Rogal, my combat experience is mostly with RT, so the characters aren't as robust as Space Marines. Still, I'd consider using tactics more, even with 'Nids. Assuming synapse creatures, those gaunts would close with the marines first, taking the first casualties and pinning them down, then enter the Shrikes, etc. There won't be enough SM not engaged to kill them while they're closing. At the same time, I'd try to give my party some means of combating the hordes, say defiles. Defiles are great for that. Assault marines can hold the constricted area(s) while their shooty brethren bring on the ranged hurt. Of course, that's assuming good play from my players.

Deathwatch marines only test to confirm RF vs non-xenos anyway.

WHAT?!?!? How did I miss THAT section!

It's the Deathwatch Training Talent.

Deathwatch marines only test to confirm RF vs non-xenos anyway.

WHAT?!?!? How did I miss THAT section!

It's the Deathwatch Training Talent.

I'll check it out thanks!

Deathwatch marines only test to confirm RF vs non-xenos anyway.

I always thought that ability was a bit too pwerful; I 'house rule' that Deathwatch Marines get a re-roll to confirm RF vs. xenos instead.

So last night I put the Kill team through a close quarters space hulk-esque fight to reclaim a fortress that imperial guard forces had lost contact with in advance of approaching Guard forces, there was only a small window to get this place operational before the swarm (Which had been directed to attack this position once the genestealers had done their bloody work.) Against a five man kill team I put forty genestealers and a broodlord in this place. The fortress had several tightly cramped corridors connected to much larger rooms like shrines/barracks/ ect.

Well once again I didn't successfully kill any of my players, but I sure did try. The almost the techmarine during the initial ambush from the broodlord. Hit him in the surprise round, then went full lighting attack on him, bringing him into crit damage. Unfortunately the squad leader (Tactical Marine) was very adept and had used his Imperial fist ability to make it so that overwatch isn't done at the -20. Then bolter advance was called...Needless to say, my poor broodlord never got another turn and the 8 genestealers in the room tried to disperse to set up other ambushes, but the marines had mined the ventilation ducts with cluster mines coming from the command room as a precaution. A heavy flamer burst followed by a pushed Smite ability pulped the rest, as the one survivor from the room tried to go to ground he was caught in the booby trap and incinerated. Once contact was made initially I pretty much just pretended I was playing spacehulk in my head as far as tactics goes, so lots of "blips" moving about on auspex, blips congealing together in places that the kill team couldn't see, then coming in as wave of 15 or so at once from multiple directions. Genestealers dropping into thier ranks through ventilation ducts...pretty much stacks on stacks of Ichor.

Overall, I think I am getting a better feel for balance. My players were mostly wounded, one was in crit damage, the apothecary was a godsend for them. The most important thing is that my players had a blast and so did I. So I think that's about right. Pretty much I just take what would by a good fun fight in my head, then increase it by 30-50%

Though I think my favorite part of the night was watching the kill team conduct an investigation under pressure into how this place was breached and what happened here. They successfully figured out that one of the tech priests was a GS cultist, downloaded the encrypted communications data from before the blackout, repaired and restarted main power, unlocked the command and control systems, brought the automated defenses online and dealt with the one survivor of the initial attack. Referred to the commissariat for Dereliction of duty and cowardice. He his in his footlocker and soiled himself. The 4th Castobel Reborn are on the scene and it looks like it's time for their next mission.

But to me the craziest thing that came up to me was that one of the marines used his Space Marine ability to sample memories and skills by consuming the genetic material of the broodlord. He used this to actually get an image of the high ranking cultist behind the whole conspiracy...****! (Gave him 1d5-1 insanity for this)

This mission backtracked in the timeline to when the kill team first arrived in system to commence their watch, but just before the signal came down from the moon to begin the "Extraction" mission from the main book. Sunday we pick back up where they left off and we will see how they do against the swarm that is trying to cut off their escape...

Sounds like a fun game. Wish I could find one that fit my schedule. Getting kind of tired of drawing up characters just to see the game fall apart after a couple sessions. Some day I'll have to start up a game on roll20, probably not for another year, at least.

Sounds like a fun game. Wish I could find one that fit my schedule. Getting kind of tired of drawing up characters just to see the game fall apart after a couple sessions. Some day I'll have to start up a game on roll20, probably not for another year, at least.

