrieve the item, it would have dangerous repercussions for Imperial citizens. Kantor decides to dispatch two of his fledgling captains, both recently promoted to that rank: Captain Maverick, renown pistolier and risk-taker, and Captain Diomedes, vicious assault marine commander.

The Crimson Fist cruiser Redemption brings the Crimson Fist task force to Hyperion, a planet colonized by the Imperium a decade before. Yet their hails go unanswered. Are they too late, have the Dark Eldar already sacked the planet? It seems unlikely. Perhaps something else has killed the populace? The Fists decide their first move is to take command of the orbital platform Icarus. When their advanced party arrives on the platform to clear the way, however, they discover that the Dark Eldar have the same plan.

Part I: The Icarus Platform

He who controls this orbital facility will dominate planetfall and the surface.

Points: 1500

The Board: This is the interior of a space station in disrepair, which is difficult to portray. It should be somewhat of a cityscape, though may also have large high-ceilinged chambers and distribution bays.

Deployment: One HQ and two Troops within 12” of your board edge. If any of them can infiltrate, scout, or outflank, feel free. All other units (save the Advanced Party) are in Reserve, even other infiltrator units.

Units: As this is a quick insertion on a relatively small orbital facility, the only vehicles allowed are Walkers, and no Artillery can be deployed (You want to blast us out of orbit?). Monstrous Creatures, Bikes and Jet Bikes, along with Infantry, Jump Infantry, and Beasts/Cavalry, are fine.

First Turn: Roll off to see who deploys and plays first. After deployment but before the first turn, the opposing player may try to Steal the Initiative, succeeding on a 1.

Objectives: Roll D3+2 objectives and take turns placing them on the board with at least 12” between each. These represent control nodes. The force that commands the most at the end of the game have control of Icarus.

Victory: The player with the most secured objectives at the end of the game wins. At the end of turn 5 roll for a turn 6, and then for a turn 7 (standard rules).

Special Rules:

Advanced Party: A fourth unit may Infiltrate, having been sent ahead of all others to secure a landing station. They need not have the Infiltrate ability, but do now.

Boarding Parties: Due to the lightning-fast nature of such an operation, Fast Attack choices are also scoring units for this battle.

The Dark Side: The platform begins play on the dark side of the planet Hyperion. Turn One uses the Night Fighting rules. At the beginning of each game turn thereafter, roll a die. If the current turn number or lower is rolled (1 or 2 on turn 2; 1, 2,
or 3 on turn 3; etc.) the platform has rolled onto the bright side of the planet and Night Fighting ends.

Crap through a Kroot!

Now, I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his planet. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard died for his planet.

Men, all this stuff you’ve heard about Imperial Guard not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the action, is a lot of horse shit. Imperial Guard, traditionally, love to fight. All real guardsmen love the sting of battle.

When you were cadets, you all admired the champion shooter, the fastest runner, the biggest artillery pieces, the toughest boxers. Guardmen love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Guardsmen are in it to win all the time. Now, I wouldn’t give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That’s why guardsmen have never really lost and will never really ever lose a war. Because the very thought of losing is hateful to us.

Now, a regiment is a team. It lives, eats, sleeps, fights as a team. This rumor of heresy in the regiment is a bunch of crap. The bilious bastards who wrote that stuff about faith, or lack of it, in the guard don’t know anything about the guard or about want it takes to fight.  We don’t need faith~ we have the finest food and equipment, the best spirit, and the best men in the Segmentum. You know, by the Emperor, I actually pity those poor bastards we’re going up against. By the Emperor, I do. We’re not just going to shoot the bastards. We’re going to cut out their living guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks. We’re going to murder those lousy Tau bastards by the blue bushel!

Now, some of you boys, I know, are wondering whether or not you’ll run under fire. Don’t worry about it. I can assure you that you will all do your duty. The Tau are the enemy. Wade into them. Spill their blood. Shoot them in the belly. When you put your hand into a bunch of goo that a moment before was your best friend’s face, you’ll know what to do.

Now there’s another thing I want you to remember. I don’t want to get any messages saying that we are holding our position. We’re not holding anything. Let the Tau do that. We are advancing constantly and we’re not interested in holding onto anything — except the enemy. We’re going to hold onto them by their top knots, and we’re gonna kick him in the ass! We’re gonna kick the hell out of him all the time, and we’re gonna go through him like crap through a Kroot!

Alright now you sons-of-bitches, you know how I feel.

~ Attributed to Colonel Strauss before the successful pacification of the Cemephon Expansion.

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