Asteroid Blues

Everybody was running...running as fast as they could. Total chaos...no guidance...pure instinct. Alarms, sirens, emergency lighting, gunshots. Some scattered military units tried to maintain some sort of discipline in this mess, but ultimately they were trapped on this rock as everyone else...there would be no way out.

The Combined Army forces had set up explosive charges early on, hidden where they would not be found easily. The coordinated detonations of hundreds of them came out of the blue for the unsuspecting civilians in these area...mostly Japanese. The large caves were a fine place to hide things you didn't want to be seen, entry was always monitored and coming here unseen by the watchful eyes of the gang mobsters was close to impossible. All of the few entry points were easy to control. Of course a Shasvastii would laugh at that, but for human standards, this was quite a seclusive and sealed-off place. A place from which escape was even harder, especially if everyone tried to press themselves through the elevators to get to the varions ramps and docks. A bottle-neck...the perfect spot to strangle them to death.

My Shasvastii contingent had already identified their targets. Not everone had to die. Some were meant for higher purposes. Some might see this as even worse than suffocation to death, but nevertheless, the EI had it's uses for some of the humans. And they would be evacuated by the forces of the Combined Army.

At the same time, a Tunguska unit did the best they could, to extract some of their personell as well. High ranking business people...contact to the Submondo...selling Information. They seemed confident, or they pretended to be. Never show a sign of weakness to the weak I guess. We would show them the truth! Even if they wouldn't get the chance to tell that story.

They would die down here, as everybody else. Not because it was of any significance to our military plans. Not because they were of any virtue. Not because they were important. Rather because...well...it was a gesture. A message. An unmistakable note to all those, who still believed, that there was any chance to stop us. There wasn't! For this fact, they would die!

And so we began...

Phase 2 has begun and while the human factions fight amongst themselves, the Shasvastii infestation is evacuating their secret hideouts. As there is nothing more to gain on this rock, there is only one thing to do: wreak havoc...kill civilians...sow terror in their hearts and minds.

I was having a re-match with Michael and we wanted to try a very different Mission this time. Just to reflect the current situation...and because it promised to be a lot of fun. I brought my Shasvastii and would be facing a strong Tunguska Force...which of course is beautifully painted.

As I just had finished a couple of new japanese wall sections, we went for a truely Asian style table, admittedly on a nomad mat, but we covered that up. So everything was set for another game that promised to be fun as hell...everything looking tremendously fine.

We chose to play "One Way Out" from the Qapu Khalqi Mission pack. A really interesting scenario, in which we would have to deploy 3-5 civilians, already synchronized with our troops. These civvies had to be avacuated through elevators and therefore we had to connect consoles beforehand. Additionally there was another central console to hack, and we had to make sure, that our own HVTs were synched at the end as well. Now that made for a truely fitting mission for Asteroid Blues.

We swapped the classified to something different. Each of us had to deploy another 3 HVTs at the end of the deployment phase. These would be priority targets for the enemy and if we managed to kill the opponent's HVT, we would score the classified. So not only did we have to get our guys out, stop the opponent from doing the same, but we needed to go hunting as well. NICE!

As a special rule: those 3 priority targets would be eligible as targets for BOTH players...so if you didn't take care, you could potentially friendly-fire your guys...now who would do that???

To make things even more interesting, we decided to go Limited Insertion...quite a challange for this mission.

I was really caught up between two lists, but ultimately went with the sledgehammer...the Shpinx. To add some fun I brought 2 Shoruded Minelayer and 2 Q-Drones to keep an eye on the elevators. 3 Nox would synch the HVT, one of them would get the Console, and a Shrouded Killerhacker would be there just in case...all lead by my trusted Mentor.

Michael brought a fireteam of 5 Hollowmen...oh gosh...not good. Additonally an Interventor (far too obvious choice!), Mary Problems and a Clockmaker would synch his civvies. A Puppetmaster and a Warcor made the list complete. I hate these puppets...annoying little thingies...they need to die soon.

Luckily I won the Initiative and chose to go first. Why wouldn't I? So I had to deploy on the slightly worse side.

Each flank would be guarded by a minelayer and a Q-Drone, the Nox would spread to keep me flexible, KHD at the central room, Mentor a close to the HVT as security issued would allow. I held back the Shpinx, and once it was clear that the Interventor could be shot from the roofs, it would start pretty central as well. I deployed all the priority targets very close together...as if they were running for safety towards my position...we were waiting for them with open arms of course.

Michael couldn't spread his troops that far, so one flank was covered quite heavily be the Hollowmen, while on his left only Mary had to hold the lines. As far as possible, they all kept a low profile...only a Missile Launcher being quite a threat.

