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    Warp Rift

    Issue 29 Horizon

    The Battlefleet Gothic Netzine

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    F h Nx Phg H

    Warp Ri is not endorsed, nor does it endorse, Games Workshop, and it is not an ofcial publication o Games Workshop. Any words, phrases or images areused without permission and no challenge is intended as a result o such a usage, including the use o these words, phrases and images without the appropriatesymbols o copyright. Additionally, these pages including content, design and images are copyright (except where copyright should inringe other suchrights). Licensed names, images and logos are copyright their respective companies or authors. No part o these pages may be borrowed or reproduced, and noarticles or rules should be considered ofcial in any way.

    P g h .Dw h w , :

    www.40..k/gg/

    D Tk W R h wg :

    W R F

    R h W R Bg w x h:

    W R Bg

    W R I TwN S 2010

    +++ Submissions +++

    All types o article are desperately needed, to keep this publication alive. In some cases,

    submission includes inclusion on the web site at: www.epic40k.co.uk, or through www.

    tacticalwargames.net. Please include a note with your submission i you would like this

    claried. Submission via e-mail implies approval or publication.

    Send your submissions to:

    [email protected]

    or

    [email protected]

    +++ Warp Rift Publication Team +++

    Roy (Horizon) Amkreutz Void Stalker II

    Iain (Cybershadow) Watcher in the Dark

    Ray Bell Admirality

    Reg Steiner yranid War Veteran

    Jack Watling Magician

    Credits:

    Cover Picture Jack Watling

    Additional Graphics & Pictures: GothiComp participants

    Edito

    rial

    http://www.tacticalwargames.net/forums/index.cgi?act=SF;f=89http://www.players.tacticalwargames.net/tiki-view_blog.php?blogId=10http://www.players.tacticalwargames.net/tiki-view_blog.php?blogId=10http://www.tacticalwargames.net/forums/index.cgi?act=SF;f=89
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    +++ T Fx +++

    Hello,

    Welcome to a new issue o Warp Ri.

    It are some odd days or Battleeet Gothic itseems. Te game is getting an extensive FAQ,this will be online soon, it is rumoured that theForgeworld book Imperial Armour 10 about theBadab War will eature some Battleeet Gothicrelated material. It is not know what it exactlywill be though. Fantasy Flight Games will bereleasing a supplement to their Rogue rader RPGbook next year being called: Battleeet Koronus.Where the core book itsel already contained agreat deal on space vessels this new book will just

    breath Battleeet Gothic I guess.On the downside it appears that the BFG Armadabook is no longer available on the GamesWorkshop site.

    Tis issue o Warp Ri itsel contains an Orkactica written by Deadshane who won Adepticonwith his Ork eet.Furthermore the second installment to theSpreading War takes a majority o pages thisissue.

    In the vessel ages article we see ideas on how ageafects the ships o the Imperial Navy.Te showcase eatures this years eet nalists othe GothiComp painting competition.Asuryans Light in the Darkness Rekindled tellsthe tale o a orsaken Eldar vessel.

    enjoy,Horizon

    I TwN C:

    Tactical Command

    Ork actica 4

    Encyclopedia Gothica

    Asuryans Light in the Darkness 11Vessel ages 14

    Showcase

    GothiComp 2010 - eet nalists 15

    Void Stalker

    Te Spreading War - pt.2 18

    The CLOSING PAGE

    Chronicles easer 28

    Edito

    rial

    +++ Ag S +++

    In a previous Warp Ri we have two publishedarticles originating rom the Anargo Sector. Well,the sector itsel has gone a little quiet itsel aerthat but just recently the Astronomican broughtit back to lie again. So in the near uture wecan expect more great inormation rom them.Among it the details or Battleeet Anargo andthe layout (to the world levels) o Anargo Sector.

    http://www.sg.tacticalwargames.net/orum/index.php?board=8.0

    +++ BFG Ch +++

    Te long going BFG Chronicles project is alsobeing restarted (again, admitted) but it seems theyare getting somewhere. Book o the Imperiumwill be the rst to keep an eye on.

    http://www.sg.tacticalwargames.net/orum/index.php?board=8.0

    +++ Hgh A +++

    Te Admirality has released rules or the auCommerce Protection Fleet and Eldar HavenSpire plus ret tables or the pointy-eared race.

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    TacticalC

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    Ork TacticaBy Shane McRoberts Deadshane

    Mudgutz sez: Propa ways ta krump em!

    Orks are the worst eet!

    Orks cant use ordinance or special ordersreliably!

    Te only chance you have o winning with orks isthe Space Hulk!

    ORKS ARE CRAP!

    Chances are i youve been playing gothic or a while

    (or even i youre new to the game), youve heard thesecomments beore when reerring to the Ork Fleet.Tey really arent ar rom the truth using traditionalor common Ork tactics that you might nd online orwithin publications. raditional Ork tactics are eitherreckless (ramships) or totally give up the initiative toyour opponents eet during the battle (SpaceHulks& Roks). While sometimes these tactics will work,theyve still contributed to the Underdog status othe Ork eet in gothic. Tere are other reasons Orkshave a hard time, speed and mobility, unbalanced

    ships, rear armour 4, reliance on weapons batteries...the list goes on. Te eet has many pitalls. However,the Ork eet also has many strengths. Well try toconcentrate on those here. I one is to win reliablywith Orks in gothic, it is imperative that you buildand pilot a eet according to the strengths.

    In tournement play, when you consider chancesor victory, there is very little margin or error with

    Orks, they are NO a orgiving eet to play andyour tactics must be sound. Tis tactica will address

    primarily tournement play and how to win. HowI win...and how YOU might win playing this verycharacterul eet. I youve played Orks in the pastand gotten so rustrated that you wouldve liked totake a sledgehammer to yours or your opponents eetin rustration, this is your chance. Tis will be howto play your eet AS an irresistable sledgehammer othe Ork Waaagghh, but in space.

    Lastly, beore we begin, these are o course myopinions. Tese are the most eective ways that Ipersonally think the ork eet plays. Bottom lineis, i you already win with orks and eel that thesetactics arent as good as your own or are too dierent,congrats on your winning record and keep it up!Tese are ways that Ive ound that are eective, takerom this tactica what you will...or dont. I youvebeen losing with orks, and you try what Ive writtenhere and are successul, I can honestly and withgreat condence tell you that the comments youll behearing will sound more like....

    Geez, thats a ton o ordinance!

    I thought Orks were supposed to ail leadershipchecks.

    Youre one o the best Ork players Ive played!

    I didnt know they were that good!

    ...I hear these all the time.

    PART ONE: STRENGTHS OF THE ORKS

    or- Orks is da most strongestest! -Warlord Mudgutz

    All eets in Gothic have certain things that they dovery well or advantages over other eets. Orks are nodierent. While they might not have the speed andmaneuverability o the Eldar, the Nova Cannons othe Imperials, or all round 6+ armour o the SpaceMarines, they have their own strengths that make orormidable orces in their own rights. Te strengthsthat well make use o here in this tactica include:

    CHEAP SHIPS WITH LOTS OF HIT POINTSFor a base cruiser, the Kill Kroozer is one o i notHE cheapest basic cruiser in the game. Figure thatin with a ront armour o 6 and 10 hit points and itsa bargain. Te error ship also is cheap or a carrier.Devestations are considered by some one o thebetter carriers in the game, our error ship has thesame launch capacity, 2 more hit points, the capacityto launch torpedoes, and is 5 pts cheaper. An OrkBattleship typically costs around the same as otherraces Battlecruisers/Grand Cruisers.

    TORPEDOES ON ALL CAPITOL SHIPSKroozers and errors can both trade in their orwardmounted Heavy Gunz or orpedo bays. Dependingon your eet make-up, this can provide excellentdistractions or your enemy. orpedoes also increasethe versatility o your weapons-battery heavy ships,giving them another role in the battle. HammerBattlekroozers also have this option availiable.

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    TacticaLC

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    MORE REROLLSOrk eets can get 3 re-rolls per Warboss and aWarboss or every 500 pts in the eet. More RRsavailiable than ANY other eet in the game.

    FIGHTA-BOMMAZActing as either ghters OR bombers, they reduce

    the guesswork about how many o either class oordinance you need.

    LARGE BASES ON THE KROOZERS/TERRORSHIPSWhile some might consider this a disadvantage, itactually makes boarding actions easier to accomplish.Which brings us to....

    IRRESISTABLE BOARDING ACTIONSWarlords double the boarding value o any ship

    theyre on except or the Space Hulk. When you have3 in say, a 1500 pt game, thats potentially 3 ships witha boarding value o 20, more than double a basiccruiser. Trow a Warlord on a Battleship and theboarding value is 24, HREE times a basic cruiser.Tis is a very big deal indeed. Normally it requiresships to gang up on a single in order to get bonuseslike this, when Orks can use this advantage ship-to-

    ship, it can translate into horrendous results or yourenemy.

    ...............................................................

    Tere are also some scary weaknesses that you alwayshave to be on the lookout or. I you want to play withKroozers and errorships (we do) you have to lookout or:

    speed o 20cm is a denate issue, be aware o howlong it takes to get into the ght. While on par withImperials, nose to nose, they can outshoot us.

    NO LANCE WEAPONRY

    Tis glaring weakness is one o the big reasons thatwe as Orks have to alter our tactics and strategy toaccomodate the tools we DO have availiable. Only

    our Battleships have anything resembling lancearmament. Armour 6 on enemy ships requires adierent approach during an engagement.

    LOW SHIELDS/TURRETSOrks obviously dont really care to play it sae anddont know much about deense. A single sheildsounds bad, and it is. A single turret combines withthat rear armour o 4 making enemy bombers aDEFINAE issue.

    LOWERED LEADERSHIP ON OUR SHIPSTis makes special orders dicult, reloadingordinance is harder. Re-rolls are that much moreimportant, luckily, we get lots o them.

    Dont worry, these weaknesses can all be compensatedor, its not as bad as it sounds.

    Put all o this together and what does it mean? Howare we going to build our tournement list? ry tothink about it a bit.Your tournement list will consist o many more HPso ships than your enemy has, cheap carriers, tons oordinance, and maximum Warlords.How do we destroy ships? Sometimes with weaponsbatteries, sometimes with lots o ordinance, butmostly:

    BOARDING ACIONS!

    REAR ARMOUR OF 4Te only ships you wantbehind you are dead hulkso cruisers that youvedestroyed. Youll also needto launch enough ghters tokeep enemy bombers at bay,they can also do horrendousamounts o damage to ourships.

    SPEEDWhile we dont have tomake a leadership check togo All ahead ull!, morespeed would be nice. Ourcapitol ships need to closethe distance ast and get intoknie-ghting range as soonas possible. Our plodding

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    PART TWO: SHIP REVIEW

    Or: She dun look like much, but Sheez got it where itcounts, ya grot! - WARLORD MUDGUZ

    Some o the ships in the eet are great, others, not sogreat. Some are downright a waste o time. In orderto build a eet that will lend itsel to the combat

    doctrine that this tactica will encourage, we have toavoid certain ships. Escorts, in particular, are not agood idea. Escorts are easy to destroy and give upvictory points much easier than capitol ships. Mosto all, they dont help out with the boarding actionswhich is what our eet will be doing in every gamei possible. Ive ound that there is very little in asupport role that an escort can do that ordinancecannot do itsel. I can hear you already...But whatabout the ramships????...more about them later, letsstart with the big ships.

