The oldest legends of the Eldar speak of their lost home world and its three moons; Lileath the white maiden moon, Khaine the blood red moon and the green moon of Kurnous the hunter. Every cycle as Kurnous embarked on his great hunt across the night sky he would seem to wane as shadow fell across him, until he was reduced to a deathly sliver, a pale reflection of his full majesty. Yet every time he would shake off his dark assailants, returning to his splendid emerald glory at the pinnacle of the heavens.

Thus the waning moon has ever been a symbol amongst the Eldar of triumph and rebirth out of darkness, even when all seems to be lost.

Clan-Prince Galathaniel pressed his hands together in front of his face, closing his eyes and setting his expression as hard as wraithbone. A hot wellspring of muddy hate bubbled and broiled behind his war mask, and it took a considerable exertion of will to keep it in check.

He felt the psycho-conductive skeleton of his Warlock titan vibrate in anti-phases with his pounding heart, the spirits of long dead Eldar psykers drifting away from him deeper into the core of the gargantuan war machine.

Losing control now would avail him of nothing he realised, and forced himself to be calm in spite of the latest augury data.

The humans were beaten, didnt they realise this? Why were the mustering against him? Couldnt their primitive, unevolved minds grasp that this was once more an Eldar world? Fighting humans was often like slaughtering a bull grox; both took time to realise they were dead even after the killing blow had long since landed.

And landed it had. Galathaniel had overseen the razing of the utilitarian and drab human cities from the face of this maiden paradise, until virtually no stone stood upon another. What was left for the human counter attack to reclaim? Only a few of their largest buildings still stood. Perhaps they hoped to recover something else of value from the shattered rubble of their endeavours? In the end it mattered not to the Clan-Prince; all human desire was brief and transitory, a brief sigh in the face of the hurricane will of the Eldar.

Galathaniel spared a thought for his lost home of Malan'tai and a single tear rolled down his cheek. The humans had played their part in its virtual destruction, even though it was the dread Tyranid menace that crashed against its beautiful star-lit shores. If he had not led his AEther Dragon Titan Clan to defend the Exodites from human aggression, if he had but listened to the Farseers and the doom they foretold instead of arrogantly ignoring it, he could have been there to save his beloved home.

Galathaniel shook himself back to the present. Now was not the time to mourn. Now was the time for the humans to repay their debt; one crude idol to their machine god for each drop of Eldar blood spilled

The enemy titans loomed large on the view screen and the order to engage was given without another moments hesitation. The newly renamed Clan of the Waning Moon strode forward to meet them.


Rules Used
Epic Update 2008
NetEA Recommendations
Adeptus Mechanicus Titan Legion 3.17
Fir Iolarion Eldar Titan Clan – NetEA Eldar Compendium

Scenario
Tournament Scenario

Armies Used

Legio Validus, the Kings in Yellow
Pilum Magnificans: (725)
- 1 Reaver Titan
- Three Apocalypse Rocket Launchers
- Legate

Stendata Mortifex: (895) - (Break Their Spirit Target)
- 1 Warlord Titan
- Volcano Cannon, Gatling Blaster, two Turbolaser Destructors
- Veteran Princeps

Barythrum Negligans: (685)
- 1 Reaver Titan
- Inferno Gun, Apocalypse Rocket Launcher, Titan Close Combat Weapon
- Sacred Icon

Mercato Stipent: (695)
- 1 Reaver Titan
- Two Turbolaser Destructors, Apocalypse Launcher
- Veteran Princeps


Fir Amun Cerun, Clan of the Waning Moon

Hymn to Rebirth (850) - (Break Their Spirit Target)
- 1 Warlock Titan
- Power fist, Psychic Lance, 2x EML
(850)

Autumn of Our Days (750)
- 1 Phantom Titan
- Power fist, Titan Pulse Laser, 2x EML

(750)

Spear Out of Eons (750)
- 1 Phantom Titan
- 2x Titan Pulse Laser, 2x EML
(750)

Revenant Titan Warhost (350)
- 1 Revenant Titan (Falcon)
- 2x Revenant Pulse Laser, 2x EML
- 1 additional Revenant Titan (300) (Hawk)
- 2x Revenant Pulse Laser, 2x EML
(650)

Battlefield:

6 x 4ft

After a roll-off, Legio Validus chose the long edge.

Deployment:
Pilum Magnificans (1) deploys on the western flank by the Arch of Imperial Triumph, while his cohorts (2–4) deploy directly opposite the Cathedral of Oor Leydy.
The Eldar cluster behind the Cathedral, with Hymn to Rebirth on the eastern flank.


