Okay, got in another Necron playtest, but this time I was the "other" player, bringing Steel Legion up against the Necrons and their Pylons.

Won't be able to get the report up tonight *yawn* but here are the armies!

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

Rules Used

Epic Update 2008
NetEA Recommendations
Raiders

Armies Used

Trio of Trouble Pylon Playtest – 2995 points

Tomb Complex

Infantry Phalanx 1 - BTS Goal
6 Necron Warriors
1 Necron Lord
1 Pariah
2 Tomb Spyders

Infantry Phalanx 2
6 Necron Warriors
1 Necron Lord
1 Pariah

Infantry Phalanx 3
6 Necron Warriors
1 Necron Lord
1 Pariah

Eques Maniple
6 Destroyers

Monolith Group 1
1 Monolith
1 Obelisk

Monolith Group 2
1 Monolith
1 Obelisk

Monolith Group 3
1 Monolith
1 Obelisk

Monolith Group 4
1 Monolith
1 Obelisk

Pylon 1

Pylon 2

Pylon 3

Warbarque
Supreme Commander


Steel Legion 102nd – 3000 points

Mechanized HQ Company
1 Supreme Commander
1 Commissar
12 Imperial Guardsmen
7 Chimeras
1 Hydra

Tank Company - BTS Goal
1 Leman Russ Vanquisher
1 Commissar
9 Leman Russ
1 Hydra

Superheavy Tank Company
2 Shadowswords
1 Commissar
1 Baneblade

Infantry Company
1 Commander
12 Imperial Guardsmen
2 Snipers
2 Ogryn
1 Commissar

Vulture Squadron
4 Vultures
1 Commissar

Artillery Battery
3 Manitcores
1 Commissar

Deathstrike Battery
2 Deathstrike Missile Launchers

Thunderbolt Squadron
2 Thunderbolt Fighters

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

Battlefield:

4x6; Necrons chose edge deployment

Deployment:

Necrons keep everything in reserve.

Steel Legion garrisoned the Infantry Company and the Vultures on overwatch.

Remaining deployment as shown, with the Mech HQ buttoned up in their Chimeras:

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

Turn 1

Necrons teleport in all three Pylons, in a very aggressive stance, across the front lines of the Imperials, with three Monolith formations appearing on the Imperial right flank… only Monolith 1 takes a Blast marker on arrival.



Strategy Roll: Necrons

Pylon 1 hums to life and *obliterates* the nearest Shadowsword with a single shot.

Phalanx 1 then resolutely strides out of Monolith 3 to engage the Tank Company, with copious support from three Monolith formations and a Pylon.



It’s a disaster! The few members of the Infantry Company that can see, take overwatch shots, that, fortunately for the Necrons, miss,  but only *two* Leman Russ go down (I just kept making Reinforced Armour save after Reinforce armour save!), while 2 Warriors and a Tomb Spyder are trashed.  Three more Necron Warriors are crushed under treads as the survivors flee into the Portal of Monolith 2 and Monolith 1 is broken and withdraws.

The Manticores try to shut those doors permanently by sustaining 4BP of missiles on Monoliths 2 and 3… both formations are broken and withdraw and Monolith 3 loses its Obelisk bodyguard.

Pylon 3 sustains on the Deathstrikes… and misses!

The Tank Company confirms its orders with the Supreme Commander and then sustain fire on Pylon 3… they hit something important and it explodes, alien energy washing over anything within 15cm!  The Tank Company loses a Leman Russ, the Infantry Company loses 2 Infantry.. and the Mech HQ loses two Chimeras and three of the four Infantrymen within!  *OUCH*  (Was later informed that this was the cunning plan… a “Pylon bombâ€Â

Turn 2

The Warbarque arrives… and gets a Blast marker!

Monolith 3 shows up near Phalanx 3 and the Tomb Complex, while the other Monoliths penetrate deep into the Imperial rear lines.

(No teleport photo either… batteries wound up dying… had to scrounge some up before play continued… and forgot to retake the shot!)

Strategy Roll: Steel Legion

Still a bit shaken, the Super-Heavy Company is reassured by the Supreme Commander to advance and fire on the Warbarque… doing 1DC of damage and breaking the hovering threat!

