Opponent: Gary
Campaign: Phoenix campaign game 6
Mission: Sabotage
1st turn: Eldar
Points: 1500
Location: Emerald Ridge (location 6), Tyro Peninsula, Kutch, Salazar systems
Background: Autarch Icareane is reeling from the Exigators attacks, so mounts a daring counter attack on Emerald Ridge. If it is successful it will hamper communications between the Chaos Space Marine forces and give the Eldar an important strategic location.
Chaos Space Marines
- Bellicus - Daemon Prince
- Ppbhuln'naks - Greater Daemon (Great Unclean One)
- Squad Krall – 10 Chaos space marines, plasma gun, lascannon, aspiring champion with powerfist, icon of chaos glory, Rhino with Extra Armour
- Squad Brakar – 10 Chaos space marines, plasma gun, lascannon, aspiring champion with powerfist, icon of chaos glory
- Squad Kanker - 7 Plague marines, plasma gun, flamer, aspiring champion with power weapon, personal icon
- Iideommae - 6 Lesser daemons (Daemonettes)
- Arableuerakiar - 8 Lesser daemons (Furies)
- Uuandearzao - 9 Lesser daemons (Plague Bearers)
- Squad Hotep – 9 Thousand sons, Sorceror
- Icareane - Autarch, Swooping Hawk wings, power weapon, fusion gun
- Lauthelias - Farseer runes of warding runes of witnessing, spirit stones, doom, fortune
- 5 warlocks, enhance, embolden
- Laconfir - 8 Dire Avengers, Exarch with diresword, shuriken pistol, bladestorm
- Nazrain - 10 Guardians, starcannon
- Saduras Clearsight - 5 Rangers
- Amost - 1 Falcon, scatterlaser, holofield
- Isenrain - 9 Warpspiders, Exarch with deathspinners, powerblades, withdraw
- Lothost - 5 Firedragons, exarch with fire pike
- Sheira - 7 Howling Banshees, Exarch with executioner + wavesepent with starcannon
We set the board up to represent Emerald Ridge. The hills showed the ridge itself and we put all the rocks beyond that to represent a steep rocky face. On the other side we placed two woods and a narrow mountain stream. The communications array was inside a small bunker smack in the middle of the table. Low walls surrounded the array.
The Eldar could choose which short table edge to attack from. The nimble Eldar chose to attack up the steep rocky slope, using the ridge for cover. The Exigators had three sentries on each side of the array.With the Autarch carefully co-ordinating the attack, the sentries were only alerted when the Falcon and Wave Serpent flew in. By that time the Eldar infantry had advanced deep into Chaos territory.
The game
The Eldar advanced cautiously all across the battlefield. They were protected from incoming fire by the heavy terrain.
The Furies were summoned front and centre from squad Brakar. The Greater Daemon emerged from squad Krall. Squad Hotep tried to edge around the ridge but were slowed by the howling gales. Bellicus ordered the Rhino from squad Krall to get in amongst the enemy and report back their positions.
The Eldar continued to push up but still didn't launch their attack. The Rhino driver saw a chance to eliminate boith enemy HQ's in one fell swoop. He gunned his engines at the Farseer and Autarch, but Icareane calmly drew his fusion gun and fried the driver. The Rhino ground to a halt inches from the Autarch's feet.
Autarch Icareane's blood was up and he ordered the rest of his troops over the top. The Warp Spiders, Fire Dragons, Falcon and Dire Avengers inflicted heavy casualties on squad Brakar and the Furies. The Farseer and Icareane himself assaulted squad Hotep.
The Plague Bearers were called to the battlefield and charged into the Farseer and Autarch. So too did squad Krall and the Greater Daemon. This was too much for Icareane and he fell back. Farseer Lauthelias was made of sterner stuff and fought on.Meanwhile, squad Kanker drove off the Warp Spiders with a hail of bolter shells. Nearby, the remaining furies assaulted the Dire Avengers but were cast back into the warp.
