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TURN ONE- Space Marines: The Titans began the festivities. The Titan under control of the Penitents fired its Turbolasers and Plasma Blast at the Eldar Revenant, hoping to score an early kill and dominance of the battlefield. Unfortunately, with mere Adeptus Mechanicus at the controls, not one of any of the shots caused any damage. The Dark Angel Titan was more concerned with the Wraithguard at its feet, but despite pouring Turbolasers and Vulcan Megabolter fire into the squad, only managed to kill one Wraithguard. A Warlock among them was using his power to Conceal them, so where the Wraithguard armor failed, the shimmering field around them saved the day.

Both Marine commanders agreed that the Eldar Titan could not be allowed to live through the initial firestorm. The Dreadnought at the Titan's feet fired its lascannon and missile launcher, but to no effect. Fortunately the Land Raider was nearby, and was able to down the Revenant with a well-placed lascannon shot to the back. The resulting explosion killed a Warp Spider and a Banshee nearby, but the Assassin's lightning reflexes took him out of harms way.

The three Penitents transports formed a neat triangle around the War Walkers. Twin-linked lascannon from the first Razorback, a multi-melta from the second, and a melta-gun shot from the Devastator sergeant was all it took to eliminate the entire squadron. The Marine commanders were not at all unhappy to see those six bright lances destroyed so quickly.

Inside the Veterans transports, plasma pistol fire hissed out, killing a Warlock and wounding the Farseer.

The concrete bunker in the northeast held a nasty surprise-- a huge squad of Dire Avengers and a Storm Squad with a couple of fusion guns. Their life expectancy reduced to mere moments, the Ecclesiarch and his retinue turned all their fire on the Storm Squad, hoping to eliminate the fusion guns and take their chances with the Dire Avengers. Even with two assault cannons, and supported by the landspeeder, they couldn't kill quite enough and were left looking at an ugly counterstrike.

The Predator fired all its guns at the Falcon, but was rewarded only with an interesting light show as every shot bounced harmlessly off the holo-field. The Eversor pulled his pistol and executed a single Howling Banshee-- a shot better spent on his own temple, as he would soon find out. The Landspeeder poured tons of lead into the Dark Reapers, but killed only one. The Assault Squad, stuck deep in enemy territory and too busy recovering from the drop to assault, shot at the Viper squadron and destroyed a Star Cannon-- not enough, considering the Dark Reapers at their back and the Striking Scorpions within range.

But despite terrible luck so far, things turned around for the Dark Angels where it counted-- trying to take out the Eldar HQ. The ancient Dreadnought, custom built for trench fighting, fired its assault cannon and heavy flamer down the line, killing four Guardians and wounding the Farseer. Had it had the opportunity to assault as well, things could have gone much worse for the Eldar.

The Tactical Squad and the Scouts had both landed near a wooded hill covered in Fire Dragons. In a display of fine-tuned Marine perfection, the Tactical squad shot and killed three of the Fire Dragons, the Librarian weakened their resolve, and the Scouts cut down the fleeing Dragons in a vicious crossfire. Troops inside the Landraider cheered as all the armor-piercing weapons nearby vanished, leaving the Land Raider largely unchallenged.