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Demiurg Consortium Mercenaries vs. Eldar Biel-Tan Craftworld
Demiurg Brotherhoods and Local Affiliates:
Iron-Breakers League Brotherhood (300) with: an I.B.L. Local (200), a Marshal Legate (50), 3 Gorgons and a Rhino (130) - 680 points
Allied Sappers Guild Brotherhood (250) with: an A.S.G. Local (150) and 7 Termite TBM/Khthons (70) - 470 points
Merchant Service Journey Brotherhood (200) with: M.S.J. Local Trikers (100), a mounted Marshal Legate (50) - 350 points
Independent Merchant Militia:
Steadholder Cavalry Retinue (300) with: Merchant Prince (100) ? 400 points
Iron Eagle Airwing ? 150 points
Thunderfire Battery ? 150 points
Superheavy Assets:
Goliath Mega-Cannon Battery ? 400 points
Overlord Airship Corps (200 each) ? 400 points
Vs.
Biel-Tan Warhosts:
Eldar Guardian Warhost, w/3 support weapons (150) with: Wraithguard (150) ? 300 points
Eldar Guardian Warhost, w/3 support weapons (150) with: Wraithguard (150) ? 300 points
Eldar Aspect Warhost, 4 Striking Scorpions, 4 Dark Reapers (300) with: an Autarch & Exarch (100), 4 wave serpents (200 points) ? 600 points
Eldar Aspect Warhost, 8 Shining Spears (300) with: 2 exarchs (50) ? 350 points
Biel-Tan Troupes:
Engines of Vaul, Scorpion and Storm Serpent ? 500 points
Engines of Vaul, Scorpion and Storm Serpent ? 500 points
Biel-Tan Support:
Phoenix Bombers ? 400 points
The Avatar (free) and a Wraith Gate (50) ? 50 points
Setup:
3,000 point tournament game, played across the short end. 4?x8? board (to be honest we could have kept it to 4?x6? based on the game, but Moscovian spoiled me by hosting with his Gigantu-board). Terrain was mostly hills with some impassable terrain in the form of canyons (very cool).
Deployment:
Most of M?s stuff was secure in the webway (2 guardian forms, Shining Spear form, Avatar) or off-board (phoenix bombers)
His Engines of Vaul were centered, and the Aspects mounted in Wave Serpents were on my left flank.
I had the M.S.J. on the left supported by the Overlord Air Corps, the A.S.G. in the termites mounted on the Khthons, and the Steadholders Cavalry Retinue in the center, the Thunderfire and Goliaths left of center and the I.B.L. on the right supported by the Iron Eagle Airwing.
Turn One: ?Moscovian Grimaced through the Entire turn??
M won the strategy roll. He activated his phoenix bombers to ground attack my Goliath Battery. He over flew my Iron Eagles and came in range of my Thunderfire. Flak attacks totally annihilated the bombers. We were both stunned to see them all die.
M retained to activate his left-most Engines of Vaul, they Doubled and attacked the M.S.J. Bikers and Trikers killing 3 including the Marshal. Owww. He retained again to exit a formation of Guardians which failed their activation.
I jumped to activate my Goliath and pounded on his Engines and the Guardians, the guardians broke, but it was not decisive as far as the Engines were concerned. I retained with my tunnellers and off they went.
M then activated his Aspects, Doubled them and they beat up on my M.S.J. some more.
I responded by Doubling my Overlords and dropping all kinds of hurt on the Aspects. I retained and Marshaled the M.S.J. moving them forward.
He activated his centered Engines, Doubled and shot at my Steadholders killing one.
The Iron Eagle activated, doubled and attempted to break the left flank Engines, they failed.
M then attempted to activate his 2nd Guardian Formation, but they failed and opted to move onto the table towards the center of the table.
I moved up the Steadholders after a failed Marshal activation, even less joy.
M passed on his shining spears and my I.B.L. March a whole 45cm (!) up the right flank.
The Guardians rallied.
Turn Two: ?It all seemed to Start well enough??
Moscovian wrestled with bringing on the Avatar, but decided not to?my tunnellers continued underground?
I won the initiative...I instantly Engaged with my Steadholders. They advanced on the 2nd formation of Guardians winning the assault and breaking them, suffering a loss in return. Attempting to retain the Goliaths failed including the re-roll?embarrassingly they did nothing.
