Eldar vs Imperial Guard 1850... The Reaching Blade

Once again the Imperial Guard stray across the path of the Eldar and so they must pay, not only that but if they are allowed to carry on their course they will inadvertently bring upon great peril to the Dem-Kirath craftworld. They have to be destroyed. This report is an 1850 point game of Ultimate Linebreaker, Eldar vs Imperial guard.

The Armies

With an 1850 point game i was unsure what to do, so i made up a quick list

Eldar 1850

Farseer - 120 W/ bikes (Warlord: preferred enemy LOW)
bike, spear [dominate, puppet master, mental fortitude]

3 Bikes - 61
shuriken cannon

3 Bikes - 61
shuriken cannon

10 Guardians - 110
Bright lance
Wave serpent - 135
holo field, scatter laser

6 Fire Dragons - 132 (proxied by warp spiders)
Wave serpent - 145
holo field, scatter laser, shuriken cannon

6 Swooping hawks - 96

Crimson Hunter exarch - 180

Wraithknight - 240
Heavy D cannon

Fire Prism - 140
holo field

Lynx - 430
scatter laser

The Eldar Warhost

Imperial Guard 1850

Company Command Squad

Medi-pack ,Regimental Standard, Vox caster

Infantry platoon

Platoon Command

Vox caster

Platoon Infantry squad

Vox caster, Grenade launcher

Platoon Infantry squad

Vox caster, Grenade launcher

Platoon Heavy Weapons Team

3x Autocannons

Veteran Squad (inside vendetta)

3x meltaguns

Vendetta

Armoured Sentinel Squad

2x Autocannon

Leman Russ Demolisher

2x multimetla, Lascannon

Leman Russ Demolisher

2x multimetla, Lascannon

Basilisk

Baneblade

Heavy Bolter and lacannon sponsoons

Aegis Defence Line

Quad Autocannon

Imperial force

The Mission

As both of us had lords of war we had to roll on the escalation missions and we rolled Ultimate linebreaker. No objectives, just get to your opponents deployment zone, nice and simple. The eldar won the roll for deployment zone and I selected the one with a large ruin, I didn’t want a basilisk hiding in it or guardsmen defending it. With his deployment zone selected my opponent put down his defence line on top of the hill on the right side of his table half.

The imperial guard then won the roll for first turn, and set up first. He deployed his basilisk on the far left hand side behind trees and placed an infantry squad and infantry command in the woods as well. Scouts were placed just in front of them. To the right on this the baneblade sat with a rather dominating line of sight. On the hill behind the defence line he placed his company command, the other infantry squad and the heavy weapons team. At the bottom of the hill both of the Leman Russ Demolisher tanks were placed, one on the right, the other the left. In reserve he had his vendetta with veteran squad.

To counter this I set up the lynx on the right side of the table behind a ruin to prevent as much fire power seeing it as possible. On its right was an empty wave serpent just out of range of the demolisher cannon should it move forward turn 1. On the left of the lynx I placed the fire prism which should be safe from the majority of fire (bar the baneblade). On the left side of the table the guardians hold the large ruin while the fire dragons deploy inside their wave serpent inside the ruin. The wraithknight goes as far forward as possible wanting to get into combat with the baneblade, and the farseer joins a bike unit behind him. I place the swooping hawks, crimson hunter and a bike unit in reserve.

Deployment

Night fight No

Steal the initiative: No

The Battle

Imperial guard turn 1

With the wraithknight posing an immediate threat the baneblade back off from it, not wanting to allow it a chance of a lucky charge turn 1. Both demolisher tanks hide in ruins to try and stop them getting destroyed turn 1, and the sentinels walk forwards.

Firing their autocannons the sentinels shoot at the wraithgknight but fail to wound the colossal monster. Using its barrage to its advantage, the basilisk targets the farseer attempting to snipe him out of his squad but luckily the shot scatters but it still hits a biker and the wave serpent. The biker dies and the blast manages to get past the wave serpents shield, stunning it. From the far right side the demolisher fires its lascannon at the wave serpent and glances it, reducing it to a single hull point. The other tank shoots at the fire prism but misses with its lascannon. The monster starts shooting next, its cannon targets the wraithknight and hits but fails to wound it, in the explosion 2 bikers die though. All 3 twin-linked bolters shoot at the guardians and 5 eldar fall after failing many cover saves. The co-axel autocannon shoots at the wave serpent though an open window and manages to wreck it and both lascannons fail to hit the wraithknight. Shooting the quad-gun, the infantry squad targets the fire prism but it misses with most shots and can’t get though its armour. After taking such punishment the guardians make a break for it and run, making it out of the ruin.