    THE MIGHTY SPACE HULKHit points like crazy, gunz everywhere, lances, gunz,ordinance, heavy gunz, 6 turrets, more gunz, thatlittle cluster to the right on the top....yup...GUNZ!An impressive sight on the eild, scary, mighty....dontbring it! It doesnt t into the plan, speed is a actor.Te last thing we need is the backbone o our eetmoving 10cm across the board a turn, and it WILLbe the backbone, at 600pts it demands that you buildyour eet around it, to support it. On paper it looksgreat, on the board its un to play, but it wont work. Itcan be avoided ar too easily thanx to its slow speed.In eect its a 600pt carrier that only launches 11 craa turn on average. Not so good. You have to be able tomaneuver in this game, this monstrosity doenst do it,leave it at home.

    ORK ROKSWhy you would take these w/o the Space Hulk I cant

    imagine. Again, unable to maneuver and easier to killthan the Hulk. Roks are part o a Space Hulk strategy.Again, leave them behind.

    ORK BATTLESHIPS

    Armada gave us these mighty ships. Large and incharge, these cheap 12 hp monsters can be eitherthe true speartip and purpose o your attack, huge

    support, or a mighty distraction so that the real attacksucceeds. Ork Battleships, strangely enough, areamongst your FASES ships when employing tacticsthat are complimentary to the eet. Specically, theDethdeala and the Kroolboy have Soopa Enginesmaking your AAF orders more eective allowing youto get one o your Warlords stuck in quickly. Tis isa huge threat to any ship considering your boardingvalue o 24 on a battleship with embarked Warlord.Gorbags Revenge can be un at times when maxingout ordinance is to your taste. Slamblasta, sadly,

    doesnt really help much, its speciality being 2 prowmounted lances....the only source o lance repowerin an ork eet short o a Space Hulk...its too little toolate. Also, the Hammer...Kroozer HPs at a Battleshipcost, its versatility isnt really needed or useul.

    KILL KROOZERSAhhh, the much maligned Kill Kroozer. I call it amighty chariot rom which my second and thirdwarlords win the battle or me. Kill Kroozers,typically ignored by opponents due to their lacko ordinance threat or eective repower, screamtowards the enemy in an attempt to get to boardingrange. Warlords with Mega Armoured parties hitcha ride on these boyos and sometimes will double upon a particularly important target or a sure KILL.Not wounding....KILL o a capital ship. Dont let theirspeed o 20cms ool you, they can be FAS. Pick adirection to y this thing, and launch it like a missleusing the orks AAF orders. Frequently youll besurprised with a 10hp chunk o steel ying at your

    enemy at 30+cm a turn....with a warlord on board.Tat is one dangerous missle, i it hits its targetwonderul things happen. o max out ordinance,go ahead and replace the orward heavy guns withtorpedoes or a one-shot distraction. It gives youropponent something to think about, and it coversyour advance or the REAL attack.

    TERROR SHIPSTe bread and butter o the ork eet. error shipslaunch wave aer wave aer horrendous wave oFighta-bommaz, ABs and torpedoes. Squadronedtogether, they will reload o o the leadership othe best leadership in the squadron. Assisted by themany many availiable Ork ReRolls, you will nd thatthis cheap cheap carrier will easily make its presenceelt in the battle. Teir role is support, but in a pinchthey can still add 10hps to a boarding action. Alwaysremember that ordinance is the primary mission

    however. Keep pumping it out, keep the enemyconcerned with dealing will all your ordinance. Bracesparingly...your hps can handle whatever damagethey dish out. Reload reload (reroll) reload....Remember that problem that our ships have withenemy bombers? Yea, multiple cheap error shipsmitigate that disadvantage by launching scads oFighta-bommas.

    ESCORTS

    As I am writing this tactica, I will tell you my opinionso escorts. Many o those that read this will disagreewith me, but they can write their own tactica.

    Anything escorts can do, ordinance can do better.Ordinance is aster, and in enough numbers canhandle break-o anking orces o the enemy eet just ne. Enemy escorts die in droves against ABattacks. Ordinance when it dies, costs nothing.Escorts when they die, cost victory points.

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    I typically dont use escorts, and preer to maximisecapital ships. Tat is MY ormula or victory, this ismy tactica. Now with that said....

    I you nd that you really want to use escorts in youreet, there is one in our arsenal that ts the bill. No,it isnt the Ramship. Ravager attack ships add MOREordinance into the mix. Tese ships, with their d6

    wave o torpedoes each, can intensiy your ordinancestrike. A truly scary sight is when 6 cruiser hulls,several ravagers and even torpedo bombers a ll launchtheir payloads simultaneously. Its a torpedo spreadthat cannot be ignored and will break eets up out oormation so that you can pick on portions instead ocharging headlong into their entire gunline.

    Ramships are wasteul, a danger to themselves bydenition and not armed heavily enough to beeective. Some Ork players stand by them stating that

    they are the only source o speed that allows them toeven contend with Eldar. I say, i you are countingon speed 25cm to deal with Eldar...you will lose therace...everytime.

    Ordinance is aster, and can deal with Eldar moreeectivly than ANY o our escorts.

    PART 3: TWO KEYS TO VICTORY

    Or Do dis an dis er da big WIN!-WarlordMudgutz

    My successes with the Ork eet can be directlyattributed to two things: ordinance and boardingactions. Tese two damage dealers are the twomightiest strengths that the orks have at their disposal.Both are reliable weapons, both very destructive.

    Yes, I said that Ork ordinance is reliable...contrary topopular belei.

    BOARDING ACTIONSHow do people keep rom taking damage inBattleeet Gothic? Braced or Impact is how.Can you brace or impact against damage done in aboarding action? Nope. What do Orks love to do to

    enemy ships? Board.

    I you want to play Orks in Battleeet Gothic, youhave to learn every last detail o boarding. You haveto get good at it. Boarding actions will always be inthe back o your mind during the battle and youwill know how to get every single plus out o theboarding table to swing advantage more into youravor.

    A How o article on boarding actions in battleeet

    gothic could take up plenty o space just by itsel.Since this is MY tactica...Im going to simply go withhow IVE had success. You can work and play withmy ormula...maybe come up with your own ideas.Well do this assuming a 1500pt battle.

    First, point your eet in the right direction to interceptthe enemy and utilise your FREE Ork All AheadFull orders. Tis makes your entire eet ast all o asudden. Dont orget, this doesnt reduce the amounto ordinance you re so on the rst turn do it withyour error ships as well in order to keep them inrange to support your Killkroozers and Battleship.

    Max Warlords...Everytime. Te stronger yourboarding ability in your eet, the stronger your eet.More ships with Warlords ready to board=redundancyand more opportunities to board.

    Personally, my avorite way to acilitate boarding inmy Ork eet is to throw a Warlord on a Battleship

    (one o them has to go there anyway) and give himpowerelds. Tis is your decoy....but its a decoy withteeth. Te job o this ship (preerably the dethdealaor Kroolboy or speed) is to soak up the repowerand/or ordinance o the enemy covering the advanceo the rest o the ghting vessels in your eet. I willtypically give the Warlord extra power eilds inorder to soak up a little more re on the way in. I

    the Battleship is able to board a juicy target, its great,but the time your opponent will spend shooting itup since its the biggest and baddest ship in yourarsenal will be considerable...and it should prove aninvaluable sheild or the rest o your eet.

    Essentially, the Battleship covers the advance o mytwo Killkroozers that are also Warlord equipped andright behind her. Tese Warlords arent equippedwith extra power elds, instead opting or themega armoured boarding parties. With the added

    plus o the Mega Armour, the KillKroozers boardingvalue o 20 (with the Warlords o course) is a seriousproblem or any eet that gets within 15-20cm oour orward arc. Killkroozers are denatly the shipor this mission. errorships can do the job as welli needed but errorships are generally kept busypumping out more and more ordinance to cover theeets advance.

    Also, be sure that your ships are all mounted on largerbases. Tis makes boarding actions that much easierand is completely legal, strangley enough, due to apackaging blunder that GW covered by simply sayingLarger bases OR small bases can be used on cruiserhulls or orks. While this may make navigation pastblast markers a little harder or present a better targetor nova cannons, the benet or boarding actions istoo great to pass up.

    Dogpile important targets with multiple ships toensure their death. A ravaged Battleship and two

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    healthy kill kroozers equipped as above is a deathknell or most any capitol ship out there barringtyranids. No braced or impact allowed, and a driinghulk to give you that many more victory points at theend o the battle. Glorious.

    ORDINANCEOrdinance is just as important as boarding to your

    game. I personally like to use 4 terrorships in asingle squadron to contribute a VERY ormidableorce o ghta-bommas in the air. ABs are ocourse launched in abundance i the escort threatis signicant, but Fighta-bommas are great. Withd3 + 3 attacks against ships with 3 or more turrets,they tend to hit harder than regular bombers (sansghter escort) against capitol ships with that sort oordinance deense. (against a target with 4 turrets:regular bomber needs to roll a 5 or 6 to do damage,ghta bomma needs to roll 3+ on its attack run) My

    current eet can support up to 20 aircra and 20ghta-bommas coming at you cannot be ignored...itsdamage, it nishes o damaged ships, and regardlesso how useless people tell you ghta-bommas are,they still dont like to be hit by them. Since I tend toreplace orward mounted heavy gunz batteries withtorpedo launchers, its all the worse. You bring lots ocarriers in an Ork eet to mitigate the disadvantageo ghta-bommas only being able to hit a target 3times MAX. Whats more eective in a 1500 pt eet?8 eldar bombers, or 20 Ork ghta-bommas, that notonly can do bombing runs...but intercept the eldarbommers instead i they decide to.

    Te act that you dont have to decide a ratio oghters to bombers out o your launch bays does a lotto make your ordinance runs easier...less chances ormistakes there. People orget about this advantageand its a big one. I an opponent with huge amountso launch bays makes a mistake in how many ghtershe launches, he might miss an opportunity to do

    damage. I he launches too many Bombers, he mightget taken advantage o by a surprise ordinance alphastrike by his opponent. Orks dont have to worryabout this as much as other eets since our ghta-bommas are dual purpose. Te only thing you haveto ask yoursel is whether or not you want to launchassault boats.

    Make sure you run your carriers in a squadron to takeadvantage o that SINGLE leadership 8 terror shipthat you rolled. Your eet may have low leadershipaccross the board, but i you bring multiple terrorships (like any good player using this tactica) oneo them is bound to roll a 7 or 8 or leadership.Combine this with the multiple rrs granted by themultiple warbosses, enemies on special orders givingyou an addl +1 and then the act that errorshipsgenerally play the backeild o your eet keeping alow prole to avoid getting blast markers in contact,

    and youve got a squadron that generally doesnt havemuch trouble reloading its ordinance throughout thegame.

