"Appropriate quote."

Edwin Voskamp's WH40K Battlereport 5: Eldar vs. Space Marines (2500 points)

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Introduction

[SPACE MARINES INTO]

"We are the mailed fist of the Emperor. We will not fail."

* * *

Eldrad glanced around him, his eyes resting for a moment on the gracious Dreadnought and he smiled slightly as he remembered the Eldar whose spirit now controlled the ancient and powerful war machine. He looked down at the seer runes in his hand and his smile grew.

He put the seer runes away in the bag at his waist and gave his final instructions: "The humans who broke through our lines shortly ago were identified as a part of the Fourth Company of their Space Marines' Death Angels Chapter. They are still in the area, fighting a guerilla war, trying to tie down our forces and kill as many of us as they can. I have foreseen a way to end this annoyance. It will also give us the satisfaction of exterminating the killers of our brethren. Unlike last time we shall move like the shadow, catching them by surprise and engage them forthright.

As usual, I will form the center with the Wraithguard. The Dark Reapers with their Exarch will stay with me to deploy to the side their attack comes from. The Dire Avengers shall deploy in front of us to stop any force moving in on us. The Swooping Hawks will be with me and fly up to engage their psyker and commander. The Striking Scorpions, Howling Banshees and the Dreadnought will move up through the forest to engage their troops at short range. The other Dark Reapers will deploy behind them to provide long range cover fire. We have Scouts in the area that will infiltrate the right flank, with the Warp Spiders behind them".

He looked at each and everyone in turn and his smile grew thin and hard:

"Vengeance shall be ours!"

House Rules

In addition to our current House Rules, we used these additional rules:

1. Hand-to-Hand combat is to the death. When engaged in hand-to-hand, we keep going through combat turns until the combat is resolved, within a single turn of play.
2. Psykers and armies can nullify without Nullify Cards. After a player runs out of Nullify Cards, he or she gets a straight Nullify, i.e. the power is nullified on a roll of 5+ on a D6. This roll is not susceptible to level-differences between psykers, nor can it be rerolled because of a 'Psychic Hood'. It can not be used instead of a Nullify.

The Armies

Space Marine Army

A mobile attack force from the 4th company, Death Angels chapter.

Characters

Captain X

Epistolary Y

Chaplain Z

2 Techmarines

Squads

Terminator Squad XY (teleporting in)

7th Assault Squad

9th Devastator Squad

Support

Thudd Gun Squadron

Elements of the 8th assault squad:

Land Speeder Squadron

Bike Squadron

Eldar Army

Part of the 'Fire Warhost of Eternal Night' (Craftworld of Ulthwé).

2534 points, 47 models: 7 characters, 9 squads (39 models) and 1 support vehicle.

Characters/Squads/Support: 982:1337:215 or 39:53:8%.

Characters

Eldrad Ulthran - Farseer or Ulthwé (281)

Dire Avenger Exarch (90)

Dark Reaper Exarch (145)

Swooping Hawk Exarch (130)

Striking Scorpion Exarch (99)

Howling Banshee Exarch (112)

Warp Spider Exarch (122)

Squads

Dire Avenger Squad (88)

Dark Reaper Squad (201)

Dark Reaper Squad (201)

Swooping Hawk Squad (112)

Howling Banshee Squad (108)

Striking Scorpions (104)

Warp Spider Squad (164)

Eldar Scout Squad (184)

Wraithguard (175)

Support

Dreadnought (215)

Pre-Battle

Space Marine

Mission

Guerilla War

Strategy Cards

Divine Inspiration

Psychic Powers

2 Librarian, 1 Adeptus

Plan

Eldar

Mission

Witch Hunt

Strategy Cards

Forced March, Special Issue,Traitor, Craven Cowardice

Psychic Powers

Executioner, Mind War, Guide, Doom

Plan

The base plan was simple: hold the center, engage the left flank in hand-to-hand combat and use sneaky troops on the right flank. Rotate his force and use the Eldar's fast troops to interdict his roll away and kill his psyker.

I'd never really managed to close my hand-to-hand troops into close combat, nor had I ever used a Dreadnought in a close combat role. I've never been successfull in carrying the fight to the Space Marines.

The plan was to achieve this, running the Striking Scorpions, followed by Howling Banshees, supported by a Dreadnought, through the forest at the center of his deployment zone. There actually was quite a bit of cover in his setup zone, so even if he'd setup away from me, I would still be able to scuttle from cover to cover and close with his Heavy Weapon troops, hopefully even kill his characters that way.

As is my wont, I'd destroy the opposition's heavy weapons first. I was not facing any tanks or Terminators, but a Bike Squad and two Land Speeders, which I hate. First order of the day for the Dark Reapers and Wraithguard would be to take those two out.

