Eldar vs Elysians 1875: The Swordwind

The new Codex has hit so I thought I would test them out against my friends Elysians in a 1875 point game of maelstrom of war. And as a big change I only use formations for my army, no combined arms detachment for a change.

The Armies

Forces of Eldar

Formation: Seer Council – 375

Farseer – 100 (warlord: re-roll saves of 1)

Guide, executioner, fortune, eldritch storm

Farseer – 100

Guide, doom, mind war, eldritch storm

Warlock conclave – 175

5 warlocks [conceal, protect, enhance]

Formation: Aspect Host – 355 (+1 BS)

6 Swooping hawks – 106

Exarch

6 Swooping hawks – 106

Exarch

7 Warp spiders – 143

Exarch

Formation: Aspect Host – 561 (+1 WS)

10 Banshees – 150

Exarch, executioner

Wave serpent – 115

Twin-linked scatter laser

8 Striking scorpions – 176

Exarch, scorpions claw

4 Shining Spears – 120

Exarch, star lance

Formation: Aspect Host – 584 (+1 BS)

5 Fire dragons – 120

Exarch

Wave serpent – 115

Twin-linked bright lance

5 Fire dragons – 120

Exarch

Wave serpent – 115

Twin-linked bright lance

8 Dire avengers – 114

Exarch

Total: 1872

This list as I’m sure you can tell used aspect warriors and lots of them. I am doing this as it’s a very different list to what I am used to using. It’s mainly on foot with only 3 units in transports so it will be vulnerable to barrage and the like. I am taking the seer council to add all of the foot warriors, hopefully making them much more deadly.

Forces of Elysia

D-99: Combined arms detachment

D-99 command squad (Warlord: preferred enemy eldar)

4x plasma gun

D-99 veterans

6 men, missile launcher

D-99 veterans

6 men, missile launcher

Executioners

7 man, 6x melta gun

Valkyrie

Rocket pods, multilaser

3 Drop sentinels

3x multimelta

Taros Venerator

Twin-linked lascannon, 2x hunter killer missiles

Vulture

Twin-linked punisher cannons

Sentry guns

3 x twin-linked lascannons

Elysains: Combined arms detachment

Command squad

Officer of the fleet, ground scanner

Veteran squad

Infiltrate, missile launcher

Veteran squad

Infiltrate, heavy bolter, 2x sniper rifle

Vendetta

Vendetta

This list is what you would expect of an Elysians force, lost of fliers and hard hitting units. Not many boots on the ground though which will work to my advantage but he will be more manoeuvrable than me with hits fliers. I only have slight anti-air in the form of hawks and warp spiders, and maybe 1 shot from the wave serpents. This will be a tough game to win.

The Mission

Before we roll for anything we decide to place the objectives in places that seem of importance, no real tactics just what looks good. We then roll for mission and get Spoils of war, which is 3 objectives each and we can score each other’s “secure objective X” cards. The deployment for this is Dawn of War. Rolling off the Elysians win the roll and decide to deploy first.

He doesn’t deploy many units, just his Command squad and a D-99 veteran squad behind the barricade in the top left corner, backed up by the Tauros. The sentry guns deploy in the opening and the final unit of D-99 veterans hide in the woods in the middle. He keeps the fliers, executioners and sentinels in reserve and infiltrates the other veterans.

Eldar deployment as my forces spread across the table. I place the Dire avengers, warp spiders and fire dragons in a wave serpent on the left ready to speed up the flank. In the middle the seer council hides behind woods flanked by the other unit of fire dragons in wave serpent and banshees in wave serpent. The shining spears hide behind the tanks. On the far right both units of swooping hawks deploy ready to skyleap. I infiltrate the scorpions.

We roll off for who deploys infiltrators first and I win, placing the scorpions in the woods in front of the seer council. He then deploys his two units of veterans in his deployment zone but on the right flank.

Night Fight: No

Steal the initiative: No

The Battle

Elysians turn 1

In from reserve comes the Valkyire who drops into hover mode right next to the seer council, it scatters a little from its deep strike but not enough to stop the executioners getting out and being in range of the seer council. The drop sentinels also drop in and lock on right next to the executioners also ready to attack the psykers. His ground forces movement only consists of the Tauros moving a little to see a wave serpent.

Automated systems make the sentry gun target the banshees wave serpent but the pilot predicts this and jink, stopping a penetrating hit doing anything. The pounding on the seer council starts with the valkyrie shooting at them, the missile pods get 8 hits and take down 3 warlocks. The executions shoot next and kill off the last of the warlocks and kill off the none warlord farseer. Trying to kill the warlord before he can do anything, the drop sentinels shoot at him with multi-meltas but the rune armour holds true. A long shot from the tauros can see the farseer but will give him a 4+ cover save from the intervening wall, so the farseer goes to ground and makes the save. Veterans on the right can see the seer with their heavy bolter, and they take 2 wounds off him, leaving him bloody, but alive. The veterans on the right shoot at the jinked wave serpent and take off a hull point.

