Planetary Governor Schwarltor was nervous. Even now, his men were escorting a messenger from a near-mythical craftworld of the Eldar Xenos. He had thought Eldar were simply a story told by nannies to their wards, scaring them into good behaviour with threats that the Xenos would steal the children away. And yet, here strode one towards him. Five guards surrounded the tall willowy figure , their leery eyes flicking back and forth from the figure to their Governor, though the Eldar showed no signs it noticed them. Schwarltor could see their trigger fingers quivering.
"Welcome..." Schwarltor trailed off, unable to discern whether the figure was male or female.
"I see you," intoned the Eldar, in a voice that was like the wind on a summer’s day.
"To what do we owe the... Privilege... Of your company?" Schwarltor hated having to show the Xenos such respect, but discovering a craftworld so close to Lilias IV meant caution must be taken.
"I am here to confirm what our seers say has taken place. We see you have summoned men of the Cadian 292nd to garrison this world."
"Yes." Schwarltor hoped this acknowledgement of the strength of the imperial army might bolster his position against the Eldar.
"And, indeed, that you have fortified this entire system with as many of your men as you could acquire."
"Yes..."
"Finally, you have done this as a bulwark against events that occurred in Wiebelich recently."
Two years ago, warp storms had begun to separate the nearby system of Wiebelich from its neighbours. For months their transmissions had been infrequent and worried, but resources and researchers had been sent to try and ameliorate the effects of the storms. Then, over the last six months the messages had drastically reduced, and those few that were received brought stories of nightmares and atrocity. In the last weeks it had become clear that the system was completely cut off and somehow controlled by heretics and traitors.
"Yes."
The tall figure nodded, his face still as impassive as a marble statue. "Then this insult cannot be allowed. You will personally suffer for these actions you have taken to belittle our kind."
With that, the figure spun and strode from the room, the guards scurrying to catch up and provide proper escort.
Schwarltor felt a bead of sweat form above his brow and trickle down his cheek. What did that mean?
---
MarsNZ has just invested in some models from his first love, the Imperial Guard. That man loves nothing more than a wave of men followed by a wall of tanks...
Anyway, he came over and we played a game. I used my Eldar, still quite new to them.
Eldar:
Farseer, with singing spear.
Warlord: One turn of stealth.
Powers: Executioner, Mind War, Guide, And one I don't remember.
Autarch, with Power Maul, Warppack, Phoenix Gem.
10 Dire Avengers, Exarch with Power Spear and Shimmerfield.
20 Defenders, Warlock with Conceal and Empower, 2 Shuriken Cannon.
8 Harlequins, Troupemaster, Shadow Seer, 2 Fusion Pistols.
5 Warp Spiders.
5 Dark Reapers, Exarch with Tempest.
Falcon with Bright Lance and Crystal Targetting Matrix.
Wraithlord with Flamers and 2 Scatter Lasers.
Imperial Guard:
Company Command, with Master of Ordnance, Master of the Fleet, Astropath, some Aquila that conferred Preferred Enemy.
Chimera.
Commissar.
Platoon of 50 men, each squad with Flamer, 2 Vox. Split into 40 men and 10 men.
3 Heavy Weapon Teams, with Autocannons.
3 Heavy Weapon Teams, with Autocannons.
Chimera.
10 Veterans, with 3 Melta.
Chimera.
Leman Russ.
Punisher.
Manticore.
MarsNZ won the roll off for deployment and then chose to go first. He took the end of the board with the trenchlines. I failed to Seize.
Objective 1 was in the Refinery at the bottom of the photo.
Objective 2 was the high ground in the middle of the board.
Objective 3 was the barricades.
Objective 4 was the southern pass to the forest at the top of the photo.
Objective 5 was the wrecked lander and its contents.
Objective 6 was the trenchline.
---
"Alright men, we have reports that the Xenos has been seen in amongst this supply refinery," spoke the commander of the platoon. Behind him rumbled support tanks, freshly fuelled and surrounded by guardsmen ready to bring
th fight to the enemy after days of setting up fortifications across the world. "Let's flush 'em out."
Scores of men began moving forward, through the as yet unscarred fields surrounding the refinery. Large heavy weapons began warming up in the freshly dug trenchlines, and a barrage of heavy rockets went soaring overhead. The crump of detonation followed a flash of explosive light, and the men cheered as they saw bodies flung across the refinery. Las fire flickered across the landscape, stabbing into half seen bodies, as the guard moved inexorably forward.
Then, something massive walked slowly out of the shadows and smoke. Smooth and alien, almost like some monstrous tall spider, it lifted arms with long barrelled weapons and began to fire. Around it's legs more of the alien scum appeared, loosing a storm of tiny humming discs at sliced through bone and sinew as easily as they passed through the flak jackets worn by the men.
Behind the faltering line, the tanks began to rumble forward, only to find their tracks sinking and skidding in the fresh mud around the trenches. The gigantic punisher cannon screamed and spat streaks of hot metal into the swarms of Xenos, the pounding of its heavy bolters adding to the concussive firepower of the tank. Clambering out of their chimera as the crew continued to work on freeing the tracks, a squad of tank busting veterans received a crackling order over their vox, desperately ordering them forward to engage the gigantic walker. Like their tank before them, they found their feet sinking and slipping in the mud, unable to move with speed.
---
Guard Turn One -
The blob moved forward and up the hill. MarsNZ issued orders allowing them to shoot then run. Then he fired the Manticore, hitting the Harlequins who were clustered out of
LOS, killing all but two and breaking them. He killed a lot of Eldar in the frontline.
