Skricket's Tails, part 1

Skricket's Tails, part 1

The first work of fiction on this blog, it's just a bit of fun. More serious stories are in progress. However, this mini story should give you a taster of some game rules to come... not just a new ship, but a new(ish) race...

"Not your tails, your BACKS!!" Gunleader Skricket screeched. Honestly, give a rat a tail and it forgets it has any other muscles. The turnover of slaves on labour crew was always so high, it was teacher day every day. One of the lashers swung at and tore the back off a rat on the safety lock crew. Skricket scowled. Lashes were best kept as a threat and saved for dramatic effect. He twisted his tuft of whiskers, considering whether to rebuke the lasher, when Deckleader Garitti yelled from behind "get-get a move on Skritchit! Can't you control your own slaves?!"

Skricket bristled at the humiliation. He stuck his nose in the air and sniffed haughtily, as if the supervision of a higher rank was unnecessary and a waste of his time. Just as he was mulling over plan Kill-Garitti-And-Take-His-Job-Version-6B-Attempt-Two, alarms and sirens bleated overhead and an incomprehensible voice snarled something over the voice box.

Skricket swaggered to the nearest viewport, grabbed a nearby ratling and wiped the filfth off with it, then nodded smugly as if the three approaching green-thing ships were just as he suspected. He marched towards his turner-rat lashers and squealed coordinates. A third-nail on the left hand angle of fire would be sufficient, as the enemy was banking. He smirked at his own cleverness. Not many gunleaders understood fire control well enough to measure angles of fire.

One of the shouters, with an oozing scar for a left ear, was a little slow at passing on the order to the fourth wheel-team, so Skricket shot him and called for a replacement volunteer. A big black-eyed rat had a guttural snarl which was mightily impressive, so Skricket gestured his promotion in the haughtiest arm-wave he could. Black-eyes took well to the passing on of orders, but he was very large for a slave-crew, so Skricket decided to keep an eye on him.

All this took place in the fifteen seconds it took for three hundred slaves to pull, run on, yank, jump on, dangle and gnaw at the aiming wheels enough to turn the cannon as per Skricket's instructions. One rat got stuck in the breech, never mind, its gore would provide a good lubricant for the seal. Another couple got fingers trapped and howled with pain, but never mind, the slaves would dine well on damaged comrade flesh, and slaves were easily replaced.

Skricket, of course, considered himself the most valuable rat on the ship. Norat else could run a gun like him. He sighed and leant on a control panel. The order for the deck fire should come from Deckleader Garitti. The order to fire came barely three seconds after Skricket's gun was ready, but not before Skricket had elaborately raised an eyebrow and stage-whispered "gun's ready, where's the deck order?."

At least three of his officers glanced curiously up at Garitti. Skricket smirked inside. He was a veteran at this game. Constant suggestion of his superior's ineptitude and quiet assertion of his own superiority would maintain the respect of his underlings, as far as any rat could truly respect an officer anyway, maybe just enough to keep him alive another shift...

New Ship (Tyranid Queenship)

Tyranid Queenship (430 points)

This ship profile represents the giant Norn Queens described in much of the Tyranid fiction.

Type/Hits	Speed		Turns	Shields	Armour		Spores
Battleship/20	15cm		45*	-	5+		6
Armament		Range/Speed		Firepower/Str.		Fire Arc
One Prow Weapon		See below		-		-
One Thorax Weapon		See below		-		-
Six Port/Starboard Weapons		See below		-		-

For every two Hive Ships you take as normal from the fleet list, you may take one Queenship. Additionally, you may take 0-4 Cruisers per Queenship.

When choosing weapons, the Queenship has the same options as a Hive Ship, except she can take up to 6 Port/Starboard weapons instead of 3, and the Firepower/Strength of all her Prow and Thorax weapons are double what a Hive Ship is.

A Queenship counts as a Hive Ship in all special rules concerning instinctive behaviour and hive mind control, except she can overrule instinctive behaviour at an increased distance of 60cm.

 

Comment

Taking a Queenship isn't just taking two Hive Ships in one. It makes controlling your fleet easier, means your flagship can take more hits and will absolutely bloody slaughter anything it boards, but remember that your Spore rating isn't as good as two Hive Ships put together, plus you're only one target for hit-and-run-attacks and other special effects.

