PFE100: Epic Armageddon "Battle of Rio Lobo". 29 May

“The Battle of Rio Lobo” has got to be one of the best games of Epic I’ve ever played. Tension was high and Greg & I were slugging it out until the end, with but 1 die roll deciding the final result. Now that’s a close game. While the game was intense, we both also had a lot of laughs. This is my idea of a perfect game. Tactics & fun.
Forces were as follows:

The Ironclaw Space Marines Task Force

4 Warhound Titans,

2 Scout platoons,

1 Terminator Platoon,

2 Whirlwind Platoons,

2 Predator Annihilator platoons

4 Tactical Marine platoons, one of which had a Commander.

Fir Iolarion Titan Clan

1 Phantom Titan with 2xTremor Cannon and Spirit Stones = 850

1 x Revenant Titan Host = 650

2 x Revenant Titans. Each Revenant Titan is armed with 2 weapons, Revenant Pulse Lasers for this group.1 Revenant Titan w. Bonesinger

2 x Revenant Titan Host = 650

2 x Revenant Titans. Each Revenant Titan is armed with 2 weapons, Revenant Pulse Lasers for this group. 1 Revenant Titan w. Bonesinger

3 x Revenant Titan Host = 650

2 x Revenant Titans. Each Revenant Titan is armed with 2 weapons, Revenant Sonic Lances for this group. 1 Revenant Titan w. Bonesinger

1 x Windrider Troupe = 200

3x Jetbike 3 x Vyper

2 x Windrider Troupe = 200

3x Jetbike 3 x Vyper

And so to the Battle of Rio Lobo ( a small town on Kobold in the Ares Sector). The town was in the centre of the battlefield with high hills and woods on both flanks. The Ironclaws deployed their 2 Scout platoons on the Eldar Objectives in their sector, just outside the town, and deployed their first unit, a Tactical, behind the town. Set-up bounced back and forth, mainly a symmetrical deployment for both. The Ironclaws knew they were in trouble. While fortunately deciding on using Predator Annihilators instead of Destructors the night before, the 4 Warhounds were ill equipped to take on this number of Eldar Titans. The battle was recorded by me using Greg’s “EPIC Game Log”.

TURN 1: Ironclaws win the strategy roll and move Tactical 4 on the right flank forward towards the rear of a hill. Rev Titans move up & shoot at Tac 4 & a Scout. No effect. Tac 2 moves up behind the large left hill seeking cover. Predator 1 moves up on the left as well. Rev Titans double moves up and kills 5 Marines of Tac 4. While not broken, it ceases to be a fighting force. Predatpr 2 nearby gets a hit on Rev 1, as does the 2 Titans of Warhound 2. A big Phantom Titan moves up to the other side of the hill where Tac 2 is cowering. No one has the heart to tell him he’s not wanted! J The other pair of Warhounds shoot at Rev 2 Titans for a bit. That holofield is annoying! Whirlwind 2 misses its activation while Phantom 2 on my right gives 8 Blast points to my Predator 2. A lowly Whirlwind barrages the Titans of Rev 2, destroying one and routing the other. Weak cheers from the Marines are heard. The Eldar Viper Bike Squad 1 moves up on my right and inflicts 2 hits on Tac 4. Both Scout units advance into the town. Tac 1 stays near the edge objective while Tac 3 advances into the rear of the town.

TURN 2: OK…no more Mr. Nice Guy! Both sides go for the throat. The Marines again win the Strategy Roll, and hit the 2 Rev 3 Titans for 2 hits. Predator 1 does the same and kills one of the Revenant Titans. Eldar Bike 1 gets behind my lines and doubletimes into a position to shoot at my Whirlwind Arty. Only blast markers so far. Phantom 1 advances and gets hits on Tac 2. Warhound 2 advances and gets 4 solid hits on Phantom 2. Predator 2 also hits it, and breaks it, but not enough hits to kill it! Rev 2 advances & gets hits to take down Warhound shields. Whirlwind 2 moves out of minimum range and barrages the Viper Bikes for 1 hit. Rev 1 kills one of the Warhounds of Warhound 2. The other breaks and heads for the rear centre and friends (my most expensive unit). Tac 2 shoots at Phantom for no results. Eldar Bikes move behind the city while Scouts &Tac 3 move up toward the Eldar side of the town.

TURN 3: Things are moving quicker now with so many deaths! My Terminators teleport in on the table-edge Eldar objective, beside the damaged ‘Phantom”, to finish it off and claim the objective. We tie Strategy Rolls, so Greg moves first. That Phantom was not as damaged as we were led to believe! He activates it and whacks 3 Terminators, the 4th running for the woods! OUCH! He follows this up by putting the Rev 1 Titans on sustained fire and destroys all the Predators in Predator 2. Not looking good for the ‘away’ teamJ Warhounds & Phantom get hits on each other. Whirlwind barrage breaks Bike 2. Rev 2 kills 3 Whirlwinds. The other Whirlwind hits the other Bike unit & routs it while the remaining Warhound of Warhound marshals. Neither has VPs.

TURN 4: Tie Strategy roll so back to the Marines. Warhound 1 does sustained fire on the Phantom 2 and kills it.(most expensive unit). Predators shoot at Rev 3 , but only get 1 hit. Rev 1 races to behind my side of the city and open up on the remaining warhound of Warhound 2. They knock down 2 shields and get 2 hits. Wobbly, but still alive! Whirlwinds shoot at Rev Titans, but miss. The lone Warhound runs for it! Seeing no advantage in dieing for his country (or giving the opponent a victory point) he races off 3X to be behind the tall hill on my left. Rev 2 kills 3 Scouts and a Rhino in Scout 2, routing it. Tac 1 gets a BM on Rev.3
Game Climax: The Marines have killed the Eldar’s most expensive unit (Phantom Titan), but failed to kill the Marines Warhounds (by the slimmest of margins). The Eldar have eliminated all but a Scout unit on his side of the board. Get rid of them, and the games a tie. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and the Eldar Viper Bike unit is tasked with taking out the Scouts in the city. The combat goes equally. The marines throw a 2 & a 4. If the Eldar can beat a 4 on either dice, the battle is a tie. But it’s not to be. Disheartened, the Eldar fall back. The Marines are too exhausted to pursue. They don’t come any closer than that folks! That’s why Epic Armageddon will always be my favourite game.
Next Monday night will be another Epic game. Both sides will alter their forces, but still 4050 points.