Hello Dakka we have finally gotten around to our 2nd Battle Report for the Arbites vs. Eldar. In our 1st game the Arbites defeated an Eldar strike force attempting to capture the planets power relay stations. Though the main Eldar war host has arrived and will now have a rougher time seizing the planet. Short on time to think up a scenario we decided to roll for one out of the Battle Missions Book. Fittingly we rolled “Counter-Attack”, we thought this worked well. With the initial Eldar invasion stalled, the Arbites are going to hit them at their landing site in an attempt to push them back before the attack can gain momentum. Sounds good let’s go for it.
First the armies so much blue, it almost burns the retinas:
Arbites (
WH):
HQ
155 Chief Justice (Inquisitor Lord), psychic hood, master crafted power stake, rosarious, hexagramic wards, inferno pistol
125 Retinue, sage, familiar, penitent, 3x acolyte w/carapace armour & shotguns, 3x crusaders
055 Chimera, multi-laser, heavy bolter
076 Special Assignment Judge (Priest), carapace armour, master crafted plasma gun,
071 Special Assignment Judge (Priest), carapace armour, eviscerator, las-pistol
Elites
210 Cyber Mastiffs (Arco-Flagellants), (6)
210 Cyber Mastiffs (Arco-Flagellants), (6)
111 Associate Justice (Inquisitor), master crafted plasma pistol, Power weapon, rosarious
076 Retinue, sage, familiar, 3x warrior w/plasma gun
055 Chimera
Fast
126 Breaching Team (Dominion Squad) (6), 4x melta gun
Troops
120 Arbite Patrol Team (Storm Troopers), (10) w/2x Grenade Launcher
045 Rhino w/extra storm bolter
120 Arbite Patrol Team (Storm Troopers), (10) w/2x Grenade Launcher
045 Rhino w/extra storm bolter
120 Arbite Patrol Team (Storm Troopers), (10) w/2x Grenade Launcher
045 Rhino w/extra storm bolter
120 Arbite Patrol Team (Storm Troopers), (10) w/2x Grenade Launcher
045 Rhino w/extra storm bolter
Heavy
135 Exorcist
135 Exorcist
170 Suppression Team (Retributors), (10) 4x heavy bolter
050 Repressor
Total
2498
Unfortunately I have not met my painting goals for this week. I will have two primed vehicles, a repressor and chimera. I also had to pilfer a chimera from my
IG army. Shhhh they won’t notice it’s gone.
The Eldar decided to bring out the heavy hitters this time. I did not really expect to see 30 wraithguard and 3 wraithlords, that is going to hurt.
HQ
170 Farseer, guide, runes of witnessing, mind war, doom, eldritch storm, spirit stones
210 Wraithseer, scatter laser
Troops
396 Wraithguard, (10), warlock, conceal, spiritseer
396 Wraithguard, (10), warlock, conceal, spiritseer
396 Wraithguard, (10), warlock, conceal, spiritseer
156 Guardians, (10), bright lance, warlock, conceal, spiritseer
125 Wave Serpent, twin linked scatter laser, shuriken cannon
159 Guardians, (10), bright lance, warlock, conceal, spiritseer, singing spear
125 Wave Serpent, twin linked scatter laser, shuriken cannon
Heavy
120 Wraithlord, scatter laser, wraith sword
120 Wraithlord, scatter laser, wraith sword
125 Fire Prism
Total
2493
The pointy ears are proxying a few models this game. The once again the old
FW Tempest will be a Fire Prism and the Wraithlord without a shoulder weapon will be a Wraithseer. The Wraithseer should be interesting to see in action, first time facing one of those.
The scenario calls for us to divide the table into quarters. Each side will set up in opposite quarters but no one can be within 9 inches of the center. The arbites being the attacker can only start with troops and heavy support. Everything else will be held in reserve. The Eldar start with everything on the table. The winner is determined by most kill points, not good for the Arbites, but they are up to the challenge. The Arbites win the roll for table quarter and set up first. According to the scenario there is no “seize the initiative” with this game, on a 2+ the attacker goes first. Arbites roll a 6 and win first turn and get the drop on the Eldar. So in a true show of age we put “super 70’s” on the radio and get started.
Initial setup
Retributors take up position in the ruins, Exorcists and Rhinos take cover behind them.
Patrol team with a priest takes up position behind rocks to spring into cover, the empty Repressor and a loaded Rhino back them up.
The Eldar put their infantry out front while the grav tanks hide.
Arbites turn 1:
Having first turn the Arbites spread out from their covered positions for better shots on the elder.
The patrol team in the center moves for the rocks and takes cover. In some nice shooting they kill two
WG, with krak grenades, in the squad on the Eldar far right flank.
