The Van de Mar Mountains

The Van de Mar Mountains is a province on Kronus and one of the locations in Dark Crusade.

Description

Broad and arid plateaus mark the Van de Mar Range, which separates the central desert from the temperate Pavonian plains. Its highlands were the site of running battles between Imperial and Tau forces during the Lithesh Sector Crusade.

The highest peaks of the Van de Mars are snow-covered all year round, while the arid climate of the central desert continues at lower altitudes. The highland plateaus are semi-arid patches of rock and scrubland.

Bonus

• +75 Planetary Requisition
• Honor Guard unit
  • First Company Veteran (Space Marines)
  • Crypt Warrior Squad (Necrons)
  • Vindicare Assassin (Imperial Guard)

Campaign strategy

This is a small map usually held by Necrons. By the time you get here, they tend to have two bases (south corner and west corner). This can be tough, as they can rush you (from the south) very early with two Necron Lords and a double capacity of other high-quality units. Unless you play on Easy or Normal, you will certainly get plastered.

To win this map, a smallish honor guard is sufficient if you have a couple of ranged damage units and a couple of melee/damage-soaker units. When the battle starts, immediately advance southwest and provoke an attack from the south base so you can deal with just that instead of the combined two-base offensive. Stay away from their turrets and mow down their units (probably infantry and a commmander), make them waste resources.

Meanwhile, a couple of cheap units capture all the points on your side of the map (the center line with the two CLs and one SP may be contested, but harrass the opponent by capturing/decapturing those as well). Set up a base and field a decent anti-vehicle unit ASAP (nothing fancy, something like a Space Marine Squad with missile launchers) so you can start taking out the south base – and have a counter for the inevitable Destroyers and Tomb Spyders.