I fancied getting the 15s out for a game at the weekend. I decided to use the old 40K Rogue Trader ruleset as it is the only rule set I have with rules for spiders. Is there something that Rogue Trader doesn't cover? As this is 15mm I ran the rules in cm rather than inches which I find gives the correct scale for these figures.
Anyhoo - on with the action. Warning - this is going to be picture heavy!
Location: Grim's World
Mining Station 376 has been silent for many days now. In the Capitol concerns are growing for the miners. Frontier worlds are dangerous places. It is not uncommon for Bandits or Pirates to raid remote stations and towns.
Some of the Colonial Marines are dispatched to the Station 376 to investigate.
Anyhoo - on with the action. Warning - this is going to be picture heavy!
Location: Grim's World
Mining Station 376 has been silent for many days now. In the Capitol concerns are growing for the miners. Frontier worlds are dangerous places. It is not uncommon for Bandits or Pirates to raid remote stations and towns.
Mining Station 376
The marines de-buss leaving the driver with the APC. Due to cut backs there is nobody manning the APC's weapon system. Besides this is probably a routine job. Transmitters go down regularly.
The Marines search the deserted Mining Station. Where are the miners? No signs of weapon damage. What ever happened here clearly the Marines missed it.
Suddenly the motion detectors pick up movement. Movement all around and moving quickly. Nervously the Marines ready their plasma rifles.
CONTACT!!!!
Giant Spiders appear from holes all over the mining complex and rush towards the Marines hungry for more food. It is strange. These critters have never been recorded on this world.
"Lets ROCK!!" The Marines open fire. Plasma bolts smash the Spiders turning them into smoking steaming wreckage.
The Marines slowly pull back from the giant spiders trying to keep distance while laying down fire.
The Spiders keep coming. They know no fear only HUNGER!
The Marines fire kills another two spiders. But most of the fire goes wide.
Yet more spiders arrive driven by hunger.
The APC starts rolling to evac the Marines. The driver curses the high command for not supplying a gunner. Those missiles would be a great help right now.
A spider pursues the First Squad.
A well aimed shot fries the spider!
The Second Squad's shooting improves cooking more spiders with searing hot plasma.
The spiders advance unrelentless, hungry....
Some spiders stalk their prey from above.
Yet more arachnids arrive. There must be a massive nest nearby!
The First and Second squads combine fire wiping out all but one of the spiders in that swarm.
And the spiders keep on advancing.... Where is that damn APC??
The APC races into the compound, the spiders spotting it.
Behind the Second Squad something moves....
Quickly the spiders close on the Marines. A vicious close combat ensues. The Marines know that they cannot afford for the spiders to knock them to the ground. Combat knives slash at the spiders.
Most of the second squad fall to the spiders, the spider venom proving too tough for a human to endure.
The first squad holds their own. Determined to keep his men alive the Sarge joins in the struggle against the eight legged fiends.
Meanwhile the APC thunders towards the stricken Marines. Can it get there in time?
The remaining Marine of Second Squad gets a unwelcome surprise from behind. Two spiders attack him.
Sadly the bite kills him out right. The spiders start to fight over their prey.
The spiders overpower most of the first squad including the Sarge. One spider managed to kill two marines at once. Scary these critters.
The APC thunders closer to the remaining Marine, spiders all over it. The spiders start to damage the machine. Will it be tough enough to make it through?
The Marine manages to kill his spider attacker. The APC is close but still going too fast.
The APC squashes a spider making a line for the remaining Marine.
The APC makes a hard turn slowing down. The turn throws spiders off the APC. The Marine runs forward hoping to catch a lift as the APC passes.
The Marine blasts the spiders off the APC.
The spiders are back quick as lightening. The Marine roars and launches an attack on the Spider.
The remaining Marine falls to a spider bite.
As the remaining Marine the APC driver panics and tries to escape. But the spiders are all over the APC causing more damage. The driver is now worried the APC wont make it.
Despite trying to out run them the spiders keep up with the APC.
A few turns throws the some spiders off but more spiders keep coming.
There is only one spider left on the APC but there are many spiders close.
The APC finally gets clear of the eight legged fiends and thunders away, the driver the only Marine left.
This was a good game and quite tense at times. A few dodgy dice rolls soon threw the Marines into the dark smelly stuff. Next time I must remember to supply the APC with a gunner. Those missiles may have made a difference.
Originally I was going to play this with colonists first. I am glad I didn't. Shotguns and pistols would not have made much of a difference.
The Marines are GZG NAC Marines, the APC a pound store toy and the spiders are Halloween confetti.
