BATTLE SCENARIO: Eden Prime

Systems Alliance Objective: Protect the beacon.

Enemy Assets:

• Unknown number of Geth.  Estimates place them between 1,000 to 6,000 mobile platforms.
• Intelligence resources of the SPECTRE office via Saren Arterius.
• Sovereign, a 2 km tall Reaper.

Friendly Assets:

• Unknown number of Alliance marines.  Estimates equate their numbers in the area to around the same as the Geth.
• Team of commandos lead by an N7 agent and a SPECTRE, Nihilus.
• Normandy SR-1, a stealth frigate.

History:

• Archeologists uncover a working Prothean beacon.  The Systems Alliance is informed who, in turn, inform the Citadel Council.
• Saren Arterius learns of this from his position as a SPECTRE.  He tells Sovereign, and gathers a task force of Geth.
• Upon entering the Utopia system, comm buoys are destroyed.  The colony is attacked in complete surprise.  Geth landed via shuttle, ambushing squads near the beacon and secure the area.
• The Normandy SR-1 exits the Mass Relay station with stealth systems engaged.  They pick up emergency transmissions from the planet showing the fighting.
• Normandy lands a commando team who head to the beacon at the cost of a marine and Nihilus.
• Saren uses the beacon, and orders bomb set up to destroy it.  He leaves shortly afterwards back to Sovereign.
• The commando team defuse the bomb and the leader also uses the beacon.  It blows up right after that.

 Could the Imperial Guard succeed where the Systems Alliance failed?

• First, we must define their assets.  Systems Alliance marines are replaced with PDF troopers and their full array of ground equipment.
• This includes armoured vehicles and artillery.
• The planet is replaced with an Imperial world of similar importance.  It has multiple deep space augurs in orbit.
• The Normandy and her crew are replaced with a small Imperial frigate and an Inquisitor with acolytes.
• The augur stations in space will give advanced warning of Sovereign's approach, allowing for the troopers groundside to not be caught unawares.
• Since Geth protection is optimized against kinetic impactors they will prove easier for the lasguns to kill than Necrons.  Their lack of armour will also be a hindrance against the Leman Russ tanks or even the Chimera-based light tanks of the Guard.
• Needless to say, if the Geth don't reach the beacon in the opening stages of their landing, they will not get to it.  The PDF could hold them long enough for the Inquisitor to retrieve the beacon and leave.

How would the Imperial Guard fare in place of the Geth?

• First, we must define their assets.  Geth are replaced with Guardsman, Saren with an Inquisitor, and Sovereign with a transport ship.
• Comms buoys are destroyed (just like in the original battle) during the ship's approach.
• The landing would be conducted with wings of Valkyries.  This ensures they can land wherever they want, and have close-in aerial support for their assault.
• Their rapid insertion guarantees their ability to secure the beacon.
• After the Inquisitor uses it, they can use the Valkyries to withdraw to orbit.  Then, the orbiting ship would conduct an Exterminatus on the site to destroy the beacon and anyone in the area.  This ensures nobody else could use it, and might cover their trail.

Conclusions:  Their particle weapons make things easier for the infantry to dominate their counterparts; and their combined-arms tactics make it easier to achieve their objective, no matter which side they're on.  The early warning system in orbit will make sure they aren't surprised by the attack, and the ability for rapid insertion and rapid relocation is their best weapon on the attack.

I give the Imperial Guard 2 for 2 points for this scenario.