We started our HH escalation League tonight.
We were starting with 500 pts, then 1000, 2000 and finally 3500 in the fourth week.
Tonight saw two battles. We have two loyalist players and four traitors.
The Sons of Horus brutal assault on Kerberos had pushed through the Imperial Fists defenses and deep into the heart of the moon. Followed on by small units of Alpha Legion the Sons of Horus infected the Mechanicum defenses with scrap code leaving the servitors babbling, useless machinery or turning them into random homicidal monsters, targeting anything that fires within their defensive orbit.
The Mechanicum is trying to get back into the systems to reactivate the defenses. Having lain in wait while the invaders ripped through the winding tunnels making of the moon the Mechanicum now appears in the rear of the invaders trying desperately to bring their servitors back on-line.
The Alpha Legion has detected the threat and summoned some squads from the XVIth legion to help them destroy the interlopers.
Luke will play against Dylan and Vince. Luke's goal will be to destroy half of the traitor forces, Dylan and Vine will be trying to destroy 75% of the Mechanicum troops.
If either goal is met at the end of any full turn, the game ends. If both goals are met it is a draw.
There will be a secondary "objective" for the loyalists where any of their characters can get to a command station and try to gain control of the servitors.
Rules for the servitors:
At the end of each sides turn both players take 1 dice for each 3 models that were removed from play that turn. These dice are divided between the two sides with any extra die going to the player whose turn it was.
Sarting with that player each side picks an enemy unit and rolls their die. If the result is equal to or less than the number of models in the unit that unit takes d3 wounds from servitor attacks.
So if it is Lukes turn and 10 models died that turn, there would be 3 dice. The traitors and loyalist would split the die, so one each, with the remaining die going to the loyalists as it was their turn.
Luke picks a unit of Sons of Horus terminators that started with 5 models but is down to 4. He rolls a 3, that unit then takes d3 wounds.
Then Dylan takes the traitor die and picks a unit of Mymidons with 3 models. He rolls and gets a 4, that unit suffers no wounds.
Then Luke picks another unit and rolls again.
If the Mechanicum forces make it to the control room they get to try to gain control over the servitors that turn. If one of their characters, not just independent characters but any characters, are in the control room they can roll a d6 to disrupt the scrap code. On a 4+ they are successful and then any dice generated that turn go to the loyalists. Otherwise the dice are split as above.
As the battle near the Kthonic gate unfolds, one ship slips through. Almost invisible and moving faster than the rest, the ship absorbs the odd incoming attack and instead of replying seeks to escape the battlesphere.
One of the few Vth Legion ships in the defense fleet notices this behaviour and breaks ranks with the rest of the defense fleet and gives chase.
Faster than any other Legion, the White Scars are surprised that they are only just gaining on the enemy and soon both ships are tearing through the Kuiper belt exchanging desultory fire.
As they head towards Makemake, the lead slip slows and the Vth Legion vessels slips past, each ship giving a heart broadside as they pass.
As maneuverable as they are fast, the White Scars are soon around again. The resulting combat is not fierce enough to screen a landing ship headin down to the planetoid.
The now identified XVth Legion vessels attempts to disengage and draw the White Scar frigate away from Makemake, happily they pursue but not before dispatching their own lander to investigate this odd course of events.
On the surface the White Scars find and enter an abandoned Mechanicum complex in search of the Thousand Sons. As they arrive at their destination the traitors turn and plan to ambush the loyalists.
Ben will field his Thousand Sons forces against my White Scars. Dean will have his daemonic forces in reserve. At the beginning of each of the traitor turns Dean will be able to roll for each of his units not on the table. On a 3+ the daemons will be able to be placed anywhere on the table 9" or more away from a Vth Legion unit. This counts as that units movement for that turn. They may shoot or charge if possible, but they may not move or run on the turn they arrive.
At the heart of the battlefield is a clearing where an ancient stone dais stands. This forgotten fane is at the intersection of a number of ley lines that cross the dwarf planet. Any psychic powers used while the psyker is on this area get a +1 bonus to one aspect of the power, so they might be +1 S or +1 to their range or something. It will depend on the power, we'll figure it out at the time.
The Thousand Sons win a major victory if they wipe out all of the White Scars.
The White Scars win a major victory if they kill the Thousand Sons commander.