Starship Troopers at Wyvern Wargamers

All the way back in March, I had the pleasure of a second entertaining game of Starship Troopers at Wyvern Wargamers. Stu's writeup can be found here. 

The campaign tracks performance and offers players assets according to their score. With the fewest points, Ade cheesed out with just four power suits, armed to the teeth with missiles and flamers (top centre below). Paul and I both took MI infantry squads, with my performance in the first game once again affording me a Marauder Chickenhawk. Our mission:

Everything was going according to plan. Now the landings are complete, you can hear some other companies in serious combat but you have been ordered to create a perimeter that will relieve the pressure on them and allow this invasion to get under way!

In short: clear the bug deployment zone at the far side of the table, while protecting our secure perimeter (marked by the round thingummiebobs). Easy? 

MI Deployment

My squad barely steps out of the secured beachhead before the first wave of bugs. My highly trained and well equipped troopers throw three low ammo rolls on the first round of firing, including my LMG. Poor form lads!

Oh dear, lots of bugs...

My troops managed to fight their way through, aided by Ade's heavy support troopers. Meanwhile, on our right flank, Paul's exposed patrol meets stiffer resistance (lets gloss over the fact I suggested Paul head that way to secure the deployment zone).

The Tanker bug, now immune to small arms fire, torches half the squad and the rest promptly heads for the hills. As we scrambled to neutralise the Tanker, the evening ticked on and we had to call the game. Saved by the bell - the MI successfully cleared the far zone and set up their perimeter and the Tanker arrived too late to stomp about in our safe beachhead. 

After the second game, MoTM definitely went to Ade's rocket and Flamer team, the four of them pushing Ade way up the scoreboard. My 'Lucky Devils' and their strong lead from that Tanker kill in Game 1 is starting to get eaten away. 

Once again, a fun game and we all felt more comfortable with the rules and the balance had been tweaked a little: the MI had been nerfed with a lower command score and the Tanker buffed to be immune to small arms fire, making it somewhat more terrifying with only a handful of missile launchers on the table. This gave a closer game and it looked ugly for the MI for a few turns.  I suspect Stu has more to throw at us next time and hear even Ade is scouring eBay for bugs.