Day 3: Marbo e MarboOut of the pre-dawn gloom came the distant whine of a low flying Valkyrie as it tracked a path across Sector 423. Still oblivious to the bloodbath engulfing the sector, the Administratum was continuing its scheduled wargames. From the back hatch of the Valkyrie a lone parachute appeared and a shady figure descended lazily to the ground between the two waring companies. A message was then transmitted over the open vox channel, “Attention all combatants, a high value individual has just been deposited into your combat area. It is your immediate priority to secure the target and extricate him to safety at all costs. Sector 423, your target is the Lord Castellan”. After a few seconds of silence, all hell broke loose.
“CREEED?!?!”, exclaimed the Drunken Commissar with a heavy slur, “We must protect the Lord Castellan and stop him falling into the hands of those Krieg curs! Assemble all available personnel at once, we march as soon as I get out of these pyjamas and have some breakfast!”
Von Draken would not be outdone. After having been dusted up by the unknown PDF operative the previous day he had rounded up a specialist engineer so he could have an infiltrator of his own. The engineer had just been sent off into the gloom when the Valkyrie made its fly over and the vox message was relayed. “Ha Ha! Now is our chance to show up those PDF dogs! We will secure the Lord Castellan right under their very noses! Marshal all units, we march once I’ve had some damn coffee!”
42nd Krieg Engineer KorpsCCS w/ Lascannon, Camo and MoO
Veterans w/ 2x Plasmagun and Heavy Bolter
Veterans w/ 2x Plasmagun and Autocannon
Veterans w/ Shotguns and 3x Flamer
Vendetta w/ 3x Lascannon
Manticore w/ Heavy Flamer
Total: 780Box Hill PDFLord Commissar w/ Meltabombs
Marbo
PCS w/ 3x Flamer and Vox
Infantry Squad w/ Grenade Launcher, Autocannon and Vox
Infantry Squad w/ Grenade Launcher, Autocannon and Vox
Infantry Squad w/ Flamer and Vox
Heavy Weapon Squad w/ 3x Mortar
Veterans w/ 3x Meltagun and Vox
Chimera w/ Multilaser and Heavy Flamer
Leman Russ w/ 3x Heavy Bolter
Total: 780Day 3 of the conflict would be played on a 4x4 foot table with a slight variation of the earlier terrain. The mission was The Relic with a Dawn of War (pitched battle) deployment.
The PDF forces deployed with their armour ready to roll down their right flank, the infantry in the centre and the Mortars on their left. On the opposite side of the field the Krieg command was on the left, with the Engineer Veterans and a regular Veteran squad in the centre. The remaining Veterans were flanking a building to their right, and the Vendetta was held in reserve.
Von Draken finished his breakfast first and the Krieg Infantry surged forward at full pelt towards the trenches where the Lord Castellan’s parachute had landed. As the Manticore trundled along it launched a trio of rockets (only one of which landed near the target), which when combined with von Jungen’s artillery strike immobilised the opposing Chimera.
The PDF veterans disembarked from their now immobile Chimera and prepared to leg it towards the Lord Castellan. As the Krieg units sprinted into position the advancing PDF forces unleashed torrents of Lasgun fire and a Mortar barrage. The Engineers were reduced to four men and the Veterans nearest the target were cut down, with their three survivors tactically withdrawing (fleeing) back to their lines.
The Blimp came tearing into combat airspace, frying some of the forward PDF infantry as they closed on the Lord Castallen. Von Draken’s counter-infiltrating Engineer also popped up behind the PDF Mortar batteries, killing them with a casually thrown mining demolition charge. The fleeing Veterans almost left the field of battle, until von Draken threatened to have them lashed if they did not turn around immediately. The command section’s Lascannon destroyed the PDF Russ with a well placed las bolt. In the centre field the Manticore driver gunned his vehicle over the trench system into the midst of the incoming PDF forces, whilst the four remaining Engineers sprinted forward, just managing to reach their objective. Expecting to find the Lord Castellan himself, the Engineers were a little surprised to find themselves face to face with a “Creed Board”.
The unknown PDF operative surfaced behind the Krieg lines once more, this time lobbing his improvised explosives at the CCS, killing all bar Captain von Draken and von Jungen “The Moo” (to which von Draken murmured, “Not this prick again!”). The PCS at the rear of the PDF lines changed direction and ran to intercept the infiltrating Krieg Engineer who had just killed the Mortar teams, while the forward Infantry Squad latched some Krak Grenades onto the Manticore which was trying to run them over. The firepower of the main Infantry body in the centre and the PDF Veterans managed to kill another two of the Engineers who had reached the Creed Board. Now only two Engineers with Flamers were left alive.
