The Fall of Lecona IV - A Scouring-Era Campaign

[Pacific81]

*Camera swoops through the a planetary system, like the opening credits sequence of Star Trek: TNG*

 

The 3462nd Expedition had arrived in the Lecona system in the Galactic North, far beyond the Segmentum Obscurum, in the final years of the Great Crusade (though the commanders of the fleet were not to know that at the time). Comprised of several chapters of the 14th (Death Guard) and 9th (Blood Angels) Legions, supported by a significant Imperial Army contingent, the fleet arrived fully prepared for war. What they found instead was a forgotten branch of humanity that welcomed their long-separated kin with open arms; isolated by a nearby warp-storm that had made communication and travel all but impossible for the past ten millenia, the peoples of Lecona celebrated the coming of the Crusade, and the Blood Angel and Death Guard command staff were feted as heroic figures returning from myth. The entry into the log books would go down as had so many in the history of the Crusade, though they often made somewhat less interesting reading; a human system brought willingly into compliance, and educated in the imperial truth, without a single human life spent. 

 

 

But, the other inhabitants of the system were not to count themselves so fortunate, for several other alien species called the Lecona system their home. Despite having largely lived peaceably, and often trading with their neighbours, the guidelines of the Crusade would not brook the continued existence of alien-kind alongside the Emperor's new humanity. And so the native [++redacted++] of the forest moon of Lecona VI were purged from their cave networks by Death Guard hunter-killer squadrons, their homes burning for many days and entire tribes exterminated, while the Imperial Navy fighter squadrons pursued and mercilessly destroyed the Orkoid void-settlements of the outer system. The doughty abhumans of Lecona IV, a sub-species only just classified as humanis-majoris according to the mage-biolis of the fleet (and so narrowly avoiding Blood Angel commander Leonid's preferred option of a sustained carpet-bombing and drop-pod assault of the surface) were allowed to remain, providing their subservience to the presiding Imperial Administration was enforced. That they had been a close ally of the humans on the planet below for many generations, trading their advanced weaponry and industrial equipment for foodstuffs and supplies, was not taken into consideration.

 

 

Some months later and their task complete, the Expeditionary fleet moved on from the Lecona system, in search of further boundaries to explore. Finally making the warp-exit transition with great difficulty (for Lecona was beset by warp storms of incredible scale) they left behind a standard compliance and monitoring group, consisting of members of the Imperial Administratum, as well as a contingent of Imperial Army forces. Of the legions, only a single garrison cohort of ten Blood Angels remained on Lecona IV itself, while an equal number of Death Guard took station upon the planet's moon, protecting the efforts of the Mechanicus to develop the mines and industry upon it while ensuring negotiations with the inhabiting abhumans remained 'favourable'.

 

Though the planet was to remain in contact with the rest of the Imperium, as time passed the warp-storms worsened. First supply ships failed to arrive, while messages to even the strongest of Astropaths arrived garbled and unintelligible, the effort often leaving members of their clade insane and in need of involuntary euthanasia. Matters finally reached a head some three years later, when the departing ore-transport Nebuchadnezzar was lost with all hands while attempting a warp-transit. Imperial Governor Vaughn was forced to concede that the Lecona system was effectively cut-off for the rest of the Imperium, and that no more supplies of men or materials would be making their way to them. While the Imperial forces made preparations for their new and unwelcome situation, for the Legion contingent, their orders were simple, and standard protocol for such scenarios remained in place: "Hold the planet until the Imperial forces return. You are to defend the system and its territory at all costs." 

 

Of the monumental events that would soon rip the Imperium asunder, they would have no knowledge...

 

More background to come, along with some mini pics :) 

Edited April 26, 2023 by Pacific81

[Pacific81]

The Setting

The Horus Heresy has ended. Horus lies dead, his forces retreating, but years of civil war have left the Imperium in ruin. Everywhere Chaos (in the non-literal sense) reigns, and enemies once thought defeated have emerged from the shadows to prey on mankind's new-found weakness. 

