The Invasion of Scipio - Chapter 1 - Planetary Invasion

Introduction and background to the campaign can be read here: http://micromegasatwar.blogspot.ca/2017/07/the-invasion-of-scipio-chapter-1-intro.html
This game was played using Dropfleet Commander with each side commanding 999 points.
Standard scenario scoring was used with the space station being a critical location for the Xenos only.

The invasion of Scipio has begun, with the spearhead of the attack focusing on the resource rich Delta Valley. The planetary reserve forces combined with the Imperial Rapid Response force were able to muster a defensive battlegroup to meet the invasionary forces.

Imperial Rapid Response Force and Planetary Defense Space station deploy to meet the Invaders

The Delta valley has several strategically important cities, the most important is the city of Theseus which is central to the valley and contains the military, communications and orbital defences infrastructure. The other cities surrounding the valley contain key commercial and industrial assets.

Delta Valley and legend showing location and content of cities

Orbital defences in the stronghold Theseus

The defenders focused their forces centrally in the valley enabling them to react to any attack trajectory from a central strong point.  Meanwhile the invading force advance on each of the flanks, avoiding the orbital defences in favour of the softer civilian targets.

The Invader right flank, the Xeno heavy ships, Basilisk and Shenlong advance aggressively with their cloaking technology



On the Invader left flank, the cruisers and carriers advance towards the vulnerable sectors of Gnaeus.



The Imperial forces advance up the middle of the valley towards Theseus, the Atlantis battlecruiser on the far side holding up the Imperial left flank.

The xenos advance aggressively towards the civilian soft targets and trying to go around the Imperial flanks with their speed. They seem, however, to have underestimated the firepower that the Imperium has at it's disposal. The heavy cruiser Shenlong blows up to concentrated fire from the burnthrough laser of the cruiser Berlin and the supported by battlecruiser Atlantis. The terrible explosion also damages the Xeno battlecruiser Basilisk  which is left to spearhead the assault on the right flank.
Behind the spearhead advances the Xeno dropships and landers capturing the key assets at Gisco and Gnaeus.

The heavy cruiser Shenlong blows up in spectacular fashion as a result of concentrated enemy fire.

The Basilisk is now spearheading the attack and is in position to return fire at close range.

Xeno troopships advance behind the spearhead and capture soft civilian targets.

On the opposite flank, the defenders manage to secure Flavius with troops just in time as the invaders continue their advance up the flank. Once again firing at close combat turns decisive as the advancing attackers take long range fire from the cruisers the defenders but inflict terrible damage with their close action weapons and bombers launched from the cruiser Hydra.

The Xeno Djinn frigates and Wyvern cruiser get in range to use their close action weapons, supported by the bombers launched by the Hydra.

This flank turns into a stalemate as both sides shoot down each other's frigates and cruisers in mutual destruction. In the end the invaders manage to land some troops Flavius but they are quickly overwhelmed as the Imperials had managed to secure the objective in advance.

The invader left flank cancels out the defender right flank as both sides take heavy losses from the exchange in fire.

Over the skies of Flavius, the invaders try to land troops but to little effect as the defenders had time to prepare. 

Meanwhile in the middle of the board and on the invader right, the Basilisk manages to shoot down the Imperial cruiser Berlin and the Toulon frigates supporting it. However, the big guns of the Atlantis and the bombers launched by the Seattle finish the Basilisk off before it can do more damage.

The Basilisk goes out with a boom.

The destruction of the Basilisk leaves the remaining frigates and Chimera troopships of the attackers vulnerable. Knowing that their doom is pending these ships rush to their objectives and drop more troops on the undefended cities of Barca and Gisco. They are then shot out of the sky by the Imperial defenders, who were one turn too late to prevent the suffering of the populations of these cities.

Xeno dropships landing from atmosphere on their targets

Xeno troops get shot down in the process of capturing their final objectives. Gnaeus and Barca are now overcome, one can only imagine the horror of the inhabitants.

In the last turn the Imperial forces attempt to counter-drop troops on Barca, however the Xenos had anticipated this and dropped orbital defence guns which shot down the dropships as they were landing from atmosphere. The poor marines on those ships never had a chance before their ships were turned into burning wrecks.

 

The last of the attackers on the right flank drops troops to secure Barca



The Imperial troopships fall to heavy defensive fire as they try to land on occupied Barca.

In the battle's conclusion, the attacking force was destroyed almost to the last ship, but not before the invaders were able to land troops and capture Gnaeus, Barca and Gisco. It was a pyrrhic victory for the Imperial Rapid Response Force; it proved able at doing it's job in space and in the air, however, large parts of the Delta Valley have fallen to the invaders. It will now be up to the Imperial ground troops to retake these strategic areas, and they must do so quickly while they have complete superiority in air and space.


The next chapter in this war is set; the Xenos are busy wrecking terrible damage on the cities they have captured but have lost their fleet in the process, the Imperial troops now race to liberate these cities with the support of their spaceships. The Imperial troops await their reinforcements knowing that there will be an enemy relief force behind the first wave of the attack.......