Doctor Who: Exterminate! Report: The Daleks Verses The Cybermen - Part Two

"The story so far... A space freighter has crashed on an alien world, scattering its cargo throughout the vessel's hold. The cargo consists of rare crystals imbued with Vortex Energy, enabling their possessors to bend the very power of the Time Vortex to their own ends. The Daleks need the crystals to perfect their ultimate temporal weapon. The Cybermen want them to advance their experiments in time travel."

Doctor Who: Exterminate! Report: The Daleks Verses The Cybermen

THE TABLETOP - A SPACE FREIGHTER'S CARGO HOLD

With the initial clash of the two mighty extra-terrestrial forces finished, both factions took stock of their position and set about recovering "Shocked" miniatures, rolling "to remove Under Fire tokens", and replenish their Battle cards. One Upkeep Phase rule we didn't implement was to refresh our Adventure cards as we simply wanted to stick with just the 'game changers' we'd originally been dealt at the start of the scenario.

Seizing the Initiative, the Cyber-Leader ordered all four of the Cybermen in the south to move within 6" of the Daleks facing them, and thereby put them within proper range of their Cyberguns. In addition, the silver giants also captured Vortex Node (6) and received five Victory points for their efforts.

Meanwhile the Cybermats scuttled back northeast behind the foundation of the Vats, and watched as the Cybermen to their north began spreading out west towards their gold-coloured foes. One Cyberman moved from the south end of the Toxic Waste barrels to the northeastern edge of the Vats. Whilst the Cyberman "Under Fire" boldy marched west straight towards the approaching three northern Daleks and Vortex Node (1). Another Cyberman acquired Vortex Node (4), collected three Victory Points and the possibility of firing (out of sequence) using the objective's "Temporal Anomalies". 

THE CYBERMATS BEAT A HASTY RETREAT BEFORE THE DALEKS

Believing this rare opportunity could 'break the battle wide open' the Cyber-force played a Battle card which allowed them to "double" all their hits "scored during a combat action." But then rolled all misses. As a result the faction played one of its Fate Tokens to allow them to "Reroll any or all dice after they have been rolled to resolve an action." This resulted in four hits, which despite its armour, left the Dalek target "Shocked". The final Cyberman to the north, who had been stood by the end of the crates, advanced west and captured Vortex Node (1) for a single Victory Point. The Cybermen were suddenly starting to dominate proceedings, and their Cyber-Leader gave an 'impassioned' "excellent."

Realising that the majority of his opponents were now within 'easy' range of his Daleks' Disruptors, and that by ordering his units to remain stationary they would all be able to fire their weapons at "Full Blast" [Range: 6" & Attack Dice: 8], Dalek Sec commanded his faction to stay where they were. True, it meant that the Kaled Mark III Travel Machines would have to survive a barrage of Cyberguns, but the silver giants' weapons were inferior and the Dalek's armour superior. The Patrol Leader did however, order a "Rapid Response" which allowed him "to automatically remove all Under Fire tokens from your faction."

THE CYBERMEN CONFIDENTLY WALK TOWARDS THEIR GOLD-ARMOURED FOES

In the south the Cyber-Forces opened fire, and quickly forced Davros' creations to start expending both any Battle cards which could be used "as if it were a Fate Token", as well as the real things, in order to save themselves from being repeatedly "Shocked". In the end however, the Cybermen's firepower was simply overwhelming, and two of the Dalek units were "Exterminated!" Incredibly, Dalek Sec himself almost joined the burnt out hulks when the Cyber-Leader managed to cause three hits upon the black-coloured Kaled. But fortunately, the Patrol Leader somehow successfully rolled three armour saves and simply received an "Under Fire" token instead. 

To the north, the Cybermen were equally as successful with their shooting, as two Daleks were also "Exterminated!" by a pair of the silver giants. Whilst the others, 'invigorated' by their faction's evident success, chose to stride towards their remaining foe and engage them in hand-to-plunger close combat, rather than fire their Cyberguns at them.

Similarly favouring an assault, the two Cybermat Swarms raced west back round the Vats towards Dalek Sec, threatening to tear the Patrol Leader to shreds with their sharp tiny metallic teeth. Unfortunately, the "leader of the Cult of Skaro" channelled his entire Disruptor's "Full Blast" into one of the swarms, and five hits later had "Exterminated!" them. The other remaining Dalek in the south, also directed his attention to the Cybermats, but only succeeded in blowing the 'small metal rodents' onto their backs by 'Shocking' them. Still the "energy thieves" threat had momentarily been abated.

DALEK SEC DOES ALL HE CAN TO HOLD OFF TWO CYBERMAT SWARMS

Sadly the lone northern Dalek desperately trying to hold off half the Cyber-Force single-handedly, wasn't able to replicate this success against his opponents, despite initially rolling eight hits upon his silver-coloured target. Amazingly, the Cyberman was only "Shocked" even though the Dalek wisely used his Faction's second Fate Token to re-roll his attack's final result in order to try and at least reduce his opposition by one...

It was clear that if Dalek Sec was going to salvage anything from this skirmish, his faction would have to win back the Initiative. This was not the case though, as, having recovered any "Shocked" miniatures, rolled "to remove Under Fire tokens" and replenished both sides' Battle cards, the Cyber-Leader was once again 'in charge' of the action and immediately ordered all of his Cybermen to move west and engage their fast-diminishing foes. Only the remaining Cybermat swarm was unable to obey this command, on account of them having two "Under Fire" tokens.

THE CYBERMAN APPROACH THE DALEKS AND PREPARE TO ASSAULT THEM BY HAND

Calculating that his faction would probably not survive a close assault at the hands of the Cybermen, the Dalek's Patrol Leader ordered his last two units to withdraw 6" west out of harm's way. The Dalek Battle Computer did not give Dalek Sec much hope that his dwindling force would survive even this tactic, and was quickly proved correct when the Cyber-Forces opened up with another salvo of Cybergun energy blasts.

The Cybermen in the south fired at the back-peddling Dalek before them. The Kaled Mark III Travel Machine's armour managed to save the first shot's two hits, but then needed to expend a Battle card which allowed the Daleks to cancel "all hits scored... during a combat action" when it was struck four times by a subsequent attack. Despite not being destroyed though, the Dalek was suffering from two "Under Fire!" tokens and therefore would not be able to return fire.

Likewise, Dalek Sec was caught by a successful Cyber-blast, and after the appropriate Battle cards were all played, found himself "Shocked" and "Under Fire!". The Cyber-Leader understandably 'went in for the kill' and using "Additional Sensory Input" to "ignore" the fact that his target's range "would make that shot inaccurate" fired at the prone Dalek. Incredibly though, the Patrol Leader survived the attack.

DALEK SEC RETREATS AS THE CYBERMEN CONTINUE TO ADVANCE FORWARDS

Finally, the lone Dalek in the north was struck by a Cyber-gun energy beam, and looked destined to die as a result of three hits. Desperate to try and keep the Dalek 'in play' the faction utilised a Battle card which caused the Cyberman to "re-roll any or all of the dice". But it wasn't enough, and the single surviving hit became an "Exterminate!". The battle was over, with the Daleks having only two remaining models alive, and the Cybermen, through a combination of Vortex Nodes and kills, having a total of fifteen Victory Points. Perhaps the Daleks don't always "conquer and destroy" after all..?