A Star Wars: Legion Battle Report on Geonosis.
The air smelled of burned plastoid, which means dead Brothers, Captain Fordo thought to himself. The hulk of a burning Seppie AAT lay in the distance, likely the cause of these dead troopers. He was hoping they could get in, secure the intel, and get out. This was a graveyard of the past, and he didn't want it to become his.
But, the all too familiar drone of marching droids was echoing throughout the valley they were in. Fordo let a smile go unseen under his helmet. Maybe this would be his graveyard, but he'd sure as hell bring every clanker down with him.
Captain Fordo and Commander Cody lead their troops forward against the Separatists, only one of them would survive the day.
Both Separatist and Republic forces are returning to the place of a titanic struggle. Neither to so much annihilate each other, but to recover vital intel both armies left behind. This mission will crash the two armies into each other. As the Battle of Geonosis hangs in the balance, the outcome of this battle will go a long way toward determining the final victor.
Phil's Republic List: 797/800 - 8 Activations
Obi-Wan Kenobi (192) --Hope, Saber Throw, Strict Orders, Tenacity Clone Captain Rex (108) --Aggressive Tactics, Endurance, Recon Intel Phase I Clone Troopers (104) --DP-23 Phase I Trooper, Phase I Clone Captain, Targeting Scopes, Offensive Push Phase I Clone Troopers (77) --Phase I Clone Specialist, Electrobinoculars Phase I Clone Troopers (77) --Z-6 Phase I Trooper Phase I Clone Troopers (77) --Z-6 Phase I Trooper Phase I Clone Troopers (69) --Phase I Clone Specialist BARC Speeder (93) --BARC Twin Laser Gunner
Commands: Hello There! (1), Call Me Captain (1), Knowledge and Defense (2), Take That, Clankers! (2), General Kenobi (3), Were Not Programmed (3), Standing Orders (4)
Will's Separatist List: 799/800 - 9 Activations
Count Dooku (235) --Force Choke, Force Push, Force Reflexes, Esteemed Leader B1 Battle Droids (66) --OOM-Series Battle Droid, HQ Uplink, Electrobinoculars B1 Battle Droids (64) --Radiation Cannon B1 Trooper, B1 Battle Droid B1 Battle Droids (56) --E-5s B1 Trooper B1 Battle Droids (56) --E-5s B1 Trooper B1 Battle Droids (56) --E-5s B1 Trooper B1 Battle Droids (56) --E-5s B1 Trooper Droidekas (105) --Linked Targeting Array Droidekas (105) --Linked Targeting Array
Commands: Ambush (1), Fear, Surprise, Intimidation (1), Push (2), Double the Fall (2), Assault (3), You Disappoint Me (3), Standing Orders (4)
The scenario was Intercept the Transmission on Major Offensive with Clear Conditions. The Separatist gimme was their destroyed AAT, the Republic was next to their refueling tanks. The center objective was mostly in the open with a sightline both from the Separatist bunker and the Republic ridge positions. It would be a killzone for both sides.
The Clones (Phil) were blue player, and had chosen the side of the board with access to the height 1 ridge. After deploying two units of Clones, Captain Rex used Scouting Party and Recon intel to move them into positions further up the ridge and closer to the center objective. The Republic strategy was to secure the powerful position overlooking the middle objective and control the center objective, knowing that if the droids were forced to move out of cover to assault the objective, they would have a good chance to be cut down by the superior Republic weaponry.
The Separatists (Will) had activation control (9 to 8), and certainly weren't going to the let the Clones waltz to the center objective, but they had another plan up their sleeve. While the clones deployed a flanking force to the south, Count Dooku and his bodyguards deployed to the heavy cover in the north, threatening the Republic gimme objective. It would be up to General Kenobi and a unit of Clones to hold them off long enough for the rest of the Droid army to collapse.
Turn One: Take That Clankers! (2) vs. Standing Orders (4)
The Clones were hoping to catch the droids off guard. Captain Rex ordered his scouting party forward. These forward positions along with Rex's orders helped them get a better view of the enemy, and they were able to fire upon the droids with all their weapons, even though they would normally be out of range. A squad of the 212th battalion made it to the lip of a crater near the center objective and were able to take out a few droids at range 4. The 501st overlooking from the ridge, however, were unable to get their shots through the heavy cover of Geonosian rock.
The droids were unable to answer with much firepower at that range, but a few of their sniper shots range true, take down two clones and suppressing the Clones that hadn't made it into the cover of the shell hole (we had determined that base contact with these craters would not provide cover, only being inside the crater itself). The clones had established control of the center, but they were already taking casualties.
On the other side of the battlefield, Count Dooku and his droids continued marching forward. They were starting to close in on General Kenobi.
