The Nahvus Chronicles: Indecision and Misplacement (A special double post)

 “Disgusting xeno filth,” shouted Captain Nahvus, “this planet is crawling with it.”  He gestured astutely to give abrupt orders before the precise lasrifle shots of Eldar Rangers began to pour into the tactical marines that rummaged through the resupply drop that had recently been made.

“Mon-Keigh, leave this planet now,” whispered the voice of Autarch Garmeesh through the ether, “before you cause more damage than you already have.”

Mission: Crusade
Points: 500

Salamander Space Marines (Ethan) 500
1x Captain with Terminator Armor and a pair of lightning claws
10x Tac squad with flamer, ML
10x Tac squad with flamer, ML

Eldar (Samantha) 500 (Old Codex)
1x Autarch w/mandiblasters, power weapon, avenger catapult
7x Pathfinders
3x Jetbikes
10x Guardians with Scatterlaser platform
5x Banshees

Highlights of the Battle:
This was an interesting battle to oversee.  Ethan, 2 games into his warhammering, and Samantha, first battle ever, were indecisive and confused for most of the battle.  Samantha picked things up pretty quickly but made some poor choices despite seeming to understand the rules for certain models and the mission as a whole.  Ethan, who made some solid decisions last time took a step backwards.  On to the game:

Deployment:  Both Samantha and Ethan deployed conservatively and hid in cover.  Especially for Samantha she hid almost everything right off the bat but did put her Pathfinders on battlements to improve their save to 2+.  Ethan left his one combat squad with the commander out in the open and but put both of his missile launcher squads into the building across from the pathfinders. 

 

Pathfinders and Missile Launcher squads fire back and forth for the next 4 turns.  The 2+ cover is too much for the missile lauchers to handle and kill only one.  The Pathfinders get several precision shots and were able to kill one of the missile launchers. 

 

Captain Nahvus and a combat squad sat on one objective in his deployment zone for the whole game.  They were never in range to shoot and were easy pickings for the scatter laser on the guardians. 

And here they stay.  Samantha never got the Banshees in the fight and the jetbikes moved off of the objective once to lay some fire into a combat squad.  Samantha made good use of the jetbikes' maneuverability but had trouble placing them as she lost an equal number to enemy fire as she did to dangerous terrain tests (1).

Eventually, Ethan began to move.  The missile launcher squad (sans ML) moves out of the building to take the objective 40" away around turn 3.  The squad that was closer kept stopping to shoot at the jetbikes that would emerge sporadically.  Ethan's indecision really made this game about how Samantha was going to lose not how Ethan was going to win.

 

Wait... something's missing..... what happened to the building?

 

Coolest thing in the match.... After 4 turns of ineffectively shooting missiles at Pathfinders Ethan just wanted to blow up the building.  I look up the rules and assign it an AV 13 and tell him to roll.  He rolls a 4 to hit, a 6 on armor penetration, and a 6 on the damage table.  What???? it collapsed totally???? That can't be right.  Yep.... building gone and pathfinders come scurrying out. 

Then the game ends on the next turn.  Objectives held:

Eldar: 1
Salamanders: 1

Draw

So kids what did you think of the match?

Ethan: I think I could have done better. Do you think I could have done better? I am still pretty impressed  about blowing up the building, but I am upset that I only murdered 1 elder. My set up was miserable. I should have had my Space Marine  Captain squad moving around and ready to slaughter some Eldar,1 ML squad in the ruins and the other by the objective that the Captain originally was by, then I should have gotten my middle flamer squad to go after the objective where sissy had her  jet bikes or the objective  a little farther from the ruins. Otherwise it was a pretty good match besides for the tie.( p.s. I personally think I should have won.)  Have a nice day/night and please leave a comment. 

 

Samantha: Hahahaha slaughter some elder, he wishes.  It was fun. I hope next time, I will kick his butt and his space marines captain. Every time I rolled the dice and got a good number, Ethan was like its beginner's luck. Hahahaha yeah right I still think I kicked his butt.  I will  play again and completely Annihilate him!!

Ethan:   Also I will be the one kicking sissy's butt.

I think what complicated things for the kids was all the empty space of playing on a 6'x4' board.  500 points of Eldar and Space Marines doesn't take up much of the board.  That led to them trying to utilize too much and they spread themselves too thin.  I think I will keep them confined on a 4'x4' board for a while until they get the basics down.

Afterwards, Ethan and I went over a few things about unit placement that he would apply in the next battle.  Samantha didn't get a chance to go over anything but since it sounds like she wants to play again so we will give it a go.

Autarch Garmeesh surveyed the battle field and peered into the horizon beyond the beleaguered Captain Nahvus.  "The winds of fate have set a new course for the mon-keigh.  Withdraw.  We have slowed their escape.  The empty ones will finish them off."

