This is a report of a 6000 point game I played against Corbon Loughnan on 20/07/02. We used standard Epic40k rules with FP 1 amendments, and a few houserules. I used my Biel-Tan Eldar and Corbon his Space Marines with Titan Legion and Imperial Navy Support. We played on a 8' by 6' table with scenery generated from the Agri-world chart in the Battles Book. The scenario was a Meeting Engagement, extended to six turns maximum rather than four. We played the game in the evening and the poor quality artifical light was tolerable but not brilliant for photography - you have been warned!
Just out of interest, Corbon is the player whose recommendation persuaded me to actually buy the Epic40k box set some years ago (and hence started my return to Epic...). He also helped me get figures for my first full DBM army years ago... (thanks Corbon!).
FORCES
| ELDAR - 121 morale | IMPERIAL - 126 morale |
| (Command) Avatar, Farseer, Waveserpent, 4 Dreadnoughts |
(Command) Ordo Malleus Inquisitor, Terminator Squad, 2 Land Raiders |
| Warlock Titan with 2 d-cannons |
Imperator Emperor Titan |
| (2x) Phantom Titans with 2 Pulsars |
Warlord Titan with 3 Mega-Cannons, 1 Heavy Weapon Battery |
| Revenant Scout Titan |
(2x (Alpha and Bravo)) Captain, Librarian, 4 Terminator Squads, 4 Tactical Squads, 4 Land Raiders, 3 Whirlwinds, 6 Rhinos |
| (2x) 2 Scorpion SHT |
(2x (Charlie & Delta)) Captain, Librarian, 4 Dreadnoughts, 6 Support Weapons, 6 Tactical Squads |
| 2 Cobra SHT |
(Echo) Captain, Librarian, 2 Devastator Squads, 6 Support Weapons, 2 Tactical Squads |
| (2x (Hawk & Spider) 10 Jumpacked Aspect Squads with Exarchs, 2 with Warlocks |
(2x (Foxtrot & Golf)) Captain, Librarian, 4 Assault Squads |
| (2x (Banshee and Scorpion) 10 Aspect Squads, 2 with Warlocks |
(Red Flight) 4 Thunderhawk Gunships transporting Charlie Co. |
| (2x (Transport)) 5 Falcons, 5 Wave Serpents, transporting Reaper Detachments |
(Blue Flight) 4 Thunderhawk Gunships transporting Delta Co. |
| (2x (Reaper) 5 Aspect Squads with Heavy Weapons, 9 Support Platforms |
(Gold Flight) 3 Thunderhawk Gunships transporting Echo Co. |
| (2x) 4 Scout Sqauds, 4 Night Spinners |
5 Marauder Fighter Bombers |
| 10 Guardian Squads with 1 Warlock, 5 Wraithguard Squads |
9 Thunderbolt Interceptors |
| 8 Jetbike Squads |
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| 5 Nightwing Interceptors |
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| 4 Phoenix Bombers |
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| 3 Vampires |
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TURN 1
Both sides advance on march orders. The Imperials have their two big armoured companies (Alpha and Bravo), 2 Titans and their Commander on the field this turn, but everything else is in reserve waiting to arrive from turn two onwards. The two Imperial Titans stride up the middle of the field with an armoured company to each flank.
Most Eldar detachments push hard for the cover on the left flank, sending only the Jetbikes and Warp Spiders racing up the right flank to threaten objectives. One Reaper Detachment sets up their weapon platforms to cover the Imperial Take and Hold Objectives.
TURN 2
As Marine Companies Alpha and Bravo occupy a wood and farmstead respectively, the Marine reserves begin to arrive...
Charlie and Delta Companies land near their objectives, to either side of the Eldar Warp Spiders. Charlie Company has one of its Thunderhawk transports destroyed and another driven off by Nightwing Interceptors and so are at half strength on the field. Eldar Phoenix Bombers intercept Delta Companies Thunderhawks but are driven off by the Imperial Thunderbolts. Meanwhile Foxtrot and Golf Assault Companies land cutting off the Eldar Jetbikes.
The Eldar respond moving engines of Vaul and the two pulse laser armed Phantoms towards the marine drop zones. The Eldar War Machines are on Assault orders, weaving to throw off the aim of aerial attacks, so their shooting is reduced in effect. In the exchanges of fire that follows Charlie and Delta companies suffer a few casualties and the Eldar Jetbikes and Warp Spiders are wiped out.
TURN 3
The Eldar advance upon the marine drop sites on overwatch orders, wiping out Delta company completely, and effectively destroying the two assault companies Foxtrot and Golf.
Meanwhile heavy fighting takes place on the Eldar left flank amidst the plantations and ruins there. The Eldar advance out of the plantations towards the ruins with a grav-tank Transport detachment, carrying another Reaper detachment. Here Corbon makes his 'Play of the Day'. As the Eldar approach, three Thunderhawks swoop overhead suppressing the Eldar Transports with firepower while simultaneously unloading Echo company into the ruins. I play the the 'Inspiration' fate card and remove 2 of the three blast markers on the Transports. But when I am about to make the Leadership test to move again, Corbon plays the Harlequin fate card causing them to automatically fail, which I cancel, but Corbon cancels my cancel! My transports are suppressed unable to move or unload troops, sitting in front of ruins full of marines with anti-tank platforms and lots of firepower...
I bring up a Fireprism detachment and the Swooping Hawks to help my stricken detachment but there is little I can do to save them. In the shooting phase all but 3 of my 10 strong Transport detachment along with half their passengers are destroyed, Corbon also hits them with an Orbital barrage and the Assassin card just to add to the overkill. I throw as much firepower as I can at Echo company and suppress them with my NightSpinner artillery. My Swooping Hawks then charge Echo company mauling them severely and taking the ruins, along with my only objective of the battle.
In the centre my Revenant Titan is severely damaged by long range shooting from Warlord Titan, 1 damage capacity left and no holofields! Corbon looks around for a Marine Librarian in range to finish off the Revenant with a psychic blast, but there is none. The Warlords 3 mega-cannon also destroy 2 falcons and suppress the Warlock Titan. I take note of just how effective mega-cannon can be... fortunately the Revenant manages to repair it's holofield generator.
Morale at the end of this turn is 75 for the Eldar and 77 for the Marines, the game is in the balance.
TURN 4
As my Fireprism detachments go onto Flak orders the Imperial air attack begins. Here I make a big mistake, my Warlock Titan and one Phantom Titan are not covered by my Flak defence and neither are they on Assault orders. They take the full brunt of the oncoming bombardment. Four Thunderhawk gunships destroy the Phantom and 5 Maurauder Bombers destroy the Warlock. The Marines push forward on all fronts.
On the left I pop up with my two Cobra grav-tanks and hit the Imperator with two D-Cannons, hurting it, but not badly enough to stop it returning fire. The Imperator takes out one of the Cobras, which explodes destroying its damaged partner, which also explodes wiping out 4 howling banshees squads! Another disaster for the Eldar.
Also on the left, Bravo Company beats off an assault by my Swooping Hawks and follows up and eliminates them, taking back the ruins.
On the right my Striking Scorpions are forced back by Alpha company, but at least my Transport company and Reapers wipe out the remains of Charlie company, knocking the marines off their objectives.
However the Eldar losses this turn are too severe, morale is already only on 12 as I pick up 4D3 to roll for extra morale loss from wiped out units. All the dice score 5 or 6 so I lose the full 12! Eldar are on 0 morale, while the Marines are beaten up but the winners with 43 morale remaining.
Congratulations Corbon!