"
We had no chance, they hit the elevator first. The rings fell from the skies, they hit like great bombs. As they hit, the city died. The impacts were furious, the shockwaves leveled whole districts, the dust created huge choking clouds. Then the dropships came, The Collective came to finish us by hand."
--transmitted from remains of Summerville City, New Haven.
In the aftermath of the Collective strike on New Haven UNSC units scramble to extract essential personnel
A Pelican inbound over the remains of Summerville
The Pelican lands, the mission: locate and retrieve two UNSC scientists trapped in the area
The Scientists have gone to ground, they could be in one of three locations (UNSC roll to test, 5-6 for first, 3-6 second, and automatic for last)
The Collective roam the area hunting down survivors
Tavashar elites lead teams of Neeks
Naga lurk in the ruins
Fleet Marines debus from the Pelican, they fan out into the rubble
An NCO briefs alpha fire team and support echelon
Bravo fire team move on out
Alpha moves to eliminate a hotspot
Naga interrupt
A Neek squad interrups
Fortunately the support echelon were on Overwatch
The Naga are pummeled by fire, the survivor's nerve fails
The Neeks go down too, the Tavashar leader steadies their nerve
The Neeks fire on the Marines, wounding one
Marines return fire, killing one Neek, again the Tavashar leader holds the squad in check
Marines contact the hotspot, then...
...open up killing the Tavashar. Remarkably the Neeks' nerve still holds
Bravo team comes under fire
Overwatch takes down Neeks
Bravo adds to that score. The Elite holds the remaining Neek in check
Another Neek team interrupts Bravo
This time causing one casualty
Bravo's return fire is ineffectual
Bravo consolidate their position in the crater
A group of elites advance under cover of the rubble
Marines dig in, preparing overwatch placements
The collective gain reinforcements
Bravo medevacs its wounded and is reinforced by the NCO
Alpha medevacs
And secures the hotspot (by end of turn)
Overwatch is brutal.
The Collective response equally so
Bravo is down!
Elites adavance to finish the job off
Perhaps not, overwatch drops one elite
The Collective surge towards the vulnerable Marines
Overwatch does its job
This time the elite cannot hold the Neeks, they flee to safety
Its not looking so greta for the UNSC, they have been pinned back into their deployment area, at this rate they will never recover the scientists
We need a HERO!
A Hero for the morning light, he's got to be strong
And up for the fight... ...A Spartan is inserted via Drop-pod (random entry via hotspots)
More Naga appear, right next to the remains of the last group (this hotspot has had all the reinforcements so far!)
The two groups link up to form a new one
I spy with my little eye... ...nothing, no scientists here
But what's this?
BLAM BLAM
Why, its dead collective!
Meanwhile, elsewhere, the elites shoot up the NCO
Not so good for the UNSC
However, overwatch is sweet revenge. If only it had happened before the NCO got shot up
The Neeks take hits, but their nerve holds
Still holding
The Spartan closes on his next victims
Casually shooting up the Naga
Then lining up on the Elite's squad
Neek down
The Elite loses its nerve again
Overwatch makes it pay
The Naga engage the Spartan
They manage to take down his shield
The Neeks are back at it
Fire! One Neek down, morale holds
Return fire!, one Marine down, morale holds
Phew look at all those kill markers. This turn the Collective fail to get reinforcements
The UNSC push on, the Spartan advances into the crater
The Spartan finds the two scientists,
but he has other things to worry about, like the Naga over there
BLAMMO!, one down, one shrinks, no more Naga
"
Its just a flesh wound", the Marine is back into the fight (next turn)
Still, here?
Not for long
BRAAAAAAP! But their nerve holds!
The collective gets some reinforcements, a unit of Elites appear on the edge of the battle area
The Spartan gains dependents, time to get them outta Dodge
The Spartan hands off the scientists to the Marines
This is going to be close
Marines sprint across the street to provide cover for the scientists
They finally kill off one of the Neek squads. The other hunkers down in place
Run!
Next turn, things don't go well for the Collective, no reinforcements. Those Elites have along run ahead of them
Get
to
Tha
Choppa!
Chaaaarge!
Run away!
Hold in place
Zappo! the Elites take down the Spartan's shield
BLAMMO! the Spartan pays that forward
BRAAP! as does Overwatch
We are outta here!
The scientists are rescued from the battle area. The mission is a success
Phew!
Collective reinforcements appear (at that same hotspot, the smoke marker really works)
The Marines check on Bravo team, to find only the NCO can fight on. With the scientists rescued and their ride gone, the Marines now have to organise a fighting retreat to the next UNSC defense line for pick up
That was fun! The elites really made the Neek squads much tougher, without the Spartan there was no way the Marines would have been able to pull this mission off.
And now, scenery. I realized while playing that I made this destroyed building terrain nearly fifteen years ago. I was reading a set of rules (Crossfire, I think) and it had a 'how to make scenery' section. As I was a low-on-funds postdoc at the time I gave it a go, I'm pretty happy how they came out and for a set of bodged together terrain they have lasted really well. The craters and rubble were more recent presents.
I have new hotspot markers. I recently got a Plantetfall scenery box, in the box were these resin objective markers. I think they are pretty good, so they have become my latest scifi Ambush alley hotspot markers/general objectives.
While tidying up with post-game beer I got thinking about the other little-soldier related gifts and I remembered my favourite one of all. More on that in the next post.
Following on from the last post: This is the best wargaming-related gift I have ever received. 
15mm Aphid Gunboat, the ship that started it all. Straight from the pages of Space 1889, its a beauty, fully custom made.
Aphid crewed and ready for launch, I don't recall the manufacturer of the figs, Minifigs maybe?
Steam launch's small crew preps for a voyage. The steam launch saw extensive service either as a Royal Navy ship, or as transport for adventurer parties in VSF games (we used TSATF or GASLIGHT)
In the same box as the ships, a bonus find! A courier from Her Majesty's Aero-Bicycle corps races past the Aphid. There's a ton more VSF in storage, from raptor-riding Bengal Lancers to Hunters with unfeasibly large guns and Martian death machines. I guess one day I have to dig the toys out and play some VSF games.
