The Battle of Favonia, Part One
Introduction
With the Imperial Navy's defeat at the Battle of Axis Columen, a massive Necron vessel, the Necropolis, awakened from its slumber under the planet's surface and lifted off. More Necron vessels phased in as others arrived from the depths of space. The massive fleet began to move implacably through the sector, destroying any settlement it came across and harvesting the souls of those who lived there.
While the Imperial Navy floundered desperately to amass another fleet to take on the Necrons, a third race intervened. A force of Eldar from two different craftworlds converged on the Necron fleet. Despite being outnumbered and outgunned, the Eldar made a heroic effort to destroy the Necropolis. In the end they failed, but they did manage to weaken the Necron Fleet somewhat.
After harvesting the souls of the Eldar trapped inside the wreckage of their destroyed vessels, the Necropolis and company continued through the sector, harvesting several more worlds before setting their sights on the planet of Favonia.
Favonia was an Imperial world of little strategic importance to the sector, but it was populated by much of the sector's aristocracy, being a nexus of commerce and leisure for the upper classes of Imperial Society. As such, when the system came under threat, the calls for the Imperial Navy to respond swiftly and decisively were loud and laced with panic. Regardless, the Imperial Navy had had time to amass a task force, including several upgraded vessels, to take on the Necron threat. They would make their stand on the edge of the Favonia system.
Imperial Fleet - Task Force 43
| Apocalypse Class Battleship (BB-2 Repulse) | 365 |
| Arcadia Class Battleship (BB-5 Arcadia) | 375 |
| Mars Class Battlecruiser (CB-3 Aetolia) | 270 |
| Armageddon Class Battlecruiser (CB-18 Capella) | 245 |
| Prometheus Class Carrier (CV-1 Prometheus) | 340 |
| Scutum Class Cruiser (CG-57 Scutum) | 180 |
| Lunar Class Cruiser (CA-20 Procyon) | 180 |
| Lunar Class Cruiser (CA-34 Adhara) | 180 |
| Gothic Class Cruiser (CA-21 Achernar) | 180 |
| Gothic Class Cruiser (CA-39 Elnath) | 180 |
| Tyrant Class Crusier (CA-32 Mimosa) | 185 |
| Dominator Class Cruiser (CA-62 Warrior) | 190 |
| Dauntless Class Light Cruiser (CL-52 Constellation) | 110 |
| Dauntless Class Light Cruiser (CL-53 Thunder Child) | 110 |
| 1st Firestorm Squadron (3 Firestorm Class Frigates, FFL-33 Dorado, FFL-34 Draco, FFL-35 Equuleus) | 120 |
| 2nd Firestorm Squadron (3 Firestorm Class Frigates, FFL-36 Eridanus, FFL-37 Fornax, FFL-38 Gemini) | 120 |
| 1st Sword Squadron (3 Sword Class Frigates, FF-98 Ganymede, FF-99 Callisto, FF-100 Leda) | 105 |
| 2nd Sword Squadron (3 Sword Class Frigates, FF-107 Sinope, FF-146 Triton, FF-147 Nereid) | 105 |
| 1st Cobra Squadron (4 Cobra Class Destroyers, 1 Nemesis Class Destroyer, DD-46 Hestia, DD-47 Aglaja, DD-48 Doris, DD-49 Pales, DD-128 Nemesis) | 150 |
| 2nd Cobra Squadron (4 Cobra Class Destroyers, DD-50 Virginia, DD-51 Nemausa, DD-52 Europa, DD-53 Kalypso) | 120 |
| Total | 3810 |
Imperial Navy BriefingDarkwing: The officer corp of Battlefleet Arcadia, while still relatively inexperienced to those of other Imperial Sectors, are starting to wise up with respect to the Necron menace. Now there are surviving captains from previous battles (the Lunar Class Cruiser Elnath and the Tyrant Class Cruiser Mimosa having survived the battle of Axis Columen) and signals intelligence of the battle between the Eldar and the Necrons, the Imperial Navy has come up with a strategy to deal with the Necrons.
As the Eldar learned from their battle with the Necropolis, Necron escorts simply cannot be ignored. The Eldar had tried to focus everything on the Necropolis, and were torn apart by the rest of the fleet. A squadron of five Jackals, for example, packs the punch of a Cairn Class Tombship, and if allowed to roam unchallenged, can wreak devastation upon an Imperial Fleet.
So my strategy in this battle will be as follows: Strip away the Necropolis' defenses by destroying its escorts (that is, all the other Necron ships), then swarm it and destroy it. If I go straight for the Necropolis, I think my fleet will be torn to shreds by the rest of theirs.
Necron Fleet
| Necropolis | 1000 |
| Cairn Class Tombship | 550 |
| 2 Scythe Class Harvest Ships | 550 |
| Vulture Class Cruiser | 300 |
| Shroud Class Light Cruiser | 155 |
| 5 Jackal Class Escorts | 250 |
| 5 Jackal Class Escorts | 250 |
| 4 Dirge Class Escorts | 200 |
| 6 Khopesh Class Ramships | 240 |
| 6 Khopesh Class Ramships | 240 |
| Total | 3735 |
Necron BriefingBadelaire: Playing out a "test to destruction" game can be interesting, but it's also somewhat depressing as well. I know that in the end, I will be beaten down and I'll lose the Necropolis - I don't have any illusions to the contrary. Right now it's just a matter of how many Imperial ships I can take with me before the Necropolis is wiped out that's the question.
