Battle for Blake V – Round One

The world of Blake V has now been created!!

The strike forces have been assembed:

Round One:

There were three objectives, marked in blue on the map below.  One is a teleporter beacon, the second is a set of generators, the third is a communications array inside an Aegis defence line.  Marines rolled for deployment and got the left hand side of the diagram, where they promptly hid the scouts in cover and the marines behind the forest area (shown in the diagram as dark green and in the photos as a white area with plastic trees on it (I know, real good terrain..)

The Eldar guardians took up position inside the defence line around the communications station, with the pathfinders and the aspect warriors behind the large hills.

Turn One

Marines:

Failed reserve roll for Assault Marines

Tactical Squad advanced 3” through cover and could not fire.

Scouts fired their heavy bolter and killed a Guardian

Eldar:

Warp Spiders jumped onto the hill near the generators and shot, killing the entire scout squad (+1 VP)

Pathfinders shot at the Tactical Marines but all missed.

Guardians fired their Starcannon at the Tactical Marines and missed.

Turn Two

Marines:

Passed reserve roll for Assault Marines!  Marines did not scatter and landed right behind the pathfinders.

Tactical Squad advanced through cover.

Assault Marines fired on the Pathfinders, causing three casualties.  Pathfinders lost their morale check and fled the table.

Tactical Marines shot at the Warp Spiders, causing two casualties.

Eldar:

Warp Spiders retreated out of sight of the marines.

Scorpions charged over the hill, all passing the dangerous terrain test to leap down the face, and into combat with the assault marines.

Guardians fired their Starcannon at the Tactical Marines and caused one casualty.

Scorpions used their 20 attacks to cause 6 wounds to the assault marines, resulting in two casualties.  The Assault marines left in range were unable to cause a wound on the Scorpions.  They failed their morale check and regrouped off the table.

Turn Three:

Tactical Marines burst through cover a massive 6”, followed by a series of controlled bolter shots which took out four Guardians.  They backed this up with a heroic 11” charge to take the fight to the Guardians and contest the objective.  While the Guardians did make a valiant attempt to snap fire, the volley of shuriken blades all whizzed by harmlessly as the power armoured bulk of the marines smashed into the Eldar.  Higher initiative did nothing to the marines, who responded by smashing all three Guardians within reach to the infinity circuit.  The rest faltered, and were caught while fleeing by the victorious marines.  Squad Decursus quickly consolidated into the communications area, taking cover behind the aeigis lines and preparing for the Eldar counter-attack.

The Aspect warriors were quick to respond, with the scorpions racing around the back of the hill towards the marines, and the Warp Spiders moving into firing range.  Strings of monofilament wire ripped through the air, engulfing the closest three marines, including the battle brother carrying the missile launcher.  The scorpions made the most of the distraction, flying towards the marines to launch into combat.  Mandible blasts, pistols and chainswords filled the air, but all of the hits were turned by the marines armour.  Stunned by the ferocity of the attack, Squad Decursus managed to miss their opponents completely before the melee piled in.

 

Turn Four:

The melee continued with the marines armour saving three near-fatal blows, the scorpions made their single save before Decursus managed to miss hitting the marines on both has attacks.

The Eldar turn saw the marines armour succeed yet again and while the battle-brothers failed to cause any wounds Decursus finally found a mark with his power fist and took down two of the Scorpions.  The Aspect warriors refused to budge though and stayed on for another round of combat.

 

Turn Five:

The scorpions finally managed to push their swords through the gaps in the marines armour, taking down two.  Decursus though took every opportunity, bringing his fist to bear on another two warriors.  In the end this round was a draw, which saw the combatants manage fight another woundless round during the Eldar turn.

 

Turn Six:

Decursus again shows why he is the senior sergeant of the company, smashing down the final scorpion.  During the elder turn the Warp Spiders have a final attempt at cleaning out the marines, but the humans armour again saves them from all fire.

 

The game ends with the Marines holding one Objective.  Bonus victory points to the Eldar for first blood and the Marines for linebreaking sees a narrow tactical win for the Marines, and the subsequent acquisition of the first tile in the war.  The bloody skirmish over, only three warriors remain on each side.

 

 

Brother-Sergeant Insequor, 8th Squad

Planetary Empires Mini-Campaign – Battle for Blake V (Part 1)

The Battle for Blake V

A planetary empires based 40k in 40 mins campaign pitting a Space Marine force against the Eldar.

The Planet

Blake V is an agri-world that produces a vast amount of food to support the Cadian Sector of space.  There is a very small inhabited area on the main continent, and the majority of food produced is harvested from edible varieties of sea weed and marine life from the enormous ocean mass.

Blake V has a single spaceport which also provides the majority of habitation for the populace.  At various times in the planet’s history there have been cites built in the vicinity of the ancient spaceport, but one was destroyed during the Great Crusade by the Word Bearers legion as they entered the sector and the second was levelled by Abbaddon during a black crusade.

While small in population, Blake V is a key element of the logistics chain supporting the military activities in the Cadian Sector in any Imperial response to Chaos.

Background

Space Marine Brief

In the early stages of response to the Black Crusade, Blake V suddenly stops providing food to the galactic left flank of the Imperial force.  In order to restart the supply, Commander Dante orders a detachment of Space Marines who are en route to the force and are travelling through the area to divert to the planet to investigate the anomaly and restart the supply of food.  A small force of marines under command of a Captain is sent to the planet.

On arrival, the marines enter the spaceport unopposed and find the entire population missing or killed.  There is no sign of the aggressor.  Astropathic orders are to identify the cause of the problem and identify what the Imperium needs to do to restart the process.

Eldar Brief

The Farseers identify a future threat which can possibly be addressed by the manipulation of the Mon’Keigh travelling through the region.  They identify that an attack on Blake V will divert a force of Space Marines from the main battle group to the region.  This will then mean that the human force will travel via a different space lane to reach the conflict zone, which presents an opportunity to lead them into a separate conflict on Mannasian III that is in the interest of the craftworld.

The Seer Council orders an Autarch to take a small strike force to the region and eliminate the human colony on Blake V.  When the marines arrive, they are to engage and delay them from being able to leave for as long as possible.

Rules

General

All battles will be of 400pts, no model with more than 2 wounds, no 2+ saves, no vehicle with total armour exceeding 33.

Battles will be conducted on a 36” by 36” square board.  Terrain on the board will be required to match the respective planetary empires tile being contested.

Blake V consists of 11 tiles, including the spaceport.

Campaign

Each side selects 1000pts for the strike force.  Only models from this force may then be used in the battles.  This 1000pts does not include the two commanders (Captain and Autarch) as neither will take to the battlefield during the campaign for Blake V.  Casualties are not cumulative, i.e. wrecking a Rhino out of the Marine inventory does not preclude it from participating in further combats.

Marines can only attack adjacent squares, starting from the spaceport. They cannot attack the same tile on two consecutive turns (if unsuccessful the first time).  Eldar do not initiate combats, but only respond to the Marine advances.

The campaign lasts a maximum of ten rounds, with one combat per round.  Successful combat is the sole determinant of tile ownership – no further roll as per the normal planetary empires rules is required.

Space Marine

Victory is achieved if the Marines gain control of six tiles other than the spaceport.

Marine force selection for the campaign is generic; they are not aware they are facing an Eldar threat.

Eldar

Victory is achieved if the Marines do not achieve control of six tiles within ten rounds of combat.

Eldar force selection is made specifically with the knowledge they are facing Marines via a hit and run campaign.