June 8th, 2010 - Space Marines vs. Eldar Battle Report

Hello, everyone and welcome back for another Battle Report. Last Tuesday we managed to have two games, Space Marines vs. Eldar and Chaos Space Marines vs. Tyranids. While heretics and xenos sort out their account of the brawl, I'll explain how the Astartes gave the Space Elves a bloody nose, but were eventually bested. Fair warning: this is a picture-heavy post.

First, our ~2000 points army lists:

Space Marine Army

HQ
-Forgefather Vulkan He'stan - attached to the 7-men Assault Terminator Squad, inside the Land Raider Crusader
-Chaplain in Terminator Armor with Storm Bolter - attached to the 8-men Assault Terminator Squad, deep striking

ELITE
-7 Assault Terminators with Thunder Hammers and Storm Shields
-8 Assault Terminators, 3 with TH/SS and 5 with pair of Lightning Claws
-Dreadnought with Twin-Linked Lascannon and DCCW with Heavy Flamer - in a Drop Pod

TROOPS
-Two Squads of Tactical Marines with 10 men, Meltagun, Missile Launcher, Sergeant with Power Fist, Combi-Melta and Teleport Homer on both

HEAVY SUPPORT
-Predator with Twin-Linked Lascannon and Lascannon Sponsons

DEDICATED TANSPORT
-Land Raider Crusader with Multi-Melta
-Drop Pod with Deathwind Missile Launcher and Locator Beacon

Eldar Army

HQ
-Eldrad Ulthran
-Seer Council: 4 Warlocks (2x Destructor, Embolden and Enhance), all with Singing Spears
-Prince Yriel of Iyanden

ELITE
-6 Howling Banshees with Exarch, Executioner and War Shout

TROOPS
-10 Dire Avengers with Exarch, Defend and Two Shuriken Catapults
-10 Guardians with a Bright Lance Platform
-10 Ranger Pathfinders

HEAVY SUPPORT
-5 Dark Reapers with Exarch, Tempest Launcher, Fast Shot and Crack Shot
-1 War Walker with Spirit Stones and 2 Bright Lances

DEDICATED TANSPORT
-Wave Serpent with Star Engines, Spirit Stones and Twin-Linked Bright Lances - dedicated to Dire Avengers

FAST ATTACK
-7 Warp Spiders with Exarch, Spinneret Rifle, Power Blades and Surprise Assault
-7 Swooping Hawks with Exarch, Sun Rifle and Intercept

The terrain was deployed with some ruined buildings (boxes), a hill (more boxes), a road (made of foam), a statue and some barricades. We rolled for mission type, and we got Capture & Control, and from them on I knew I was in trouble. Deployment was Dawn of War, to the dismay of both players. I got to deploy first (which rarely happens) and luckily the Eldar didn't steal the initiative.
















I've deployed each Tactical Squad on top of a building on my half of the table.



The Eldar deployed the Guardians on the ruins across the street, and the Rangers, along with Eldrad's council, deployed on the little hill.



Also, the battlefield was attacked by a vicious monster.



FIRST TURN - MARINES SIDE

First thing I did was land my Drop Pod close to the Eldar Guardians. We decided it would be considered Difficult Terrain. There were no issues with the landing or the Dreadnought disembarking.



Next, my Land Raider and Predator arrived, 6" from the table's edge.



Ideally, the Predator would snipe the Seer Council, which the Land Raider approached to deploy the Termie squad. Since all of our forces would arrived 6" from the table's edge, as per the Dawn of War rules, we agreed that vehicles would count as having moved only 6", therefore being able to score a shot (two, in the case of the Land Raider). No such luck with the Land Raider, but the Predator managed to draw first blood, killing a Warlock before their wyrd xenos magicks could protect them. The Marines close to the Council also try to shoot and, although they are able to see the target (passing the Night Battle test), they fail to score any wounds.
On the other side of the table, the Dreadnought manages to kill 6 Guardians, using the Heavy Flamer and the Lascannon. The Drop Pod's auspex fails, and it isn't able to unleash it's deadly payload in the dark.



FIRST TURN - ELDAR SIDE

The bulk of the foul xenos' forces finally arrive.



Seeing that his Guardian brethren are endangered, Prince Yriel of Iyanden decides to deploy close to the Dreadnought.

Eldar start using their dirty tricks, successfully casting Fortune on the Seer Council and Guid on both the War Walker and the Ranger squad.

