mission critical 40K; operation biting

Design note;

Adapted to 40K from operation biting in war games illustrated 52 based of the British special force operation of the same name in 1941.

Overview;

The planet of Spandex IV is deep in revolt. To aid their insurrection the rebels have uncovered an STC system which enables them to create warp missiles capable of destroying imperial cruisers in deep orbit. One such missile site has been located and in order to determine how the missile work and to develop effective counter measures a space marine strike force has been dispatched to the site with orders to secure the area and retrieve vital components from the missile. The plan of attack is to deploy a strike force via HALO (high altitude low opening), which will secure the site and retrieve components. While an extraction force will evac the strike force after they have completed their mission.

Set-up;

The table above shows the main features of the battle feild.

Forces;

Space Marines (attacker)

Main strike force

In order keep up the element of surprise the marines are deploying via high altitude low opening insertion. There is enough pods to deploy thirty five marines. The marine player must pick 35 models from the list below.

1 Tech marine (with up to 25 points of war gear)

0-4 Technical servitors (count as independent characters for the mission)

0-1 Space marine commander (with up to 25 points of war gear)

0-4 Veteran sergeants (each with up to 15 points of war gear)

0-6 Specialists (each specialist may take a single special weapon; one in two specialist may take a heavy weapon instead)

20+ marines (can be either tactical or assault marines, assault marines cannot carry jump packs)

The techmarine, commander and technical servitors count as independent characters. The other marines must be grouped into squads, with a minimum unit size of three.

Extraction force

3 Rhinos (each can carry up twelve marines and can carry more than one squad)

Servants of Slaughter* (from IA7, defending)

@ the bunker

1 fire support squad (with one autocannon team)

@ the missile site

1 Militia squad (10 militia with one grenade launcher)

@ outpost 1

Beastman attack squad, 20 beastman armed with laspistols, pack master and one flamer. The unit also has a attached enforcer equipped with bolt pistol and close combat weapon.

@ outpost 2

1 Militia platoon consisting of,

-command squad with four men and a champion. The squad is equipped with Missile launcher and vox. The champion has a laspistol and close combat weapon).

-2 militia squads each with ten men. One equipped with a flamer, the other with a plasma gun. Both have Voxs.

In addition the defender has 10 militia sentries (see special rules). Which start the game on table in any location.

Off table (see reinforcement’s special rule)

Roll a D6 and check below,

1;

1 Armoured fist squad. Consisting of

One infantry squad, with ten men, with missile launcher and grenade launcher in a chimera with a multi laser and heavy bolter.

2;

1 Militia platoon consisting of,

-command squad. Equipped with Missile launcher and vox. The champion has a laspistol and close combat weapon).

-2 militia squads. One equipped with heavy bolter the other with a plasma gun. Both have Voxs.

3;

1 Mutant rabble. Consisting of 30 mutants. The unit also has an attached Priest equipped with bolt pistol and close combat weapon.

4;

1 Disciples of Xaphan squad. Consisting of with 10 Disciples, the squad has two grenade launchers and one melta gun. The squad has a rhino for transport.

5;

1 Leman Russ battle tank. Consisting of with battlecannon and hull mounted heavy weapon.

6;

1 Sentinel squadron. consisting of three Sentinels armed with multilasers.

Deployment and who goes first;

The on table defenders are deployed within 6" of starting location.

The marines are deployed via HALO (see HALO special rules).

Marines get the first turn.

Before the game begins the marine player must secretly write down on what turn he wants his extraction force arrives on.

Special rules;

Sentries

The game starts with the defender's force stood down. His units are resting, sleeping eating, etc and are not ready for a fight. However, sentries patrol the area to ensure nobody can sneak into the base.

The Defenders units excluding the sentries may not move, shoot or assault until the alarm is raised.

Sentries spot enemy units whenever they move within initiative range and can then raise the alarm.

Weapon fire except sniper rifles raise the alarm.

If a sentry is killed the model is not removed and if another sentry comes within initiative range of it he can raise the alarm.

At the start of the sentries turn both player roll a D6 the player who rolls the highest can move the sentries in any direction to the distance indicated on the dice. If the roll is a tie then the defending player can move the sentries.

Once the alarm is raised the defenders units can move as normal.

HALO entry

In order to get the element of surprise the Marines are deploying via HALO.

For each marine squad the attacking player take a small piece of paper or chits each marine in the squad, roughly 1"x1", and write down what one marine is armed with, e.g. space marine with bolter or tech marine. Then hold the chits for each squad shoulder length above the intended drop site and release the chits on to the table. Once the chits have landed replace them with the appropriate marine model. Models which end up in difficult terrain are automatically wound with save allowed, models which end up in impassable terrain an killed outright.

Squads which are outside of squad coherence after the HALO must try to get back into coherence as quickly as possible.

Data download;

In order to retrieve the parts from the missile the tech marine or technical servitor must spend D3 turns in contact with the missile. While attempting the data download the model can do nothing and effect assaulted must restart the data download after the combat is over.

Reinforcements

On the defender turn after the alarm raised the defender can attempt to call in reinforcements. Roll a D6, on a 6 reinforcements have arrived and the defender can roll on the off table defenders table. For each subsequent turn the defender can roll an extra dice e.g. three turns after the alarm has been raised the defender rolls 3 D6. Each 6 allows for a roll on the off table defenders table.

The newly arrived defenders arrive at a random point on any table edge. Roll a scatter dice where the arrow is the entry point.

Victory conditions;

If the tech marine or a technical servitor completes a data download and exits from the marine table edge then the marine win otherwise the Servants of Slaughter win.