Time has run out. The super volcano, dormant for so many eons, since almost the birth of the planet itself, has finally sprung to life. The air is full of ash. Clouds of soot blot out the sun causing perpetual twilight or utter darkness but for the fires that rage across the continent. The few remaining societal norms that existed on this backward world, even during the recent Armageddon, have collapsed. People fight tooth and nail for survival but it is all for naught.
The Space Hulk, its course uncorrected by external influence, begins to get torn apart by the gravitational forces as it enters the atmosphere – its mass becoming a fireball spiralling towards the planet. The portal generator – tinkered with by the genius Mek resident onboard – is ripped apart by the strain. Its mirrored surface shatters. Purple portals spring to life all over the planet. Some floating in the air, untethered to the landmass, some half covered by earth or water but a few within reach of the remaining armies and inhabitants. With few options remaining the battle-worn remnants of the armies still planet side hurry through these glowing mirrors.
The orbiting fireball spirals inwards, the power core for the gigantic mining laser had been overloaded to power the portal generator but is suddenly set free. The station’s demise is inevitable. Finally it crashes into the planet, on the side of the emerging super volcano. The impact from the power core and the centuries worth of stored fuel combine with the planet’s own contortions to propagate and a massive explosion tears the world apart. The world splits asunder. Huge chunks of rock are thrown into what remains of the atmosphere. Balecaster IV is no more.
For those brave enough to enter the portals, what awaits them on the other side is unknown…
Our First Crusade Has Wrapped Up
Thanks to all of those that took part in the our first narrative crusade! To say we are delighted with the commitment of everyone involved would be a massive understatement! Out of a possible 138 games we managed 124, around a 90% rate which goes to show how everyone felt about playing in the crusade.
Campaign Results
In the end it was quite a close fought campaign with only a few wins between most of the teams. So much that it came down to the last few games to confirm which team would come out on top.
We’ve been thrilled that so many people got involved and, for the most part, the teams seemed to be fairly well matched. We also learned a great deal about running large campaigns and how best to do something like this again.
| Pos | Team | Wins | Points | % Wins | Score Dif. | Map Hexes |
| 1. |  | 18.4 | 2098 | 51.11% | 291 | 49 |
| 2. |  | 18.4 | 1972 | 43.81% | 140 | 24 |
| 3. |  | 17.6 | 1863 | 52.38% | 109 | 29 |
| 4. |  | 16 | 1862 | 50.00% | 286 | 31 |
| 5. |  | 15.2 | 1746 | 44.19% | -140 | 25 |
| 6. |  | 9 | 1829 | 25.71% | -606 | 9 |
We also pulled together a short video showing off some of the games and with some additional stats.
The Fate of the Planet
Unfortunately the world of Balecaster IV did not fare so well. The last phase gave players the option to try and save the planet or abandon it to its fate. Sadly the planet lost its own battle 806 to 496 and was shattered by the space hulk slamming into the super volcano.
Looking to the Future
We’ll be aiming to do another narrative crusade in Autumn 2024. Hopefully more people will have access to their codex and their specific crusade rules by then! Although the campaign is more focused on narrative than competitive, we are looking at some more competitive gaming in 2024. We’ve already announced some of what we are planning for next year but there is more in the wings, and we will endeavour to seek feedback on what everyone is looking for from their gaming club.
We plan on sending out a short survey over the holiday period to get people’s feedback on the club and the campaign overall. With an aim of seeing what we can improve on and how we can make the most of everyone’s hobby time.
A massive thanks for everyone who took part, for those who are interested or who want to revisit any scenarios. All the info from this crusade is available on our website and we will aim to have fresh content in 2024. All our best over the festive season and we look forward to seeing everyone in 2024.
Our first night back is Thursday the 11th of January.
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