Score: score objective 4, score objective 6

Elysians: 2 – Eldar: 0

Eldar turn 1

The hawks at the very back sky leap ready to come back onto the table next turn, while the other unit moves up their 18 inches to attack the veterans in the top right. With the flier in hover mode the warp spiders move behind it to shoot it in the rear. The fire dragons get out of their wave serpent and move towards the sentinels. The shining spears move towards the executioners while the banshees and other fire dragon wave serpents move forwards. The dire avengers follow suit on the left flank aiding the wave serpent. Creeping out of the woods the striking scorpions move towards the imperial line.

Psychic phase and I only have 4 dice compared to the 11+ I would have had if the council was still alive. I make the most of the farseer and he casts fortune on the shining spears then executioner on the executioners, killing off 2 of the guard. Seeing two of their number fall the executioners run for it, fleeing back towards their deployment zone.

Shooting phase and the Dire avengers run 6 inches then shoot at the D-99 veteran unit in the top left, they kill off every one but the heavy weapon team who is left on a single wound. The fire dragons wave serpent shoots its bright lance at the valkyrie and shakes it, so the warp spiders have to finish the job and despite it jinking, wreck it with several penetrating hits. Flaming death from the fire dragons explodes 2 of the sentinels and wrecks the other, when really all of them should have exploded as they were getting a +4 on the penetration roll thanks to open topped, ap 1, and assured destruction the new fire dragon rule. On the right the swooping hawks unleash their laser fire killing off 5 of the veterans. To finish off the jinking wave serpent snap shoots at the veterans who haven’t been hurt and manage to kill a single model.

Assault phase and the chining spears declare a charge on the executioners, who rally and over watch getting 2 wounds but thanks to fortune nothing happens. However the spears fail the charge, so it’s up to the scorpions to charge in. They just murder them with ease.

Score: First blood, hold the line, blood and guts, psychological warfare

Elysians: 2 – Eldar: 4

Elysian turn 2

Everything else comes in from reserve. The vulture swoops in on the right ready to cut down the hawks. Both vendettas come in ready to take down a wave serpent and the D-99 command deep strikes in next to an objective and able to shoot at the scorpions.

Both barrels blazing the vulture strafs the hawks and cuts them all down. Plasma fire from the D-99 command kills 3 of the aspect warriors. Again the sentry guns target the banshee wave serpent, it jinks but they fail to penetrate its armour. Following the scorpions with their sights, the veteran’s heavy bolter fires but fails to do any damage, but the snipers in the unit manage to take a wound off the exarch. One of the vendettas shoots at the banshees wave serpent, and despite the tank jinking, the tank gets wrecked, forcing the banshees out in the open. Now the other vendetta targets the farseer but again the rune armour holds true. A stray missile from the veterans on the right glances the empty fire dragon wave serpent. Tauros fire and veteran fire targets the wave serpent on the left, it jinks and saves 2 penetrating hits. End of the shooting phase, and the striking scorpions run, despite having a re-roll for moral tests, so they run back towards my table edge.

Score: Assassinate, hold objective 2, overwhelming fire power

Elysians: 5 – Eldar: 4

Eldar turn 2

Back in from reserve the hawks drop in my opponents back field and drop their grenades on the unit holding objective 2, which I want. The grenade locks on and kills the heavy bolter team and 1 other model. I attempt to rally the scorpions but they keep running, but don’t flee off the table yet. Moving through the wreck of their transport, the banshees start to get closer to the enemy. The farseer moves towards the objective in the ruins in my deployment zone. With a vendetta so close, the fire dragons move towards it getting within 6 inches. As his warlord is now on the table the warp spiders jump towards them, hoping to avenge the scorpions.

Psychic phase and the farseer casts fortune on himself and guide the fire dragons.

Firing into the sky, the guided fire dragons miss every shot. I fire the dragons wave serpent at the same vendetta but again it does nothing. Unleashing their monofilament weapons at the D-99 command squad, they get all their shots hitting (14!) and then most wound, killing off the unit. The banshees run 7 inches towards the enemy again. On the left the dire avengers kill off the lone heavy weapons team, then the wave serpent snap fires at the tauros but doesn’t hit. Swooping hawk fire targets the veterans they grenade before, and take down an extra 5 men with their shots, only about 3 are left and they run off the table, allowing the hawks to run and take the objective. The spears then boost right in front of the sentry guns.

Score: secure objective 4, slay the warlord

Elysians: 5 – Eldar: 6

Elysian turn 3

Seeing a new threat on the board the vulture moves to target the fire dragons on foot, while one vendetta once again chase after the farseer while the other goes after the warp spiders. In his deployment zone the remaining veterans move to face the swooping hawks.

