EEC 2017 preparations - Eldar

I'm testing the Codex Astartes list I put together for the upcoming EEC 2017 in Copenhagen. This is what I'm planing to bring:

Codex Astartes (NetEA Tournament Pack 2015)
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TACTICAL [450] - 6 Tacticals, Supreme Commander, Hunter, Rhinos
TACTICAL [275] - 6 Tacticals, Rhinos
PREDATOR [325] - 4 Annihilator, Hunter
SCOUT [175] - 4 Scouts, Razorback, Rhinos
SCOUT [150] - 4 Scouts, Rhinos
ASSAULT [225] - 4 Assault Units, Captain
ASSAULT [225] - 4 Assault Units, Chaplain
THUNDERHAWK [200]
WARHOUND [275] - 1 Warhound Class Titan
WARHOUND [275] - 1 Warhound Class Titan
THUNDERBOLT SQUADRON [175] - 2 Thunderbolt Fighters
MARAUDER SQUADRON [250] - 2 Maurader bombers

This time I was facing Biel-Tan Eldar. The Eldar player is one of my regular opponents and I have faced similar armies many times before, and he has helped me to design mine. So we both know what to expect and how to deal with each others formations...

Biel-Tan Craftworld (Biel-Tan Craftworld (v4.2))
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ASPECT WARRIOR WARHOST [400] - 8 Shining Spear, Exarch, Autarch
ASPECT WARRIOR WARHOST [350]  - 8 Warp Spider, 2 Exarch
GUARDIAN WARHOST [150] - Farseer, 6 Guardians, Heavy Weapon Platform
GUARDIAN WARHOST [150] - Farseer, 6 Guardians, Heavy Weapon Platform
SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE [250] - 3 Falcon, 2 Fire Storm
SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE [250] - 3 Falcon, 2 Fire Storm
RANGER TROUPE [125] - 5 Ranger
RANGER TROUPE [125] - 5 Ranger
RANGER TROUPE [125] - 5 Ranger
RANGER TROUPE [125] - 5 Ranger
PHOENIX BOMBERS [325] - 3 Phoenix Bombers
VAMPIRE RAIDER [200]
VAMPIRE RAIDER [200]
WINDRIDER TROUPE [200] - 4 Jetbikes, 2 Vyper
AVATAR

As I wrote this up I realized that there are som pictures missing from time to time. I hope you can follow the action anyway.

 

Deployment

I deployed my army fairly tight with Warhounds on each flank and Scouts garrisoned in front on overwatch. I wanted to keep everything under the air cover of both Hunters as I was expecting Phoenix Bombers to alphastrike. My Blitz is placed behind my predators and both my T&H are in the left side of the battlefield (left and right of the forest). The Eldar T&H objectives are placed just above the ruin in the lower left edge of the picture and the other one wide on my right flank. Both Assault Marine formations are loaded into the Thunderhawk.

Eldar deployment. Scouts are chained out everywhere on the Eldar side. In the deployment zone are (from the left) Falcons, Guardians, Shining Spears, more Falcons, more Guardians and the Wind Riders. The Warp Spiders are in one Vampire and the other one is empty.

 

Turn 1

E1: Eldar wins initiative and as expected the Phoenix Bombers hit the Predators. The Hunter miss it's AA but only one Predator is killed.

SM1: The Warhound on the left flank advances and, with some very precise shooting, wipes out the leftmost Ranger squad.

E2: The Rangers in the forest fails to go on Overwatch, and shoots the Scouts in front of them. One of the Scouts die.

SM2: The second Warhound advances and breaks the Rangers in the ruins behind the forest, three of them withdraws behind the ruin.

E3: A Guardian formation marches into the center ruins

SM3: The Thunderbolts go on CAP

E4: The second Guardian formation marches into the ruins the Rangers used to guard.

SM4: The Tacticals doubles forwards and places a BM on the Rangers in the forest.

E5: The Empty Vampire stands down.

SM5: The Scouts on the left engages the Rangers in the forest. Three Rangers are killed and the rest are hacked down in resolution.

E6: The Falcon group on the left advances (with SC re-roll) and takes 2 DC from a Warhound, breaking the titan. The Warhound retreats back behind a ruin in the Marine deployment zone.

SM6: The Predators double towards the Falcons but fail to do any damage.

E7: The Warp Spiders air assaults the Predators, wiping out the formation for no losses to the aspects. The consolidate towards the unbroken Warhound

SM7: The Supreme Commander doubles towards the Warp Spiders and places a BM.

E8: The Shining Spears marches towards the action on the left flank

SM8: The Assault Marines assaults the Warp Spiders. The Thunderhawk takes a DC from the Firestorms but survives. The Eldar are wiped out for no losses to the Assault Marines.

E9: On the other flank the Windriders doubles into cover from the buildings and puts a BM on the Scouts.

