I played another solo game last night (Saturday is usually gaming night with my group but there was nothing in the offing this week due to staff Christmas parties and whatnot) and thought I'd post an account since people have asked (I apologise for the lack of pics but my camera doesn't have a macro setting). A simple take-and-hold mission set against the neverending backdrop of inter-corporate warfare during the Imperial era. The two forces consisted of:
Company- 2 fireteams, each of 4 combat employees, one heavy support employee and one company lieutenant. The force was led by special character Orson Xymox.
Mercenaries- 3 squads, each of 4 riflemen, 1 gunner and 1 officer. The force was led by 1 merc battlesuit trooper (who are leaders as well).
I'm not very good at recounting turn-by-turn-who-rolled-what but I shall attempt to recount the events of last night's game interspersed with narrative. Here goes:
* Orson Xymox surveyed the depot through his helmet’s MAG-reticle. One squad of merc troops stood sentry atop the hill where the small power generator was situated. They appeared to be well equipped, sporting newly issued tactical battledress with integral ballistic plate and well maintained assault rifles which they handled in a way that indicated they knew how to use them. The squad leader conferred with a figure clad in Nakatomi type-6 powered armour which looked to be packing a support Gyrobolter. 'Must be the boss' he thought 'to be sporting that kind of kit.' He switched to tactical overhead and looked at the tacsat image of the area. Another squad lurked behind a small hillock on his left while a third waited in a similar position on the right. 'Tsk tsk, has no imagination this one. This won’t take long.' He tongued his helmets comm to squad address; “Alright lads its going to down like this: Singh, take your lads around the right behind that big rock formation and get their attention. There’s a squad out there behind the small hill and you’ll be exposed to fire from the generator position so move quick. Ledebur, move your team up the left behind the mesa and flank them. You’ve also got a squad in front of you so be sharp. I’ll go up the middle and draw their fire. Questions?” There were none. “Well then, last minute checks all around. We move in five. Remember the shareholders back home!” *
The initial turn saw the Company troops moving up each flank using large rock formations for cover. There was some brief fire exchanged and the merc squad holding the generator hill suffered casualties which resulted in supression. The leader jumped about and hit nothing. The remainder of the merc fire was ineffective.
* He hit the ground at an awkward angle, his armour’s autogyros compensating and keeping him upright. Just. From either side he heard the tell tale popping that indicated a firefight was in progress. He paused a moment to check his tacsat display. Singh’s team were trading fire with the generator’s garrison and seemed to be getting the better of the exchange. As he watched a Merc was punched off his feet by a burst from the team’s support weapon. 'I love the 227 NuGatling' he though as he watched the gunner spin the barrels in order to cool them 'I really should mount one on this beast.' His own Dreadnought suit sported a pair of sunguns, high power thermal weapons which could melt the side off a tank. You had to be almost point-blank though. Hitting power bought at the expense of range. He triggered his over-the-shoulder rack and sent a missile down the field towards his opposite number, the power armoured leader of the merc detachment. He cursed silently as it missed, his enemy powering away on his jetpack thrusters, sending a spray of bolter fire towards Ledeburs’ team. Hmm Orson grunted as he watched the bolt rounds hit nothing 'Fires wild. Amateur.' *
Turn two saw some intense firefights on the right flank of the Company's advance. The mercs defending that flank had worked their way up to the base of a small hillock behind which a company fireteam was sheltering. The ensuing exchange saw the mercs wiped out to a man and the company men down to three remaining, one of which was then potted by the merc leader from across the field. The company men passed their quality check however and bravely held their ground (motivated by thoughts of their bonuses no doubt). The left flank force continued to advance exchanging fire the whole time with the mercs facing them which, once again, the company men got the better of. During all this, Xymox himself jumped into the objective compound and proceeded to fire his missile pack at the enemy battlesuit but missed.
Company turn three saw the right flank fireteam holding their position and trading ineffectual fire with the remains of the merc squad around the generator. The left flank firefight resulted in the bulk of the mercs on that flank being taken out in exchange for one company man. By the mercs turn three there was little left of the merc force (four riflemen and the battlesuit). Faced with an unscathed dreadnought suit and two intact (if somewhat thinned out) company fireteams, the mercs chose to ground arms.
The research station was firmly in company hands!
*Orson made a short hop to the top of the compound entrance in order to survey the field with his own eyes. The scattered handful of Mercs that remained had thrown down their weapons when he had powered into the yard, to within sungun range of the survivors. Singh and the sole other survivor of his team, the gunner, covered the Mercs while Ledeburs and his team checked out the compound entrance and the vehicles parked nearby. Of the power armoured leader there was no sign. 'Well' he thought to himself 'the board will be pleased despite 50% casualties.' Indeed they would too. The proceeds off the fruits of another corporation’s research were considerable given the savings on R&D overhead spending. Far more than enough to offset the monetary losses they had suffered in the form of six dead combat employees. At least their families would be looked after. Orson cracked his armour’s helmet and breathed in fresh air (or as fresh as the mildly chlorinated air of Yahd-7 ever got). Looking around again he felt the satisfaction of a job well done. 'Objective captured intact, acceptable losses, high return on investment. Yessir, the board will be pleased.' *
It was a fun little game. Points weren't exactly on as I was just fooling around myself so I threw down with what looked good. Company troops tend to be of higher quality than those of other forces and better equipped so a few more mercs wouldn't have hurt. BS is a nice snappy little system with some simple mechanics that allow for pretty quick decision to be reached. I have some imperial and redemption troops coming in the mail and am looking forward to more BS action in the future (hopefully with photos!).