In a typical display of Eldar cowardice, the Guardians move away from the Dreadnought, concluding the Movement phase.

During Shooting, the War Walker shoots at the Land Raider and despite the supernatural guidance it received, failed to hit with either Bright Lance. The Wave Serpent also failed to score any hits.
The Rangers try to aim at the Tactical Squad, but fail to see them in the darkness.
The Guardians score a hit with their Bright Lance platform, also failing to hit the Dreadnought.
Yriel shoots at the Dreadnought, but is only able to give the walking sarcophagus a little shake.

During the Assault phase, the unexpected happens: Yriel charges the Dreadnought, managing to cripple both weapons and stunning it. In such a sorry state, the Dreanought is left with a single non-power S6 attack. In a fortunate turn of events, this is enough to reduce Yriel to a red stain on the ground.



(that grey smudge close to the Dreadnought is a very unpainted, very dead Yriel)

SECOND TURN - MARINES SIDE



My Chaplain and his cronies deep strike close to the stunned Dreadnought. Guardians are pretty much doomed.
Predator and Land Raider move forward. The Land Raider's Multi-Melta destroys one of the War Walker's Bright Lances, while the Predator manages to shake the poor fellow.



Tactical Squad shoots at the Seer Council, but all wounds get saved (as usual).

SECOND TURN - ELDAR SIDE

The witchery continues. Fortune on Seer Council, Guide on Rangers and Doom on the Land Raider.
Is that a bird? An airplane? No, it's a fabulous squad of Swooping Hawks, reaching the battlefield in all of their rainbow glory! The flying Elves land on the middle of the table. Due to their Deep Strike, they manage to unleash a terrible Ordnance attack on my Tactical Squad. One Battle-Brother perishes.

Guardians retreat further away from the Marine forces.



Banshees move a bit forward, while Reapers stay put in order to shoot.



The Wave Serpent moves forward and deploys it's Dire Avenger passengers.

During the Shooting Phase, Swooping Hawks target the Tactical Squad again, felling another servant of the Emperor.
Meanwhile, the Seer Council attacks the Land Raider with their Singing Spears. One manages to Wreck it (...really?). Terminators and Vulkan disembark without any complication.
The Wave Serpent unsuccessfully shoots at the Predator, while the Reapers take a terrible tow on the Tactical Squad, reducing it to 5 Marines.



Rangers attack Vulkan's group, killing one Terminator.
Guardian's Brigh Lance fails to hit the Drop Pod.

THIRD TURN - MARINES SIDE

Things get interesting. Vulkan unleashes his Heavy Flamer, killing 2 Rangers, while Eldrad saves his wound.
The Chaplain opens fire with his Storm Bolter, killing 2 Guardians. Predator scores a glancing hit to the Wave Serpent, which was saved.
The battered Tactical Squad manages to kill one of the Swooping Hawks.
Chaplain makes a push and slaughters the Guardians.



Vulkan and his retinue charge the Seer Council. The first casualties are one Terminator and one Warlock.



Chaplain consolidates away from the ruins.



THIRD TURN - ELDAR SIDE

Due to being engaged in an Assault, Eldrad manages to cast only two of it's sorcerous spells. Fortune and Doom, of course.
Warp Spiders enter the battlefield, close to the Chaplain's Squad.
Dire Avengers decide to re-embark the Wave Serpent. Both the Wave Serpent, the War Walker and the Swooping Hawks move closer to the Predator. The Banshees move closer to the Chaplain.


Rangers shoot at the Tactical Squad, only managing to kill one Marine. The Swooping Hawks try to finish them off, but their efforts are wasted.
The Wave Serpent tries to shoot at the Predator, failing. The Walker is successful, though, and wrecks it (why did I forget to pop the smoke launcher?).
The Reapers decide to shoot at the Tactical Squad guarding the objective. 4 Marines are killed, and the Squad falls back downstairs (there was some confusion regarding how to deal with this, rule-wise, but eventually we worked it out).



Banshees and Warp Spiders shoot at the Chaplain's group, but all wounds are saved. During the Assault phase, the Spiders teleport away, while the Banshees charge the Terminators, trying to buy the Reapers some time. They manage to kill 2 Terminators, but are ultimately slaughtered.



The battle between Eldrad and Vulkan goes on, each side targeting the members of the enemy retinue first. Only one Terminator falls.

