Space Hulk Mission 2: Exterminate

The wife and I pulled out the Space Hulk box for another game the other night. Now, the first time, I kinda went easy on her a bit. I didn't want her first try at the board game to be met with frustration and a sense of futility.

For those of you who remember the battle report between me and her, you'll know she doesn't really like it when I pull the punches (came up in the comments). ;)

So, this time it's FOR REAL! We're going all out. If she wins, then it is a victory earned, not given.

Setup:
We took turns placing her squad models into separate rooms, per the rules. You can tell the two models that I placed (they're both standing in a corner away from the action). No freebies.

Looking at the map above, you can see the purple arrows where the genestealers enter the map. I will be referring to the map in two sections, the Western quadrant and the Eastern quadrant as the action in this game gets split up between the two.

The objectives here are simple. I get two "blips" to place per turn and my goal is to kill all of her terminators. She can win in two ways, either kill all of the genestealers (there is a max amount that can come) or block off all possible entry points (genestealers cannot enter the board from an arrow if a marine is within 6 squares of it.)

Here's Brother Leon standing in the corner relieving himself upon mission start.

Above, in the Eastern Quadrant, Sergeant Gideon and Brother Noctis are poised to cover the corridors to the south.

Above, Brother Omnio is positioned to hold off the western corridors until Brother Leon and Brother Valencio stop messing around in the corners of nearby rooms.

Wifey's plan is an aggressive one. In the Eastern Quadrant, Sergeant Gideon and Brother Noctis will advance south and attempt to seal off that entry-way. In the Western Quadrant, Brother Omnio will hold the corridor until Brother Valencio and Brother Leon converge on his location, where they will advance west and attempt to seal off that entry-way. She wants a complete and utter win, probably in order to gain considerable bragging rights in addition to the obligatory spoils (loser makes the winner a cup of tea).

Turn 1:
Brother Noctis opens his door and advances south, opening another door. He attempts to shoot the door further south, but fails to destroy it. Sergeant Gideon makes his way through the corridors. In my following turn, I've allocated a blip to the Eastern Quadrant and moved it to lurk behind the door south of Gideon.

++Courage and Faith, Brothers! We take this threat by the throat!++

In the Western Quadrant, Brother Omnio opens his door and sets up position (and Overwatch) covering the north-west corridor.
The blip for this quadrant scurries down the south-west corridor and lurks in a hole in the wall.

++Brother Omnio in position. Sensorium detects hostile in parallel corridor.++
++Acknowledged. Brother Leon en route. Emperor protect.++
++Brother Valencio- I'm on my way. I'm east of your position.++

Turn 2:
Brother Noctis advances, firing upon the southern door, but it holds. Sergeant Gideon moves a few steps south, slowing so Brother Noctis can catch up. I allocate another blip to the Eastern Quadrant, and move it up behind the door south of Brother Noctis. My first blip opens a door and waits behind a corner, ready to pounce on the Sergeant.

++More contacts approach. Steady, Brothers, retribution approches.++

In order to keep my blip in check, Brother Omnio re-positions himself in the south-western corridor, effectively stale-mating my blip. I respond by moving the newly allocated blip up the north-western corridor. Brother Leon and Brother Valencio hurry to intercept.

Turn 3:
Brother Noctis finally destroys the door to the south, revealing a lone genestealer, but fails to kill it and sets Overwatch. Sergeant Gideon advances a step and sets Guard.

Just in time to rescue Brother Omnio from being over-whelmed from two sides, Brother Valencio opens a door to the east and has a clear shot at the genestealers in the north-western corridor. He sets Overwatch. Brother Leon continues to close on their location. I reveal both of my re-inforcement blips and move them along the north-western corridor behind the discovered genestealers (using them as cover). The front genestealers make a move towards Brother Valencio, but he destroys them. I decide to think better of the situation, and the other genestealers hold.

++Brother Valencio engaging the enemy in the northwest corridor. By Sanguinius we will cleanse this place.++

Turn 4:
In a frightening display of bad luck and fragility, Brother Noctis fails to kill the genestealer in front of him, and jams his Storm Bolter in the following Overwatch. The genestealer makes short work of him, and another blip moves up behind the successful genestealer. Sergeant Gideon gives pause and sets Guard again.

++They are upon me! For the Emperor, I --fzzzt - tchk-Aaagh.. ++
++Brother Noctis!++
++He met his end in the Emperor's duty, may we all be as fortunate.++
++We finish this, that Brother Noctis will be avenged.++

Meanwhile, in the Western Quadrant, another blip lurks down the corridor. I will not simply throw them to the fate of the other genestealers already caught in the north-west corridor. Brother Leon continues forward.