Turn 1

Strategy Roll
Adeptus Mechanicus


Stendata Mortifex doubles up the main carriageway to cover the front of the Cathedral and claim the carriageway objective a little to its west.

The wraithcircuit within Spear Out of Eons spasms in the presence of Imperial jamming, preventing the Titan from moving.

The Reaver Barythrum Negligans strides alongside Stendata Mortifex doubling up the carriageway and sheltering within a ruined hab-block.

The Revenant warhost advances to press against the flank of the Cathedral.

Detecting threat-spoor, Pilum Magnificans advances to claim the objective at the Arch. Ranging shots add a blast marker to the Revenants but cause no damage.

Autumn of Our Days cautiously advances to the rear of the Cathedral, taking place alongside the Warlock titan.

In response, the crew of Mercato Stipent urge it forward, desperate to set up a firing solution and close the distance to the hated Xeno Engines.

Finally, Hymn to Rebirth strode to take its place alongside Autumn of Our Days.



End of Turn
The Eldar Titans remove all of the blast markers.

_________________
Industrious, red-robe wearing member of the PCRC

Thats one awesome epic board. The cathedral looks a bitch to store though.

Looking forward to the rest.

Turn 2

Strategy Roll
Draw – initiative passes to Eldar

Hawk and Falcon, the Revenant Warhost, leap directly over the Cathedral and open fire upon Barythrum Negligans. The glittering P-beams tear the broken-down tenament to pieces around the Titan, but the snarling Reaver emerges wary but unharmed. Doubling back, the Revenants return to their starting position.

Secure in the knowledge his flank was secure, the Princeps strides Mercato Stipent forward, closing the range to use his Turbolaser Destructors the following turn.

Spear Out of Eons retires towards the east, warily keeping the Cathedral between himself and the Imperial Titans.

In response Stendata Mortifex advances warily, advancing towards the Cathedral.

Assured the Imperials on the eastern flank had ceased motion, Autumn of Our Days doubles lithely forward from the cover of the Cathedral, and opens fire upon the startled Mercato Stipent, one of the void shields shutting down in protest at the attack.

Electing to sustain the assault, the Farsighted Prince in command of Hymn to Rebirth also doubles forward, shutting down a second of Mercato's void shields.

Furious at the unexpected attacks upon his Legio, the grizzled Legate in command of Pilum Magnificans sends a chord-impulse to open fire once more upon the Revenants; the barrage of missiles lighting up the rear of the Cathedral, and eliciting a psychic peal from Hawk as it loses a damage point. Three blast markers are placed.

End of Turn
Red-faced, the furious Princeps of Mercato Stipent bellows orders to brace, removing both the blast markers and reactivating one of the downed shields. The Veteran Princeps of Barythurm Negligans clears his sensors of the single blast marker easily.

The Revenants remove all of the three blast markers upon them.

_________________
Industrious, red-robe wearing member of the PCRC

Turn 3

Strategy Roll
The Eldar push the Imperials onto the back foot by holding the initiative.


Foreseeing an attack by Mercato Stipent on the exposed Autumn of Our Days, the Prince sends an impulse to Autumn to attack. The Phantom advances and fires upon Mercato, the howling missiles from its shoulders and stabbing lasers from its fist stripping away the shields before the Pulse Laser lashed out and detonated against the hull of the Reaver, scoring great gouges in its superstructure.

Locked into the moment, Hymn to Rebirth retains the initiative to stride forward gracefully alongside its sibling-construct, lending supporting fire to the assault on Mercato. The Reaver, battered and venting plasma, shrugs off the fist lasers and missiles; but the Psychic Lance sends an eldritch keening through the cockpit, overloading the aegis baffles and wiping the minds of the engine crew and one of the moderati. With a total of one damage points remaining after the assault, the Reaver is left reeling but upright...

Sensing the Mercato's weakness, Spear Out of Ages retains the initiative a second time, advances, and lances the stricken Imperial Engine with punishing pulses of fire from long range, remaining safely hidden from the rest of the Imperials by the Cathedral. The Reaver slumps to its knees, riddled with holes and streaming plasmic flame, and with a mournful groan, plants its face into the dirt, dead.

In response, Barythrum Negligans advanced towards Autumn of Our Days, ducking into cover and levelling the Inferno Gun and Apocalypse Launcher at the Phantom; placing two blast markers but causing no damage.



The Revenants failed their activation roll, placing another blast marker upon themselves.

