Close Run Thing
Overlord M’Shachta Klat led a 1799 strong force against Dark Eldar elements thought to be infiltrating the Exhaligat System. His force was centred on the Annihilation Barges NNV Conqueror and NNV Hostility which took position between objectives designated Delta 67 and Delta 68. On the left, the overlord himself together with a squad of Gauss blaster armed immortals occupied Delta 66.
On the right on high ground objective Delta 69 lay ahead of a second quad of similarly equipped Immortals. A cryptek with a voltaic staff led eight more immortals with tesla carbines in the centre to the left on the barges. On the left four wraiths awaited the order to advance. Klat had planned to bring heavy destroyers but logistic problems meant he had to reinforce his wraiths and immortals instead.
In reserve he had two cryptek led squads of deathmarks aboard the Night Scythes NNV Relentless and NNV Unstoppable Force plus the Doom Scythe NNV Malevolence. Dark Eldar vessels appeared from the North East, skulking in cover despite the darkness. Our forces advanced, seizing Delta 67, an abandoned ruined temple and Delta 69 on the right which proved to be sabotaged.
We held three objectives but the enemy now advanced seizing Delta 68. Jet bikes screamed across our right hand immortals cutting a swathe through them and all Dark Eldar fire concentrated on that unit, destroying it utterly for first blood. The enemy HQ disembarked from a venom on the right and activated a warp portal. Two Raiders held the enemy centre and engaged our barges.
A huge flock of scourge retreated from the threat of our wraiths, the whole enemy formation rallying towards the warp portal. The Hostility took an early hit and our barges were threatened from behind by the bikes. The Night Scythes now arrived and landed their sniper squads surrounding the enemy HQ which was made up of several different creatures.
The Unstoppable Force’s party was led by a cryptek with an Abyssal Staff and marked the HQ, the larger squad from the Relentless marked the warriors holding Delta 68. The deathmarks supported by Tesla fire from the Scythes eventually destroyed the enemy HQ, but it took a lot of firepower to stop. The Enemy also lost their raider to our cryptek with a voltaic staff and fire from the Conqueror. The Hostility supported by our immortals almost wiped out the biker unit.
The enemy now brought in a ravager from the west and another from the south behind our forces. Their venom was across our position to the south and from the warp portal two squads of troops and a unit of wyches appeared and assaulted our two deathmark squads. One was destroyed instantly even as the scourge arrived to assist. The western squad survived with heavy casualties.
To the west our overlord survived three hits uninjured from the heavy weapons of the deadly ravager. The Conqueror exploded under fire from the heavy weapons of the other Dark Eldar vessels, the Hostility surviving a similar attack. The cryptek from the wiped out squad had reanimated and attacked the enemy troops with little result other than to draw retaliation with the inevitable result.
Our immortals and cryptek destroyed the southern ravager but the western troops could not destroy the western ravager which moved north and inflicted some losses on them. Our wraiths assaulted and exploded the second raider killing half its passengers, who were pinned down as the Night scythes inflicted losses on the troops holding Delta 68. Our deathmarks second squad was destroyed once additional troops reinforced the wyches and enemy troops seized Delta 69 only for it to ironically explode killing two.
Lacking time the engagement broke off. Both sides claimed linebreaker, we had slain the warlord but the Dark force had first blood. Both sides held one objective unchallenged, Delta 66 was held throughout by us but contested by the damaged ravager, Delta 68 was held by enemy warriors but they were threatened by our wraiths. However, our warlord’s trait was to gain a victory point if he survived, so victory was ours 6-5.
In terms of losses, our rallied forces amounted to 1061 including the Malevolence that had been on the point of arrival when the action ended. A loss rate of 41% including four out of twelve units. Total immortal losses were 11 out of 24 and one wraith was wounded. The Hostility lost two hull points.
The enemy had lost four complete units too with damage to at least six more including the near destruction of the jet bikes and two troop units probably down 50%. At least two enemy units were believed to be unscathed and enemy losses were estimated at 60%. More time would probably have seen us take Delta 66 with the arrival of the Malevolence and Klat still had his tachyon arrow, we might well have finished off the last bike giving linebreaker but the Eldar had enough troops to probably regain that. A finely balanced battle throughout.
14.12.13
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