Prison for Gods - The Assault on Hive Zhugate

The Black Scorpions had officially taken over Hive Zhugate. The streets were quiet and desolate. The citizens hiding in their homes and dwellings in fear. If the Scorpions were here... war was coming. 

                                                                                                    Turn   1  2  3  4  5  6
Maelstrom of War - 2000 pts - Deadlock (Tactical objectives going:  6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 )

Team Scorpions - Rottimus

The Black Scorpions had brought a stalker formation, quad mortars, scouts in land speeder storms and two tactical squads in drop pods. A grav cannon devastator squad would also be joining. Zaitus Wraithsbane (telion) would be present with 10 sniper scouts. A fire raptor would be providing overwatch. A newly painted terminator librarian would be providing guidance.

Team Iybraesil - Wimaro

The Eldar had a wraith knight, wraithguard, snipers, jet bikes and warp spiders. 3 falcons in a cloudstrike formation with dire avengers would be coming in from deepstrike along with 3 crimson hunter fighter jets.

 Turn 1

Wimaro deployed first and was forced to go first by me. He would have a large portion of his army in reserve so the first turn would be minimal. He moved forward agressively. He removed two hull points from a stalker with his bikes.

He claimed objective 5 and Ascendency D3, rolling a 1. 2 victory points

Librarian of Doom!

The Battle Line

Objective secured!

With a flexible army and decent shooting it was time to unleash the trap! Ackbar style! My turn one was brutal (as usual) My grav devastators came howling down along with tactical flamer squad. I got good objective cards too. My land speeder storm that had infiltrated the eldar rear moved out to cause damage. The tacticals landed in the Eldar deployment in an effort to take away an objective.

The trap was sprung. My grav cannons took 4 wounds off the wraith knight. The snipers with Wraithsbane took another. The final blow was 12 quad mortars firing sundering anti tank shells at the frame of the wraithknight. Blow after blow rocked the beast.

The towering wraith construct marched forward, it's hull cracked and ruined but still it came. Librarian Galvus lifted his great axe and bellowed. ''Fire!'' The vicious cannons erupted sending high calibre shells smashing into the beast. Each hit knocking the creature a step back. Each causing terrible damage. Finally, with a terrible groan the thing collasped to the ground, a smoking ruin.

The warp spiders lost 3 men from the flames of the tactical squad and 3 jet bikes were shot down too.

I'd scored obj 1 & 2, gained 'Swift Advance', Supremacy D3 (2) and first blood. A good start!

End of turn 1: Eldar 2, Imperials 6

Surrounded!

The field is cleared!

Turn 2

The harsh loss of the wraith knight would be avenged. 2 fighter jets zoomed in. The cloudstrike formation landed perfectly behind my lines and dire avengers sallied forth. The Eldar had their own trap to spring!

Before this though, the stalkers tracked their targets, bringing the Exarch Crimson Hunter crashing  to the ground on top of a wraithguard, crushing it. The other fighter escaped with only a hull point being lost.

Pulse beams erupted and bright lances fired. Two stalkers were vapourised killing a marine and a dire avenger in the ensuing explosions. The dire avengers themselves killed an assault squad and 3 members of the artillery squad along with a cannon. Twas a hammer blow but the game wasn't over by any stretch. The Eldar scored only 1 point, assasinate!

My fire raptor managed to come in from reserver and promptly gunned down the enemy fighter jet! it also strafed the two remaining bikes with heavy bolter turrets (independent firing)

Shot down!

I again drew good cards. I focussed on getting the cards. I had to shoot down a plane (done), I had to take a few objectives (possible) and kill as many units as possible (take no prisoners) I focussed on the units I could kill. The dire avengers were pummeled by return fire and the remaning quad mortars killed the squad the enemy autarch warlod was with leaving her open to assault.  My remaining assault squad destroyed a falcon and took 2 hull points off the other.

10 scouts and Telion charged the Autarch!

The young initiates scrambled over the ruins and dived into a wild melee with the lithe eldar leader. She was quick, quickly decapitating a marine with a deft strike. The sheer numbers of blades slashing and stabbing were too many. Some found their mark, weakining her further before a wild slash opened her throat. Insipid red blood gushed out and she fell backwards, gurgling her last filthy alien words.

Slay the Warlord! I'd scored obj 4 & 6, scoured the skies and got 2 for no prisoners.

End of turn 2:
Eldar 3
Imperials 11

 Turn 3

The Eldar had suffered as their gamble at the rear had not paid off. With their forces dwindling and the marines holding fast Wimaro focused on objectives earning the 2 that he could accomplish. Wrath of Khaine (charge a unit) and he took objective 2. His shooting was unlucky this turn as his falcons missed or failed to penetrate. His crimson hunter could not penetrate the armour of the fire raptor. His warp spider attempted a charge against the flamer tactical but were bathed in flame. I scored 2 wounds and he promptly failed his 2 3+ armour saves like only Wimaro can.

Outnumbered and under pressure.

Highway to the....

DANGER ZONE!

At this point we didn't continue the game. My raptor would shoot down the crimson fighter, the remaning avengers would have a tough time with the forces arrayed against them and the Eldar back line had marines crawling all over the place.

Final score: 12 - 5  Imperial Victory!

Conclusion

Well... This was brutality from both sides. While the victory looks strong for the Black Scorpions and keeping in mind the propganda effect, this was no easy battle. The falcons dropping in at the rear blew up 2 tanks, and killed 8 marines and an artillery piece. The power generator the Black Scorpions had helped me greatly. My losses would have been greater were it not for that piece of archeotech. In the end Wimaro was happy with his performance overall. The Hive of Zhugate would not fall this day! Fun game.

Commander Azeron surveyed the damage. He'd arrived just after the conclusion of the battle. As the Black Scorpions landed the Eldar had attempted a daring raid, an assault aimed at taking the city. The dead bodies were piled high and the wrecks of the eldar tanks a testament to the stiff resistance put up by the Black Scorpions. 'We do not break' thought Azeron to himself.... He wondered why the Eldar would attempt something so foolish... Nest was crawling with filth, Dark Eldar, Traitrous heretics, tyranids. Time would tell thought Azeron.... Time... will... tell.