HOLD THE LINE

Attacker – Allied Humans

Your orders are to launch an assault on a key section of the enemy line as a part of wider attack to punch through and cut off the enemy.

Defender - Aliens

As the enemy presses home the advantage you are ordered to hold the position in an effort to keep possession of vital supply lines.

Lt Senioris McSwaff looks over the sketchy information he has before the next big push. The squads are reinforced with wounded and dead replaced. He now has two experienced officers Lt Primus Phills, and Lt Primus Murt. They also have some extra support with a single Rhino (with Dozer blade), and three Leman Russ Demolisher tanks. They were to push south towards the heavily fortified Alien lines. They must move towards the lines and smash them. It was to be a co-ordinated attack across the enemy line and McSwaff would not be bringing up the rear at his section.

The map layout – Humans attack from the top, Aliens defend on the bottom. The humans have to move from the top through scrubland until they reach the cleared area by the Aliens – the humans don’t know what is in front of them.

As McSwaff moves forward with his Squats in the Rhino and the Demolisher cannon on the right flank. So far the tank was attacked by a wild animal that managed to rip off the left side Heavy Plasma gun. Soon after the tank drove over another native creature that tried to attack it. Both vehicles ploughed over the scrub terrain easily overcoming the aggressive plants that tried to entangle the tracks of the vehicles.

Meanwhile Murt and his squad take the centre, finding weakened ground that swallows up Jenkins who manages to survive the first, but not the second. In the last pit Jenkins breaks his neck in the fall. They later find native plants that offer healing balms and can help with minor injuries. But just as the reach the edge of the scrubland they find themselves in a minefield. This takes out a couple of the troopers – but with more care they avoid setting off any other mines. To their front they see the Alien line – two bunkers and trench to the front.

Just as Murt gets to the minefield Phills squad with the other two Demolisher tanks appear at the bend in the road. They have also seen their share of weakened ground – one that almost took  out the lead tank, and a Marine on point took a panic attack and ran off the hill and nearly under the tracks of one of the tanks. As the lead tank gets into position at the bend it finds itself in a minefield the explosions weaken the tanks armour.  Then the tank gets hit with two Fusion Guns from the Chaos Heavies waiting in overwatch. The tanks armour is further weakened, and weapons destroyed, until it finally takes the fatal hit. As the tank burns the scrub in front of it catch alight. The subsequent flames cause enough smoke to block line of sight but allow the grey Demolisher tank to take position in the remains of what was the lead tank. It too takes a small amount of damage from the minefield but continues anyway to get itself into a good position.

The fire fight then ensues. McSwaff gets his revenge on the Eldar and manages to break them before he suffers too many casualties himself. Phills and Murt concentrate on the Chaos force in the trench while the Demolisher cannon attacks the Chaos Heavy weapons squad in the left bunker. The lead Chaos squad are soon taking damage and loose the Heavy weapons first, they try to reform in the bunkers but soon under more fire - the Chaos Commander decides to leave the field in good order. This then leaves one Chaos squad in the left bunker.

As McSwaff moves out of cover to the trench Murt also moves out of cover through the remaining part of the minefield. A few more mines are set off - but no damage to the Marines. Before McSwaff’s brave Squats get to the trench four Gretchin charge out to take it and melee the Dwarves as a last desperate step to hold their line. The Dwarves easily brush them aside but this does delay them. Phills after taking out the Heavy Chaos warriors orders his men and the Demolisher forward. Again some mines are set off but do minimal damage to the tank – it has lost both of the Heavy plasma guns, and its Lascannon by this point.  Just as the Allied force make its way to the last bunker a darkness descends on the land. As one of the Marines under Phills command gets closest to the last of the Alien defences he reports seeing a Chaos Commander and a Chaos marine making their way out of the back and slipping away into the darkness. The Allied forces have broken the Alien line they take a marginal victory. The next push is to go behind the enemy lines and attack the Rearguard.

REARGUARD

Attacker – Allied Humans

With the capture of enemy supply lines an offensive has been ordered to destroy the vital defensive positions and surround the entire opposing army. You are part of a broader front attempting to penetrate deep into the enemy defences.

Defender - Aliens

A general retreat has been ordered to prevent the entire army being outflanked. Your sparse force must hold a thinly defended part of the front at all costs.

McSwaff and his squads are quickly resupplied with fresh troops but the armour has to stay behind for repair. Their orders are to move quickly, and prevent the Aliens setting up too strong a rearguard. The terrain on the other side of the Alien line is less concentrated. The Allied squads advance quickly. They encounter more problems with the native flora and fauna but push on through. They are following the tracks left behind by the Alien force making a quick retreat.

Eventually Murt, and Phills squads encounter the first of the Chaos forces in a fortified bunker. Just as one of Phills Marines moves out to engage the bunker he is attacked but a Genestealer and killed. They also find themselves facing down a Mark VII Dreadnought.

Murt and Phills establish a perimeter and engage in a fire fight with the Chaos force. Meanwhile McSwaff makes his way forward to the edge of the terrain. As he does so he and his squad are aware of another bunker further down the road. This one contains Eldar that open up on the Squats. The Dreadnought then changes tack and heads for the squats.

The battle begins, in the main it’s the Chaos and Dreadnought versus the whole human force. Casualties are taken on both sides. But this time the Terminators don’t seem to be protected by their armour and before long they break. The Eldar give up their bunker with some of their force and move up to assist the Chaos force. Then the Dreadnought after losing its main weapons advances into melee with the Squats. This is too much for McSwaff who takes on the Dreadnought and kills it but only after losing more of his men. He calls a strategic withdrawal as he had now lost all of his Lascannons and starts to pull back. Murt is also without his heavy weapons but has managed to break the Chaos force. He does try to engage the Eldar but they manage to return back to their own bunker relatively untouched. Murt decides with nightfall coming on it’s time to pull back before losing any more men.

The humans have failed to break the Alien Rearguard. The Alien force soon counter attack and now prepare to attack the Human lines!