Epic 4K: Fir Iolarion vs Skitarri

Another game using Fir Iolarion, this time with the new 4.2.6 list released the same day. 

FIR IOLARION ELDAR TITAN CLAN (4.2.6) 4000 POINTS

WARLOCK TITAN [900]
1 Warlock Titan, Power Fist, Psychic Lance, Bonesinger

PHANTOM TITAN [750]
1 Phantom Titan, 2 Titan Pulsar

REVENANT TITAN TWINS [700]
2 Revenant Titans, 2 Revenant Pulse Laser Pair, Spiritstones

WRAITHKNIGHT TROUPE [350]
Three Wraithknights, 3 2 x Heavy Wraithcannon

WRAITHKNIGHT TROUPE [350]
Three Wraithknights, 3 Suncannon

WRAITHKNIGHT TROUPE [350]
Three Wraithknights, 3 Ghosglaive and Spiritshield.

WRAITHLORDS [250]
4 Wraithlords

REVENANT TITAN SINGLE [350]
1 Revenant Titan, Revenant Pulse Laser Pair

Andrew used the 2.1 Skitarii list:

19th Armoured Regiment, Lunar Defence Force, 

today, count as Adeptus Mechanicus, Skitarii, v.2.1

2 Secutors, Magos, 8 Hypaspists, Ordinatus Minorus (Barrage, 10BP, Disrupt, Single Shot) [425]

2 Secutors, 8 Hypaspists, Ordinatus Minorus (Barrage, 10BP, Disrupt, Single Shot) [375]

2 Secutors, 8 Hypaspists [225]

2 Secutors, 8 Hypaspists [225]

5 Sagitarii, 5 Rapiers [275]

3 Ordinatus Minorus (1 Carapace Landing Pad, 2 Quake Cannons, 3BP, MW) [500]

3 Ordinatus Minorus (2 Gattling Blasters, Plasma Destructor) [475]

3 Ordinatus Minorus (2 Gattling Blasters, Plasma Destructor) [475]

3 Ordinatus Minorus (Gattling Blasters, 6 x AP4+/AT4+) [425]

2 Ordinatus Minorus (Plasma Destructors, 5 x MW2+, Slow Fire) [400]

2 Avenger Strike Fighters [200]

Turn 1

Setup as below. I'm spread out to try and minimise barrage effectiveness.

Skitarri positions.

I win Strategy Roll, but let the Skitarri activate first. They fire off their Ordinatus one shot 10BP (!) barrages and break both my Phantom and Warlock, though do not damage them. The break move is forwards to ruins for both these Titans.

The Eldar move forward under a barrage of fire, taking many blastmarkers and one of the Revenants also loses its holofield. Two Knights with Wriathcannon are also destroyed. In return the garrisoning Sagitarri and Rapiers unit takes heavy casualties and fall back.  

Rallies will be crucial for the Eldar!

And fortunately the rolls are good!

Turn 2

Winning Strategy Roll again, the Warlock assaults a Hypaspist unit in a firefight intending to win and consolidate towards the Ordinatus ready for a followup assault. This goes disastrously though, partly due to not being able to get enough of the enemy in range (only three stands), and also with the Warlock taking a point of damage, losing its Holofield and loses the firefight!  

The Warlock falls back, and Revenant pair and Phantom wreck a three strong Ordinatus formation in a third retain.

After some long range macro barrages from Ordinatus, the Eldar try another firefight with Knights against the weakened Hypaspists, but this is another loss and the Knights lose one of their number, take damage on another, and retreat. 

Things look grim for the Eldar at the end of turn 2!

Turn 3

The Eldar rally again, but the Skitarri win Strategy Roll and consolidate their position into an unassailable lead by destroying the weakened Warlock Titan and having too many activations remaining. I concede!

Conclusion

A tough matchup with all the incoming blast marker suppression first turn. I needed to not panic and time targets better from turn two onwards. However the thought of all the slow firing but deadly Ordinatus weapons (plasma destructors) being recharged for turn three encouraged urgency and calculated but risky assaults turn two. These didn't pay off though even if they had it still would have been a very tough fight! Likely I would have been better to hang back, concentrate more on maneuver and shooting despite the danger. Skitarri is still an list in development so who stats may change for future games also.

Epic 4K: Fir Iolarion vs Biel-Tan

An Eldar civil war for this game, with my Titan Legion fighting an infantry and tank focused Biel Tan list.

I used Fir Iolarion (painted in Biel Tan colours confusingly!)

Incompertus, 4000 POINTS
FIR IOLARION ELDAR TITAN CLAN (4.2.4)
==================================================

WARLOCK TITAN [875]
1 Warlock Titan, Power Fist, Bonesinger, Titan D-Cannon

PHANTOM TITAN [750]
1 Phantom Titan, 2 Titan Pulsar

PHANTOM TITAN [750]
1 Phantom Titan, 2 Titan Pulsar

WRAITHKNIGHT TROUPE [350]  (Fire Gales)
Three Wraithknights, 3 Heavy Wraithcannon and Scattershield

WRAITHKNIGHT TROUPE [350]  (Towering Destroyers)
Three Wraithknights, 3 Ghostglaive and Scattershield

WRAITHKNIGHT TROUPE [350] (Brightstallions)
Three Wraithknights, 3 2 x Heavy Wraithcannon

WRAITHKNIGHT TROUPE [350] (Brightstallions)
Three Wraithknights, 3 2 x Heavy Wraithcannon

NIGHTWING INTERCEPTORS [225]
2 Nightwing Interceptor

(Note I made a slight mistake in battle thinking the Warlock had a Psychic lance rather than D-cannon)

Andrew used Biel Tan list painted in his own craftworld colours.

