Space Hulk - A time to leave.

The story so far.

Space Hulk CST6012 had drifted out of the warp much to the interest of the Imperium and alien  races.  Many a zombie has been dispatched, robot rebooted, teleporter used, enemy killed and exciting piece of technology salvaged. However, the hulk has now been caught in the gravity well of a nearby planet, and time has run out for our plucky explorers. It is time to leave.

Above: Will the last one out please turn off the lights?

Initiative

At the beginning of each turn a player from each team rolls a D6. The winning team goes first with the activation order proceeding in dice order.

Above: Choosing teams. Kannan (Dark Angels) and Neil (Orks) are paired up by Dave as the Green Alliance. 

Mission

To move across Table One (the remains of the plummeting hulk), collecting the last remaining crates of booty, to the teleporters, and use them to travel planet side (Table Two).

Once on Table Two, attempt to exit the table at the far end, using, if you wish, the Rhinos thoughtfully left for this very purpose.

Above: The Uneasy Eldar Alliance (UEA) arrive, commanded by Pete (Eldar) and Bryan (Dark Eldar). Kannan (left) and James (right) watch with interest.

Scoring

- 1 point for each enemy model killed.

- 5 points for each enemy Warlord killed.

- 5 points for each crate held on the playing area at the end of the game.

- 10 points for each crate removed from the far end of Table Two.

- 5 points for every model leaving from the far end of Table Two.

Above: The Tau suits prepped and ready for the off.

Crates

These follow the same rules for 40K relics. However, models are allowed to run with them.

Above: The Imperials arrive in a swarm. James' Guard and my Scouts.

Army Composition

The 200 point restrictions as described in the Kill Team rule book. 

Special abilities will not be used.

Morale rules will not be played.

Above: The Dark Eldar, unable to resist a challenge, burst through a door and take on the Marines. 

Square of 'Extra' Despair
At the beginning of each turn, starting at the beginning of turn 2, a number of squares on  board one, equivalent to the turn number, are randomly chosen, and for any models that are on that square the following should be undertaken:

1. Roll a D6 for each model. 

On turn 2, if a one is rolled, that model must take an armour save, and if failed, will suffer a wound. Feel No Pain rolls can be taken.

On turn 3, if a one or two is rolled, that model must take an armour save, and if failed, will suffer a wound. Feel No Pain rolls can be taken.

On turn 4, if a one, two or three is rolled, that model must take an armour save, and if failed, will suffer a wound. Feel No Pain rolls can be taken.

On turn 5, if a one, two, three or four is rolled, that model must take an armour save, and if failed, will suffer a wound. Feel No Pain rolls can be taken.

On turn 6, if a one, two, three, four or five is rolled, that model must take an armour save, and if failed, will suffer a wound. Feel No Pain rolls can be taken.

And on turn 7, all models still left on table one must take an armour save, and if failed, will suffer a wound. Feel No Pain rolls can be taken.

2. For walkers, a roll of a one will result in a glancing hit. 

3. Please note, unlike previous versions of the square of despair rule, a square can be effective multiple times during the game!

Above: The Dark Alliance begins to fall apart as the Orks doubt the Dark Angel tactics!

 

Above: Blood Bowl - Pre-season friendlies.

One rule to rule them all!

Players are reminded that any attempt to be a rules numpty will not be tolerated. The word of the Space Hulk Arbitration Trustee (Dave kindly stepped in as the rules overseer in this game) are final, even if they don't make much sense or contradict an earlier pronouncement. 

(Dave G., being new to hosting one of these games, had a most effective approach to making rule pronouncements; after announcing his ruling he would look at the faces around him, and as long as affected player's jaws hadn't hit the ground, he stuck to his guns. Thankfully, he never had to deal with a slack jawed mutiny).

Above: After the evening I have a search through my photographs to pick out which I could usefully put in the post. This is a picture I took. I have no clue what is occurring. Perhaps James is midway through showing Dave a card trick?

The game

Prior to the game we had a couple of drop-outs, which left us with only seven players, a difficult number to divide into teams. So Dave selected the teams based on what seemed appropriate:

- The Eldar races, Pete (Eldar) and Bryan (Dark Eldar),

- Kannan and Neil, Dark Angels and Orks respectively,

- James (Imperial Guard), and me with Iron Hand Scouts; and finally, 

- Calum (playing the odd man), with his Tau.

The table set up contrived to put the Green Alliance and the Eldar Brothers in close proximity. And when Bryan's Hellions couldn't resist attacking Kannan's 'tough as nail' Marines, it all kicked off between the two factions. Players were quick to learn not to shoot at the Warpspiders, who were able to use their special rule to move further towards the board edge as a result.

For Kannan's 200 point force he chose 5 Veteran Space Marines! Yes they were tooled up with every weapon conceivable, but a +3 armour save could get them only so far. By mid-game they had, unsurprisingly, all fallen, and we were very kind in allowing Kannan some hastily prepared reinforcements to arrive in their place. 

With only three teleporter pads on the spacehulk the inevitable logjam occurred, and unfortunately for Neil's Orks, incoming fire from Eldar and Tau meant that his force never saw planet side.

Late game and the Tau and Imperial Guard had gained a foothold on table two, and had begun to slug it out in the jungle. Two thirds of my Scouts followed after that (the other third, had attempted to slow the Eldar down in the hulk, but had then fallen foul of Kannan's reinforcements).

Above: Callum directing apparently numerous Tau battlesuit fire.

The remains of the Eldar force arrived, but the Guard and Scouts were too numerous and had too much of a head start, and, with a couple of good run moves, were able to leave table two in good order. The Guard/Scout score was some way ahead of the others, with the Eldar and Tau finishing very close for the runners up spot. 

Above: the Eldar arrive on table two.

This had been another fun spacehulk game. The positioning of the walls on table one certainly benefited some teams over others, but despite this, everyone played the game in an excellent spirit. And special thanks to Dave for keeping all the players in line.

[Amit, you asked about my Tohaa pictures from the previous post. Mike was right, but I used some foam board to create the frame of a box and the background is just some curved white card held in place by the frame - see below].

Many a happy wargaming exploit to everyone.

Alex