M responded by snaking his Center Engine formation up the middle to get a line on the Goliaths, killing one and breaking the formation (ugh). He retained and pulled the Shining Spears out of a Wraithgate to assault my I.B.L., still in their transports. Despite the modifiers, and poor attacks by the SS, I lost the Assault and the I.B.L. retreated to hide under the skirts of the Iron Eagles. The Shining Spears then consolidated in range of assaulting the Goliath, I.B.L. or Iron Eagles next turn.
My next move I tried to activate my Overlords on Sustained fire, but failed?the used their hold action to weaken the Engine formation in front of them, but they could not break them.
Moscovian then activated his Aspects, doubled across the table to box in my broken Iron-Breakers, took a pot-shot at the Hearthguard, but caused no casualties. He retained with his Left Flank Guardians and open fire on my beat up M.S.J formation which broke, leaving 3 Trikers.
On my activation, the Iron Eagles Sustained Fire on the Engines facing my Overlords, successfully killing the Scorpion and breaking the remaining Storm Serpent which fled to the table edge near his Blitz objective.
M made his last activation and the Guardian formation shot up my Overlords a little. My Khthons tried to get a shot at the guardians but could not reach given their limited role.
The rally rolls broke down thus: M rallied the Storm Serpent at the table edge, but could not rally the Guardians in the center. I rallied the Iron Breakers and the Trikers, but I failed to rally the Goliath?ughh.
Turn Three: ?It would be right to panic, right about now??
The Avatar Showed up?right in front of my Steadholders!
My Tunnellers popped up 30cm from Moscovian?s table edge and 50cm from the left side of the table. Nothing was there to kill with the Breaching Charges, but the Termites were next to an objective and in cover too. The Sandhogs exited and prepared to find a target.
I was begging my dice for the strategy roll?and I got it. WOW.
First I did the smart-cowardly thing; I assaulted the Engines that had slipped in to kill off the Goliaths. I lost, but they were now out of range from the damned Avatar.
I retained and the Sandhogs assaulted the blitz objective and the Storm Serpent. Even with attacking with a 6+ FF they managed to win the assault and killed it off.
The Avatar threw a vindictive Wailing Doom at my Trikes and broke them too.
My Iron-Breakers attempted get back their own against the Aspects but they were really kind of ineffective.
I retained with my Trikers and attacked the Engines killing the Storm Serpent but not breaking the formation.
Moscovian assaulted with his shining spears on my Iron Breakers and the Iron Eagles as an intermingled formation. Shining Spears once again did poorly on their attacks. Fire support from the Aspects on the flip side did more damage than the Shining Spears themselves. The Eldar salvaged the assault on the final roll. The SS consolidated to a position close to the goliaths and held the blitz objective.
M retained, activated his Guardians and assaulted the Overlords Breaking them too (see what?s happening?)
I had one action left, the last of the turn. The lowly Khthons activated slid over and got the one hit they needed to kill off a Shining Spear, just enough to break the formation.
We checked Victory Conditions?and I Won with Blitz and Take and Hold, M had one objective held, but the blitz was open. That one kill on the Shining Spears kept M from tying on victory conditions and sending us into turn 4.
Conclusions:
We both agreed it was a tense game and that I would have paid dearly for the poor rally roles if it went to turn 4.
His two formations of Aspects worked overtime to keep me on my toes and I credit them both for the tough fight.
The left flank Guardians were also very effective in coming back from being broken to breaking my Overlords.
For my part the Best were the Iron Eagles and the Sandhogs, the IE held up beautifully and the Sandhogs took out the Storm Serpent (barely) even hitting on 6+!
I found the points wasted on the IBL gorgons; rhinos would have changed my tactical options.
The tunnellers were key to my victory, but having to wait till turn 3 was nail biting, I kept seeing them surface on an enemy filled board!
The Goliaths were vulnerable from the Second turn, actually firing only once, and the Thunderfire got very lucky. Everything else did ok, except maybe the Bikers, they died like crazy.
Moscovian wants me to re-check the movement on the Khthon and limit their move; perhaps he is right?as I said the Thunderfire got very lucky. If the bombers made a run or two I think I would have lost handily.
[B]
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Squat/Demiurg Army Co-Champion (in cahoots with Jaldon)
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