Scenario One: The Gauntlet

The ferocity and speed with which Ghazghkull’s Waaagh! assailed the Armageddon sector left many worlds isolated, and left much of the Imperial Navy scattered. To ensure the sector did not become entirely strangled, numerous daring convoy runs had to be made through Ork held space...

Forces

The Imperial convoy must include at least two Transport ships. For every two convoy ships taken, the Imperial and Ork players may take 100 points worth of ships. The rules for Heavy Transports may be used freely in this scenario. The Imperial player may only take one Cruiser. All his other ships must be either Light Cruisers or Escorts. The Ork player is limited to taking just Escorts.

Battlezone

This battle takes place in the Primary Biosphere where the Orks are attempting to tighten their gauntlet around Armageddon. Generate celestial phenomena on the Primary Biosphere table. Ignore any rolls that produce a planet.

Set-up

The Imperial convoy and escorting ships are all placed within 45 cm of one short table edge, facing the opposite edge. The Ork ships move on from any point along either long table edge in the first turn.

First Turn

The Ork player has the first turn.

Game Length

The battle continues until one fleet is destroyed or disengages, or the Imperial fleet exits from the far short table edge.

Victory Conditions

The Imperial player must exit at least three Transport ships from the opposite short table edge to the one he started on to claim a victory. Any less is considered to be an Ork victory.

Running Battles

As this is a running battle, representing an Imperial fleet desperately trying to get their convoy to safety, you might like to try the following special rule in this scenario.

The Imperial convoy and escorting ships are all placed within 30 cm of the centre of the table at the start of the game, facing either short table edge. The Ork ships move on from any point along either long table edge in the first turn as normal.

At the end of every Imperial turn, every ship and item of celestial phenomena is moved back 20 cm, away from the table edge the Imperial ships were facing at the start of the game. Any ship that ‘drops’ off the end of the table during this is considered to have disengaged from the battle.

In addition, roll a die at the end of the Imperial player’s turn. On a 6, a randomly generated item of celestial phenomena is placed by the Imperial player along the short table edge his ships originally faced. It is assumed that the Imperial commander leading the convoy will be able to ‘steer’ the battle towards any celestial phenomena that he feels will give him an advantage in this mission. As before, ignore any rolls that generate a planet – Armageddon is still many thousands of kilometres away! In this variation of The Gauntlet, the game lasts for ten turns. If the Imperial player still has at least three Transports on the table by this time, he may claim victory.