Over the long easter weekend, I got together with a few like-minded friends and some new ones to participate in the largest 40k battle we have had yet.
I only recently started 40k when the Necrons where release, jumping on the wagon and getting me some Dead Egyptians in Space! Only having a paltry 2-3k of my own, I begged, borrowed and stole a few extra models, and ended up contributing about 5k points.
On one side we had the Imperial defence force, comprimising of Imperial Guard, Space Wolves, Dark Angels and a few other unamed chapters, vs the Xenos of Necrons, Tau, Tyrannids, Grey Knights and some Black Templars for good measure! Each side was 36k points, with a further 3k or 4k (the Black Templars) turning up on day 2 to the side which was holding the least objectives at that point.
We bid 10 minutes for deployment, whereas the opposition bid 15. We managed to deploy the majority of what we wanted to in the time alloted, reserving the rest, whereas our opponents ran out of time and ended up having over half their forces in reserve. They did however get the key ones out, ie the reaver Titan, the 2 Warhound Titans, and most of thier artillery.
Some Key formations and models included:
A reaver Titan
2 Warhound Titans
7 Baneblades
A Doomsday Monolith formation
A Harradrian
A Herodule
An endless swarm!
A Tau Tiger Shark
About a dozen Tau Railgun Bunkers and Emplacements
Over 15 Landraiders
Somewhere in the vicinity of over 50 railguns!
Dozens each of Whirlwinds, Basalisks, Predators, Carnifex, Hammerheads, Vindicators....
The list goes on....
Initial deployment looked a like this. The table was approximatley 27' x 5' to give you an idea of the scale....
Instead of a blow by blow, I noted down some of the highlights from my (The Necron) perspective.
Highlights turn one
Lightning rains down from the veil of darkness bought by the Stormlord destroying multiple predators, rhinos and dreadnoughts, plus taking a structure point off a baneblade, devastating several marine squads and incapacitating many more vehicles.
Monolith formation turns many space wolves into emerald green corpses
Marines storm the far right objective nestled between multiple railgun bunkers wrestling it from the control of the Tau
The skies light up with re-entry trails as it rains drop pods. Multiple dreadnoughts start to wreck havoc behind our lines.
The Reaver Titan targets a Necron formation incinerating 16 warriors, only for 13 to get straight back up!
Grey knights push forward on the far right hill inflicting many casualties and securing both objectives only to be pushed off by counter attacking Marines
Both Warhounds, and multiple artillery from the enemy open up on the tyranids, almost wiping out the endless hoard of gaunts.
A squad of Necron immortals light up a baneblade and take a structure point off on the left flank
Highlights turn two
Scarab swarms having survived turn one unscathed, assault one of the warhound titans, stripping it of all armour and reducing it to a bare frame!
The Stormlord fails to control the skys and the veil lifts. A cryptek ignites a solar flare blinding the enemy resulting in a massive reduction in firepower
Tau fliers arrive and strafe the enemy artillery positions, but fail to find their mark!
Genestealers erupt from all the terrain on the far left and threaten the enemy objective
Tau railgun emplacements make beautiful vapour trails in the night sky, but fail to find any targets! (there was about 40 railguns)
Bjorn the fell handed is immobilised and stripped of his weaponry
Grey Knights absorb a massive amount of firepower on the right hill with multiple objectives, but still manage to stick around contesting one.
Screamer killer carnifex formations wreak havoc on the advanced tank companies in the centre reaping a hefty toll for little return damage
Reinforcements arrive in the centre battlefield to cover the three central objectives
The Necron “Death Squad” arrives to shore up the centre via a veil of darkness blocking the line of advance. It proceeds to get bombarded by several basilisks and the Reaver Titans apocalypse template sustaining a lot of damage, however all but two hits are reflected on nearby Space Wolf units damaging rhinos, and killing over half a dozen marines. The two casualties suffered by the lychguard proceed to get back up and continue the advance…!
A dreadknight engages an immobilised Lemon Russ demolisher and fails to do anything but embarrass itself
Landspeeders enter from behind the monolith formation and reduce one of their number to a smoldering pile of slag.
Highlights Turn three
The immortal squad takes a further structure point off the baneblade, that’s 2 in 2 turns!
The scarabs having received a few casualties, and after feasting on the first Warhound, find the range to the second one and proceed to reduce its armour down to 4 on the front. They then score 15 penetrating hits reducing the warhound to a smouldering wreck. The ensuing explosion catches a single base from the swarm. Whirlwind firepower annihilates all of the swarm (a little to late…)
The Genestealers are all but wiped out on the left
The Necron “Death Squad” multi assaults some rhinos and a space wolf veteran squad. The vets proceed to kill all their own without a single blow being landed by the necrons thanks to mindshackle scarabs
Another space wolf vet squad (only 4 strong) assaults a warrior group. They cause 6 casualties in return for 3 wounds. The Necrons hold and pile in. several of their number stand back up!
Solar flares cause further havoc with the imperial targeting systems
Grey knight Stormravens move forward into position ready for turn 4 counter-assaults
The last of the carnifex formations dies to a hail of heavy weapon fire
Bjorn is ignored!
Using a strategym, a warlord Titan re-enters the fray and engages a lonely assassin, squishing her without even noticing…
A Tomb stalker finds its mark on the immobilised Lemon Russ that the dreadknight failed to scratch and promptly flips it
The monoliths and necron warrior squads light up the landspeeders and exact a heavy toll for destroying one of the floating pyramids
The Dreadknight, after failing to scratch the Lemon Russ, targets a Baneblade only to fail once again miserably….
Highlights Turn four
Bjorn is still there, flailing his arm about…
The Tomb Stalker, after fixing what the Dreadknight failed to do, finds the baneblade that the dreadknight also failed to dent, and proceeds to open it like a tin can…
More solar flares once again hurt the long range firepower of the imperial forces
The two remaining monoliths target the Reaver Titan scoring direct hits and removing two void shields. With a lack of immediate targets in range, some razorbacks that had entered on to secure the far left objective on our side add their weight in firepower removing the remaining void shields and causing some minor structure damage. Communication channels open and the Tau light up the Reaver with all available marker lights. Two Railgun batteries coordinate their firepower into one devastating strike, at absolute maximum range (and I mean 179” out of 180” range) fail to roll a one to hit (and I mean fail to roll a one, as that’s all they could do beforehand) causing a chain reaction and destroying the Reaver in a massive explosion, which takes out a bunch of marines and guard!
The Endless hoard re-enters the the board shoring up our left most objective
The Imperial forces throw up a smoke screen stratergym which stops any shooting or targeting through its veil. This caused the Monoliths to find an alternate target, which resulted in the loss of the Reaver
Grey Knights move the Stormravens into position disgorging their contents to force the enemy off the three central objectives and try hold them for the final turn
The Result?
It was 3 objectives to 1 with 2 contested on the top of turn 4. Victory went to the Xenos! team
Im now pricing up 2 or 3 Necron pylons and how to flesh out my forces to 10k points. With the leaked necron 2nd wave in May and the rumoured next Imperial Armour book being Necrons vs Space marine Minotours, things look good on the horizon for my necron forces
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