Autarch Elias observed the crone world from the bridge of wraithship the Plight of Eldanesh and frowned. The filthy Monkeigh were in the process of "reclaiming the planet for the Emperor". The arrogant Space Marines were responsible for this crusade, Elias turned to his trusted farseer Avalon and the two began to formulate their plan of attack for the mission assigned to them by Prince Yriel. The Imperial tide must be stemmed before it could crush the planets native Exodites.
The plan was simple, the Elias and his troops would execute a precision strike aimed at the Space Marine flank, claiming the tele-port homers which were located there. Claiming these beacons would hinder Space Marine reinforcements, allowing the main force of Eldritch Raiders assisting the Exodites to claim a decisive victory on the planets surface. Intel showed that the Commander Lysander himself was present on the surface, however the Eldar were determined to win the day.
The teleport homers were located in the ruins of the ancient city of Sierrada, and orbital scans showed that the disgusting Monkeigh had already constructed some sort of temple to their Emporer there, scans also showed that the defense of these beacons would be fierce. I was playing against a somewhat new player, and his largely unpainted space marines, there was a healthy amount of terrain at the shop which made me happy, though
LOS terrain was still a bit short. Looking back on things, his list was illegal, but I didn't notice at the time, and he was a genuinely nice guy.
2000 point game, 3 objectives, standard deployment.
His list- as best I can remember looked something like this.
Episolary- Vortex of Doom, Curse of Machine Spirit
Lysander
4 terminators + Sergent
4
tac squads, various heavy / special weapons (included 3 power fists, 2 las cannons, 2
plas cannons, 1
plas gun, 2 melta guns, 1 flamer)
2 rhinos,
tl las razor
Vindicator
pred-
tl las cannon, las sponsons
Thunder Fire Cannon
Devestator Squad w/ 4 missiles... (now that I think about it he had 4 heavy support choices! whoops! I wasn't paying too close attention apparently :x)
All tanks had extra armor and Hunter Killer Missiles
My I used my usual hybrid 2000 point list.
Autarch- WJG, Mandiblasters, Power Weapon, Fusion Gun
Farseer- Warding, Witnessing, Spear, Doom
5 Fire Dragons,
Wave Serpent-
tl shuri cannon
10 Banshees- exarch, executioner, both powers
Wave Serpent-
tl eml, underslung cannon
10 Storm Guardians + Warlock- 2 flamers, destructor
9 Dire Avengers- exarch, 2 catapults, bladestorm
2x Wave Serpent-
tl lance
2 squads of jetbikes (3 + lock- cannon, spear, embolden)
9 Warp Spiders- exarch, 2 spinners, blades
2x Fire Prism
The map, looks essentially like this
Deployment showed the Space Marines deploying from the North. Thunder Fire Cannon deployed in the ruins on the top right (and fortified it), devastators in the top middle, a
tac squad in a Rhino on the northern objective and 2 outside the north ruins waiting to move towards the church bunker in the middle.
I reserved everything since the terrain wasn't super tall, and I didn't want to eat an entire turn of punishing las cannon fire before I even got to move. The Marines got 2 turns of moving to set up where they pleased.
The defense forces rapidly deployed in the city. As soon as the Eldritch Raiders arrived in the system Lysander had been on edge, he knew well the craftiness of the vile Xenos and their leader Yriel was a respectable tactician in his own right. The Fists suspected that the Eldar would likely try to disrupt Space Marine reinforcements on the surface and deployed heavy weapons there to protect them. What those Xenos didn't realize was that they were up against the Emporer's siege masters, the Imperial Fists! and the Emperor's finest would hold the line against the Xenos. Lysander himself determined would watch the battle, and if he was needed, he would personally deploy on the field of battle with his retinue of terminators.
My opponent took his first to turns to claim 2 objectives, and place troops within the av12 bunker in the middle of the map. He moved them topside making the building av12 open topped. His librarian was deployed with the Tacs in the building.
Bottom of turn 2, and the Eldar arrive on the Battle Field. Good rolling coupled with the Master Strategist boosts, sees everything except the storm guardians arriving on the board. My main force turbo boosts up the east flank, while one of my bike squads tucks away out of
LOS in a corner of the Western Ruins. I brain fart and don't deploy my farseer and Dire Avengers with everybody else. Oops.
The Warp Spiders and Autarch drop in behind the tech marine's ruins, and unload on the thunder fire cannon. Destroying it in a flurry of monofiliment wire. Everything else had turbo boosted, so couldn't shoot. the assault jump showed an 11, so the spiders slipped further behind the ruins, hiding from Space Marine Retaliation. The Tech Marine made all of his saves against the shots that hit him. The Prisms took a pop shot at the Devestators in the North Cover. Killing 2 of them, but not nailing any heavy weapons.
Space Marines 2 objectives, Eldar 0
TURN 3
The foul Xeno had finally arrived. They even managed to take out the thunder fire cannon with an ambush! However now that they were here the Imperial Fists prepared to unleash the emporer's fury upon them with their remaining heavy weapons. Lysander and his Terminators fail to come in.
The opposing Marines were quite anxious to finally start firing upon my army, all of his heavy weapons in range, and all of his hunter killer missiles fly at my tanks, Due to a combination of mediocre rolling, and some turbo boost cover saves, he stuns my banshee serpent, and the avenger serpent. One of my prisms get severely mangled (weapon destroyed + immobilized) but its not dead just yet and the other was shaken. The
tl shuri cannon gets shot off of the Fire Dragon Wave Serpent, but it is otherwise unharmed.