Eldar turn 1

Both the wraithknight and farseer jump forwards towards the super-heavy tank, with very different plans in mind. I attempt to rally the guardians but they keep on running, but are still on the table. Moving to the left, the lynx gets part of the baneblade in its sights. The empty wave serpent moves up towards the heavy weapon team aiming to get rid of some heavy weapons as it could make the difference if I can’t destroy the baneblade. The ‘fire dragons’ move forwards.

Casting his mind into the baneblade’s cockpit, the farseer takes over the body of the crewman aiming the cannon, and targets the basilisk. He fails to deny the witch and the shot is fired and hits, all 15 guardsmen are hit in the blast, 3 out of the infantry command die as do 2 of the infantry squad and are pinned as they both went to ground. The basilisk actually fares better as it only takes a stunned result. Shots from the lynx’s pulsar hit the baneblade but I roll double 1 for the D chart, it only takes 2 penetrating hits (1 gets an explode result though) reducing it to 6 hull points. Both heavy D-cannons shoot into the banebalde next but fail to get past its front armour. The fire dragons run while the wave serpent uses both its shield and scatter laser to kill off the heavy weapons team.

Imperial guard turn 2

This turn can make all the difference, he rolls for his vendetta but it doesn’t show up. Aiming to take out the lynx this turn the baneblade moves forwards to see it as does the left side demolisher. The right demolisher moves to see the wave serpent.

Shooting from the infantry squad using the quad gun hits the lynx, but most hit the holo projection thankfully, but it does strip a hull point off it. The left demolisher hits the lynx with everything its got, its demolisher cannon, 2 multi-meltas and a lascannon but they either miss or hit the holo projection leaving the lynx unharmed. The right demolisher shoots at the wave serpent and hits it with the demolisher cannon and a multi-melta, both penetrate the armour but the serpent jinks out the way. The roar from the baneblades cannon echoes over the battle field, the shell smashes into the lynx, or so its appears, but it just hits another holo projection, the fire prism is hit in the blast as well but it manages to jink as well. Not falling for the same trick twice the autocannon hits the real lynx and glances its armour, reducing it down to 4 hull points, both lascannons miss however, not even hitting a projection. Two twin-linked heavy bolters target the farseer and manage to cause a single wound. To finish off the baneblades shooting the demolisher cannon targets the seer and locks on but rolls a 1 to wound, leaving him unharmed. Both sentinels shoot at the seer but fail to get past his armour save.

Eldar turn 2

Rolling for reserves and the swopping hawks and bikes come in. The hawks deep strike behind the defence line and drop the grenade pack into the infantry platoon manning the quad-gun, 5 die in the explosion and it takes the firer off the gun. The bikes come in on the left to see the sentinels. The wraithknight moves right next to the baneblade followed by the farseer. The lynx moves to increase its protection from its holo field. The wave serpent moves forwards a little.

The Baneblade explodes

Again the farseer casts puppet master on the baneblade to which it fails to deny the witch. This time it targets the infantry squad as it can’t see the basilisk but can still clip it. It hits again but only glances the tank. It manages to kill off the infantry command and 5 of the infantry platoon. Shooting its scatter laser first, the lynx hits the baneblade and twin-links the pulsar. It then shoots the pulsar at the baneblade and hits with both shots, I roll on the D chart and this time roll a 4 and a 6. The tank explodes, and the explosion scatters a little and clips the wraithgknight causing him to lose a wound. With it’s pray now destroyed the wraithknight targets the closest demolisher but fails to get past its armour. Las-blaster shots from the hawks finish off the infantry squad that they mutilated with a grenade before. The wave serpent boosts and stops right in front of the right demolisher blocking its view of the lynx.

Imperial guard turn 3

Screaming in from reserve the vendetta moves straight for the lynx. The veterans inside jump out and scatter towards the lynx and 2 die in the process. The company command squad grab the quad-gun and point it towards the hawks. The sentinels go after the farseer.

The Veterans attack

Shooting from the sentinels hits the farseer and bypasses its armour, instantly killing him. Three melta guns and a krack grenade are aimed at the lynx from the veterans, all three of the melta guns hit but hit the holo projection, the krack grenade hits home though and penetrates the lynx, but does no extra damage. The vendetta shoots all 3 lascannon at the lynx and again the guard are fooled by the titan holo field. Blocked by the wave serpent the demolisher shoots right at it, attempting to blow its blockade out the way, the demolisher cannon hits as does a lascannon, both penetrate but again its jinks out the way.  The basilisk attempts to shatter the sky onto the lynx, but the shot scatters a full 12 off the table. To finish the turn the company command shoot at the hawks, the quad-gun kills 4 hawks but the lasguns fail to finish off the other 2.

