The Battle of the Denfeld Wastes - Part One

So with all this painting of Eldar lately, The Girl's been getting interested in 40K and her own Aeldari forces. Excited enough that she started reading some of the Black Library novels she picked up a while ago and even went halfsises with me on a big lot of Eldar a local dude was selling. She's been busily prepping and priming her new acquisitions the last few days and then, on the weekend, actually asked if we could play a game - well, I knew to strike while the iron was hot and set up a game for us on Monday evening...

SITUATION

4.347.019.M42- Xoxigar Secondus

An Aquila Lander has crashed in the Denfeld Wastes. Artifacts acquired by the Deathwatch - the Chamber Militant of the Inquisition's Ordos Xenos - were aboard. Items of vital importance to the Inquisition and the safety of the Imperium! As the 5th Company, 382nd Tallarn (Desert Raider) Regiment were the closest imperial forces stationed near the crash site they were tasked with securing the site until members of the Inquisition could be brought in to secure the cargo.

Upon arrival at the crash site, they realized they were not the only ones interested in the cargo that was aboard the Aquila Lander. A number of the Relics were stolen from the Thaestalyrdaes craft world - including the spirit stone of a Wraithknight - and they wanted their stuff back!


SCENARIO

The scenario we played was the Retrieval scenario - straight out of the Warhammer 40,000 (8th Edition) Core Rulebook. There were four objective markers on the table (cargo from the crashed Lander) whoever controlled each objective marker gained three victory points (in addition to one each for First Blood, Slaying the Warlord, and Linebreaker)


FORCES

5th Company, 382nd Tallarn (Desert Raider) Regiment 

Brigade Detachment (+12 Command Points)

HQ
Company Commander (Captain Abdul Alhazred) - 2PL
- Warlord -
Company Commander (Lt. Anwar Al’Saphira - 1st Platoon) - 2 PL
Company Commander (Lt. Ibrahim Kirdar - 2nd Platoon) - 2 PL

Troops
Infantry Squad (10) (1 Section,  1 Platoon) - 3 PL
Infantry Squad (10) (2 Section, 1  Platoon) - 3 PL
Infantry Squad (10) (3 Section, 1  Platoon) - 3 PL
Infantry Squad (10) (1 Section, 2  Platoon) - 3 PL
Infantry Squad (10) (2 Section, 2  Platoon) - 3 PL
Infantry Squad (10) (3 Section,  2 Platoon) - 3 PL

Elites
Command Squad (4) (CHQ) - 2PL
Command Squad (4) (1PHQ) - 2PL
Special Weapon Squad (6) (Sniper Section) - 2PL

Fast Attack
Scout Sentinel (Attached from Regimental Scout Company) - PL 3
Roughriders Squad (5) (Attached from Regimental Mounted Company) - PL 3
Roughriders Squad (5) (Attached from Regimental Mounted Company) - PL 3

Heavy Support
Heavy Weapon Squad (3 Mortar Teams)
Heavy Weapon Squad (3 Mortar Teams)
Leman Russ Punisher (attached from #2 (Arkan) Troop, 2 Squadron 451st Tallarn Tank Regiment) - 10 PL

Total PL 56
Total Command Points: 15


Battlehost of the Thaestalyrdaes Craftworld 

Supreme Commmand Detachment (+1 Command Point)

HQ
Jain Zar - PL7
Avatar of Khaine - PL 13
Autarch (Eilano Ialolys) - PL 4
- Warlord -

Elites
Howling Banshees (5) - PL 3


Patrol Detachment (+0 Command Point)

HQ
Farseer (Ja'ade) - PL 6
Warlock (Mesamaenes) - PL 2

Troops
Guardian Defenders (10) - PL 5
Rangers (5) - PL 3

Elites
Wraithblades (5) - PL 10

Fast Attack
Swooping Hawks (5) - PL 3

Total Power Level: 56
Total Command Points: 4


THE GAME



The field one battle was set out, sides picked, forces deployed.



The Girl, having finished deploying first, chose to go first. Without thinking I chose to attempt to seize the initiative and actually rolled a six! Part of me was thinking I probably SHOULD have let her take the first turn, as she had very little shooty stuff and Alpha Smite wouldn't have been a big deal... and that way she might have advanced into closer range for when I got to shoot in my first turn...



The view from the Tallarn side of the table.

The 3rd Squad of each platoon was put under direct control of Captain Abdul Alhazred - the Company Commander.



The view from the Aeldari side of the table. The Eldar also had Rangers set up in Ambush and Swooping Hawks.

I also had by Roughriders out "Flanking" and three other units (Lt. Ibrahim Kirdar - commander of  2nd Platoon, and two of his infantry squads) made use of the Tallarn stratagem to be in "ambush"


ROUND ONE - ASTRA MILITARUM



The Tallarn move out to seize the remains of the precious cargos in the crash site - under the watchful eye of the Aeldari.



3rd Squad, 2nd Platoon, under Sergeant Hasnawi, struck out on the right flank to secure a chest they spotted in the dusty sand. The Sniper section, under Corporal Nassar, scaled a rocky outcrop to provide cover for the advancing Tallarn.



Following the Scout Sentinel (piloted by Guardsman Saleh of the Regimental Scout Company), Lt. Anwar Al’Saphira lead the first two squads of First Platoon over to another section of the ruined Aquila Lander to secure another crate.

As they infantry advance they began firing on the Xenos in the distance. Their fire was largely ineffective. The covering fire from the two supporting mortar squads was devastating! The Squad of Guardian Defenders lost a few and the Squad of Howling Banshees was utterly wiped out (First Blood - +1 Victory Point to me!)

