Space Hulk V1, mission 3

C.A.T. Rescue!

One of my favourites.  One squad with a drone (the C.A.T.) have to get off the other side of the board with help from a second squad.  Stealers get three blips per turn, oh yeah, pour it on...

...but first a word about blips.  In the original there are blips marked with 1-3 stealers, the stealer player does look to see how many per blip before playing them.  That's OK, but long ago we started playing them blind, its a lot more fun that way, which is why I switched to the acrylic blip markers (and they are prettier)

The layout

Squads plus C.A.T. (converted old 6mm Land Raider)

Let it begin!

Hustle, hustle, whoosh, whoops, whoosh again. Not the best start for the flamer

Watch out...

...Too late.  Worse start for bolter marine

And

Its closer, note the overwatch.  Silly me thinking the Marines might actually shoot something.

Oh great.  I start a tough mission down two men in the first few turns.  This could be a fast one for the xenos

The ineptitude continues, over on the other side the over-watcher jams

And is saved by a last minute shot

Over with the advance group the remainder form up and cover each other

The rescuers hustle forwards, lots of doors to hide behind

Boo!

Pile on!

DAKKA DAKKA, two Xenos down, advance by firing

A reminder: you guys are on overwatch, you can shoot the xenos as they pile down that corridor

Flamer retires blocking the corridor

AAARGH, shoot!

Not Good

Rescuers hit a sticky patch

See this guy in the middle, this is why the marines will loose, he's hit nothing all game

The horde he's not been hitting

Rescuers manage to gain some advance

Perhaps not for long

Yup

Going, going...

Gone.  C.A.T. goes to ground unharmed

Next!

Flamer-marine is next on the chopping block

He does not last long.  Now both teams are seriously weakened

WHAT, now he shoots straight?

The Sgt manages to clear the horde, he chases the C.A.T. (xenos got control last turn)

The rescuers have to push ahead, they cannot let the Xenos lurk

C.A.T. team consolidate

Xenos swarm

The last flamer blocks a Xeno entry area, hosing two blips at the same time

The advancing team manages to clear some Xenos

DAKKA, DAKKA, click (again)

Uh. Oh.

Xenos enact their revenge

Marines get control of the C.A.T. and it moves in a favourable direction

DAKKA, DAKKA, perhaps the Sgts overwatch jinx has gone?

Maybe?

YES!

Time to go for the mission, the flamer advances to clear the corridors

Holding on.

The Sgt grabs the C.A.T and runs for it

While being chased, the Xenos take out the flamer and move on the Sgt.

CP roll was terrible, Sgt legs it

Bugs chase

And the inevitable happens when you have your back to the bugs.  C.A.T. scatters (Marines get to move it)

RUN, RUN.  Marine picks up the C.A.T and runs, other marine advances to block the Xenos

Bugs chase hard

A JAM, oh NOOOOES

And here they come

Bugs rushing in on both sides, two marines left.  One has a jam and the other is carrying the C.A.T.

Time to be sneaky?  C.A.T. gets handed to jammed Marine, Sgt braces to try to sell himself dear to give the other Marine time to get the C.A.T. out

Xeno rush begins

Sgt Draws (they +1)

Another draw!

Sgt Wins!

Next!

Sgt wins again!

And again (there is something odd going on here...)

And he's down.  That's more like it.

One Sgt, three HTH kills (or should that be KIL, KIL, KIL)

Xeno rushes the C.A.T.-carrier, but

Its short, it has no more APs to attack.  The Sgt did it!  The Marine advances off the board.  The Marines win!

Wow, potential victory swung both ways, victory was earned by the slimmest margin, classic Space Hulk.