Sparius Partius (Spare Parts Tray)

Captain Ruthius stood powerfully at the bridge of the Grand Arbiter. The sprawling dockyards of Sparius Partius were arrayed for miles beneath him, layer upon layer of harbours, hangars, docking clamps and lifting cranes. It might look disorganised, but could refit any standard pattern ship in the Imperial Navy in a matter of days, and a few non-standard patterns to boot! The Grand Arbiter had taken heavy damage to her port broadside array, but Ruthius was fully confident in the colossal workbenches of Sparius Partius to rectify this situation and send him swiftly back out, ready to bring fire anew to the darkness of the void.

Meanwhile in the 21st Century, I have assembled a mighty replica of the great dockyards of Sparius Partius, using a toolbox organiser from Poundland (because I'm classy). When turned upside down the lid has a pretty good fit, only the smallest of antenna are capable of slipping into another niche, but not out of the box, so I'm very happy. One Great British Pound well spent!

All my spare parts are here: Clockwise and starting from the outside from top-left, we have: an extra-large compartment for hulls (2.5 Imperial Cruisers) and bridges; Eldar parts, Imperial antennae, Chaos antennae, Chaos launch bays, Imperial launch bays, (I have so many launch bays it's irritating), Imperial weapon batteries, Imperial lance arrays, Imperial turrets, Chaos turrets. Moving inside, in a counter-clockwise direction now: Chaos lances (only a lonely pair), Chaos weapon batteries and Imperial prow parts (all Nova Cannon but one).

And hey, I found out today that the pointy-prow-bit-on-an-Imperial-cruiser-which-isn't-a-nova-cannon is actually supposed to represent a Power Ram. Who knew! Now I don't feel quite so bad about most of my ships missing anything on the prow at all...

New Ship (Necron Reclamation)

Reclamation Class Raider (65 points)

Cities silent, factories deserted, defence magazines half-spent… a dozen Imperial worlds have been found in a state that can only be described as ‘harvested’. Although any Necron vessel in numbers is capable of such a feat, a newly identified class seems to specialise in it.

Data retrieved from harvested human worlds has revealed some information about them. The Reclamation is a planetary assault ship, boasting scant firepower but containing entire legions of Necron infantry and support units. It is theorised that a single Reclamation contains as many troops as a Scythe Class Harvest Ship, perhaps even more. It has the speed to bypass system defences, skirmish screens and escort squadrons, and perform a devastating multi-portal attack, either to a planet or to a ship.

Shortly after the existence of the Reclamation became known, but not widely circulated, the Gothic-class cruiser Redemption’s Pain detected abnormal vessel signals closing fast. Moments later, she was boarded by teleport from a full squadron of Reclamation class ships. By the time the Redemption’s Pain’s escorts had turned to fire on the raiders, the damage was done. Every hand on the cruiser was lost within less than three minutes of detecting the raiders. Only one fleeing escort survived to report this data back to command.

All threatened sectors are being briefed to watch for harvest raids from Reclamations, and fleets are being urged to cover their flanks and rear more heavily than ever, as a squadron of these new vessels amassing their hit-and-run attacks followed by a joint boarding is a match even for the greatest of Battleships, and will slaughter anything smaller.

 

Type/Hits	Speed		Turns	Shields	Armour		Turrets
Escort/1	40cm		90*	(6+ save)	6+		0
Armament		Range/Speed		Firepower/Str.		Fire Arc
Lightning arc		30cm		2		Front
Portal		10cm		2		All around

Notes
Reclamations double their hitpoints when calculating boarding values. Additionally, to determine the maximum HP Necron escorts can board, a squadron including any Reclamations adds to the normal limit of 6 HP the number of Reclamation ships in the squadron who are also boarding that ship (e.g. 6+6 HP for 6 Reclamations).

In a planetary assault scenario, a Reclamation class raider within 30cm of the planet’s edge in low orbit scores 2 assault points each turn instead of one.

