Galactic Heroes - Test Play and Review Part 2

Following up my previous post where we playtested Fistful of Lead:  Galactic Heroes (GH), we closed out that experience with some imbalance between teams.  We decided to give three factions even odds, with a Psionic and war walker each, and several normal troopers to round out each team.

We returned to our grim, dark setting perhaps in the year 40,000 or so.  This time, the Emperor's elites, the high-tech Tor, and the savage Ornks were vying for a flex compactor, an essential component for the Doom Moon, a large battle station that could change the balance of power in the universe.

 Recommend clicking on the above.  The Tor are advancing from top left, Imperial elites at top right, Ornks about to show up at bottom.

 The Tor advancing.  The mystical blue portal orb  

The Ornks arrive, their Odd Boy in the lead and war walker bringing the big guns to the fight.

The Emperor's elites disembark from their ship. 

 The three factions can see each other and exchange fire.

 One of  the Tor raced out and dragged the flex compactor toward his lines, but Imperial fire shook him and forced a retreat back to where the Tor cleric could calm his nerves.

The Ornks take heavy fire from both Tor and Imperial forces.

The Imperial psyker advances to crush an Ornk, fighting over the precious cargo next to them.

My Ornk war walker advances into the fray.

My war walker hoses some Tor down with his flamer.  The Imperial psyker has been killed at this point.

Mediocre results from my war walker's flamer - I had hoped to clear the table of Tor resistance, no such luck.

The Tor psyker decides it's a good idea to charge my war walker and engage in close combat.  This doesn't pan out as hoped, as he is wounded and knocked down.

My war walker gets shot by Tor troopers and retreats.  My psyker runs forward and delivers a coup de grace, finishing off his Tor counterpart.

Some fresh Tor who hadn't engaged in the fight move forward and kill my Psyker and wound my war walker with accurate fire.  This game's pretty much over.

We called the game at this point.  Both the Imperial and Ornk factions were shot to pieces and the Tor had two warriors who had largely sat out the fight and were fresh.  Victory for the Tor.

Game impressions:

1.  As with my first game, this one turned into a scrum where all sides ended up depleted by casualties.  All troopers default to d10 skill, and all had rifles, so there's not a lot of differentiation in troop capability.  The longer range of the Tor rifles definitely distinguished them and gave an advantage.

2.  The addition of a psyker and war walker to each faction kept things even between factions, but I like that no mini is impervious to harm or too overpowered.  If it bleeds, someone can kill it.

3.  The activation mechanism continues to please.  Haven't found a better way to manage multiple factions in a quick and engaging manner.

Exit note: this game was played in December.  Next post will be a likewise belated Christmas game post, with a mashup of Fistful of Lead activation cards, but Savage Worlds Showdown mini stats.