    Keep pumping ordinance at people. Remember, eventhough your Battleship may be going AAF everyturn...it still lends a launch CAPACIY o 4. Keepyour ordinance in the air in maximum amounts. Iyour opponent is worrying about your ordinance,hes worrying less about your ships. Ordinance costsnothing, ships cost points.

    Huge torpedo salvoes launched by entire ork eetscan sometimes break up enemy ormations. I youreplace all o your heavy gunz with torpedoes...it creates a rather impressive torpedo strike thatormations will have trouble surviving. Concentrateall your torpedoes toward the center and watch youropponent break his eet into two seperate smallerormations. Tis makes engaging into knie ghtingrange easier. It can also make it harder or his ships

    to support each other.

    More and more and more ordinance on the eild givesyour opponent more to think about. More things tothink about allow or more opportunities to makemistakes.

    Pump out that ordinance. Board those ships. Te

    combination o these two mechanisms in your eetare the two primary keys to victory.

    PART 4: SOME LITTLE TRICKS

    Or Ya gots ta be SRONG AND KUNNIN, butderes times ya gots ta be KUNNIN AND SRONG!-

    Warlord Mudgutz

    Tere are some tactics that work really well in an Ork

    eet that some other eets might not be able to getaway with, or benet rom quite as much. Well talkabout a couple o those here.

    BRACE FOR IMPACTAs an Ork Admiral, your eet is one o the stoutestout there. Youve got hit points to spare. Youve alsogot opponents out there that expect you to brace orimpact when your terror ship is about to take 8pts oor sure damage. Heres your problem, i you brace,you lose the ability to reload your ordinance nextturn...that simply wont due. AKE HE HI. Oen,in the game o BFG, your opponent will expectyou to brace, sometimes...hell NEED you to brace.When you dont, you dont go along with his battleplan. Tat can only be a good thing or you. I youropponent blasted the snotlings out o your error shipexpecting you to brace the entire squadron he couldbe in or a rude awakening. Your squadron may nowbe in the position to move orward a bit and be totally

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    within striking distance o the ships that caused thisdamage...and your crippled terror ship could stillhave reloaded its ordinance so as to contribute SILLtwo more ghta bommas and maybe even a torpedosalvo in order to extract revenge or itsel. Note thatyour ship took 8 hit points....the damage that kills anormal cruiser, now your ship is operating at halcapacity. Again....WHEN OHER CRUISER HULLS

    WOULD BE DESROYED! Youve got hit points tospare amongst your eet. Dont worry about the threato 4 lances that are Locked on. Dont brace againstthe rst or even the second Nova cannon shot. akesome risks, your ships will pull you thru. Remember,Orks dont give a dang. Play them that way. ry not tobrace or impact unless its a REAL emergency. akesome hits...come out the other side all scued up, itsok...your opponent will be hulked.

    PLAY WITH TERRAIN AND DIFFERENT

    SCENARIOSDont play Cruiser Clash against a good Eldarplayer in open space. You just lost. Play scenarioswhere there is an objective to control, or a ship toescort. Some Scenarios can orce an enemy to getclose to you, thats where we want them so we canboard. Not only are these battles more interesting,but theyre more in character or us. It should come asno surprise then that these sort o missions are easierto win. Also, Cruiser Clash IS an ok mission toplay...just not in open space. Play with some terrain.Use the rulebook rules or placing terrain. Your eetbenets very well rom the cover that terrain in BFGgrants. Also, learn to utilise planetary gravity wells. Agood Ork player can completely make up or his lacko maneuverability throughout his eet by hoveringnear a medium or large planet using gravity wellturns to maneuver. I almost ALWAYS use planets toaid me in battle. I there is a large planet on the boardI will always try to make sure the planet is betweenthe bulk o my orces and a signicant long-ranged

    part o his. Not only does it block line o sight, butit will grant me some maneuverability as I advancetoward it. USE PLANES.

    FIGHTIN DA PANZEES

    Corsair and Craworld Eldar eets seem to be thebane o Ork players everywhere. We cannot catchthem, and our gunz dont have the range to reach

    them.

    Remember what I said about Cruiser Clash anderrain? We dont need to go back there right?O.K. then, what is your problem vs. Eldar? Speed. Itsthe Eldar claim to ame. Speed and Maneuverability.Tey go where they want and as ast as they want.Youre ships are still plodding along at 20cm hopingto catch them, right? Wrong.

    Im going to illustrate the PERFEC scenario against

    an Eldar eet and you can take rom that some tacticsand tricks on how to ght them.

    Firstly, you want the Eldar eet to be between you andthe Sun. What this can do is make it more dicultor a key enemy ship to run away rom you. Tey canstill move parallel, or even toward you, but movingINO the sun is their slowest speed, and your bestchance to bring your prow mounted gunz (at 45cmrange) to bear...and we all know how much Eldarhate Weapons Batteries.

    Second, try to take cover behind a large or mediumplanet. It cannot get shot thru by the Eldar lances andany torpedo strikes will hit the planet and detonate.I the planet is large you should be able to utilisegravity wells and lower speeds to maintain a positionbehind the planet. I youre able to do this, the onlyway the Eldar eet can touch you is to jump to theother side o the planet (where hell be meat or thebeast..and our WBs) or try an impotent attack with

    his bombers...which brings us to the nal and mostimportant key o beating the eldar....

    Tird, Fighta Bommas, the key to success againstthe Eldar. Ordinance, Faster and more maneuverablethan the eldar eet. Using this tactica we have aircrain abundance. More than the expensive eldar carriersare equipped to handle. Send salvo aer salvo o

    ghta bommas aer the eldar. DO NO run themin waves. Since the eldar ships have no turrets waveso aircra have no purpose...send each one outseperatly. I/when your squadrons are close enoughto engage the Eldar eet send only one or two ghta-bommas to each enemy ship within reach. Your goalis to cover the entire enemy eet with blast markers.I your Eldar opponent is running several units oescorts (since eldar escorts are so good) make sureHEY are all covered with blast markers. Tis cancreate a dangerous situation or your opponent.

    Not only is there a potential or damage rom thebombers, (slight due to the holo-eilds) but whenyour opponent moves away or thru the blast markeron his turn he has a chance to take another point.Unlike our sturdy Ork ships, Eldar ships cannontsustain any real amount o damage and every pointcan be elt. Every point inicted has a good chanceto score a critical. Tis is danger that your Eldaropponent cannot outrun and can only mitigate withdistance, time, and his own ghters. Eldar are trulyone o the most important reasons that Ordinanceis so important to Orks in a ournament/ake allcomers eet. Te more Fighta-bommas you can keepin the air, the easier a battle against Eldar is going tobe.

    I you are able to utilise all o these strategies againstan Eldar player, while NO playing in open spaceand possibly with an objective that will draw himto it...you will have a better than average chance ovictory.

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    PART 5: CONCLUSION

    Or Dats dat! Now get out dere an SMASH EM...WAAAGGHH!-Warlord Mudgutz

    Well, thats pretty much it. O course all these littletidbits require practice and prociency on your partto pull o successully. Tis is however, how Ivemanaged to have such a good run with the Ork eetover the years. As you should be able to see, the Orkeet in BFG is much dierent than say an IN eet orChaos and CANNO be run the same way. Its a eetall its own that requires a certain technique no lessspecic than even the Eldar eets require to be runsuccessully.

    Its something I really hope or that Ork players willsee these tactics and make them their own. Hopeully,some o you will learn just a little bit rom what Ive

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    written down here and really surprise your opponentwith a good beatdown. Maybe even utilising thesetechniques in ways that I never imagined. Ive hadtons o un with the Ork eet since the rst modelswere released or them many years ago...and neverlooked back. Its truly one o the most un eets in thegame i you can learn to play it well.

    Played well, its immensley strong and since itsconsidered an underdog eet...all that much more

    rewarding and impressive when you pull o that bigwin.

    Played badly...well...Orkses is never beaten in battle.I we win we win, i we die we die so it dont count asbeat. I we runs or it we dont die neither, so we canalways come back or anuvver go,see!

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    hicaAsuryans Light in the Darkness Rekindled

    By Hellebore

    Asuryan Ra en el Kael edi zar

    Asuryans Light in the Destruction BetweenStorms

    Te Seers o Ulthw are psychic masters, even bythe standards o the eldar. Many a time the UlthwSeer Council, led by the mighty Eldrad Ulthran,had oreseen the deadliest o threats, time and againprotecting their once mighty race rom destruction.However, the Sight is not perect, and despite theirbest eorts, the Great Enemy moved ever closer. Itwas ollowing the aermath o Abaddons 12th Black

    Crusade that the Seers o Ulthw decreed it time togrow another ship, a mighty machine such that theenemies o the Eldar would know again the trutho eldar supremacy. Asuryans Light in the DarknessRekindled was to join the pride o the Ulthw eet,but alas it was not to be.

    Bonesinger Liariean oluc ormed her Wraithchoirrom the most skilled artisans and composers oUlthw, determined to create a ship o unsurpassedbeauty. Such was the rapture and joy o the shipsbirthsong, all those on Ulthw could eel it, andmany were drawn to the Domes o Creation towitness its birth. oluc had incorporated more thana dozen schools o design into the creation o theship, birthing a leviathan o breathtaking power andbeauty. Based around the Phoenix battleship hull,

    Asuryans Light in the Darkness Rekindledwas a sharkamongst minnows. So proud was she o her creation,so lost in its orm and perection Liariean took it

    upon hersel to command the ships maiden voyage.

    Although slower than the smaller cruisers, the shiphad enormous reserves o power that Liariean usedto her advantage. Perorming ever more intricatemanoeuvres, the ship darted through a dense asteroideld, destroying the largest ragments with precisionre rom the dorsal lances. Intoxicated with thepower o her ship, and hidden by heavy metal richasteroids, Liariean was unaware o the Great Enemysorces closing in.

    In a system cleared o danger two baroquemonstrosities, unholy creations o the ell powers,powered in or the kill. Normally even a Phoenixshipcould outrun the crude constructions o the Mon-keigh; however caught unawares, its ate was sealed.Realising the danger, the wayarer ordered anemergency message to the Ulthwe eet even knowingit would arrive too late.

    Te daemonic vessels pounced on the eldar ship witha desperate hunger, rushing toward it at breakneckspeed beore burning retros and slamming into itssides. Liariean raged impotently as the chaos lth

    scored and splintered the hull, burning their way into dele her beautiul Phoenixship. Te hull seemedto heave in agony as it was polluted with the sorcerieso the Great Enemy. Every Eldar on the ship couldeel the terrible thirst pressing against their soul, as iSlannesh had swallowed the ship whole. Te InnityCircuit writhed with barely contained warp energyas She who Tirsts became maniest within the shipitsel.