Comment
My brother and I tested a squadron of these ships against an Imperial Cruiser. My poor cruiser was completely disabled by hit-and-run/portal criticals long before it lost its hull-points. Reclamations are brutal in a sudden assault against a lone ship, but as Escorts are vulnerable to any return fire from a supporting ship, exactly my design intention. Hopefully this adds a new dimension to the Necron fleet which is interesting, storyful and requires careful tactical thinking to use effectively. What do you think? :-)

New Ship (Chaos Agony)

Agony Class Light Cruiser (130 points)

 

The Agony class is a variant of the newly popular Torment class, and account for a quarter to a third of all the newly built Chaos light cruisers. Agonies typically use their speed to intercept or pursue a convoy of transports, then release their deadly nest of attack craft. Only one Agony has ever been hulked by Imperial forces, the majority use their speed and manoeuvrability to escape and disengage if threatened by serious military force.

The Wrathbringer was hulked by the Dauntless class Exemplar of Perth after being hounded by the Inem Via squadron of escorts. Imperial fleets in sectors with increased sightings of Chaos Light Cruisers are bringing more and more escorts and light cruisers of their own in response to this threat.

A few Warmasters use light cruisers to bulk out their fleets of large cruisers, rather than to enact skirmishes and pursuits, particularly they are more easily constructed at poorly-resourced worlds. Such light cruisers are usually of the Agony pattern, increasing the attack craft capacity of the fleet at a reasonably low cost. The Fallen Pains squadron which ravaged the Decate system was comprised of one ancient Devastation-class cruiser and two newly built Agonies, a lethal combination of carriers.

 

Type/Hits	Speed		Turns	Shields	Armour		Turrets
Cruiser/6	30cm		90*	1	5+		1
Armament		Range/Speed		Firepower/Str.		Fire Arc
Prow weapons b.		30cm		2		Front/left/right
Dorsal launch bay		Swiftdeath: 30cm Doomfire: 20cm		2		-

 

Famous Ships

Wrathbringer, Scourge of Andrias

 

Notes

Agonies have advanced thrusters which provide +5d6 to movement when on All Ahead Full orders instead of +4d6. They also possess advanced sensor and communication arrays and adds +1 to its Leadership value after rolling.

The Wrathbringer can remove this sensor array, losing the Leadership bonus, to increase its prow weapons battery to Firepower 6 at no extra cost.

Any Agony class may take Dreadclaw Assault Boats for +10 points.


Comment
Well, there we have the third of the Chaos Light Cruisers. I've tried to differentiate them in construction and tactics from any existing vessel while making them interesting and useful in game. Let me know what you think!

New Ship (Chaos Flagellant)

Flagellant Light Cruiser (110 points)

The Flagellant class is a simplistic and fearsome vessel, designed solely for close combat. Weapon batteries are mounted dorsally, with the would-be-broadsides dedicated to extra teleports and point-blank assault craft, the prow reinforced and optimised for ramming, and the crew utterly murderous.

Flagellants pose their greatest threat when able to launch a surprise flanking attack on an already-damaged vessel, although some less cerebral Warmasters have been known to charge these ships in first to soften up Imperial forces before following with traditional cruisers. Flagellants are seldom seen working with the Agony class light carrier, and only occasionally with the Torment class. Flagellant captains tend to view tactical thinking as unnecessary and boring.
 

Type/Hits	Speed		Turns	Shields	Armour		Turrets
Cruiser/6	30cm		90*	1	6+ front/5+		1
Armament		Range/Speed		Firepower/Str.		Fire Arc
Dorsal weapons b.		30cm		6		Front/left/right

Famous Ships

Riptearer, Screamer, Red Annihilation

Notes

Flagellants have advanced thrusters which provide +5d6 to movement when on All Ahead Full orders instead of +4d6. Additionally, they possess a variety of close combat devices on the prow: claws, buzzsaws, drills, melta dischargers, and devices similar to Imperial power rams. A Flagellant which rams another vessel does 1 automatic HP of damage in addition to the normal ramming damage.

Flagallant crews are always fanatical and brutal, loaded with every possible close-combat device. They double their hitpoints for boarding purposes as well as gaining a +1 bonus to hit and run attacks.

