In the Emperor's Name + Hive World + Warhammer 40k

Hive World. 

This is a battle report by Lewis Morgan of the esteemed Tamahere Officers Club. He is running a campaign using the rather eloquent In the Emperor's Name rulebook, also known as ITEN, for skirmish games set in the Warhammer 40k universe. This was the first game, played a few weeks ago. I'm not sure if he will connect this with the other (Gamma World) campaign he is running...


"It all seemed so easy..."

For our test run of In the Emperor's Name I decided to run a little Hive World scenario.

In the center of the board Phil's hive gangers stood ready to defend their turf to the last man. It might have been an old ruined Rec center but it was theirs!

From further down the table Blair's Guard were approaching on a gang sweep. Their mission; wipe out any hive scum like the cockroaches they are.

Strangely reticent, a squad of Dave's Blood Angels watched on. Unknown to the other combatants their job was recruitment. Any ganger who killed a guardsman would be tranquilized and teleported to the battle barge in orbit around the planet.

However, at the other end of the table a band of Eldar pirates entered, controlled by Marty. Their mission was to locate and close a webway portal that dirty orks had been using to enter the craftworld and steal spirit stones. Unfortunately closing the portal required a special gem which the Eldar had recently procured from a Thark temple. If only the Eldar knew which building contained the portal...

Not far from the Rec center, Greg's orks streamed from a web portal, their grubby mits filled with spirit stones. They had found a buyer for the stones - The hive gang! Although why hive gangers would want spirit stones was beyond the orks. No matter, gangers might be crazy but their money was good.

So as the casual observer might detect, we were in for a full table of jolly japes and scallywag behavior.

And then the Tharks arrive...

Imperial Troopers?

Much maligned Martian greenskins!

Early in the game the Eldar took the initiative and made a fast sweep up one side of the board leaving ganger and guard corpses smoking in their wake.

The gangers traded shots with the advancing guard and the orks milled about generally getting in everyone's way. Like a well oiled machine the Blood Angel marines took the fortified high ground and looked for recruits in the ensuing melee. 

Everything seemed to be going swimmingly until one particularly curious Eldar pirate entered the Rec center. Imagine his surprise when he discovered the Gangs leader, a pure strain genestealer!

His surprise was short lived, as was the combat.

Now the real threat had been revealed everyone when to battle stations!

As one, the Marines and Guard focused their attentions on cleansing the Xenos. How ever the marine commander was shocked to see that the Imperial Guard's idea of cooperation was to let off a suicide grenade in the marine's bunker and then follow this up with a flamethrower burst.

Unfortunately the guard had been infected before the battle.

Scratch half the marines force.

The orks milled about generally getting in everyone's way.

Cunning as usual, the Eldar pirate captain avoided the whole mess, and approached one of the last remaining unsearched buildings.

It was at this moment Darcy's Tharks chose to deploy from this very spot. Three tharks gutted the captain, recovered the gem and exited the table in one easy maneuver.

"Holy mother of shit!" or it's Eldar equivalent was heard spoken.

Meanwhile the remaining marines decided to make a break for the surface via a rail line. Their fate remains unknown...

The Genestealer cult slowly gathered it's gangers and guard to its lair.

The orks milled about generally getting in everyone's way.

All in all a great game!


Conclusion:

In the Emperor's Name was an excellent ruleset, especially considering this was our first game, 6 players and the whole thing was over in 2 hours.

Lots of scenario driven action (especially as no one got any victory points for killing anyone) and heaps of secret GM/player conferences.


Final scores:

• Tharks: 10/10 (although roundly hated for their appearance on the field at all!?)
• Imperial Guard: 6/10 (for doing a real number on the marines)
• Genestealer Cult: 3/10 (inseminated one cocky eldar pirate!)
• Eldar: 0/10 (unfortunately delivering victory straight to the Tharks after such a promising start)
• Orks: 0/10 (milled about generally got in everyone's way)
• Marines: -2/10 (after teleporting an ork to the battle barge as a prospective recruit!)

Outrageously good fun. Can't wait to do it all again :-)