With another drill comes another game against SGT Sheldon, the person from the 40K Double Date BatRep.
We started off agreeing on 1,500 points as our last game together was 1,000 points, and he wanted to flex a little more muscle with as little in the way of me teaching as possible. He did the total for his force, and it came up to 2,000 points, so he asked me if I'd meet there, which I readily obliged. The mission was Rescue with a slight modification.
Here are the forces:
Crimson Fists Space Marines
HQ: Captain Cortez
HQ: Chaplain with Power Fist and Terminator Honors
T: Tactical Squad (10) with Vet Sergeant w/ Power Fist, Missile Launcher, and Plasma Gun
T: Tactical Squad (10) with Vet Sergeant w/ Power Fist, Missile Launcher, and Plasma Gun
T: Tactical Squad (10) with Vet Sergeant w/ Power Fist, Missile Launcher, and Melta Gun
T: Tactical Squad (9) with Vet Sergeant w/ Power Fist, and Melta Gun
TR: Rhino with Extra Armor and Smoke Launchers
E: Veteran Squad (9) with Vet Sergeant w/ Power Fist, Bolt Pistol/Chainsword, and Terminator Honors
TR: Rhino with Extra Armor and Smoke Launchers
E: Terminator Squad (5) with Chainfists x 4 and Assault Cannon
HS: Vindicator with Extra Armor and Smoke Launchers
HS: Devastator Squad (5) with Vet Sergeant w/ Power Fist and Storm Bolter, and Heavy Bolters x 4
1,996 total. A fairly decent sized force, and light on the more powerful units.
Eldar
HQ: Farseer with Spirit Stones, Eldritch Storm, Fortune, and Guide
HQ: Warlock Bodyguard (3) with Destructor x2 and Entrance
TR: Guardian Defenders (20) with Scatter Laser Weapon Team (so 22 in total)
TR: Rangers (8)
HS: Wraithlord with Starcannon
HS: Dark Reapers with Exarch w/ Crack Shot
HS: Falcon with Bright Lance
E: Fire Dragons (5) with Exarch w/ Burning Fist
E: Warp Spiders (5) with Exarch w/ Power Blades, Extra Deathspinner, and Surprise Assault
E: Striking Scorpions (5) with Exarch w/ Scorpion Claw, and Crushing Blow
E: Howling Banshees (7) with Exarch w/ Executioner (hard to read his writing on this one), and Acrobatic
E: Wraithguard (10)
Didn't write down his total. Right away you'll notice a FOC issue. I pointed out the Biel Tan list from the Craftworld Codex that he forgot to bring, and we just cracked on with the game. Because of this, we modified the Rescue mission to a full deployment as I didn't want to complicate the game any more than we already had.
Quick rolls got him picking sides, #4 being the objective marker, and me deploying first.
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He aces the roll to go first, and off we go...
TURN 1 ELDAR
The army moves forward at top speed. The Fleet of Foot rolls net the Fire Dragons 3", the Rangers 2", and the Banshees 1" further movement.
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Likewise, my army lurches forward at top speed. The Rhino on my left flank containing the Chaplain and Tactical Squad uncovers one of the markers, as the Vindicator uncovers another on my right flank. Revealed as #2 and #5 respectively, neither are the objective. All three vehicles pop their Smoke Launchers to attempt to increase their battlefield life expectancy.
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The Farseer casts Fortune effortlessly on the Dark Reapers. The movement phase has the Wraithlord moving up to hug cover behind one of the pillars dotting the field. Every other unit moves at maximum speed forward towards whatever objective, high ground, or cover can be had. The Warp Spiders uncover a marker revealing #1. The Falcon did not move to maximize firepower that turn.
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TURN 2 CRIMSON FISTS
All units advance max speed with the exception of the Vindicator, who moves forward 6" to avoid lines of fire while attempting to gain a Storm Bolter shot. The Tactical Squad in the center of the board reveals the last counter on my side of the table. Unfortunately, it is #6. The remainder of my Movement Phase sees the Tactical Squad with Chaplain deploying in preparation to charge the Fire Dragons.
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The Assault Phase sees the Chaplain's Squad split charge between the Warp Spiders and the Fire Dragons.
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TURN 3 ELDAR
The Farseer successfully casts Fortune on the Banshees and Guide on the Dark Reapers again.
The army moves ahead at top speed again except for the Falcon, which moves 6" onto the marker to facilitate fire at that Vindicator, managing to reveal the objective at the same time. The Striking Scorpions are now in range to charge into the Tactical Squad engaged with the Fire Dragons.
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In the Assault Phase the Striking Scorpions charge in with their Mandiblasters blazing, but unfortunately, they could not find a weakness in the Marine armor. All the Fire Dragons and the rank and file Striking Scorpions miss their attacks or fail to wound. Two Fire Dragons fall to Tactical Marine attacks, 2 more fall to the Veteran Sergeant, wiping them out, and two Striking Scorpions fall to the Chaplain. Meanwhile the Scorpion Exarch takes down 3 Tactical Marines. The combat stands after a passed Leadership test.
TURN 3 CRIMSON FISTS
Right here the battle plan I had goes all to Hell. Sheldon and I were commenting on what the Falcon could do with the objective, and he made it clear he planned on a 24" retreat to the Wraithlord, who would take possession of it. At that point, I realized that EVERY resource would be dedicated to the destruction of the Falcon, if necessary.
In the Movement Phase my Rhino, Terminators, and Veterans all advance 6" towards the enemy. The Vindicator stays put and is aligned in such a way that both the Wraithguard (ideal) and the Falcon (last resort) are in the fan of fire.
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The Veterans starring Cortez charge headlong into the Guardian Squad. After all is said and done, 8 Guardians lie dead at their feet, with none in return. Yet again, though, the steely resolve of the Eldar holds.
The Tactical Squad and Chaplain finally finish off the Scorpions.
With that, Sheldon called the game. Under the victory conditions, stopping at this point would technically be a draw, but Sheldon calculated how fast I was rolling up the flanks, what little could hold the objective on his side, and the thought of that Vindicator bearing down his Wraithguard, which was now the backbone of his defensive line.
He just let me know today that he's picked up several 3P Slaanesh models and has every intention of throwing some Emperor's Children violence my way at the first opportunity.