Gothic Campaign Week 9 – Wheat and Chaff
Major shakeup: our Tau player dropped out, leaving his systems completely undefended! Our part-time Imperial Navy player, Nathaniel, took advantage of this and launched an attack on the coveted Epps system. Can the Space Marines prevent the Imperial Navy from expanding their sphere of influence?
Fleet Engagement – 800 pts
—————————————————————————————————-
Bozeman – Azure Flames
-Battlebarge His Anvil (refit: Left Shift)
-Strike Cruiser Courage (refit: +2D6 on All Ahead Full, Crew Skills: re-roll x2)
-Strike Cruiser Honor (refit: does not suffer speed penalty for blast markers)
Nathaniel – Imperial Navy
-Emperor class Battleship Thor’s Gaze, with Shark Assault Boats
-Sword Frigates x6 Hellfire Squadron
-Cobra Destroyers x4 Deathbringer Squadron
-Cobra Destroyers x4 Exemplar Squadron
(Note: both fleets totaled exactly 800pts)
Setup:
———————————————————–
Turn 1 – Imperial Navy
Escort squadrons move forward to engage, while the Emperor fires 4 fighters and 4 bombers.
Turn 1 – Azure Flames
All ships launch Thunderhawks, which either form CAPs or try to mitigate enemy ordnance.
Turn 2 – Imperial Navy
Torpedoes fired by both Cobra squadrons do no damage. Remaining attack craft put themselves right in the path of the Battle Barge.
Turn 2 – Azure Flames
His Anvil and Honor Reload Ordnance, but Courage fails to do so. His Anvil kills two of the four Cobras near it, and combined fire from the Strike Cruisers kill three of the four of the others. All Imperial escort squadrons Brace for Impact.
Turn 3 – Imperial Navy
Braced Firestorms fire on Strike Cruiser Courage, but roll poorly. Lone Cobra fails to disengage. Thor’s Gaze moves up through the asteroids to shield it from the Battle Barge, and reloads. However, it fails to navigate the asteroids and takes two damage!
Turn 3 – Azure Flames
His Anvil fails to navigate the asteroids, leaving it down one damage point, and unable to fire on Thor’s Gaze! Honor rolls poorly to kill the lone Cobra. Fire from Courage forces a Brace on the Firestorms, but no casualties.
Turn 4 – Imperial Navy
Thor’s Gaze fires on His Anvil point blank, causing two damage and a Brace. Cobras disengage. Firestorms go for Honor, but fail to do damage.
Turn 4 – Azure Flames
His Anvil escapes through the Asteroid field. Combined fire from the Strike Cruisers kills two Firestorms who decline to brace.
Turn 5 – Imperial Navy
Thor’s Gaze launches 2 fighters and 6 Bombers. Firestorms cause 2 damage to Honor.
Turn 5 – Azure Flames
Courage and Honor reload, and fire on the Firestorms, reducing them to 1. Bombers force a Brace on Courage, causing 1 damage. His Anvil begins the long turnaround.
Turn 6 – Imperial Navy
Lone Firestorm disengages. Thor’s Gaze reloads, launches again. Fire brings down Honor’s shields.
Turn 6 – Azure Flames
The Strike Cruisers remove the ordnance with their Bombardment Cannons. Courage uses Lock On to do so better.
Turn 7 – Imperial Navy
Reload, 2 fighters 6 bombers.
Turn 7 – Azure Flames
Bombardment Cannons blast the ordnance again.
Turn 8 – Imperial Navy
Thor’s Gaze uses Lock On and cripples Honor.
Turn 8 – Azure Flames
Courage disengages as Honor tries to swing around an asteroid field to get behind Thor’s Gaze. His Anvil finally comes around.
Turn 9 – Imperial Navy
Thor’s Gaze reloads, launches, turns toward asteroids.
Turn 9 – Azure Flames
Honor launches a CAP and fails to shoot down the ordnance.
Turn 10 – Imperial Navy
Thor’s Gaze reloads and the bombers cripple Honor.
Turn 10 – Azure Flames
Honor disengages. His Anvil fires Boarding Torpedoes at Thor’s Gaze, disabling the port guns and starting a fire.
Turn 11 – Imperial Navy
Thor’s Gaze fails to lock on, does not damage His Anvil, but repairs its critical effects.
Turn 11 – Azure Flames
His Anvil boards Thor’s Gaze, and causes 4 damage, an Engine Room result (one more damage) and another Fire. Thor’s Gaze is crippled with 4 damage left.
Turn 12 – Imperial Navy
Crippled, Thor’s Gaze locks on and despite a Brace, His Anvil is crippled. Thor’s Gaze takes one damage from the fire.
Turn 12 – Azure Flames
Shooting is ineffective.
Turn 13 – Imperial Navy
Thor’s Gaze disengages.
—————————————————————————–
Imperial Navy: 200 Victory points
Azure Flames: 200 Victory points
Result: A TIE?????!!!!???!!!
—————————————————————–
UNBELIEVABLE! I’ve never seen a tie in Gothic like this! We both took fleets of EXACTLY 800pts and all of our fleets were crippled, so we both got 25% of each others fleet! Weird. Oh well, the campaign continues! Tune in next week for more Gothic!
Ha! Hard fought one. Looks like he gave you a run for your money Eric. He made some bold calls going up against the battle barge. My eldar may have failed… well… maybe not. 😉