Battle Report: Hunt for the Drone Mission

AFTERMATH

of the Hunt for the Drone Mission

a Mechanicum vs. Marines Errant Battle Report.

The Techmarine entered into the dilapidated remains of the Eastern Mining Facility.  Lathekin artisans had vacated these buildings over 120 years ago, and their age was showing.  Three servitors assisted with turning over stones that the two forceps from servo-harness did not.  This building was quickly searched.

On the horizon, Mechanicum Thallax approach, their engines wheezing as they leap over terrain.  The Techmarine notes that he was not informed in any briefing that Mechanicum forces would be assisting in the search for the drone transmitter.  Odd.  He began a refresh of incoming transmissions from HQ.

Sgt. Soolo and Combat Squad Tahn enter into the ruined Quartermaster Warehouse 7 on Vergon Avenue.  Trademark Lathekin tile flooring has been fractured by tanks rolling across it during the second Klaeser uprising.  The transmitter is not found in this building.

The combat squad led by Sgt. Azull enters into the empty ferment cistern.  Dried precipitate still crunches underneath their heavy footsteps.  The transmitter is not found in this building, but it is close.  They embark upon their rhino transport and head toward a pile of bricks.

Success.  The transmitter is found, evidently it had crashed into the cabbage holds and demolished it upon impact.  Sgt. Azull alerts the field in a Imperial (public) channel, and commands his men to embark the rhino again.

Sgt. Soolo and combat squad Tahn exit the Quartermasters and get on board their Rhino.  The Thallax that were waiting on the bridge immediately open fire upon the rhino and tear it asunder with lightning arcs and melta weapons.

Another squad of Thallax has deep-struck into the zone and assault Sgt. Azull after destroying their Rhino.  The combat squad performs a tactical fusillade of bolter fire, emptying two clips and laying low two of the Thallax before being assaulted.  Sgt. Azull spars with the robot and eventually dismembers its cogs and pinions.  It lies twitching on the ground.

A Battle Automata is also striding down Vergon Avenue.   Scouts, stationed in the animal holds sprint out to distract the giant robot and pay dearly with their lives.  One sniper remains to flee back into the barn.

The Techmarine, faced with lightning and melta fire performs a textbook fallback manuver with his one remaining servitor.  This disallows an assault from the Thallax.

The lone scout, fleeing Vergon Avenue and ducking behind the animal holds.

The Automata closes in on combat squad Tahn.  Sgt. Soolo has been critically injured from his own plasma pistol.  The Automata open fire with his shoulder-mounted cannon and power armor begins to ricochet against the tank traps.

The Automata closes in on the remains of squad Tahn, who are helpless against the armored hide of its battle armor.  The one remaining Thallax opens up with a few final rounds into Sgt. Azull's squad. The transmitter is badly damaged in the firefight.  It begins to billow smoke.  Sgt. Azull drops the transmitter in the confusion and falls back.

Sgt. Azull returns to the transmitter, but is faced down by the Automata and the Thallax.   Here the encounter ends, as everyone suddenly realizes that the transmitter has caught fire.  It is now useless.

The lone surviving scout continues to enter backlines.  What is this mysterious symbol on the wall?  Certainly this is more important than participating in the firefight.

 The end of the scenario:  

Mechanicum scored First Blood, Slay the Warlord, and Linebreaker.  

Marines Errant score Find the Relic, Linebreaker.

It was a great game.  My opponent and I cheered as some of the back-and-forth occurred.  I'll cover it in more detail in Episode 009 of the NGC40 podcast.