Kill the Courier

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3394819.M41 Inq/045678506/BI Wolf Priest Jorvik Blacktooth Wolf Lord Sven Axegrinder Campaign Update from Segmentum Warzones Segmentum Obscurus Tri-Cinci Sub, Hobbytown Secundus LETUS05.61.CLA Knowledge causes confusion. We must retrieve the artifact, the water bowl of Freki,the foul xenos scum stole it five years ago and have escaped our vengeance since that time. They must be brought to heel and the artifact must be retrieved at all cost. Lord Grimnar has added the following message to assure the importance of this mission:   "Extreme prejudice is sanctioned and encouraged.  YOU ARE EXPENDABLE, THE WATER BOWL IS NOT. -LG"

Finally, the Space Wolves get a (sorta) rematch against these foul xenos! Da Masta Cheef and I arranged this game shortly after the last one when I reminded him of the time his Eldar soundly defeated my Space Wolves back in 5th edition. Since that time he has sold off a lot his Eldar, both the Exodites and Corsairs, leaving only a scattering of each. I agreed to let him use some of mine to fill in the gaps. I lent him Fire Dragons, Swooping Hawks and Dark Reapers.

This game was one of many firsts! Most importantly it was the first time using Da Cheef's new awesome convertible gaming table (a.k.a. The Jasper). It was my first time using Space Wolves in 8th ed, and my first time using a few units with them. Such as the Intercessors, Stormhawk, and a Wolf Priest (it's true, in the decades I have played this game, I have never used a generic Wolf Priest). It was Cheef's first time using many of the Eldar units in this game as well.

Once again we used the Open War cards, pulling the  'long way' deployment and Kill the Courier as a mission. Note that I pulled out form the deck any of the missions that didn't have some sort of specific objective to fight over. The Twist card that we pulled (Double or Nothing) resulted in us not having any twists.

Open War!

After choosing our zones, we set up our forces on The Jasper. Clearly the Xenos scum, having traded the sacred Space Wolf artifact, the Water Bowl of Freki, many times over, were about to pass on the artifact to another group. Now the Space Wolves have cornered a band of Corsairs who have been joined by a detachment of Craftworld Eldar, no doubt sending the artifact to it's final intended, and debauch, destination. The Eldar Courier was identified as the Farseer. The Eldar have selected my Rune Priest as the Courier for the Space Wolves. What twisted vision did that Farseer see to select the Rune Priest as his target is not known at this time, only that the xenos sought his demise.

Eldar set-up. 

Our set ups were fairly straight forward,  with the scenery some what sparse there was still plenty of defensive positions to take advantage of.

Space Wolf Set-Up. 

TURN ONE

The Eldar advance. They fired a lot shots at the Space Wolves, but only one of the Sons of Russ was eliminated.

The Eldar are coming!

Space Wolves Turn One, and they did not take the loss of Brother Banebreath too well! The counter attack was intense, with the Eldar taking considerable losses, but it was the Stormhawk Interceptor that truly brought the thunder. I knew this thing has potential for fire power but damn! We were not expecting it to be this impressive! It destroyed a unit of Corsairs and a Dire Avenger unit! Cheef was livid at this thing and was determined to bring it down.

The wall of bullets is spat out by the Stormhawk.

TURN TWO

The Eldar counter attacked, killing a few Space Wolves with shooting. The Autarch on Jetbike (it only looks like a griffin) charged into the Stormhawk. he didn't knock it out of the sky like he intended too but he did get it down to 6 wounds remaining.

Bonzi!!!

Space Wolves Turn Two

Smoking but still aggressive, the Stromhawk turned it's attention towards the Vyper. After the 1st round, we expected this to be an ugly event, but no, the Vyper not only absorbed everything the Stormhawk threw at it, but managed to survive with 2 Wounds remaining!

The Vyper's escape!

In my 2nd Turn Movement phase my Drop Pod appeared, and out sprang my 2nd Grey Hunters squad who killed off the Dark Reapers.