SM9: The Marauders immediately react to this new threat and kills one Jetbike and one Vyper in a ground attack, breaking the formation. The nearby Rangers are also clipped for two BM. The Windriders falls back towards the Marine Blitz.

 E10: The final Ranger formation fails to activate and puts a BM on the Scouts

SM10: The Scouts attempts to engage the broken Windriders, fails and removes BMs.

E11: The Falcons on the right fails and moves ahead.

End Phase

The Tunderhawk exits without incidents but one of the Marauders are shot down by the Firestorms placed to block their exit. The Vampire raider remains on the ground.

Everything rallies!

Turn 2

The Avatar is summoned into the forest where the action is.

SM1: Marines win initiative and the Supreme Commanders advances and places a BM on the Shining Spears.

SM2: The Assault Captain orders an combined assault on the aspects. As I'm writing this up I realize we made a major mistakes here. The Shining Spears managed to drag the Scouts into the engagement which should not have been possible due to the 10cm scout ZoC.

Anyways first round is brutal, 4 Spears for 5 Marines (mostly Scouts) and the Eldars are up by one. Snake eyes from the Eldar and a 1+2 from the Marines and it goes to a second round. With some very accurate firefight shots the Assault Marines manages to kill all Shining Spears in the second round! BTS to the Marines! The Scouts are wiped out and the Assault formations loose one unit each.

E1: Falcons advance and takes out all tanks from the S.C. formation

E2: The Guardians engages and wipes out the Assault Chaplain but loose their Farseer in return

E3: Finally the Avatar engages the Marine Supreme Commander in a firefight. There is a lot of 4+ support nearby and the Marines can't beat the odds this time. The formation is wiped out and the Eldar claims BTS.

SM3: The remaining Tactical formation engages the Falcons and wipes out the grav-tanks.

SM4: The Warhound retains and advances towards the landed Vampire Raider. He manages to score one DC with his Megabolter (plasma is recharging) and the air transport is broken and killed.

E4: The Phoenixes kills the second Warhound in a ground attack.

SM5: The Thunderbolts hit the rallied Wind Riders by the Marine Blitz, killing two and breaking the formation.

E5: The surviving Falcon formation doubles towards the Marine Blitz and kills the Razorback and one Rhino from the Scout formation.

SM6: The Scouts double and hack down one Jetbike.

E6: The rallied rangers on the left advances and kills the Assault Marine Captain.

SM7: The surviving Marauder stands down

E7: The Ranger formation on the right fails and moves forwards.

SM8: The Thunderhawk stands down

E8: The empty Vampire lands by the left Eldar T&H and breaks the Assault Marines with a BM. They retreat into the ruins in the center of the Marine side.

E9: Finally the remaining Guardian formation backs up to guard their Blitz.

End Phase

One Thunderbolt is lost to the Firestorms during disengage.

Everything rallies.

Turn 3

E1: Eldar win initiative and the Phoenixes hits the Tacticals, killing one Rhino and two Marines.

E2: The landed Vampire sustains on the Warhound taking out both shields.

E3: The Guardians triple retain and engages the Warhound. With some very lucky armor saves the titan repels all shurikes flying his way and wins the combat. The broken Guardians moves back into the forest.

SM1: The Scouts doubles to defend the Blitz and breaks the lone surviving Jetbike.

SM2: The Tacticals fails to marshal and are forced to move towards a T&H with all their BMs remaining.

E4: The Falcons contesting the Marine Blitz sustains fire on the nearby Scouts. The Rhino saves two hits and all AP shots miss! Very disappointed and surprised Eldars fails to claim the Blitz...

SM3: The Marauder puts a BM on the Rangers near the left Marine T&H.

E5: The Rangers puts another BM on the Tacticals and moves to contest the left Marine T&H, placing the Warhound in their ZoC.

SM4: The Thunderbolt stand down.

E6: The Blitz guard doubles to contest both Blitz and the right Marine T&H. They place another BM on the Tacticals.

SM5: The surviving Assault Marines marches over to the Warhound to help contest the left Marine T&H.

E7: The remaining Rangers fails and moves to grab the right Eldar T&H.

SM6: The Thunderhawk lands to contest the left Eldar T&H. It shoots at the Rangers to regain control of the left Marine T&H and to remove their ZoC form the Warhound. One of the Rangers die and the formation breaks.

SM7: With the last activation of turn 3 the Warhound advances towards the right Marine T&H. He manages to kill all guardians in range of the objective and thereby secures the victory for the Marines.

The End

The Marines managed to pull off a 2-1 victory with BTS and T&H. It was a very close game until the final activations of turn 3. The Eldar lost their chance to win when the Falcons failed to break the Scouts contesting the Marine Blitz. Would this have succeeded (which it should have) the Marines would have been forced to play for a draw.

Thanks to my opponent for another great game of Epic.