The epic fight involving the Farseer and Greater Daemon continued. All of the Farseer's retinue were killed but Lauthelias fought on regardless. He knew reinforcements were only seconds away.
The Autarch rallied and then ordered the Dire Avengers, Falcon and Fire Dragons to engage the Plague Marines. The Rangers and Howling Banshees positioned themselves to save the Farseer.
Battle was joined! Squad Krall were gutted and a single survivor fell back. The Plague Bearers were similarly mauled but fearlessly fought on.
On the other flank, the Dire Avengers became embroiled in a close assault with Kanker himself. He held out long enough for Daemon Prince Bellicus to steam in. The Avengers took casualties but bravely stayed in the fight. Meanwhile, the Fire Dragons were taking a beating from the Daemonettes in a viscious fistfight. This allowed Icareane and the Warp Spiders to move into the centre, though.Their target was now in sight.
Autarch Icareane used his Swooping Hawk wings to fly onto the bunker. He began to attach the charges and hoped his troops would be able to occupy the Chaos forces for long enough.
Their were two decisive combats.In the first, the Guardians charged in against the Nurgle daemons. The last Thousand Sons fell, but the Exigators were still victorious as the Greater Daemon decimated the Rangers. The Daemonettes charged in and sliced up the Farseer. The Howling Banshees quit the field, appalled at the loss of their spiritual leader to their archenemy. The Guardians shamed the Howling Banshees by sacrificing their lives to delay the daemons.
It was now down to Bellicus. Again the Avengers took a beating, but Laconfir held them firm against the onslaught.
The Eldar had done enough. A dull crump signalled the destruction of the array.
With a defiant roar, Bellicus led his surviving troops back off Emerald Ridge.
Result: Loss
Commendations
- Chaos - Greater Daemon
- Eldar - Autarch
The Eldar passing two morale checks near the end of the game which kept the Autarch safe while he planted the charges.
Learning points
- Gary and I disagreed about this mission. I thought the Eldar were one of the armies who would do well at it because of their speed (fast vehicles, fleet of foot) and durability (holo-fielded Falcon, Warp Spiders, Fortune), while Gary thought it was impossible for the Eldar to win because they had to advance into the teeth of the Chaos army. In the end it was tight, but the Eldar won out.
- There were numerous complicated combats in this game featuring multiple units. I really need to read the assault rules again to get the finer points fixed in my head. Then again, is it worth it with 5th edition just around the corner?
Chaos Space Marines
- +50 Bellicus - Daemon Prince
- +400 Ppbhuln'naks - Greater Daemon (Great Unclean One)
- -50 Squad Krall – 10 Chaos space marines, plasma gun, lascannon, aspiring champion with powerfist, icon of chaos glory, Rhino with Extra Armour
- -300 Squad Brakar – 10 Chaos space marines, plasma gun, lascannon, aspiring champion with powerfist, icon of chaos glory
- +460 Squad Kanker - 7 Plague marines, plasma gun, flamer, aspiring champion with power weapon, personal icon
- +450 Iideommae - 6 Lesser daemons (Daemonettes)
- -400 Arableuerakiar - 8 Lesser daemons (Furies)
- +350 Uuandearzao - 9 Lesser daemons (Plague Bearers)
- -150 Squad Hotep – 9 Thousand sons, Sorceror
- +190 Icareane - Autarch, Swooping Hawk wings, power weapon, fusion gun
- +800 Lauthelias - Farseer runes of warding runes of witnessing, spirit stones, doom, fortune
- 5 warlocks, enhance, embolden
- -550 Laconfir - 8 Dire Avengers, Exarch with diresword, shuriken pistol, bladestorm
- 0 Nazrain - 10 Guardians, starcannon
- +810 Saduras Clearsight - 5 Rangers
- +950 Amost - 1 Falcon, scatterlaser, holofield
- +960 Isenrain - 9 Warpspiders, Exarch with deathspinners, powerblades, withdraw
- -600 Lothost - 5 Firedragons, exarch with fire pike
- +550 Sheira - 7 Howling Banshees, Exarch with executioner + wavesepent with starcannon
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