In the center of the board the Retributors open up on the Wraithguard in front of them killing 2. Both Exorcists fire at the same squad killing another 4. In some lucky shooting an empty rhino kills another Wraithguard in the same squad. When the smoke clears all that is left is the Warlock and 3 Wraith guard.
Everyone else either can’t wound anything or is out of range, but in all a good round of shooting for the Arbites.
End of arbiter turn 1
Kill points: Arbites-0 Eldar-0
Eldar turn 1
Recovering from the Arbites opening volley the Eldar spread out to do some shoosting of their own.
The Wraithseer passes a psychic test and casts Foreboding on the Arbites hiding in the rocks. This is a new power for this model where a unit within 18” takes a morale check at -1, and makes a fallback move if the test is failed. Afterwards they are fine. However in this case the Arbites pass the test. To respond to that the Farseer hits the same squad with Eldritch Storm, killing 5. The Arbites pass their
Ld test. He also puts guide on to the guardians he is with. Combined fire from the Wraith guard on the Eldar Right flank, the small squad in the center, and both Wraithlords kill off the rest of the Arbites in the rocks and the priest attached to them. First kill point to the Eldar.
The Fire Prism gets a direct hit on the Retributor squad wounding 6. However power armour is too much for the Eldar technology, all pass their saves
The Wave Serpent on the Eldar right flank manages to shake and stun a rhino loaded with Arbites.
In the center of the board the Wraithseer shakes the rhino full of Arbites near the Retributors.
The guided Guardians hit a rhino with their bright lance, but cannot penetrate the armour. Being well out of range for shooting the Wraithguard on the Eldar left run for 6”.
End of Eldar turn 1
Kill Points: Arbites-0 Eldar-1
Arbites turn 2
Reserves rolls bring in the Inquisitor Lord his ride and both units of cyber mastiffs. The Inquisitor Lord and one unit of cyber mastiffs come on the Arbites right behind the repressor and stunned/shaken rhino. The other cyber mastiffs come on the left side behind the Exorcists. Most Arbite units back up to get in some more shooting. Both units of cyber mastiffs run to prepare for assaults next turn. On the Arbites right the squad in the shaken and stunned rhino gets out to fend off the advancing wraithguard.
Combined krak grenades and shotguns form squad that got out of the shaken/stunned rhino kill 2 wraithguard. The Inquisitor Lords chimera picks off another.
The retributors pick off another wraithguard in the center leaving only 2 and the warlock. Both exorcists together score 5 wounds on the wraithguard to the full wraithguard squad to the left. The wraithguard fail all their cover saves rolling 5 4s hahahahaha.
Yatzee!
End of Arbites turn 2
Kill points Arbites-0 Eldar-1
Eldar turn 2
The Eldar advance on all fronts. The Wraithseer takes a wound from perils of the warp attempting to cast foreboding.
The Farseer cast Eldritch Storm, but it is stopped dead by the Inquisitor Lords psychic hood. The Farseer takes a wound from perils of the warp (
WTF)
casting guide on the guardians. However it is double 1s so it goes off and the psychic hood fails to stop it. On the Eldar’s right flank the 2nd guardian squad gets of their wave serpent.
I forgot about them.
In a disappointing display the Fire Prism gets a direct hit on the arbites behind the rocks, but only kills one. However there is more spirit among the wraiths combined fire from right wraithlord and wraithguard kill 7 more, the arbites pass their
Ld.
Combined scatter laser fire from the center wraithlord, Wraithseer, and the left wave serpent kill 7 retributors, but their
Ld holds.
The guardians on the Eldar right try to pick off the last two Arbites behind the rocks, but whiff miserably. Apparently the wound the Farseer took from guide was worth it because the guardians on the left immobilized an exorcist with their bright lance.
The wraithguard on the elder left puts 4 penetrating hits on a loaded rhino. The roll 3 explosions, that makes for one dead rhino.
The blast kills 2 arbites, 1 cyber mastiff, and 1 wraithguard.
End of Eldar turn 2
Kill points Arbites-0 Eldar-2
At this point we took a break for the night. The beer had run out and it was around 3
AM.
Board at the end turn 2
Mrs. Baldrick stops in the see how her champion is doing, and reminds us of the time.
After a good night sleep and breakfast it is time to get going again. This time we remember to turn the flash on, sorry for the crappy pics.
Arbites turn 3
Reserves, the Dominion squad shows up with their immolator on the Arbites right flank. The Inquisitor Lord and his crew disembark. The cyber mastiffs advance for combat. The repressor passes its difficult terrain check and creeps up on the vulnerable guardians. The shaken loaded rhino pulls back behind the retributors to wait for next turn. Everyone else holds position for shooting.
The cyber mastiffs on the right activate their stimm injectors book it for an extra 6”. However one puppy dies to over stimulation.
Shoosting phase, the empty rhino on the left kills two guardians. The arbites on the left that were blasted out of their rhino last turn fire into the small wraithguard squad in the center, killing one. The retributors manage to finish off the last 2 wraithguard and their warlock, scoring the first kill point for the arbites.