 

 

The Lecona system has been completely cut-off from Imperial communication for the entire seven years of the civil war, and has no knowledge of Horus's treachery or the effective collapse of the Imperium. The Death Guard garrison contingent on the moon of Lecona IV continues it's vigil of the Admech operations and the inhabiting abhuman denizens, unaware that their Primarch Mortarion had thrown in his lot with Horus and the dark powers, while the Blood Angels, not knowing of their Legion's apocalytpic struggle with the Death Guard on the walls of the Emperor's palace, nor the death of their progenitor Sanguinius, continue to contact each other with regular operational updates. 

But the lack of Imperial contact and supply over the previous decade has started to make its impact felt. Separatist groups amongst the planet's native human population have started to question the authority and draconian control of the Imperial governing forces, their voices ever more discordant at government council, while in the outer rim Ork Pirates start to turn the tide on the Imperial Navy who, without supply, find themselves increasingly outnumbered. There are even reports of a resurgent of the [++redacted++] species on the moons of Lecona VI, with the Death Guard simply unable to keep the native populations in check with their limited numbers, and with deployed squads of Imperial Army flamer teams failing to return. The standing Imperial Orders remain, and for now Imperial forces remain in control, but enemies (both from without and within) are closing in... 

 

The Game

This is a blog thread which will record background, miniature painting and games for a campaign, played at skirmish-level scale. We are intending to use the rules from One Page Rules: Grimdark Future Firefight. https://www.onepagerules.com/games/grimdark-future-firefight. The one-page description is a bit of a stretch, but the rules are super straightforward and easy to learn, and the game is very quick to play. They also extend beyond the classic Kill Team rules and have stats for a variety of colourful factions and alien races, meaning we can pad out the 'core' classic 40k factions with some fun and off-the-wall alien ideas, as might have been encountered on the outer rim of the Imperium, ten thousand years ago. 

 

The Factions

Imperial: Blood Angels, Death Guard (loyalist), Imperial Army/Navy

Alien: Orks, Abhumans (if you hadn't guessed, space dwarves!), unidentified alien species (Kroot), 'Hrud' (space rats!)

As the campaign develops, and people get stuff painted, there will be potential for more! :)

 

More updates coming soon.. 

 

 

 

Edited April 26, 2023 by Pacific81

[Pacific81]

Introducing: Squad Salenzo

 

Left as a garrison to help defend Lecona IV, Squad Salenzo inhabited a small barracks facility not far from the planet's capital city Cobbora Prime. This placed them in an ideal location to directly guard the Imperial Administration and respond quickly to any hostile intrusions upon the populated continent, where being few in number they would often deploy with support by attending Imperial Army units. Unfortunately the garrison's Techmarine was lost two years into their deployment along with their Thunderhawk gunship, following an act of sabotage, and the squad were henceforth forced to travel using a Rhino transport, or else an Arvus Lighter that had been requisitioned from the Imperial Army. 

 

 

Brother Noricko was a relatively recent addition to the squad after the Helioret Campaign, where the 27th Chapter had taken significant losses while defending against assaulting Eldar Wytches, including casualties sustained by Squad Salenzo, with several battle brothers lost or else rotated out of service. Though inexperienced in combat and with only relatively few kill-marks to his name, Noricko is nonetheless a dedicated marine and religiously adheres to his preparatory doctrine, even now the squad is ten years into their garrison deployment and with no sign of relief. He takes the jokes and jibes about his fervent nature made by the more senior members of the squad in good jest, and is looking forward to the day that the warp storms abate, and his squad is required to take part in the Great Crusade once more. 

 

Edited April 30, 2023 by Pacific81

[Pearson73]

Looking forward to seeing this develop - both the lore and the models! 

 

Isolated systems are a fun little sandbox to explore, especially in such a time when Imperial reinforcement won't have been a high priority and the ignorance of the chaos threat leaves vulnerability.

 

Great work on those bases too.