With an earth-shaking growl, Stendata Mortifex stalked forward, pushing power to its weapons. Firing everything it had at Autumn of Our Days, the Warlord succeeded in catching the fragile machine with its turbolaser destructors, breaking the delicate vanes of the auspex-shrouding holofield generators beyond repair.

Pilum Magnificans takes full advantage of the Revenants' hesitation, and lined up a third barrage...

Failing his activation check before a successful reroll, the experienced Legate orders firing with a curt sweep of his nub-limb, placing more blast markers on the Revenants, but is again baffled by the holofield and causes no damage.


End of Turn
The Revenants remove all but one of their blast markers. Autumn of Our Days rallies, removing half of the blast markers, then removes the final one thanks to leader.

None of the surviving Imperial engines had blast markers, so a silent moment was held over the comm-net at the dying static of Mercato Stipent.

_________________
Industrious, red-robe wearing member of the PCRC

Turn 4

Strategy Roll
Benefitting from their psychic witchery, the Eldar once more win the initiative.


Imperiously, the Prince orders Spear Out of Eons forward. The Phantom accedes readily, and appears from around the corner of the Cathedral to batter Barythrum Negligans with fire, stripping away just two shields, its fire frustrated by the Reaver's low profile and the intervening building.

Joining in the attack, the unshielded Autumn of Our Days benefits from its closer position, and with the Reaver in plain sight, unloads its weaponry in a sustained attack, removing the shields and scoring three hits on the hull.

Retaining a second time, the Prince in command of Hymn to Rebirth sneered and advanced towards Barythrum. Disdaining even wasting the missile and laser ammunition, he levelled the Psychic Lance and executed the Veteran Princeps and his crew, wiping their minds clean and leaving them little better than drooling infants. The machine swayed drunkenly, the Machine-Spirit raging impotently without a human connection to the battle, and then toppled backwards into the ruined tenement, ending slumped and twitching in the dust and rubble.


With a half-strength Legio Victorum left facing off against five War Engines, and with Stendata Mortifex alone and exposed against three Battle-class Titans, the Legate sterns ordered the Warlord to retreat behind the Cathedral, opening up his own firelanes to the Eldar. Snarling, the Princeps of the larger Engine swings his Titan about and lurches around the Cathedral, clumsily knocking a gargoyle-studded spire from above the main gate in his haste. Inloading targetting spoor on the Revenants from Pilum Magnificans, the furious Warlord assaults the scout Titans. With its firepaths mostly frustrated by the holofields, the Revenants are nevertheless broken, and flee around the Cathedral, sheltering behind their larger comrades.


Pursuing the retreating Warlord, all three Eldar titans retain and advance into a firing line, the two longer-ranged Phantoms opening up on Pilum Magnificans at the full extent of their range. The Reaver's shields fail, but only superficial damage is caused to the Engine.

In response, the Reaver performs a Marshal action. The Legate elects to stand his ground and, with power diverted to placating protesting Machine-Spirits, the barrage of missiles is mostly ineffective, despite the Eldar Titans' close proximity to one another and Autumn of Our Day's damaged holofields. Two blast markers are placed on each Eldar titan. As the smoke clears, the Enginseers report that all of the blast markers have been removed and three of Pilum Magnifican's shields have been persuaded back into operation.


End of Turn
The Revenants successfully rally, removing three blast markers. Both Autumn of Our Days and Spear Out of Ages rally, confidently removing all of their blast markers.
Pilum Magnificans successfully regenerates its last void shield, and hunkers down to fight.

_________________
Industrious, red-robe wearing member of the PCRC

Turn 5

Strategy Roll
Too little, too late, the Adeptus Mechanicus Engines wrest back the initiative.

Throwing himself desperately into the fight, Stendata Mortifex emerges from behind the Cathedral and opens up at point-blank range at Autumn of Our Days, which stands magnificent – and unshrouded – in the cold daylight.

The Gatling blaster punches three gaping holes in the startled War Engine, before the Turbo-laser Destructors rake across the Eldar construct, igniting ammunition stores. The Eldar Titan stumble to its left, its movements all-too-natural for such an immense machine. Finally Mortifex levels its Volcano Cannon at the wounded Titan, and exultantly detonates the heart of the wraithbone beast, scattering it to the winds.

Such an act could not go unpunished, and in killing its foe, the Mortifex had left itself exposed. The Revenants leap forward and strip away two shields before Hymn to Rebirth sets itself and launches a sustained volley of fire at the Warlord. Virtually disappearing in a roiling cloud of flashing smoke, the Warlord loses all of its remaining shields, and a lucky hit penetrates the plasma generator.