The immobilized exorcist shakes the wave serpent hiding at the back of the elder lines.
After the Inquisitor’s chimera fails to damage the other wave serpent the mobile exorcist takes up the job and scores a glance and a pen. The pen is a 5, but wait AP1 shot so it’s a 6 and the wave serpent explodes. The blast kills no one.
The dominions and their immolator take aim on the wraithlord in front of them with a ton of melta. The immolator scores a wound, 2 dominions miss, another gets a wound on the big guy. Alas one dominion is out of range
and now the wraithlord is pissed off.
The repressor kills 6 Guardians with its heavy flamer, no conceal cover from flamers . Those pointy eared goons pass their
Ld test.
The cyber mastiffs on the arbites left assault the wraithguard by the rocks. With no frag grenades, the Eldar go first. The wraithguard whiff but the warlock kills one puppy. In return the cyber mastiffs score a whooping 21 hits, killing one puppy from over stimulation but not before his attacks add to the fray. Out of all that only 5 wounds are handed to the wraithguard. One wound is put on the warlock and he passes his invulnerable save, 4 wraithguard die.
One the Arbites right the other unit of cyber mastiff’s assaults last unit of wraithguard. Simultaneous combat this time! The warlock and a wraith guard each kill a mastiff. The puppies get 20 attacks, another dying to stimm injectors. Only one wound out of all that and a wraithguard dies. Puppies save their wound for no retreat.
End of Arbites turn 3.
Kill points Arbites-2 Eldar-2
The Arbites are in the game now.
Eldar turn 3
The Wraithseer casts Enliven on the wraithlord next to him giving the monster fleet of foot. The Inquisitors psychic hood fails 14-15. The Farseer tries to cast Eldritch Storm and Guide, but both are shut down by the psychic hood. My opponent is really starting to hate that thing. The shaken wave serpent pulls back to some safe cover. The rest of the Eldar war host advances.
One really pissed off wraithlord sets his sights on my poor dominions He will kill two of them in the shooting phase with his scatter laser.
The wraithlord with fleet rolls 1” hahahahaha. So he goes after the last two arbites on the left hiding in the rocks.
In a surprising display the Fire Prism shoots across the board at the Arbites stranded from the rhino blast. The shot only scatters 1” killing 6 and in defiance they pass their
Ld.
The guardians hiding in the back manage to shake the repressor with a bright lance; the warlock misses with his spear.
After that there is a lot of whiffing on the Eldar side for shooting. The Wraithseer tries to assault the retributors and is short by an half an inch.
The Wraithlord in the center rocks assault the last 2 arbites holding there. He kills one in combat and the other is run down by his sweeping advance.
The other wraithlord assaults the dominions, he only hits once and kills one. Wraith blades are no help to the elder today. The dominions pass their
Ld.
The Guardians on the Eldar right assault the repressor. The Warlock scores a pen and wrecks the repressor with his singing spear.
On the Eldar left flank the Wraithguard and Warlock whiff against the cyber mastiffs, in return the puppies kill 2 of the spirit walkers. The warlock dies to a “no retreat” wound.
End of Eldar turn 3
Kill points Arbites-2 Eldar-4
Arbites turn 4
Reserve rolls the Inquisitor and his squad finally arrives! Steeling that Chimera from the
IG must have taken longer than he expected.
The Inquisitor Lord and his squad move towards the Wraithseer. Everyone else gets ready for some shooting.
Combined fire form Exorcist, Arbites, retributors, and a rhino kills 5 guardians hanging with the Farseer but they pass their
Ld test. The immolator takes another wound off of the Wraithseer. Being out of range for shooting the Inquisitor Lord and his squad run for 5” towards the Wraithseer.
The newly arrived Inquisitor and his squad get ready to throw a lot of plasma into the Wraithlord hiding in the rocks.
The Inquisitors squads is packing 3 warriors with plasma guns, a priest with a master crafted plasma gun and the Inquisitors own master crafted plasma pistol for a total of 9 shots. Total they score 6 hits and NO WOUNDS
WTF!
Very disappointing and now the Inquisitor is a sitting duck
Two warriors plasma guns over heat, but they make their save. This Wraithlord is blessed because the Immolator hits and wounds him, but he makes his cover save.
In combat the cyber mastiffs deal 6 wounds to the last Wraithguard, but one dog is lost to stimm injectors. The surviving mastiffs get a 5” for massacre and move towards the Guardians and Farseer.
The Wraithlord in combat with the Dominions kills another member, they break and are caught in his sweeping advance, he massacres for 2” towards the Inquisitors Chimera.
The cyber mastiffs and wraithguard on the Arbites left all whiff and a drawn combat.
