[Epic] Battle Report

From: Elias Tiliakos <elite_at_...>
Date: Mon, 2 Mar 98 16:19:04 EST

Ok, this is the belated battle report from the game I played at Andy
Skinner's place last weekend. First off, I played the Hordes of Green(TM),
while Andy played a combined SM/Eldar force. Points limit set at 2500.
So, needless to say, I got a lot of stuff (split up into about 6 detatchments).
We played a Dawn Assault? (the third scenario in the Battles Book, anyway).
We set up the terrain, and then rolled off to see who was the defender, and
also to see who would set up on which side of the table.
MAP:

_____________________________________________________________________

   Hills Hills Hills
                     Cliffs--------Cliffs
                            Hills

               Forest Forest




        Forest Fort ----Razor Wire----

                      City City City Ruins Ruins
______________________________________________________________________

Well, it was about that, anyway... :)

So, as the rolls turned out, I was to be the defender, and I got the low
ground with City/Ruins. This game was pretty much an introduction to
E40K for the other two guys (Paul and Andy L.)who were there. Paul was
commanding the Orks with me, and Andy L. was commanding the SM portion
of Andy S.'s combined army. As it was an introductory game, we decided
to play without the hidden setup rules. BIG MISTAKE! This scenario
doesn't work well without it, we would find out. I had to set up first,
and I also had to use the reserves rule. Imagine my horror when only one
out of six detats (two of which were gargants) showed up! It was a big
mixed infantry, big gun, and transport detat. We (Paul and I) decided
to set it up in the midst of the buildings in the city, effectively
claiming 4 out of 5 of our objectives (which were by default all Cleanse).
These didn't do much for us, though. The first turn, a bunch of SM
dropped from THawks landed in the ruins to the side of the city. The
THawks, however, could not shoot due to miscalculation of range (damn
targeters were on the fritz!). But they still dropped about 10 or 12
SM tac units and a librarian on our right flank. Fire was exchanged,
the SM and the Eldar army rumbled forward, but nothing much else happened
that turn. There were few casualties that first turn.

Second turn, I let Paul roll for reserves, and we got 4 out the 5 remaining
detats! Paul rolled all of the dice from then on. :) The one ork detat
that had come on in turn one went on overwatch (as it had in the previous turn,
IIRC). A KOS came in and got into position behind the fort to the left of
the city. A big stompa/infantry detat moved onto the board to try to get
rid of the SM tacs in the ruins, and the MegaG and a Slasha came in, the
MegaG going straight up the middle of the table, right through the city,
and the Slasha angling left toward the fort. A bunch more of the SM tacs
in the ruins got knocked off, but did a fair amount of damage themselves.
My stompa detachment in the ruins went on overwatch, as did the detachment
in the city. On second thought, though, I should have had the stompa
detachment assault, because the SM would have surely broken to the ensuing
firefight. Oh well.

So, at this point, both the stompa detat and the mobile artillery detat (in
the city) were hurting, the stompa one moreso. The SM and Eldar continued their
advance, but otherwise the turn was quiet.

Third turn, the THawks came in for a second run, taking out a sizeable chunk
of what was left of the stompa detat. The MegaG rumbled forward in an attempt
to get something in its HWB's fire arc and range so that a Krooz Missul could
be shot at the Scorpions (three of them) on the hill directly ahead. BIG
MISTAKE! One thing I learned the hard way is that though the Mega Gargant can
take quite a beating, especially when it has a Warlord in it (automatic max
shields are kinda nice, no?), IT CANNOT DEAL WITH THAT MUCH FIREPOWER!!! Well,
massed AT shots, anyway. Those damn scorpions managed to take it down to about
3 DC, and then one of the shots was a critical. In less than one turn of
firing, my MegaG was turned into a monument to the destructive power of Pulsars.
At this point we called the game, as the MegaG had 7 BM on it when it exploded,
and was worth 14 morale to begin with. 21 morale in one big basket. Ouch.

So, some things I learned: If you want to get SM out of an area, overwhelm
with firepower in a firefight. Don't leave MegaGs unsupported and in the direct
line of fire of three untouched nasties like Scorpions. And last but not least,
don't play this scenario without the hidden setup rules. It makes a world of
difference.

If there are any questions, feel free to ask.

Elias
Received on Mon Mar 02 1998 - 21:19:04 UTC