Turn 2: We're Not Programmed (3) vs Double the Fall (1 - Dooku's Cunning)
The Republic was committed to controlling the center of the board, even as Dooku was crashing down on their rear objective. But, General Kenobi and a unit of Clones was nothing to scoff at. Dooku, running Esteemed Leader, was essentially holding a unit of Droids in front of him with the Force. It would be useless to fire upon him.
But, Obi-Wan had no intention of attacking Dooku, just yet. Summoning the Force, he hurled his lightsaber toward the Droids, calling on the Clones to give him fire support. In a blaze of blue, an entire unit of B1s were wiped out, leaving Dooku alone.
But, Dooku alone is still Dooku.
With no more activations on this side of the board, Count Dooku Force-pushed (pulled, really) Obi-Wan toward him, and straight into the line of fire of 2 Droidekas. Unable to wound them with deflect due to their shields., the Destroyers gave Obi-Wan 2 wounds.
Elsewhere, the Clones and Droids were fully engaged. A Barc speeder had made its way behind the droid positions, almost destroying the entire unit with its heavy firepower. In response, and concentrating their fire, the droids killed all but one trooper of the 212th unit holding the center objective.
As the turn ended, the Clones were still in control of the center objective with their one trooper. With both gimme's controlled by their respective side it was Republic 2, Separatists 1.
Turn 3: Hello There (1) vs Fear. Surprise. Intimidation (0 - Dooku's Cunning)
Turn three was mostly a stalemate. The single droid left alive by the Barc speeder used up two full Clone Trooper activations as it survived heavy fire. The Barc itself turned toward the center of the board, taking out half of a squad moving toward the middle objective.
Elsewhere, Duel of the Fates played as Dooku and Obi-Wan traded blows. Before entering the melee, Dooku sent lightning toward the Clone Troopers behind Obi-Wan, killing most of them. Then Dooku swung at the Jedi, giving another wound to Obi-Wan. But, Kenobi's superior defense sent one back to the Dark Lord. Recovering, Obi-Wan hit Dooku for another two wounds. It was all tied up for the two blade masters.
Turn 4: General Kenobi (3) vs. You Disappoint Me (2 - Dooku's Cunning)
Through the Republic commander's oversight (yes, mine), Obi-Wan found himself outside of range 1 of any Clone units. Therefore, he could not play Knowledge and Defense, which would have given him a dodge token to activate Soresu Mastery. In addition, Dooku now had priority.
Obi-Wan may have been a master of defense, but he was put in an unwinnable position, Dooku made short work of him. Now, all that stood between Dooku and the objective was two units of Clones, one already mostly dead.
But the battle was far from over. Overcoming the suppression he'd received from two full Droideka units, Captain Rex and the 501st's combined fire overwhelmed their shields and took out a full unit.
By this time, the lone clone holding the center objective had been hit by a sniper blast. Knowing there was a good chance Dooku at least neutralized the rear objective, if he didn't outright capture it, the other 212th Battalion unit, led by Commander Cody (Clone Captain upgrade), pushed into the open to secure the center objective. They took heavy causalities, but when the points were added up, the Republic was still leading 3 to 2.
Turn 5: Call me Captain (1) vs. Ambush (1)
It was up to Rex now to stop the endless horde of droid crashing down on the center objective. Using fire support on two attacks, Rex was able to turn his 3 red dice into 9 over the turn. The endless horde of Clankers was a little less endless.
But then, disaster struck the Republic. Count Dooku Force-pushed (just rename the card to pull!) the 501st unit that had enjoyed relative safety atop the ridge down into melee range. The lone Clone that had witnessed Kenobi fall could do nothing but run as Dooku cut down three Clones in a single move.
Even still, as Turn 5 ended, if just one unit could stay alive, and if the Republic held the center objective, victory would be there's.
Turn 6: Standing Orders (4) vs. Push (2)
The Republic's chance was just a fascade, however. Dooku Force-choked the single Clone and deftly eliminated the rest of the 501st, only Rex was close enough to contest the objective, which left the center held by one unit from each side. The Barc speeder made one last desperate attack on the Droids holding their gimme objective, but the Separatists won the day 4 to 3.
This single B1 lived through the whole game, gahhh!
It was a great game! I know I made a few big mistakes, my overall Obi-Wan play, and completing forgetting that Force Choke was a thing at the end of the game. But, I learned how great Captain Rex can be when he gets Fire Support, tho. Will played a great game, and I'm sure he learned a few things for next time!
It was great to get some of the terrain I built using styrofoam on the board (post coming soon, but I mostly adapted Sorastro's incredible video here), and once Will's 3D printed terrain from Etsy is finished up, it's going to look awesome! For these battle reports, our lighting situation isn't very good, and I'll try to play around with some options for our next battle.
Peace,
Phil
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