Once again I go against my friends blood angels in a 1500 point game.
This time I went with a hybrid list instead of purely mech eldar. Hopefully it
will prove to be better. Mission: Crusade (5 objectives), Deployment: vanguard
strike.
A little off topic to begin with, over my last so many games I have
been trying totally different army lists. While this lets me play with
different things in different combinations im starting to think that its
preventing me from properly understanding what each units capabilities truely
are. So from this point on im going to make an army list, stick with it for 3
games, evaluate how it plays, drop the chaff, keep the wheat and hopefully,
improve it. Thats the plan anyway. So here is the army list which will begin
this little adventure.
Eldar 1495
Farseer – 145 (warlord) w/ guardians
Runes of warding, witness, spirit stones, Doom, guide
11 guardians – 133
Scatter laser, warlock, embolden
11 guardians – 133
Scatter laser, warlock, embolden
10 Dire avengers – 153
Exarch, 2 x catapults, blade storm
Wave serpent – 125
Twin scatter laser, shuriken cannon
8 Fire dragons – 128
Wave serpent – 125
Twin scatter laser, shuriken cannon
8 Fire dragons – 128
Wave serpent – 125
Twin scatter laser, shuriken cannon
2 vypers – 120
2 x shuriken cannons
3 war walkers – 180
2 x scatter lasers
So this is the list, only 3 troop choices, all quite soft so I will
have to protect them carefully. So put them in cover, and hope they don’t run
with embolden. The dire avengers will probably die, nothing I do can about that
really. I have a lot of strength 6 shots
so light tanks (AV 12 and less) shouldn’t be an issue, with the number of shots
I can put out anyway. Heavier tanks (AV 13 – 14) will have to full to the
dragons; otherwise I’m going to have to ignore them. I know I normally take
fortune on my farseer, and it is the best power by far but I don’t have
anything it would really support so im leaving it off for now. So let’s so how
it goes...
Blood angles 1500
Reclusiarch – 130
7 Death company - 155
Power sword
Rhino – 60
Hunter killer missile
Death company dreadnaught – 125
Drop pod – 35
Sanguinary guard – 250
Chapter banner, infernus pistol, power axe, 3 power sword, power fist
Sanguinary priest – 75
Jump pack
Land speeder – 60
2 x heavy bolters
Land speeder – 60
Multimelta
Storm raven – 225
Typhoon missile launcher, lascannon
Dreadnaught – 120
2 x autocannon
Well that’s the armies, who do you recon is going to win? Place your
bets now. Anyway we set up the terrain and placed the objective markers (5 in
total, in the rocks, behind the sand bags, on top of the ruins, behind trees
and far right) but though out the game they didn’t actually do anything so I won’t
be mentioning them again. We rolled for who goes first and blood angels won, we
set up with the blood angels castling up in the left hand side, with the storm
raven and sanguinary guard in reserve. I set up to counter this on the left,
keeping out of sight so I don’t get shot down turn 1, I leave the outflanking
war walkers in reserve and 1 wave serpent full of fire dragons. We rolled for
night fight, it starts turn 1. This is the first time we remembered night fight
and it happened, funny that. Our warlord traits made no difference so I won’t
need to mention them. So its turn 1 night fight, I decide not to steal the initiative
so we start the game.
Blood angel turn 1
Drop pod assault, such a fun little rule. The drop pod is placed next
to my wave serpent but scatters a few inches into the trees but is otherwise
fine. The death company dreadnaught then disembarks and moves towards the wave
serpent. Thanks to new rules the 6 inch disembark greatly helps get
dreadnaughts back to its intended target. The land speeders both move 12
inches, both towards the guardians on the left. Both transports move forwards
to get their payloads where they are needed.