Incompertus, 4000 POINTS
Biel-Tan Craftworld (Biel-Tan Craftworld (v4.2))
==================================================

NIGHT SPINNER TROUPE [175]
3 Night Spinners

NIGHT SPINNER TROUPE [175]
3 Night Spinners

NIGHT SPINNER TROUPE [175]
3 Night Spinners

SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE [250]
3 Falcon, 2 Fire Storm

SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE [250]
3 Falcon, 2 Fire Storm

SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE [250]
3 Falcon, 2 Fire Storm

ASPECT WARRIOR WARHOST [400]
8 Shining Spear, Exarch, Autarch

RANGER TROUPE [100]
4 Ranger

RANGER TROUPE [100]
4 Ranger

RANGER TROUPE [100]
4 Ranger

NIGHTWINGS [300]
3 Nightwing Interceptors

WINDRIDER TROUPE [200]
5 Jetbikes, Vyper

WINDRIDER TROUPE [200]
5 Jetbikes, Vyper

WRAITHGATE [50]

AVATAR [0]

GUARDIAN WARHOST [475]
Farseer, 4 Guardians, 3 Wraithguards, 3 Wraithlords, 3 Heavy Weapon Platform

GUARDIAN WARHOST [250]
Farseer, 5 Guardians, 2 Heavy Weapon Platform, 2 Wraithguards

GUARDIAN WARHOST [250]
Farseer, 5 Guardians, 2 Heavy Weapon Platform, 2 Wraithguards

GUARDIAN WARHOST [150]
Farseer, 5 Guardians, 2 Heavy Weapon Platform

GUARDIAN WARHOST [150]
Farseer, 5 Guardians, 2 Heavy Weapon Platform

Game

Here's the setup, with my Titan forces concentrated on my left flank.

I win Strategy Roll, and after forcing the enemy Eldar to activate, I advance with Knights destroying three of an enemy Ranger formation.

The Warlock follows and wipes the remaining Rangers out later that turn.

My Titan legion advances to the first line of cover, blasting away the enemy that has been holding around the central left objectives.

Shining Spears enter through the Wraithgate, kill a Knight and break the formation which runs to be near the Warlock Titan.

And the Shining Spears consolidate behind a wood.

Nice conversions of the old plastic jetbikes!

The enemy Eldar push forward strongly towards my blitz on their unopposed left flank.

Jetbikes ready to pounce end of turn 2 behind the Titan legion lines.

Turn 2, and Shining Spears break a rallied Phantom, though without causing much damage.

The Shining Spears bravely (foolishly?) consolidate in front of the Warlock Titan. The Avatar assaults and breaks the Knights that had moved close to the Warlock for safety.  The Warlock Titan eliminates all the Shining Spears except the Autarch with its firepower though.

Eldar Fire Gales engage forward and wipe out some Nightspinners that have advanced.

The Titan Legion maintains position, but moving back to defend the Blitz.

Enemy Eldar prepare for their push on this flank.

Turn 3 Titan Legion wins the Strategy Roll, but my Phantom rolls a double 1 for activation using Command Reroll, and so ineffectually just kills some Guardians with its Pulsar, and is one blast marker off being broken!

Enemy Eldar continue to pile on firepower and suppression with whatever they can. My Warlock engages a Guardian formation in close combat. The Guardians lose but it takes two rounds and the Warlock loses 3 damage capacity!

The enemy Eldar push for the Titan Legion Blitz and the victory, setting up for a combined firefight against the Knights defending it with two Guardian and one Bike formation. The Phantom is broken this turn and can't help.

All it needs is for this tank formation to engage, but they roll a one and fail... meaning the game will go to Turn 4.

Situation on the left flank.

And after rallies, the Warlock Titan is on 2DC and fails to rally so falls back (top left). Other Titans rally.

Titan Legion wins the Strategy roll and Knights and Titan here blast the nearby bikes and Guardians.

Enemy Eldar are quite exhausted by now, and my Knights also manage to destroy their Nightspinners with an engage action towards the backline.

One formation of Knights defending the Blitz is broken, but another formation comes to defend it.

Neither side has achieved two victory conditions, and so it goes to points. Titan Legion have destroyed over 2000 points, and Biel Tan just over 1500. So victory to Titan Legion.

Conclusion

A close game that could have gone either way. Biel Tan made one mistake getting too close to Warlock Titan but little else. If they had passed the activation with their tanks end of turn 3 they were strong odds on to win the game with Take and Hold and Blitz, but it was not to be. Interesting to see the Knights in action, with the weapon variants available allowing differentiation of the old classes. 

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)
==================================================

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.