This past sunday was the organised meetup of a few #Tabletop regulars from the relicnews community at my place for a grand battle and barbeque.
Seeing as it was perfect weather, we even had the match and a few beers for the local brewery outside. A good time was had by all!
Fighting for the coveted pointy stick marine we had Gorb and Jianaran with Chaos and Eldar fighting 3000 points of Salamanders. 1500 used by myself, 1500 by my good friend mike (who also brought the salad and extra burgers.)
The mission was rolled: bases and (appropriately for a Relic meetup) Dawn of War.
Salamanders won the deployment roll. The Eldar and Chaos forces placed their base in a crater in the far corner. The Noble marines placed theirs in the shadow of the Space Marine captain monument. The stage was now set for an epic confrontation.
Turn 1 -2
http://www.perfect-design.co.uk/salamanders/IMG_0496.jpg
With no targets to shoot at, and with night fighting in effect both armies move onto the battlefield without taking any effective damage from enemy fire.
The Thunderfire cannon moved into position in the re-enforced ruins. The Eldar wave serpent with star engines blasted forward, enging up far into the Marine table half.
2nd turn was more eventful. The Land Speeder storm and the tactical squad placed in strategic reserve turned up. The Storm unloaded it's cargo of scouts into the enemy firedragons, beating them and running them off the board. The Storm itself multimelta'd the rear armor of the Plague Marine Rhino, destroying their transport.
The Redeemer carrying He'Stan and the Thunderhammer Terminators moved up ready to unload it's cargo. The Assault marines likewise prepared to get into combat. Fire from the Land Raider took two wounds off the avatar. The Thunderfire outdid itself again and struck the squad of beserkers, killing half the squad including the champion.
The rhino with melta gun aboad fired at the nearby Serpent but failed to get through it's cover save.
In return, the Forces of Chaos struck back at the scouts and their transport. Kharn murdered the scouts, while the squad of khornate possessed failed to scratch the armor on their transport. Three obliterators performed equally badly managing to miss with all of their lascannons.
The Raptors leapt into the ruins and fired at the Tactical marines, managing to kill one of their own with a plasma gun overheat.
The Dark reapers fared much better. Striking the thunderfire cannon and killing the unfortunate Techmarine who failed two 2+ saves.
The guardians with scatter laser struck a rhino, immobilising it.
http://www.perfect-design.co.uk/salamanders/IMG_0497.jpg
Turns 3-4
The Reedemer charged forward unleasing it's deadly cargo of He'Stan and Thunderhammer terminators. The Thunderhammer terminators struck Typhus, who despite rolling a 6 with his Daemon weapon managed to cause no casualties to the unit, then was forced to make 10 5+ invulnerable saves or die (he didn't succeed in that one) The redeemer itself fired it's twin linked multimelta at an obliterator, hitting but failing to wound.
He'Stan hit the Dark Reapers, running them down and unfortunately leaving himself exposed to enemy fire and the three independant obliterators but at the very least removing the threat of some very dangerous firepower.
Captain Drake (and his command squad of power) left the land raider, and opened fire at the raptors, killing half the squad with bolt pistol shots.
The land speeder which had survived the onslaught of Possessed marines moved and fired at Kharn, who was only saved from fiery death by his cover save.
The Assault marines leapt into the fray and charged a unit of Dire Avengers. However, taking casualties on the way in and not doing many in return, they failed to destroy the unit or cause any significant damage.
For the Chaos and Eldar turn, the Avatar and Eldrad charged the Thunderhammer terminators, causing 2 casualties but not forcing the unit to break. one obliterator hit the redeemer with a meltagun, destroying it utterly. He'Stan was also struck with a melta shot, failing his 3+ save and being removed from the board by the very weapons he loved.
Howling banshees and the Chaos Raptors both moved at great speed, striking the Assault marines stuck in combat with the avengers wiping the entire unit out.
Kharn charged the errant Land Speeder, taking it out of the sky.