Retaining a second time, the final Eldar construct turns its long, lithe limbs to face the hulking Warlord, and Spear Out of Ages lives up to its name. Unshielded, the hull of the reeling Imperial Engine melts and runs under the pulse rays, the plasteel shifting and warping under the attack. The Princeps boils in his amnio-tank, his mouth open in a silent scream, and when the attack stops, the Titan stands ominously silent, its weapon barrels slumped and crew baked to death.

A desultory barrage from Pilum Magnificans spatters across the exultant Eldar forces, but no damage is forthcoming as the Xeno Engines melt once more into clouds of shimmering light.

End of Turn
The Eldar Titans shrug off all of the blast markers they have accumulated.

_________________
Industrious, red-robe wearing member of the PCRC

Turn 6

Strategy Roll
The result is not now in doubt, and with the skeins of fate contracting, the Eldar find it easy to snatch the initiative.


Pilum Magnificans finds itself subjected to the full fury of Spear Out of Ages titanic Pulse Lasers on a sustained fire order, and three of its shields collapse under the strain.

Retaining the initiative, Hymn to Rebirth advances and unleashes the firepower of a fully operational Eldar battleconstruct onto the hapless Imperial War Machine before it can act. Its final shield shivering a collapsing against the fist lasers, the remainder of the Warlock's weaponry reduces the ancient Reaver to little more than dust on the wind, layer after layer of the blessed hull being stripped away and scattered.



End of Turn
Having achieved both the Break Their Spirit and Hold the Line, the Eldar are victorious.

+++
Martial Descens, former Princeps of the Barythrum Negligans, lay cradled in an amniotic tank, drooling into the fluid. His eyes rolled fitfully, and his limbs jerked spastically in the thick liquid as he dream-lived the blistering assault of the eldar.

Reduced to idiocy by the Warlock's psychic lance, and completely unable to comprehend the meaning of the images seared into his mindscape, he absently felt hands lifting him from the blood-tinged fluid of the tank. The touch of the Arbites was gentle, almost motherly, and he smiled innocently as a fluid-respirator was lightly and carefully placed over his face. He absently felt himself being placed pushed on a gurney-trolley for a long time, and dozed fitfully.

He woke to the same strong but careful hands manouvreing him into a support throne in a brightly-lit place. It was cool, and still, and quiet. Descens felt comforted. His eyes were unable to focus clearly, and his ears uncomprehending of the stern words being spoken.

Arbitrator Valan looked disdainfully down at the disgraced Princeps as he giggled and tried to clap his hands together at the assembled Techpriests. The forepriest rose to his feet, and the gathered court stood to hear his judgement. He spoke in a clear cant.
+This court finds Princeps First Class Matrial Descens guilty of Failure in the eyes of the Machine God; guilty of lack of the proper dignity expected of a Princeps in the presence of the Priesthood; guilty of loss of all-hands aboard the Holy Barythrum Negligans, and untold affront to the Machine Spirit. He is an Enemy to the Legio for defeat and failure, an Enemy to Knowledge and an Abomination in the eyes of the Omnissiah. He is also guilty of warping the Titan's mindscape; guilty of appearing improperly attired to a judgement; and guilty of failing to understand the charges brought against him.+

The assembled court nodded and clicked their approval.

+There is only one recourse for such affront, and that is death by hanging, until he is dead. Furthermore, his inloaded data will be stripped, his name forgotten by the Machine God, and his identity and presence reduced to naught. He shall become Nothing to No-one and be exiled from the Faith; excommunicated without recourse to appeal, and his soul shriven. Nothing shall be known of him and his existence will be denied throughout the Realm of the Forge. The judgement shall take place immediately.+
So saying, the forepriest sat back down, and the court turned expectantly to the slumped and dribbling Princeps, who rolled his eyes and babbled delightedly.

Descens once more felt the gently hands under his arms as they lifted him, not unkindly, to his feet. He laughed lightly as he felt himself cradled. He smiled as he felt a gentle touch around his neck.

_________________
Industrious, red-robe wearing member of the PCRC

Thanks for the report it was a great read.

Excellent report, thanks for sharing!

_________________
Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter

Cheers guys – it was a lot of fun to write (and play!)
Apologies for the classic monochrome look: we're both ashamed of the unpainted status of our stuff at the moment (our group's just starting out with Epic), so it's rendered in black-and-white to protect the innocent until we get our stuff painted!

The Cathedral is a bugger to store, but it can be broken down into bits. Dire cheap, too!

