Raid on outpost 3... Eldar vs Blood angels 1500

This is my first game with the new eldar codex and its up against my old time foe blood angels. This game is a 1500 point game of Big guns never tire with vanguard strike deployment. As it’s a new edition of codex I was looking forward to testing out me new list and seeing if it works as well on the table as it does in my head.



The Armies

Eldar 1498

Spiritseer - 70 (warlord) w/ guardians

Warlock - 35 w/ guardians

15 Guardians - 155

bright lance

5 Wraithguard - 160

5 Wraithguard - 160

Crimson Hunter - 160

3 Vypers - 180

2 x shuriken cannon

6 Warp spiders - 114

3 War walkers - 210

scatter lasers

Fire prism - 140

holo field

3 Dark reapers - 114

star shot

Blood angels - 1500

Captain - 165 (warlord: outflankers have acute sences) w/ assault mariens
Jump pack, power fist, plasma pistol

Tactical squad - 180
10 men, plasma gun

Rhino - 60
Hunter killer missile

Assault squad - 225
10 men, 2 x plasma gun, melta bomb

Honour guard - 145
Chapter banner

Razorback - 90
Twin linked lascannon

Sanguinary priest - 75
Jump pack

Land speeder - 60
Melta gun

Land speeder - 60
2 x heavy bolter

Land speeder - 60
2 x heavy bolter

Dreadnaught - 120
2 x twin linked auto cannon

Predator - 115
Twin linked lascannon

Devestator squad - 145
3 x missile launcher, lascannon

My army is based around a fire base and a speedy element to attack up a flank. Alas he army is also quite similar so it will be who ever can out manoeuvre the other will win the game. This will be an interesting game if played right. 

The Mission

We rolled for mission and got Big guns never tire, and deployment type was vanguard strike. The terrain was set up with a little back story in mind, it was set up as if it was an abandoned out post in the middle of the wilderness. Obviously it was guarding something important other wise why else would we still be fighting here? Rolling for deployment zone I won the roll and selected my deployment zone. We got 5 objectives and I placed 1 in my deployment zone (in the forest) and in the centre of the out post. Another objective was next to the bunker. My opponent set up objectives in his deployment zone in a wood and another by the other abandoned building.

We then rolled for deployment and I again won and set up first. The dark reapers went into the woods to hold the objective there. The guardians went in the front with the spirtseer and warlock. They were flanked by both units of wraith guard. The warp spiders went on the far right and the vehicles went at the back of my deployment to stay out of range. The crimson hunter stays in reserve.

The blood angels countered this by having an armoured spear head in the middle of his deployment zone with the assault marines combat squadding, with the captain and priest joining one half. The dreadnaught goes on the left side alone. The devastators hide in the woods at the back holding an objective.

Night fight: No

Steal the initiative: Yes

The Battle

Blood angels turn 1

Taking the eldar by surprise the blood angels push forwards lead by the predator and assault marines. The speeders move forwards to attack both my flanks.

With no real targets the land speeders go flat out to gain a better position and protection. The assault marines run out of my sight waiting for next turn. Firing both barrels the dreadnaught shoots at the fire prism and gets a single glance on it, scratching its paint work (Eldar don’t like people scratching their pretty paintwork). The predator shoots at the vypers and gets a penetrating hit, stunning one of the skimmers. Firing heavy weapons at the wraith guard on the left, 2 go down. The other wraith guard squad take a wound from the razorbacks lascannon. 

Eldar turn 1

Not being outdone by the marines, the eldar surge forwards. I fail to cast any powers on the guardians thanks to rolling 10 for every powers… wish I had a farseer. The spiders warp jump down the right flank while the guardians and wraithguard push forwards. The war walkers push forwards while the vypers keep in formation but still moving forwards with the ones that could. The fire prism moves back to get a better line of sight on the dreadnaught.

Shooting from the reapers kill 2 of the devastators marines thanks to cover saving 2 more wounds. The fire prism hit’s the dreadnaught but I only manage to stun it (rolled a 1). I take a chance and attempt to run with the warp spiders before shooting but I fail to get far enough forwards (even with fleet) so move them back instead to cover. The bright lance from the guardians fail to damage the dreadnaught then run behind cover. The wraithguard run as the war walkers wreck a rhino with their scatter lasers (first blood!) and the marines combat squad as they get out. The war walkers run back into the woods.

In the assault phase the spiders jet pack back into cover.

Blood angels turn 2

Both assault marines go forwards to the wraith guard on the right while the speeders on the left go after the dark reapers. The melta speeder moves forwards while the tactical marines move away from the wreck. The honour guard get out of their razorback and move forwards towards the eldar. 

The dreadnaught snap fires at the vypers and still hits twice! It gets a single glance on a vyper. The speeders shoot at the dark reapers and kill 2 of the 3, but he holds. Taking aim again the devastators shoot at the war walkers and manage to get a single penetrating hit stunning 1. The predator then wrecks the stuns walker. Shooting a quick shot the razorback immobilises the healthy vyper, so they are all now on 1 hull point each. The rest of the army runs or misses but the commander shoots his plasma pistol at the wraithguard but it over heats and he fails his save!

Assault phase and the commanders assault marines charge into the wraithguard on the right and I manage to kill 1 with overwatch. The marines fail to do any damage and the wraiths kick a marine in the face. Unfortunately the Captain then kills off the wraith guard, and consolidate back into cover. 

Eldar turn 2

The crimson hunter comes in from reserve and speeds up the left hand side going after the dreadnaught. I manage to cast embolden and quicken on the guardians but not conceal. The guardians move to target the assault marines backed up by the warp spiders. The vypers abandon the immobilised skimmer and move off as the war walkers move out of the woods.

