Friday 1 February 2013

Fear the Wraith... Eldar/Dark eldar vs Blood angels 1500



The first outing for WraithStar v2 and it’s against Blood angels, 1500 points, crusade and with vanguard strike deployment. With the slight improvements over the last list I hope I can get a win against the Imperium as the game against the guard didn’t go so well. Read on and find out...

The Armies

So this is the first game with wraithstar version 2. For those of you who haven’t seen the list, here it is:

Eldar/Dark eldar: 1498

Farseer – 140 (Warlord: Strategic genius) w/ wraithguard
Runes of warding, spirit stones, guide, fortune

10 Wraithguard- 396
Warlock, conceal, spirit seer

10 Guardians- 95
Scatter laser

5 Warp spiders- 137
Exarch, withdraw

3 War walkers- 180
Scatter lasers

2 war walkers – 80
Shuriken cannons

The Baron- 105 w/ wraithguard

5 warriors – 60
Blaster

Venom – 65
2 x cannon

5 Warriors – 60
Blaster

Venom – 65
2 x cannon

Ravager – 115
Night shield, 3 x dark lance



And my opponent for this game is blood angels. This is his list:

Blood angels: 1505 (5 points over... boo)

Dante – 225 (Warlord: can’t remember, it was useless) w/ sanguinary guard

5 Sanguinary guard – 230
Banner

10 Tactical squad – 195
Plasma gun, power sword

Sanguinary Priest – 75 w/ Sanguinary guard
Jump pack

Honour guard - 130
Storm bolters

Razorback - 55

5 Terminators – 230
Cyclone missile launcher

Land speeder – 60
2 x heavy bolter

Land speeder – 60
2 x heavy bolter

5 Devestators – 145
Lascannon, 3  x missile launcher

Predator – 100
Autocannon, heavy bolters

The Mission

To mix it up a little bit we got a 3rd party to set up the terrain so it’s not up to us what happens. So it’s got quite clustered short tables edges with a rather clear centre. Not up to me what happened so that’s what we got to play on. Deployment type was vanguard strike. Rolling for table side, he won and picked the one with the ruin and the barricades.

The mission we rolled for was crusade and we got 4 objectives. These were placed in the forest on the bottom right corner (sabotaged), the bunker on the left (nothing of note), barricades top left (targeting array) and in the middle of the table in the open (skyfire nexus).

We rolled off and I set up first, placing my wraithguard on my left with the war walkers behind them for a cover save. The other walkers set up on the right with the ravager. I set up the guardians in the forest to get the objective and a venom on each side of the table. I keep the warp spiders in reserve.



He counters setting up his entire army on his left flank as far away from me as possible. He puts his devastators in the ruins to have a good line of sight. The tactical squad combat squads, and takes the objective in his deployment. Dante and friends get placed in reserve. He declares he’s using Dante’s ability to reduce The baron’s stats... he only has 1 wound now.



Night first: turn 1
Steal: No

The Battle

Eldar turn 1

Start of the turn I cast fortune on the wraithguard so hopefully I shouldn’t lose any this turn with night fighting. I then guide the war walkers. I move up the wraithguard up straight towards the marines followed by the walkers. The venom on the left moves over the ruin to get a good shot on the terminators. The ravager moves forward to get a shot off and the walkers on the right get as close as possible.

Shooting starts with the ravager targeting the razorback, but only takes off two hull points as well as shaking it. With a lucky pot shot the guardians take off the last hull point of the razorback, gaining first blood. The wraithguard run, and the venoms boost. The guided war walkers shoot at half the tactical squad, getting 13 wounds, but only kill a single marine. Damn.



Blood angels turn 1

A speeder moves to target the venom on the left while the tactical marines fall back towards the long table edge. The terminators and predator fall back to the table edge as he’s scared of what the wraithguard can do.

The speeder shoots at the venom on the left but thanks to jink the transport is fine. A torrent of fire goes towards the wraithgaurd from the terminators, tactical marines, honour guard and the other speeder, but thanks to night fighting a 2+ re-rollable cover save (conceal + stealth + shroud) stops all damage. To rectify this however the devastators destroy two of the war walkers regardless of the 5+ cover save.



