I snagged two victims, err..players, to playtest my new 1000pt WASP platoon on Wednesday night. Here is hazy recollection of the action.
The forces were as follows:
Mobile Infantry (legal list force)
Lieutenant w/WASP pack, Plasma Munition
NCO w/WASP pack, Trench Sweeper upgrade
NCO w/WASP pack, Trench Sweeper upgrade
Squad #1 Sergeant and 5 Troopers w/WASP pack, 2 Hel Flamer upgrades
Squad #1 Sergeant and 5 Troopers w/WASP pack, 2 Hel Flamer upgrades
Total 1000 points
Arachnids
(This was just thrown together, so probably not a legal list force for this size game, I'll have to check later)
Brain Bug with Ego War, Shield
2 Tunnel Entrances
1 Tunnel Marker
Infiltrator
5 Tiger Warrior Bugs
5 Warrior Bugs, Endless Tide
5 Warrior Bugs, Endless Tide
5 Warrior Bugs, Endless Tide
Total 1125 points
The table was a 4x4. There was sparse terrain- only about 7 or 8 size 4 rock formations distributed evenly.
The Mobile Infantry Mission was to destroy the Brain Bug. The formation was a NCO on each flank and the two squads closer to the center. The Lieutenant was with the squad on the center right.
The Arachnids mission was to wipe out the Mobile Infantry. The Tiger Bugs and one unit of Warrior Bugs were on the left. The center had the Infiltrator, another unit of Warriors, and the Brain Bug perched on a Tunnel Entrance that was behind a rock formation. On the right was the last unit of Warriors. The second tunnel entrance and tunnel marker were kept for later use.
Turn 1
MI Turn - All units ready, then hover forward about 11-12” to fire across the front, and then all fall back the remaining movement. The WASP trooper squads were just a bit to far away to take real advantage of the Hel Flamers and only 1-2 Warriors are removed from each Arachnid unit with the exception of the Warriors on the right who take no losses.
Arachnid turn - The Brain throws up its shield and sends off Ego War at the squad near the Lieutenant affecting 4 troopers. The unit of Warriors moves up and with alert status reactions from a Hel Flamer and other unaffected MI is shot up or burned up so that one Warrior remains. The Tiger Warriors follow into that hail of fire and get the coordinated extra action from the Brain Bug and take out 2 Troopers but is down to 1 Tiger Warrior as well. In the center the Warrior Bug unit opposes the MI squad that is not affected by the Ego War and the enitre unit of Warriors is eliminated. The Warriors on the Arachnid right run forward towards the isolated NCO on the MI left flank. The Infitrator moves toward the Brain as a last line of defense since the situation is looking bad for the Bugs.
Turn 2
MI Turn - Sensing the end, the MI player hovers in with the LT, both squads, and the NCO on the right to attack the Brain. The Infiltrator is revealed, but all shots are aimed at the Brain. The Plasma munition is thrown and various other shots taken. Luckily the Brain has Shield up and is only reduced down to about half its hits. The Infiltrator uses its alert status to attack the Mobile Infantry and kills 2 of them. We may have played this wrong. I don’t have the rulebook in front of me, but I don’t recall if the Infiltrator needs to take the ready to change form when he is revealed in the MI turn by troops getting within command range.
Arachnid turn - The unit of Warriors attacking the lone NCO succeed in killing him. He got off his trench sweeper shot but rolled poorly. The Brain Bug uses Ego War on the heavily mauled unit with the Lieutenant. The Infiltrator takes down the remaining models including the Lieutenant. The remaining NCO is attacked by the lone Tiger Warrior who he kills and then the lone Warrior closes in. The MI player asked about being able to react to the Brain Bug’s Ego War which uses a shoot action per the description. I wasn’t sure but since it says the power is used as a shoot action I allowed the MI player to use his last squad to fire at the Brain even though we’d moved on to the Infiltrator. At this point if the MI player doesn’t kill the Brain then a returning Endless Tide Warrior Bug unit with an extra coordinate action is going to basically end the game anyway. So he takes his shots and kills the Brain.
Conclusion
In hindsight I realize the Arachnid player didn’t use the cover bonus of the tunnel entrance he was sitting on, so maybe, just maybe, the Brain Bug may have survived. The WASP Troopers could have been a little more “Mobile” to reduce their casualties. The one NCO could have beat feet or jumped away for example. Regardless, it was a close game and fun to watch.
