Battle for Xilos

Episode 1 Recap: The Ghar attempted to surprise the C3 forces with a landing to destroy their Quantum Gravity Generator Station. Unfortunately for the Ghar, the C3’s ground defenses were outstanding and shot down the command crawler and two battle squads. They still made a show of force taking out two C3 strike squads and an elite drop squad before their push was halted. Defeat for the Ghar.

Episode 2 Recap: With the initial confrontation halted from episode 1, the Ghar began setting up a transmat station to bring in soldiers. The C3 responded to this move but was unable to launch a combined attack. Their piecemeal assault resulted in the Ghar stalling for time for the transmat station to become active allowing for the reinforcements to arrive.

Episode 3:

Turn 1: The C3 and Isorian forces had done the unspeakable and teamed up to gather as many Builder relics as possible. As the Ghar commander I did my best to break up this alliance and encourage my two friends to shoot each other at every possible moment. Sadly, they did not listen to my advice. Many units ran into defensive positions in preparation for turn two when the Ghar would show up. Other units like C3’s Drop Squad quickly grabbed the first relic they could find.

Turn 2: Tectorist scouts hurried themselves into good vantage points of the enemy. There were plenty of targets to be seen, but try as I might, I couldn’t convince my opponents to waste their ambush orders on such lowly targets. The alliance was waiting for a better target. When a small outcast squad arrived, an Isorian sniper from 70” away put a couple of my dregs in the ground. Josh certainly saw an opportunity to remove a dice from the bucket early! I quickly realized that he would be a problem and sent another Outcast squad along his table edge and opened fire. The sniper fell from the rock face with a satisfying thump!

Next my large 5 Ghar Assault Squad burst on the scene and used their gouger guns to force down the C3’s drop squad. I didn’t need them sneaking away with prizes from the builders. In retaliation, James brought his medium plasma drone to bear on the Assault Squad. I could hear the imaginary explosion in my head as it popped my Assault Squad leader. I figured two chances at 60% to pass a res test would be a no brainer. I was dead wrong…

Turn 3: The Isorians began consolidating their position toward builder relics since they now knew where the Ghar forces were positioned. Only one Phase Squad remained behind to initiate a firefight with the Outcasts who killed their sniper.

Begging my friend Josh to pull a Ghar dice did me no good as it went to the C3. The Drop Squad quickly initiated their thrusters and abandoned a second builder relic they were eying up. They needed put some terrain between them and the Assault Squad. A Strike Squad took their place and dumped fire into some Outcasts killing them all. Then the Plasma Drone rocked the Assaulted Squad again eliminating a second member! I was feeling pretty good about my decision to boost them up to 5 killing machines before the game began. With a couple of pins on the Assault Squad, my gouger guns failed to hit the Strike Squad in front of me. It was not looking good for our heroes.

Turn 4: I made sure the Assault Squad put their foot on the gas this turn and had them activate their plasma amps. With the help of the “Pull Yourself Together!” army option I remove a pin as well. Then Josh came through for me and pulled a Ghar dice! I quickly passed a command check losing the remaining pin in the process and charged the Strike Squad. Body parts went flying from their disruptor dischargers before their plasma claws chewed through the rest of the squad. I began eyeing up the plasma drone as my next target, but sadly the disruptor dice was pulled and I had no place to use it but on the Assault Squad.

James, feeling both confident and a little shocked from already destroying two Assault Suits fired away hoping to get a third. Luckily for me the shot missed due to me being down!

Turn 5: The Isorians secured two Builder relics this turn with the Drop Squad scooting off the table with their relic. My Assault Squad was able to pounce on the plasma drone tearing it apart and consolidated to the center of the field of battle. The Ghar now dominated the entire right flank of the battle.

Then the unthinkable happened. The C3 opened fired on the Isorians. I would like to ponder that my witty banter during the match helped to begin this inner game feud, but in actuality James probably did it to shut me up. Buddy drones were destroyed on each side, but no human casualties. My inner Ghar was hoping for a blood bath.

Right when I was feeling good about myself an Isorian squad was able to get some shots off on my remaining Outcast squad and wiped them from the game. I was now down to two Tectorists and my dwindling Assault Squad.

Turn 6: The Ghar die was pulled and I gleefully assaulted the Strike Squad who opened fire on the Isorians and destroyed them. In return for this wonderful deed the Isorians opened fire on them destroying another assault suit. I was now down to 1! Two Isorians began to move as fast as possible to the board edge with their relics. They wouldn’t make it this turn, but if we played a 7th….

Turn 7: James rolled a die to see if we continued the game. After all, the C3 were either dead or fleeing the field of battle, those cowards. It at least gave him something to do! Sure enough we played on.

I eye balled the Isorians who shot my Assault Squad, and they were certainly in snacking distance of my unit. When my die was pulled they would be my final target. The disruption dice was pulled early followed by the Ghar die! Nooooo! Since they were the only unit left they had to go down. One Isorian squad fled the table with the relic while the other moved it to the edge of their deployment zone.

The turn ended and we tallied up the score:

Allies (I’ll use the term loosely) 5VPs for two secured builder relics and one relic in their control.

Ghar 6 VPs for killing the, Isorian Sniper, Strike Squad 1, Strike Squad 2, Medium Plasma Drone, and preventing two relics from being captured.