This would be the first time I employed Scouts and Swooping Hawks, so I was looking at early interdiction firing and fast moving troops to carry the fight to the enemy.

I played the Forced March Strategy Card and since I set up first anyways against the Space Marines, effectively extended my deployment zone to 18 inches.

Considering the disaster that befell me last time, and the lesser cover in my setup zone, I was going to concentrate my troops in the center, run a large hand-to-hand force through the forest on the left and put interdiction troops on the right.

Last time I got beaten because I could not engage with my Howling Banshees and having them on either side. This time I was not interested in holding back his troops: the Dark Reapers and Wraithguard in a house behind the hill with good firing zones around them would take their toll on anything coming over. I wanted to engage the rear of his army. I set up the Striking Scorpions the full 18 inches into the forest on my left, the Howling Banshees behind them and a Dreadnought beside them. They could close to almost the deployment zone, and two hills and the ruins of a small village in cover. I set them up Hidden as well.

On the right, I wanted to play a hide-and-seek search-and-destroy game with troops and put the Warp Spiders 18 inches out into the forest all the way to the right: with their 18 inch jumps they would be able to come over and if they'd stop the Space Marines from going there, they would be points well-spent. I would set up the Scouts as far up in the same forest as I could. They would function as an 8 man sniper squad with just the sniper guns.

The Center: I had drawn Mind War and Guide for Eldrad, so I decided to build my center piece around the Wraithguard, surrounding Eldrad, in the ruins of a house behind the hills. As always, I stuck Eldrad in the deepest corner off the ruins of a building, in full cover. I put a Dark Reaper Squad with their Exarch in it. I did not want to repeat last game's error of spreading out so much I could not use the Dark Reapers. This way this squad at least would be able to redeploy to the other side of the house. I put the Swooping Hawks in the back of the house: it is central to the setup zone and this way I could fly low and drop grenades or fly high. I put the Wraithguard out front to catch incoming small-arms fire and to redeploy to a flank as needed, or go over the hill in the center, using the whole squad effectively (last time I could only fire one or two in the squad at a time as they redeployed). To shield the Wraithguard from heavy weapon fire, I put the Dire Avengers across the back of the hill, with a member peeking out at either side, to force incoming fire on them at -2 modifiers, while being visible to anything that could see the Wraithguard, but being closer.

The Right: I Infiltrated an 8 man Scout Squad all the way to 4 inches from the Space Marines' end of the forest, practically at the end of his deployment zone. The Warp Spiders were in the next little forest to their right.

The Left: I set up the Striking Scorpions and Howling Banshees in hiding in the forest, 18" up, with the Dreadnought. They would run through the cover all the way to the other deployment zone, ready to charge. I put a squad of Dark Reapers in a ruins behind them.

Various: .

The Battle

Setup

Space Marines

Played 'Divine Inspiration.

Eldar

Played 'Forced March' and 'Special Issue' on Swooping Hawk Exarch: Executioner

Eldrad and the Warp Spider, Howling Banshee and Striking Scorpion Squads are Hidden.

Eldar Infiltrated Troops

Scouts set up on the right flank, 'Hidden'.

Final Preparations

Movement

The Space Marines won the roll to go first.

Final Thoughts

Space Marines

Eldar

Turn 1

Question: Guide onto model firing into HtH hits target?

Question: Charge after Teleporting Terminators?

Space Marines

Movement

Terminators teleport into my HQ and Run into HtH: one on Eldrad, two on two Swooping Hawks and one on a Wraithguard.

Both Asault squad Jump forward and Detect Scouts.

Heavy Devastato Squads goes to Overwatch.

Fire

Light Devastator Squad Rapid Fires at Dire Avengers: two are in range: 3 hits, 2 Wounds: 1 dies.

Thudd gun sets up Speculative Fire to left Dark Reapers.

Hand-to-hand

Terminator w/ Storm Shield & Thunder Hammer on Eldrad: 2 hits on the shield, 8 hits, 3 on the shield: 3rd hit kills him.

Terminator w/ Plasma & Power Fist on Dark Reaper Exarch: parries, reroll, 1, 5 wounds w/ Needle Pistol: kills him.

Terminator w/ Storm Shield & Thunder Hammer on Wraithguard: 4 wounds ( and a 5) kills Wraithguard: 3 1's for models around it.

Terminator w/ Storm Shield & Thunder Hammer on Swooping Hawk: 5 wounds, kills Swooping Hawk.

Terminator w/ Power Sword on Swooping Hawk: 5 hits, 2 wounds, kills Swooping Hawk.

