Battle in the Ruins - One Page 40k AAR

Once again, Curt and I felt like getting some 40k on the table. I suggested that, instead of trying to struggle through the 6th Edition book Curt has, we try playing the One Page 40k ruleset again. We'd played it before at 750 points and it had gone well. So this time we'd try again at 1500 points. 

The table was set up with a random scattering of ruins. We used the advanced rules to roll for a scenario, and got the Relay mission. Both of us would have a relay marker in our deployment zone that we would have to defend, while trying to destroy the other player's marker within 4 game turns. 

Curt was running his Orks, and he had deployed heavily on his right. His relay marker was tucked into a corner of the ruins there on the left side of the image, behind a squad of Boyz. His 1500 points consisted of:

-Ork Warboss

-Boyz Squad x5

-Loota Squad

-Warbike Squad

-Trukk

-Looted Wagon

My Chaos force was deployed to mirror Curt's choices - heavily on my left, and just enough on the right to keep his Warbikes from flanking. My relay was hidden behind the curved ruin on the right side of the image. My force contained:

-Chaos Lord (Khorne)

-Sorcerer

-Chaos Marine Squad x2 (Khorne)

-Chaos Marine Squad x2 (Tzeentch)

-Chaos Marine Squad

-Cultist Squad

-Land Raider

The action on my left was immediate, with Curt managing to immobilize my Land Raider after it had moved once. However, all of its weapons were still functioning, and it managed to almost wipe out an entire Boyz squad in a single round of shooting.  

On my left, Curt's Warbikers charged into my Cultists, managing to kill one and pin them. A subsequent round of firing from my Marine squad left the bikers pinned.

In the middle of the table, my psyker group (the Sorcerer and the two Tzeentech-marked Marine squads) were butchered by Curt's Lootas and a Boyz squad. The last remaining psyker squad managed to wipe the Lootas off the table before being destroyed by an Orc charge.

The fighting on the left had reduced both sides to nearly nothing, although my crippled Land Raider was still sitting pretty. Curt's Trukk with a Boyz squad inside was still waiting, not wanting to be the target of the Land Raider's Lascannons and Havoc Launcher.

As my last Khorne Marines rush over to Curt's relay to try and win the game. Meanwhile, the last survivors who knocked out my psykers try to take on my Lord. They succeed, and celebrate for a moment before being atomized by the Land Raider. 

Taking advantage of the situation, Curt's Trukk rushes behind cover. 

Having killed the Warbikes, the Cultists and Marines begin to trudge over to the left. 

Having reached the end of four turns, that should have been the end of the game - a tie. However, Curt and I decided to keep playing, to see if one of us could get to the other's relay in a couple more turns. 

The Land Raider managed to destroy the Trukk, but not before the Boyz get out and manage to inflict a few more hits on the stationary vehicle. 

The two Berserkers manage to reach the Ork relay, and inflict some damage on it, but not enough to end the game. The Ork Looted Wagon rolls into the ruins and blows one of the Khornites to bloody chunks. 

Curt's last remaining Boyz squad rushed for the Chaos Relay, but also failed to destroy it. A searing crossfire between the Land Raider and the Cultists leaves only the Nob remaining.

Even with an additional turn, neither side could destroy the Relay markers, so a tie result remained.

However, it was a fun game, and a good excuse to get the old 40k models back out on the table. I'd certainly recommend One Page 40k to anyone with 40k miniatures who isn't happy with the current state of the rules. OP40k is fast playing, light on rules, and most importantly, fun!