New Ship (Imperial Ironclad)

Imperial Ironclad Class Cruiser (180 points)

The Ironclad is the brainchild of Planetary Governor Abel Stanten, of the mining world Agraxos II. Lacking any Battleship force in his surrounding area, and reasoning that the endurance of a lead ship in a cruiser squadron is more important than its offensive ability, he ordered two damaged Lunar class cruisers to be refitted with additional armour instead of reinstating the prow-mounted and some of the side-mounted weaponry. The result was a class able to take enormous punishment while acting as a lynchpin for the rest of a cruiser squadron to operate around.

After initial success against Ork pirates, the two Ironclads were overhauled from the inside out, and an additional ship was built from scratch by the mining world, and named for its governor. All compartments and bulkheads were reinforced with quadruple-concentrate rockcrete, additional spaced armour and ablative plating was added to the prow and sides. Additional failsafe systems were installed for the plasma drives, more efficient energy overflows for the weapons systems, and other features ensuring maximum durability against both artillery and boarding parties. Reduced weapon systems meant the number of crew required to man the ship was cut by nearly 30%. Although this results in fewer defenders against boarding actions, the additional defences and segmenting of the compartments which do contain crew balances this out.
 

Type/Hits	Speed		Turns	Shields	Armour		Turrets
Cruiser/8	20cm		45*	2	6+/5+ rear		2
Armament		Range/Speed		Firepower/Str.		Fire Arc
Port lance b.		30cm		2		Left
Starb. lance b.		30cm		2		Right
Port weapons b.		30cm		4		Left
Starb. weapons b.		30cm		4		Right

 

Famous Ships

Abel Stanten, Agraxos, Iron Fist

Notes

The Ironclad class is somewhat cumbersome, and cannot use Come To New Heading special orders. However, the ship gains +1 Leadership when attempting a Brace For Impact order, and all critical hits against the prow are ignored (instead of counting as the next result on the table).

The Abel Stanten may upgrade its turret array from 2 to 3 at a cost of +10 points.

The Ironclad class can be modelled by halving the width of the Weapons Batteries (a quarter off of each end) and filling the gaps with massive armour plating. The torpedo launchers on the prow should also be plated over.

Battle Report: Eldar vs Necrons (1000 pts)

Battle Report: Eldar vs Necrons (1000 pts)

 

As anyone familiar with these races in Battlefleet Gothic will know, Eldar are a tricky race to fight against for most factions; but the Necrons are even harder.

Necrons also are very well equipped, to be honest over-equipped, to fight Eldar. Their weapon batteries ignore Eldar’s holofield gunnery penalties; their lances ignore Eldar’s holofield 2+ saves(!); their star pulse generators are an area effect ignoring holofields; their portals are countered by shields – not holofields… you get the idea. To be honest, if I ever fight a race other than Necrons (my brother’s only favoured fleet), I’ll probably forget I even have holofields!

We used 1,000 points, no terrain (still gaining familiarity with the rules), the Rulebook PDF, Armada Expansion PDF, and the 2010 FAQ Compendium for clarifications and major changes.

 

Eldar Corsairs

• 1 Shadow class Cruiser, Pirate Prince with one Leadership re-roll
• 3 Hellebore class frigatess
• 2 Hellebore class frigaes

• 4 Aconite class frigates
• 3 Nightshade class frigates

Fortunately for me, I rolled exceptionally high for Leadership, 9 for the Shadow (10 due to the Prince), 10 the Hellebore trio, 9 the Hellebore pair, 7 for Aconites and 10 for the Nightshades. Only the Aconites had low leadership, and they don’t have ordnance, so it’s not so much of a problem. Additionally, I got the sunward edge on my Abeam side, letting me jump toward and away from the Necrons with ease! I was fairly confident that these chance advantages would compensate for the major weaponry advantages which Necrons gain against Eldar.

The Eldar models are works-in-progress, bought from a variety of listings on eBay, which I will be restoring and painting into a coherent force in the months to come!

 

Necron Fleet

• 1 Tomb Ship (represented by the Space Marine on scenic base)

• 1 Scythe Harvester (represented by the Imperial Cruiser)

• 2 Jackal class Raiders (represented by Imperial Sword class Frigates)

• 3 Dirge class Raiders (represented by Imperial Cobra class Destroyers)

The Necrons are all proxied, as we cannot justify buying actual models at the prices these go for. (I’m also emigrating next month, and my brother doesn’t wish to buy a whole fleet he may never use again!)