Edited May 1, 2023 by Pearson73

[Pacific81]

Thanks @Pearson73 

 

Introducing a new member of the garrison:

 

"He's not quite right in the head, that one" - Imperial Army trooper Jones

 

 

Brother Leonid was part of a recon unit that was captured during the 3001st Expedition's conquest of Zeta-Five-Zero. Imprisoned by Ork Warboss Mutarg, the Orks had tremendous entertainment finding out exactly how tough the new 'tinboy humies' they were now fighting were, and Leonid was subjected to everything from arm wrestling and shoota-tests to  squig eating competitions. However, what Leonid's jailers did not know was about the additional glands and organs implanted in every Astartes; Leonid kept the existence of the Betcher's Gland a secret, then late one night when his guards lay sleeping. he spat acid onto the bars of his jail to escape; the last moments of his jailer (who had so fervently enjoyed gambling on the squig eating competitions) were of a giant squig being forced down his gullet. 

 

Brother Leonid escaped into the nearby forests, armed only with the bladed weapon taken from his guard (his armour long since removed by blow-torch weilding mek-boys), and it was at this time that he employed another of the emperor's 'gifts'; hunter teams of Orks chased after Leonid, desperate to reclaim their quarry, but the marine was able to employ his 'Omophagea', or the organ that allows a marine to 'learn by eating'. In this way, Leonid's days (for he only travelled at night) were spent in the treetops, ork skulls in hand, with an Ork's jaw used as a crude spoon to eat the soft, mushy brain-matter. Using this method, Leonid was able to learn of the troop movements of those tracking him, and set traps night after night, the Ork hunting parties increasingly fearful of the marine; his grimacing visage, lit for just a moment by a strike of lightning, often the last thing they would see.

 

Leonid was eventually recovered by an advancing World Eater tactical unit some 85 days later, who had arrived to assault an Ork compound and found it already littered with dead bodies, the Ork heads arrayed on spikes atop the battlements. It was said they almost shot him on sight, so frightful was the vision of their fellow marine emerging from the forests; filthy, daubed in war-paint and the remains of the foes that had hunted him and then in turn become the hunted. When he was eventually returned to his unit, Leonid struggled to re-adapt to the chain of command and received several condemnations. Whether it was due to the effect of being detached from his Legion for so long, or perhaps even the result of eating too many ork brains, it was impossible to say. 

Eventually, after striking a superior officer (who had lambasted him for disappearing during a patrol and returning hours later with a collection of abhuman heads dangling from his belt) Brother Leonid was 'promoted sideways' into a garrison duty on Lecona IV, where he joined Squad Salenzo. It was hoped that the posting (and, somewhat ironically, the lack of opportunities for bloodshed) would help calm the marine's humours. But whether Sergeant Salenzo would be able to cope with Leonid remained to be seen.. 

Edited May 4, 2023 by Pacific81

[Pacific81]

Sergeant Salenzo

 

A veteran of many decades service, Salenzo was heavily wounded as part of the campaign fighting a Hrud migration on Anaxis XII. He has spurned the offers of dermal grafting, preferring instead to carry them as a reminder of his duty. Although the squad under his command joke that he has kept it to make him less approachable and less likely to be bothered by the citizenry of Lecona IV..

 

 

[Pearson73]

Really digging the backstories of these troopers. Nice work on Salenzo's skin.

[Marshal Mittens]

Love the writing, love your bases!

[Pacific81]

Thanks a lot for the comments @Pearson73 and @Marshal Mittens, really appreciated! 

 

The first battle of the campaign.. 

 

You can't make an omelette.. 

 

If there was one thing the doughty abhumans inhabiting the moon of Lecona IV enjoyed as much as their gold and a frosty beverage, it was a quality meal, and prized amongst all else were the eggs of the indigenous aliens inhabiting the forest moons of Lecona VI. The Aliens had been (understandably) upset at previous attempts by the dwarven fiends (who name themselves in their own tongue as 'Demiurg') to steal and eat their young and it had lead to many armed clashes over the years. The Demiurg had been aghast to learn that the arriving Crusade, and extermination squads of Death Guard, had taken a flame thrower to the birthing chambers of the Aliens and decimated their population. This had caused the price of the now exceedingly rare eggs to inflate wildly. So when a small contingent of Demiurg, working for a consortium known as the Zubarr Union, learned of some aliens which had escaped and moved their birthing chamber to an abandoned industrial facility, a daring plan was put together to steal them and escape. But the alien scouts have heard the rumble of the tunneling machine approaching, and are prepared to defend their unborn young with their lives.. 

