“In my darknest hour, I placed my fate entirely in the hands of my brothers. I found that in the total abandonment of my own fate, I was truely free. When deliverance came, it was a revelation beyond revelations.”
Strike-Captain Ulhan Mytha
Legiones Astartes Raven Guard
The Armies
For this mission, all Commanders should compose an Engagement Force from their Battle Company’s Regimental Registry, adding any additional Conscripts to their armies from the list of approved Horus Heresy publications provided by the Event Organizer (EO). The total points cost of the Engagement Force can be played at any scale agreed upon by the Commanders, though it may not exceed the current Campaign Supply Limit.
The side whose Campaign Character is to be rescued is the Attacker. The side holding the captive is the Defender.
Designer’s Note: Should both Commanders desire to play on a Zone Mortalis Board Size (as described below), the rules inherit to this Game Mode are in full effect, including the relevant Force Organization Chart changes.
The Battlefield
Terrain will be set up to mimic one of the following scenarios:
- The dense confines of a Boarding Action on a Void Craft (Zone Mortalis Board Sizes)
- A Fortified Encampment by the Defenders (48” by 72” Board)
- An ambush on a recently captured Urban settlement (48” by 72” Board)
In addition to any other terrain being used, the Defender should place a single Building/Fortification of any size and type they wish within their Deployment Zone. This building may not have the Mighty Bulwark special rule, unless the captive is a Primarch or Unique Character. This building is being used to hold the captive.
Deployment (Encircled)
The Defender deploys their army in their Deployment Zone as designated in the below figures. They may deploy units inside the same Building as the Captive if they wish to do so.
The Attacker then deploys their army in the areas indicated on the Deployment Map.
Designer’s Note: For Zone Mortalis Board Sizes, keep in the narrative spirit of the below Deployment Map, attempting to preserve Deployment Zone shapes and distance ratios where possible.
Special Rules
Reserves, Night Fighting, The Captive
The Captive
The Campaign Character whose rescue is the object of this mission begins the game inside the Building as indicated previously by the Mission. The Character counts towards the Building’s Transport Capacity as appropriate and can be injured should the Building suffer damage (randomized hits between the Character (5+) and the Occupying Unit (all other results)), but is in all other respects ignored until Freed. Until they are Freed, the Character does not impose any Special Rules on any other Units, friend or foe, and any Special Rules that affect Army Selection are ignored.
The Captive is immediately Freed should the Building ever be claimed by the Attacker, as described in the Age of Darkness Core Rulebook (pages 224-226) and all relevant FAQ/Errata. The Captive immediately joins the Unit that claimed the Building and is treated as they normally would be from that point on. It is assumed that the Captive’s weapons and equipment where being stored inside the Building and these are reclaimed as soon as the Captive is freed.
Should the Building suffer a Total Collapse or Detonation! before the Captive has been Freed, they are immediately Slain. Their fate must be determined by a roll on the Casualty Survival Table. In either case, they are removed from play and may not join until the events of the Game’s Victory Conditions are decided. Note, this may trigger subsequent rescue attempts if the Captured result is rolled again on the Casualty Survival Table.
First Turn
The Attacker has the First Game Turn; their opponent, the Defender, may attempt to Seize the Initiative.
Game Length
After the Fourth Turn, if the Captive is still not Freed or Slain, roll a D6. On a 3+, fifth turn is played. After the Fifth Turn, if the Captive is still not Freed or Slain, roll a D6 and on a 5+, the Sixth and Final Turn is played.
Victory Conditions
The Liberation Special Mission is a win or lose situation – there can be no draw when the stakes are this high! If the Captive is Freed and survives, as described above, the Attacker is the Winner. If the Captive is Freed and is removed as a casualty BUT does not roll a 6+ on the Character Survival Table, the victory goes to the Attacker (albeit, a pyrrhic one). Any other result is counted as a Victory to the Defender.
Fruits of Victory
If the Victorious Player is the Attacker and the Captive has been Freed & Survives, they may be taken directly to the Apothecarium of their Flag Ship. If this is the desired course of action, the Character may heal one Battle Scar for every Campaign Engagement they do not participate in.
If the above choice is not taken -OR- the Defender has killed the Captive after they have been Freed, all Surviving Units in the Victor’s Engagement Force may be Marked for Greatness instead of the usual one selection.
Mission Debriefs: After you finish playing the above mission, ensure that one of the Commanders logs it in our system via the following Google form: https://forms.gle/gFNQJEq2UKnNqBV58.
