Logan Liquidated
The Tau and Imperial marines identified as Space Wolves moved to break through Necron lines at the pinchpoint between the Vrai escarpment and Nakaan Depression. Holding this sector Overlord M’Krasz had eighteen units totalling 2999.
Initially deployed, three Annihilation barges with the NNV Universal Conquest to the South, NNV Noble Cause to the North and NNV Cut and Thrust in the centre. On the left was a unit of immortals held objective coded 59 with a further unit of immortals behind. On the right a third unit of immortals with a larger unit of warriors holding objective coded 67. In the centre five wraiths with whip coils with nine Triarch Praetorians backing them up.
On the left set back deeply to avoid the long range fire of the Tau five Tomb Blades and in reserve, the Overlord himself aboard the Night Scythe NNV Inexorable Harvest with a full squad of deathmarks, plus more deathmarks aboard the Scythes NNV Potent Force and NNV Twilight Marauder. Two of the immortal squads and all the deathmark squads were also strengthened by the addition of a cryptek, some with voltaic and some with Abyssal staves. Ready to deep strike, a death pylon.
The enemy set themselves up with the Tau generally to the south facing our left, and the Marines generally to the North. A noted Tau Ethereal was surrounded by two bodyguards and two squads of fire warriors, plus two pairs of battlesuits. In the ruins to the south a unit of broadsides, with infiltrating pathfinders in the centre at the forefront.
A piranha was to the north in the mainly marine sector, with a Riptide towards the rear centre left. In ruins to the north, the enemy warlord plus two heavy squads of Long Fangs. To the rear north and south, marine squads, centre left, a screen of wolf cavalry and a Landspeeder preceding Logan Grimnar, Chaptermaster of one of the most renowned Imperial mutant regiments aboard his chariot drawn by mighty wolves.
As laid down by the human codex the enemy launched their attack before dawn, the Tau warriors and battlesuits advancing to the south and the Imperium moving up: The Noble Cause exploded and the Cut and Thrust was disabled as the enemy targeted our barges. A wraith fell and the left hand immortals suffered a number of casualties.
In response the Tomb blades and Universal Conquest destroyed two battlesuits, the centre battlesuit breaking under fire. The wraiths assaulted the wolves and they broke after taking losses, the wraiths threatening to attack the pathfinders next and contesting the objective coded 33. The Praetorians meanwhile took the objective coded 42.
At the end of the first phase of the engagement we had scored three points for possessing three objectives and objective 42, whilst the enemy had two objectives achieved, one linebreaker related and first blood.
The Wolves, holding a drop pod in reserve now failed to deploy it, and the fleeing wolves failed to rally. Praetorians and immortals on our left took losses, but four of six immortal casualties reanimated. The Tau battlesuit did rally and enemy fire now blew up a second barge, the already immobilised Cut and Thrust. The tomb blades were completely destroyed as were the wraiths as crossfire from many units proved devastating.
Logan now assaulted on our right, his chariot destroying over half of the immortal unit there which broke and was destroyed. The enemy had scored two points this turn including one for the loss of our cryptek. 3-4 against us at this point.
Now our reserves began to arrive in the shape of the Inexorable Harvest and Potent Force, both of which dropped their deathmarks to the north in front of Logan and on his right quarter. They opened a withering fire, much of which was ineffective despite the deathmarking, however, it just barely managed to destroy the enemy Lord of War. The Potent force destroyed the Piranha in the enemy’s centre at this point.
The praetorians blew up the landspeeder in assault, unfortunately killing a nearby deathmark in the process. On the left our immortals continued to hold supported by the Universal Conquest. We scored two more objective points, the Praetorians and southern immortals again, bringing the score to 5-4 in our favour.
The central squad of deathmarks now took the brunt of enemy fire, the Riptide which had suffered a damaging system overload the turn before demonstrated the efficiency of its weapon systems when fully operational, devastating the squad so that only a single survivor remained. Unfortunately he broke and fled.
Two praetorians fell as well but now our final reserves arrived, the Twilight Marauder dropping its deathmarks to the south where they attacked the Tau warlord and his unit. He proved extremely tough and indeed some weapons were totally negated by the Ethereal’s defences. In the end only one bodyguard and a third of his warrior fell plus one wound to the Ethereal itself. The fire from several units was required to achieve this.
Our other reserve unit was a Sentry Pylon with death ray, however in deep striking behind the enemy centre left it drifted over the long fangs cowering in their ruin and mis-happed as a result returning to reserve,
Meanwhile the more advanced fire warrior squad was engaged by our immortals and reduced to just two whilst a third battle suit was destroyed by tesla arcing from the Twilight Marauder. The pathfinders took some losses to fire from the praetorians and long fangs fell to attacks from our two Night scythes and the northern deathmarks.
The final action was the Praetorians failing to assault the pathfinders at extreme range. No score for the enemy that round whilst our warriors scored for holding 67 making the final score as it turned out six – four. The Necron line had held firm, victory was ours.
We had lost one unit of deathmarks and immortals, the tomb blades, two barges and our wraiths. Our remaining barge was slightly damaged and one unit of immortals had taken 60% casualties. The Praetorians were depleted by a third. Two crypteks were lost with their units. Six units lost, three damaged, eight untouched, one failure to deploy. Total losses 1142, around 38%. Incredibly this the first time in the campaign our losses have been less than half in a battle, whether won lost or drawn.
The enemy lost around half their fire warriors, three quarters of their battlesuits, around half their pathfinders and long fangs, the Piranha, Landspeeder, Logan* and his chariot plus the wolf cavalry. The Ethereal and Riptide were both damaged. Five units lost, eight damaged, three unscathed and the drop pod and its passengers never deployed. Estimated losses in the region of 30%.
*Despite indications to the contrary, Logan was not the enemy warlord (who hid amongst the Long Fangs), cheating Imperium. In fact, the only secondary objective achieved by either side was First Blood to the enemy.
This was our sixth engagement involving the Tau (four wins, one draw, one defeat), our third involving the Space Wolves, (one win, one draw, one defeat.) Our ninth engagement on Eden Fall, our sixth win of the campaign on this planet. The belt of Russ and Axe of Morkai meanwhile look good on Overlord M’Krasz’s mantelpiece.*
*After all why would he want to drop to a 4+ invun?
10.1.15
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