Epic 30k Battle Report

Fellblade of the VIIth Legion unleashes fire from its main guns during Epic 30k action!

Another belated battle report as a catch up on a bit of blogging.  A few weeks ago, founding Conscript Curt C came to town for a weekend visit.  We tried out "Team Yankee" for the first time, but we also managed to squeeze in a game of Epic 30k using the "Epic: Armageddon" rules engine.  The scenario featured another battle between XVIth Legion, the Sons of Horus, and the VIIth Legion, the Imperial Fists, duped followers of the so-called "Emperor".

View of the table - the objective, the Administratum facility, is smack dab in the middle

Conscript Byron joined the game once again, taking command of the Imperial Fists, while Curt played the side of hope and change, the Sons of Horus. The game wasn't too complicated - both sides were looking to take possession of an Administratum building which housed critical records and data on the history of the later Imperial Crusades. The Warmaster, noted for his passion for truth, was particularly concerned about the presence of some records in this facility relating to recent operations in the Istvaan system. Intelligence sources indicated said records reflected poorly on his actions by completely leaving out the notable role played in these events by false-flag Imperial terrorists.  Consumed by his devotion to accurate historical recollections, Horus dispatched his Marines and heavy tanks to secure the facility for brutal and complete purging appropriate remedial measures.

Twin accelerator cannons - KABOOM!

This Fellblade is starting to feel the pain...

A kill for the Loyalists!

The game would last six turns, and whoever controlled the building would win.  The catch? Only infantry could be sent through the Administratum facility walls for any occupation (or related assaults) - the arcana of the outside walls, aided perhaps by some twisted dark-age technology, blocked all vehicles.  Given enough time, the enlightened chaps in the IT department of Legio Mortis might have solved it, but the presence of the Imperial Fists meant things would go down the hard way...

Sicaran tanks advance for the XVI Legion

The Imperial Fists try and corner another victim...

And so the battle raged! I have to say (selfishly) that it was great fun to see these figures in action once again, as Fellblades and Land Raiders clashed.  It was an escalating engagement, with Byron and Curt able to bring on an additional detachment every turn.  The catch - or, perhaps if you were Bryon or Curt, you might argue, the "shiv" - was that there were more detachments than turns, so they had to choose between bringing on artillery and heavy tanks to hammer their opponents, or bringing forward infantry to capture the building - and also to calculate how to get the infantry delivered to the building in one piece.

The Sons of Horus turn the tables!

And it ends in tears for the dupes of the false "emperor"

Early on the Imperial Fists seemed to be carrying the day, but Curt and his tanks - guided, surely, by their excellent training and faith in the Warmaster - started to knock out the Imperial Fist armour. By the 6th turn, there were almost no Imperial Fist tanks left running on the table...and yet...

The infantry of the XVI Legion seize the objective...

The Imperial Fists mount a fierce assault...

Hard slogging on the way up...

...And yet! Byron had fed a steady diet of available infantry into the maelstrom, and as the infantry battle raged inside the Administratum compound, the Sons of Horus were forced back in the final turn!

Whirlwinds fire in support...

The Sons of Horus are driven back...

But so are the Imperial Fists!

Opposing commanders reflect on the game - good times and lots of 30k carnage!

But not so much that Curt's lads couldn't dish out some final abusive artillery and break the Imperial Fist infantry too!  Maybe the VIIth legion needed a 7th turn...

And so, the 30k-est ending possible - nobody won, but there were tons of casualties! How appropriate. A big thank you to Curt for visiting and to Byron for playing.  Both embraced the spirit of the setting very well, and the carnage on the table was very enjoyable.  Epic remains one of my absolute favourite games, and playing Epic in the 30k setting is a ton of fun.  While I'm still painting 28mm 30k stuff right now, I'm planning to bring Epic 30k out to Prairiecon in June, so I'm hoping to get more stuff finished before then.