Although it’s often tough to get on the table due to its length and the fact I’m a slow, rookie painter, the balance of Legion and the cinematic moments it creates has consistently kept it among my favorite games. As always, the hope is to document my enjoyment of this new hobby while using fancy lasers, mediocre story-telling, and big explosions to distract you from any short-coming in painting, rules, and turn-by-turn record keeping.
SCENARIO
Alliance and Imperial intelligence have been alerted of the existence of a weapons cache previously under the custody of planetary defense forces, which have been disbanded since the planetary struggle between the two powers had begun. Fearing these assets could fall into the hands of their adversaries and their supporters, both factions have deployed elements to seize the cache.
BATTLEFIELD
Terrain Features:
River – Fast current: Impassable to all but walkers and speeders
Heavy Woods (based trees): Heavy cover area terrain; units can see into but not through
Light Woods (unbased trees/floating rocks): Light cover
Buildings: Functional ladders – no need to clamber - on 2 sides of most buildings
PEW PEW PEW
Led by General Veers himself, the core Imperial cohort sent to retrieve the munitions surveys the target compound from a near by hill, providing overwatch while a squad of Stormtroopers advances to secure the nearest building’s rooftop.
Suddenly, the Imperial controlled hill erupts from an orbital turbo-blaster volley. Although, Veers emerged without a scratch and the damage inflicted to his security detail was minimal (minor damage to the cohort’s attached AT-ST, 1x Stormtrooper casualty) one thing was certain – the Rebels had arrived, led by the Wonder Twins Luke and Leia.
Veers immediately places a bounty on Leia, and the infamous bounty hunter Boba Fett moves to collect.
Spearheading the Rebel advance, an Alliance T-47 skims the perilous river waters to line up an attack run on the Imperial’s rooftop vanguard.
Sensing the threat, the Stormtrooper squad’s heavy gunner engages the low flying speeder with his HH-12, hoping to cripple the Alliance craft before it’s able to bring its own guns to bear. Although the trooper lands a clean hit on the Alliance craft, all critical systems remained fully functional despite the blow.
Meanwhile, with several Imperial elements suppressed by the preliminary bombardment and Alliance air support drawing the brunt of Imperial fire, Rebel infantry led by Luke Skywalker advance towards the compound unopposed. The contingent’s Commando sniper team and squad of troopers grab two supply cache’s for the Rebellion (2 Rebels : 0 Empire : 3 Unclaimed : 1 Bounty).
Veers responds by deploying his mobile reserves – mounted scouts and the cohort’s AT-ST – to counter the Rebel advance into the facility. Meanwhile, Boba Fett secures the first supply cache for the Empire. (2: Rebels : 1 Empire : 1 Unclaimed : 1 Bounty)
Unfortunately, these reinforcements do not arrive in time to save their fellow troopers from the vengeful wrath of Rebel airpower. However, with the Rebel offensive bearing down on the Imperial left flank, Stormtroopers stationed on the right of the line were able to quietly seize a second supply cache for the Empire (2 Empire : 2 Rebels : 1 Unclaimed : 1 Bounty).
After a taking a few shots at the T-47 looming overhead, the squad of mounted Scouts zip around the facility in the hopes of avoiding return fire from Rebel airpower and to maintain their distance from Luke. Instead, they are ambushed by a squad of Rebels who emerge from behind a stack of shipping containers, felling one of their number.
Almost immediately after the destruction of the first Scout Bike a single shot rang out from the neighboring tree line. In a flash, what remained of Veers’ mounted infantry was destroyed, picked off by the Rebel sniper.
Despite the loss of a full squad of Stormtroopers and his mounted scouts, all was not lost for the Veers and his cohort. Having triangulated the source of the Rebel’s communications with the orbiting Alliance fleet, Veers directs fire support from a nearby Imperial firebase to target Leia’s position and relays the coordinates to Boba Fett. The coordinated effort of Imperial turbolasers and the bounty hunter leave Leia critically wounded (1 wound remaining). Fearing death, Leia retreats behind an outcropping of heavy woods, breaking line of sight with the core of Veers’ troops and seeking cover behind the Rebel line.