    Realising with horror what the boarding mon-keighhad done, Liariaen detached hersel through the

    Innity Circuit in an attempt to stall the unnaturalintrusion that was threatening to possess her ship.Everywhere she moved the crew ed in panicrom perverted, capering nymphs and sensuousapparitions; daemonettes summoned into the shipby the slanneshi chaos marines who ollowed behind.Te mon-keigh warriors let out hypersonic screecheso ecstasy that shattered organs and blasted theminds o the ew eldar still alive. o her dismay sheound some had become entangled in the soporicsnare o the daemons, alling into their arms in soul-destroying imitation o Te Fall itsel. Shriekingwith distraught ury, Liariean lashed out with herimmense psyche, orcing the ship to respond.

    Unlike the joyous harmony o creation, the splendouro lie, this was a deathsong, a battlecry, discordantand deadly. Te staid and steady rhythm where thewraithbone responded with grace was gone; in itsplace something altogether more malign appeared.Te owing buttresses and bulkheads o ship writhedunder Liarieans psychic will and spears o morphingwraithbone shot out toward the enemy, skewering

    more than a dozen and obliterating twice that.Pressure doors that did not previously exist slicedthe enemy in two, whilst nascent airlocks voidedothers into space. Many times the servants o theGreat Enemy attempted to use with the Circuit, andLiariean could eel their seductive promises erodingher will.Lashing out with a psychic blast, Liariean warped thewraithbone around the daemonettes, compressing

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    hicatheir essences within a pocket and releasing herreserves o wraithspiders, which ell voraciously on

    the daemonic essences, tearing them apart in a weltero psychic energy.

    On every deck, its innards deled, the ship andLiariean ought back. Where an eldar ell, a shroud owraithbone protected its waystone, and so Liariean

    lled the Innity Circuit with the souls o her crew,increasing the potency o her assault with every one.Eventually she pushed the enemy back to their cursedships and, warping her outer hull, shot lances o purewraithbone through her tormentors sides breakingtheir hold. Bere o their mooring, the daemonshipsoated away rom their prey, hulls ruptured andtorn. One, its plasma reactor irrevocably damaged,exploded in a ball o sickly pink light. Te other, itshull rent in a dozen places shimmered briey anddisappeared, escaping to the warp.

    o Liariean however, the taste o victory was as ashin her mouth. Te entire crew was dead. Her ownbody, ravaged beyond limit, had perished as she usedthe last o her energy to annihilate the minions o theGreat Enemy. Most tragically,Asuryans Light in theDarkness Rekindled was a deormed ruin. Limpingback to her Craworld, the once mighty ship attracteda otilla o escorts and cruisers, all responding to thesummons or aid. Aghast at the destruction wrought,none dared approach, eeling the seething anger andgrie residing in the ships Innity Circuit.

    It took many months or Liarieans originalWraithchoir to coax the ship back into its originalshape, but they were unable to wholly remove thepsychic taint o the Great Enemy. Many o the crew,their souls atigued and weary, could barely maintaincogent thought, and were transerred to the bosomo Ulthws Innity Circuit where the souls o theirancestors attempted to comort them to no avail.

    Liariean reused to leave the connes o the ship orher Craworld, instead haunting its passageways andchambers, brooding over her revenge.Te Seers were troubled. Te taint still held aboard

    Asuryans Light in the Darkness Rekindledwasbeginning to have a draining aect on the crews oother ships. Unable to persuade Liariean rom hership the Seer Council determined the best course o

    action was to release the ship on extended operationsand put it as ar rom the Craworld as possible.Falann, a spiritseer rom Liarieans own clan, wasselected to act as her water-bearer, to lessen the reso her vengeance.

    * * *

    For the next 300 yearsAsuryans Light in the DarknessRekindled was the terror o the sector, inexplicablyplacing itsel in the right place to thwart the Great

    Enemys servants. Many whispered that the ship hadbeen irrevocably tainted during its maiden voyage,and that Liariean had somehow gained an eye intothe warp.

    During the Necron raid on Adrioch this ancientenemy learned the nature o Liarieans wrath. As parto an interdiction orce Liariean descended uponthe Yngir servants with consummate ury, cripplinga Necron Cruiser beore they disengaged and ed.When the Seers divined Waaagh Snikreg would passthrough an eldar colony system, it was the lightningraids oAsuryans Light in the Darkness Rekindledthatdiverted the ramshackle eet into the ahmal sectorand the unsuspecting Imperium.

    But always the ship was hounded by chaos orces, as idrawn by the very presence o the tainted ship. imeand again, despite all odds, the battleship survivedeach encounter, bowed but never broken. Amongstthe outcast raiders it took on a sinister reputation,

    a ship cursed by chaos, yet destined to survive. Itbecame known as Kael-dirach - the ship betweendestruction and joy.

    At the close o the 41st millennium, as part oEldrads plan to assuage the damage the impendingdarkness would cause, he dispersed Ulthws armiesand eets. By splitting his small orce he was able to

    make precision strikes to alter critical events. Onesuch event was to take place in Celana, known tohumanity as the Ulant System in the Scarus Sector.Te Seer Council knew that without the Mon-keigh ships as a bulwark, the Eldar eet would notsurvive its mission. With the storm encroaching andthe Councils Sight clouded, contradictory uturescrossed impossible paths and darkness shroudedeverything. With trepidation the Councils appointed

    Asuryans Light in the Darkness Rekindled- Kael-dirach, the task o delivering their messenger. Te

    rising darkness consumed everything, but perhaps,something tainted by the darkness itsel could survivewhere others would not.

    Returned rom a recent mission pursuing chaosraiders, Kael-dirach was released immediately withthe Councils envoy; Seer Coridol. As soon as hestepped aboard the predatory hunger o the shipbecame palpable, Liarieans soul conveying images oimminent destruction and death. No escort was toaccompany the battleship, and it set out alone, intothe darkness.

    Approaching the rendezvous in the outer reacheso a dead system strewn with rocky debris, a sensorsweep detected a single Imperial cruiser. When thecruiser reached visual range, a chillingly amiliarsilhouette materialised astern o the phoenixship.Liariean let out a psychic scream as the deamonshiprom her maiden voyage appeared alongside. Tepsychic backlash disrupted the materialisation o the

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    deamonship, allowing Falann to turn abeam o thesun and ee rom their pursuers.

    Unprepared, the ship ell prey to a squadron oIconoclast Destroyers bearing in o port. At suchclose quarters the ships sophisticated holoelds werelittle use against the resultant battery re, and thedamage was catastrophic. Impacts along the hull le

    two hs o the ship open to the void, while a luckystrike tore through a mainsail, reducing power to theengines. Liariean, enraged at yet another desecrationto her beloved ship, railed at their ight, demandingjustice. However, Falanns orce o will cowed her intoabeyance, and so, deeat bitter in her mouth, Liarieanturned rom her enemies and limped away.

    Falann and Coridol held grimly to their seats asLiariean closed all bulkhead doors. Sudden rerom the Imperial cruiser tore through one o thedestroyers while the Kael-dirach heaved to starboard,its superstructure groaning with the strain. Comingabout suddenly on her pursuers, Liariean opened upwith her orward batteries, the ocused lasers slicingthrough the nearest destroyer in an explosion oplasma. Multiple contacts appeared on the emissionreceptors as two more Imperial cruisers and theirescorts moved out rom behind a large asteroid. Awave o crude torpedoes sped past Kael-dirachs ankblossoming across the hulls o the Chaos ships. Justas suddenly as they had appeared, the daemonships vanished, ading back into the warp ollowed byLiarieans impotent ury.

    Aer several brie communications between theKael-dirach and the mon-keigh vessels, Coridoltranserred to their agship. Liariean turned torepairing the hurt done to her beautiul wraithbonebody, ever wary o the barbaric vessels even nowkeeping watch over her. Following many hours otalks, Coridol returned to the Kael-dirach, wearied

    but triumphant. Te Mon-keigh would supply theaid demanded, and while there was a price Ulthwwould endure.

    In the subsequent months o the Black Crusade,several chaos enclaves situated on traitorous Imperialworlds were annihilated by mysterious black cladwarriors, appearing like ghosts rom the planets

    surace. Teir uncanny ability to strike at the heart othe traitorous orces le the heretic leaders bafed,and the holes in enemy lines caused the chaotic orceso the sub-sector to collapse with little eort.

    Meanwhile, a otilla o Imperial ships and a severalEldar vessels appeared in a small system within theScarus Sector. With a low population density no oneremarked their passing, and no one witnessed thedestruction wrought. Directed by the Eldar ships,the entire Imperial eet red all their weapons at asingle point on the surace o the third planet, utterlyobliterating a swath o crust 50 kilometres wide.Just as bafingly, the eet immediately turned anddeparted, leaving only a solitary Eldar ship, a sinisterblack behemoth oating silently in the void, caughtbetween destruction and joy

    Ship Statistics.Asuryans Light in the Darkness RekindledPoints: 445

    ype/Hits: Battleship/10Speed: 10/15/20 cmurns: SpecialShields: Holoelds

    Armour: 5+urrets: 0

    WeaponryDorsal Phantom Lances : 45cm 3 LFRProw Weapons Batteries : 45cm 16 FKeel orpedoes : 30cm 8 F

    Asuryans Light in the Darkness Rekindled has aLeadership value o 9.

    Special Rules Liariean ulocs Soul is such a strong orce aboardAsuryans Light in the Darkness Rekindled, thatdespite its eective status as a Ghostship, it ollows allthe normal rules or an elder ship. In addition, suchis the tragedy and power o her soul, the ship receivesa re-roll only it may use, and counts as having anAspect Warrior ghting crew. Daemonships are attracted to the Ghostshipspresence, and will never deviate when using theship as its ocus. Should a Daemonship attempt tomaterialise near the Ghostship any damage it wishesto repair is reduced to 1 point on the roll o a 6, thesoulscream o Liariean makes it exceedingly dicultor the ship to knit itsel back together. Due to the chaos taint suered by the Kael-dirach,all ships riendly or not, suer -1 to their Leadershipwhen within 15 cm o it. Such is the loathing inLiarieans soul any Daemonship within 15cm alsosuers -1 to its Leadership.E

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    hica Imperial Vessels by Age

    By Dan Lee

    Te Imperium is unique in the BFG universe in that itis the only race in a technological decline.Te Necrons, Eldar and Dark Eldar have all achievedan advanced level o technology which they have noneed to improve on.Te au and yranids are in a constant state odevelopment and evolution.Te Orks have their technology written in their DNAand so cannot change it.For the orces o Chaos the temporal uxes o theWarp make a mockery o the concept o technologicaladvancement or age.But or the orces o the Imperium, older is better.

    Since the end o the Great Crusade, more technologyhas been lost than has been ound, and as a resultolder ships are ofen better built and more powerulthan their newer sister ships.

    Tese rules allow you to vary the power o yourImperial vessels to represent their age. You couldapply these rules to Mechanicus or Space Marinevessels, but they were written with the Imperial Navyin mind. I you use them or other lists you may needto reconsider the point costs.

    Imperial Vessels all into one o three age categories:new (a ew centuries old), old (a ew millennia old)

    and crusader (ten millennia old, dating back to theHorus Heresy and the Great Crusade).

    Each age category provides the ollowingmodications to a ships statistics (note that these arenot cumulative).New:No change. Tese ships were built without the beneto the Imperiums best technologies.

