It’s been a while but I have got back to my evolving
eldar list again, and once again its up against my friends blood angels. I know
it’s nothing new but it’s always fun playing against him. This 1500 point game
is purge the alien with a dawn of war deployment.
As it was been quite a while since I last played with
this army (About 3 weeks is it?) I had to go over my last few games to see what
I needed to do with it.
The first was using the wyches offensively, making sure
I throw them down my opponent’s throat so they aren’t wasted. Second, not
risking units by getting them out of their tanks too early. Don’t throw tanks
into a death trap (I know its obvious, but I'm that stupid it seems) so keep
them away when possible. And also target the key units first, kill the biggest
threats don’t leave them unless you have no choice. So with that in mind I'm
able to hopefully be able to stand a chance to win. But anyway I think I have
got ahead of myself, here is my list for those who haven’t read the past battle
reports:
Eldar 1499
Farseer – 148 (warlord – divide and conquer)
w/ guardians
Runes of warding, runes of witness,
spirit stones, singing spear, Guide, Doom
10 Guardians - 95
Scatter laser
10 Guardians - 95
scatter laser
10 Dire avengers - 120
Wave serpent - 115
scatter laser
6 Fire dragons - 96
Wave serpent - 115
scatter laser
6 Fire dragons - 96
Falcon - 135
Missile launcher
3 War walkers - 180
scatter laser x 6
Haemonculus - 55
venom blade
7 Wyches - 84
haywire grenades
Raider - 60
Ravager - 105
And my opponents list
Blood angels
Dante – 225 (warlord – master of offence)
10 Assault marines – 195 (combat squadded)
Melta gun, melta bomb
10 Tactical marines – 190 (combat squadded)
lascannon
Sanguinary guard – 200
Sanguinary guard – 200
Sanguinary priest – 75 w/ sanguinary guard
Jump pack
Honour guard – 115
5 Devastators – 145
Lascannon, 3 x missile launcher
5 Devastators – 145
Lascannon, 3 x missile launcher
I was not expecting this kind of list, never has he
gone for a descent of angels list, but a welcome change. It’s a good job that I
don’t list tailor otherwise I would be in for some trouble as I would have
taken a hell of a lot more anti-tank weapons (as he normally takes a mechanised
list) which would have been wasted. It will be an interesting game.
So we rolled for mission and deployment and got purge
the alien with dawn of war deployment, and he wins the roll for deployment so
selects his side of the table and deploys with all of his jump infantry in
reserve and his tactical marines, honour guard and devastators on the table,
not much to start with.
 |
| Blood angel deployment |
In response I set up with the war walkers hidden and
the less valuable tanks in front to protect the more valuable ones. I place a
single unit of guardians on my far left flank to try to draw at least one unit
of marines away from my army so I can focus my attention where it matters with
less resistance. My farseer went at the back with the guardians again (I’m
really not happy with placing him there) to guide the walkers.
 |
| My deployment |
With set up complete we rolled to see if night fight
was to be used turn 1 and it wasn’t, so no darkness to protect me. On the off
chance I rolled to steal the initiative and I roll a 6!! So I steal it, after
all its only fair as he stole it last time I played the blood angels, it all
balances out in the end. So let battle commence.
Eldar turn 1
Ok he doesn’t have a great deal on the table so I need
to cripple his anvil while I can before the hammer strikes. I cast guide on the
war walkers with no problems but could not doom any one as they were out of
range. Movement commenced and the walkers moved out of hiding and the tanks
moved forward to engage the enemy (and hopefully jump out and kill his troops
next turn). The ravager moves towards the combat squad on the left aided by the
raider while the rest of the tanks are on the right.
Shooting begins with the war walkers shooting at the combat squad
in front of the devastator squad as I could only see 1 model in the devastators
(would be a waste to kill 1 guy). Somehow from 24 guided shots I only manage to
kill 3 of the 5 marines!! I guess the dice gods are against me for now. It
takes the two wave serpents on the right to combine fire to kill the final two
members of that combat squad but that was a lot more shots than it really should
have taken (first blood!). The ravager shoots at the other half of the tactical
squad and only kills 1 thanks to cover from a broken wall segment. Both
guardian squads fire at whoever they can see and both fail to get past the 3+
armour. Finally the falcon shoots its two strength 8 shots into the honour
guard and only kills 1 of the models out in the open. Not a great first turn
shooting for me.
Blood angels turn 1
With not much on the table the honour guard move
towards the bunker to try and avoid some shots next turn. Shooting begins with
the tactical squads lascannon aiming at the raider, hitting, penetrating, but I
manage to get the jink save. The devastators on the right shoot at the wave
serpent holding the fire dragons but all the shots fail to penetrate or get
jinked off (I'm very lucky at this point). The final squad of devastators shoot
at the war walkers and manage to wreck the front 2, that balances out the turn I
feel.