Swooping Hawks and Terminators make Break roll.

Psychic Phase

8:

Eldar: Mind War (1 Force Card); Daemonic Attack, Eldrad fights it off.

Eldar: Guide on Wraithguard at War bike: displaced 2D6".

Eldar: Energy Drain

Eldar

Movement

Dread charges at Assault Bike

Swooping Hawks Fly High.

Striking Scorpions Run, followed by Running Howling Banshees.

Dire Avengers move right.

Left Dark Reapers move into the forest ahead of them.

Fire

Scouts at the Assault Squad: 6 hits, 4 dead: read most combat squad is Shaken.

Dire Avengers at the Assault Squad: all miss, second shot of Exarch hits, two on Sustained, 2 wounds, 1 dead.

Dark Reapers at the Terminators: two hits, two wounds, two dead Terminators.

Wraithguard fire into HtH between Terminator and Wraithguard: 3 hits, 1 hits Terminator, 2 hit Wraithguard: all three hits to the Warp: Terminators and Wraithguard make Break test.

Hand-to-hand

Dreadnought w/ two Space Marines on Assault Bike: kills (no weapons that can penetrate).

Psychic Phase

5

No powers, Eldrad stores two power cards, Librarian one.

Victory points

Space Marines (0)

None

Eldar (6)

5 Terminator Squad

1 50% Assault Squad

Turn 2

Question: vehicle (LandSpeeder) in forest can be shot at from over 4"?

Question: Smite on Eldar Dreadnought; does it work? As a vehicle? As a character?

Space Marines

Movement

Assault Squad Charges Scouts

Shaken squad falls back

Landspeeders go Dark Reaper hunting

Bike squad goes forth

Captain, Heavy and Light Devastator go to Overwatch.

Fire

Landspeeder's Heavy Flamer at Dark Reapers: miss and fail to wound

Landspeeder's Multimelta at Dark Reapers: 1 dead Dark Reaper, make Break test

Thudd guns: both hit, but scatter away.

Hand-to-hand

Assault squad on Scouts: kill 1, and another one. Chaplain kills one. Made Break test.

Psychic Phase

7

Librarian Smites Dreadnought: nullified.

Eldar's Executioner on lead Bike: kills him; make Break test

Eldar Doom's Librarian: out of range

Eldar stores two cards.

Assault Squad Rallies

Eldar

Movement

Scorpions Run Hidden out to get in charging distance of Light Assault Squad

Dreadnought moves out to get a line on Thudd guns

Howling Banshees run out to the side, in the gully: first three get fired at by Heavy Devastator Squad: all miss. Light Squad firest: 2 Howling Banshees die.

Captain fires at them: kills another.

Howling Banshees make Break test.

Scouts move up

Warp Spiders Jump into same building as rallied Assault Squad.

Dark Reapers run across the house for a line on the bikes and Speeders

Dark Reaper Exarch goes on Overwatch

Dire Avengers go to the crest of the hill

Swooping Hawks land in Hand-to-Hand with Librarian

Fire

Dreadnought fires Heavy Plama at Thudd gun squad: hits one, misses other one: kills it.

Dreadnought fires his Shuriken Catapult at light Devastators: Wounds one, Killed

Dreadnought fires his Flamer at light Devastators: hits two, kills two. Make Break, don't catch Fire.

Dire Avengers fire at the light Devastator: Exarch hits two, wounds neither. Squad hits one, two Sustained, no wounds.

Dark Reapers fire at the Landspeeders: 1 out of range, other misses.

Wraithguard kill two bikes, third one displaced 8" back.

2 Scouts fire at Thudd gun and miss

Warp Spiders at Assault Squad.: kills one

Hand-to-hand

Swooping Hawk on Librarian: equal, 6 wounds on Librarian, who saves all, 2 wounds on the Hawk: kills one

Swooping Hawk on Librarian: Librarian two wounds, saves, and again, then 3 wounds on Swooping Hawk: kills one.

Swooping Hawk Exarch on Librarian: kills Librarian

Assault Squad kills three Scouts.

Psychic Phase

Victory points

Space Marines (0)

0

Eldar (0)

0

Turn 3

Space Marines

Movement

Fire

Hand-to-hand

Psychic Phase

Eldar

Movement

Fire

Hand-to-hand

Psychic Phase

Victory points

Space Marines (0)

0

Eldar (0)

0

Turn 4

Space Marines

Movement

Fire

Hand-to-hand

Psychic Phase

Eldar

Movement

Fire

Hand-to-hand

Psychic Phase

Victory points

Space Marines (0)

0

Eldar (0)

0

Post Mortem

Space Marines

Eldar