    Old:+5cm speed, +5cm weapon battery and lance range.More ecient engines, better orged macro-batteriesand more precisely built lance optics provide theImperiums older ships with distinct advantages incombat.

    Crusader:+5cm speed, +1 Ld and +15cm weapon battery andlance range. Te most ancient o machine spiritsprovide these venerable ships with an overall increasein ship eciency, as well as helping to co-ordinateweapons systems to engage more distant targets.

    Te points cost or these changes are given below.You may have as many ships o each age category as

    you wish, though escort squadrons must consist oships that are all the same age (or simplicity). As theImperium places great importance in older vessels,your admiral must always go on the oldest vesselpossible.

    Note that Ive deliberately made the standardImperial Navy vessels cheaper. Tat is because, inmy experience, the Imperial Navy is terribly under-powered compared to most other eets in normalgame sizes (i.e. up to 1500 points). Rather thangetting bogged down into a debate about whetherthats true or not, Ill just say that these are suggestedpoint changes. So long as you and your opponentagree, you can use whatever point changes you deemappropriate.

    Point Changes per ship

    Age Category Escorts Light Cruisers Cruisers Battle Cruisers Grand Cruisers Battleships

    New -5 -10 -15 -20 -20 -30

    Old None None None None None None

    Crusader +5 +10 +20 +20 +30 +40

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    By Tacticalwargames.net/Taccmd

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    The Spreading War - pt.2By Reg Steiner

    Te Spreading War Tird Entry

    AdmiralRollinsquicklyreadthemessagesonthescreen.Althoughpleased,Rollinsdidnotlethimselshowit.HisnewAidehasdonewell.Tecareullywordeddispatchesshecarried,coupledwiththeinstructionshegaveherverbally,madetheimpacttheAdmiraldesired.Addedtotherumorsspreadingthrough-outtheentirequadrant,howthisnewAdmiralcausedotherwiseimportantLords,Governors,andhigh-rankingmilitary ocialsto be replaced,suddenly,muchimprovementhasbeenmadeinnearlyeveryoperationalconcernanAdmiralcanhave.Suppliesowmoresmoothly.Shiprepairsareonschedule.Newbuildsoeverydescriptionareaheadoschedule.EvenindividualshipCommandersandCaptains,rightdowntotherankandlepersonnel,haveimprovedsignicantlyineveryarea.AlittleworrywhattheAdmiralmightdo,ishavingthedesiredeect. AdmiralRollinsstraightenedupromhisreading,andscannedthecombatbridgeohisbattleship. Onceagain,hiseyesrestedonthe large,blankwallobridgearmor.Notreallyblank,justnoneededequipmentpositionedalongthatwall.Instead,theshipscrewshavebeendecoratingtheexpanseoarmoredwall.Acolumnonamesdownonesidelistedtheoperationsandcampaignsthisshipwasinvolvedin.Nexttothatcolumnwasanother,thisoneodarksilhouettesoalltheenemyvesselsthisshiphadaccountedor.TeAdmiralhadnotchosenthisbattleshipbecauseopastglories,butortheadvancedcommunications,andbattlecomputers.ocommandanentireeetinbattle,considerableinormationmustowtoandromtheAdmiral.

    Temainholographinthebridgescenteraredwithaswirlowhitelight,andquicklysettledonatacticaldisplay.Itistime.

    Coastingatminimumpowerhelpedtheeetappearsuddenlyneartheenemy. Tebad partor everyonewas theslowapproach causedun-relievedtension.Waittoolong,to restoreullpower,andseveralbadthingshappenatonce.imespentbuildingmaneuveringpower,andbuildingpowertotheenergyweapons,lefashipaslow,easytargetwithonlysomeoitsownprojectileweapons

    working.Itwashopedthattheenemywouldreactslowly,conusedbythenear-by

    appearanceosomanyenemiesatonce. Tetacticaldisplayshowedlargerthanactualsizesoenemyships,allstillmotionlessinsloworbitovertheplanetsmagneticpoles.Verysoon,ullpowerwouldbeavailabletoalltheAdmiralseetoships.Tenthesurprisedenemywouldbeluckytoescapealive.

    Movement. woothesmallest,andonelargecruiserbegantomove.Rollinsorderedallshipstobeginring,butatthestillstationaryships.Ignoretheships alreadymoving. Rollins turned andnodded atVice-Admiral Coel,indicatingthisshipmayproceedtore. argetshadbeenassignedbeorethestartotheapproachtothisplanet.Nowthecombinedrepoweroseveralshipstoreintooneenemyshipatatime.

    Enemycapitolshipsdisappearedbehindbrilliantaresobrightwhite,romprowstoengineexhaustports.Severalstruckshipshadoneormoreshieldgeneratorsoperating,Notenough.

    Admiral Rollinscrossed hisarmsover historso,andspread hislegsurtherapart.Tisshipwouldsoonbeginmaneuvers. Watchingthecentralholointently,Rollinsenjoyedthespectacle.Namesunderenemyrenegadeshipsbegantoashred.Rollinsdidnotrecognizeanyotheenemyshipnames,sothesewereallrecentadditionstotheenemynumbers.Tetraitorshipsromthelongagocivilwarwererare.Plusverymanywereknowntobehiddeninthatawulplacethetraitorshadchosentobasethemselves.Well,

    thesenewrenegadeandtraitorvesselswouldnotbejoiningtheoldones.Rollinsonlycountedsevenescortclassshipsanglingawayathighspeed.Justbehindwerethethreecruisersthathadmanagedpowertoenginesintime,andhadbeenignoredbyImperialrepower.Letabareewescape,Rollinstoldhimsel,totellhowtheenemyotherenegadeshasdecidedtoghtsmart.

    Nearlyadozenescortshipsweremereragments,alling,burning,towardtheplanetbelowthem.Teonlyenemybattleshiphadmanagedtobreakorbit,andstarttoheadorthetormentingImperialeet.Tishadcausedallretobe

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    directedattherenegadebattleship.Nowitdrifed,jetsoamemarkingescapingatmosphereromtheshatteredhull.Treemoreheavycruisersandonemorelightcruiserhadalsobeencaughtunprepared.Likethebattleship,enginepowerhadbeenenoughtomovetheshipsoutoorbit.Renegadecommandersandcrewshadnodesiretobeincineratedallingintotheplanet.Imperialexecutionsquadswerecleanerwaystomeetanend.Allthecruiserswouldnotescape.

    Rollinsorderedringontheenemyhalted.Tenquicklyollowedwithorderstobeginboardingattacks.AdmiralRollinsdidnotwantonlysmokingbitsoenemyships.Hewantedthesewarshipscaptured.owedtorepairdocks,theenemyshipswouldbecomeneededreplacementsorImperialships.NowRollinswatchedastheboardingcrafclosedonthedisabledenemyships.Swarmsoghterattackcrafzoomedintotheviewromtheloweredgeotheholodisplay.

    Faster than the boarding vessels, the ghters would ensure that enemy shipdeenseswereunableto intercede. Teboarding crafwould returnormoretroops,againandagain,until theenemyshipswere securelyandpermanentlyImperialpossessions.

    AdmiralRollinshadrequestedMarinestojoinhiseetsoperations.Teywouldarrivesoon.ButRollinswantedtodeliveramessagetotherenegades.Itwasnotgoingtobesoeasy,anymore,ortherenegadestospreadtheirviledeceits.Rollinstoldthecommunicationsocertorelayhisordertobeginlandingtroops.Teeorttorelieveloyaltroopsbelowmustbeginimmediately.Tenexpungeeverytraitor. Satised,Rollinslefthecombatbridgeorhisquarters.

    [Down the Slot! parts 1 and 2. Ten PlanetaryAssault scenario]

    Introduction:Captain Fitch was made OperationalCommander o a small eet o warships, by promotionto Senior Captain rom Teater Fleet Admiral Rollins.

    A political as well as military necessity. A proven battlecommander can sometimes be promoted to levels wherethat success in battle is compromised, by the politicaland administrative needs o the new position. Duringactive war ghting, too much command rotation andmovement o leaders has a bad eect on the morale othose being led. So it is here. Fitch is operationally an

    Admiral. On paper Fitch is a Captain o a warship. Admiral Rollins ollowed the tactics and results oCaptain Fitchs raids and other operations, with aneye toward expanding those operations to other eet

    elements, and even the main Battle Fleet operations.Te ollowing is examples Rollins ound interestingindeed.

    Scenarios or Tird Entry: Black Star Express

    First Scenario: Down the Slot; Captain Fitchcalculated a new attack tacticwas needed. Usingthe newCommunications Ship technology, attack

    tacticsweredevelopedtomakenewusesoavailableweapons.First,theRenegadesandRebelsthatwereattemptingtosecureresourcesandmanuacturing,tobothdenytheImperiumthoseassets,andbuildon their own successes, now had operationalproblems. Invadedworldscouldnotbeconquered

    with the initial attack orces. Losses inmaterialandequipmentmustbemadegood,ortheImperialorcewouldultimatelyre-conquertheprogressivelyweakerrebels.HerewaswhereFitchwouldstraintheRenegadeeortsarbeyondwhataewshipsinasinglebattlecouldeverhopetodo.UsingstudiedtacticsromamuchearlierEarthwar,FitchdeployedspecialaskForces,ofenonlyaCarrierForceoone,ormorelaunchcapablewarshipsthatstoodoatextremerangeorattackcraftodeployandreturn.Enemy assembly points and way stations, where

    enemyshipsmustenternormalspace,re-compute,andjourneysomedistancestothatsystemsnextentrypoint,tomakethenextjump-theseweretargeted.Fitchknewullwellthattheenemymustrespond.ohave theenemywithdrawcarriercapablewarshipsotheirown,tocovercriticalconvoys,weakenedtherebeleetsin other operationalareas. TiswouldgiveAdmiralRollinsthemeanstohavesometacticalsuperiorityagainstthoseweakenedrebeleetunits.

    Imperial Forces:12Bombers(Ordinancemarkers) 4orpedoBombers(Ordinancemarkers) 4Fighters(Ordinancemarkers)1 Sword class Escort - Special Communicationsvessel.SeeBelow.

    Renegade Forces:1LightCruiser(NotLaunchcapable)5IconoclastEscorts(OneSquadron)

    Special Rules: ImperialOrdinance is placed nearthe Renegade entry point as contact markersFour numbered markers are used,with a writtennote to show which numbers are actual placedOrdinance.TesecanbeplacedwithinattackrangeotheRenegadeorce,andreplacedwiththecorrect

    ordinancemarkers, ollowing therstmoveotherenegadeorce.Iamarkerisvisible(notbehindaplanetorothertableeature)-ItcanberedonbyanyRenegadeship(s)inrange..ImperialOrdinancemarkersarereplacedoncetheyhavebeenremovedrom play, as losses or having completed attackmissions-however-onlyingroupso4markersothesameordinancetype(bombersonly,orghtersonly,withina grouping)onthenextImperialturn.