I am very very grateful to have a group of friends with such a passion for roleplaying. Not to mention that my wife lets me host once or twice per week without complaint after work. My campaign has swelled to 8 players after the first week. I am sure one or two will drop due to scheduling, but roleplaying twice per week really makes the story go so much faster!

Sounds like a fun game. Wish I could find one that fit my schedule. Getting kind of tired of drawing up characters just to see the game fall apart after a couple sessions. Some day I'll have to start up a game on roll20, probably not for another year, at least.

I personally hate roll20, too slow and cold :\

Sounds like a fun game. Wish I could find one that fit my schedule. Getting kind of tired of drawing up characters just to see the game fall apart after a couple sessions. Some day I'll have to start up a game on roll20, probably not for another year, at least.

I am very very grateful to have a group of friends with such a passion for roleplaying. Not to mention that my wife lets me host once or twice per week without complaint after work. My campaign has swelled to 8 players after the first week. I am sure one or two will drop due to scheduling, but roleplaying twice per week really makes the story go so much faster!

2 session\week *_* awesome

Got last night the first session of *my* first mission, with 6 marines, after completing Final Sanction.

They will **** nails

Yeah we just finished up the final scene for the extraction mission. All told there were 7 members of the Kill Team present. It was as epic as I would have liked. One character had to burn a fatepoint, the rest were in various stages of being wounded. The one who burned the FP did so by suicide bombing the hive tyrant with a melta bomb. I said, It needs a surface to adher to, because it's a shaped charge. It will be next to impossible to get it affixed into position on a rampaging Tyrant. He said, I will hold it in place and activate it myself. Needless to say, he died, it died, everyone cheered. He earned some extra renown and an skull and scroll distinction for his left knee reading "Suffer Not The Alien to Live" and burned the hell out of a fate point.

Next up, a speed and stealth mission to escort Inquisitor Archibald to arrest the Governor of one of the hives of Castobel (he is a genestealer cultist and has been up to some very bad things...)

Very nice. And glad you still had fun/challenge with such a big group.

Yeah we just finished up the final scene for the extraction mission. All told there were 7 members of the Kill Team present. It was as epic as I would have liked. One character had to burn a fatepoint, the rest were in various stages of being wounded. The one who burned the FP did so by suicide bombing the hive tyrant with a melta bomb. I said, It needs a surface to adher to, because it's a shaped charge. It will be next to impossible to get it affixed into position on a rampaging Tyrant. He said, I will hold it in place and activate it myself. Needless to say, he died, it died, everyone cheered. He earned some extra renown and an skull and scroll distinction for his left knee reading "Suffer Not The Alien to Live" and burned the hell out of a fate point.

Next up, a speed and stealth mission to escort Inquisitor Archibald to arrest the Governor of one of the hives of Castobel (he is a genestealer cultist and has been up to some very bad things...)

What 'Nids and their corresponding weapons inflicted wounds on your team more frequently?

There was a Hormagaunt swarm 100 Deep that they only managed to kill half of before it hit home due to being seriously distracted by Hive Tyrant and Shrikes. That got two turns of serious damage off. The hive Tyrant himself got a lucky hit off on the charge that the Storm Warden failed to dodge. That obviously hurt A LOT! The Melta suicide bombing killed the devestator.

The Termagaunts and Ravenors just soaked fire and did nothing outside of kill a few guardsmen. A few guardsmen also died when a few dead shrikes fell into their lines as dead weight. Actually, at one point the assault marine made some crazy rolls and directed a dead shrike to land on top of a ravenor. I made it a hellish pilot personal test plus a very difficult strength test...

The Melta suicide bombing killed the devestator.

If he burned fate he would have lived, but I'd still have given him some horrible crits like the "face burned off" one.

Oh yes! He did burn a fatepoint. And he got some cool stuff as a result!

I'm definitely going to stick to non-horde combat more frequently. I'll do it with my 'Nids mission but that'll be only using endless hordes instead of multiple ones, which I have made the mistake of using before and it just made the game draaaaag on way too long.

Hordes are a fun distraction, they have to be dealt with or they WILL kill you. But they never seem like the primary threat...

Fire Warriors.

Fire Warriors.

I stand corrected! They are the primary threat!!!