Battlefleet Gothic at Call to Arms
Demo game report, part 1

- By John Tailby

What is Battlefleet Gothic?

Battlefleet Gothic (BFG) is Games Workshop’s game of space ship combat. The game setting is the same as the popular 40K universe. The initial background provided some details about Abbadon’s 12^th Black Crusade into the Gothic Sector. GW has continued several of the plot lines introduced in that game into subsequent supplements, stories and Codexes providing a look into the background as a series of interlinked hints rather than a concentrated story . Recently GW released Armada, a supplement that included rules for all the new ships introduced since the original game was released. Now all the races of the 40K universe are represented in BFG. Armada also presented the key engagements that made up Abbadon’s 13^th Black Crusade, the Eye of Terror Campaign.

GW provides support for this game through its specialist games range. All products have to be mail ordered from GW UK or US (the on line store is easiest).

Description of the battles

These battles are set in the Tiberius Sector a part of the 40k universe we created a few years back to give our games some elements of an ongoing narrative. Over the 2 days we played 3 games using a number of different ships. Gareth Ackrill, Peter Denne and I played the games and over the two days filled in a number of different command positions.

Prelude

Chaos raiders ambushed an Imperial convoy heading for the Hive World Capitol. The Imperial escorts were all destroyed and the convoy forced to turn back. The lead Chaos Raider was identified as the Hades class cruiser Grave Robber. During the engagement the Grave Robber was heavily damaged. The Imperial fleet decided that it was time to put a stop to these commerce raiders. The possibility of catching the damaged Grave Robber with few escorts was too good to miss and an Imperial Squadron took to deep space. A second force was to trail the initial group to see if the forces of the Arch Enemy could be tempted into rash action.

Trouble with Aliens.

Admiral Pheron led a battle group consisting of the Emperor Class Battleship Eternal Duty the Cruiser Triumph and 2 squadrons of Firestorm Frigates to the Last Chance Penal colony. Once this planet had been the last chance for offenders to make good. Now it was a frontier war world against the arch Enemy. Admiral Pharon planned to recruit new crew members to replenish the Eternal Duty’s lower decks from amongst the convicts. In addition the presence of the fleet would remind the inhabitants of the responsibilities to the Imperium. Also from here it was a short warp jump to the likely areas the grave robber would have to Traverse to reach safe harbour. The Duty entered stationery orbit above the penal colony and sent down shuttles to gather the recruits. The remainders of the fleet took station further out system.

The Imperial picket ships identified several unusual sensor readings closing at thigh speed. The nearest picket ships moved to intercept while the ships on standby began moving to alert status. 3 alien Cruisers and 3 escorts approached the Imperial fleets. Several firestorms were blasted apart in the intruders opening salvo. The imperial return fire was defeated by unknown stealth technology.

Admiral Pharon ordered the Imperial orbital defences activated and the orbiting mines began to acquire and track the alien vessels. The 3 alien cruisers now revealed their intentions and the e cruisers turned towards the Duty. Admiral Pharon ordered the recall the flight crews from the planets surface. The Duty’s weapons batteries began the engage the approaching raiders. The stealth technology of the lead alien vessel failed when it was struck repeatedly by the Duty’s broadside. The sleek blade like form of a Dark Eldar Cruiser was revealed. The Dark Eldar struck and their Dark Matter technology overloaded the Duty’s shields and scored deep wounds in its hull. The strain overloaded the ancient shield generators on the imperial battleship. Short handed and with insufficient crew to man the damage control parties the Duty was reduced to a hulk to be captured by the planet’s gravity well.

The Dark Eldar raced on past the planet and away from the Imperial counter stroke. One of the cruisers was damaged and the 3 escorts destroyed. The Imperial survivors detected the warp entry signatures of several ships. These were not likely to be additional Imperial ships so Captain Vasilevsky on the Triumph ordered the signal to summon the reinforcing squadron be sent. The Triumph’s ships boats began to search for survivors in life pods.