After probing the Eldar lines, the Eldar struck decisively and dealt the Arcadians a devastating blow. Now the Eldar would move to press their advantage. The objective of the Eldar attack would be the ruins of an old building in the Cyclades wilderness. The Arcadian forces amassed a sizable force to meet the assault.
Imperial Guard Forces: abyrne
Eldar Forces: Darkwing
Forces
| Imperial Guard (E Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment) | |
| Command HQ with Captain and Preacher (5) | 171 |
| Command Section (5) | 45 |
| Infantry Squad (10) | 73 |
| Infantry Squad (10) | 88 |
| Command Section (5) | 45 |
| Infantry Squad (10) | 83 |
| Infantry Squad (10) | 73 |
| Stormtroopers (10) | 155 |
| Leman Russ Battle Tank | 145 |
| Leman Russ Battle Tank | 140 |
| Chimera | 80 |
| Total Points: 1018 | |
| Eldar | |
| Farseer (1) | 121 |
| Striking Scorpions (7) | 133 |
| Fire Dragons (6) | 85 |
| Guardian Defender Squad with Warlock (21) | 207 |
| Guardian Storm Squad with Warlock (6) | 99 |
| Rangers (5) | 95 |
| Dark Reapers (3) | 111 |
| Swooping Hawks with Exarch (6) | 152 |
| Total Points: | 1003 |
Turn 1The Imperial Guard has set up a multi-tiered line in what was proving to be the classic Arcadian defense tactic. A pair of Leman Russ main battle tanks anchored the position, surrounded by two platoons of infantry. The Company Commander, Captain Byrne, was on his way in his Chimera, and he had a unit of Stormtroopers in reserve as well.
The Eldar advanced onto the battlefield in two groups. One, consisting of the Fire Dragons, Striking Scorpions, and Storm Squad, would attempt to advance through the trees on the right. The other would attempt a more direct assault on the Imperial Guard's position with the Guardian Defender Squad, led personally by the Farseer, and under the cover provided by the Rangers and the Dark Reapers.
The Rangers fired first, killing a single guardsman while to their left the Dark Reapers settled into their firing positions. The Swooping Hawks advanced onto the field and took aim with their lasblasters. The laser bolts shot out and smashed into the Imperial Guard center, killing seven guardsmen with the first volley.
In response the Imperial Guard stolidly held their position and returned fire. The first shot, by a guardsman with a plasma gun, went dreadfully wrong as the plasma gun overheated and exploded in the guardsman's face, killing him. One infantry squad took aim at the Guardian Defenders on their right flank, and their fire killed two of them. Then both Leman Russes opened fire with their battlecannon, and the huge shells exploded about the guardians, killing six more.
Turn 2
The Eldar continued their advance, under the covering fire of the Rangers and the Dark Reapers. The Rangers picked off a pair of guardsmen, while the Dark Reapers killed three more. The Farseer attempted to cast Eldritch Storm on the guardsmen, and succeeded in killing two of them, but he also suffered an attack directly from the warp! Surprised, the Farseer struggled to fend off the attack and luckily he succeeded. In the center, the Swooping Hawks fired and killed two more guardsmen, thereby completely wiping out one of the Infantry Squads.
As the Imperial Guard prepared to fire their second volley, the Stormtroopers arrived on the battlefield from above, using their grav-chutes to land. Unfortunately for them, the vagaries of the winds blow them slightly off target, and they were not in range to begin firing.
The other guardsmen opened up, and an autocannon tore into the Defender Squad, killing two. Both battlecannons barked out again, killing four more guardians. The sheer weight of fire was pulverizing the unit, but the attention given them was providing time for the rest of the army to advance. A Heavy Bolter rang out and managed to kill three of the Swooping Hawks, and the unit began to fall back.
Turn 3
The Swooping Hawks regrouped while the rest of the Eldar Army continued their advance. The Storm Squad moved into the woods, while the Striking Scorpions moved up behind them.
The Dark Reapers opened fire again, and killed three more guardsmen, while the Rangers killed three more. The Farseer, advancing with the Guardian Defender Squad, unleashed Eldritch Storm on the guardsmen and nearest Leman Russ, killing two guardsmen and spinning the tank somewhat, resulting in the tank facing directly at the Guardian Defenders.
An autocannon from an infantry squad killed one of the Guardian Defenders, and then both battlecannon from the Leman Russes opened fire one after another, both shells landing square in the middle of the Guardian Defenders. When the smoke cleared, three Defenders were dead, and the Farseer's broken body lay among the craters. The Warlock and the last two surviving Defenders of a squad that orginally numbered 21 in size, ground their teeth in anger, and refused to fall back. They would wreak their revenge in Arcadian blood.
On the Imperial Guard left flank, the Stormtroopers opened up on the Guardian Storm Squad, killing four of them.
Turn 4The Eldar attack was beginning to falter, but they pressed ahead anyway, desperate to reach the Arcadian lines. The last two Guardian Defenders opened fire on a guardsman Command Section, killing one of them, while the Warlock killed another by throwing his Singing Spear. Taking aim at another unit, the Dark Reapers killed two guardsmen, the Rangers killed four, and the Swooping Hawks one more, nearly wiping out the unit.
The Warlock led the two Defenders into close combat with the two survivors of an infantry squad, and managed to kill one of them, and the last survivor fell back in retreat.
Finally the Chimera, carrying the Company HQ unit, arrived on the battlefield. It pulled up directly in front of the Fire Dragons, who were lurking in the woods on the Imperial Guard left flank, and the Command Squad poured out to attack. The Chimera's multi-laser killed one fire Dragon, while, the Command Squad's lasguns killed one more. Leaping into close combat, the Command Squad killed another Fire Dragon, while Captain Byrne killed the last two with his Power Fist.
The Stormtroopers fired upon the Swooping Hawks, killing two and leaving the Exarch as the last survivor. A Heavy Bolter raked across the Warlock and his two Guardian Defenders, killing both Defenders. The Warlock, fire in his eyes, charged towards the Leman Russ, brandishing his Singing Spear.
Turn 5The Dark Reapers opened fire again, killing three members from a Command Section, while the Rangers moved into better firing positions. The Swooping Hawk Exarch shot two members of the Command HQ unit. The Guardian Storm Squad, now consisting of only the Warlock and one Guardian, killed another member of the Command HQ before charging towards a Leman Russ. The Guardian jammed a Haywire grenades into a chink in the tank's armor and it went off, setting off malfunctions in the vehicle's drivetrain and immobilizing it.
The other Leman Russ spun in place to face down the Warlock who was the last survivor of the Defender Squad, and gunned him down with a Heavy Bolter. The Storm Troopers and a Heavy Bolter opened fire on the Eldar Rangers, killing four of them. The Command HQ charged at the Warlock and Storm Squad Guardian. While the Guardian attempted to destroy the tank, the Warlock faced Captain Byrne. The Guardian succeeded in damaging the tank's turret mechanism, and the Warlock wounded the Captain.
Turn 6
Scanning the battlefield and seeing almost no Eldar on the field, the last surviving Ranger fell back to fight again. The Dark Reapers, spying that one of the Leman Russes had left its weak rear armor exposed towards them, opened fire with their Reaper Launchers and destroyed the tank with multiple hits.
In the Close combat, Captain Byrne killed both the Warlock and the last Storm Guardian. The Striking Scorpions were still well out of range, leaving the Arcadian forces in command of the field.
Conclusion
Their attack blunted, the Eldar are now forced to go on the defensive as more Arcadian troops arrive and throw their weight into the battle.
February 11, 2002
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