Back to the Marine side. shots from the Whirlwind and the Razorback caused one unit of Avengers to flee, and reduced to below half strength meant they would run from the board with no chance of returning. Concerted anti tank fire failed to kill the Falcon, as did a charge by Captain Drake (and his command squad of power). The Terminators with assault cannon deep striking also failed to do any any real damage. The battle with the Thunderhammer terminators and Eldrad + the avatar was a stalemate, with no casualties on either side.
The ranged fire from one tactical squad forced the guardians to flee.
Captain Drake (and his command squad of power) charged the pinned banshees. Killing the entire unit for the loss of a single marine with no special equipment.
The Whirlwind outdid itself, landing a pie plate on the Banshees, killing the Exarch with wound allocation and pinning the squad.
On the Chaos side, the Raptors hit a combat squad with a multimelta, causing them to flee. Khorne beserkers edged around the ruins and Kharn + the possessed (now happy with having killed the scouts) ran as far forward as they could.
The Dire Avengers assaulted by the marines previously embarked the Falcon and started to move for their base in the crater.
The Obliterators opened fire, one plasma cannon shot killing all but one of the deep striking terminators.
Then disaster struck! Both the Avatar and Eldrad were struck down by Thunderhammers in close combat. The possessed fleeted and charged Captain Drake (and his command squad of power) causing 0 casualties before being wiped out by the uit's power weapons and Captain Drake's master crafted thunder hammer. Things were turning back to the Marine's favour.
Turn 5
With the avatar gone and Eldrad appropriately hammered, the Thunderhammer terminators moved towards an obliterator, charged him and them killed him for no loss. Consoladating they moved towards the objective with 3 combat squads of marines coming to claim it. A lascannon shot killed another obliterator leaving only one to deal with. supporting bolter fire failed to penetrate it's armor.
Tactical marines on the right hand side opened fire on the beserkers taking down a few of their numbers but still leaving a very dangerous unit. The Whirlwind tried a shot at the rallied guardian unit but scattered off the board. Captain Drake (and his command squad of power) moved towards the marine base.
The Chaos and Eldar turn was more decisive. After surving The herald of nurgle, an avatar of a wargod and the galaxy's most talented farseer the 3 remaining members of the Thunderhammer terminators were taken down by 5 guardians and a scatterlaser.
The chaos obliterator charged a unit of Salamanders in their Rhino,thankfully only stunning the vehicle. The Falcon with Dire Avengers moved onto their objective and claimed it. The beserkers hit a combat squad, and wiped it out, taking two casualties but then moving onto the other objective and claiming it as well.
It came down to this diceroll now. A 3+ for an extra turn, a 1 or 2 and the Xenos and Chaos forces would win. Thankfully a 6 was rolled and the marines had a chance to turn the tide!
the Melta gun squad in their rhino took a difficult terrain test and tank shocked the beserkers off of the marine base, then launched smokes. Captain Drake (and his command squad of power) assaulted the unit, losing the company champion to a power weapon attack but destroying the remant of the beserker squad. The tactical marines bolt pistoled and charged the obliterator, causing one wound and taking none in return. Another combat squad charged the Falcon with grenades but only managed to take off it's bright lance.
Concerted anti tank fire at the Falcon from a multimelta, the land raider's single remaining Lascannon and two combat squads with Las and Rockets respectively managed to score no damaging hits.
The Chaos and Eldar turn came. Very short and very brief. Kharn plasma pistolled and charged the rhino containing the tactical squad claiming the Marine base. Destroying the rhino. The remaining marines inside failed their pinning test but succeeded after a reroll granted by the company banner. Kharn having to charge the nearest point of the Rhino was just out of range of the base objective.
The Eldar moved back, the guardians shot the remaining terminator of the 2nd squad, killing him as well.
In combat the tactical marines in combat with the obliterator managed to take off it's 2nd wound before it could strike back, and tried to move towards the objective once more.
One objective in control of each side, it was now down to the dice roll for the turn to see if there would be a chance for victory. Rolling a 1, the game was over!
A draw in the battle for Relic's point.
The Emperor's pointy stick marine granted to Jianaran for his Guardian's apparently AP2 shuriken catapults and Scatterlaser
http://www.perfect-design.co.uk/salamanders/IMG_0498.jpg