On with the Nova Crux Campaign! The first part calls for Raid missions, so we had the Marines and Eldar play some of the missions from the 4ed Rulebook. Lightning attacks on Brockelai, third Moon of Bojake.
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GAME 1 - AMBUSH
The moons of Bojake are supply worlds, sparsely populated farming worlds with a climate held in check by ancient Mechanicus underground installations dotted all over the surface. Bojake itself is a dead rock, and untenable for farming, but the moons are prime targets. On Brockelai, third moon of Bojake, Eldar have destroyed one of the climate installations, and the White Scars arrive just as they are leaving...
ArbitorIan's White Scars - 1000pts
* Captain on Bike (Relic Blade, Meltabombs)
* 5 Bikers (2 Meltaguns)
* 6 Bikers (1 Plasmagun, includes Attack Bike with Hvy Bolter)
* 2 Attack Bikes (Multimeltas)
* 2 Landspeeders (Heavy Bolters)
* 5 Devastators (2 Lascannon, 2 Missile Launchers)
* Whirlwind
Panic's Eldar - 1000pts
* Farseer with Seer Council (4 Warlocks with Destructor, 1 Singing Spear) in a Wave Serpent (Starcannons)
* 6 Howling Bansees (inc Exarch)
* 6 Striking Scorpions (inc Exarch)
* 5 Pathfinders
* 3 Jetbikes
* Falcon
* Falcon
This mission was an Ambush with White Scars as the Attacker. The White Scars get half their force at the start and deploy using Hidden Setup, the Eldar then deploy in Column. The attacker gets first turn. The mission is completed with Victory Points. Eldar get double victory points for any unit that can reach the other side of the board. White Scars get double victory points for any unit they can destroy before it gets to the other side of the board.
Eldar deployed in a column, with the Wave Serpent at the front to soak up attacks. The White Scars got the half they DIDN'T want, and deployed the Captain and Meltabikes in the centre, with the Plasmabikes and Land Speeders on each flank.
On the first turn, the Captain left the Meltabikes squad, as they sped forward and meltad the Wave Serpent, exploding it and killing four of the Rangers who were standing behind, and one of the Warlocks inside. The Farseer squad are Pinned. The rest of the Warlocks are cut down by the Plasmabikes on the hill and the flanking Landspeeders.
In the Eldar turn, Panic sticks with the objective, moving everything flat out at 24" and gaining invulnerable saves on all his models.
In turn two, the Attack Bikes and Devastators show up on opposite sides of the board, but the Attack Bikes miss the nearest Falcon. The Bike Squads realign themselves to the rear of the central Falcon, and manage to explode it again to Melta fire. The Striking Scorpions inside lose one model to explosions, and then get reduced to only one model by massed supporting fire from the Plasmabikes and Landspeeders again!
The remaining Striking Scorpion charges the Meltabikes, and dies without causing any damage, while the Captain kills the Farseer in assault.
Eldar make their final giant jump, ending with the Bikes and Falcon within inches of the board edge.
The White Scars wheel round again, but none of the anti-tank makes a dent on the last Falcon. The jetbikers are not so lucky, cut down by Heavy Bolter fire. The last Falcon escapes the board edge, the only survivor of the White Scars ambush.
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GAME 2 - SABOTAGE
Realising the Eldar plans, the White Scars post small forces at the nearby climate stations and attempt to defend the installations in the next wave of Eldar attacks.
ArbitorIan's White Scars - 1000pts
* Captain on Bike (Relic Blade, Meltabombs)
* Command Squad on Bikes (inc Apothecary, Standard Bearer, Company Champion, 2 Meltaguns)
* Tactical Squad (Missile Launcher, Plasmagun)
* Tactical Squad (Missile Launcher, Plasmagun)
* 2 Attack Bikes (Multimeltas)
* Predator (Lascannons, Hvy Bolter sponsons)
Panic's Eldar - 1000pts
* Farseer with Seer Council (4 Warlocks with Destructor, 1 Singing Spear) in a Wave Serpent (Starcannons)
* 6 Howling Bansees (inc Exarch)
* 6 Striking Scorpions (inc Exarch)
* 5 Pathfinders
* 3 Jetbikes
* Falcon
* Falcon
The mission was Sabotage with Eldar as the attacker. The White Scars deploy their Troops and
HQ within 8" of a central objective, the rest of their force is in reserve. They have 6 sentries. The Eldar can then choose a short board edge to enter from. Once the alarm is raised by the sentries the reserves can start arriving. The Eldar have to destroy the central objective - the air vent entrance to the climate station. Any unit that can spend assault the vent and then stay there, uninterrupted until their next assault phase, has destroyed it.
White Scars deploy their Tactical Squads and Command Squad on the central building, with the Command Squad over the all-important vent, and sentries spaced out around the short table edges. Of course, since there are so many vehicles in the Eldar army, and the alarm is raised as soon as a vehicle enters the table, the sentries are kind of pointless. The rangers infiltrate onto the table.
In the first Eldar turn, all three vehicles scream on at full speed, coming within inches of the central building. Ranger fire takes down a single marine.
However, return fire from the firebase of Tactical Squads wreck the Wave Serpent and one of the Falcons. The Striking Scorpions inside are pinned.
In the next Eldar turn, the Seer Council and Jetbikes advance as the remaining Falcon jumps almost directly on to the objective. However, the command squad redeploy and wreck it with their meltaguns. The rest of the firebase reduce the Howling Banshees to two models.
In the next Eldar turn the Seer Council use multiple destructors to wipe out one of the combat squads in the building, the Strikin Scorpions advance around the back of the building, and the Jetbikes assault the objective!
The Command Squad then redeploy to combat the Scorpions - rapid firing bolters cut down most of them, with the final couple finished off on the charge, with one biker lost.
A combat squad climbs down from their building and assault the jetbikes on the objective, thus interrupting them and preventing them from destroying it.
And the predator finally shows up, firing a Heavy Bolter at the Seer Council and, along with the final combat squad, killing all the Warlocks.
With time becoming tight, Panic makes his final move - the Rangers open fire on the combat squad in the open, killing two and pinning the other one. With the only other available combat squad tied up in combat with the jetbikes, and the Command Squad still too far away to reach him, the Farseer assaults the vent himself. Nobody is in range to charge him in the next turn!
But he doesn't bank on some incredibly accurate shooting from above, as the combat squad on the top of the building blow him up with a krak missile - Instant Death to the Farseer and the game is now unwinnable. White Scar victory again!
(1000) : W/L/D -- 2:3:2