Shooting starts with the death company dreadnaught, using its melta
gun on wave serpent, it manages to penetrate and explode the wave serpent
straight away (first blood), killing 2 dragons trapped inside the vehicle. The
land speeder with two heavy bolters fires at the guardians in the rocks and
guns 4 of them down. Thanks to some very bad positioning the closest models
where the gun crew... so I lose my heavy weapon in the first turn. They hold
though. The razorback shoots at the vypers but they are saved by the shroud
save gifted by night fighting. The dreadnaught then shoots at the guardians but
thanks to night fighting it only manages to kill two guardians (again another
crewman dies, I have to place models better). The final land speeder then
boosts towards my lines.
|
| The death company dread targets his pray |
Eldar turn 1
Start of turn, so the Farseer casts guide on his own unit, so re-rolls
to hit. The fire dragons stumble out of the ruins of their tank and move
towards the death company dreadnaught to show it the error of its ways. With
the land speeder not far away the remaining wave serpent moved towards it while
the vypers move to the razorback. The guardians hiding in the rocks move
further into them for a better cover save while the other guardians stay hiding
behind the walls.
Vengeance for the fire dragons comes swiftly as the DC dreadnaught
explodes under the pressure of the melta guns. The wave serpent unleashes its 7 shots on the land speeder; two glances get though its jink save, wrecking it.
Aiming through the gloom of night, the vypers manage to unleash shots at the
razorback, penetrating it with a single shot (the rest where saved by cover
saves) which immobilised it. The
guardians in the rocks shoot at the land speeder and get a single penetrating
it which shakes it. Not a bad first turn.
 |
| Fire dragons reap revenge |
Blood angels turn 2
Reserve rolls start this turn but fail for the sanguinary guard, but
the storm raven appears. The flyer moves on towards the wave serpent and
guardians in the centre. The honour guard get out of the razorback and move
towards the eldar. The rhino moves 6 inches to the guardians and the death
company jump out and stand in front of the guardians in the centre. The land
speeder, shaken, moves away from the eldar line, waiting till it can shoot next
turn.
The honour guard run, the land speeder boosts. The razorback shoots at
the vypers again, it hits and penetrates but I save with my jink save. The
storm raven fires two blood strike missiles and its lascannon at the wave
serpent (causing 2 glances, but 1 was saved) and its typhoon missiles at the guardians
(killing 1 guardians). The death company shoot their pistols at the guardians
and kill 4 guardians. The dreadnaught fires both its autocannons at the vypers
and deal 2 glances but both were stopped by the jink save. That turn was very
much down to luck on my part and jink saves.
 |
| The storm raven comes into play |
Eldar turn 2
No reserves for me this turn, both rolled a 1. The Farseer casts doom
on the death company, and guide on his own unit. The guardians move to get maximum shots and
possibly assault the DC if needed. The wave serpent moves to allow the dire avengers
to get out and blade storm the DC. The vypers move to the razorback again.
Starting with the dire avengers, they blade storm at the DC, but only
2 DC fall to the 32 shots. The guardians then follow suit and kill 4 more and
put a wound on the Chaplin. Back in my deployment zone the fire dragons shoot
at the drop pod and only manage to knock off its storm bolter (a very unlucky
roll). The vypers shoot at the razorback
but miss.
Assault phase and the guardians charge the DC, attempting to finish
them before they can do any damage. The Chaplin issues a challenge and the
warlock accepts. The warlock is beaten down and killed. The guardians fail to
kill the DC who then kills 3 of the poor eldar. I lose combat by 4 and run, get
caught, and die (warlord killed, so far 2-0 to the blood angels).
 |
| The farseer leads the charge |
Blood angels turn 3
The sanguinary guard arrive from reserve and deep strike, locking on
landing next to hte guardians hiding in the rocks. The storm talon turns and
moves after the vypers. The honour guard move to shoot at the vypers. Turning
on the spot, the rhino turn to pick up the honour guard. The single remaining
DC and Chaplin move towards the dire avengers.
Shooting phase starts with the honour guard shooting at the vypers but
fails to glance. The razorback shoots at the rear armour of the wave serpent
and manages to immobilise it with a penetrating hit. The storm raven fires a
single blood strike missile and its typhoon missiles at the vypers, destroying
a single vyper. It then uses power of the machine spirit to fire its lascannon
at the fire dragons and snipes a single one. The dreadnought destroys the final
vyper with its autocannons. The sanguinary guard then open up on the guardians
in the rocks and kill them all but bar lone survivor.
