Wednesday 30 December 2015

Epic 4K: Black Legion vs Biel-Tan

Second game in a day, using the same Chaos list as in the previous battle. Tim brought his Eldar using a Biel Tan list, trying out the Howling Banshees with their new infiltrate rules.

Here's Tim's Eldar list:

Avatar
Revenants
Nightwings
Vampire (with Guardians)
Banshees in Wave Serpents with Autarch and Exarch
Shining Spears with Exarchs
Jetbikes with 1 Viper
Storm Serpent
Storm Serpent
Guardians with Weapon Platform
Guardians with Weapon Platform
Falcons with Firestorms
Falcons with Firestorms
Rangers
Rangers
Dragonship

And as I said my Chaos was same as in the previous game.


Turn 1

I opted for a similar deployment to the last game, but weighted more towards the centre this time. I figured I'd need to get to the centre of the table to threaten the Eldar, even if they might benefit more from the buildings than I at least I would be able to get after them.

Eldar line up.

My line up.

I advance infantry into the town and take out the first Eldar Ranger formation.

My first Decimator is almost killed by an Orbital Strike by the Dragon Ship. Then the second Decimator is destroyed by a critical in a Firefight by the Eldar Jetbikes!

Revenants almost destroy a Deathwheel but it manages to survive repeated blasts as other Eldar units try to finish it off.

My Defilers take revenge on the Jetbikes leaving only the Viper remaining, which is hunted down by more Defilers later in the turn.

But Shining Spears engage my Defilers. I lose two Defilers and the combat, but kill three Shining Spears.

Unable to resist the temptation I shoot an overwatch garrison Retinue at a Storm Serpent coming forward to bait me. The Howling Banshees then swoop in and destroy my Deathwheel and leave before I can do anything about it using a First Strike Hit and Run attack.

End of turn and my infantry has advanced to the city.

Looking down the table from the short edge.

Turn 2

I win Strategy roll, and advance and concentrate fire on the Falcons hiding at the back of the board which had been hit and running me. Their shooting is suppressed.

View from the Eldar side of the table showing precarious position of Shining Spears...

Vampire kills a couple of Defilers breaking formation.

Eldar setup a supported engage action and wipe out a Retinue on my right flank.


I wipe out the Shining Spears with a Deathwheel, with support from Retinues in the centre.

Storm Serpent advances and breaks another Defiler formation.

But I push onwards towards the Eldar Blitz objective.

End of turn all my formations rally, but the Eldar are in trouble from losses.

Turn 3

I take out the remaining Falcons, and consolidate on the Eldar objectives.

But Eldar set up a big engage action on my intermingled Retinues in the city.

We made a slight mistake with infiltrate rule here (you don't get infiltrate if debussing from transports), and Howling Banshees with support firefight and break my two retinues. Wiping one Retinue out and severely damaging the other. 


But that's ok, because all I have to do to win the game is win a firefight between my Deathwheel with four Defilers in support vs a Storm Serpent intermingled with broken Rangers. I'm starting at +3 to combat resolution and I've got shields and better armour and great support fire. 

Except that my Deathwheel rolls a 1 for its difficult terrain test , then a 6 for the critical, and blows up! It veers into a Defiler and while the Defiler survives it is small comfort! Curses, so close!

End of turn...



Turn 4

Eldar win Strategy Roll, and take the opportunity to smash my remaining effective units. Revenants jog over and nuke my Defilers.

And I end up out of activations very quickly. I decide to hold my blitz at least. Eldar win with Defend the Flag and They Shall Not Pass Victory Conditions, 2-0, (possibly also Take and Hold, can't remember).

Conclusion

Tim ended up on the back foot for most of this game, losing units at a great rate and great rallying from me. And then everything turned to disaster for the Chaos when the Deathwheel blew up at the end of turn 3. The difference between a crushing victory and a crushing defeat is sometimes pretty slim! Great game though.

Epic 4K: Black Legion vs Imperial Fists

Holiday time means a few more Epic games. Here's the first, where I took my Black Legion with some newly painted units for a run against new scratch built forces from Andrew using an Imperial Fist list.

Here's my Black Legion list, lots of Crabs (Defilers), Deathwheels, Decimators and infantry.


Incompertus, 3985 POINTS
13TH BLACK CRUSADE BLACK LEGION (2014 Armybook Edition)
==================================================

RETINUE [450]
8 Chaos Space Marines, (Chaos Undivided), Obliterator, Daemon Prince (Supreme Commander)

RETINUE [380]
8 Chaos Space Marines, (Chaos Undivided), Chaos Lord, 3 Rhino, Chaos Land Raider

RETINUE [465]
8 Chaos Space Marines, (Chaos Undivided), Chaos Lord, 4 Rhino, Chaos Land Raider, Obliterator