Resolutely ignoring the obviously dangerous operative who had just lobbed a high powered explosive in his direction, von Jungen “The Moo” called in another artillery strike. The already damaged PDF Chimera exploded in a cloud of shrapnel, reducing the nearby Veterans to just four men. The Vendetta zoomed forward placing itself between the remaining PDF Veterans and the Engineers who had only just gotten over their surprise and picked up the Creed Board. The three regrouped Veterans fired on the enemy operative causing a wound, but were unable to finish him off. The Manticore again trundled on into the midst of the PDF infantry, bunching them up as it went. It then unleashed its hull Heavy Flamer, which combined with the two Flamers from the Engineers and the Lascannons from the Blimp caused carnage in the PDF lines. A single Guardsman Sergeant survived from the forward infantry squad, while the PCS in the rear fled off the board. The main PDF squad lead by the Legless Commissar Ruhig suffered nine wounds.
The PDF operative launched into combat with von Draken and von Jungen, knocking down both the Captain and “The Moo”. The sole surviving Sergeant of the forward PDF Infantry Squad shot and charged the Engineers holding the Creed Board, but was brought down by their overwatching Flamers. The PDF Vets fired on the Blimp with their Meltaguns, but failed to damage the flyer. Meanwhile the main PDF Infantry assaulted the Manticore, stunning it with their Frag Grenades and a Meltabomb Commissar Ruhig had found in his trench coat pocket.
The two Engineers promptly shouldered the Creed Board and embarked upon the Blimp, which then slowly edged back towards the Krieg lines (or at least where they had been). The PDF infantry finally managed to wreck the Manticore, while the three regrouped Krieg Veterans assaulted the PDF operative who had just knocked down their Commander, taking him out without any further casualties.
The remaining PDF Veterans again failed to harm the Blimp, however the Legless Commissar Ruhig had better luck ordering (not literally) the newly unengaged PDF Infantry to fire at the flyer, knocking off a hull point.
The Blimp continued to back away from the PDF infantry, whilst the infiltrating Engineer killed a PDF Autocannon team with his pistol. Having dispatched the enemy operative the regrouped Veterans advanced once more to intercept the approaching PDF Veterans. The Krieg Veterans who had been advancing up the right flank desperately charged into combat with the PDF Infantry in an attempt to stall them and buy time for the Engineers to escape with the Creed Board. The Krieg Sergeant issued a challenge to the Drunken Commissar hoping to take down the enemy commander, however before Ruhig realised what was happening a PDF Sergeant stepped in. Whilst their squads fought around them, the two bereted Sergeants entered into a mortal duel. The Kriegsman’s sabre parried the whirring chainsword and thrust its razor tip into his adversary’s neck, but as the PDF Sergeant dropped his dying act was to raise his Laspistol and fire off a las bolt directly through the Krieg Sergeant’s head. As the duelling Sergeants fell the combat around them was coming to a close – both sides had suffered casualties, however the PDF troops had gained the edge. The lonesome Kriegsman left standing decided it was time to bail, but as he tried to break off he was mobbed by the remaining PDF Infantry.
Commissar Ruhig again ordered the last Autocannon to try and bring down the flyer, hoping to kill any occupants, but the distance was too long and neither round was able to strike home. The PDF Veterans fired on the approaching Krieg Vets, taking one of their number down, before charging into combat. More bitter hand to hand fighting ensued, with the Krieg Veteran killing and assailant before being taken down. Meanwhile the two Sergeants went toe to toe, however unlike earlier the Kriegsman bested his foe and sent the two surviving PDF Veterans packing.
The game ended with the Krieg Engineers victorious (just) as they had the Creed Board in their possession. They had only two Engineers, a Sergeant, Marbo and the damaged Blimp remaining, whilst the Box Hill PDF had Commissar Ruhig, four infantryman and two fleeing Veterans.
It was at this point that the Administratum realised what had been occurring in Sector 423 and prised the two forces apart. Commissar Ruhig and Captain von Draken were forced to shake hands (after dusting themselves off), however a bitter rivalry has existed between the two companies since the conclusion of the Rmitar Insurrection. Future confrontations are inevitable between the two forces should they cross paths once more.....
