After having just scourged an Imperial outpost from the traitorous Alpha Legion the Templars lead by Captain Sigismund realize they have been baited into a trap as the dawn air begins to fill with armada of xenos skimmer craft. To make matters worse an incoming urgent vox from the battle barge reports that a large wave of xenos fliers are on their way.
NOTE - The report is told from the Templar point of view so there's not as much detail in the dark eldar turns.
MISSION
Emperor's Will (Eternal War)
Deployment
Dawn of War
No night fighting.
Templars Army List
+++ Imperial Fists (2250) +++
++ Legiones Astartes: Crusade Army List - Age of Darkness ++
++ Rite of War - Pride of the Legion ++
+ HQ (490) +
Sigismund (230)
Master of the Legion - Pride of the Legion
+Warlord /WLT - +1 VP if enemy Warlord is slain in a challenge
Legion Centurion (105)
- Artificer Armour
Combi-Melta - Narcethium - Needle Pistol
+Consul - Primus Medicae
Legion Centurion (155)
- Tartaros Terminator Armour
Solarite Power Gauntlet - Vigil Pattern Storm Shield - Narcethium - Needle Pistol - Teleportation Transponder
+Consul - Primus Medicae
+ Troops (1165) +
Legion Terminator Squad (515) *
- Cataphractii Terminator Armour
9x Legion Terminator
2x Chainfist - 2x Thunderhammer - 4x Power Fist - Lightning Claw
4x Vigil Pattern Storm Shield
Iliastus Pattern Assault Cannon - Plasma Blaster
Legion Terminator Sergeant - Chainfist - Vigil Pattern Storm Shield
Teleportation Transponder
*NOTE
An exception was made that both the terminators and Templar Brethren count as compulsory troop choices for the chosen Rite of War and count as objective secured (including the dedicated transport).
Templar Brethren (650)
8x Templar Brethren
8x Combat Shield - 2x Plasma Pistol
Chapter Champion - Combat Shield - Solarite Power Gauntlet
Land Raider Phobos
Armoured Ceramite - Auxiliary Drive - Dozer Blade - Extra Armour
+ Elites (195) +
3x Legion Rapier
Incendiary Shell - Frag Shell
+ Heavy Support (400) +
Leviathan Siege Dreadnought
Armoured Ceramite - Grav-Flux Bombard - Phosphex Discharger - 2x Twin-Linked Volkite Caliver
Legion Dreadnought Drop Pod
Dark Eldar Army List
+++ Dark Eldar (2250) +++
++ Real Space Raiders Detachment ++
+ HQ +
Succubus (115)
Archite Glaive - Plasma Grenades - Haywire Grenades - Armor of Misery - Splinter Pistol
+ Warlord /WLT - Nothing useful
+ Elites (220) +
6x Incubi - Klaives
Klaivex - Demiklaives
Raider - Disintegrator
+ Troops +
10x Kabalite Warrior - Splinter Rifles - Splinter Cannon
Raider - Disintegrator - Splinter Rack - Night Shield
10x Kabalite Warrior - Splinter Rifles - Splinter Cannon
Raider - Disintegrator - Splinter Rack - Night Shield
10x Kabalite Warrior - Splinter Rifles - Splinter Cannon
Raider - Disintegrator - Splinter Rack - Night Shield
10x Kabalite Warrior - Splinter Rifles - Splinter Cannon
Raider - Disintegrator - Splinter Rack - Night Shield
5x Kabalite Warrior - Splinter Rifles
Venom - Disintegrator - 2x Splinter Cannon
5x Kabalite Warrior - Splinter Rifles
Venom - Disintegrator - 2x Splinter Cannon
+ Fast Attack +
Razorwing Jetfighter
4x Monoscythe Missile - 2x Dark Lance - Splinter Cannon
Razorwing Jetfighter
4x Monoscythe Missile - 2x Dark Lance - Splinter Cannon
Razorwing Jetfighter
4x Monoscythe Missile - 2x Dark Lance - Splinter Cannon
Voidraven Bomber
2x Dark Scythe - Void Mine
5x Reaver Jetbike
Bladevanes & Cluster Caltrops
+ Heavy Support +
Ravager
3x Dark Lance - Night Shield
Ravager
3x Dark Lance - Night Shield
Battlefield prior to Deployment
Deployment & Reserves
We both opted to deploy on the sides of the table we were standing by while unloading our armies. I won the roll to deploy first and chose to do so.