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    Example: 2 torpedobombersattackone Iconclasttransport,and2torpedobombersattacktheLightCruiser.Onlytheattackagainstthelightcruiseriscompleted, theattackon thetransportwillnot beuntil theollowingOrdinacephase -meaningthata replacement o 4 torpedo bomberscannot enterthebattletableoranotherturn.Tesegroupso4markerscanenteralonganylongtableedge,romeither side o the table. Tere is no limit to thenumberoattackcrafavailable-TeRenegadeeetmusttraversetheentiretable,romshorttableedgeentrypoint,totheexitpoint20cmromthearshorttableedge-Tejumppoint.

    SetUp:UsingArmada:Page136,setupthetable-top,usingthe randommethodorplacingeaturesis usually preerred. Like this Armada scenario,the Renegade orce must traverse the length othetable.Withattacksromall sides.OneSpecialImperialEscort:Sword classmust be onthe table

    somewhere.Itcanbesetupanywhereonthetabletostart,andmustdrif10cm,inotmovedotherwise,asperrules.Itisnotmeanttobeacombatship,althoughithasitsguns.Italsohasarraysospecialmultiwavelengthopticaltelescopes,andspecialnewcommunicationsgear.Bridgingthevideosolongrange intelligencegathering with newly developedbeamed communications using trans-dimensionaltechnology, hasremade long range commandandcontrol. Inshort range communications, thenewcommunications ships really excel. Tus making

    these Ordinance attacks possible, without thesupporting(carriertype)shipsneedingtostaysonear(onthegametable).Ithecommunicationsshipisdestroyed,ororcedtoretreatromthebattle-table,allnewImperialOrdinanceattacksstop.Ordinancestillon thegame tablemaycompleteattacks, onlynew,replacementordinanceromothegametableceases.

    Scoring:Tisbattleisbestasarepeatbattle,whereopponentschangesides,andreplaythescenario,addtogethertheresults,thencomparescores.Eachshipisnormalvictorypointsvalues,plus,theIconclastsare worth an extra 25points each,on top o thenormal30points.

    Specialorpedoes:Normaltorpedoesweredesignedor this scenario, however, i common agreementwill allow the use o the special torpedoes, it isrecommendedthatonlyoneattackbythetorpedobombers be allowed to any special torpedo type.Choosewell,andremember,youropponent(s)willgettheirchancetoo!

    Mission: TeIconoclastescortsare actuallybeingused to transport urgently needed wargear, andsoldiers,totheRenegadewarrontonanearbyplanet.I thesecritical supplies get through, the Imperialgroundorceswilllikelybegroundundertheheels

    othebattlehardwareonboardtheseIconclasts.Forbothsides,thesearemissioncriticalsupplies!Goodluck!

    __________________________

    Second Scenario: Down the Slot, pt. 2 - Troughthe Wrecking Yard!

    Captain Fitch attempted a tactic AdmiralRollins was already using: Capture ships. Aer one

    attack on a convoy (see above), Fitch dispatchedspecial assault boats saved and stored on the carriers just or this occasion. A light cruiser was attackedand crippled, and nearly wrecked beyond ability tomaneuver, when the assault boats, ull o special attacktroopers, attached themselves to the renegade lightcruiser. Not to hit and run, but to utterly destroy anysurviving renegades, and take possession o the lightcruiser.

    Tis scenario is played out just like the abovescenario(withbelowlistedorcedierences),except,atanytimeafertherstImperialturn,theImperialbombers, or torpedo bombers can be substitutedwith assaultboats. Tese assault boatswill comein as replacements or lost or mission completeordinancemarkersremovedromplayaspreviouslydetailed.Likewise,theycannotenteruntiltheyareingroups o our ordinancemarkers, just likethescenarioabove.

    Special Capture Rule: Eachassaultboathasthe equivalento onecrewpointas describedin the BoardingActionsin the BlueRulebook.WhencalculatingtheBoardingActionormula, these crew points rom the attackingassaultboatsareusedintheormula.Insteadoeachsuccessulattackpointbeingmarkedagainstshiphullorhitpoints,instead,crewpointsromthewarshipareremoved.Imorecrewpointsarelostromthe

    attackedship, than theshiporiginally hador hitpoints remaining - then the assaulting crew haswoncontrolothewarship.Likewise,itheattackedwarshipinsteadinictedhitsontheattackers,(thereisnoattackingshipinthisboardingactiontolosehits.),thatnumberoattackers(crewpoints)broughtbyassaultboatsisremovedromtheequation.(Iourmarkersequaling4crewwerebrought,thenuptoourmarkersarepresenttoberemoved,ornot.Ialltheattackersarecasualties,thenthereisnomoreboardingactiontointerruptnormalshipoperations

    - itcan ght normally again! So i a warshipoeighthits(undamaged)isattackedby thesespecialboardingparties,thecombatisstilloughtusingtheboardingactionrules,asalways,onlynowtheshipcould remainundamaged rom thecombat,i theattackersareinsteaddestroyed. Havinga ullcrewdenitelyhelps. However, ia criticalhit isalsorolledontheboardingactionresults-thatcriticalhittakesaect-andisrolledorasusualorlocation

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    andtype. Remember:Hits areagainst crews, nothullorhitpoints,whennegotiatingtheseboardingactions.Crewsectionslostonattackedships,thatregainedcontrol,mustlogthelostcrewontheshipsregister.I50%otheshipscrewislost,thatshipisnowcrippledandoperatesasanycrippledshipwould or the rest o the battle. Newly capturedwarshipsareunabletomakeanyormoattack-thecapturedshipmayonlymaneuverwithinthelimitsoanydamages(crippled,ornot,etc)andescape.

    Imperial Forces: 12Bombers(Ordinance) 8orpedoBombers(Ordinance) 8Fighters(Ordinance) 1SwordEscort(Communicationsship)(Unlimited)AssaultBoats-Noteabovespecialuse.

    Renegade Forces:HeavyCruiser(maybeLaunceCapable,ornot)

    Cruiser(NotlaunchCapable)6IconoclastEscorts

    Mission: Tisscenario isplayedexactlyas statedabove,exceptthattheImperialcommanderhastheadditional option o capturing nearly destroyed,crippled enemy cruisers. Captured ships countvictorypointsasidestroyed,orthecapturingplayer.DestroyedIconclastsareagainatanextra25victorypoints.Remembertochangesides,andreplaythisscenario,withorwithoutspecialtorpedoes.Compare

    scoresornalplayervictory.

    Tird Scenario:Tisscenariocombinestwootherscenariosromthe

    books.

    Admiral Rollins needs to pick his targets careully. Teruined Imperial eet units that had been assigned to

    the regions now embroiled in war, had been so severelyreduced, that Admiral Rollins was very nearly on hisown. But with the attacks Captain Fitch had beenable to pull o, plus the Renegade orces intent onexpanding their conquests, key enemy worlds couldbe picked o. Larger enemy eet presences aroundsome worlds, or throughout some systems, meant thatthe smaller orce Captain Fitch commanded couldnot come near. However, aer a series o attacks insurrounding Renegade controlled sectors, one largeRenegade base was unsupported. I Rollins could hitat the right moment, he could sweep the enemy eet

    rom the skies, and bring relie to loyal ground orcesstill contesting the planets surace. A doubly importantmission, or Rollins to show that he would bring eetaid to planets resisting the rebels

    Setup:Usingthesetuponpage150otheArmadarulebook,setupthebattletable.Forthisscenario,theRenegadesdonothaveoperationalspacestations,or

    orbitaldeenses.Teseweredestroyedordamagedtoextensivelywhentherebelsrstattacked.And,thankstoCaptainFitch,replacementequipmenthasnotbeendelivered.OnlyRenegadeandRebeleetunitsareabovetheplanet.

    Imperial Forces:2,000pointsoWarships 5ransports(cargo/troop)-nopointscost.SpecialNote:Up to our ships may be launch capable,

    - to a maximum o 16(markers) launch bay capacity.Specialized carrier cruisers are permitted, but notexceeding the launch capacity limit.

    **Assault Ship - may be used, but still counts againstthe 16 (markers) launch bay limit, while providingassault boats. .5ransports(cargo/troop)-nopointscost.

    Renegade Forces:1,200pointsoWarships2=airelds,seebelow

    SpecialNote:One warship may be launch capable.12 Ordinance markers are available rom the planetsairelds, starting on turn three o the game.(Bombers, ghters, assault boats are available everyother turn).

    ForceDeployments:TeRenegadeandRebelshipsareinorbitaroundtheplanet,within20cmotheplanetrim.AllshipsintheRenegadeeetmustpassaleadershiptest(unmodiedbyleaderre-rolls-eachshipisonitsown)tobeginmovingandghting.TeRenegadeobjectiveisescape.Doublevictorypointsareearnedoreachrebelwarshiptoescapeothetable,usinganytableedgetoescape.Imperialorcesenteronturnone,romeitherotheshorttableedges.NotonlyistheRenegadeeetto

    be destroyed, butwhere possible,enemywarshipsaretobecaptured.UsingthesameCaptureRulesaspreviouslydetailedabove,Imperialwarshipshavebrought assaultboatsor twin purposes - tolandspeciallargeassaultteamsondamagedenemyshipstoseizecontrol,andlandtroopstosupportImperialgroundorces.(Dontorgettoaddthepointscoststoadd assaultboats toeachImperial ship abletolaunchordinance)omakeplanetlandings,theeetmustrstsubduetheplanetsrebelairelds.Tereare two, launching theOrdinance detailed above,

    andeachisdeendedbygroundweaponsostrength2lancesat30cmrange.Imperialshipsmustgetintolow orbit(now in30cm rangeo the airbaseweapons)anddestroytheacility.Tiswilltake4hitsagainstanarmorstrengtho6,withoneshield.Oncebothbasesaredestroyed,nourtherordinancecanbelaunched.(Yes,whileunderattack,thebasescan still launch attack craf ordinance.) I onebaseisdestroyed,hal theordinanceisunavailable

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    immediately.(Strengthnow6ordinance)

    **AssaultShip: Based on the Assault Ship in the UnitedStatesNavyromtheWorldWarwoera.Tisshipwasarmed almost likea destroyer, butttedouttolaunchthe assaultcraflandingthemarinesandarmyassaulttroops,suchastheHigginsBoatandDuck(designationDUKW),amongothers. ForB.F.G.play,anymodelwithlaunchbays,romthecargoshipsized,toLightCruiser,toCruisersizemodelcanbeused-ithevesselisonlyequippedwithportandstarboardlaunchbays-noweaponsbatteriesorlancesonthesidepositions.Sometimescalledacarrier,thismodelcanalsobeanAssaultShip.Tepointscostsortheshiparethesameasthecarriermodel owhichever size, butwith the

    additionalpointscostoaddedassaultboats,astherulebooksetsouttoaddassaultboats(+5pointsperbay).Onenalcondition:Assaultshipscannotalsohaveghters,orbombers.Teseshipsaretransportsortroopsandequipment,andtheassaultboatstogetthemtoaplanet.Onthegametable,anyshipthatlookslikeacarrier,butisanAssaultShiporthisscenario-mustbeidentiedtoopponents.Enemyintelligencegatheringis still toodamnedecient!!Ocourse,assaultboatscanbelaunchedromsomeotherImperialvessels,andthencouldalsobeusedagainsttheplanet,oragainstotherenemyships. Tis i sanotherscenariomeanttobeusedwith40k/Epicgames.Rollinshasbrought4,00040kgamepointsotroopsandequipment- ortheEpicequivalent.TisismeanttoputImperialForcesback

    ontoattack,ratherthandeensivemissions.