The *normal* Tank Company also advances, hammering the Eques Maniple and knocking four Heavy Destroyers from the air… take that you grinning-skulled goons!

Shiny fresh and ready for battle, Phalanx 2 steps out of Monolith 2 and engages the Mech HQ…



They wipe out everyone but the Supreme Commander and his Commissar with no losses or chipped chrome of their own!  And the Deathstrikes break again!  (Really have to remember to put a Commissar in there next time!)



Monolith 4 hovers over towards the Tank Company and actually destroys a Leman Russ!

The Vultures advance and unleash the rest of their armaments on the Warbarque… and it drops to the ground like a stone.

The Thunderbolts buzz down to fire on Monolith 1 and take out the Obelisk, breaking it… and it moves towards the Leman Russ!

Phalanx 3 is hoovered up by Monolith 3…



… and steps out of Monolith 1 to engage the Tank Company in a nasty clip.  



One Russ and the Hydra are initially disassembled… and then all the rest of the tanks, except the Vanquisher, are reduced to particles which lightly dust the unharmed Necrons.



Monolith 2 sustains fire on the Manticores and destroys two of the missile tanks, breaking the survivor.

The Infantry Company doubles down the road, into cover near Necron Objective 1 and lobs some long distance fire at Monolith 3, breaking it.

The battered Phalanx 1 then marshals out of Monolith 2, grabbing cover and restoring *FIVE* Necron Warriors to fighting condition…

End of Turn:

The Eques Maniple, Monolith 3, and Pylon 1 fail to rally in the netherworld.

The last Manticore and the Mech HQ fail to rally.

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

Pylon 1 hums to life and *obliterates* the nearest Shadowsword with a single shot.

_________________
My head is full of War...

[img]http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk120/Warhead40k/Tyranid%20Swarm/DSC02262.jpg[/img]

Turn 3

Monolith 1 appears near Phalanx 2, ready for action!



Strategy Roll: Steel Legion rolls a “4â€Â

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

Wow... Doesn't sound like there was much left at the end of the game.

That last assault on the SHT company sounds more like an Apocalypse event than an Epic one!

_________________
"For the Lion and the Emperor!"

Would've been an odd fourth turn with what was left... depending on what would've rallied in the Necron "underworld".

That last assault on the SHT company sounds more like an Apocalypse event than an Epic one!

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

Flippin' heck, he really threw those Necrons in your teeth Chroma. I was really surprised you managed to pull off a win this time. That first shot kill was hilarious... well, maybe not for you.  

Since my first attempts at making a Necron list I am finally beginning to grasp the tactical importance of being able to so easily portal hop from place to place keeping an opponent on the back foot. I will try to adapt to this new input.
Unfortunately I work/learn better when shown rather than when told even when I am trying to listen. Annoying isn't it.

Thanks for the lesson I have learnt much... Hopefully. Great reporting as always.

_________________
My head is full of War...

[img]http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk120/Warhead40k/Tyranid%20Swarm/DSC02262.jpg[/img]

Thanks for the report Chroma. I too thought that the Guard had this one in the bag. Goes to show what I know then.

_________________
_________________
www.epic-uk.co.uk - home of the UK Epic tournament scene
NetEA NetERC Xenos Lists Chair
NetEA Ork + Feral Ork + Speed Freak Champion

Well, the Guard did win... but it was *tight*!  Not sure what a fourth turn would've shown.

Never got to try my "rolling assault" with Infantry starting mounted in their Chimeras... I knew the enemy was going to start fairly close, and withdraw nearby if they lost... was hoping to assault 35cm to firefight immediately with the mech troops... instead, they died in their cans... *sigh*

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

Nice board !!  

_________________
Legion 4 "Cry Havoc, and let slip the Dogs of War !" ... "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."

Excellent batrep.  Glad to see the Necrons are now having to work hard during their games and are actually LOSING.  Looks like we might have gotten another list right.  Time will tell.

I am typing up my "Ultimate Eques" batrep from Tuesday's game and will post mine soon.  
Preview: Three Eques formations, two Pylons, and one Monolith.  

_________________
author of Syncing Forward and other stories...

It's a dog-eat-dog world, and I've got my Milkbone underwear on.

Any Tomb Complexes?

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?