 

Introducing a 'Demiurg' mining crew: A doughty sub-human breed, they are said to be genetically modified by humanity's first explorers millennia ago for habitation of high-gravity worlds. They are pictured here disembarking from their tunnelling machine, no doubt in search of valuable ores.

 

The Game

 

As an intro game of One Page Rules: Grimdark Future Fireteam (another post and details on the ruleset we are using to come) for now we kept it simple with the basic game format of 'take and hold'. Each faction would need to hold as many of the three objectives as they could by the end of the game, the side which had the most by the end of four turns would be the winner. 

 

The scurrilous dwarf-kin deploy make their way across a rusted walk-way, some of the previous alien eggs already deposited in their tunneller transport. 

 

The Indigenous Aliens ambush! The beast-rider, armed with a heavy machine gun, managed to gun down one of the invaders, before his companions could pull him to safety. 

 

Two Zubarr Union members attempt to flank the alien heavy machine gun, are set upon by a hunting hound. Although one of the dwarves was knocked off his feet by the charging beast, his compatriot rushed to his defense and socked the animal on the nose with his powered gloves, sending it running and wimpering back to its master. 

 

The End of the Game.. 

 

By the end of turn four the score stood at one objective a piece, while one objective was contested - a draw. One of the alien marksmen did have a chance to win the game with a single shot, but it went wide, while another highlight of the game was an indigenous alien (who are extremely agile, and have bonuses for leaping across terrain) nevertheless failing on a role of '1' and falling off a platform onto his head. 

 

The Demiurg retreated from the alien ambush into their tunnelling vehicle and beat a hasty retreat, a few of the alien eggs in hand but one of their number lost. The aliens howled as the vehicle retreated, squawking and waving their rifles in the air.. they would avenge the loss of their younglings! 

 

Further updates to come, as players in the campaign paint their stuff! :) 

[malika666]

I really love what you're doing here mate, but isn't this stuff in the wrong scale? 

[Pacific81]

Haha thanks mate - this is mostly a skirmish level project, I haven't forgotten God's own scale, so do have some more planned for that!

[Pacific81]

Demiurg Big Guns..

 

Following the loss of a member of their mining crew while pilfering valuable alien eggs, as well as a rumoured threat of Orkoid pirate skiffs circling the location of their base, the directorate of the Zubarr Union mining group decided some bigger guns were needed. Enter the Mk9 conversion-beamer Rig; ostensibly used to tunnel through resilient nodes of ore, it turned out the weapon was just as capable of slicing through annoying alien raiders too. Although such devices do not come cheap (their hire is charged per solar cycle by the mining consortiums), the weaponry came equipped with an exo-armour suit and operator. Now let those Orkoids or Humans try their luck.. 

 

 

In the Game

 

A quick chance to show how the One Page Rules-rules work! Here is a sample army list for the Demiurg

One Page Rules - Demiurg List

The reason the rules are so condensed and easy to reference is that elements of a unit abilities are shared between factions. You have a 'quality' score, which tracks things such as shooting, melee or even morale, and then a 'defense' which shows how resilient a unit is, and the value is the score that you need on a D6 to achieve whichever check - these the only stats you need to remember for your unit, along with any special characteristics; for these guys they are Slow (meaning -2" to their move) and both the Champion and Thunderer unit (above) have Tough which is the equivalent of extra wounds in 40k. Whether the unit is more resilient because of its armour, perhaps its size, if it's a vehicle, or even some sort of shield technology it is all handled through the Tough special rule, making this very easy to remember in game. 

So although you don't have many different rules to remember, the combination of these give character on the tabletop - the Demiurg are slow and some of their weaponry is short ranged, but when they get up close they have powerful short range and melee weaponry and are resilient. They have some effective long range weaponry which should help cover their advance as your opponent will need to keep their heads down.  Contrast with the indigenous Alien list, which are very mobile and agile, but lacking some of that durability. 

 

 

The miniature is from the Mantic Forge Father range, with a small bit-swap (power/back-pack is from Anvil Miniatures).

 

Hopefully some more pics to come, of both some Imperial Navy and Ork Pirates that the other players in the campaign have been working on.