    Onceagain,totradeowhichplayeristheattacker,anddeender,andthencomparepointsscored-isthepreerredmeansoscorekeeping.Whocandobetteragainsttheodds??

    FinalNotes:Later scenarios where the Assault Ship may

    be also used, will always be calculated or costs anduses, as described above.

    Capturing Ships Rules, as described above,may be described as used in some ollowing scenarios,and i so, the calculation o the capture attempt willuse the same mechanics as described above.

    Te Spreading War Fourth Entry:

    SpaceMarine battleshipshoveredinlazygrace across thetop o theholographicstar-eld.Allthebridgecrewstoodattheirstations,rigid,staringrightattheblastdoorentrance.AdmiralRollinswasalwaysatattentionwhenonthebridge,andmanagedtolookrelaxed,tohiscrewonthebridge.

    Teblastdoorspartedwitha prolongedhiss andlowgrowlo heavymovingobjects.

    One,thentwo,andthenpairsolargeshapesappearedintheopening,andthencamethroughintothelightedcommandbridge.EachwastallerthanAdmiralRollins,bymorethanaheadheight.Tesemarinesworethespecial

    armorreservedortheeliteew.Patternsodarkblue,darkgrey,andlightgreyonthearmormadethemarinesseemtoblurintothebackgroundshadows,evenastheymoved.

    Captain,AdmiralRollinssaid,smiling,welcomeaboard.Isallyourstawithyou?Wehavemuchtoconsultandplantogether.

    Admiral.TeonlyMarinewithhishelmetoreplied,Myplanningstaiswithme,intheormomyLieutenantGaal.Teremainingmenwithme

    carryothercommandresponsibilitieswewillneedorouroperationstogether.

    Verygood,Captain.Rollinsreplied,HaveyoudecidedhowmanyoyourMarineswillbestationedoneachothesewarships?

    None.TeMarineCaptainseyesared,hisacelitinaercesmile.Ihavedetaileddierent ships toaccompany eachorceyoudeploy,Admiral.FromtheseMarinewarships,marinestriketeamswillaccomplishthetacticsyoudescribedtome.

    Admiral Rollinssmileadedalittle. You have notbroughtsomanyMarinesascandeploytosomanyNavystrikemissions.

    TerearethreemoreMarineorcesonthewayhere.TreeotherMarineorceshaveoeredtojoinourcombinedoperations,butcannotarriveornearlythirty standard ship days.Teerce smile ontheMarineCaptainbroadenedurther, Youpropose amost unusualmeanso attacking anddismaying ourenemies.Evenitheenemyisnotsodistressedbyyourtacticsaswehope,theseMarinesrelishthechancetotry.

    Tatismostwelcomenews.Rollinssmilewasback,undimmed,TenseveralMarinevesselswillbe available ormost Navy operations? Without

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    waitingorananswer,Rollinscontinued,Letusrepairtotheproperconerenceroom,andletthisshipscrewresumetheirwork.Rollinsgesturedtoanotherdoor,onlyadozeneetromtheblastdoorentrance.Tedoorwassmaller,requiringtheMarinestoentersinglele,theirsheerbulkoarmorallowingnothingelse.

    WhenthebridgehademptiedoMarines,andAdmiralRollins,Vice-AdmiralCoelorderedtheshortjumptothenewstation.CoelremindedthecommunicationsocerstorelaythejumpordertotheMarineships,justtoensure

    thetimingothejumpwasattheproperintervals. Coelcouldeelthesuddenlifotensionromeverysoulonthebridge.Tepower o the Marine presence was a physical, threatening, presence noordinaryhumancouldignore.TatAdmiralRollinscouldbeinaroom,alone,withsomanythreatening,earul,massivewarriorsorso longraisedthelevelorespectortheAdmiraloeverycrewandoceroeveryshipunderRollinscommand.HerewasaNavyocerthatwouldgetthingsdone.

    Scenario Set - For the Fourth Entry o:Te Spreading War - Rebellion!

    Introduction: Te Marines joining Admiral Rollins had acritical mission waiting, just or them. Admiral Rollinshas intelligence data on a most unique opportunity.Within a large cluster o Wilderness star systems, asingle star system has a renegade acility o tremendousimportance. Around the only inhabitable world, inthis system, a large orbiting platorm has been built. It

    is due to become ully operational in a very ew weeks.Built with the weapons and deense systems o awarship, it is actually a large manuacturing complex.Surrounding asteroid elds are rich in need resourceso every type. A second, smaller mining orbital stationis just outside the largest asteroid eld. It too is loadedwith weaponry. Last o all, the habitable planet is

    providing ood resources, as well as additional mineraland energy resources. Because o the remoteness o therenegade star system, the renegades and rebels believeit is unlikely to even suer a raid rom Admiral Rollinsalready over-stretched orces. Rollins has detailed the

    Marines to lead an assault against this strategicallyimportant star system. But it must be captured in asnearly intact and operational a condition as possible.Despite believing that Rollins cannot attack this plumo a system, the Rebels have a battle-orce rotatingthrough the target star system every ew days, to asseldom as every two weeks. imes between arrivalso this Rebel battle orce is kept random to preventraiders. Should this Rebel battle orce be destroyed,

    several other systems would lose their security as well.It is part o the operational orders, to make an attackon this system when the Rebel security battle-orce is

    present.

    BecausetheRebelsandRenegadesareromthe Imperial Order oBattle - the Imperial eetlistscanbeusedtobuilduptheRenegadeandRebelorces,aswellastheChaoseetlists.

    First Scenario: ake the Stations!

    Imperial Forces:1stForce: Marines 1MarineBattleBarge4MarineStrikeCruisers.8MarineEscorts 2ndForce:ImperialNavy 1Battle-Cruiser-Mayhavelaunchbays1Cruiser1LightCruiser6Escorts

    Renegade and Rebel Forces:1Battleship-Mayhavelaunchbays3Cruisers-1cruisermayhavelaunchbays1Airbaseonplanet.(Seebelow)1OrbitalFactory/Battle-stationaboveplanet.1OrbitalMining/Battle-stationnearAsteroids1AsteroidDeensePlatorm

    SetUp:OnaStandard4x6table,placeamediumplanet60cm rom oneshorttable edge, and60cmromonelongtableedge.30cmurtheralongthatsamelongtableedge,startanAsteroidField.(Weuseaquariumgravel-cheapandpolished!)TeAsteroideld should be 10cm to 12cmwide, and make acurvedeld25cmlong,awayromtheplanet,andcurvedtowardthetablecenter.Alongtheoppositelongtableedge,romthecenterotheedge,measurein 40cm, and start an asteroid eld that mirrorsthe othereld incurvedirection,and this one is

    35cmlongby12cmto15cmwide.Placeastationmodel15cmromtheplanetsedge,torepresentthelargerbattle/actorystation.reatthestationasiitwereawarshipwitharmor5+,oneshield,10hitpoints o hull, 8 weapons batteries (all around),andthreelances(allaround),with2turrets.Alsotreatthestationasawarshiporcriticalhits,wherecritsagainstportorstarboardweapons,reducetheweaponpowero thestationbyhal.A criticalhitondorsalweaponseliminateslancesuntilrepaired.Hits on maneuver and engines do not cause anyeect,exceptwhereadditionalhullpointsarelost.Iplasmaengineexplosionresultsromhits,thisstationistreatedthesameasawarshipagain.Tesecond,smallerstationistreatedlikeawarshipagain,with6hits,oneshield,2turrets,armor5+,and8weaponsbatteries(allaround).Dorsalcriticalhitsareignoredonthisstation. Placethissmallerorbitalstationinthelargerasteroideld(urthest rom theplanet),approximatelycenteredontheeldedgeclosestto

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    theplanet.Teairbaseontheplanethas2turrets,oneshield,4weaponsbatteries,and4hitsatarmor6+,with4ordinancemarkersabletolaunch,everyother turn. All spacestationand planetweaponsbatteriesandlanceshaverange= 30cm. Renegadeshipsenterthesmalltableedgenearesttheplanetonturn one. Imperialorcesenterthe oppositetableedgeonturnone.

    Missions:TeMissionotheImperialNavyistosecurethestarsystemortheImperium.AsmuchaspossibleotheinstallationmustremainintactortheImperialNavytouse.Oncetheorbitingstationshavebeenreduced incapability(Crippled),theMarinescangoinandcapturethestations.TeRenegadesandRebelsinthesescenariosarenotraitorMarines(Chaos)oranypurpose. Actualraitoreetsandraitor Marines, will be identied as such whenappropriate. Te Rebels and Renegades can beundertheswayoChaos,andsocanuseshipsrom

    thatlist,justnotChaosMarines.

    TeImperialMarineshavebeengiventhemissiontodisableandcaptureanyotheenemyshipsinthissystem,aswellascaptureanybaseorotheracilityontheplanetbelowthebattle-station.

    TeRebel eethas beenorderedbackto thisstarsystem,totrytopreventthelossothestarsystemto the Imperial Navy. Tis system is o criticalimportance to the rebellion. Te Imperial Navy

    isunawareothe extraentrypointsto other rebelcontrolled systems, located just atthe edgeo thisstarsystem.

    o Capture acilities, stations, and ships: TeCaptureprocedureisthesameastheearlierscenario,usingtheBoardingActionrulesromtherulebook.Again, the number ocrewpoints isequal totheremaininghitpointsoaship,so3hitsremaining,

    equals3crewpoints.EachAssaultboatcarriesonecrewpointortheequation,ortheattackerside.Captured shipsarewithoutweapons,andcanonlyescapeothe newowners entrypoints. Crippledshipsarestillcrippledormovementpurposes.Ithegameendsbeorenewlycapturedshipsmaneuverothegametable,thereisnopenalty.Teairbasecanbeattacked,romloworbit,andhaveTunderhawkslandmarines here too. Tenumber o base hitsremainingisthenumberocrewpoints,justlikeaship.

    SpecialAdditiontoRule:EachTunderhawkromaMarineshipalsocarriesoneattacker,butcountsas2crewpointsintheassault.Te+2listedintheormulaormarinesstillapplies,andisonlyappliedonce-nomatterhowmanymarinesassault.Teseassaultscanalsobecombinedwithnormalshiptoship andteleportersall addedtogether orthe bigBoardingAction.CriticalHitsdostillapply,butnot

    hitstothehulltodestroytheshipbeingattacked,thehitsareoncrewpoints.Criticalhitsdonotapplytotheattacker,ithereisnovesselparticipatingintheattack,sothereisnoneedtorollthatcheckortheattacker.