Eldar turn 3

With its pray revealed the crimson hunter comes in from reserve and stays in my deployment zone facing the vendetta. Jumping forwards the wraithknight goes after the central demolisher while the wave serpent moves over the right demolisher and faces its rear armour. Both the lynx and fire prism move away from the veterans while the fire dragons move towards the sentinels. the guardians fail to rally and run off the table.

target in sight

With its rear exposed the wave serpent shoots both its serpent shield and scatter laser into the demolisher on the right. Its armour can’t take the punishment and the tank is reduced to a smouldering wreck. Gunning after the other flyer, the crimson hunter gets a single penetrating hit on the vendetta but the flyer evades and passes its jink save. At least it can only snap shot next turn. Turning its beam wide, the fire prism places a large blast over the veterans and locks on, they hit the ground but it doesn’t save them, they all die bar 2. Running first, then shooting the fire dragons manage to wreck both of the sentinels with their fusion guns. The bike squad boosts right next to the basilisk ready to wreck it next turn. Shooting both its d-cannons at the remaining demolisher the wraithknight only manages to glance it, but it gets finished off by the lynx, who hits with both shots but again rolls double 1 on the D table, but its wrecked either way. Terrified by the awesome fire power of the eldar the veterans run for their lives.

Imperial guard turn 4

Going into hover mode the vendetta faces the lynx, and the veterans fail to rally. The remnants of the infantry platoon in the woods move out and go straight for the fire dragons.

Shooting snap shots at the lynx, the vendetta shoots at the lynx but only a single gun hits but again its hits a holo projection. The basilisk targets the lynx again, but it the shot again scatter wide. The quad-gun finishes off the swooping hawks.

Assault phase and the infantry platoon charges into the fire dragons and a single one dies to over watch. In the combat a single dragon dies while the aspect warriors fail to do any damage, but they hold their ground.  
Eldar turn 4

The wraithknight moves into the opponents deployment zone and the bikes move away from the basilisk a little. The wave serpent jumps over the defence line and faces the company command. Just so that I use the ability at least once, the lynx takes to the sky becoming a flyer ending its turn in the enemy deployment zone.

Shooting from the bikes wrecks the basilisk taking off its last hull point. Again hitting the vendetta the crimson hunter manages to get a penetrating hit and a glance on the vendetta, shaking it and reducing it to a single 1 hull point. Again all guns are fired by the wave serpent targeting the command squad, killing off all of them. The fire prism attempts to kill off the two running veterans but misses the mark.

At this point we call the game because of time, we both feel that the game will end only 1 way at this point and add up the points anyway.

Eldar: 5 (victory through attrition x3, slay the warlord, flying lord of war in deployment zone) – Imperial guard: 3 (slay the warlord, first blood, victory though attrition)

Eldar victory

Post-Battle

What can I say about that game, the lynx dominated the game by not only destroying the baneblade, it took so many shots and ignored them all in its stride thanks to the titan holo field. It was such a broken unit it has put me right off it, not even changing the weapon to the sonic lance will help reduce how dominating it can be. On paper I didn’t think that the holo field would be so strong, after a hit, roll a die, on a 4+ it hits, 1-3 It misses (assuming that the vehicle moved) and it really changed the whole game for my opponent. It just stopped practically everything that was thrown at it, on top of that it has a strength D weapon and for the low, low price of 430 points. In future I might use it again but not for a while, and only really in apocalypse.

I didn’t feel like my opponent was enjoying this game, and that was all down to the lynx, I would say it’s a damn sight me fair than the titan that comes in the escalation book (I have no idea what they were thinking) but it still is too much. It’s not that I dislike super-heavies, I enjoy them immensely and I think the baneblade, storm lord and stompa all have a great place in the game but the eldar ones, they just seem far too powerful for a fair game.

I need to come up with a list which doesn’t really on a lord of war to take out any that appear. I want to keep eldar as my main, but right now dark eldar are looking much more appealing because they can have three ravagers. Maybe crimson hunters are more what I’m after, I don’t know I need to think about it more.

 Anyway that’s this battle report over. What lists are you guys coming up with to deal with lords of war?