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Iron Gauntlet 4th Challenge


Lysimachus

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Well, not really posted in this forum before so hope this makes sense! As part of the Iron Gauntlet Challenges, I recently played a game with my Iron Gods against my brother’s Eldar Iyanden Spirit Host. The following is an account of what happened.

 

Lists:

 

Iron Gods (SW 1,000pts)

 

HQ

Talek Varn (c-a Logan Grimnar) 275

 

Troops

Iron Gods Veterans (c-a Wolf Guard)

4 in TDA 212

TH/SS, HF/WC, FB/SS, SB/CF

 

1 in PA (joins IG1) 43

Combi-M, PF

 

Iron Gods 1 (c-a GH x9) 165

Melta Gun, (Wolf) Standard, PW

 

Iron Gods 2 (c-a GH x10) 175

Plasma Gun x2, PW

 

Heavy Support

Iron Gods 3 (c-a LF x6) 130

HB x2, ML x3

 

Vs.

 

Iyanden Eldar 1,000pts

 

HQ

Farseer 120

Spirit Stones, Doom, Guide

 

Troops

Dire Avengers x10 235

In Wave Serpent, Scatter Lasers

 

10 Wraithguard 396

Warlock, Spiritseer, Enhance

 

10 Guardians 95

Scatter Laser

 

Heavy Support

Wraithlord 155

ML, Bright Lance

 

 

 

Deployment

 

We rolled for the game, got Annihilation and Pitched Battle. My brother won the roll for first turn and chose to deploy first. Table layout and both of our deployments are shown on the map below:

 

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd11/simoncherylm/map.jpg

 

I managed to steal the initiative so I got first turn! :D

 

 

Turn 1 (Iron Gods)

 

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL92/9374494/17143183/391956661.jpg

 

Both IG 1 and 2, as well as Talek Varn and his TDA squad moved forwards and ran to get closer to the enemy. IG1 ended up just behind the cover provided by the pipeline, IG2 was in cover behind the corner wall and the Terminators were just short of the crashed lander’s cockpit section.

 

IG 3 shot, choosing to split fire, the missile launchers took a single wound from the Wraithlord and the heavy bolters killed two of the Guardians.

 

 

Turn 1 (Iyanden)

 

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL92/9374494/17143183/391956667.jpg

 

The Wraithlord, Wraithguard and Warlock led by the Farseer moved forwards to between the double crater and the lander wing, a few inches away from the opposite side of the pipeline to IG1. The Wave Serpent also sped forward and disgorged the Dire Avengers in between the silos and double crater. All of these units were now easily in range of IG1, which my brother proceeded to Doom with his Farseer (he also guided the Wraithguard). Oh dear. :D

 

By some fluke of the dice, it wasn’t quite as bad as I was expecting though. Somehow three of the basic troopers and the melta gunner managed to survive the massive firestorm, although (understandably) they fell back. Thankfully, however, this was a full 12” so they got clean away and would have a chance to rally next turn!

 

Only other shooting was the Guardians scatter laser at IG3, which managed to kill the squad leader.

 

Still no assaults.

 

 

Turn 2 (IG)

 

The remnants of IG1 managed to rally and again they, IG2 and Talek Varn and his squad all moved towards the Eldar. Varn’s TDA squad had to make a difficult terrain test to cross the wreckage of the lander’s cockpit but thankfully they got far enough across to be in assault range!

 

This turn’s movement also brought IG1 back into rapid-fire bolter and melta range of the Dire Avengers and they killed two. Shooting from IG2’s bolt pistols killed another two.

 

IG3, having lost the ability to split fire, decided to target the Guardian squad. Three unbelievably accurate frag missiles later (two hits and one scatter of 1”, causing no less than 15 hits!) and the entire squad had been wiped from the table!

 

In the assault phase, Talek Varn and his Terminators charged the Wraithguard, Warlock and the accompanying Farseer; while IG2 charged the Dire Avengers around the back of the silos. I also declared I was using the ‘Living Legend’ rule as both combats were within 18” of Varn.

 

IG2 performed impressively, making all their saves and completely wiping out the six remaining Aspect warriors, the marine with the power weapon doing particularly well and slaughtering three by himself!

 

In the other combat, the Farseer struck first but failed to hit. I decided Varn would be better off using his power fist so the Warlock and his enhanced (+1 I) Wraithguard went next, taking out the frost blade/storm shield and heavy flamer/wolf claw Terminators. Then it was the Iron Gods turn to strike back. Varn attacked first, successfully using his ‘Preferred Enemy’ re-roll to hit and destroy four of the Eldar constructs! The renegade with the chainfist struck next, killing the Warlock and three more Wraithguard. Finally the thunder hammer/storm shield marine lashed out, executing the final two Wraithguard and the Farseer, who unluckily failed the single inv. save he was required to make and died from Instant Death!

 

In the space of a few minutes, we had somehow gone from being 0/0 in kill points to 4/0 in my favour! :)

 

 

Turn 2 (Iyanden)

 

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL92/9374494/17143183/391956666.jpg

 

With his forces basically in tatters, my brother moved to salvage whatever he could, pulling the Wave serpent back and targeting IG2 with its scatter laser. Unfortunately for him, the dice weren’t any kinder than they had been before and no marines were killed.

 

The wraithlord shot both his weapons at Talek Varn and his remaining men, but without the guiding presence of his living companions, both shots failed to hit. Enraged, the giant construct charged into combat, directing all his attacks against the lord of the Iron Gods. Varn held back, waiting for the right moment to engage his power fist once more. Three mighty blows struck the pirate master and I worriedly rolled his inv. saves. Two wounds were caused but thankfully one remained!

 

Varn struck back first, determined to show his men why he was the master and they the followers. His power fist lashed out brutally and the Eldar machine crumpled slowly to the ground, ruined beyond repair.

 

 

Turn 3 (IG)

 

With only the Wave serpent left to target and only IG2 in range, the two special weapon marines rapid-fired with their plasma guns. Three of the four shots hit and a single ball of glowing plasma penetrated the power field that protected the alien hull. I rolled for damage, wondering if I might have successfully tabled my poor brother in three turns… a five, Destroyed! Total victory!

 

(The rest of the evening was punctuated by good natured ribbing, half-whispered calls of ‘Tabled!’ ‘Tabled!’, to which my bro would respond ‘Broken list!’ ‘Broken list!’)

 

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL92/9374494/17143183/391956663.jpg

 

 

Conclusions

 

Well, a few things about the game:

First, I have to say that the dice were very kind to me on several occasions, in particular making far more saves than I had any right to!

 

Secondly, to be fair, while both our lists were more ‘fluffy’ than properly competitive, I think mine may have had a slight edge because GH and LF are such good units? Also, neither of us are exactly experienced players so I wonder if I again had a bit of an advantage because Marines (of any kind) are in many ways an easier army to play with than Eldar?

 

Thirdly, Talek Varn/Logan Grimnar is an absolute monster, who made a massive difference in both close combats with his ‘Living Legend’ and ‘Preferred Enemy’ rules, as well as personally killing four Wraithguard, and the Wraithlord in single combat. I was worried that he might be a waste of points in such a small game but I think perhaps because my brother’s units presented such a large and obvious target in the centre of the battlefield, he was well worth having.

 

Well, anyway, thanks very much for reading, hope you enjoyed it half as much as we did! Finally, have to say thanks to my brother for being such an excellent opponent and a good sport, even when the dice turned against him!

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Nah..., well..., I suppose some of them probably are...?

 

 

 

If that's piqued your curiosity, check out the first link in my sig to their Index Traitoris article!

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