During fierce fighting on Catachan, Command Headquarters dispatched Lieutenant Grimes with an ADHOC group of SOC to take and protect the strategic area of the line. They arrived to find a minor Blood Axe Warboss dissending with his Waagh! upon the refinery buildings. A fierce firefight very quickly developed, with neither side having very much information about the other or each other's objectives.
This is a scenarion fought with two equal forces of 1,000 points each, using a neutral referee who controlled a map on which any strategy cards such as Booby Traps, Minefield, etc. were secretly deployed. The referee also set up the terrain so that neither player had any control over the terrain that we would be fighting in. Said referee also kept the notes that this battle report is being written from.
Blood Axe Force:
SOC Force:
On the first turn, the SOC commander got the initiative and so had first move. The first thing he did was call down barrages on the Warboss's location, the Kommandos' location, and the Rhino, all of these managed to miss and scatter onto empty territory. FAV Beta came on from off the table, moved to behind wall, and fired on Blood Axe Taktikul squad, killing two boyz with WP. FAV Alpha moved to other side of battlefield. SOC Combat squad set up on hill managed to kill one Kommando and set two others on fire with White Phosphorous. On the Blood Axe player's turn, Rhino moved and the SOC Command Squad fired a LAW on overwatch at the Rhino, only managing to damage the twin bolters. Blood Axe Taktikuls redeployed to get better firing arcs. Rhino fired blind grenades with both sets of auto grenade launchers. The Blood Axe Kommandos charged Snipers, Snipers killed two Blood Axe Kommandos with overwatch fire. Blood Axe Kommandos got into hand to hand with the scouts, the Kommando Kaptin Grotsnok killed Sergeant Clim, one other BAK also killed a Sniper.
White Phosphorous in woods burns itself out. Couldn't get any barrages this turn, *Krackle hisssss sssffffzzzzztttt spop!* The SOC squad in woods charged Blood Axe Kommandos. FAV Beta goes out of control, ramming woods and getting stuck, FAV Alpha moves to the tree line in Blood Axe deployment zone. Recon squa redeploys to get better lines of sight. FAV Beta fires on Blood Axe Taktikuls, killing the plasma gun armed trooper. The SOC Squad along with remaining Snipers charges remaining Blood Axe Kommandos, killing all hand to hand opponents (boy, did I get some lucky dice! A lowly sergeant took out the Kommando Kaptin). On Blood Axe Turn 2, the 'ard Gitz dropped out of the back hatch of the Rhino and charged as fast as they could towards the SOC Squad. Of the two BAKs on fire, one went up in a puff of smoke and a bright flash of flames, and the other's flames died out. The last BAK charged Sergeant Gries, determined to take him out. The Warbike squadron entered on the right side of the battlefield to attack the enemy's left flank, only to be caught in a crossfire from the SOC on overwatch on the hill dominating the area and the SOC Command Squad. One Warbike had its autocannons blown off by a SAW. The Warbikes returned fire, cutting down two of the SOC troopers on the hill. The last BAK fought against Sergeant Gries in hand to hand, but neither could gain an advantage.
All blind grenades remained in place, the stupid artillary still aren't responding, all I get is static (*Kssssh kssszzzzt fffssssss*), so much for the great Imperial Navy and their ability to bombard, I guess we're on our own..... But isn't that the norm? Anyway, back to the battle.....
FAV Alpha moves to gain an advantageous firing position, Recon squad moves to behind small ridge, remaining Snipers charge the last BAK, along with two SOC troopers. SAW destroys one Warbike, and kills the rider of another, sending it out of control into the woods, SOC swuad on the hill must report to small arms training and grenade training immediately upon return to base, these guys can't hit the battlefield, much less the enemy! FAV Alpha fires on Blood Axe Taktikuls and misses with all weapons, FAV Beta also misses with all shots. The SOC troopers killed two 'ard Gitz with a frag missile. The last BAK dies surrounded by Snipers and troopers. Blood Axes' final turn, the 'ard Gitz charge into the SOC squad, and the Warbikes move in small turns, trying to get better shots at the SOC troopers on the hills and in the ruins. The Taktikuls fired at FAVs Alpha and Beta, missing with all their bolt gun shots, and even Warboss Ukkarit misses with a krak grenade, being just out of range of the light vehicle. The Warbikes fire all thier autocannons, but still miss everything. In hand to hand, the 'ard Gitz kill one of the SOC troopers, but it is still not enough.....
Ragnar: Even though I had no information on the Ork mission, and all I could do was to try to set up to cover as many lines of fire as possible and try to counter numerous possible missions, it didn't go too bad, I obtained a victory, but it was mostly due to the fact that I had Dawn Raid and I managed to get a vehicle into the Ork deployment zone, also due to the fact that KG had some of the worst rolls I've ever seen him have. The battle could have gone either way, and I really expected a bloodbath, which really didn't develop. Other than my points for the mission, I only obtained two further victory points for a total of 7. The SOC served valiantly and have shown their worth, now if I could just get my dice to do the same.... Also, I had luckily set up one of my squads right on top of the Orks' objective.
Kaptin Gavrin: The fools, they think they have won! Bah! They only help us toward our further goal by delaying themselves while fighting Ukarrit's force. Still, I shall have a word with Ukarrit. I am not too pleased with losing all of my officers, bad luck, ha! Well, I do admit, that was some dismal shooting..... Whatever, we have already destroyed their orbiting battleships, we SHALL take this planet! (You WERE wondering where those ships went, weren't you? Hahahahahahaha...................)