 

Set Up

 

The Necrons set up in the top-right hand corner, Dirges screening Jackals screening the Scythe and Tombship.

My Eldar were deployed as you can see. The Aconites are far-right, hoping to scare with WB Firepower 20! The Nightshades are to their port side, hoping to torpedo the middle of the board. The Hellebore pair are out front and centre-left, probably to pop some lance shots and retreat; the Hellebore trio are screening the Shadow.

In the centre of the table are my housekeys and a compact mirror. I had to empty my haversack for something, don’t mind me!

Another shot of deployment, looking from the sunward edge, can be seen here:

 

 

First Turn

 

 

The Necrons advance and turn a little to the centre. No shooting.

On my first turn, I advance, drop torpedoes, and scoot backwards. It’s unlikely I’ll do any damage, but I’m hoping he will either split up, retreat, or come to the sunward edge (making it easier to flank him with my Aconites and Nightshades).

I trust to my high leadership to be able to reload ordnance next round…

The tub of coins was for blast markers. Then we remembered that we won't need any unless the ordnance gets shot down. Then we forgot to place any when that happened anyway.

 

Second Turn

 

Necrons advance into the centre, again no shooting except at torpedoes. He doesn’t want to use All Ahead Full, Come to New Heading, or break up his forces, so they just advance ballsily right up to those torpedoes. Mmhmm!

I get a perfect round of passes to reload ordnance, and drop another turn of torpedoes towards him, before ducking back out. I leave my Aconites, my most expendable squadron, closest, followed by the Hellebore pair. No hullpoints lost yet this game, but it’s not looking too bad. After all, some of those torps will make contact, right?

 

Third Turn

 

The Necron Tomb Ship took out two Aconite Frigates (110 points), but two rounds of torpedoes annihilate his Raider class ships, and even knock two HP off the Tomb Ship! That’s 140 points of Frigates including the best-armed two, for the lost of my least useful ships. So far it’s looking okay…. I reload ordnance and drop another wave of torps…

Fourth Turn

 

The Shadow takes some hullpoints of damage, while torpedoes remove his last Raiders. I throw my frigates across the far edge, hoping to get behind his Tomb Ship while he chases the Shadow. Alas, I misjudge this poorly…

 

Fifth turn

Alas! These are all the ships left on the board: my Shadow class went down to the Scythe, and I lost my pair of Hellebores. That’s a 340 point loss, plus by Pirate Prince of 125 points! He has 775 points of ships remaining to my 385…

My frigates do some small damage to the Tomb Ship, but roll poorly for the Pulsar Lances which really matter. I think I also failed a reload ordnance test. I try to come behind it, but most of them end up abeam instead.

I’m forgetting, of course, that most Necron weaponry is one of an Eldar player’s worst fears….. all-round

 

Sixth Turn

 

Star Pulse Generator.

Particle Whip.

Lightning Arc.

...

Many brave corsairs are lost to the Tomb Ship, leaving only two Hellebores.

This is the last picture taken in the battle report; I think I conceded. Necron Weaponry has too many 45cm all-round or L/F/R arcs; perhaps I could snipe some Imperial or Ork ships in this setup, but not Necrons – who still have their Inertialess Drives to boomerang around the board and catch up.

All in all, some grave errors in my manoeuvring late-game cost me another defeat in my 100% loss record this month.

Some day…

 

Rematch

We refought this with the same fleets, Leadership and sunward edge. I tried a frontal assault with Lock-On orders. Except, of course, I spend the first turn sniping, so I couldn’t use Lock-On as I had to turn to face my enemy. Nevertheless, I crippled the Scythe in turn 2 (the Tomb Ship was out of range by a centimetre), hooray! Then I was wiped out even quicker than before by Star Pulses and Lighting Arcs. I don’t have enough pictures of this game for a comprehensive report, though.

Next time, I’ll be bringing a revised list, with an Eclipse in place of a Shadow, and with Hemlocks in place of Aconites (maybe drop a Hellebore or Nightshade or two too) to get more wonderful Pulsar Lances! I also have some Aurora cruisers I need to build… Five lances just aren’t enough… I’m thinking ten? Fifteen?