What I Played Today: April 21

Horus Heresy

I had acquired the latest in the big box games from Fantasy Flight, a “quick” wargame between two players in the Warhammer 40K universe (again), Horus Heresy. Problems were abound because a) I didn’t know the rules very well and b) I didn’t bother to tell them to my opponent. After set-up, I was intent to dive right in, without checking to see how combat worked, or how movement worked, or how defense lasers worked... Let’s just say that I dropped the ball on this one.

Despite not knowing the rules, my opponent still won, because I made some absolutely stupid tactical mistakes. Misunderstanding how the order system worked led me to setting up actions that made absolutely no sense, like attempting to attack an unimportant fortification from the very region that I needed to keep in order to win the game. I think there was a reason for it, but for the life of me I can’t recall.

I was doing so well too! The game is set-up as a fairly even conflict, with the traitor player a bit thin on the ground but also getting a couple dozen opportunities to kill the hell out of the empire’s armies before the game even starts, and the most goddamn powerful card that I’ve ever seen in a game; Drop Pods. It allows you to put three Space Marines, the most powerful units, into any area you want, occupied or no, and then force a battle that you have the advantage on. With that alone, I took all four spaceports within a couple of turns, and then I quickly and stupidly ran out of steam. My heroes were falling left and right, I couldn’t get a good foot into anything, and a last minute attempt to rush the Emperor went horribly. The game was over 45 minutes before it ended...

Needless to say, I kinda screwed up the evening, and I really should work on teaching the game better. Step 1: Learn to play it first. Oi.