End of Arbites turn 4
Kill points Arbites-3 Eldar-5
Eldar turn 4
The Wraithlords advance on Arbite vehicles.
The Wraithseer accepts the challenge and advances towards the Inquisitor Lord, towering over him and his retinue.
The Farseer along with his Guardians withdraw to avoid the cyber mastiffs on their heels. The wave serpent and fire prism pull to safer positions.
Much to the Eldar’s frustration the Inquisitor Lord’s psychic hood stops all 3 powers attempted by the Farseer and Wraithseer. Steam is starting to come out of my friends pointy ears, he really hates that thing.
The wave serpent immobilizes and blasts a storm bolter off of a rhino trying to encircle the Farseer.
The Guardians with the Farseer whiff in their shooting. The Wraithseer hits the Inquisitor Lords squad with a flamer and kills the familiar, sage, and an acolyte. He kills two more acolytes with his scatter laser. The Inquisitor Lord uses his “Iron Will” and decides to pass his
Ld.
In a ridiculous shot the Fire Prism gets a direct hit on the Inquisitor’s Chimera and immobilizes it. The Wraithlord staring them down fires his scatter laser and immobilizes it again a second time causing it to wreck. The inquisitor and his team try to put as much space between them and the Wraithlords as possible. The other Wraithlord immobilizes the Immolator with his scatter laser.
The Guardians on the Eldar left hit and wreck another rhino with their bright lance.
In combat the Wraithlord rolls 6” for difficult terrain and makes it into the Inquisitors Squad. The wraith blades are working now he kills the sage, familiar and a warrior. The Inquisitor passes his
Ld test. The other Wraithlord assaults the Immolator and destroys its multi melta.
Feeling confident my pointy eared friend uses the Wraithseer to assault the Inquisitor Lord. It is at this time I point out at that the Inquisitor Lord has initiative 5 and goes first. Looking in disbelief I then inform my opponent how a power stake works. The power stake is power weapon that wounds psykers on 2+. The Inquisitor Lord hits and wounds the Wraithseer 3 times. He fails all of his invulnerable saves and drops before he can swing back.
The Eldar really hate the Inquisitor Lord now
, he massacres for 4” towards the Guardians and the Farseer.
The cyber mastiffs kill the last Wraithguard and his Warlock, but not before losing another puppy to stimm injectors. They massacre for 6” towards the Guardians.
End of Eldar turn 4
Kill points Arbites-5 Eldar-7
Arbites turn 5
The Inquisitor Lords chimera pivots to take aim at the Guardians and the cyber mastiffs prepare to assault them.
The Arbites in the Rhino pull back and prepare to fire at advancing Wraithguard.
Everyone else takes advances on the Farseer and his guardians.
Combined fire from the retributors, Arbites, and exorcist only kills two guardians and the warlock. The Farseer helps the squad to pass their
Ld. On the other side the chimera kills two guardians. In a surprising move the Arbites in the rhino hit and wound the Wraithlord attacking the Immolator, he fails both saves and dies. The Inquisitor Lord runs for the Farseer. No one else can reach the Farseer for combat.
The Wraithlord kills another warrior, but the Inquisitor passes his
Ld again.
The cyber mastiffs assault the guardians. The Warlock kills one puppy, the Eldar take the only wound on the warlock and fail. Drawn combat.
End of Arbites turn 5
Kill points Arbites-6 Eldar-7
Eldar turn 5
The Eldar grav tanks move up to support their retreating Farseer. Once again the Inquisitor’s psychic hood stops Eldritch Storm. However guide get through onto the Guardians.
The wave serpent guns down the last two Arbites in the open.
The guided Guardians re-roll their failed hit and get a pen on the immobilized rhino. The rhino explodes, but everyone is too far away to be hit by the blast. The Fire Prism scatters way off of an exorcist and hits nothing.
The Wraithlord kills a warrior and the priest, the Inquisitor breaks and is run down.
The cyber mastiff handler kills one guardian, but the survivor stubbornly passes his
Ld test
End of Eldar turn 5
Kill points Arbites-6 Eldar-11
The scenario stipulates that at the end of turn 5 the game continues on a 3+. The roll is a 2, the game ends. ELDAR WIN
After game thoughts:
Arbites-
In a kill points game I should have not been so carless with transports as flimsy as rhinos, though I did not expect the elder shooting to be so devastating on my troops. That last squad of 2 Arbites I should have ran them to cover, but was foolish to use them to pursue the Farseer. I guess I was also a little over confident my plasma and melta squads. I really thought those two squads would each have dropped a Wraithlord, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. In all a good game and it was close until the last turn.
Arbite MVP of the battle:
Inquisitor Lord’s psychic hood and power stake dealt heavy blows to the Eldar.
Eldar-
Man of the Match the Wraithseer and Wraith Lords.
Well that is about it, hope you enjoyed reading we had fun playing.
