Epic EA Atreides: Report and progress

Jason and I got our game in on Tuesday. Sadly, I think I need *more* terrain but do have a 'theory' or two, and the sheet draped over some hills and weighted down (that's the lines of stones) into some gullies, worked pretty well. For those of you that like that kind of thing, Jason had 3000pts of Speed freaks with all manner of things, including a huge GW war machine that looks like it was designed by a schoolboy as a laugh... (seriously, nipple and crotch guns?) My list was: Four Devastator detachments, two with Hunter AA and one with Landraider, Two lots of Fedaykin (Terminators) in a Thunderhawk, with Chaplain (Korba!), two lots of Ornithopters (Landspeeder Tornados) and one lot of Predator tanks. We played the proper tournament mission, with all its multiple objectives. The objectives are circled in red. Neither of us could properly remember the rules.... so who emerged victorious from that chaos?

10191 AG, Bashar Arkady +++PRIORITYCOMMS++

13:00 Hours: My Duke, we have linked up with our Fremen allies and run these Tleilaxu abominations to ground. They must have Harkonnen aid. The green-skinned monstrosities, that the flesh vats have spawned, are well equipped with brutally styled tanks and other war machines. There is melange in the area and we mean to secure it, along with the eradication of this filth. The first squad of our heavy infantry, and its attached siege tank, was on point and has engaged the enemy. The conditions of this planet frustrate our communications and render our shields a liability, so we must fight with cruder weapons. The Tleilaxu forces even appear to have heavy artillery, blunt ballistic weapons, sited to the rear. Surely such antiques can never serve a useful purpose?

The Tleilaxu advance has quickly enveloped our lines. The Heavy infantry and their Siege tank appear lost, their position a smoking crater left by that massive war-engine, and their mobile forces appear to be massing on our right flank. I have brought our Kindjal fighters up, reading to provide fighter cover for our air-operations over this battle-space but where are the Fremen?
We need to do something, our Predator tanks have proven to be wholly ineffectual against the enemy armour and our two 'Thopter flights have been pressed into dangerously close work, to compensate.



They have performed admirably though. Skilled Atreides pilots, supported by more of our heavy infantry, proved able to to concentrate such fire on the Tleilaxu that they were eliminated wholly. Unfortunately, that was one of two armoured units pressuring our center, and that huge warmachine continues to advance. Then, I saw it for almost a moment, first a quick intercept and counter-intercept by air cover over the battle space then the roar of the heavy 'Thopter. It hadn't even kissed the sand, when cloaked Fedaykin were over the sides, and tearing into another large enemy armour unit. It was over in moments, destroyed by the Fremen death-Commandos without a single loss.

I need those Fedaykin over to the right though - so I gave the signal for the Fedaykin to remount the Heavy 'Thopter and prepare for another air assault. Their Naib debates with me about the wisdom of this, but there is no time, I insist, and he complies. Now I just need to stem the enemy advance and the Fedaykin can smash into the depleted units again, remain dismounted and wreak havoc in that close-terrain to our left. The enemy will be routed. I see that our heavy-infantry squads are easily holding the enemy forces to the left.... +++SIGNALLOST+++ (static)

Of course, in amidst all the other 'looking up' of things, the actual looking up of victory conditions took place AFTER I had made the fateful decision to to withdraw the Fedaykin. When on the table, they are the most expensive formation. When off the table, any of my three Devastator squads with attached AA or Heavy Tanks counts... and Jason killed one early. So one objective to him, right there. Worse, he was over my half and I wasn't over his. If the Fedaykin had remained, they could at least crossed over half and so keep me in the game. Oh well, the more aggressive Tleilaxu win this time and I need to use the fragile but awesome Atreides a bit more skillfully! A great game, Jason, had lots of fun.

For those that are interested in suck things, here is the list: 

Incompertus, 3000 POINTS
Codex Astartes (NetEA Compendium 1.1)
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DEVASTATOR DETACHMENT [325]
4 Devastators, Land Raider

DEVASTATOR DETACHMENT [325]
4 Devastators, Hunter

DEVASTATOR DETACHMENT [325]
4 Devastators, Hunter

DEVASTATOR DETACHMENT [250]
4 Devastators

LAND SPEEDERS [200]
5 Landspeeder

LAND SPEEDERS [200]
5 Landspeeder

THUNDERHAWK [200]

TERMINATOR DETACHMENT [400]
4 Terminators, Chaplain

TERMINATOR DETACHMENT [350]
4 Terminators

THUNDERBOLT FIGHTERS [150]
2 Thunderbolts

PREDATORS [275]
4 Annihilator

I also got some more stuff painted up. Six objective markers, if you look closely (and smell!) you see that is actual SPICE.

I also got some reinforcements done, an APC (all models by Brigade Miniatures) which Jason thought looked a lot like a GW Rhino... then realised that this is because it is pretty much an M113 APC. Of course, all of GWs creations are totally original. Just to the left of that pic is the AA track, which I bought because it looks like the Flakpanzer Gepard which has always been one of my favourite vehicles, for whatever odd reason. To the fore is the mighty Siege-Tanks, which is definitely Sci-Fi and above you can see most of my heavy 'Thopter.

But THESE are the reason for it all. Another flight of Atreides Ornithopters. I could easily fit in a third flight of them...

Thanks for reading.