The forces were as follows:
Mobile Infantry (legal list force)
Lieutenant w/WASP pack, Plasma Munition
NCO w/WASP pack, Trench Sweeper upgrade
NCO w/WASP pack, Trench Sweeper upgrade
Squad #1 Sergeant and 5 Troopers w/WASP pack, 2 Hel Flamer upgrades
Squad #1 Sergeant and 5 Troopers w/WASP pack, 2 Hel Flamer upgrades
Total 1000 points
Arachnids
(This was just thrown together, so probably not a legal list force for this size game, I'll have to check later)
Brain Bug with Ego War, Shield
2 Tunnel Entrances
1 Tunnel Marker
Infiltrator
5 Tiger Warrior Bugs
5 Warrior Bugs, Endless Tide
5 Warrior Bugs, Endless Tide
5 Warrior Bugs, Endless Tide
Total 1125 points
The table was a 4x4. There was sparse terrain- only about 7 or 8 size 4 rock formations distributed evenly.
The Mobile Infantry Mission was to destroy the Brain Bug. The formation was a NCO on each flank and the two squads closer to the center. The Lieutenant was with the squad on the center right.
The Arachnids mission was to wipe out the Mobile Infantry. The Tiger Bugs and one unit of Warrior Bugs were on the left. The center had the Infiltrator, another unit of Warriors, and the Brain Bug perched on a Tunnel Entrance that was behind a rock formation. On the right was the last unit of Warriors. The second tunnel entrance and tunnel marker were kept for later use.
Turn 1
MI Turn - All units ready, then hover forward about 11-12” to fire across the front, and then all fall back the remaining movement. The WASP trooper squads were just a bit to far away to take real advantage of the Hel Flamers and only 1-2 Warriors are removed from each Arachnid unit with the exception of the Warriors on the right who take no losses.
Arachnid turn - The Brain throws up its shield and sends off Ego War at the squad near the Lieutenant affecting 4 troopers. The unit of Warriors moves up and with alert status reactions from a Hel Flamer and other unaffected MI is shot up or burned up so that one Warrior remains. The Tiger Warriors follow into that hail of fire and get the coordinated extra action from the Brain Bug and take out 2 Troopers but is down to 1 Tiger Warrior as well. In the center the Warrior Bug unit opposes the MI squad that is not affected by the Ego War and the enitre unit of Warriors is eliminated. The Warriors on the Arachnid right run forward towards the isolated NCO on the MI left flank. The Infitrator moves toward the Brain as a last line of defense since the situation is looking bad for the Bugs.
Turn 2
MI Turn - Sensing the end, the MI player hovers in with the LT, both squads, and the NCO on the right to attack the Brain. The Infiltrator is revealed, but all shots are aimed at the Brain. The Plasma munition is thrown and various other shots taken. Luckily the Brain has Shield up and is only reduced down to about half its hits. The Infiltrator uses its alert status to attack the Mobile Infantry and kills 2 of them. We may have played this wrong. I don’t have the rulebook in front of me, but I don’t recall if the Infiltrator needs to take the ready to change form when he is revealed in the MI turn by troops getting within command range.
Arachnid turn - The unit of Warriors attacking the lone NCO succeed in killing him. He got off his trench sweeper shot but rolled poorly. The Brain Bug uses Ego War on the heavily mauled unit with the Lieutenant. The Infiltrator takes down the remaining models including the Lieutenant. The remaining NCO is attacked by the lone Tiger Warrior who he kills and then the lone Warrior closes in. The MI player asked about being able to react to the Brain Bug’s Ego War which uses a shoot action per the description. I wasn’t sure but since it says the power is used as a shoot action I allowed the MI player to use his last squad to fire at the Brain even though we’d moved on to the Infiltrator. At this point if the MI player doesn’t kill the Brain then a returning Endless Tide Warrior Bug unit with an extra coordinate action is going to basically end the game anyway. So he takes his shots and kills the Brain.
Conclusion
In hindsight I realize the Arachnid player didn’t use the cover bonus of the tunnel entrance he was sitting on, so maybe, just maybe, the Brain Bug may have survived. The WASP Troopers could have been a little more “Mobile” to reduce their casualties. The one NCO could have beat feet or jumped away for example. Regardless, it was a close game and fun to watch.