The DC charge the dire avengers and the Exarch issues a challenge to
the Chaplin who accepts. Being I6 the Exarch goes first, and manages to get two
attacks hitting and wounding. The Chaplin fails his armour saves and dies, very
unexpected, but welcome (2-1). The remaining dire avengers then attack but fail
to down the DC. He attacks back furious and kills 3 of the aspect warriors. I
fail my moral test and run and get cut down. That was less expected.
Eldar turn 3
The fire dragons come in this turn, the wave serpent moves 12 onto the
board. The other dragons move to the land speeder who just boosted. The lone
survivor of the guardians hides in the rocks to get out of sight.
The fire dragons shoot at the speeder and make it explode, nice and
simple. The immobilised wave serpent shoots at the lone DC and manages to kill
him. The wave serpent turbo boosts.
Blood angels turn 4
The storm raven moves off the table as it has no targets, and the
honour guard jump into the rhino which boosts off towards the sanguinary guard.
The sanguinary guard them selves back off from the wave serpent, fearing what
the contents will do to them if they are too close.
Shooting phase has the razorback targeting at the new wave serpent,
but fails to penetrate. The dreadnaught also targets it which also fails to
penetrate.
 |
| The sanguinary guard hide |
Eldar turn 4
As its turn 4 the war walkers automatically come on. Rolling to see
which edge they arrive I get my left hand side. The wave serpent moves towards
the middle of the board, denying the sanguinary guard any place to go.
Shooting and the fire dragons wreck the drop pod (took them long
enough) and the war walkers shot at the dreadnaught, attempting to glance it to
death. But from 12 hits, only 1 glances. Desperate, I make the wave serpent
target the dread and it strips a further hull point. But its not enough to
wreck it.
Blood angels turn 5
The storm raven comes onto the board from ongoing reserve and the
rhino parks infron of the objective in the rocks (as they honour guard as
inside the transport, it doesn’t count as a denial unit). The sanguinary guard
move to the war walkers.
Shooting starts with the raven firing its last blood strike missile
and the rest of its payload into the wave serpent managing to get 3 glancing
hits past its jink save wrecking it. The fire dragons then bale out of the
wrecked tank. The dreadnaught then targets the old wave serpent wrecking that
as well. The rhino then shoots at the dragons but fails to do anything.
Combat and the sanguinary guard charge the war walkers who go into
over watch. But from all those shots, not a single one hits. The walk walkers
fail to deal any wounds to the guard, they however don’t feel the same way and
deal 4 glances and 3 penetrating hits thanks to the variety of weapons they
have. Destroying the squad.
 |
| The storm raven comes in for a second run |
Eldar turn 5
The final guardian moves to claim the objective in the rocks as it was
the closest objective to him. And then I do nothing... I can’t shoot at the
rhino as it will release the denial unit stopping me from winning so I leave
it. It let me have a 1/3 chance of winning.
 |
| The last guardian captures an objective |
We roll to see if the game continues and my opponent rolls a 1. The
game ends.
End result Blood angels 2 – Eldar 4
Well that was a very close game, and in a way I feel quite dirty for
winning in this very technical manner. If the game had go on even one more turn
I would have been tabled, that much is clear. But I decided that I had to take
a shot at winning. And as it turns out
in this case, it paid off. Next time I won’t be so lucky so I won’t be trying
that again unless I'm desperate.
So what have I learnt from this game?
·
Model placement: the way the models are placed
in the squad is very important now; I need to be more careful about placement.
The heavy weapons need to be out of the way of fire, hiding in the back of the
group. Same for the warlocks, I can’t be having them dying so quickly either.
So place models carefully.
·
Guardians: In this game anyway they didn’t seem
to be much use, they did kill a few DC but died far too quickly. I will have to
keep an eye on these units in the next two games to see if they are worth
keeping or not.
·
Fire dragons: I’m not sure if the squad size of
8 is needed or is excessive, again keep watch.
·
Reserves: Keeping things in reserve weren’t
great but it might just be this game.
·
Scatter lasers vs shuriken cannons: in this game
it didn’t make a great difference, but the range is a nice advantage. But is it
worth the extra points? I'm not so sure.
·
Deployment: I'm still not great at placement,
this game was better than normal but still not great. I need a think about this
long and hard.
Well that’s it for this game. What do you guys think of the army list?
And any deployment tips would be useful.
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