[Halloween Gaming:] Warhammer 40K Darktide and BattleSector

 

[This was supposed to be posted for the week of Halloween, but my writing muse can be a stubborn thing! Sorry! Stay tuned for my entry on what games I am playing for Thanksgiving. It should be published in time for New Year's Eve!]

One of the most underserved subgenres of science fiction is sci-fi horror.  Despite such iconic shows as The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, and such popular movies as Alien and Event Horizon, sci-fi horror is the rarest of gems.  I suspect this is because in a genre that has, of late, been dominated by the so-called "hard science fiction" crowd that is so busy making sure that every test tube is polished that they leave no room for the metaphysical.  As horror classics such as The Exorcist demonstrate, horror without metaphysics is just...the day's news.  

I've always suspected that this is why Games Workshop's Warhammer 40K setting has proven so popular, particularly the many, many novels.  In many ways, 40K is the anti-Roddenberry.  That is to say that where Star Trek was all about imagining a future enlightened by science and technology, 40K is about the opposite.  In the "grimdark" reality of 40K, mankind has devolved into a brutal totalitarian empire that is reminiscent of George Orwell's 1984.  Worse, we are beset on all sides by implacable enemies set on our destruction. And this is where the horror portion of the setting comes in.  You see, it's not just "filthy xenos" that are out to get us, but demonic forces as well.  It turns out that all those myths about dark gods meddling in the universe are true.  And they are coming for our destruction.  

The lore undergirding the world of Warhammer 40K is so deep that it would probably give J. R. R. Tolkien fits, which is why I am not going to delve any deeper into this subject as it will easily consume many, many pages to fully explain the subject. Instead, I will direct you to watch the two excellent videos from "Bricky" that I will post below. Trust me: if you are new to this fantastic setting, these videos are well worth watching:

Dark stuff, right?  And it is that metaphysical, existential darkness that makes 40K so compelling. In a genre that is so often dominated by unyielding materialism, Warhammer 40K offers something quite different and, frankly, refreshing.  

(Expect to hear a lot more about Warhammer 40K next year as Amazon Studios is set to produce the first big-budget show for the setting. Here's hoping we don't get a repeat of the fiasco that was The Rings of Power bore-fest.)

With such a popular setting, it is no surprise that there have been many games set in the Warhammer 40K universe, with quite a few being very good.  One such game is Fatshark's Warhammer 40K: Darktide. This co-op shooter puts the player in the shoes of condemned convicts given the choice of facing a firing squad for various minor infractions - again, mankind is ruled by a tyrannical imperium - or living a bit longer by joining a type of Dirty Dozen paramilitary outfit tasked with fighting back the demonic hordes slowly devouring a city from within.  I think this trailer does a good job explaining the setup:

I think you can see why this has become one of my favorite Halloween games! The combination of fighting a demonic incursion in brutal battles that often involve hand-to-hand combat is tailored to the ghoulish nature of Halloween. Of course, having the entire experience set in the industrial-gothic setting of Warhammer 40K just makes the experience all the more immersive. I highly recommend this game for spooky combat!

My "reject" - the fella at the left closest to the camara - awaiting to depart the shuttle with his crew to make another run against the unholy armies of Nurgle, the demon god of plagues. I just love that dystopian art style! 

Another game that I enjoyed playing this Halloween is Black Lab Games' Warhammer 40K: Battlesector. Before Warhammer was a best-selling book franchise, it was a tabletop game where two players would fight a battle using miniatures and assorted terrain. Battlesector captures that experience wonderfully well. As someone who doesn't have the time (or patience!) to go down that gaming rabbit hole, it is nice to know we lazy folks have a nice alternative that captures the essence of that experience. 

This trailer did a good job explaining the all-encompassing existential dread that saturates the 40K universe!

As I mentioned at the start of this (overdue!) blog entry, I just didn't get as much time as I thought I would to do some gaming this Halloween season. But I did get one game of Battlesector in, and decided I would do a turn-by-turn recap of a battle as is common with the tabletop 40K gamers.

I took command of a 1500-point force of Blood Angel space marines against a similarly sized contingent of Khorne demons.  Let the carnage begin!

Our battle took place on the Field of Skulls.  Yeah, it deserved that name as the demons already sacrificed the locals. Fiends!

