Mining Colony 557 - Caseopeia.

Planet: Caseopeia.
Region: Cadian Sector.
999.M41

Death Guard vs Eldar Corsairs
2000 points:
Mission: Spoils of War.

Desperate for supplies and fresh promethium, a small band of Death Guard head out in the badlands to assault an Imperial mining station. As they arrive they find that their xenos foes have had the same idea and battle is joined. The Eldar are few in number and underpowered to face a force as large as the Death Guard's. Emboldened the war lord led his forces into battle. His overconfidence would be his undoing.

 This was originally going to be a game against my friend Danny and his new Thousand Sons (with Magnus) army but last minute he decided he needed some practice with corsairs for an upcoming tournament in April. I threw together a basic list to help out and figured it would be a tough game but one that, should the mission be willing, I had a fair chance at winning. We followed the Spoils of War mission - one that no one at my club enjoys but I figure I have to give it a decent go.

We set the objectives up equally across the table and then rolled that awful corner deployment. Danny picked his side but I got to set up first. Everything except raptors and the heldrake terror pack started on the table already holding one objective. Danny was trying to do some sort of Alpha Strike type play so started only with two units of jetbikes and a unit of rangers on the table. Everything else, including his Lynx and Warp Hunter, in reserve.

I forget who got the first turn but it was fairly blunt. I think I got one chaos marine sniped and the battle cannon from my defiler took out a couple of his rangers, but the rest made their cover saves. One of his jetbike squads dropped a webway portal on the far side of the table. Night fighting then came to an end.

On the second turn none of Dan's reserves came in where I got my raptors and one heldrake. The raptors deviated into some rough terrain and one marine crumpled under the impact. I finally got an objective next to my deployment zone and dispatched my terminator champion with his terminator retinue to grab it hopefully on turn 3. Along comes turn 3 and Dan get's his two hornets in as well as a third squad of jetbikes. Both units outflank onto my side of the table and with just incredible luck on my opponent's side (and terrible rolls on mine) they gun down the warlord and all but one terminator! I was so not happy.

When his warp hunter entered the table it only stripped a hull point from one helbrute. Shots from two meltaguns and a multimelta destroyed it over two turns without it getting to fire again. Danny's time to not be happy. When his lynx came in, it got a mishap and I ended up placing it on the far corner of the table facing the wrong way to give me a little extra hope.

Danny was very lucky with his tactical cards but about this time I pulled a blinder. I drew three objectives, including a Death Guard specific one, all of which I could pull off at the end of my turn finally closing the gap in victory points.

The unit of jetbikes who slew my warlord soon died when the remaining terminator charged into them. He won the challenge and then proceeded to slaughter the remaining eldar. Slowly my game turned and I was whittling his forces away. Heldrakes basically burnt down his jetbikes and rangers. He had hardly anything to handle them so after the initial arrival I was able to just go into hover mode and keep pouring flame into everything.

By the time the game reached turn five I think I was winning on victory points. Unfortunately random game length took us all the way to turn seven which allowed Dan to seize a few more cards and put him in the lead. It was close with Dan winning 15 victory points to my 12.

I do think Dan has become very stuck on fitting big D tanks into the game where perhaps one would suffice and the points better spent on more jetbikes. Although the cards were in his favour for most of the game he could have held me back better and been in a better position to seize more had he had the manoeuvrability.

Death Guard verticulum detachment.

Chaos Warband.
Chaos Lord in terminator armour.
10 man CSM squad, with heavy bolter and metlagun. Champion with power weapon, plasma pistol and meltabombs.
10 man CSM squad, with two meltaguns. Champion with power weapon, plasma pistol and meltabombs.
5 man Raptor squad. Champion with pair of lightning claws.
5 man Terminator squad. Four sets of lightning claws and a reaper autocannon/power weapon.
Helbrute.

Helforged Warpack.
Warpsmith with combi-melta and power axe.
Defiler with power scourge.
Two helbrutes.

Heldrake Terror Pack.
2 Heldrakes with baleflamers.

Death Guard ready to bring death and ruin to the xenos filth!

A slow and steady advance through the mining colony ruins.

The unlucky champion and his terminators.