Previously on… Charge strays further from the 28mm light I assembled some buildings in preparation for a game of tiny machines of war
Now, it should be said that my former housemate is someone who has managed to avoid ever collecting mainline Games Workshop, instead preferring to jump into the specialist games (such as his Delaque I ended up butting heads against). There is one exception – an Imperial Knight sat on his book shelf. Man loves himself some glorious machines of war.
So surprise, surprise, he has bought in to the game Adeptus Titanicus, which is based all around commanding a set of these towering machines at a scale (and price) that doesn’t push the average consumer to breaking point. And as someone who played a lot of Mechwarrior (Madcat for life) the idea of a game focused on one of the best elements of the 40k setting definitely had me interested.
We decided to play a semi-mirror match (Reaver titan, Warhound titan and a banner of Cestus knights), with the host selecting two forces and then I would pick which one I play. There were extra weapons available if we wished, but we decided to go with the pre-selected loadouts.
I was of course distracted by the gatling cannon of the Reaver (as well as the top mounted turbolaser) so I selected these guys. Of course, it was entirely accidental that I selected the traitors and hopefully not a sign of where my loyalties lie in the future. But for today, I follow the Warmaster.
Across the table, the Host picked up a Reacer with a volcano cannon and missile battery, as well as a Warhound with a mix of Plasma Blast and a Vulcan megabolter. A good mix of weapons, and definitely some fun to see.
I mentioned my buildings in the last post, but here you can see the mix of Imperial buildings and my 6mm printing. Adeptus Titanicus has been quoted as 8mm, but further research has showed it’s actually also 6mm. I really like how this game looks from above, even with the mix of styles. I think it’s something about the sheer style of everything involved, the little details on the units and buildings. I really want to finish my Aeronautica stuff seeing as it’s the same scale – will just need to add some taller flight stands.
I started off on the “old tech” side of the board, taking cover behind the Satellite control system and tower block. My plan was to use the limited routes through the old town to guard one flank, while the central tower is one of the few buildings able to provide “cover” to my Reaver.
I didn’t grab photos all the way through, so this is less of a battle report and more of a quick set of thoughts. Next time I’ll make sure to track the action because oh man this game is good.
Once again, 6mm gives you this glorious sense of scale. As mech as I love 28mm for detail and the painting opportunities, going smaller presents you with much more room to play around with. It lets you assemble scenes no other scale could – whole cities on a 4’x4′, the stomping of god machines as they fight through city blocks. With the sheer number of weapon hits that missed mechs in the area, it’s easy to imagine them tearing through the tower block – something much rarer in 28mm.
In terms of the game, we moved for a Knight/Knight fight in the centre (although I was at a disadvantage after a barrage missile ripped one of my banner apart). The loyalist Reaver sat back while…
I ended up catching the enemy Warhound attempting to do a big flank. Again, I really like the visual of this shot – the Warhound stomping through the old quarter before finding itself face to face with it’s rival and JUST as the Reaver looms into view. The sharp crack as the loyalist Warhound’s void shields drop. My attempts to lock him in a crossfire being out manoeuvred by some clever orders and positioning as the Loyalist moved away and it’s allied Reaver starts to threaten it’s traitorous rival.
Of course, as the movement fight went on, the loyalist Warhound started getting a kicking. The plasma/turbolaser combo on my Warhound, after the shields had been crippled, managed to start laying in more and more high damage hits, damaging the legs and body. However, the finishing blow was a series of destructive hits that destroyed the plasma weapon eventually causing enough damage to make the whole thing go critical, the magazine igniting in a blaze of fire.
Of course my Warhound didn’t have things go it’s own way – the little knights did their best impression of the tiny Ashes from evil dead and swarmed the back of it, stabbing it in the legs by going straight through the void shield. Luckily, my titan was able to stride away to be part of the final reckoning.
With the Loyalists having lost the Warhound, and the traitors missing their banner of knights, it all came down to the big boys scrapping it out. The Warhound, aside from the leg stabbing, was fully operational but my Reaver had collapsed shields and minor damage. I managed to land some blows on the loyalist Reaver as it came in but it managed to smash into my own Reaver, knocking the chain fist out of action and stressing my reactor. Between my pair of god-machines, I managed to break the loyalist void shield, wrecking several internal systems and getting the legs to go into the critical damage
Sadly, we ran out of time JUST as my Reaver’s reactor was about to go critical (got to vent that plasma boys) and knowing our luck it probably would have exploded in a deadly fireball that would have levelled the area. A suitable end to the battle of the gods.
After that excellent game, oh man I am in to play some more Titanicus. It’s another addition to the idea that the best games design out of Games Workshop is in it’s boxed games and smaller setups. The game feels unlike most other products, with your focus on minding the reactor, lining up the firing arcs, using high volume to burn the void shield down before unleashing the hammer blows to really cause damage. The systems all work together to make the titans feel like giant lumbering machines, stomping across the field but easily out flanked by smaller opponents… assuming a hail of bolter shells don’t tear them apart.
I’m not sure how many of my own titans I’ll pick up – this is definitely a game I’m happy to play but I have enough projects on the go. However, I might print off one of the older style of Warlord titans (the Lucius pattern) just because I adore the look of it.
Of course, there was another reason for us to meet up. Both of us had birthdays at the start of the year and due to a selection of things we weren’t able to meet up and exchange presents.
That has now been fixed. I gave him some birdy boys for use in Warcry or as the basis for some Necromunda shenanigans while he passed over this little bundle. Some more Empress WW2 brits (ready for jumping off points) and a big Magical Cat for my fantasy plans.