Eldar turn 2

I cast fortune on the wraithguard again but because of the losses, the war walkers are out of range so I have to cast guide on the wraithguard as well. I roll for reserves and the warp spiders come in, I place them at the back of his deployment zone aiming for the devastators. They lock on and alls good. Again the wraithguard move forward towards the objectives while the venoms move to get a better shot.

Ambushing the devastators the warp spiders shoot but only manage to drag down a single marine. The ravager follows suit killing a dev, as goes the venom on the right. The lone war walkers tries to avenge his brothers and kills a single marine, and the devs run but only 2 inches... not far enough.

The war spiders try to jump again in the assault phase but only roll 6 inches, losing an aspect warrior with a double.



Blood angels turn 2

Dante and friends come in from reserve and are placed behind the ravager as the devastators rally. Both tactical halves go after the warp spiders while the rest of the army falls back again.

Shooting and the land speeder manages to wreck the venom this turn while tactical marines kill all but the exarch of the spiders. The other speeder blows off one cannon from the venom. In a heroic shot, the snap shot from the dev rips off a scatter laser from the war walker. The honour guard shoot at the warriors and kill all 5. The terminators and predator shoot at the wraithguard but nothing happens. Dante shoots at the ravager glancing it taking away a hull point.



Eldar turn 3

Again the farseer fortunes and guides the wraithguard. The ravager, guardians and war walkers turn to face the new Dante and sanguinary guard threat. The wraithguard move forwards again.

The guardians, war walkers and single war walker shoot at the sanguinary guard and do no damage. I get a little more luck from the ravager who kills two of the elite marines. The lone spider shakes a speeder while the lone venom kills off the wounded tactical half. 



Blood angels turn 3

Again the army moves away from the wraithguard while the speeders go after a few shots on the war walkers. Dante splints from the sanguinary guard as he goes after the ravager and they go after the guardians.

The speeders try to get a few shots off but nothing happens. The tactical marines left shoot at the venom but fail to do anything thanks to the flicker field. The devastator wrecks the last scatter laser war walker while the predator wrecks the venom. The honour guard shoot the spider exarch and kill him. Dante shoots at the ravager exploding it and the sanguinary guard kill 2 guardians.

Assault phase and the sanguinary guard charge the guardians but lose 1 to over watch but they just murder the guardians... they do so many wounds... it’s horrible... honestly if it was a film it would be banned it was that bloody.  



Eldar turn 4

Fortune/guide wraithguard. The wraithguard move towards the tactical and take the objective behind the barricades. The remaining war walkers go after Dante... it’s a long shot but if the dice go against him I might get slay the warlord. The warriors move into the temple.

The plan fails, Dante lives. The warriors shoot at the tactical marines and kill two of them.



Blood angels turn 4

Dante goes towards the war walkers as do the sanguinary guard. Both speeders move to get targets.

The speeders shoot at the warriors but they go to ground and dodge the speeders, devestators and tactical marine shots. The predator then kills two of them. Dante shoots at the walkers but misses his shot. Combining shots, the terminators and honour guard manage to drag down a single wraithguard.

Dante charges the war walkers and takes a wound from over watch reducing him to 3. Dante takes no more wounds but manages to wreck a walker. 



Eldar turn 5

Fortune/guide once more. The wraithguard consolidate their hold on the objective. They shoot at the tactical marines killing 2 of them.

Combat and nothing happens but Dante uses hit and run towards the wraithguard.



Blood angels turn 5

With the majority of my army crushed, the blood angels surge forward no longer afraid of the wraithguard.

Again the speeders and predator shoot at the dark eldar warriors who go to ground but the last few die. The sanguinary guard shoot at the war walkers stripping a single hull point.

Combat phase and the sanguinary guard charge the war walkers and rip off the last hull point. Dante charges the wraithguard and he takes another wound from over watch, he now has 2 left. I issue a challenge with the baron to keep him from killing the wraithguard. Nothing happens and I decide to hit and run away at the end of combat but I roll 12, just taking me too far away to hold the objective... damn it was a risk that didn’t pay off.
                           
We roll off to see if the game carries on...

Eldar turn 6

Fortune/Guide wraithguard again. They move back to control the objective but the baron moves to attack Dante.

The wraithguard have to shoot the honour guard. I wanted them to shoot the terminators but I could only get a few models in range. So I shoot the honour guard and kill 4. The last one holds.

