Gothic Demo at AFK – Stephen’s first game!

Before I begin with the battle report, I must show off a painting technique I saw at AFK.  A player there had a fantastic pre-heresy mostly Forgeworld Imperial Fist army.  He has a painting technique for the right-angled grooves in Space Marine vehicles that I found intriguing.  Here it is:

I had always thought to highlight the edges, but here you see that the edges are DARKENED.  I think it looks neat, and may try that on a future project…

But now, a BATTLE REPORT!

Recently, I’ve been cross-posting on the Battlefleet Gothic facebook group page.  (for those here from that, hi everyone!)  Stephen has long been a fan of Battlefleet Gothic, collecting a massive Imperial Navy fleet with a smaller Chaos fleet alongside it.  He’s even painted it all!  However, for twelve years, NO ONE HAS PLAYED BATTLEFLEET GOTHIC WITH HIM!

That changed last night.  Stephen came prepared with a nice 1500 point list, but having never played, I convinced him to play my (all too familiar) training scenario.  Luckily for him, he had the ships to play the Imperial Navy without borrowing any of mine!

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Battlefleet Gothic training scenario – Modified Cruiser Clash

Bozeman – Chaos

-Slaughter class cruiser Swiftboat of Truth

-Slaughter class cruiser Traitor’s Blade

-Carnage class cruiser Overkill, Chaos Lord (+2 Ld), re-roll.

-Murder class cruiser Domination

Stephen – Imperial Navy

-Lunar class cruiser, Commander (Ld 8), re-roll

-Lunar class cruiser

-Tyrant class cruiser

-Gothic class cruiser

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Setup:

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Turn 1 – Chaos

The Traitor’s Blade (left side pictured) goes on Come to a New Heading to maneuver around a gas cloud.  Other ships fire at the Gothic class and take down its shields.

Turn 1 – Imperial Navy

The two Lunar class ships fire torpedoes at the Traitor’s Blade.  Poor brace save rolls cripple it.  The Gothic and Tyrant fire torpedoes at the Carnage, but good brace saves protect against all but one damage.

Turn 2 – Chaos

Murder class and the Swiftboat of Truth go on Lock on, and damage the Tyrant class once, collapsing its shields with a lucky crit!  The Murder also turns its guns on the Lunar with the Imperial Commander, while the crippled Traitor’s Blade attempts a boarding action.  A poor roll gives the Traitor’s Blade two more damage.

Turn 2 – Imperial Navy

Tyrant class disengages.  The Gothic goes on Lock on.  Good brace saves protect the Carnage with the Chaos Lord and the Murder class.  The two Lunars gang up on the wounded Traitor’s Blade, with one going on Lock on.  Ironically, the Locked On ship does nothing, while the braced Commander’s ship does one more damage!

Turn 3 – Chaos

The Traitor’s Blade disengages (whew!) while the other Slaughter class, the Swiftboat of Truth goes on Come to a New Heading to get behind the Gothic.  Other ships maneuver.

Turn 3 – Imperial Navy

Lunar without the Commander goes on Come to a New Heading, however the Commander’s ship fails a Command Check, even with a re-roll!  The fleet wheels to face the remaining threats.

Turn 4 – Chaos

Slaughter class goes on Lock On while the rest go on Come to a New Heading to come about.  Fire gives the Gothic class FOUR damage, even through Brace!  Critical causes another Shields Collapsed result.

Turn 4 – Imperial Navy

Gothic disengages.  Commander’s Lunar goes on Come to a New Heading while the other Lunar Reloads Ordnance and fires, leaving the wave just shy of the Slaughter.

Turn 5 – Chaos

Slaughter takes one damage by flying through Torpedoes without bracing, and gets up close and personal with the Lunar that fired them.  Brace saves all but one damage but it it critical and damages the Port side weapons!  This is TERRIBLE.  Other Chaos ships Come to a New Heading again.

Turn 5 – Imperial Navy

Commander’s ship Reloads Ordnance, and the other Lunar repairs its Port weapons, too late to put them to use…

Turn 6 – Chaos

Murder goes on All Ahead Full to clear a gas cloud, but the Carnage fails a Command check, making it unable to Lock On!  Fire does no damage to the Lunar, despite three ships giving it everything.

Turn 6 – Imperial Navy

Commander’s ship fires Torpedoes at the Chaos Lord’s Carnage class, crippling it!  Despite having functional weapons, the other Lunar, being on Brace, holds fire to prevent the Torpedoes from having blast marker problems.

Turn 7 – Chaos

The fleet uses Come to a New Heading to wheel around.  The Murder class can’t hit the Lunar that doesn’t have the Commander.

Turn 7 – Imperial Navy

Commander’s ship Reloads Ordnance while the other Lunar Comes to a New Heading.  Commander fires torpedoes at the Chaos Lord’s crippled Carnage, but fails to hit.

Turn 8 – Chaos

Carnage with the Chaos Lord disengages.  Slaughter Comes to a New Heading.  Murder fires on the Lunar without the Commander aboard, but can’t do much but lower shields.

Turn 8 – Imperial Navy

Imperial Fleet disengages.

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Final Score

Bozeman – 104.5

Stephen – 111.25

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WOW!  What a nail biter!  It came close at the end.  Stephen is super excited to really play this game, as he’s wanted to for ages.  I’m glad I could oblige.  Hopefully next week I’m not working so we can play a different mission.

Next: a super secret project, some Epic Orks, and more Rules Compendium updates!