Expecting the vulture to do the same I got ready to remove my fire dragons, and after getting 15 wounds, I rolled my saves and only 3 die.... wow I got lucky. Finally the rune armour fails to hold, and the vendetta gets a lascannon though killing the farseer. The other vendetta targets the fire dragons wave serpent, the serpent shield downgrades the hit to a glance and It loses a hull point. The tauros shoots the same wave serpent forcing it to jink, and avoid the hit. The sentry guns shoot at the same wave serpent and thanks to jink, it survives. In a rather surprising move the missile launcher from the veterans snap fires at the wave serpent with 1 hull point left and misses, so they now can’t charge the hawks.

Assault phase and the command squad charges into the shining spears and 3 die to over watch. The exarch issues a challenge and deals a wound to the commander, but the commander deals a wound back. The combat is a draw.

Score: witch hunter, king slayer (3), slay the warlord

Elysians: 10 – Eldar: 6

Eldar turn 3

With the vendettas in a rather vulnerable spot I waste no time in getting into a position to blow them out the sky. The empty wave serpent get behinds the one that killed the farseer while the warp spiders jump behind the other. The two remaining fire dragons move towards the vulture, in a desperate attempt to blow it out the sky. The banshees move towards the veterans in the woods in his deployment zone and finally the scorpions rally! And move to objective 5, in the ruins.

First I take the long shot, the fire dragons shoot at the vulture and both miss, but the exarch can re-roll a hit, wound or armour penetration roll once a turn so I use that  and manage to hit! I then penetrate it and roll a 6... That’s a 9 on the vehicle damage table. It explodes and the debris scatters off the table. That was surprising. The warp spiders shoot at the vendetta but it decides to jink, and I get 3 penetrating hits which it ignores. I decide to fire both the lance and serpent shield at the other vendetta, the lance misses and I get 3 shots with the shield which all miss. On the left the dire avengers shoot at the tauros and get enough 6’s to glance it to death. On the right the hawks shoot at the veterans killing all but the heavy weapons team which is wounded, deciding that staying is probably not a good idea the lone model runs off the table.

Screams emanating from their masks, the banshees charge the D-99 veterans in the woods and make it with ease; the combat is short as the banshees cut them down in seconds. The combat with the spears ends with the exarch causing another wound but then takes one himself, dyeing, the combat is a draw.

Score: secure objective 4, objective 5 and big game hunter

Elysians: 10 – Eldar: 9

Elysian turn 4

The vendetta next to the warp spiders flies off the table as it has no real place to go while the other goes after the wave serpent full of fire dragons.  

Fire from the sentry guns manages to wreck the wave serpent on the right, while the vendetta explodes the other serpent, killing 1 fire dragon in the process.

Combat and no one does anything, it’s a draw.

Score: Nothing

Elysians: 10 – Eldar: 9

Eldar turn 4

With the threats left very limited, the banshees move to get ready to charge the turrets while the warp spiders jump towards them as well, aiming to soften them up for the banshees. The fire dragons on the right move towards objective 1.

Being rather rudely ejected from their transport, the fire dragons shoot at the vendetta which decides to jink, but I fail to hit. The other dragons run enough to capture their objective. A torrent of fire from the warp spiders shoots at the sentry guns, and we find out they have no initiative, so we are not sure how to wound them... we just say 2+ and the spiders kill them all (more on this after the report).

Again the assault does nothing... it’s a draw.

Score: objective 1, 2 and 4.

Elysians: 10 – Eldar: 12

At this point it’s getting late and my opponent concedes the game as he can’t really take objectives with 2 fliers and a unit trapped in combat, and he can only hope to kill about 6 models a turn which isn’t enough.

End of game

Elysian: 10 – Eldar: 12

Victory to the Eldar

Post-Battle

The new Eldar codex really has no bad units and I was really happy with how this force worked. Having the aspect warriors with the extra BS made the shooting phase very stupid, as very few models were missing. The +1 WS was surprisingly useful as well as the D-99 guys are WS 4, so it gave me a slight edge over them. It was a shame that I didn’t get to see how good the seer council could be, but as the lone farseer was quite useful, the whole unit intact could be quite devastating. It is a lot of points for the council, so I need to test it out again to see if it’s worth the points. If I faced a horde force or necrons I probably wouldn’t have done anywhere near as well, but I want to try that out soon.

An odd thing that did come up, the warp spiders vs the sentry guns. As they roll to wound vs the initiative and they don’t have one, what do you do? Instant wound? Or do you go against their toughness? While this won’t come up often it’s still something that needs to be addressed.

Talking to my opponent after the game he didn’t feel anything in my force was over powered, and I don’t think anything that I used was too bad which is a good starting sign for the codex. However I did choose to leave some of the more controversial units in my case for this game, so its probably not a great statement.

In my army the only unit I wasn’t 100% happy with was the shining spears, but that was just because I played them terribly. I just didn’t expect him to charge them which was a great call on my opponents part. I will try them again but if they are lack lustre again I will swap them out for probably more striking scorpions.

Anyway that’s my first battle report with Codex Eldar: Craftworlds, what did you all think?