Templars
Having fought this foul brand of xenos many times I opted to circle the wagons and defend my Emperor's Will objective marker. Dark Eldar are the masters of the divide and conquer strategy... If you spread your forces they'll quickly pick you apart. So I deployed the land raider with Sigismund, Templar Brethren and one Prima Medicae embarked in a ruin on top of my Emperor's Will objective marker. Terminators with the other Centurion attached would deep strike and the Leviathan would arrive first turn via drop pod. I placed my mortars behind another ruin close by the land raider. It would be very hard to take my opponent's objective marker so scoring secondary objectives is going to be very important.
Dark Eldar
The dark eldar must hold all fliers in reserve. My opponent deploys defensively since I'm going first, using terrain for to help his cover saves. His force is spread out at a safe distance and can flank either side.
My opponent attempts to seize but is unsuccessful.
1st Turn - Templars
This would be a quick turn. The Leviathan landed in a ruin on the other side of the table with minimal scatter close by one of the enemy raiders full of Kabalite Warriors. The land raider shifted a bit to better target one of the Ravagers.
The Mortars fail to inflict any damage with barrage targeting one of two Venoms which were close together - I opted to use the frag canisters since its S5... Probably should have fired the Ignore Cover shells instead. Shooting from the land raider is abysmal - only inflicting one glance on a Ravager. The Leviathan then opts to bombard the Reavers and wipes them out for First Blood.
1st Turn - Dark Eldar
The xenos force splits up as expected flanking on both sides while the two Venoms move into position to target my mortar team. The Warriors' raiders hang back using terrain to deny line of sight. The raider carrying the Succubus and Incubi fearlessly moves and flats out right up to my battle line.
The pair of Ravagers combine to strip three hull points from my land raider and take out one lascannon and the heavy bolter. The Venoms combine but are only able to remove one mortar and two crewmen whom pass their morale check.
2nd Turn - Templars
The terminators arrive from reserve deep striking beside the land raider for cover using the Templar Brethren's nuncio vox not to scatter. The Leviathan emerges from his pod to hunt a raider full of Warriors that unwisely remained too close. Sigismund and his brethren plus the Centurion disgorge from the land raider to shoot and charge the Incubi's raider.
This turn my shooting was abysmal yet again... Combined fire from the terminators and Templar Brethren manage to glance the Incubi's raider once. Yet again the mortars fail to inflict any damage target a Venom even with their shatter shells (forgot to use Sunder)... At least it forces the skimmer to jink. On the bright side the Leviathan is able to destroy the Warriors' raider... Most of them die in the ensuing explosion then break legging it towards their table edge.
Sigismund then leads the charge - they destroy the Incubi's raider on the charge and one dies from the explosion. The xenos then just manage to pass their morale check.
2nd Turn - Dark Eldar
Only one Razorwing jetfighter manages to arrive from reserve this turn fortunately for the Templars. The Venoms move up so the occupants will be in range of my remaining mortars. All four missiles hit the Templar Brethren but only manage to score one unsaved wound out of 24! The Venoms then finish off the mortars and the Ravagers are unable to take down the land raider... Really horrid shooting on both sides overall this turn.
The Succubus issues an alien war cry leading the Incubi into assault versus Sigismund and his brethren. One Incubi dies to Overwatch then Sigismund issues a challenge accepted by the Klaivex. The Succubus completely whiffs (heh !) then Sigismund cuts down the champion along with the remaining Incubi. The infuriated Succubus then just manages to pass her break check and sticks.
At this point despite the poor shooting things are going as well as could be expected for the Templars... But there's still at least three more turns to go and the Dark Eldar have many guns to bare.
