The Genestealer Cult, a team of Neophyte Hybrids, a Acolyte Hybrids, and a Locus, deployed in the northeast corner, as if pouring out of the old abandoned factory itself.
Storage containers (well, really marmite jars and plant pots painted army green) are designated as archeotech stores.
A miniature in Engagement Range of an archeotech stores can roll a d6 as a free action, and on a 5 or 6 gains 1 archeotech part.
## Round 1
The Genestealer Cult rolls high and takes the first turn.
They move forward, choosing to take some pot shots at the adepts.
The Adeptus Mechanicus has the benefit of cover, so I could have had them Advance instead.
However, my logic was that the Genestealer Cult dosn't know there's archeotech and aren't specifically protecting it.
They just think they're being invaded, so I think they're keen to scare off the intruders early.
The Locus marches down the battlefield toward the army so he can put his blades to work.
The Adeptus Mechanicus gets straight down to business.
Each team goes straight to an archeotech storage container and searches.
Amazingly, they roll a 5 and 6, so that's 2 archeotech parts!
Rules as written, all they need to do now is escape, but I have a feeling they're not going to walk away from this facility until they've done a thorough search.
The Arcuitor Magisterium marches down the centre of the battlefield straight toward the Locus.
This is foolhardy and I know I'm going to regret it, but this Locus was literally the reason I gave the Arcuitor Magisterium her new Secutor-Class Blade Implants.
This confrontation was destined to happen.
## Round 2
The Vo Genestealer Cult rolls high again and takes the first turn.
To start their turn, they advance toward the Skitarii Rangers and toss a grenade at them.
The Skitarii Rangers scatter and the grenade only takes one Skitarii down.
The Acolyte Hybrids with heavy weaponry advance on the Skitarii Vanguards and opens fire.
No harm done, and the Genestealers have brought themselves out into the open.
The Locus charges at the Arcuitor Magisterium and tries his best to carve her to pieces.
Her armour deflects 4 of his blades, but 1 gets through and she takes a wound.
Better still, because the Locus charged and ended within melee range of her, he suffers several Mortal Wounds from her Secutor-Class Blade Implants.
That was all exactly by design, and I love that the Crusade rules allowed me to grant her an upgrade that directly answers the enemy melee-focused warlord.
On the Adeptus Mechanicus turn, the Skitarii Rangers return fire in retribution for the grenade, but they're still recovering from the blast and miss their targets entirely.
The Skitarii Vanguards supercharge their plasma calivers and let loose their irradiated wrath.
They kill 2 of the 3 Acolyte Hybrids, and manage to keep the machine spirits of their plasma calivers satiated.
Spectacular turn for them, but their luck doesn't transfer over to their plundering.
They search a third archeotech storage container and find nothing but really old scrap metal.
Finally, the Arcuitor Magisterium (Skitarii Marshal) raises her Archeotech pistol to the Locus's head and fires, causing a Devastating Wound (to say the least).
His head is blown clean off.
It was a quicker confrontation than I thought it would be (they both can endure 3 Wounds) but I think that's how it should be.
I don't like it when characters get in front of each other and then spend several rounds banging their heads on each other's shields.
Lets get in and kill each other quickly so we can focus on the stuff that matters.
## Round 3
This time, the adepts of Mars roll high and take the first turn.
Although another Acolyte Hybrid emerges from behind the factory (he wasn't actually on the board, but got returned to play from reserves), the Arcuitor Magisterium and the Skitarii Vanguard manage to take out the two remaining Acolyte Hybrid heavies.
Things don't go quite as well for the Skitarii Rangers.
They send a full volley of bullets into the Neophyte Hybrids and fail to wound even one of them.
On their turn, the Neophyte Hybrids throw another grenade, killing not 1, not 2, but 3 Rangers.
This is starting to feel serious.
The Arcuitor Magisterium, always focusing on the mission, searches a fourth archeotech storage container and again finds nothing.
There's only one container left, which is sort of near the exit, so it feels like it's time to start heading out, especially if these Genestealer Cultists are just going to keep popping up from around every corner (which they are, believe me).
## Round 4
The Vo Genestealer Cult rolls high again and goes first.
Another Acolyte Hybrid appears from reserve and takes a quick shot at the Arcuitor Magisterium, and fails.
The Neophyte Hybrids easily remove the last Ranger from the battlefield.
The Skitarii Vanguards, wholly untouched for the entire combat, dash for the exit and get out safely.
On their way out, they stop at a loot box and rummage around, finding a free Movement token.
This grants extra movement to the Army for a turn.
I imagine I'll confer to the Arcuitor Magisterium on the next round, because on her way to the exit she's, of course, stopped by the final archeotech storage container.
The risk pays off for now, because she successfully finds a third archeotech part!
However, she's badly exposed, and completely alone on the battlefield!
## Round 5
For the Arcuitor Magisterium, this round's initiative roll is literally life or death.
If she fails to get the first turn, the full force of the Neophyte Hybrids will move into position and open fire.
If they somehow fail to take her out, there are 2 Acolyte Hybrids on the board now who will be happy to help.
She rolls and gets a 1, which seems unlikely to give her the first turn.
The Genestealer Cult rolls and...also gets a 1.
I don't get ties on initiative often enough to have an official policy on them.
Sometimes I feel like a tie ought to just go to the team that wasn't first on the previous round (which in this case would be the Adeptus Mechanicus), and other times I feel like it should be a re-roll.
There's only one way to leave it entirely in the hands of fate, though, and that's dice, so they rolled again.
This time, the Arcuitor Magisterium rolls a 6 and the Vo family rolls a 4.
Armed with a free Movement token, the Arcuitor Magisterium makes a mad dash for the exit, covering 11 inches of the battlefield.
She makes it to the exit, where the Skitarii Vanguard were hanging back just in case she was going to need assistance.
Together, enter the escape hatch, lock it and barricade it behind them, and make their way to the planet surface.
As they near topside of the city, though, they can hear the distinct sound of an air raid.
The Adeptus Mechanicus fleet is attacking the city from the skies, but what could invader to the city could be so bad that it warrants an air strike?
We'll find out next game!
## Post-game administration
This scenario worked really well, and one of the things that I think really mixed things up was a cheeky mechanic I implemented before Round 1.
I deployed both armies, as you normally do in 40k, with every unit hiding behind a structure.
I kind of hate this deployment trope.
On the one hand, I get it, you do want to take cover.
It's logical.
But on the other hand, it seems silly for both sides of an army to be in hiding.
We all know why we're here, so let's just get on with it.
But it's stupid to not hide, because if you fail the initiative roll then you're just sitting ducks.
So after deployment, I picked up all the structures and repositioned them on the board.
This completely changed the dynamic of the first round, obviously, but because there structures were still on the board it didn't mean everyone was 100% exposed, waiting to be shot.
It mixed everything up just enough to force the battle to proceed in an unexpected way, and I enjoyed that.
I'll likely try this switcheroo mechanic again in the future.
The Adeptus Mechanicus team has collected 3 archeotech parts.
They can take time before emerging out onto city streets to put those pieces together, which maybe, possibly, can help them with whatever's on the surface.
That seems like a good idea, under the circumstances!
Photo by Seth Kenlon, Creative Commons cc0.