Battlefleet Gothic week three!

The Gothic campaign is alive and well!  Last night was going to be our last night if our third player, Rob, did not show.  However, he did, and won a spectacular victory!

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Escalating Engagement – 1000 points

Azure Flames Space Marines

-Battlebarge His Anvil

-Strike Cruiser Vigilance, extra shield (sub plot gave +1 Ld, -1 Shield)

-Strike Cruiser Sacrifice, extra shield

-Hunter Destroyer squadron x5, Vengeance Squadron

-Hunter Destroyer squadron x5, Wrath Squadron

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Imperial Navy Segmentum Tempestus Bastion Fleet

-Mars class Battlecruiser, extra turret, left shift, Admiral (Ld 8, 1 Re-roll)

-Tyrant Cruiser, longer range batteries, Nova Cannon

-Gothic Cruiser

-Dauntless Light Cruiser (lance)

-Cobra Squadron x4

-Firestorm Squadron x3

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The Imperial Navy deploys the Gothic class, and the Azure Flames deploy a Hunter squadron.

Turn 1 – Imperial Navy

Gothic class moves toward the Hunters.  Marker with a squadron of the Mars and the Tyrant is deployed.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 1 – Azure Flames

Hunters approach the Gothic and fire 10 Boarding torpedoes which move just short of the Gothic.  Marker with the other hunters is deployed.

Turn 2 – Imperial Navy

Gothic attempts to Burn Retros and fails, so it hits the Boarding Torpedoes.  Brace for impact fails, and a whopping five Engine Room Damaged results, crippling it!  The Gothic disengages.  The Mars and Tyrant miss with their Nova Cannons.  Mars launches fighters and bombers.  Dauntless marker placed.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 2 – Azure Flames

The Hunter squadron disengages, and another Hunter squad arrives.  They fire Boarding torpedoes.  Fighters and bombers approach.

Turn 3 – Imperial Navy

Dauntless arrives.  Fighter removes the Boarding Torpedoes.  Nova Cannon hit gets one Hunter.

Turn 3 – Azure Flames

To deal with the fighters aend bombers, the Hunters fire a two strong regular torpedo wave and a six strong boarding wave.  However, batteries from the Hunters actually hit, removing the wave! Strike Cruiser marker is placed.

Turn 4 – Imperial Navy

Nova cannon and lance fire kills three more Hunters.  Mars reloads and launches fighters and bombers, removing the Boarding torpedoes.

Turn 4 – Azure Flames

Hunter fails to disengage.  Strike Cruiser arrives.  Battlebarge marker placed.  Bombers destroy the last Hunter.

Turn 5 – Imperial Navy

Fleet moves up.  Firestorm token is placed.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 5 – Azure Flames

Strike Cruiser moves up and fires Boarding Torpedoes and Thunderhawks at the Dauntless, knocking out all of its weapons and starting a fire!  Battle Barge goes All Ahead Full.  Final Strike Cruiser token placed.

Turn 6 – Imperial Navy

Firestorms arrive and the fleet pummels the Strike Cruiser forcing it to brace for impact.  Cobras also arrive and chase the Strike Cruiser.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 6 – Azure Flames

Strike Cruiser arrives and kills two of the three Firestorms.  Battlebarge goes on All Ahead full again.  Note that all of these All Ahead Fulls are never larger than 12cm added to the 20cm of the Barge.

Turn 7 – Imperial Navy

Whole fleet fires on one of the strike cruisers, crippling it.  The Dauntless repairs its fire, prow lances, and port weapons.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 7 – Azure Flames

Battlebarge goes on another terrible all ahead full.  Crippled Strike Cruiser disengages.  Non-crippled Strike Cruiser fires boarding torpedoes at the Mars.  Mars fails to brace and suffers FOUR engine destroyed results, crippling it!

Turn 8 – Imperial Navy

SOLAR FLARE occurs!  Mars disengages.  Cobras fail to reload ordnance, so they take up position to fire next turn.  Fire causes the Strike Cruiser to Brace.

Turn 8 – Azure Flames

Strike Cruiser kills one Cobra and makes them Brace.  Battlebarge hits the Dauntless with 9 boarding torpedoes which once again disables all of its weapons.  It braces.  Note that in the following picture, the Boarding Torpedoes were not removed when they moved into the Dauntless so they are not really there.

Turn 9 – Imperial Navy

Dauntless moves up and tries to damage the Strike Cruiser.  A teleport attack disables the Bombardment Cannon.  In the picture below the Dauntless is where the clear base is.

Turn 9 – Azure Flames

Strike Cruiser disengages.  Battlebarge boards the Dauntless.  Lucky brace saves make the Dauntless have one damage remaining!

Turn 10 – Imperial Navy

Imperial Navy disengages.  Final score Imperial Navy: 264, Azure Flames 206.

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There were two things that could have won this game for me.  If the Hunter squadron had disengaged, and if Rob had not made one of the 4 saves necessary to save the Dauntless.  It was a nail biter!  I can’t wait for next week!