He claimed 1
VP for my broken squad and discarded Domination.
Eldar Turn One -
I managed to cast Conceal and Guide, guiding my Wraithlord. I stepped up as close as possible to fire my shurikens and managed to drop about 20 guardsmen. Unfortunately the two scatter lasers on my Wraithlord were only responsible for two or three of those deaths, which frustrated me.
I claimed no
VP and discarded Domination as well.
Guard Turn Two -
The veteran’s chimera immobilised so they disembarked. He cast Prescience on the Punisher, though then realised that only two Guardians were in range. They were two very dead Guardians though… Even with their 3+ cover, the heavy bolters brought the total dead up to nine. Thankfully, that cover saved five out of nine wounds caused by the Manticore. He ordered his Veterans to move, move, move and managed to roll a 2, 2, and a 1…
He claimed 1
VP for Objective 6 and didn’t discard.
---
In the frontline a few men shrieked in agony before their heads exploded, causing a wave of fear to pass through the platoon. Then the giant walker started pounding heavily towards the line, only being held back by trying to avoid kicking the Xenos soldiers around its ankles. A squad of Xenos soldiers appeared from thin air and dove forward, blades flashing, but the ranked lasguns managed to drop most of them. A single rune covered soldier struck the line, moving with blinding speed to kill a sergeant. Another squad of Xenos took advantage of the confusion, driving forward to fire their bizarre slicing blades into the faces of the guardsmen. Thankfully, Commissar Walken was able to show the men how to withstand the alien, beating down the enemy soldiers and rallying the platoon to him.
Again the Punisher spoke, pouring all the imperium's fury into the walker. Bullets and bolts ricocheted and impacted uselessly against its toughened shell. The foul device barely faltered ins progress towards the heavily beleaguered guardsmen, loosing torrents of fire at them and finally breaking their nerve. They clambered up the hill behind them, covered in barbed wire and clean sheets of corrugated steel, only to scream as the massive walker gave chase. It picked up one in a single fist, squeezing until the man popped like a child's balloon, sent another flying with a lazy swing of its fist and kicked over the last, standing unceremoniously upon the prone body. The veterans ducked as a Xenos flying tank came sweeping through the sky, performing a graceful manoeuvre that left it facing the rear of the tank line that still crept towards the refinery. A pulse of light leapt between the vehicles and a Leman Russ exploded, killing the men that were providing close support.
---
Eldar Turn Two -
I cast Executioner, killing three guards. I charged the blob, but the Wraithlord failed his 8” charge and then overwatch killed all the Wapr Spiders hanging with my Autarch and left him with one wound. The commissar killed all the Dire Avengers that made it into the combat too.
I claimed 2
VP for issuing a challenge and Objective 3 and discarded Objective 6.
Guard Turn Three -
The Punisher became immobile. He rolled Incompetent Command for his first set of orders. The Wraithlord survived everything that was thrown at it as just about the only target on offer. As the Autarch had been too far (including pile in moves) to stay in combat, the remaining guard from the blob fired at him, killing him without anyone close enough for the Phoenix Gem to have an effect.
He claimed 1
VP for shooting my unit to death (and First Blood for the Spiders last turn) and discarded Objective 1.
Eldar Turn Three -
Things were looking very grim. The Wraithlord killed many guardsmen, but then they broke and ran, causing it to have to declare a difficult terrain charge. Thankfully, I made it. The Wraithlord killed a few men and then ran the down. The Falcon turbo-ed across the guard line to edge into the rear of the board and managed to blow up a Russ with its Crystal Targeting Matrix.
I claimed 2
VP for killing a squad in combat and having a unit within 12” of his board edge and discarded Objective 6.
---
"Bugger this!" Yelled Torg, a broad chinned veteran of multiple engagements with tendrils of the Tyranid menace. He squeezed the trigger of his Melta and smiled in satisfaction as a hole tore its way through the rear thrusters of the Xenos tank. The vehicle sagged in the air, drifting slowly to face the veterans themselves, it's long thin guns swinging down.
A cry went up from the refinery, a keening song of woe, as the walker finally buckled under the intense firepower of the Punisher and the heavy weapons teams in the trenches. Suddenly, the guardsmen found themselves alone on the field. The few Xenos in sight melted back into the now badly ruined refinery, except the tank which began firing indiscriminately into the tanks and veterans nearby until Torg managed to fire his melta deep into its heart, ending the engagement finally.
---
Guard Turn Four -
MarsNZ got to the last of his orders this turn and rolled Inspired Tactics… Not too useful… The Bring It Down order finished off the Wraithlord. The Manticore's last barrage finished off the last Defenders and the Farseer.
He claimed 1
VP for Warlord.
I this point I conceded. MarsNZ had 5
VP so far and we assumed he would have been able to gain 2 more Objectives had I desperately clung in there. I had moved to claim one more in my turn four, giving me a total of 5
VP, but obviously I conceded so it didn’t matter much.
Still, a pretty close game in a lot of ways!
---
Planetary Governor Schwarltor mopped his brow with an embroidered handkerchief. Reports had come in that the first blows with the Eldar had been turned back, but he did not feel comforted. What insult had the craftworld taken? His sanctioned psykers reported that the disturbances from Wiebelich were indeed headed for the Lilias system, and they could not risk fighting both the Eldar AND whatever renegades were still active from that cursed system. What else was coming?
5000 