So to start things, I coordinated bith Q-Drones and both Minelayer to get better position at the elevators. Then the Sphinx started ther thing and climbed the rooftop to shoot the Interventor...which she did of course. Some estimates later and some considerations about what Mary Problems could do to my beloves TAG, the Sphinx recamoed again and moved all over the board to enagage the fireteam. Managed to put the Missile Launcher dude and the Puppetmaster in unconsious state, while recieving a would herself. To finish things for round 1, I again coordinated both Minelayers, the Plasma Q-Drone and the Sphinx into suppressive fire. The the Mentor took his chance to move up slightly as I was sure that Michael was in LoL and would be well busy dealing with that beast in his face. Nice first turn indeed!

In LoL, Michael didn't really have many options. So he moved his Clockmaker to fix the Missile Launcher dude...damn. Cost him his first Command Token. Then he rebuilt his fireteam...second Command Token. Spitfire Hollow Men took a shot at the Shpinx...one more wound...third command token. Three shots with the Boarding Shotgung and the Sphinx was down...fourth command token. Costly, but I was hoping that it would have been worth it. Mary Problems moved a bit and that was the end of Michaels turn.

I had basically managed to slow him down and bind him in place for a complete turn...which might be a crucial thing for this mission. Additionally he would have to spend some orders to get to the console and get that civvie down from there.

Now it was time to play the mission. The central Nox took the console and moved toward the right flank as that side would be less of a problem. The Mentor moved forward again to gain some cover at the wall. Then the Shrouded Killer Hacker entered the central building and hacked that console as well. Went back in TO afterwards. So now there were some orders to do some damage, so I sent the Plasma Q-Drone to get a shot at the fireteam, as they were all lined up neatly on top of the building. Targeted the Specialist and scored a crit and twi hits...while he failed his dodge for the Hollow Men and the Clockmaker. Both gone for good, leaving him only with Mary Problems to start the evacuation procedures...brutal! Just brutal!

Just for the fun of it, my right Nox moved up and opened fire on the fleeing civvies I was supposed to protect. Two down...MUHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA

At this point chances were good that Michael wouldn't be able to turn that game...still he did not give up. His Link tried it's luck...Missile Launcher at my Shrouded. But that nasty bugger scored a hit which was saved.

With his remaining orders, Michael moved Mary Problems over the board, climbed the building and checked his console. The Warcor stood up to block my way to the elevators. So at least there still was a chance for him to evacuate one or two of his civvies.

Last turn...time to get serious. Mentor synchronized my own HVT to escort him out of this mess. The right Nox moved up, shot the last priority target (scoring a point for Michael....MUHAHAAA) and went straight into the Warocrs Flash Pulse...both missed.

So the HMG Q-Drone had to do the job...both missed.

A little unnerved, I moved the Shrouded again...Warcor missed...Shrouded scored a hit...Warcor down. So two orders later I had evacuated my first civvie. And my last.

Then th Q-Drone went for the other priority targets. Took down the first and moved on. On the way I realized that I couldn't get an angle on both remaining civvies, so I coordinated the Shoruded KDH and the Mentor for my final blow. The Killer Hacker went suicidal, shot both civvies 2:1, hit 3 times, but only took out one of them...but who cares? 5 Civvies killed...well done. So that was it for me and basically there was little, Michael could do in his last round.

Edit: the image shows both civvies killed...which is wrong! I just don't want to edit the foto as it is a shitload of work.

So with his last remaining 5 orders Michael basicall went to kill my shit...took out the drone first, Spitfire dude dies in turn. Then takes out the Shrouded with his Missile Launcher and get killed in return by my HMG Drone...game done...what a massacre!

So for the final score:

we both connected our Emergency Console: 1-1
I connected the Central Evacuation Console: 3-1
I had my HVT in CivEvac State at the end of the game: 5-1
I evacuated one civilian (and more than my opponent): 9:1
I had fullfilled Michaels Classified: 9-2

Final Score 9-2 for Shasvastii

The game was pretty clear at the end, but Michael still can walk out head up high. This was his first serious attempt at a Limited Insertion list and the first time we played that mission. Reduced orders and the low number of possible Evacuation Troops made this task really difficult. Plus: first turn really is king in this scenario.

Even if the game did not go in his favour, he made a glarious batrep possible and we had lots of fun...I just enjyo playing the bad guy. Thanks buddy for this really great game!

...so I entered the evacuation elevator, followed by my Mentor escort who had done a great job in this mission. Everything had worked out as planned: those Tunguska Hackers never had a chance to escape and their personell, as well as the precious data would be buried down here.

First, out assault squadon killed the Nomad's officer, leaving their troops in disarray and pinning them in place. We secured every exit. We shot every Nomad Evacuation Troop in range. We shot every civilian stupid enough to still hang around. We took a console to deny them any way of escape. We exfiltrated in a coordinated manner, as one would expect.

These thoughts slowly gave way for the comfort of an almost total victory...not only in a miltary sense, but also morally. Those frail humans would be crushed...literally! So I tapped my fingers on the little screen on my wrist-com-unit. Just a short code and seconds later the elevator was hit by a wave of pressure. The main charges detonated and the hollowed out cave was collapsing down. For the humans, there had been no way out.