My friend asked what my thoughts were, so I've reproduced 'em here:

LOL USE TACTICS NOOB

No, seriously, I think my basic plan was sound – keep my long-range Legate (with essential re-roll) far, far away and squatting on a home objective (to deny the Eldar take-and-hold); while the other three rushed forward to try and grab the Blitz objective while killing the Warlock to achieve Break Their Spirit.

I underestimated the damage output of Eldar Battle-class titans, which resulted in my flanking Reaver (the one with twin Turbolasers and Apocalypse Launcher) being taken out early. Had he survived even one activation (i.e. I'd won the strategy roll, or the Eldar had elected not to retain and finish him off), I'd have been getting crossfire on the Warlock, which would have placed two blastmarkers per successful hit, and reduced his holofield save to 4+. In concert, that would have made it fairly certain to break it*, had I fired even two titans at it (reasoning below).

With a broken Warlock, the Eldar would have been unable to sustain twice, which is what was allowing them to consistently focus his fire on my titans (the Warlock has Farseeing, which is what allows the Eldar to sustain twice. Since Eldar Titans have an initiative of 1+, and stand an excellent chance of starting a turn with no blast markers (it's hard to place sufficient due to the difficulty of damaging them while their holofields are up; and they're removed quickly thanks to their excellent inititiative and leader special rule on the Battle-class Titans), that meant that if he elected to retain and attack with three titans, he stood a great chance of killing a fully-shielded Reaver, and a fair chance of killing a fully-shielded Warlord.

However, it'd be churlish of me to bemoan my lot and cry out at uncaring fate – Eheu! Fata innatura! – without mentioning the Waning Moon's good solid plan. He concentrated on picking on a titan per turn, and didn't let up until it was dead. Once he'd killed one, he capitalised on the activation advantage that gave him, and swept round in such a manner that it completely wrong-footed my attack. The only flaw I really saw was doubling the Revenants back where they started after their jump-shoot-jump attack on Barythrum, despite it being the exact point where Pilum had shot them the previous turn!

Were we to do it again, I'd probably drop Pilum Magnificans, and take either a second mid-range Reaver with multiple shot weapons (laser blasters?), or a Warlord kitted out with my fantasy load-out of twin Quake Cannons and twin Apocalypse Launchers. Eat BP, xeno filth!

It was a really, really enjoyable game; nice and quick and light, so even though Legio Validus got taken to school by those magnificent Cads, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.


* One blast marker per titan attacking it (2), one per successful damage point, and a bonus one for first landed damage – that's just one damage points from two sustaining titans (all three were in range), assuming one of them was Barythrum (since his BP weapons place a bonus one). With the save reduced to 4+ with reroll, that's a 25% chance of damage, as opposed to the much lower chance of 3+ with reroll.

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Industrious, red-robe wearing member of the PCRC

Nice report, and some good camera angles as well.

This part is unnecessary. Your opponent claimed BTS when Mercato Stipent was killed in Turn 3.

E&C, isn't it a bit harsh that AMTL have God Machines rule, but neither the Ork or Eldar Titan armies do? Mebee an exception under those circumstances?

Also, did the game really go 6 turns with tiebreak rerolls? Or did you just keep going?

Morgan Vening

I can't vouch for the balance of the Ork or Eldar Titan army lists.

The Eldar list especially I believe is quite experimental.

_________________
Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter

We were using the Tournament scenario, but not playing in a Grand Tournament, so presumed that it didn't apply. Is that not the case? It may well be that we didn't read it very carefully!

If it does, then this:

We're pretty new to the game, so I'm afraid I don't get the tiebreak rerolls reference. Do you mean in terms of the strategy roll?

_________________
Industrious, red-robe wearing member of the PCRC

The Tournament Rules in section 6.0 are what God Machines refers to, I believe. Hey, E&C, why is "Grand Tournament" used? Now I understand why Apologist got it wrong.


I understand E&C's position, that it'd be hard to either enforce the same rule in two lists he doesn't write, and it'd be fiddly to try and put in an exception that covers the correct things. Because something like "This rule only applies if the opponent has less than 66% War Engines" would unfairly affect IG Super Heavy armies, Knightworld, Ork Battlewagons, etc.

I'd agree dropping it as a house rule for ETC and Orkimedes type armies, but leave it at that.


The 'standard' Tournament Scenario game ends after 4 turns if neither player has achieved victory through Goals. Each player rolls a d6. If the dice match, you play a 5th turn. Repeat at the end of each subsequent turn. If the players roll different numbers, the game ends immediately, and Victory Points (not Goals).

Morgan Vening