Epic 4K: Death Guard vs Scions of Iron

A game between these two forces, me using my Deathguard, and Andrew using his Lunar Force as proxies for a Scions of Iron Landraider force.

My list was:

Incompertus, 4000 POINTS
Death Guard (NetEA V0.4.2)
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PLAGUE MARINE RETINUE [325]
7 Plague Marines, Chaos Spawn, Nurgle Sorcerer Lord
PLAGUE MARINE RETINUE [325]
7 Plague Marines, Chaos Spawn, Nurgle Sorcerer Lord

PLAGUE MARINE RETINUE [400]
7 Plague Marines, 2 Chaos Spawn, Lord of Pestilence (Supreme Commander)

PLAGUE ZOMBIE INFESTATION* [175]
3+2D6 Plague Zombies

PLAGUE TOWERS* [350]
Plague Tower

PLAGUE TOWERS* [350]
Plague Tower

CONTAGION TOWERS* [325]
4 Contagion Towers

CONTAGION TOWERS* [325]
4 Contagion Towers

REPUGNANT TITAN [625]

HELLBLADES* [200]
3 Hellblade Fighters

PLAGUE REAPERS [200]
Plague Reaper

PLAGUE REAPERS [200]
Plague Reaper

DEATH GUARD CHOSEN [200]
4 Plague Marine Chosen, Nurgle Sorcerer Lord

Andrew's list was:

Scions of Iron

600		Hvy Tactical, 4 Marines, Land Raider Prometheus, Supreme Commander, 3 Land Raiders, Hunter
475		Hvy Tactical, 4 Marines, Chaplain, Land Raider Crusaders, 3 Land Raiders
475		Hvy Tactical, 4 Marines, Chaplain, Land Raider Crusaders, 3 Land Raiders
450		Hvy Tactical, 4 Marines, 3 Land Raiders, Hunter
475		Hvy Tactical, 4 Marines, Chaplain, Land Raider Crusaders, 3 Land Raiders
450		Hvy Tactical, 4 Marines, 3 Land Raiders, Hunter
275		4 Whirlwinds
375		Hvy Tactical, 4 Marines, Chaplain, 2 Land Raiders
250		2 Thunderhawk Transporters
175		2 Thunderbolts

Andrew also brought along some new brews from our favourite Epic Armageddon beer maker. The second having something of a Slaaneshi rather than Nurgle theme I think...!

Game

Setup.

Some initial artillery fire is fairly inconclusive, bar some heavy damage on one of the Scions formations that got a bit close. Andrew then follows up with an air assault against my artillery.

This goes fairly poorly for the Scions who win but only kill one artillery piece.

A well supported and prepared counterattack destroys the two "Thunderhawk Landers", and only a couple of Landraiders remain.

End of turn.

Next turn the Scions open with an attack by Landraiders, but my Artillery makes their invulnerable saves!

Nearby, I wipe out the rallied Landraiders from the air assault with a firefight assault.

Close combat erupts in the town and the Scions are forced back.

End of turn.

Next turn, my Plague Zombies appear in the town to help out.

And the Death Guard continues to drive back the Scions causing heavy losses.

The Scions attack on my right flank, driving back my Scouts and taking my Take and Hold objectives.

My forces also move to protect my Blitz objective from attack.

Battle for the town below.

Next turn and my Titan recovers control of the Blitz, close assaulting and wiping out the Scions here.

And further assaults occur in the town with both sides taking heavy losses.

Overall situation at end of turn 4 is inconclusive, with neither side having enough victory conditions to win and game fails to go an additional turn. Points count is 1925 points destroyed by Death Guard and 1025 points destroyed by Scions though, so victory to Death Guard.

Conclusion

A tough grinding game of attrition, with neither side able to achieve a decisive victory through objectives. With Fearless on all Death Guard units, and They Shall Know No Fear on the Scions, and all the armour, it was tough going for both sides in killing enemy units. The Scions early aerial assault was probably a mistake, going into an area where it was going to be so strongly counterattacked, though easy to say that after the fact of course! Scion attacks against my artillery were disappointingly ineffective for them all game, and this limited a battle of maneuver the Scions might have otherwise been able to wage.