Chapter I - The Hive Stirs...

++++++++ EMERGENCY TRANSMISSION - GRADE MXVIII

++++++++ From: Dietrick Armengarde, Rogue Trader, Captain of the Dies Suberbia

++++++++ Via astropath - beacon: ERROR

++++++++ Countersignal: ERROR

By the Light of the most Hallowed God Emperor of Mankind, Aegis of Terra, Infinite in Wisdom, Unwavering in Resolve and Purifier of all that is Vile.

I, Dietrick Armengarde, renew my efforts to be embraced by thy light again by reaching out to my fellow men of the Imperium for aid. For a full terran month we have been locked in orbit around Maelstrom Congeris, and I fear for our safety should we not recieve aid. The void stirs around us, and tainted warp energies flicker out in the dead space. In them can be seen sights that would drive lesser men mad, which is why I have given to order to close all shutters to the crew quarters’ observation decks. In my kindness I want to spare them the fate that I must endure; to gaze into madness to report to thee. They are weak men though, and have even had the audacity to complain and riot. Arch Militant Gascaard has been quite busy restoring order. I cannot fathom the ingratitude, but alas I must endure.

The planet below us stirs still, and two terran days ago I was woken by my servants to witness another change in the visible surface below. In a quite spectacular, but ofcourse unholy, display there materialised a great structure below. It resembled parts of an Imperial Hive City, which caused my heart to soar; with so many members of the imperial society close at hand then surely our way home and imperial dominion over Maelstrom Congeris would be assured. My heart plummeted yet again when my archivist identified the hive in question. It seems to be none other than the Infelix Hive of the great rebellion in the Tenebrae system which took place some 350 terran years ago. My archivist informed me that it was wrested from imperial control by the vile gangs which frequented the parts of the Hive where decent men never set foot. The gangs where said to be incredibly well armed, enough even to overthrow the local security forces and even thwarting the Planetery Defence Forces’ attempts to regain control. The conflict ended when the system governor Sable Contadoor ordered that a vortex missile would be deployed, and over half of the hive where swept away into nothingness. Governor Contadoor was later gravely chastised for bringing such armaments into the conflict, as was his brother who where the supreme commander of the PDF.

The arrival of Infelix Hive will surely have a great impact on the world below. My auspex can already pick up a lot of movement from the hive, and in some regions also the faint trace of gunfire. Might be that the armaments in the hive is tempting enough that the stranded forces below will dare enter it’s halls to gain as much firepower as they can, to better their odds of survival in that ever-shifting hellscape.

Emperor, thy servant can only remain here to report the tidings to thee while waiting for thy servants to come to my aid. By the most holy light of the Astronomican we look for guidance. Lead our saviors to us, and let the Aegis of Mankind allow us to survive until this time is nigh.

The Emperor protects.

During this week, players can always choose to play the following special mission:

Special Mission - Raiding the Armoury

As the forces enter the massive structure, they might find a wealth of armaments waiting for them within it’s massive halls. They are not alone in their pursuit though, and to gain even the slightest superiority in killing power they need to contend both with their opponents and the brutal hive gangers who still fight and kill to protect their lot.

This mission uses the diagonal deployment from the original missions 3 and 4 in the Kill Team rules.

Place a small ruin in the middle of the board. This is the armoury, and also the objective of the mission. Place an additional ruin in the center of each table quarter which is not the deployment zone of either player. These are the Gang Hideouts.

In this scenario, a third force will contend with the players in the form of the vicious hive gangs. They will fight with the following profile:

Hive Ganger squad

Unit type: Infantry (Squad size 5)

WS: 3 BS: 3  S: 3  T: 3  W: 1  I: 3  A: 1  Ld: 7 Sv: 6+

Special rules: It’s our stuff! Back to the Hideout!

Wargear: Autoguns, Arsenal, Gang armour

It’s our stuff! :  Hive Gangers are fearless if they are within the Armoury, fighting viciously to protect their lot.

Back to the Hideout! : If the Hive ganger squad falls back, it always fall back towards the nearest Gang hideout. It automatically regroups if the squad is wholly within the Gang Hideout.

Arsenal: Whenever a Hive ganger squad is placed, they might have additional weapons. Any special weapon carried replaces the autogun of that model Roll a d6 on the following table to determine: 1-2 No additional weapon, 3-4 Flamer, 5-6 Heavy Stubber

At the beginning of the game, each Gang hideout is empty. At the beginning of each turn, roll a d6 for each Gang Hideout. On a 5+, another Hive Gang squad is placed in the hideout. Roll for their Arsenal as soon as they are placed. There may be at most 6 squads of Hive gangers at the table at any given time.

The Hive Gangers act before the first acting player. In the movement phase, the Hive Ganger Squads will try to move towards the Armoury and occupy it if possible. They will try to utilize cover as much as they can. In the shooting phase, the each member of the squad will try to shoot the closest enemy model. If no enemy models are within sight or range, the squad will run. The squad will not make any charges in the assault face. If assaulted, each model will attack the enemy in base contact. Roll to decide which if multiple enemy models are in base contact.

Note that Hive Gangers DO NOT roll on the Injury table. A failed save means that the model is remover.

A player wins the game if he/she controls the armoury at the end of the game, which means that no enemy models are within the armoury. Note that the Hive Ganger squads counts as enemy models for all intents and purposes.

At the end of the week, the player which has won the most amount games where this mission is played will receive a custom base upgrade as a reward.

Optional: If possible, a third player could take control of the Hive Gangers effectively controlling them as a team of his own. Feel free to do this, and use the gangers in the most effective way (ignoring the previous guidelines). However, keep them neutral and respond to all threats equally. Be fair, and don’t use this opportunity to skewer the odds in a player’s favour.

Moderators note: This mission may cause some rules confusion, since there are a lot of possible scenarios I might have missed when writing these basic rules. Try to use common sense and be as neutral as possible when deciding the moves of the Hive gangers.