Epic Saturday Night

Good afternoon,

Shortly after I packed up from my Crossfire game with Mark D, I rolled out to Mark O's place for some Epic Action.

As I hadn't compiled a list (a recurring theme for the day), I went with the same 3000 points list as I had last time...

• 1 Tactical Detachment with Supreme Commander and Rhinos
• 6 Marine stands with transports
• 1 Tactical Detachment with 2 Dreadnaughts
• 6 Marine stands with, well, Dreadnaughts
• 1 Terminator Detachment with Librarian
• 4 Terminator stands - tough blighters, they've got re-rolls on their armour saves
• 1 Assault Detachment
• 4 Assault Marine stands
• 1 Land Raider Detachment
• 4 Land Raiders with re-enforced armour. 
• 1 Predator Annihilator Detachment
• 4 Predators - the smaller tanks
• 1 Whirlwind Detachment
• 4 Whirlwinds - rocket launching, well, Rhinos really
• 1 Bike Detachment
• 5 Bike stands
• 2 Warhound Titans
• My own 6mm walkers

...fighting a heavy tank heavy Imperial Guard list, fighting over my Sabot City. Complete with smoking craters!





We decided that the smoke blocked light of sight...seeing as how this was a far flung sci fi battle 'n all...


Nasty nasty Shadowswords! Three of the blighters! Plus two formations of Baneblades. That's like 9 super heavy tanks all up! And me with but two Warhound [equivalent] s.


Well, I roll forward and occupy the central ruins across from Mark's garrisoned IG formation.


One Shadowsword immediately makes it's presence felt...



...and reduces one Land Raider to molten scrap, so I run them out of sight.

Then a Baneblade formation speaks up...



...chopping up half of my SM Tactical detachment.

In response, my Titans...


...take out one Baneblade (which takes a critical hit which in turn damages it's neighbour!)...



...breaking them, and causing them to run for cover.

Huzzah!

In response, another of Mark's Shadowswords takes exception to my Titans...



...to no effect. Whew!

However, what was not "whew" was the effect of Mark's air strike against my Whirlwinds.

Now you see them...


...now you don't! Drats!



Sneaky wee gits!

Right, I'm starting to get a bit slaughtered, so I drive my Predators into the rough to strengthen up my centre. And give them a little cover from direct fire. The Destructors (anti personal variant...of which I only had two, the other two being Annihilators...of which I only had two...hmm, splitting a formation of four into two sections that are only good at one thing each...hmm...) take pot shots at the infantry across the street.



To some effect. But not that much effect. Did I mention that I only had two Predator Destructors that could shoot at infantry? Hmm...

Unfortunately, the said infantry formation fires back and breaks my Tactical formation, who run for the edge.

Bother.


Back come the fighter bombers...to no effect on the Land Raiders except to give them another blast marker for coming under fire. Which actually means only one of the three can shoot at that point (it takes two blast markers to supress a Space Marine stand. Never fear, gentle reader, they rally at the end of the turn and take off half of those blast markers).

Still...hmm...


Ah, think I to myself, at least Mark's brought up those Baneblades so that my Assault Marines (who are waiting in a crater just below this shot) can get stuck into them next turn.




They can fly right over those Rough Riders. Right?

Speaking of the next turn,  the Marines win the initiative for the turn, elect to go first, and teleport a formation of Terminators into the now no longer broken formation of Baneblades.

Now you see them...




...now you don't!

Huzzah!

And in fly the Assault Marines, into the...hey, wait a minute!

Turns out I wasn't allowed to fly over the Rough Riders (which was why Mark had put them there). Still, they're just horsies, right?




Horsies with nasty stick weapons.

Bother!

To add insult to injury, one of Mark's Shadowswords takes aim at my Terminators...



...and causes them all sorts of grief! Good grief! They break, and go hid behind a pillar of smoke.

Still, at least the return fire from the Land Raiders...



...caused the Shadowsword to run away.

Mark then rolls his Baneblades into deal roughly with my Predators.



But not very roughly. Turns out those super heavies are best pit against infantry.

Well, things were going badly for me in the centre, so I try my luck on the flank. Unleash the bikes!



Sweet!

Another air attack...


...to surprisingly no effect, and, next turn, another run with the bikes.



Huzzah!

And my Titans, with their macro weapons now fully recharged...



...zapped themselves another super heavy tank.

Huzzah!

Alas, it was not enough. Mark, having secured my objective on the other flank, then dealing with my centre and moving on (a 5 cm consolidation move)...



...to support an assault on my rallied Tacticals...



...secured my baseline objective, thus satisfying not two, but three separate victory conditions.

Drats!

Still, it was a very enjoyable way to spend a Saturday night.

Thanks Mark for the great game and fine company!

Nick