[Epic] Battle Report

From: Tyler Provick <bprovick_at_...>
Date: Sun, 24 Aug 1997 21:00:00 -0400

I just played my first game of Epic 40K, here is the result. I'm not going
to fancy it up, because it'll probably lose clarity and I also have the flu.

Now, remember I was playing against a 12 year old who had never played a GW
game before. He also had very little time to learn the rules. I did explain
the rules for every phase as it happened, as well as listed the pros-cons
and tactics behind several of his options.

I don't think that is enough, because my first game of Epic was a flawless
victory. I think I lost 3 bikes and one Tactical Unit (Not squad)

Turn 1:

Orks win the initiative. They have a higher points value, ending up
somewhere over 1000pts. The scenario is Escalating Engagement, with no
Objectives to keep things simple. I explained all the pros and cons about
the different movement orders, specifically stating that "March is bad. I
don't think anyone does it because your guys don't get to shoot and they are
easier to hit" But the Waagh took hold of my opponents one detachment (1st
turn, no reinforvements yet) and he charged across the table on March
orders. Since the table was barely 118 cm, he was easily within range. Of
course, not in range of my all bike detachment. So I advanced without
special orders, took some potshots at his bikes and wagons, and scored a
single blastmarker. The assault phase came and I realized that we were still
within 15 cm, so we engaged in a firefight. His blastmarkers and the fact
that he charged clinched the battle, and he was driven off, suffering
another casualty and taking another blast marker.

Turn 2: Things seem to take a turn for the worse as a huge warband enters
play. Fortunatly for me, my largest detachment comprised of two Land
Raiders, 3 Tactical Squads, 2 Terminator squads and 2 Assault squads, as
well as a single Whirlwind decided that they too would show up. As I
approached I softened them up with a prepatory barrage, and then entered
overwatch. On overwatch I destroyed a stompa and two of his battlewagons
(The only two in that detachment) as my bikes annihilated the remainder of
the Wagon and bike mob they had originally scared off. (In normal use, those
bike would easily be destroyed by that detachment, because of the short
range of the bikes)

Turn 3:

Again, more orks pour onto the field. Two more huge warbands enter play very
close to my land raiders and tacticals. They advance, and because of snap
fire I am unable to enter the ruins inbetween the two detachments for cover.
So instead I go back onto overwatch. (Do Whirlwinds get two barrage shots
per turn on overwatch for rapid fire? I guessed no) One of the ork mobs
joins the mob that entered play last turn, as the other goes to attack my
bikes, who go onto overwatch. A small devastator detachment enters play,
with a couple of scouts, a land raider, and a couple of whirlwinds. They
assault to get close to the fray. Shot after shot pour out of the Space
Marine lines, felling orks right left and center. The orks wild shot miss,
with only a lucky ricochet taking out a single Tactical Unit.

Turn 4:

Nothing enters play, but the orks advance as my marines go on overwatch. My
Devastator squad moves normally, to get into range of the two warbands
facing my Tactical Detachment. My bikes go on assault orders, but choose not
to move in the movement phase so as not to close the range to 10cm and get
snap-fired. I fire with my whirlwinds in my Devastator detachment, because
the rest don't have line of fire. None of the missles hit the orks. This
detachment are in for a reprimand. My bikes do little damage with their
halved firepower, and take no casualties from the orks. The tactical unit
splits its fire between the two units, destroying one ork warband, and then
racking up 30 firepower against another. Of the 15 dice rolled, 13 were
hits, because of overwatch. My opponent wanted to throw in the towel, but
"No!" I said "Close Combat first! I've never done Close Combat" He should
have insisted. He rolled a four, and I rolled a 2. I used one of my fate
cards to re-roll, and got a 5, easily beating him. He decided he would also
use a fate card, re-rolled and ended up with a one. Needles to say he need
6+ to kill me, while I only needed a 2+. He did manage to kill a bike, but I
destroyed the rest of his units. The game was mine. Final moral 3-23, my
moral started at 23, his at 26.


Now, he was a kid who not only did not know all the rules. "I really don't
think you should march." but he also had never played a wargame before. I
did try to keep explaining things, multiple times if neccassary, but it
really wasn't a fair battle. Don't feel bad, he did break the roller of a
battlewagon and knock several infantry out of their stands.

Tyler
Received on Mon Aug 25 1997 - 01:00:00 UTC