Frontline News – Warhammer 40K 8th edition Aeldari vs Genestealer cult

Astramaris, Konor system. Spiritseer Arroranel felt disturbance in the warp, he felt traitors in imperial lines. Contagion will spread and open gaping hole in imperial lines in most critical moment, when Chaos comes. Cult must be stopped, contagion contained. He ordered his battalion of Eldrich riders in to the battle.

Points: 75 Power level

Campaign: Fate of Konor

Mission: 1 – Astramaris: Invasion

Attacker: Aeldari Craftwords

Spiritseer

Warlock * 2

Rangers (5)*2

Dire Avengers + ex (5)

Wraithguard (d-scyth) (5)

Phoenix

Shining spears + ex (4)

Fire prism

Wave serpent

Defender: Genestealer cult

Primus

Magus

Goliath truck

Neophyte hybrids (10)

Goliath truck

Neophyte hybrids (10)

Cult Chimera

Acolyte hybrids

Aberrants (8)

Cult Leman Russ

Cult Scout Sentinels *2

Cult Armored Sentinel

Genestealer cult deployment

Aeldari forces after first round shooting 

Genestealer camp was amongst buildings at the edge of town. Spiritseer quickly order his grav-tanks and bikes to advance. He sensed that if he neutralize fast components of opponent force, victory will be his.

 Warlocks cast their smite power and badly damage one of cults truck in the middle of the field, and combine fire of Avengers and Serpents cannon almost finished it (he was left with one wound). Shining spears shoot other truck and scout sentinels and dealt little damage to both. Then they charged in to the truck and have destroyed it, piling in to fight with sentinels. Rest of the army dealt two damage to Leman Russ and one to Chimera, than braced for retaliatory strike.

Shining spears finished Goliath truck and pile in to the Sentinels

Cultists responded by advancing their forces, and their leader and unit of aberrant appeared from sewers behind Fire prism,and that surprised Aeldari warlord. Warp does not revile all of its secrets. But Cultists were still under the effect of surprise Aeldari attack, and their fire didn't do much damage (3 wounds to WS, 5 to Phoenix). Cult’s warlord and his unite charged Fire prism and only by protection of Aeldari spirits, grav-tank escaped total annihilation (I passed 7 of 18 6+ spirit stone saves). Shining spears destroyed one Sentinel in close combat.

Cultists first turn finished 

Cultists warlord and unit of Aberrants appeared from sewers

Spiritseer sensed that time is right, and run out of WS with his unit of Wratihguard in the middle of enemy forces. Mighty D-scythes send Leman Russ to warp, together with few acolytes. Rest of Aeldari forces thinned lines of neophyte hybrids, and Shining spears have killed rest of Sentinels. Unit of Rangers fought lost battle with Aberrants, but did not surrender. Some of neophyte hybrids, faced with dead of so many of their kin run, so they could fight another day.

Heavily damaged Fire prism went out of combat, and Rangers put 3 wounds in to the enemies warlord

End of Aeldari turn two. Wave serpent went back to pick up Avengers and Warlocks 

Acolytes tried to stop the carnage in the center, but were cut down by overwatch fire of wraithguard. Aberrants finished Rangers and Fire prism, but brave pilot turn his burning wrack strait in to enemy commander and took it with him.

End of Cults turn two

Lonely unit of aberrants watched mighty Aeldari force running through lines of their co-cultist, and then, they turned and went back to the sewers.

End of Aeldari tur three and game

I expected tougher fight with genestealer cult, but his deployment in the middle of the table gave me opportunity to reach him quickly with my main strike force of shining spears and wraithguards. His commander and aberrants killed their primary target (fire prism) and one unit of rangers, but after two turns of fighting,  they were left in the corner of the table and out of fight. 

My opponent is still learning how to use his new, heavily converted, genestealer army, and is still in process of painting it. Here are two of his converted cultists.