Welcome to the last in our series of session reports for Attack of the 50 Foot Colossi.
Please see here for an introduction to the series, game overview and scenario set up.
Last time in ‘Attack of the 50 Foot Colossi!’:
Battered by appalling weather and giant space rocks alike, our heroes of the Galactic Marine Raider Battalion were not having a good day.
The trapped miners have been freed and the survivors are making their way to safety. However, the rescue mission became a battle of attrition as the Colossi pressed home attack after attack and even the ground itself seemed to rise against the Marines.
Turn 9
Much needed Medical Supplies arrive allowing two units to flip from disrupted to full strength.
This boosts and strengthens the GMRB resolve. Spec Ops fire their Chisellers, forcing the Redstones to remove a chit with a second volley causing a step loss on the newly revealed layer.
The Medics are not having the best day. Having finally recovered from their stunned status they use their jump pack to relocate towards the Barracks but it malfunctions, sending them spinning uncontrollably in the opposite direction.
The Blackstone’s are eliminated! Heavy weapons fire shatters the final chit as another Miner uses the destruction to cover their escape off map.
The Colossi are enraged. Gravel explodes into Slate Shrapnel, the razor shards flying in all directions but causing no harm.
The almost forgotten Whitestone’s enact their revenge for the fate of the Blackstone’s by paralysing an already disrupted Heavy Weapons unit.
Turn 10
Rock Garden of the Gods! All Gravel markers now morph. Slate Shrapnel wounding Spec Ops, who recover quickly. A Marble Minefield presents further movement restrictions near the refinery.
As the dust settles it seems the Minefield is acting as a defensive barrier to a Colossi holy site. The discovery of a holy site is a huge benefit to the Marines. If a Colossus moves onto the site it will never move again. Failing that, occupation of the site by Marine forces will provide a useful secondary scoring objective.
The Whitestone colossus is destroyed! Heavy and co-ordinated fire removing the final chit.
In retaliation the Redstone’s Rolling Thunder damages The Boring Bit and the Medusa Stare paralyses the Medic.
Turn 11
The Tombstones arrive, bursting through the Mine entrance. This Tribe is the spirit of Colossi ancestors made flesh…well, rock. Able to use all the special attacks of the other tribes, the Tombstones are a fearsome opponent.
Not that this disturbs our GMRB heroes who call an airstrike and the first Tombstone counter is flipped. The sight of Tombstone layers splintering under fire provides a glimmer of hope in an otherwise terrible situation.
Our marines are so exhausted none recover this turn. So many units are now stunned, paralysed or disrupted that Marine activity is brief during this phase. An Orbital Bombardment is ordered, however, the weary HQ unit misreads the co-ordinates and a single die is rolled against the Tombstones rather than the intended six.
The Tombstones laugh gleefully as they shrug this attack off and use Rolling Thunder and Avalanche to inflict terrible damage to the units near the Mine Entrance.
The Yellowstones press home the advantage, stunning a Marine unit with a Piledriver Stomp. Then, in the final move of the turn, a Redstones Rolling Thunder attack disables The Boring Bit.
Turn 12
Moving into the final turn the situation looks bleak. A single Spec Ops unit in the southwest is the sole GMRB ground unit that remains fully operational. A bomber is also still able to carry out airstrikes. That’s it. Two effective units against three Colossi Tribes.
The Tombstones are with striking distance of multiple disrupted units, many of which are also stunned or paralysed.
A stunned Marine unit is literally caught between a rock and a hard place in the North. The Yellowstones looming over them like a cat toying with a mouse.
Their Pumice Ejection special attacks having scattered gravel across the area, the Redstones are dominating their corner of the map….
…and then everything goes quiet
The only sound that can be heard is wind blowing across the battlefield. Cautiously the Marines lift their heads…the Colossi Tribes have gone.
On Gravtion Prime, today is a National Holiday. The Tribes have been called home to honour their Ancestral Boulders, but they will be back.
The GMRB use this unexpected lull in the battle as time to recover and regroup. A marine unit occupies the Storage Facility while a freshly recovered Spec Ops unit claims the Refinery.
The second Spec Ops unit attempts to claim the Colossi Holy site but spirals in the wrong direction due to a Jump Pack malfunction. The HQ units agree to have a quiet word with technical support about this worrying trend when they return to base.
The Final Attack
Suddenly Gravel explodes into Flint Stones, paralysing a Spec Ops.
The Colossi have returned, erupting from the ground in a combined Fault Tunnel attack and they have brought reinforcements. The Brownstones try to reach the Medic but do not quite get the required distance. The Redstones strike for the Storage Facility and miss. The Yellowstones emerge in no-mans land.
The Tombstones are far more effective but despite paralysing an air unit, it is too little too late.
In the distance the distinctive rumble of engines can be heard. The rest of the Unified Space Alliance have entered the atmosphere. Our heroes of the GMRB have held on and will live to fight another day.
Game End
What a great game! Barely controlled chaos from the very first turn with probably the wackiest final turn I’ve ever played.
While most of my Marines survived, overall mission performance is judged by the points earned as follows:
- Removed Colossi Chits: +12
- Marine Occupied Buildings: +4
- Rescued Miners: +6
- Eliminated Marines: -4
- Eliminated Scouts: – 2
- Final total: 16 victory points
A Minor Victory!
The farthest edge of the lowest rung on the victory ladder. The highest accolade – a Decisive Victory – requires 30 VPS!
I think I need more practice so I’m gearing up for another mission. This time an assault on the Anti-Gravity Oasis.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this series of session reports. If this series becomes popular, I’ll revisit with a follow up playthrough of Scenario 2. Maybe even as part of the campaign game. Watch this space!