Shooting starts wit the prism targeting the honour guard but it scatters off and does nothing. The warp spiders shoot at the assault marines and kills 2 of them. The lone vyper shoots at the assault marines and 1 dies to blade storm and wounds the captain. The other vypers also shoot at them and kill both the captain, priest and last marine! Very good shooting lads. Aiming at the other half of the assault marines the war walkers unleash hell and kill all 5 in a single phase. First time I ever use the crimson hunter and it manages to explode the dreadnaught, not bad. The guardians run forwards as do the wraith guard.

Assault phase and the warp spiders move again trying to get out of sight of the predator.

Blood angels turn 3

The melta speeder moves towards the fire prism as another goes for the hunter and the last tries to see the spiders. Wanting to avenge their brothers the honour guard go for the guardians.

Shooting phase and the devastators kill off the wraithguard. The melta speeder fails to damage the fire prism but the razorback shakes it. The predators lascannon explodes a war walker as the tactical marines kill off 2 guardians. The honour guard shoot at the warp spiders and one goes down to the pistol fire. The two other land speeders shoot at the crimson hunter and gets 3 hits, I decide not to evade and nothing happens to the flyer. 

Assault phase and the honour guard charge into the warp spiders, I fail to do any damage and get very lucky and save all 9 wounds he inflicts on me!  The warp spiders hit and run away while the marines are confused as to what went wrong. 

Eldar turn 3

Again I cast quicken and embolden on the guardians but fail to cast conceal. The guardians move towards the honour guard and the spiders go after the predator. The vypers and fire prism move forwards. The crimson hunter moves towards its new prey, the devastators.

Shooting from the guardians targets the honour guard and kills a single marine (feel no pain saves a couple) but then the vypers take down 2 more. The lone war walker wrecks the melta speeder with its scatter lasers. The warp spiders run forwards and then shoots at the predator wrecking it. The crimson hunter targets the devastators and gets 3 wounds on them but they make all 3 cover saves. The dark reaper misses the speeder.

Assault phase and the spiders jump behind the predator wreckage.

Blood angels turn 4

The two remaining speeders leave the lone dark reaper and go after the vypers while the tactical marines take cover in the centre of the table and claim the objective in the same go. The other half of the tactical squad goes after the warp spiders.

Shooting from the tacticals next to the warp spiders brings 1 down. The razorback wrecks the prism with its lascannon. The speeders shoot at the abandoned vyper wrecking it. Using frag missiles, the devastators shoot at the guardians and manage to kill 3, I saved a lot thanks to the cover in front of them. 

Assault phase and the honour guard charge into the guardians but I fail to over watch. The spirit seer fails to do any damage and I lose a single guardian. Thanks to embolden I hold.

Eldar turn 4

Expecting to win the combat this turn I try to cast conceal with the warlock but roll double 1... To the warlock is dead. I cast embolden on the guardians. The warp spiders move towards the razorback and the vypers move to see marines in the centre. The crimson hunter moves to see speeders (love vector dancer).

Shooting from the warp spiders makes the razorback explode, then the warp spiders run towards the devastators. The hunter wrecks a speeder and the dark reaper uses starswarm shots and explodes the other with 3 6’s in a row!

Combat and again I lose a single guardians but this time the spirit seer wounds a marine but feel no pain stops the damage. 

Blood angels turn 5

The tacticals hold the objective. Shooting phase starts with the devastators killing 3 spiders, I went to ground but it didn’t save them. 

Combat phase and the spirit seer manages to kill the marine holding the chapter banner. I don’t lose any models and soul blaze ignites the lone marine, but it doesn’t die. 

Eldar turn 5

The hunter once again turns around and goes after the devastators and kills 2, the pinned warp spider snap shots at the lone dev and kills him. The vypers and war walkers combine fire on the tacticals on the centre objective and take them all down.

Combat and I kill off the lone marine.

We roll to see if the game carries on…

Blood angels turn 6

The only marines left hide and take the objective by the bunker.

Eldar turn 6

I attempt to horrify the marines but they deny the witch. I attempt to warp jump the lone spider but he gets lost in the warp with a double 1. The crimson hunter moves to see the marines and kill 3 of them! The vypers kill 1 more, leaving 1 marine left.

We roll to see if the game carries on… it doesn’t

Eldar: 10 (2 objectives, 2 heavy support, slay the warlord, first blood) - Blood angels: 4 (1 objective, 1 heavy support)

Post-Battle

Well that was a good game, it really show cased the new rules and especially battle focus. The marines really played to my armies strength, short range fire power, and attacked my fire base which decimated his forces. I was worried about the captin’s power fist but thank god he died to a torrent of shurikens. Anyway what did this new codex teach me?
Battle focus: This ability is amazing, and it really did make a difference for the warp spiders and guardians. Being able to shoot then run away into cover could be game winning, and it makes the warp spiders a real pain to pin down. Love this ability.
Wraithguard: Now being able to have 5 man units instead of 10 for a troops choice gives me a little more ability to force the enemy into areas of the table. They are scary and people will either run away form them or go all out and shoot them instead of my army. It kept my vehicles alive a lot longer than they should have! I will have to keep an eye on them to see if they are worth it in future or not.
Fire Prism: It’s now amazing, I can lance tanks for fun, and be strength 9 while doing it, and ap1, a real tank buster now.
Warlock: I’m not very happy with this fellow and his Ld 8, couldn’t get a power off all game. Stupid ld 8. I might have to drop him if he fails me again.

Anyway that’s it for this week battle report. I really like this list so I will try it again before testing out a few more units. Comments always welcome.