In an effort to pack even more fun into his fun-and-family filled life, my friend Drek has decided to dedicate (most of) his Wednesday evenings to gaming, so to inaugurate this noble pursuit we got together to play some Epic.

Instead of the "Tournament Scenario", he wanted to try something different, so I suggested we playtest one of the EPIC: Total War scenarios. He'd already made up an army, as had I, I showed him a selection of scenarios, and he chose "Escort Duty", which was cool because it hadn't been played yet!

So, come along on a journey of fun (and playtesting!)... which I probably won't get all posted tonight. *laugh*

Rules Used

Epic Update 2008
NetEA Recommendations


Scenario

Escort Duty

Armies Used


Steel Legion Mechanized Strike Force - 3000 Points

Regimental HQ
12 Infantry
1 Supreme Commander
1 Commissar
7 Chimera
1 Hydra

Mechanized Infantry Company
12 Infantry
1 Commander
1 Commissar
7 Chimera
1 Hydra
2 Ogryn
2 Chimera

Tank Company – (BTS Target)
9 Leman Russ
1 Vanquisher
1 Commissar

Sentinel Squadron 1
4 Sentinels
1 Commissar

Sentinel Squadron 2
4 Sentinels

Storm Trooper Platoon
8 Storm Troopers
1 Commissar
4 Valkyries

Flak Battery
3 Hydras
1 Commissar

Warhound Titan 1

Warhound Titan 2



Warlord Gurkstrag’s Wanderin’ Warband - 3000 Points

Big Warband
Warboss
4 Nobz
12 Boyz
4 Grotz

Stompamob
3 Stompas
1 Stompa

Stormboyz Warhorde
6 Stormboyz
4 Dethkoptas

Big Kult of Speed 1 – (BTS Target)
4 Warbikes
6 Warbuggies
6 Skorchas
2 Warbikes

Kult of Speed 2
3 Warbikes
1 Warbuggy
4 Skorchas

Big Mekboy Gunzmob
10 Big Gunz
1 Nobz
2 Oddboyz Characters
2 Soopagunz

Big Blitz Brigade 1
6 Gunwagonz
2 Flakwagonz
2 Oddboyz
2 Soopagunz

Blitz Brigade 2
6 Gunwagonz
2 Flakwagonz
2 Oddboyz
2 Supazapp Gunz

Fighta-Bommerz 1
4 F-Bs

Fighta-Bommerz 2
4 F-Bs

Pre-Deployment

Orks roll high and choose to be Attacker.


Contigents


Attacker Contingent 1

Big Warband

Kult of Speed 2

Blitz Brigade 2

Fighta-Bommerz 1


Attacker Contingent 2

Stompamob

Stormboyz Warhorde

Big Kult of Speed 1

Attacker Contingent 3

Big Mekboy Gunzmob

Big Blitz Brigade 1

Fighta-Bommerz 2


Defender Contingent 1

Regimental HQ

Mechanized Infantry Company


Defender Contingent 2

Tank Company

Storm Trooper Platoon

Warhound Titan 1


Defender Contingent 3

Sentinel Squadron 1

Sentinel Squadron 2

Flak Battery

Warhound Titan 2


Battlefield:

4x6

Orks chose the city wall short edge as the defender’s starting zone.


Deployment:

Steel Legion decides not to use Defender Contingent 3 in this battle and deploys the rest of their formation, surrounding their convoy as shown:

Turn 1

The Orky patrols detect the approaching Imperials and Attacker Contingent 2 appears in “Area 2”, ready to race!



Strategy Roll: Orks… who pass to Steel Legion

Running interference, Warhound 1 doubles forward, but can’t get any of the approaching Orks in its sights.

The Regimental HQ hesitates, but then they too double forward, attempting to form a forward shield on the road to ward off the encroaching Orks.

Hearing the rumble of enemy engines, the Stompamob doubles up the hill to fire on the Regimental HQ, taking out three Chimeras… first blood Orks!



Realizing the need for heavy firepower at the front, the Tank Company doubles directly towards the incoming Orks, barrelling through ruins with no difficult, and then fires on the Big Kult of Speed taking out… a single Warbuggy.

