The Taking of Firebase 812

There was a breakthrough in the siege lines around Vrak in front of Renegade Firebase 812.

Firebase 812 was heavily fortified with plastcrete walls on top of a ridge overlooking a killing zone that was cleared of cover except for a downed shuttle. Heavy mortars from here supported the front trenches. After they fell, the mortars were used to bombard Imperial infantry consolidating on the position. The Krieg infantry requested support and a Cadian armoured battlegroup was despatched through the gap on a deep raid.

Long range artillery laid smoke across the front of the firebase. When it cleared, the battlegroup was within range.

The Renegades were horrified to see two Baneblades on the left flank and a squadron of Leman Russ on the right. Four squads of veterans and the company commander motored up the centre in chimeras. The firebase had just three anti-tank cannon and two dug in Malcadors for protection.

The first three pictures show the start lines and the closure of the battlegroup. Imperial tanks swept the parapets with fire. The defenders hunkered down. Most of the fire was deflected by the fortifications but not all.

The chimeras approached cautiously, firing as they came. This gave the defenders time to bombard the APCs, immobilising a couple. The Lieutenant in command of the chimeras panicked and debussed the Imperial veteran squads too far away from the defenders. Out in the open, the Imperials suffered heavy casualties from renegade shells.

The Baneblades climbed the ridge and fired down into the firebase, causing havoc. At this point, what was left of the renegade infantry and light vehicles poured from the outflanked fortifications to engage the Imperial forces. The Ogryn attacked the chimeras with various blunt objects. They managed to wreck the paintwork before expiring of drug overdose. The renegades had more luck against the Imperial infantry, wiping them out.

The firebase commander and squad threw themselves at a Baneblade, shooting it up with meltaguns and meltabombs. They blew three or four holes in the heavy armour but failed to do anything but minor damage.

The firebase was finished.

The battle took three nights to play and was great fun. I lost about 2K points of my 3K army. I destroyed about 1K points of Imperials. Fortifications are really effective; I only took fatal losses after my perimeter was breached. Heavy mortars are lethal against soft-skins but ineffective against armour.

The Vrak Renegade army list can hold its own against the new IG codex. I lost because I took the wrong army.