RETINUE [315]
8 Chaos Space Marines, (Chaos Undivided), Chaos Lord, 4 Rhino


RETINUE [275]
8 Chaos Space Marines, (Chaos Undivided), Chaos Lord

DEATH WHEEL SQUADRON [275]
(Chaos Undivided), Death Wheel

DEATH WHEEL SQUADRON [275]
(Chaos Undivided), Death Wheel

DEATH WHEEL SQUADRON [275]
(Chaos Undivided), Death Wheel

DECIMATORS [225]
(Chaos Undivided), Decimator

DECIMATORS [225]
(Chaos Undivided), Decimator

DEFILER ASSAULT PACK [275]
4 Defilers, (Chaos Undivided)

DEFILER ASSAULT PACK [275]
4 Defilers, (Chaos Undivided)

DEFILER ASSAULT PACK [275]
4 Defilers, (Chaos Undivided)





Imperial Fists

Andrew used his Marines as Imperial Fists in this game, with lots of freshly produced laser cut fortifications, and also Thudd Gunns and Tarantulas! (Imperial Lists and Marine armies like them specialise in defensive warfare, with excellent use of fortifications and the like).

4006 Tacticals + Chaplain, 3 Thudd Guns, 6 Rhinos
1504 Scouts, 2 Bunkers, 50 cm Trenches
1504 Scouts, 2 Bunkers, 50 cm Trenches
2504 Scouts + Supreme Commander, 2 Rhinos
2004 Scouts + Chaplain, 2 Rhinos
1504 Scouts, 2 Rhinos
325Relic Fellblade
325Relic Fellblade
325Relic Fellblade
325Relic Fellblade
325Relic Fellblade
325Bastion + Techmarine, 4 Thudd Guns
275Bastion + Techmarine, 2 Tarantulas
275Bastion + Techmarine, 2 Tarantulas
2002 Storm Talons



Turn 1

Here's the setup.

I favour my left flank...

While Andrew favours his left, as he has fortification lines stretching in an unbroken line right through the city.

I win Strategy Roll, and make Andrew go first. He shells a garrisoned Marine formation killing one of them. Then I double with my first Crab formation and flame and kill two Marine Scouts. Fortifications are no protection from the Crabs heavy flamers! A good match up for them. (These particular Crabs are the great new Cybershadow Warcrabs available from Vanguard miniatures by the way.)

Marine Scouts then engage and break my suppressed Retinue on my right flank.

I keep up the pressure on the left, and a Fellblade moves into the city and destroys two of my Crabs.

But more Crabs and Deathwheels push foward, breaking the first Bastion, damaging it, and destroying its Tarantula supports.


I swing all the Chaos forces left, taking advantage of the forested areas to provide cover. Also the Marine trenchlines end here, so I plan to go around the flank of them!

The Marine Fellblades advance through the town, and destroy one of my Decimators that gets too close.


Turn 2

Marines win Strategy Roll, and one of the Fellblades bravely (suicidally?) doubles into the woods and blasts a Defiler formation, killing one of them.

The Fellblade take three damage and is forced back broken, then later destroyed by a shot from my Blitz garrison Retinue. The Bastion here is also destroyed.

The Crabs scuttle onwards attacking the Marine Commanders formation killing two of them.

And pushing onwards and killing another Fellblade.


Fellblades outflank them and fire back.

Broken Chaos formations fall back behind the woods.

Marines push hard towards the Chaos Blitz.

Turn 3

Marines win Strategy Roll again, and the Scout formation led by a Chaplain engages and break my garrison guard Retinue (and Break Their Spirit formation) in a clipping assault in the woods. 

But two Deathwheels and a Defiler manage a similar trick on the other side of the table, breaking three formations including destroying the Marine Supreme Comander whose formation had already lost all other units.

Two Defilers charge back to try and help out at my Blitz Objective, killing a Scout but losing a unit too and losing the combat. My Break Their Spirit Formation is also wiped out.

My Supreme Commander formation, including Daemon Prince doubles back to hold my Blitz.

Marines attack the Daemon Prince formation.

Both sides are looking thin on the ground.


Turn 4

Marines concentrate their forces on the Chaos Blitz objective...

...breaking my Supreme Commander formation, screening my objective with Scouts and taking it. I try a desperate engage to help out but it fails due to bad positioning and the Scouts avoid it.

My Deathwheels and remaining units are still clearing the city however, and I also achieve Break Their Spirit and capture the Marine Blitz objective!

Last activation of the turn, a Marine Fellblade needs to get lucky and critical with a long range shot against a Deathwheel to win the game on Victory Conditions. It fails to do so.

End of turn and Victory Conditions are tied 3-3! Both sides have Break Their Spirit, Take and Hold and Blitz. We roll for an extra turn and it doesn't happen. Victory points are decided, the Chaos have killed 2438 points of Marines, and the Marines 2174 points worth of Chaos! Narrow victory to the Chaos Black Legion.


Conclusion

Interesting game and first one we've played where fortifications were used extensively. Given we turn up to games uncertain what army the other person will be playing, it was pure luck that I had taken 12 Defilers - whose heavy flamers, walker ability, and close combat and infiltration skills were pretty useful in this situation! Also the first game to go to a tie break with three Victory Conditions achieved by each side.  Doesn't get much closer than that!