Space Hulk

Well I didn't think that my first blog post would be about space hulk. However the unexpected opportunity of my first ever game came about last night as Steve (one of the other 4 dads of the apocalypse) and I met up for a couple of hours.

Space Hulk is one game that I have wanted to play since I played Space Crusade on the Amiga 600 many moons ago. I love the simplicity of the idea, the tension and the claustrophobia that the game presents.

We only had time for one game and as I hadn't played before we decided on the first mission and that I play the part of the genestealers. This allowed me to play on a simple board and make plenty of mistakes that wouldn't lose me the game. Here is the board we played on:

So a quick battle report and then a separate post as a review of the game.

The Space Marine objective was to flame the control room - the most northern room. The Genestealer objective was to kill the flamer...

Turn 1

The space marines lumbered forward into the first room, working together 1 split to cover the southern corridor and their backs. The others faced the imminent danger of the blips approaching from the east and blocking their path to the objective.

Turn 2

As blips appear south and west the marines advance forward and open the eastern door revealing fangs and claws tearing down the corridor. The leader of the squad, the sergeant enters the corridor first and clicks into overwatch mode but his storm bolter jams leaving him vulnerable...

Turn 3

The sergeant doesn't panic and uses his experience under pressure to clear the jam and aim true cutting down the feverish genestealers tearing towards him with no mercy.

Turn 4

More aliens appear from the east and charge but the sergeant bellows a war cry, fills with battle rage and sprints forward to feel the glory of close combat. The marines behind trust their sergeant and flame the corridor preventing any aliens splitting the squad. The rearguard holds true as the threat also looms from the south...

Turn 5

The sergeant's power sword flashes as he cuts down all in front of him. Watching his sergeant's back the marine with the heavy flamer rounds the corner and hot promethium engulfs the corridor to the north burning a horde of aliens. The marine watching the rear fires true and extinguishes any threat from behind. The marines assert their authority...

Turn 6

It's decision time. The sergeant gives the order to split up as he advances to hold the southern corridor so that the others have time to move north and head towards the control room.

Sensing a break the genestealers make their move attacking from the south and east both in front and behind to force mistakes under pressure...

Turn 7

And there is the break for the aliens. The marine sergeant pulled up his storm bolter as the aliens rounded the corner only for a dull click to emanate from the trigger. A jam at the worst time cost him his life and left a gaping hole for the aliens to exploit...

Turn 8

The surviving marines collectively made their decision to move, move, move and get to the control room before being overwhelmed. The 2 remaining Storm bolter marines led the way protecting the heavy flamer and ready to sell their lives so that the mission could be successful...

Turn 9

The marines get forced back and surrounded in the close confines of the corridor but their shots count and genestealers litter the floor around their feet. Up to this point 29 have been terminated through marine ferocity.

Turn 10

The marines drive forward and break the tyranid assault fighting back to back to cover all angles as the heavy flamer marine breaks for the control room to the north and the successful completion of the mission.

The storm bolter marines set up overwatch covering fire across the north/south corridor to eliminate any threat...

Turn 11

One of the marines fighting back to back drops having been cut down. His partner glances behind him which gives a genestealer the fraction of a second it needs to make it across the corridor in front. As he realises his mistake and is pulled to the ground he glances past the corner in hope only to see his brother's heavy flamer clatter to the ground arm still attached. An apology to the god emperor exits his lips and the blackness descends...

So the tyranids win but only just. If the overwatch shots hadn't jammed the Blood Angels would have triumphed the very next turn! A very enjoyable game which really could have gone either way so thanks Steve but 1 - 0 to me for the blog!

Anyone have any experience of Space Hulk? I would love to hear of any really close games you've had.

Make sure to check my review of Space Hulk in my next post soon.

James