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| Hell Knight mercenaries of Operation "Stop the Signal" |
May 14, 3031 Operation "Stop the Signal" is conducted by the Hell Knights mercenaries. The goal of the Operation is to shut down a broadcasting station that the Titania Militia is using to recruit new members to their cause. A small force of Hell Knights board their transport to be air lifted to the "Ghost Compound" about 30 kilometers Northeast of Station 42 where the broadcasting station is reported to be located.
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| Members of the Titania Militia at the "Ghost Compound" |
After handing a crushing defeat to the militia at Bunker 1138 the mercenaries expect only light resistance. They are unaware of the efforts of Carson Boon in recruiting new members. Even though his own unit of irregulars were wiped out in the previous engagement he has managed to recruit new members to his force.
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| Just prior to the battle |
The Hell Knights, backed up by Lola their faithful Hobelar Light Hover Tank approach the "Ghost Compound"
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| "Lola" and a Hell Knights casualty |
The Militia draws first blood, killing a member of the Hell Knights Armoured Assault Squad with autocanon fire. Lola Moves into position to fire at a Militia artillery position but fails to score any hits.
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| The Armoured Assault Squad takes cover |
The heavily armoured mercenaries scramble for cover in a large rocky outcropping. More fire begins to erupt.
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| Militia Casualties |
The mercenary Veteran Rifle Squad guns down several Militia members atop a compound building. The riflemen certainly prove their worth with this accurate shooting.
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| A militia "sniper" |
The mercenary sniper also scores a hit taking out an enemy sniper before the marksman even gets a shot off.
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| The AC10 silenced |
Not to be out done one of the Scout squads takes out the crew of the AC10 autocanon. The elite mercenaries seem to have the upper hand at this point.
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| Scout Squad 1 under fire |
The Militia strikes back killing two mercenaries in Scout Squad 1. It is believed these men were killed by Carson Boon himself.
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| Scout Squad 2 also taking casualties |
Encouraged by their leader militia members armed only with pistols manage to kill two member of the Hell Knights 2nd Scout Squad despite the fact that the squad had good cover.
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| A mysterious armoured vehicle arrives to support the militia |
To add insult to injury a mysterious armoured vehicle arrives using it's scatter laser to wipe out the rest of the 2nd Scout Squad.
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| Another strange armoured vehicle |
Another armoured vehicle shows up and fires on the mercenary tank missing it with an impressive looking missile.
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| The militia field canon scores |
The mercenary tank is hit from the front by the militia field gun. The tank is badly damaged by the gun but not destroyed.
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| The mercenary sniper is taken out |
The Hell Knights sniper is killed by a militia sniper believed to be Redjack, a friend of Carson Boon and the co-founder of "Boon's Irregulars".
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| The Militia fights on |
More militia members are killed by the mercenary veteran rifle squad. The man believed to be Carson Boon is hit but appears to be protected by some kind of energy field that keep him from being hurt.
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| "Lola" destroyed |
Another armoured vehicle roars onto the battlefield firing a high explosive missile into the side of the mercenary tank. "Lola" explodes, her turret flys into the air and lands among the rocks.
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| More armoured vehicles |
A fourth armoured vehicle pulls up. It's light machine gun and bolt guns fire into the scout squad killing the scout armed with a frag grenade launcher.
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| The mercenaries fall back |
As "Lola" burns the Armoured Assault Squad preforms a fighting retreat shooting at the armoured vehicles but failing to do any damage with their heavy blasters.
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| The riflemen score |
Armed only with light laser rifles the Veteran Rifle Squad destroy the armoured vehicle that killed their tank. Unfortunately it is too late to turn the tide of the battle. Only six mercenaries escaped the fighting. Four members of the Veteran Rifle Squad and two Scouts from squad 1. The Armoured Assault Squad were taken out by the Militia's armoured vehicles although they survived many shot the combined fire was just too much for them.
This battle was a decisive victory for the Titania militia and Carson Boon. The Hell Knights lost most of their troops and their tank which was a major blow. It seems the resistance on Titania is much better equipped and much more determined than the mercenaries believed them to be. Will the mercenaries pull out of this operation? It's hard to say but the militia has definitely struck back hard against them.
Notes: This was our second battle in the narrative phase of our Station 42 No Limits campaign. The forces were about equal at close to 1100 points. My wife again played the militia and I played the mercenaries. The battle only lasted three turns and by the end of turn two it was clear the militia were going to win. Giving the militia a fortified position an equal points may have been too much of an upper hand but the mercenaries really devastated the militia at Bunker 1138 so we decided to tip thing in their favor a bit.
My wife really played it smart holding the improvised armoured vehicles in reserve until I had committed my forces. She used to play Orks when we played Warhammer 40,000 so she understands how devastating heavily armed light vehicles can be. She used her heavy guns to go after my tank then brought her more lightly armed vehicles against my infantry. She had some fantastic rolls which helped.
