Battle at the Gate

The first stage of the final battle has begun on the surface of Timbra Prime, with the Dark AdMech forces moving into the gateway tile for the System Defense Forces.  A decisive victory here will knock out the Void Shields defending the capitol city and would leave them open to a killing blow.  However, a successful defense might buy the defense forces enough time to launch a counter blow on the surface of Flint!  Win or lose, the fate of the system hangs in the balance!

This battle will be fought by the Dark AdMech and a nominated defending army.  The defender will be using their list at "A" level strength and without any of the experience bonuses that may have been earned over the duration of the campaign.  The attacker will keep experience bonuses, but must attack at whatever strength the army currently has retained.  Stratagems can be used by either force.

The following rules will dictate the course of battle:

         1500 – Capitol Gateway – The time has come to begin the final assault against the enemy stronghold.  The stronghold is well defended by void shields and a complex set of physical defenses and it is vitally important that you are able to lower the void shields and breach the outer perimeter before your forces will be able to launch the final assault against the enemy.  Your forward scouts have identified a strategic weakness in the stronghold’s defenses, but your opponent knows this terrain well.  You must be wary in your assault if you hope to succeed.

a.        This mission is played on a standard table, set up in the Dawn of War configuration.  There should be an attempt to set up terrain to indicate the border of a city, with buildings along one side, a clear “no man’s land” in the center and hills and forests along the other side.  The defender will gain either two free aegis defense lines or one aegis defense line with a quadgun upgrade, to be deployed as normal for Fortifications.  In the middle of the board, on the defender’s side, there must be a bunker, representing the Shield Generator for the Capitol City.  This is an AV 14 building with 9 HP.

                                                               i.      As this represents the assault on the outer gates, the defender is required to set up first and the attacker automatically gains the first turn (unless there is a successful “seize the initiative” roll by the defender) and can choose if night fighting rules are in effect for turn 1. 

1.       At least 50% of the defender’s units must begin the game on the board, but those entering from reserve will gain the “outflank” special rule.  If they already possess “outflank” they gain “acute senses” instead.

2.       To represent the void shield being active, the attacker cannot deep strike or outflank into the defender’s deployment zone.  The attacker gains d3 orbital strikes that can be used at any time.  These are all large blast, barrage, and will always scatter 2d6.  The bombardment begins at str 9 ap 3, which is reduced to a str 8 ap 4 in the defender's deployment zone (to represent the shield) and is further reduced to str 7 ap 5 for models totally within 9 inches of the shield generator.

                                                              ii.      The primary objective of the mission is for the attacker to either completely destroy or shut down the shield generator.  If the attacker fails to do this it is automatically a defender victory and the attacker must retreat incurring penalties as normal for the campaign.

1.       Shutting down the generator can be achieved if the attacker is able to control the generator (in the same way as one would control an objective) for four consecutive player turns (two full game turns).  Should the objective become “contested” the attacker has been distracted and must re-start his attempt to shut down the generator.