The baron then charges Dante but again nothing happens. Dante uses hit and run to escape 14 inches towards the sanguinary guard.



Blood angles turn 6

Both speeders move towards the baron while the terminators and lone honour guard go after the wraithguard.

It takes both speeders to get through the barons shadow field, and thanks to Dante weakening him with this mask of ridicules ability, he dies. The rest of the army does nothing.

Combat phase and the terminators charge the wraithguard, but I manage to kill two of the marines before they can strike. I still lose 4 wraithguard in the process.



We roll to see if we go onto turn 7... It ends.

Just before we add up the points we notice a single terminator could be in range of disrupting the objective held by the wraithguard and he is just about in.



Blood angels: 3 (single objective) – Eldar 2 (first blood, line breaker)

Victory to the blood angels.

Post Battle

Well that was an unfortunate game, and I think I can learn a lot from it. My opponent made a few mistakes at the beginning of the game by moving away from the wraithguard with his army and I didn’t take advantage of it. Anyway what can I say specifically I can learn from?
·         The wraithguard: They can’t hold their own in combat against power fists, this was how I expected it would go but I now have evidence... I sent them up the field unsupported and I can’t have that happen again. Next game, keep both war walkers next to them and the venoms on the flanks. It’s a tough unit, but if it gets charged, it’s in trouble.
·         War walkers: Bad placement with the shuriken unit, I don’t like the range of them anymore, I need scatter lasers or to out flank them. It may have been the vanguard strike that made them a little useless. The scatter unit got unlucky, but I think keeping them with the wraithguard is a good call.
·         Dark eldar: Bar the Baron, they didn’t do much, I think I just mis used them. Keep them as a pair like the last few games might work better. I need to drop the warriors off in cover to get objectives as I can’t afford to lose the troop choices.
·         Deployment: This was an issue, keep the walkers together, and blast a flank with all the dark eldar units, that would have been better. The warp spiders I feel may have been mis-used but I will have to experiment.
·         Opponents mistakes: When I saw that he was terrified of the wraithguard I should have sent everything behind them, I believe he would have targeted the wraithguard still leaving the rest of my army intact. But that's just guess work..

Well that game went badly, maybe next week I will learn and win again... haha it was too good to think I might be on a roll.







2 comments:

  1. Better luck next time. The guardians currently do not add a lot to the army apart from being standard. A scatter laser can be added easier. The war walkers do benefit from scatter lasers especially from the range extension - and of course from the additional shots. Cheap outflanking walkers are fine as well, you are right in this respect.
    The other choices you should try some more before dismissing them, especially the baron has a lot potential.

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  2. Unlucky is right. Seing your opponents list, I figured you had this in the bag.

    Couple things:

    I always Outflank the ShuriCannon Walkers because of the range issue. Getting them in the backfield is very nice and could have disrupted the Predator (rear armor) or the speeders.

    The Warp Spiders. In the picture it looks like you could have had rear armor on the Predator. I would have gone for that and the Dakka it can put out is pretty devastating. Also, you for sure would have destroyed it opposed to having your opponent make 3+ armor saves.

    Target priority. With Eldar and Dark Eldar it is monumentally key to pick on the units you can kill or cripple enough to where they won't cause anymore harm. i thought the Venoms should have both shot the Devastators first turn instead of the Termies. Sure the Termies have a cyclone, but that is only a 2 shot missile where the Devies had 3 and a Lascannon. Plus, 2 Venoms should kill the Devy squad.

    Most people fear the Wraithguard and will do exactly what your opponent did, which is outrange them. Let them. You want people to shoot at them and waste shots going into a 2++ rerollable. Keeping the Baron with them is huge as it allows you to leave the combat with the Powerfists. I understand why he left, but that's why he is there, for Hit and Run.

    The Guardians I think do fine for what you pay and have them for. 10 guys to camp a backfield objective and plink off the last HPs off of Rhinos or other armor. They can put out a good number of shots at 12'' but do just get decimated in CC.

    I think running the SL War Walkers behind the Wraithguard is the way to go. Giving them the 5+ Cover will make them much more survivable and allow them to support the Wraithguard.

    Overall, it was a good game, and I thought you just had some bad luck.

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