3rd Turn - Templars
The Leviathan moves into position to shoot and charge one of them Venoms while the terminators move to use the land raider for better cover while spreading out to better mitigate enemy ranged blast attacks.
The Leviathan forces both Venom to jink with his Grav Flux Bombard and the land raider also forces one of the Ravagers to jink as well... Unfortunately neither manage to inflict any damage.
The Succubus then inflicts three unsaved wounds on Sigismund in another challenge but he then cuts her down to score Slay the Warlord and a bonus victory point due to his Warlord Trait (WLT). "Filthy xenos c#nt!" The Captain and his posse consolidate back into the cover of the nearby ruin.
3rd Turn - Dark Eldar
The Voidraven Bomber and another Razorwing Jetfighter arrive from reserve.
Some losses are inflicted amongst the terminators and Templar Brethren but they both hold true.
Things are still going well but I'm starting to slowly lose the war of attrition...
4th Turn - Templars
The Leviathan lurches over to snipe one of Venoms while Sigismund joins the terminators and the last of the Templar Brethren leap inside the ruin completely hidden from enemy line of sight. The terminators remain spread while moving slightly to gain better cover from the land raider hull.
The terminator with the plasma blaster dies from an overheat snap firing at an enemy flier but one of the combi bolters manages to glance it. The Leviathan bombards a Venom and wrecks it... Most of the Warriors die in the ensuing explosion and are pinned.
The dreadnaught then assaults and wipes out the rest of the Warriors. It then consolidates back toward the terminators for support... Over the course of four turns the Leviathan has managed to a viscous killing spree and has veered its way back into my deployment zone !
4th Turn - Dark Eldar
The Dark Eldar finally manage to wreck the land raider and the terminators suffer more losses. Hopefully I can hang on for at least another turn.
5th Turn - Templars
This could be the last turn. I'm still in the lead on points but there's not much left of my army while the xenos still have many units left and plenty of shooty. All I can really do is hunker down on my objective marker and maybe the dreadnaught can make a big play to keep me in the fight.
The Leviathan manages to destroy the last Venom and wipe out the surviving Warriors in the assault phase then consolidates ever closer to my objective marker... Unfortunately I turn him in a manner such that his rear armor will be exposed to xenos fliers arriving from ongoing reserves. : (
5th Turn - Dark Eldar
The dark kin must finally make their big move now since the game could end this turn. Two raiders full of Warriors move and flat-out such that they are within 3" of my objective marker just outside of the ruin holding it.
One lance shot to rear of the Leviathan gets through and destroys it...
That really hurt ! : (
We roll to see if there will be a sixth turn and its on !!!
6th Turn - Templars
It's all up to Sigs and the last of his terminators now... They move into position to multi assault both Raiders. Both Raiders are destroyed... One squad of Warriors is reduced to just three in the explosions while the other squad only loses three. Both squads are fearless due to the Dark Eldar special rule Power from Pain so they hold their ground.
6th Turn - Dark Eldar
Both squads of Warriors move up to contest my objective maker then Sigismund and and the last of his terminators are gunned down netting my opponent Slay the Warlord as well.
Note at this point my opponent had several units inside my deployment zone scoring Line Breaker
We roll to see if the game ends ands it's over.
FINAL SCORE
Templars:
First Blood (1)
Slay the Warlord (1)
Sigismund's Warlord Trait (1)
Emperor's Will (3) *
*Troops taken from the Real Space Raiders detachment do not have Objective Secured command benefit.
Dark Eldar:
Slay the Warlord (1)
Line Breaker (1)
Emperor's Will (3)
So a very close victory for the Templars is secured in the closing moments of the battle ! It was a real nail biter of a game... There was one last Templar Brethren in the ruin holding my objective which won me the game. Had the game gone 7th turn I'm sure I would have been tabled. It hurt to lose Sigs but he did some work. The Leviathan was my MVP blazing a trail of utter destruction across the table. The mortars did jack this game... Oh well it happens.
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