As a great admirer of the games DSII and Stargrunt produced by Ground zero games UK, I have always been amused by the different approaches to future warfare that we see in Ground Zeros Games and those of Games Workshop. I found this piece some 2 years ago somewhere on the web by a gamer called Tom Sullivan. I guess it says it all.
Ground Zero
By TOM SULLIVAN
"Christ,"
whispered Pugh, "It looks like someone slapped a set of treads onto a
dumpster!"
Kemmerman snorted his agreement. "And
check out Buck Rogers there! Sticking his big, ugly ol' head outta
the hatch, and not even bothering to stick a helmet on it! Think
he's got a 'Shoot Me' sign on his back, too?"
"Cut it," snapped the sergeant,
"We've got work to do here. Sorenson, have you got a lock yet?"
"Yessir," he replied, his gaze remaining
fixed on the Scorpion's display. "Ready when you are, sir."
Nodding, the sergeant tapped at his com unit.
"Jessup? You ready?" He nodded again at the reply.
"All right then, on my mark...NOW!!"
There was a sudden sharp crack, and the enemy
officer’s head vanished, replaced by a rapidly dispersing red mist.
This sound was followed a heartbeat later with a loud "Crump!"
as the Scorpion rocket penetrated the side of the APC. The vehicle skewed
sideways, smoke and flame billowing from the hole in its side, as the second
rocket hit, this time impacting at the rear.
The APC exploded with a satisfying roar,
scattering pieces of men and metal across the field.
"That," Pugh said with feeling,
"was abso-fuckin-lutely beautiful. You know that? That's a
goddamn piece of art right there, Billy! You should get down there and
sign it, you know?"
Sorenson shrugged as he repositioned himself,
targeting the second APC. "It's eighty percent inspiration, ten
percent perspiration, and one hundred and ten percent detonation, my man."
The APC shuddered, and obligingly lost a tread, as
the rocket hit it.
"It's a damned good thing that you can shoot,
buddy," Pugh said, 'cause you sure as shit can't add." He shook
his head, waving at the men spilling out of the crippled vehicle.
"Now look at that! Bright red armor? What are they,
color-blind? Or just stupid?"
"Neither," interrupted the sergeant,
"they're arrogant and very well armored. Now, shut up and
shoot."
"Yessir," Pugh muttered, shouldering his
rifle, "shooting away, sir. Doesn't seem to be doing much good,
sir."
"When I want your opinion, Pugh, I'll be sure
to tell you what it is, understand? Just keep firing. And Sorenson,
wait for my command, dammit!"
The armored men seemed largely indifferent to the
rifle fire, only a few even bothering to return it.
Miller shook his head as he sprayed bullets down
the hill. "Jesus, what the fuck are they firing? Howitzers?
Those are the biggest goddamn rifles I've ever seen!"
Pugh snorted. "Yeah, but do think they
can actually hit anything with 'em? Might as well just throw the damned
things at us for all the good they're doing!" He yelped, jerking back
as a crater was blasted into the ground a foot away from his head.
"Yeah, yeah...fuck you too, Murphy!"
"You know," Pugh noted after a moment,
"they really don't seem very happy, sir. In fact," he added, as
he changed clips, "they seem downright pissed. Sir."
The sergant ignored him. "Jessup?
There's a guy down there with a very big gun. Yeah, the one painted
yellow. Eliminate him for me, would you?"
There was a flash, a bang, and one of the men at
the bottom of thehill collapsed, a neat little hole visible in the side of his
helmet. Pugh made an approving noise. "Very nice, Jessup!
You and Sorenson, you're like the...the..Boticellis of the battlefield, you
know? Fuckin' artistes, I tell ya!"
“‘Boticellis of the battlefield’, Pugh?
What are you on, anyway?”
“It’s called culture, buddy. Give it a
try sometime. You’ll like eating with a fork, I just know it!”
"Um, sir?" Miller said, abruptly,
"Sir? They appear to be charging, sir. Up the hill, sir."
"Yeah," the sergant replied with
satisfaction, "Yeah, they certainly are, aren't they? The big
bastards are nothing if not predictable. Just keep firing, private.
Williams, Cook? Be ready."
"My God," Pugh marveled, "the guy
in front has a sword! A goddamn sword! What’s in his other pocket,
a flint fucking spear?"
They did, he had to admit to himself, certainly look
impressive. Each stood at least seven feel tall, and their brilliant red
armor made them look even bigger. "Kind of a shame they're such
morons," he muttered.
Two of the charging men fell, neither making it
even halfway up the hill, but the remaining seven kept coming, firing,
apparently at random,as they did.
"Now!" the sergant shouted. "Now,
dammit!"
The man in the lead, the one waving the sword, was
cut almost in half by the incoming plasma bolt. Those behind him
stopped sort, caught in the crossfire as William's and Cook's squads opened
fire. Sorenson fired the Scorpion, catching one man squarely in the center of
his chest. The result was, while interesting, far from pretty.
The concentrated fire of fifteen men proved
sufficient. Almost. Only one man made it to the top of the hill, his
armor cracked and pitted with innumerable bullet holes. Moving with
remarkable speed for such a large man, he surged forward, grabbing the sergant
by the throat before the rest of the squad could react.
"Now," the man rasped, his voice
distorted by his helmet, "you shall die, in the Emperor's...."
*BLAM*
He stopped.
Looked down.
Saw the smoke rising from the barrel of the pistol
pressed firmly against his stomach.
And fell, gently, to the ground.
The sergant stepped back, rubbing gingerly at his
throat. "He was a tough bastard, I'll give him that much," he
said, hoarsely. He prodded at the corpse with his toe, dislodging the
man's helmet with a sudden fierce kick.
"Jesus, what did they do?" asked Pugh,
"Shave an ape?" The man's features were grotesquely exaggerated,
almost to the point of caricature.
"That," said the sergant, "is what
happens when you combine several centuries of extensive genetic and bionic
engineering with being raised from birth to worship an immortal psychopath.
Makes you understand the Promixa Covenant, doesn't it?" He sighed.
"Stupid goddamned fanatics. They think they entire universe should play by
their rules. Well, fuckthat. We're gonna show 'em how a war is supposed
to be fought. Space Marines, my ass!" He kicked the corpse
again, not gently. "How do you like life at ground zero,
asshole?"