Unlike fighting the Eldar, my Khopeshes are great for killing escorts, and if used en masse, I can severely cripple a capital ship as well if I hit i right. The question really becomes whether or not I can use a lot of my Necron special rules and my speed to their greatest advantage, or will the confusion of battle and just remembering the correct way to play out the standard BFG rules cloud the issue to the point where I'm not remembering half of what I should be paying attention to? I'm sure I'll make mistakes--but I also think that I'll give Darkwing's fleet, especially his escorts, quite the beating. Unfortunately, it's going to be the massive number of cruisers, especially his new lance-heavy battlecruiser and his "carrier", that I'm going to have to worry about.
Scenario
The Fleet Engagement Scenario will be used, with the deployment zones enlarged to accommodate the large fleets and available space.
The Imperial Fleet assumed a Cross formation, so as to present its broadside to the Necron Fleet, while the Necrons tried to break through the Imperial Fleet using a wedge. As a result, both fleets passed each other's flank, just out of range of their weapons. The Imperial Capital ships, in line astern, began a simultaneous turn to port, closing the distance to the Necron Forces. Still out of range of most of their weapons, the Apocalyse Battleship Repulse, the Mars Battlecruiser Aetolia and the Dominator Cruiser Warrior all opened fire with their Nova Cannons, aiming for the bulk of the Necron Fleet, but the long range thwarted all three shots and they exploded harmlessly in space. Finally the Aetolia and the Prometheus launched massed waves of bombers.
Finally, the Dirges converged on the cruiser Warrior, knocking down its shields and damaging its hull, nearly crippling her.
The Imperial Fleet plunged ahead into the teeth of the Necrons, and let fly with their broadsides. The Prometheus reloaded its ordnance, preparing for the next strike. The Gothic Cruiser Achernar then failed its command check to Lock On. The Apocalypse Class Battleship Repulse fired its lances at the nearby Khopeshes, which then Braced for Impact, but even so one of the Khopeshes was destroyed. The Repulse then took aim with its nova cannon at the Gold Scythe, but the shot missed, instead blowing two Jackals to smithereens. The Warrior fired its own broadside on the Dirges to no effect, but its nova cannon shot also hit Jackals, destroying two more of them. The Aetolia fired its nova cannon, but missed its target, but was able to take out a Khopesh with its dorsal lances.
From standoff range, the Battleship Arcadia swung its three triple-lance turrets to port and aimed at the Gold Scythe, and fired, rocking the vessel with three hits, and damaging its drive system. The Procyon then fired its torpedo salvo at it, damaging it further and crippling it. Cobra Squadron 1 then fired its torpedo salvo at the Jackals ahead, destroying one of the escorts before the salvo was expended.
The Dirges and Jackals both converged on the Repulse, which, anticipating the attack, promptly Braced for Impact. The Repulse weathered the fire well, only suffering a single shield failure.
The Necropolis turned ponderously, beginning the slow sweep which would bring the Soul Harvester to bear upon the Imperial ships. It then fired its particle whip, destroying the Sword Frigate Ganymede.
The Tombship then concentrated its fire on the Gothic Cruiser Achernar, blasting away its shields and riddling it with six hits, crippling it.
The Gold Scythe succeeded in repairing its drives.
Turn 3
The Imperial line of battle began to close on the Tombship, which, seeing it was about to take a lot of punishment, promptly Braced for Impact. The Tyrant Cruiser Mimosa locked on to the Tombship and prepared to fire, but the other Imperial cruisers failed their command checks. The Arcadia, Mimosa, Lunar Cruiser Adhara, Armageddon Battlecruiser Capella, Gothic Cruiser Elnath, and Dauntless Thunder Child all opened fire on the Tombship, and hit it 17 times, but all but three hits were saved by its armor. The ship's sepulchre was damaged as well, but as a whole the Tombship weathered the fire very well.
The Silver Scythe, also preparing to receive a massive barrage, also Braced for Impact. Multiple Imperial ships prepared to fire on the Silver Scythe. The Achernar delivered a single hit with its broadside, and then Sword Squadron 2, the last Firestorm Frigate, the Dauntless Constellation, and Cobra Squadron 1 opened fire on the Scythe, but the Scythe's bracing proved effective, and no further hits were scored.
The Repulse fired its lances at the Dirges, destroying two of them.
The Warrior fired its broadside against the Gold Scythe, delivering a massive four hits, damaging the Scythe's Command Core and disrupting the ship's power flow. The Constellation then fired its prow lances, blasting through the Scythe's armor and detonating its plasma drive, causing the harvest ship to explode. The Constellation was damaged in the blast, and the Tombship was also caught in the explosion, but undamaged.
The Soul Harvester fired, blasting at a Sword Frigate, the Warrior, and the Repulse, but miraculously failed to damage any of the ships. The Necropolis then opened fire with its other weapons, crippling the Warrior with its lightning arc and hitting the Achernar hard with its particle whip. The Achernar Braced for Impact, yet despite negating four of the hits, the ship was destroyed anyway and reduced to a drifting hulk. Then the Silver Scythe fired its weapons at the Warrior, blasting through its armor and destroying it, sending it careening through space, ablaze from stem to stern.
The Tombship focused its fire on the Constellation, overwhelming its defenses and rendering it a blazing hulk.
The sheer number of Imperial Capital ships were taking their toll upon the Necron Fleet, but the mighty firepower of the Necron vessels were beginning to make itself felt as well, as one by one the Imperial ships began to die. It would remain to be seen whether the Necropolis would blast its way through the Imperial Fleet and continue its rampage throughout the Arcadia Sector.
Stay tuned for part two of the Battle of Favonia...
3 comments:
Awesome Batrep fella! Loving the drama of it - very atmospheric. I'd recommend download GIMP2 and doing some photoediting - just playing with the colour curves would make your background blacker and highlight the details - undoing some of the flash effect.
best BFG batrep I've ever read. can't wait for part 2!
Outstanding! Can't wait for part 2!!
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