The previous evening my wife's cousin BBQ'd some great steak. After a night's rest, I was ready for AstroTO Day Two.
Opponent: Eric's Chaos Daemons:
Greater Daemon HQ w/ Breath of Chaos, Bellow of Endless Fury, etc.
9 Flamers of Tzeentch
15 Plaguebearers of Nurgle
15 Bloodletters of Khorne
9 stands of Nurglings
Winged Daemon Prince w/ Breath of Chaos
Again, a classic match up - The Tempest of Blades vs. Chaos Undivided!
The scenario was a real puzzler for both of us. The Attacker started off table in Reserve and could come on the west, south or east board edges. The Defender had a 24" square setup area centered on the north table edge. The Defender's general had to set up in the command bunker, and anything else could set up as well. The Defender would win 150 victory points for exiting their general off one of the Attacker's table edges - that would be enough to break a tie at the 1500 point level. Both sides would get VPs for killing things, as usual.
Eric and I agreed that either side had some real tactical challenges.
Looking at the table, I thought that if I drew "Defender" I would set up both HQs as a unit (to spread some wounds on the Autarch). Then, first turn I would move them east or west to just past the limit of the 24" setup area. Next turn, I would turbo boost, getting the Farseer off the table.
We rolled dice, and Eric won and chose Defender. He further chose to set up everything on the table, in a series of ranks. It was certainly weird seeing daemons all set up on the table before the start of a game.
We decided that the Daemons had come in, trashed the planetary defense forces, and were enjoying themselves when the Eldar decided to show up and spoil their party.
The two Dire Avenger squads showed up first. Moving only 6" the all-shuriken-cannon Wave Serpent opened up on the Flamers of Tzeentch, killing 3 - they were a priority target, since their flames would automatically cause unsavable wounds and could cause glancing hits on vehicles.
The Daemons started sending everyone east, with the exception of the Flamers and daemon Prince, who advanced south.
Next turn, only the Farseer and Autarch showed up, moving behind hard cover. Obviously, more practice battle drill was required. More shots were poured into the Flamers, killing another three. The Daemon's General kept running towards the eastern table edge. Krak missiles just bounced off his hide.
As the Greater Daemon kept running, the Daemon Prince, Nurgling and Flamers advanced south. The Tzeentch daemons' breath hit and glanced a Wave Serpent, taking off a turret.
The rest of the Swordwind finally decided to show up. After a very eventful shooting phase (a couple of Wave Serpents, Warp Spiders, Fire Dragons, and a double Bladestorm), the Daemon Prince and over half the Nurglings were gone. The Autarch charged the Flamers, leaving only one left alive.
The Greater Daemon made it off the board, whereupon the Bloodletters and Plague Bearers started running south. The last of the Flamers fell, but the Nurglings kept the Autarch locked in close combat as the rest of the Eldar mounted up and/or moved off west.
After killing the Daemon Prince, the Flamers of Tzeentch and over half the Nurglings, the Eldar had racked up over 600 VPs. Even if the Autarch died, the Eldar had scored enough to win, despite the Daemon general's successful exit.
The Farseer led the rest of her forces west, skirmishing at the extreme range of vehicle weaponry, running out the clock.
The Autarch was last seen bravely fighting against overwhelming odds, as the Bloodletters engulfed him with their hacking blades:
Result: Eldar Victory
Click
here for Game Five.