Bottom of turn three, my dragon wagon slides up 12 and deploys the dragons in front of the vindicator, the spiders jump up behind his northern Rhino but only manage to get in the side arc. The storm guardians, which had arrived from reserve, tubo boost up next to the Banshees. My eastern squad of jetbikes hops over to the side of the Predator. The shaken prism turbo boosts 18 inches east to try to limit more fire
Shooting shows the
tl las cannon blown off of the pred by the Warlock's singing spear, the Rhino is wrecked by the Spiders and the marines deploy on the far side- out of charge range. The Fire Dragons slag the Vindicator, it explodes one inch failing to kill anything.
The jetbikes assault into the Predator, where the Warlock finishes what he started and wrecks it. The assault jump for the spiders is somewhat pitiful. SNAKE EYES! Bob gets sucked into the warp and the rest of the squad does a silly little shuffle over 2 inches.
Space Marines 1 objective, Eldar 0
TURN 4
The Terminators arrive!
The Space Marines move the tech priest to get a good flamer angle on the warp spiders, and terminators drop on target behind the Avenger Serpent and imbetween the Prisms.
Shooting from the Devestators shows that 4 missiles can indeed fail to pen anything, while the terminator storm bolters stuns the Avenger Serpent again (uh oh). it takes 3 squads of tacs to wipe out my guardian jetbikes. He gets Vortex of doom off through the Warding, but it scatters and just misses lysander :x.
The techmarine flames into the warp spiders- hitting 4 of them. My saving throws suck as usual and I take a wound on the Autarch, and lose 2 spiders.
My Dire Avengers and Farseer are in a lot of trouble now! I manage to slip doom through the psychic hood and target the Terminators. The avengers pile out to face their inevitable doom like men. The Prism slips back another 12 inches. The cannon less Fire Dragon Wave Serpent rams 18 inches into the middle rhino, immobilizing it, while getting shaken in return. The Dragons themselves get a beat on wandering tech marine. The Warp Spiders jump close to the northernmost
tac squad, while the banshees turbo boost over to where the vindicator used to be. while the storm guardians Turbo Boost behind the ruins to the north to hide from incoming fire.
The prism manages a direct hit on lysander and his terminators, putting a wound on lysander and killing 4 of the Terminators. OUCH. One day people will understand that deep striking terminators against Eldar is a terrible idea. The Dire Avengers bladestorm into lysander and terminator, but due to wound allocation, and amazing save rolling they fail to deal a single wound to Lysander or kill the last remaining terminator... uh oh. Warp Spiders shoot into the Space Marines, Killing 3 normal guys and the power fist sarg
. Fire Dragons vaporise the tech marine.
Assault, Warp Spiders jump into combat with the space marines. The Autarch and Exarch have aweful rolls, and drag down a single marine, the rest of the squad does nothing. In return, the space marines kill no Eldar. losing combat by one, falling back 3 inches, and making their fearless save. Dire Avengers assault into Lysander and his termintor. They know they'd rather get the charge then eat one. They fail to wound Lysander, but do manage to take out the final terminator. In return Lysander smashes three of them. They fail morale and flee off the board.
Space Marines 1, Eldar 0
TURN 5
At this point the concentrated Eldar attack has removed all of the Emporer's forces from around the northern objective. The Space Marines who were beaten in combat by the Autarch and Spiders flee off the table. The combat squad near the immobilized Rhino gets out and moves toward the warp spiders. The
tac squad behind the church moves towards the objective and manage to get back within 3 inches of the northern objective. While Lysander moves closer to the Farseer's Wave Serpent.
Shooting sees a flamer from the
tac squad into the warp spiders, netting 5 hits. But due to good rolling on my part none of the Spiders die this time. The Squad chilling behind the bunker move and shoot into the Fire Dragons. They reduce the squad to a single member who passes morale. The Devestators continue to be plagued by bad luck, this time getting stopped by cover saves.
The squad with the flamer charge into the Spiders + Autarch, my power weapons actually do their job this time, and knock down 2 space marines, while the normal spiders kill a third. The Marines in return kill 1 spider. The Marines stay stuck in, and my Spiders fail the initiative test to withdraw. Doh. Lysander explodes the Wave Serpent, but the Farseer inside doesn't take a wound.
Eldar turn 5
Doom gets blocked by the psychic hood. Banshees disembark, while the storm guardian wave serpent parks on the northern objective. Jetbikes which have been hiding up to this point zip down and claim the southern objective. Banshees move 6 inches towards the offending marines, while all my remaining guns shift around to get shots off on the contesting marine squad. Farseer stands in the crater of his wave serpent and defiantly gazes at Lysander. He doesn't charge, hoping the game ends this turn.
All able guns fire at the contesting marines, which, coupled with a banshee charge manage to wipe the squad. The Spiders win combat but stay locked in with the squad to the south.
We roll to continue and the game ends.
Space Marines 1, Eldar 2
The Space Marines began their emergency evacuation from the ruined city with hatred and disappointment in their eyes, Lysander was furious that his defenses were breached by these vile aliens, in his presence no less! The vanguard had fallen, and reinforcements were temporarily cut off. Basking in his victory Elias allowed a smile to creep across his lips before he began the somber task of collecting the spirit stones from his fallen warriors and waiting to hear news on the status of the other Eldar forces on the planet.