Taking that as their cue, the Big Kult of Speed doubles forward and dakkas the hell out of the Regimental HQ, taking out 3 Infantry.

Following behind the shield of men and machines, the Convoy doubles down the road, hoping to deliver their cargo of cheeseburgers to the front lines.

The Stormboyz double spreading out wide to block the road in the hopes that they can haz cheeseburgers.

The Storm Troopers then double their Valkyries forward and unleash 4BP of rocket pods on the Kult of Speed, along with other weaponry, and take out 3 Warbikes and 3 Skorchas, nearly breaking the Ork Kultists!

The Mechanized Infantry Company hopes to deliver the killing blow, doubling forward and firing on the Kult of Speed, but they only place a single Blast marker and the battered Ork bikerz stand firm…



End of Turn

All rally formations rally.

Attacker Contingent 1 can be seen in Zone 6 already:

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Turn 2

More Orks arrive on the scene as Attacker Contingent 1 shows up in Zone 6.



Strategy Roll: Orks!

Itching for a fight, the Stormboyz leave their blockade to engage the Regimental HQ! It’s a vicious fight but only 2 Stormboyz crash and burn while 3 Infantrymen are taken out. Orks have a slight (+1) advantage… and win by by “3”, trashing 2 Chimera and another Infantry unit.



Emboldened by this carnage, the Big Kult of Speed revs forward to engage the Storm Troopers… and it doesn’t go so well. The Orks manage to take out 2 Storm Troopers and 3 Valkyries, but the elite Guardsmen take out 3 Warbikes and 3 Warbuggies, support fire takes out a Skorcha… and combat resolution eliminates the Kultists! Despite their losses, the Storm Troopers are unbroken!



The Warhound sustains fire on the Stompamob and takes out two Stompas, breaking the walkers, which fall back down the road.

The Tank Company advances up the side road near them to take some long distance shots at Blitz Brigade 2, taking out a single Flakwagon.

Blitz Brigade 2 doubles near to the Mechanized Infantry and zzaps a Chimera.

The Normal, if you can call it that, Kult of Speed them leaps to engage the Mechanized Infantry with the Blitz Brigade’s support.



The Orks lose a Buggy and a Skorcha while roasting *six* Infantry… taking out a further four Infantry in combat resolution.



Close to breaking, the Storm Troopers need confirmation before advancing to reposition themselves against the Stormboyz. The Valkyrie is the only unit that can fire and it unleashes everything… taking out 3 Deth Koptas and breaking the Orks who fall back to form a ragged blockade on the road.

The Convoy doubles down the road, getting close to the smoking wrecks and scattered bodies of many men who will never enjoy cheezeburgers again… *sniffle*

Fighter-Bommerz 1 come in to strafe the Storm Troopers, taking out the last Valkyrie and 3 Storm Troopers forcing the survivors up into the hills.

The Ork Warlord’s Warband marches up into the woods on the smaller hill, drawn by the scent of cheeseburgers… he can almost haz them…



End of Turn

Not a single Steel Legion formation rallies.

Blitz Brigade 2, the Stompamob, and the Stormboyz also fail to rally, with the latter two formations forming a rough and ragged barricade of the road…

Attacker Contingent 3 approached from Zone 1:

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Turn 3

Even more Orks arrive on the scene as Attacker Contingent 3 shows up in Zone 1.



Strategy Roll: Steel Legion, on a tie!

The Tank Company doubles down the road to fire on the broken Stormboyz blocking the path of the convoy… the Imperial battle cannons take out the Orks, partially clearing the path.

The head driver of the Convoy shouts out, “You no can haz cheeseburgers!” and double his charges down the road, swerving around the broken Stompas and allowing two of the Convoy Transports to get off the board.



With no hope of reaching the Convoy, the Gunzmob sustains fire on the broken Mechanized Infantry and completely wipes them out.

Blitz Brigade 2 then sustains fire on the Warhound… and both Supa-Zzaps roll “2” and only a single Blast marker is place… *sigh*

The Warhound is momentarily stunned to be alive, but the pleading of the Imperial Supreme Commander gets it to advance and scare a Stompa krew out of the fray.