FOURTH TURN - MARINES SIDE

Clumsily, my Dreadnought tries to get out of the ruins and reach the objective building, in a vain attempt to assist in it's protection.



The Tactical Squad there manages to regroup and get back up (we got to this result after ruling that the previous fall back movement was kinda illegal - what with breaking the Squads coherency due to multiple floors).
The other Marine Squad stays put and tries to frag the Wave Serpent. Combi-Melta, Meltagun and Krak Missile barely make a dent on the skimmer's hull.
Tired to see their brethren fall to cowardly weaponry, the Chaplain leads the Terminator Squad against the Dark Reapers. One Terminator dies, but all Reapers are vanquished.



Vulkan's duel with Eldrad proceeds, with both sides standing their ground.

FOURTH TURN - ELDAR SIDE

Fortune and Doom. Business as usual.
The Eldar decide it's about time to stop playing games, and move all of their forces towards the Marine Control Point.



(see the Wave Serpent behind the building?)

While Hawks and Spiders run, the Walker and Rangers shoot at the Marines securing the Control Point, scoring a single kill.
One of Eldrad's companions fall to the brutality of the Thunder Hammers. The Farseer of Ulthwé would soon follow.

FIFTH TURN - MARINES SIDE

While things look good on the battle against Eldrad, the tide of the battle is turning against the Marines. This is still a Capture & Control mission!
The Chaplain decides to chase after the War Walker, while the Tactical Squads focus fire on the Wave Serpent, failing miserably.



After some turns that seemed to last forever, Eldrad and the last Warlock fall to Vulkan's might. The Terminator Squad contests the Eldar Control Point.



FIFTH TURN - ELDAR SIDE

The Dire Avengers disembark from the Wave Serpent, while the skimmer flies away and "lands" (a term used very loosely) on top of the Marine building. Both the Swooping Hawks and Warp Spider move into the building too, but 2 Spiders die while trying to teleport amid the ruins. The War Walker and Dire Avengers push ever forward.



Walker, Rangers, Wave Serpent and Hawks fire at the Marines, scoring 2 kills. Warp Spiders try to destroy the Dreadnought, but fail.
The Swooping Hawks charge the Marines and finish them off, losing a sigle model in the process.

At this point, we rolled for a sixth turn, and I decided to concede. By Control Point was pretty much swarming with hostiles, although none of them were Troops. After some insistence from my opponent, we continued the game, since the Dire Avengers still had some ground to cover.

SIXTH TURN - MARINES SIDE

The Chaplain still wants to crush the War Walker, but it's stillt oo far away.



Vulkan and the Terminators charge against the Rangers, killing them all.



SIXTH TURN - ELDAR SIDE

The Wave Serpent, Hawks and Spiders move out of the building, hoping to make way for the Dire Avengers' ascent. They only manage to climb one of the floors, though. The War Walker is in a playful spirit, and runs away from the Chaplain.
The Warp Spiders destroy the crippled Dreadnought, just out of spite.



The Avengers try to run upstairs, but fail to do so.

We rolled for the seventh turn, which would let the Dire Avengers climb up and capture my Control Point.

Victory to the Eldar.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Seriously, less than 3 Troops in a 2000 points game was a serious mistake. Granted, I'm not much of a fan of Marine Troop choices (people say Tactical Squads are durable, which wasn't the case here; and Scout Squads can't even be compared to Eldar Rangers). Also, most of the times I play Annihilation games, and I plan my lists to that end (little planning is required when you decide to just spam Terminators, though).
If I had deep striked the Chaplain closer to my own Control Point, or if I had blown the Wave Serpent as I should have (damn ), then maybe I could have denied the Eldar their victory, but even so, I would be fighting for a draw, and that's not the proper way to play. Two out of the three types of game are objective-based, so I need to prepare my army list for that. Now, more than ever, I want to focus on a Sternguard list. Their shooting hurts quite a lot (especially since I plan to field them all with Combi-Meltas), and a Drop Pod/Rhino deployment can make sure they are in the right place at the right time. Also, I wanna try a Devastator Squad mounted on a Lascannon Razorback, that may have a greater punch than that single Predator.
Also, the lack of mobility in my army really prevented me from mounting a proper counter-assault against the Eldar push.

Anyway, a good, although very long game, that got me thinking a lot on how to expand my army. Let's see what I can come up with in the following weeks.