Anticipating General Organa’s retreat, Veers deploys a squad of Stormtroopers behind the main Rebel line. With a clear line of sight to General Organa herself, the squad threatens to eliminate the Rebel leader and gain a pivotal tactical advantage (and victory point lead!) for the Empire. Unfortunately, far from their commander and now the focal point of the entire Alliance firing line as the Rebels attempt to save their beloved general, the squad suffers heavy casualties despite the heavy cover provided by the rocky outcropping, succumb to panic, and subsequently flee the battlefield.
Nonetheless, their effort was not in vain. Capitalizing on the shift in Rebel fire, the cohort’s AT-ST presses into the Rebel line, unloading its arsenal on the Alliance T-47, destroying the airspeeder and ending the Rebellion’s aerial reign. The walker then sets its sights on a squad of Rebel troopers making a run for the final supply cache and destroys the unit to a man.
With the sole remaining unclaimed supply cache contested by the Imperial walker, Alliance leadership shifts their effort from acquiring unclaimed supplies to reclaiming those already in possession of the Empire. High Command hot-drops a squad of Commandos behind the Imperial right flank in an attempt to releave the Stormtroopers of their newly acquired supplies…
… while Skywalker charges Boba Fett. Despite being locked in mortal combat with the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy, Boba Fett’s Mandalorian armor saves him from THREE melee attacks from Luke, calling into question the Jedi’s ability to finish barring the presence of a conveniently placed Sarlacc.
Unwilling to risk his supplies in another round with the Jedi, Boba Fett rockets to safety behind a heavy woodline, safely out of range of Lukes lightsaber and out of sight of Luke’s blaster.
Meanwhile, the Commandos met stiff resistance from the Stormtroopers. Sensing an opportunity, the Stormtrooper sergeant leads his unit in a charge against the Rebel position, overrunning the Commandos with a barrage of grenades.
Both Alliance and Imperial commands begin to realize the battle has become one of attrition (i.e. battle will be decided by points), and order their remaining units to seek and destroy as many remaining adversaries as possible.
Although the AT-ST was able to destroy yet another squad of Rebel troopers, Veers’ few remaining units were out of position, scattered across the field over the course of the battle: Boba Fett having fallen back from Luke’s relentless offensive, and the last of the Stormtroopers pulled into the Imperial rear by the hot-dropped Rebel Commandos.
While the Rebels also had to address the surprise headhunting Stormtroopers that targeted Leia, they had kept both units controlling their supplies (the sniper team and a full Z-6 squad) in reserve immediately behind the front lines. These fresh units would be called upon to risk it all in the battle’s closing chapter. In a final bid to bring down the AT-ST to claim control of the field, the sole remaining squad of troopers emerge from their cover behind the compound to unload a torrent of blaster fire at the Imperial walker. Luke joins the fray, landing several hits and leaving the vehicle disabled and critically damaged (2 wounds left).
With all other Rebel units engaged and the battle nearing an Imperial victory by attrition, the Rebel snipers emerge from their spider hole in the woods, hoping to defy the odds and bring down the walker with a few lucky shots….
… landing two critical hits, both of which pierce the AT-ST’s heavy armor! And the tide if battle flips with the last roll of the game!
RESULTS
Although both sides were in control of two caches of supplies and arms, the destruction of the Imperial scout walker won the Rebels the field, forcing Veers, Boba Fett, and the remaining squad of Stormtroopers to retreat back to Imperial lines.
This battle was a real-nail biter though throughout, as there were multiple occasions when either side could have taken the lead. For instance, had the AT-ST not fallen to a lucky shot or the flanking Stormtroopers been able to land a single hit on Leia (who was out of cover and had just 1 wound left), Veers and his forces would have surely claimed victory. Similarly, had Boba Fett fallen to Luke (as he should have) then the Wonder Twins would have been able to snag a decisive victory for the Rebellion.
Final Score:
- Imperial Victory Points: 2
- Rebel Victory Points: 2 (minor victory by points)
- Unclaimed Objective Points: 1
- Unclaimed Bounty Points: 1
Edited by xApolinar