Zoats vs Imperial Army, Deathworld Battle Report (of doom)

So then, last night we played what was possibly one of the funnest everest games of Rogue Trader ever. We made up a scenario more or less on the fly, deciding that there's a war being fought on a frontier world between a Zoat exclave and the local Imperial Army (a unit called the Swamp Tigers). Zoat infiltrators have ambushed a Swamp Tigers patrol by disabled its transport, wounding two important passengers in the process. The Swamp Tigers have called in an extraction but must hold out until it arrives. Meanwhile, nearby ground units are rushing to help in fending off the attack.

We used a load of different rules, some from Rogue Trader, some made up on the spot. For example, we had wandering Ambulls and Grox, and decided that once per turn, a Cthonian Worm would surface next to the model that made the loudest noise that turn on the roll of a 6 (this could be a heavy weapon firing, a vehicle moving, whatever).

Rather than me attempt to describe every dice roll, here are some highlights. I'm sure we can add more detail if asked or if we remember!

The battlefield. 

Imperial Army patrol awaiting extraction. 

And again from a different angle. 

Zoat infiltrators move in. The fourth, missile launcher-armed Zoat is covering them from a hill top. 

Nearby Imperial Army forces arrive. 

A wandering Ambull gets very close to the Zoat leader. 

The Zoat advance continues. 

An Imperial Army sentry spots the Zoats. 

More Army units arrive. 

Reinforcements approach through the undergrowth. 

An angry Ambull attacks a Zoat. 

Army reinforcements link up with the ambushed patrol. 

One of the relief units is charged by an Ambull.

Defeated, the relief unit flees, right into the path of a herd of grox! 

Now in range, the Zoats open fire and a flamer immolates the squad medic. 

The Army fight back. 

The Sentinel comes under flamer fire and is set alight. 

Zoat missile fire draws a Cthonian Worm, which causes the first fatality amongst the aliens. 

The relief unit is defeated by the Grox. 

Another Ambull charges into the ambushed patrol's flank. 

The Zoat leader overruns the ambushed patrol. 

A Zoat charges the Sentinel. 

The extraction vessel arrives overhead, but its not yet safe to land. 

Having killed a Zoat, the Sentinel is charged by an Ambull. 

The Zoats wipe out the last of the ambushed patrol, leaving only the wounded.

The relief squad's las cannon gunner, having been detached from his squad and ordered to fire at the big stuff, kills first an Ambull, and then the Zoat leader (before being gunned down himself by the last surviving alien). 

The extraction vessel comes in to land. 

Last charge of the surviving Zoat. 

And he's furiously beaten off...! 

Home in time for tea and medals.

And that's it! We now plan on playing more games set on this world, as the idea of an ongoing bush war between an alien exclave and the local Imperial Army is pretty cool. Next up we may play a game with the Imperium attempting to detonate a virus bomb and the Zoats having to get past the defending robots and disarm the bomb before it wipes everything out!