    TereisthepossibilityotheRenegadesidehavingassaultboatsavailable,andthesameruletoattackthecrews,insteadothehullpointsispossible-orjustrunaBoardingActionasnormal,anddo-awaywith the crippled Imperial ships. TeRenegades

    have nomission requiring ship capture- TisisAdmiralRollinstryingtomakeupthelossestotheImperialorce-anywayhecan.TeSpaceMarinesarejustnewithcloseandpersonalattacks.

    MissionComplete:Victorypointsareasnormallyawarded rom the rulebooks, except that eachcapturedshipisworth normalvictorypoints,plusanextra50%inpoints.Telargestationisworth30

    pointsdestroyed,and60pointscaptured,thesmallorbitalstationisworth15pointsidestroy,and30pointsicaptured.Teplanetsairbaseisworth15pointsicapturedandonly5pointsidestroyed.

    Fightingonanothertable:Tisscenariolendsitselto games o 40k airly easily. Te assault on theairbase seems quite straightorward. Stations canbe crafed rom a series o passages and galleriesthat connect ultimately to the prize, such as themainpowergenerators,andmasterweaponscontrolcenters.However,suchpassagesandroomswouldbe,shouldbe,mostlystraightanduseulormovingaround needed itemson the station - not amazewheremoving a generator replacementwould beimpossible.A4x6oottablecoveredwithcardboardsquares, ofen airly large themselves, with largepassages (4 or 6 inches wide) can bemade withcardboardboxes,justcutdowntomakeshortwalls,andsprayedwithstonetexture,orblackandtouched

    withsomesilverandrustcolor.Wemadeseveralsuchtabletopstomakeorsomecrazygames!Movingtodierentlevelsmeantattacksquadshadtomovetoanothertable!

    OneimportantpointonLinkstoothergames-ourexperience(theauthorsgroup)isthatsuchside40kgamesarebestascompletelyseparategames.Donotholdupthebattleinspace,tondoutitheairbaseiscapturedornot.AquickrollontheBoardingActionchartmeansthebattleinspacecancontinue.

    TenewRogueraderwouldbealittleharder,butsomecreativeMasterscanhaveroleplayersleading,ormakingupsquads.Tenumbersoadversariesneedadjustment,aswell.Couldbetheyjustboardedthestationafersignicantdamageshadsadlyreducedthedeenders.Oritlooksthatway,anyway(?)

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    Te Spreading War Fifh Entry:

    CaptainFitchpacedtheroom,hisintelligencereportswavinginhisst,asheturnedback,andorth.AdmiralRollinsAideresolvedtoonceagaintrytogettheCaptaintositandwait.ShemovedinrontoFitch.

    PleaseCaptain,CommanderHeinzaskedagain,haveaseatoverhereandwait.TeAdmiralwillnotreactwelltoyourushingtomeethimwiththisnews.Fitchstoppedinrontoher,hisacearozenhardmaskoresolve.Shecontinued,Te Admiralmust have seenthe veryreportsyou have obtained.TeremustbesomereasonwehavenotheardoourownNavyinthoseareas.

    Yes.Fitchhadahardedgetohisvoice.argetpriorities.oomanyhumanworldsatthreatatthesametime.OnlysomanyNavyassetstotrytostopenemyalienattacks.Someplanetsmustghtonalone.Ivebeentold.

    AdmiralRollinshastokeepenoughshipstogethertomeettheenemyonatleastequalterms.CommanderHeinzobserved,omanylittlepiecesoaeetwouldjustbeimpossible.

    Iamheretoaskthatmytaskgroupatleastbeallowedtotry.Fitchseyeswereonapageosymbolsheldinhishand.IthinkIcanatleastmaketheOrkinvadersounsureowhatishittinghim,andwhere,thatthehumanheldworldsinthissectorwillbeun-assailedorsometime.Fitchlookedup.AtleastuntilpropersizedeetelementscanutterlysmashtheOrkscum.

    Securityboltsintheentrancedoorclickedandthumped.SeveralotheAdmiralsstaenteredandmovedtotheirpositionsaroundthebriengconsoles.AdmiralRollinsentered,ankedbyrapidlyspeakingseniorocers,apparentlyaddinginormationonsomesubject.

    AdmiralRollinsspottedthedourFitch,stoppedinrontoFitch.

    Good job,Captain.Rollinssaidwarmly,Ihavebeengetting reshreportsonyourlatesteorts.Youreethascausedconsiderableanxietywiththeenemyrenegades.Teyareseekingtondyouanddestroyyou,beoreyouinterereanyurther.Ithinkseveralenemyheldinstallationsarenowreadytobecometargetsorourmainattacks. Enoughsupporthasbeenwithdrawn,ordestroyed,thatthoseworldsweattackwillgetlittlehelp.Withawaveohisarm,RollinssteeredFitchtowardaseat,andcontinued,Yourrewardoragoodjobis

    another,tougherassignment.

    MayIinterrupt,sir?Fitchasked,standingbehindtheoeredseat,butnotsitting.

    Iseethereportsyouhave with you.Rollinsstated calmly,Ithosereportshaveanythingtodowithyourquestions,thenyouandIareothesamemind.

    Yes,sir.Teseareveryunpleasanttoread.Fitchbegan,Iwastoldyoualsowereawaretherewereproblemshere,Admiral.MyconcernisioureetisunabletodealwiththoseOrkvermin,spreadingintoseveralsectors.

    CaptainFitch,Te Admiralwas allbusiness, You wereorderedtoreturnheretoret,andrearm.Yourshipsaretobeprovisionedoralongseriesooperations.TesectorsyouhavebeenobservinginthosereportsareinanotherFleetsareaooperations.TatothereetsAdmiraland Ihavejustconcludeddiscussions.Yourorce,CaptainFitch,hasbeendetailedtobeginoperationsinthoseverysamesectors.Youarestillattachedtomycommand,andyourmissionwillstillbeoneoraids,andrearareadisruptions.Youwillnotbe taskedwith

    enemyinterdictionunlessthemostdireocircumstancesorcethatdecision.Iwillmakethatdecisiononinterdiction,notyou.Formalwrittenordersoryourmissionswillbearrivingateachoyourshipsveryshortly.

    Doesthataboutcoveryourquestions,CaptainFitch?Rollinswrinkledbrowaskedevenmorequestions.

    Yessir!Fitchwentrigid,andsalutedsmartly.

    TenyouandIhaveconcludedourbusinessortoday.Iexpectyouneedtobeover-seeingpreparations,yes?Tenbeonyourway.AdmiralRollins

    returnedthesalute,and turnedhisattentiontothe stacko otherworkon theconsole. FitchwasgonebeoreRollinslookedupwiththesecondolderinhishand,therstalreadysetaside.

    TatCaptainhasatougherjobaheadohimthanheknows.Rollinssaidintotheroom,Ithinkhewillneedasecondlineosupply,andextrareplacementshipsdetailedorhisuse,whenhecallsorthehelpIamsurehewillneed.

    Yessir,CommanderHeinzcommented,youhavealreadytoldusto

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    detailshipsorCaptainFitch.Teproblemistoomanymissionsandnotenoughships.Likealwayssir. Amurmuroagreementollowedherremark,astheotherhal-dozenocerslookedthroughtheirownolders.

    Iknow.Rollinsleanedbackalittle.CaptainFitchisabouttondoutthattheOrkaliensarenotatallliketherenegadesandtraitorshehasdealtwithuptonow.Teyhavenorealrearareatoraid.Terewilleitherbeaorceoalienshipspresentwhenhearrives,ornot.oshoot-uptheplanetsthatarewithoutshipsaroundthemwillnotslowtheOrkalienattacksonebit.AnyOrkslefbehindwouldonlybetheoldestandmostinjuredothatspecies.Teyunctionasslavekeepersandgarrisons.AnytrulytOrkisotothenextwar.IFitchislucky,hemaydiscoverOrkshipsstillnotnished,toattack.Tatwillhelpthemost.AswellasanysmallorceorindividualOrkshipshecandiscoveranddestroy.ShouldCaptainFitchdiscoverandattackanyworldswheremanyOrkshipsarebeingbuilt,hewillquicklybeovercomebythelargeorcesuchOrkworldskeepnear.Ihavespelledoutthisverytopicinhisordersdispatch.IearthattheactualdiscoveryorhimselwillbeneededtoconvincethegoodCaptain.

    Admiral.CommanderHeinzagainspoke,Areanyothereetelements

    goingtobeabletohelp?

    Notromus.Rollinsanswered,Itoldhimthetruth.Tereisanother

    eetassignedtothoseareas.Buttheyhavetakenearullosses.ICaptainFitchcanmakeenoughoanuisanceohimsel,theOrkshipsaroundthoseareasmaysplitupintosmallergroupstoseekhiminmanydierentstarsystemsatonce.Hemaybeoundanddestroyed,iso.ButalsogivethatothereetoImperialservantsachancetohiteachothesmallerOrkelements,anddestroythem,oneatatime.Rightnow,thatcannothappen.CaptainFitchmaybetheonlyhopetheyhave.

    AdmiralRollinssatorwardagain.NowIwantastandingorderreadyortransmittal.Eachandeverycruiser,andescortclassship,thatleavesrepairyardsandhasnotbeenre-assignedtoanelementooureet,yet,tobeonstand-byorderstorushtothosesectorsCaptainFitchisengagedwithin.Rollinspaused.

    Imaynotbeabletodetailanyshipsorhismissionnow,butaseachrepairedshipisawaitingordersstatusorsometime,usually,thatisoneresourceIcansetuptohelpCaptainFitch.Hewillneedthehelp.Tatiscertain.Rollinslookedaround,attheworriedexpressionseachocershowed,andcontinued.

    Now,CommanderHeinz,youweregoingtotellmeosomeotheoldones,theEldar.

    Indeedsir.CommanderHeinzreplied,asshereachedorathickolder,andpulleditromthestackbeoreher.

    Fifh Entry Scenario SetFor

    Te Spreading War - Rebellion!

    Introduction:Captain Fitch has a surprise rst actionin the troubled star systems he has rushed to. His orce

    picks up a large Ork eets trail. Lucky or Fitch therehave been living witnesses o the Ork eet. Not solucky or Captain Fitch, the Ork orce is somewherenear equal to his own orce. Worse, the Ork eet has

    just split into two eets, and are both about to attackhuman settled worlds. Te Imperial orces assignedto patrol and protect this region has be caught in thedouble body blow o rebellion in the eet, in unheardo numbers o locations. Meaning sufcient eetssuddenly became weak, ineective Imperial eets rom

    deections. And the second blow coming in the orm oOrk tribes and clans clumping together into large andlarger eets o their own.

    Now Fitch cannot ollow only one orce, andsacrice the other human world to a major raid, orworse. He knows he must divide his own orce to

    ollow the enemy, and drop a hammer on the Ork raidattempts. Captain Fitch is lacking perect intelligencereports. He knows one Ork orce is a little smallerthan the other Ork orce, rom a living witness. But hedoes not know which orce attacked into which gate-

    path. Tere is a chance his dividing his orce in thesame manner, could put a smaller Imperial orce intothe position o trying to stop a larger Ork attack on ahuman world.

    Captain Fitch divides his orces as best he can,

    and quickly jumps aer the Ork raiders, trusting in thetraining o his experienced crews to make a die


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