I went for something different in this Catachan vs Eldar game, rather than a Super Heavy and Tank Commanders as the main building blocks of the army, I went for artillery instead. Oh, and infantry. This battle was played in October 2020, before the UK went back into a nation wide lockdown. It is now January 2021 and I am finally getting around to writing it up. Some details are very hazy. So enjoy the pictures more than anything!

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New Commander gets his first game

Catachan Brigade

• 2x Company Commanders with Power Fists and Plasma Pistols
• Primaris Psyker with Nightshroud and Terrifying Visions
• Primaris Psyker with Psychic Barrier and Gaze of the Emperor
• Primaris Psyker with Psychic Maelstrom and Mental Fortitude
• 6x Infantry Squad
• 2x Platoon Commanders
• A Priest
• Sergeant Harker
• 3x Hellhounds
• 2x Basilisks with Full Payload Tank Ace
• 3x Cyclops
• 3x Heavy Mortars
• 2x Wyverns

Stratagems of interest include;

• Relentless – 1CP – use top row of damage table
• Defensive Gunners – 1CP – A vehicle can Overwatch on a 5+
• Aerial Spotter – 2CP – Basilisk re-rolls fail hits
• Fire On My Position – 3CP –
• Splash Damage – 1CP –
• Direct Onslaught – 1CP –

Astra Militarum Secondaries

• Bring It Down
• Engage On All Fronts
• Psychic Ritual

Eldar List

• Farseer Skyrunner
• Warlock Skyrunner
• 5x Dire Avengers
• 10x Dire Avengers
• 10x Dire Avengers
• 3x Wave Serpents
• 5 Wraithblades
• 3x Jetbikes
• 5x Dark Reapers
• 2x Fire Prisms
• Crimson Hunter

Eldar Secondaries

• Thin Their Ranks
• Bring It Down
• Engage On All Fronts

Mission – Retrieval Mission – Grand Tournament Pack 2020

Neither of us took the mission specific Secondary Objective, so it was basically like any other mission in 9th Edition where neither player takes the mission Secondary Objective. Our secondaries and the regular Take & Hold Primaries were what mattered.

Mission Map

Deployment

Deployment Overview

Catachans vs Eldar Deployment

Battle Round 1

So writing this with a three month delay is going to be hard going. I have the score sheet and I have photos, but remembering specifics or the order of anything is going to be pretty difficult. But, I shall press on…

My key take away from this round was that I had first turn and destroyed a Fire Prism during this first turn. It look a lot of effort and more shoot than I would have liked, but I got the job done. And my opponent, John, was troubled greatly by this occurrence. I also killed all the Jetbikes this turn too, thanks for indirect fire from my Heavy Mortars and Wyverns.

Looking at the images, I threw a lot of bodies forward as well as my Cyclops and Hellhounds. The Eldar followed suit and sent forward their Wave Serpents.

John did come back at me strong though by killing a Hellhound and a slew of Guardsmen.

Battle Round 2

I moved up again this turn, which is a pattern I seem to remember from 2020’s few games – maybe this is not such a good tactic. I should evaluate this once 2021’s games start up again.

I downed a Wave Serpent and John in return destroyed my two remaining Hellhounds and a Wyvern. OK, this is looking bad now. My Hellhounds are useful vs his Crimson Hunter and also his scoring infantry models.

Battle Round 3

Judging by the Primary Objectives I’m doing well. I am on 25 and John is on 10 by the end of the third Battle Round. I have also completed my Psychic Ritual.

But it is on this turn the Wriathblades make it into the centre of the table and start chomping through my infantry and characters.

I do remember that clearly…

Battle Round 4

Things are slowing down now for me after I have taken heavy losses in terms of vehicles and infantry. I will struggle to not only hold objectives now, but also remove enemy models from objectives.

Battle Round 5

In the final turn there is not a lot left on either side. But as you can see from the scoring, the Eldar were able to more effectively full Bring It Down and also ramp up the score on the Primary.

Final battle overview

Astra Militarum vs Eldar – Summary

In the end the Eldar won this one, and well deserved too. The holding back of scoring infantry units helped them in the long term to score more Primary Objectives.

There was only 2VP difference on the Secondary Objectives but 15 on the Primary which is where the win came from. So, well done John!

Here is to hoping for a rematch at some point in 2021…

Final Score Sheet

Final Score

Astra Militarum – 56
Eldar – 73

Eldar Victory