Part 2:

“Destroy the trespassers!  They dishonor our hallowed ground by their fleshy presence on this native planet,” Overlord Menes conveyed his message with a single pass of his searing gauntlets of fire and a flick of the servos that make up his wrist.  “I must redeem my honor, leave the arrogant one for me.

“Back for more, eh,” said Captain Nahvus, “I never got my scrap for that trophy.”

 

 

Mission: Purge the Alien
Points: 500 on a 4'x4' board

Salamander Space Marines (Ethan) 500
1x Captain with Terminator Armor and a pair of lightning claws
10x Tac squad with flamer, ML
10x Tac squad with flamer, ML

1x Overlord with Resurrection Orb and gauntlets of fire
12x Warriors
 7x Immortals with Tesla Carbines
 2x Destroyers
Highlights

Deployment:  After our discussion after the game with Samantha he applied the lessons fairly well.  His close combat squads were both supported by the ML squads. He made two mistakes. Can you see them?

 

First turn of firing was mostly ineffective on both of us.  I target his ML squad first and kill one because of where it was set up (2nd closest to me).  He had each group shoot something different.  I lost one destroyer and one warrior.

The next couple of turns (2 and 3) see mass firepower dwindle the Space Marines before Ethan catches on to what I am doing to his squads ah'la concentrated fire.  He then pours 1 whole squad and the 2 partial squads of fire into the warriors.  It does some damage and kills 6 of them.  (Do you see the other deployment mistake yet?)

That is all he had left by the start of turn 4.  Then something unbelievable happens.....

 

 

 

"For time ever more, the universe will know that I was victorious on this day.  Submit to my power and I will show you mercy," declared Overlord Menes

 

"AAAAGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!," roared Captain Nahvus as he barreled across the battle field determined to acquire his trophy.

 

 

 

"You wretched abomination I will scatter your servos to the furthest reaches of the galaxy and your batteries will power the bilge pump on my latrine.  I challenge you to the death!!" shouted Captain Nahvus as he scraped his lightning claws together to cause a spectacle of sparks and pulses of intense white light. 

 

"I am honor bound to accc......," garbled overlord Menes as he fell to the ground faster than the shadows disappeared from the intense light cast by the lightning claws at work. 

The necron warriors stood as cold and as emotionless as ever at the sight of their fallen commander. 

Captain Nahvus turned to finish off the warriors that stood and waited to clumsily swing their gauss blasters.  Then from the corner of his eye hit caught a glimpse of the astonishing.

 

 

"Foolish mortal ... I am ever liv....,"  Overlord Menes shed parts like a flaming ship sheds rats as  by the rapid slashes by the furious Captain Nahvus. 

 

 

 

 

 

"Ever what.....?????"

The necron warriors stood staring with their cold visual receptacles.    Unflinching the Necron warriors stood their ground and waited.

 

 

 

 

 "Living! Feel the wrath of the immortal Overlord Menes!"  As he spoke Captain Nahvus turned his attention to cutting down the statuesque warriors.  Before he finshed speaking 3 of them fell to the ground in a crash of crumpled metal. 

Overlord Menes struck with the flaming gauntlets and landed a hit squarely in the main power circuits of the terminator armor suit.  The slowing of Captain Nahvus allowed a warrior to get a lucky strike with the blade of his gauss blaster. 

 

 

 

"I said to the death.  Lets finish this!" raged Capatin Nahvus.

 

 

 

 

 

"Indeed, your end is ...." Overlord Menes found himself in a familiar position. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Just stay down!" pleaded Captain Nahvus as the fury mellowed to a cool reasoning. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 "Never, you said to the death and I am ever livi...," trailed off Overlord Menes as Captain Nahvus shoved his lightning claws through his chest. 

The necron warriors turned and left realizing that the duel would continue for some time.

 

 

 

Match over. 

Victory points
Salamanders:  1
Necrons: 2


It ended on turn 7.  Three whole turns of combat between a Necron overlord and a Terminator armored captain.    Unbelievably I kept making my ever living roll but he would come back with only one wound so the warriors only had to roll under a 9 to stay in combat, which they did every time.  I've come to 2 conclusions:  I am not a fan of he challenge rule and I really hate terminators with lightning claws. 

 

For the last word, what did you learn this time Ethan?

Ethan:  First of all did you recognize my mistake? If not I will tell you. It was were I had placed my captain. I placed him and his squad farthest away from the Overlord's squad and especially  the Immortals.   Also I should have placed my MLs behind the entire group so that they were not the first to die. That was pretty much it. I didn't do much wrong like I did the against sissy.