I moved my force into position. We were tasked with a campaign of elimination, of course.  Seeing how we were up against a demonic force I was glad I brought a Predator tank along with us:

We cautiously pushed forward and were soon greeted by the scum of the Warp:  

And they weren't holding back: they unleashed some sort of foul magic that struck my scouts in their Land Speeder Tornado:

I had my techmarine repair the damage and bestow a blessing of the Omnisiah to help my scouts in their land speeder inflict extra damage on our foul enemies:

The blessing worked, allowing us to severely diminish the Blood Crushers. My Predator tank joined in with its heavy bolter to finish the job. (I just love how the units in BattleSector look like actual miniatures!)

The same Predator tank then unleashed its heavy flamers to cleanse some demonic flesh hounds:

Meanwhile, on the right flank, the demons were making a flanking move that my assault marines met with their flamers:

Unfortunately, the attack was too strong, with all but one assault marine succumbing to the damage inflicted. (Notice the crucified figures in the background!)

Sadly, that last marine would fall soon after to a follow-on attack.

Meanwhile, in the center, my marines met more demonic beasts in hand-to-hand combat:

Despite their bravery, casualties were unfortunately heavy, with the unit being subsequently wiped out.

On the far-left flank, a unit of impetuous assault marines take to the skies to assail the terrifying presence of a Soul Grinder demon:

This mighty foe would prove too strong. With the help of his demonic minions, the assault squad was eliminated to the last man!

Things are not looking good for the good guys (relatively speaking).

My lieutenant calls in an airstrike from a Storm Raven:

While it did inflict not inconsiderate damage, it wasn't enough to bring that mighty beast down.

After receiving another blessing from the Omnisiah, my Predator tank would let loose with its heavy flamers again, this time wiping out two units of demons! Praise be!

Sadly, a subsequent counter-attack would kill the tank and its crew. I knew I should have pulled it back from the front!

Things are getting desperate for my Blood Ravens, so I decided to use my Assault Terminators to do what they do best: teleport behind enemy lines for an attack from the rear:

At them, men! A bloody melee ensued with attacks and counter-attacks, but my Terminators held their ground and inflicted grievous injuries on the demons:

A nearby squad of marines supported the Terminators with grenades:

Sadly, it was during the next turn that the battle turned decidedly against us.  It began with the death of my techmarine who, despite fighting off a melee attack, was splattered into go from heavy fire from a distant foe. Nonetheless, he made a brave last stand!

My land speeder tried to thin the demonic herd:

As did my Hellblasters:

But there were just too many of the fiends!  Even my brave Assault Terminators eventually succumbed to the onslaught despite taking many with them out of spite:

The final turn would see my Children of the Emperor fall valiantly.  I attempted to save the situation by extricating my land speeder from a rear attack by flesh hounds.  My squad of space marines gunned the lone flesh hound down.

With its rear cleared, I pulled the speeder back to link up with the marines. I then had it open fire on a unit of demons. I was satisfied to see it inflict heavy damage on them.

Meanwhile, my squad of marines on the left flank, hit the same gaggle of demons from the rear, also doing significant damage.  

But that would be the last moments for all my units as the hordes of Chaos were far too strong despite the damage we inflicted upon them. My land speeder would get taken out by the long-range fire of the Soul Grinder leaving nothing but a charred wreck.

My lieutenant who stood with the land speeder until the end, used his last breath to call in an airdrop of assault marines on the right flank.

Sadly, while the assault marines would be effective in eliminating another unit of demons, there were just too many left on the battlefield.  All my units were quickly overrun by the titanic malice of the Soul Grinder and his remaining forces. It was close, praise the Emperor, but the field was left to the forces of Chaos. 

A fitting end for spooky Halloween!

I have to say that I enjoyed the heck out of this skirmish battle in Warhammer 40K Battlesector. It felt just like playing the tabletop version of the game, which is the highest compliment I could give any 40K game!  The units all resembled highly detailed miniatures, and the gameplay itself had the crunchy tactical depth of the tabletop rules.  Heck, even the AI played a challenging game. Too challenging! 

I only have one complaint: I want my Imperial Guard! That and maybe a custom unit painter? 

I am happy to hear that Black Lab Games has plans for more content in 2024. That is great news because this is one of the few 40K PC games of late that is worthy of the illustrious grimdark sci-fi franchise.  

 Happy Halloween!