Drop Pod assault!

The Intercessors charged into a Guardian unit while the Wolf Priest and the remaining Grey Hunters charges the Autarch.

Charge!

The Autarach was unharmed due to his invulnerable saves and would fly off in his his next Movement phase.

TURN 3, and the Autarch charged the Interceptor again, which by this point had been reduced down to 4 Wounds. The Autarch finished it off, and Interceptor bits rained down onto the field.

The last of the Corsairs killed off the entire 2nd Squad of Grey Hunters with shooting. Clearly they were getting too close to the Courier!

The Autrach in his glory. 

The Intercessors gunned down the Autarch on Jet Bike/Griffen, ending his reign of air supremacy.

TURN 4

Meanwhile the 2nd Autarch and a Squad of Dire Avengers was hunting down my Rune Priest, who, along with the Long Fangs, had just all but finished off a FIre Dragon squad (the Exarch still lived!). After failing to Wound him they charged him.

"We have you know Mon'Keigh!"

The Swooping  Hawks charged the Primaris Marines that had just finished off the Guardian, tying them up in melee.

Space Wolves Turn 4,

With the swirling Melee nearby, the two survivors of the 1st Grey Hunter Squad spotted the Farseer, and the Meltagunner took off all but one wound from the Farseer; leaving the Space Wolves only one wound away from victory! Naturally they charged the Farseer who managed to make all of his saves, yet failed to kill his attackers!

The Farseer (Courier) is wounded!

TURN 4, and we are running out of models! The Vindicator had been hunted down by the Vyper and the Fire Dragon Exarch they were  picking wounds off of it, and somehow it survived an assault with Melta Bombs, but it was down to only 2 Wounds!

Space Wolves Turn 4, and the Vindicator pretty much point-blank annihilated the Fire Dragon Exarch, thankfull that templates are no longer a thing! It then Turned it's attention to the Vyper, finishing it off with it's storm bolter.

The Vindicator, sticking it out to vanquish it's oppressors. 

Turn 5

The Farseer used Smite to kill off his Attackers! He then advanced himself to position of cover.

"I Smite thee!"

The Runepriest liked that idea and Smited the Autarch attacking him, kill him out right while the Dire Avengers continued to press the assault.

"I Smite thee!"

The Long Fangs, now out of targets, moved down to assist the Runepriest, who now only had one opponent.

We;re here to help boss!

Having bested the last of the Swooping Hawks in the Eldar Fight Phase, the Wolf Priest and surviving Primaris Marines found the hidden Farseer crouching in the ruins. With a blast from his Plasma Pistol, the Farseer's days as a Courier were no more, and the Water Bowl of Freki was retrieved!.

Victory!

That was a fast summary, and I know I left out a lot of details, but it was getting late and my memory is somewhat fractured and dependent upon these pics. But what a fight! In case it's not obvious, there was only one survivor in the Eldar army, and she was a Dire Avenger desperately trying to take out the Rune Priest, who was now down to just 3 Wounds himself. I like to think that the Runepriest and the Long Fangs took her as a prisoner. Likewise, Cheef likes to think that the Wolf Priest slagged the Water Bowl of Freki with that plasma blast...

It was a good, intense game! My MVP was easily the Stormhawk Interceptor due to it's first round introduction where it blew away two units! This thing has the potential to dish our a lot of death if the dice are hot! A definite honor mention for Wolf Priest Jorvik Blacktooth for staying alive, inspiring his troops (those re-rolls to hit are just divine!) and for the winning shot of the game. He definitely earns his pace in the hall of heroes!

Cheef's MVP was that Vyper, simply for the incredible amount of firepower it absorbed during the game!  it stood up the Stormhawk, survived and went on to pester my forces until it was eventually dealt with. It was very tough to kill! His Autarch on Jetbike (Griffin) was probably the 2nd place contender.

And that's a wrap, the Water Bowl of Freki has been recovered, and the Space Wolves have a prisoner! Will the Eldar attempt a rescue?