Blitz Brigade 1 attempts to sustain fire, but fails, through it’s still able to fire on the Regimental HQ taking out 2 Chimeras, the Hydra… and the Supreme Commander!

Fighta-Bommerz 2 ground attack the Tank Company, taking out a Leman Russ.

Enraged by the sight of the rapidly escaping cheeseburgers, the Warlord and his Warband decide to go for canned tuna and engage the Tank Company. Four Grots are ground into club sauce and a Boyz unit also joins them, and the Orks are only able to take out 2 Russes… but combat resolution means that only the Commissar’s Vanquisher survives to escape the “feast”.



The Normal Kult of Speed then engages the broken Regimental HQ and scatters them all for no losses.



Desperate to stop at least a little of the convoy, Fighter-Bommerz 1 ground attack them, taking out 2 Transports… but the remaining broken units flee off the battlefield… *sigh*


End of Turn

The single Stompa fails to rally.

Neither the Tank Company Commissar nor the two remaining Storm Troopers rally.


Score

We end the game here, as all the Convoy Transports are off-board and the Imperials are in *really* rough shape.


Orks: 8 (2 Convoy Transports shot + 6 enemy formations broken or destroyed) vs Steel Legion: 12 (5 Convoy Transports off via Road + 2 enemy formations broken or destroyed) – Moderate Steel Legion Victory!

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Mmmm... Cheezburgers...

Looks like an entertaining scenario to play. Is there a pdf ready for it yet?

_________________
SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

There's a link in the second post of this thread.

Huzzah to the Orks! Good try! Them's musta been In'N'Out Burgers - very much worth fighting for!

The broken transports using their fallback move to get off the board was brilliant. Its almost one of those "either Eliminate them all or dont try" scenarios - giving them extra movement is bad if youre trying to catch them!

I cant wait to try this scenario myself.

Reading comprehension 101: Fail/Incomplete

_________________
SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

This reads like much fun. I always like these all or nothing scenarios where killing the enemy is not winning you the game.

One question: I wondered why the figthaaazz did not bomb the transports right from the beginning to whittle them down slowly? If broken, they would have to flee directly into the arms of the orks, right? I am sure I am missing something ;-)

Ah, and one more...what happened to the third defending group? I did not read the scenario yet...were they scheduled later?

Looks like fun.

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The Apocrypha of Skaros 1.1
Rogue Trader Expedition 0.4
The Horus Heresy 0.5
Night Lords 0.1
My Trade Thread

Well, if broken, the Convoy could flee in any direction it wanted to, doesn't have to be straight ahead... and, again, it's that risk of giving the enemy "free" movement... if they were broken, fled, then failed to rally in the End Phase, they'd get *another* move, potentially taking them off the board!

My first squadron of Fighter-Bommerz was only available Turn 2, and the second squadron only arrived Turn 3... so, didn't have them for much of the game!


Since it's "easier" for the Defender to win this scenario, the balancing mechanism is that they don't get all their forces; the Contingent they pick at the start does not take part in the scenario at all! Making for some tough strategic choices! In this game, the Steel Legion player decided to pick "quality" of formation over "quantity" of formations... in some scenarios your opponent will select which Contingents you're using! As you control what's in your contingents, you've got some say in things, but it pays to build "balanced" contingents.

At their most basic, the EPIC: Total War scenarios are designed for, relatively easy, pick-up games; going down to the club and saying, "Let's play 'Last Stand' instead of the Tournament Scenario", or some such. Both players can arrive with the same point value of army and the scenario, if there's "opposed conditions", will balance them out without people having to come with different point valued lists.

Of course, for more intricate play, you could decide with you opponent to tailor your forces directly to the scenario, or have bonuses or limitations based on campaign events.

The supplement is intended to be very flexible in use.

I've attached some of the "Scenario Special Rules" below:

What is the ETA of this publication being ready?

Many months, lots of work still to be done and no where near enough playtesting of the various scenarios; and there are still many scenarios that haven't been released yet. There are about 25 "full game" scenarios in various states of progress and 8 mini-game 'Firefights!" scenarios as well... along with a whole bunch of other stuff.

The reports from Winter Warmer were very helpful as have been your reports Kealios! Thanks for trying things out! (And I'll eventually get a chance to reply to your reports, Kealios!)