Battle Report: Assault on the Industrial Block

Posted by : LeonDelgado Friday, May 22, 2026

Mission: Assault

Deployment: Middle‑Ground

Forces: 2v2 – UNSC & Covenant

Points: 200 pts per side

The Battlefield

The battle was fought in a compact industrial district, likely part of a larger base complex. The table was dominated by heavy prefab buildings, cargo containers, and industrial platforms, creating a dense, urban layout with very limited open ground.

Large structures sat near the centerline, forming hard choke points and blocking most long‑range fire. Movement lanes ran between buildings, forcing vehicles and infantry alike to commit early to specific routes. Unlike the forest board, this table heavily favored durability, area control, and short‑range firepower.

Perfect conditions to bring out the big guns.

Forces & Intent

This test game was used as an opportunity to field large models:

Hunters on the Covenant side, anchoring lanes with brutal close‑range threat
Warthogs on the UNSC side, providing mobility, exposed gunners, and suppressive fire

With the Assault mission in play, neither side could afford to sit back. The objectives demanded forward pressure and holding ground under fire.

Opening Moves

Both teams deployed aggressively from Middle‑Ground, immediately contesting the central industrial block.

Vehicles pushed forward early, using buildings as partial cover while infantry screened objectives. The narrow streets and container alleys quickly filled with overlapping threat zones: Hunters locking down corridors, Warthogs racing to exploit gaps, and infantry darting between hard cover.

From the start, it was clear this would be a meat‑grinder.

The Blast Weapon Problem Emerges

As the battle escalated, blast weapons began to dominate the center of the table.

At this point, a key rules interaction came under scrutiny:
How do Blast weapons interact with Exposed Crew and Gunners?

For this test, a temporary ruling was used:

Blast attacks could affect transported models and exposed crew
Knock‑back would not apply to those models

The result was immediate—and brutal.

Blast markers landing near vehicles proved devastating to the people inside. Gunners and exposed crew were wiped out at an alarming rate, even when the vehicle itself survived the attack. While cinematic, it quickly became clear that this interaction made open‑topped and exposed vehicles far more fragile than intended.

Mid‑Game Chaos

Despite the mounting casualties, the game remained highly engaging.

Hunters performed exactly as hoped—slow, terrifying, and incredibly effective at area denial. Once they claimed a lane, pushing them out required real commitment.

Warthogs added constant pressure, forcing the opposing side to choose between targeting the vehicle or risking the exposed crew continuing to fire. Even under the harsh blast ruling, they played an important tactical role by controlling movement and contesting objectives.

The Assault mission kept both teams fully engaged until the final turns, with no safe fallback positions and no room for passive play.

Endgame & Outcome

The final turns were a grind of attrition around the central structures. Infantry clung to objectives, vehicles limped but stayed relevant, and heavy units continued to dictate space.

Regardless of the final score, the game felt good to play:

Clear tactical decisions
Constant pressure
Strong identity for large models
No runaway advantage despite the lethal blast interactions

Post‑Game Designer Notes

🚨 Blast vs Exposed Crew – Ruling Update

This test highlighted a necessary clarification:

✅ Blast weapons should NOT affect transported models, exposed crew, or gunners
✅ Only direct attacks may target them

While the temporary ruling was useful for testing, it proved far too lethal and undermined the role of open‑topped and exposed vehicles. This interaction will be clarified explicitly in the rules.