Turn 5:
In the Eastern Quadrant, Sergeant Gideon destroys the blip around the corner and attempts to make a run to block the entry-way. Both of my blips are allocated here, and they swarm north, past Sergeant Gideon. Some make their way towards the Western Quadrant, others circle around , closing on Sergeant Gideon. The blips nearby wait for the noose to close tighter before they spring their trap.

++Contacts surrounding my location. Cannot hold the quadrant alone. Watch your six, Brothers! Eastern Quadrant is compromised!++
++Brother Valencio moving in to assist, Sergeant.++

With Brother Leon having finally arrived to cover the Northwest corridor (on Overwatch, even), Brother Valencio turns his attention eastward, moving to assist the Sergeant.

Turn 6:
Sergeant Gideon tires of these xeno games, and charges the genestealers! he decimates a small handfull, but unfortunately for the Imperium, he cannot take them all, and they over-whelm him.

++These foul xenos fight like babes from Calthis IV! I would have expected more... ++
++Sergeant, behind you!++
++...Clever girl. I -chhht. tzzz- Nay!++
++Sergeant!++

Brother Valencio positions himself at a key corridor joining the two quadrants.

++In Gideon's name, no xenos will pass me while I still draw breath!++

Brother Leon advances, and clears the northwest corridor with the ridiculously awesome Assault Cannon. He and Brother Omnio look to be making a move to seal this entry off. I focus my blip reinforcements here to hold them off.

Turn 7:
Brother Valencio holds the Eastern Quadrant from his vantage point in the north room. The genestealers bunch up to swarm him.

Brother Omnio, long standing in stalemate with the blip hiding in the hole in the wall, advances and lays it to waste with his Storm Bolter. He holds the corridor from his advanced position. Brother Leon advances two steps and sets Overwatch as well.

Turn 8:

++None shall pass!++

Both Brother Omnio and Brother Leon advance two steps and set Overwatch. By now, Brother Omnio is close enough that he is denying me the southern two entry points. I throw both reinforcement blips in from the north to stall their approach.

Turn 9:
Brother Valencio's Storm Bolter jams! The swarm makes a go for it!

Alas, Brother Omnio's Storm Bolter also jams, and he does not survive the flood of genestealers.

++I die, Brothers. Avenge me! tchht. tzzzzzz...-++
++Reloading. Brother Valencio, what is your status? Western Quadrant soon to be compromised.++
++Holding off the Eastern Quadrant, Brother. ETA unknown.++

Turn 10:
Brother Valencio's Storm Bolter starts rolling like it was possessed of his fallen brethren. As if to make up for lost time, he cuts down half of the incoming genestealers. There are only 3 genestealers left in the Eastern Quadrant, and all within sight!

Brother Leon lets rip with his Assault Cannon, and his accuracy is suffering under the pressure. With the northwest corridor cleared he assesses his situation.

++Sensorium detects 5 contacts in corridor south of me.++
++3 Contacts remaining in Eastern Quadrant, Brother.++
++You may survive us all, Brother Valencio, for I only have 4 remaining salvos of ammunition. The odds are not in my favor.++

Turn 11:
Brother Leon moves towards Brother Valencio's position. The genestealers in the southwest corridor split up, in order to surround Brother Leon, and cut him off from Valencio.

Valencio destroys all 3 of his contacts during his Overwatch! Can he still come to Leon's defense?

++Contacts cleared. Brother Valencio moving to assist!++

Turn 12:
I would like to point out that up until now our cat (Mr. Mewlies) had been faithfully sitting in the chair alongside my wife, offering her his full support in this matter. You can see him in the top of the picture above. The tension is too much for him, and he has turned his back. He liked Brother Leon, you see, and cannot bear to witness his demise.

Brother Valencio moves a step south, turns to the west and sets Overwatch, he has line of sight down the corridor to Brother Leon!

The three genestealers burst from the adjoining corridor, with Brother Leon's death their goal. Brother Valencio kills two, while Brother Leon shoots the other, given Valencio's miss.

Turn 13:
Mr. Mewlies still cannot bear to watch. His fostor-monkeys are making quite the excited chatter, and he is convinced Brother Leon is no more.

The last two genestealers on the board are behind Brother Leon! Brother Valencio has no line of sight! Leon wheels around and fires; he misses! Spending 2 command points, Brother Leon sets Overwatch, and recites a quick prayer to his Assault Cannon's machine spirit to guide his shots, for this is his last chance.

The genestealers make a desperate leap for Brother Leon...
...and are torn asunder by the white hot fusilade from the cannon. The cannon's spinning barrels slow down, whirring to a halt. Brother Leon glances at his sensorium. No contacts. A familiar beeping registers in his hearing, and his monitors report that he is out of ammunition.


What luck! The Space Marines win!

But at what cost?

To the victor goes the spoils, and I resigned to my task of making her a cup of tea. Chamomile and hibiscus tea. No sugar. Yes, dear.