The Leman Russ Punisher hammered on the squad of Wraithblades, but for all it's 49 shots, only one was taken out of action (and another wounded) - DAMN! They are TOUGH!!


ROUND ONE - AELDARI



The Avatar of Khaine slowly strode towards the left of the Tallarn line - bolts of arcane energy spewed forth from Suin Daellae, the Wailing Doom - the Avatars gigantic blade. They struck Guardsman Saleh's Scout Sentinel, severely damaging it!



The Phoenix lord, Jain Zar, pranced across the dunes towards the right of the Tallarn Line. One of 3rd Squad, 2nd Platoon, dropped after a bolt of arcane energy was unleashed upon them by Ja'ade, the Farseer. Jain Zar followed up by hurling Jainas Mor - "Silent Death" - at the squad, cutting down two more.



Then she charged Sergeant Hasnawi and the remaining members of the squad. Three more were cut down in the ensuing melee.



The Phoenix Lord was simply untouchable - though they piled in to surround Jain Zar, whenever, wherever the Tallarn tried to strike she suddenly wasn't there.


ROUND TWO - ASTRA MILITARUM



Lt. Ibrahim Kirdar and two of his infantry squads from 2nd platoon, arrived in the rear of the Aeldari positions, bringing fire down on the Guardians watching over some of the Lander's precious cargo.



A half-Squad of roughriders from the Regimental Mounted Company, under Corporal Maalouf charged in on the flank - heading straight for the Avatar of Khaine!



Another Roughriders Squad led by Sergeant Wazir charged in on the other flank.



Sergeant Hasnawi led the remaining members of 3rd Squad, 2nd Platoon away from the fearful Phoenix Lord. The sharpshooters of the Sniper Section covering their retreat!



The Punisher continued to pour fire down on the Wraithblades, finishing off a second one and damaging a third.



While Corporal Maalouf's section was a little reluctant to charge the walking mountain of molten metal that is the Avatar of Khaine, Sergeant Wazir's section charged headlong into Eilano Ialolys - the Autarch leading the Aeldari Battlehost.



Ja'ade, the Farseer, came to her Autarch's aid. Though the Autarch was grievously injured, she and the Farseer managed to  cut down two of riders.

The remaining Guardian Defender failed morale and left the table - escorting wounded and dead back towards the web way gate from whence they have arrived. Two infantry squads and both mortar squads had poured all of their fire into that squad of Guardian Defenders and completely failed to take them out.


ROUND TWO - AELDARI 



The Avatar of Khaine lumbered towards the Tallarn tank - while unleashing another blast from the Wailing Doom, which finished off the Scout Sentinel. Guardsman Saleh was able to bail out of the flaming wreck just in time!



the Avatar then charged the Tank, which spewed a fury of bolt shells at the hulking monstrosity - but with little effect...



The Avatar then cleaved the tank in two with the Wailing Doom!



Yeah, The Girl was pretty darned pleased with this...



The melee between the two Aeldari war leaders and the Roughriders continued. The rest of the riders were eventually cut down...

Also the Aeldari Rangers sprung their ambush - bringing fire down upon Lt. Ibrahim Kirdar and his two squads from 2nd platoon - just as they were starting to come out of the cover, thinking they'd finished off the rear guard and were safe to advance on the cargo they Guardians were defending. Lt. Ibrahim Kirdar was injured in the attack, but his refractor field saved him from most of the Rangers brutal fire.



The Swooping Hawks arrived from on high, bombing the infantry squad by the Tallarn Company commander, killing one of the guardsmen. They then let loose a fury of lasblaster shots which took down one whole squad of Mortars and then later charged the second Mortar Squad!



Jain Zar bounded past the Squad she'd previously engaged - leaving them for the trailing Wraithblades to finish off - and made for the commander of the Tallarn Company!



"Silent Death" cut down two of his Command Squad as she approached.



Then she charged the Captain and cut him down with Zhai Morenn -  the "Blade of Destruction"!



The Squad to his left (3rd Section, 1st Platoon, lead by Sergeant Hamid) made a brave but ultimately futile attempt to fight off the Phoenix Lord.

The remains of the Command Squad later failed their morale test and left the table. Presumably their grabbed their injured commander and squad mates and made for safety... somewhere... while Zar was occupied with 3rd Section.



The relentless shambling Wraithblades caught up with the remains of 3 section...



...and utterly shredded them...

We got started a bit late and at the end of the second round it was getting close to bed time, so we called it a night, but left the game set up to finish off tomorrow - stay tuned for the epic conclusion of the Battle of the Denfeld Wastes tomorrow!

Well... if she wasn't stoked to get working on her Eldar again before, she SURE IS NOW! Things looked pretty grim in Round One when I utterly annihilated the Howling Banshees right off the start and took out a few Guardians... But things are starting to shift and I'm not so sure the Guard's numbers will prevail!

I think she is starting to see the value of Troops (being able to field a Battalion and getting some COMMAND POINTS). She does have 2-3 squads of Dire Avengers to paint up and a second Squad of Rangers. Of course the hard-hitting Wraithblades were pretty awesome... I am not looking forward to her completing her Wraithlord or Wraithknight!


Coming Soon to Tim's Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Part Two of the Battle of the Denfeld Wastes! Who will recover the precious cargo from the crashed Aquila Lander? What will the outcome spell for the fate of the Xoxigar System?!