Eldar turn 2
I guide the single walkers again and do not doom. The
army again moves forward but I change my mind, instead of getting the fire
dragons out to shoot this turn I reason that if I do that, the sanguinary guard
will just nuke them next turn and they will be wasted. So I keep them in the
transports for this turn. Same logic for the wyches as I doubt they will make
it into contact with anyone this turn (ok I’m not following the plan for these
guys, I will sort it).
The lone war walker can see the devastators in from
of him this time now he has moved to the side and with his 8 shots manages to
kill 4 marines!!! That is stupidly good luck and I feel bad for my opponent at
this point. A wave serpent adds his fire power into the last remaining devastator
and he dies under the weight of shots at him. A combination of guardians, the
raider and ravager manage to finish off the last of the honour guard so they can’t
become an issue later in the game. The left side guardians manage to snipe a
single tactical marine with their scatter laser.
Blood angels turn 2
 |
| The angels descend |
Dante sounds the signal and the army opens fire. Dante shoots at the wave serpent right in front of him just it jinks out the way of the penetrating shot. The assault marines with the melta gun penetrate the falcon and shake it (damn, the fire dragons are not useless inside it). The devastator squad shoots at the dire avengers wave serpent and explodes the tank, causing 5 wounds on the passengers but all wounds are saved. They fail their pinning test however and are pinned. Luckily for me 1 assault marines dies in the explosion. The sanguinary guard shoot into the rear of the fire dragon wave serpent but fail to do anything. The assault marines shoot the dire avengers killing 1 and the sanguinary guard next to the ravager strip 2 hull points off it.
 |
| The sanguinary guard target the ravager |
Eldar turn 3
I have some serious thinking to do here, if I play
this badly I'm going to lose from this point onwards, that’s a lot of 2+ armour
I have to get rid of and a lot of combat ability. Starting I cast doom on one
half of the assault marines but it gets denied. So I guide the unit of guardians’
the farseer is with.
Movement starts with the war walker going towards Dante,
if I can hold him up I might be able to save the dire avengers from him. The
guardians on the right move closer to get as many guns as possible on the
assault marines near them. The wave serpent holding the dragons move forward
and release the dragons, hoping to kill the sanguinary guard. Turning to face
its attacker the ravager turns to face the sanguinary guard. The raider moves
forward and unloads the wyches who move towards the devastators.
Combat begins with the wyches charging the devastators,
who go into over watch and manage to blow a wych away with a shot with a
lascannon shot. In combat the wyches fail to kill any one and take 2 casualties
in return. The haemonculus steps up to the mark, killing a single marine with
his venom blade. I hold after losing combat by 1. The war walker also charges
this turn and goes into Dante, neither do any damage to the other but then
Dante uses his hit and run ability to escape (I didn't realise he had this)
making me assault a little pointless.
 |
| Dante's position after hit and run |
Blood angles turn 3
On the right the sanguinary guard walk towards the
guardians, Dante jumps behind the stunned falcon while the assault marines go
to the dragons aided by their fellow combat squad. The left side sanguinary
guard move between the guardians and the ravager.
Aiming once more at the ravager, the tactical squad
hits but it jinks at the last second keeping it alive. The sanguinary guard
then take it upon themselves to finish it and get a final glance wrecking it.
Dante then blows off the missile launcher off the falcon. The assault marines
shoot at the dragons and kill 2 of them. The sanguinary guard on the right
shoots at the guardians and rip 5 of them apart.
Dante’s war cry can be heard as he charges into the
falcon aided by a combat squad of assault marines and wreck the tank leaving
the fire dragons in the wreckage. Assault marines charge the dragons who
disembarked before and just murder them, i take more wounds than I even have in
the squad. The sanguinary guard charge the guardians and kill them all
including the farseer gaining the warlord point. The wych combat is a draw as
no one dies.
 |
| The fire dragons are in trouble after the falcon is wrecked |
Eldar turn 4
As Dante is now free I need him dead, so I move the
raider back to try and instant kill him with the dark lance. If he dies that’s
2 victory points, so he’s my primary target right now. The guardians on the
left (only ones know) move towards the sanguinary guard to get as many shots on
them as is possible before they charge them (better than getting charged). The
dire avengers move towards the assault marines.
So the moment of truth, if the raider can kill Dante,
the dragons can burn an assault marines unit, if not they will have to target
him. The raider hits, wounds, but he makes his invulnerable save from the iron
halo. The dragons now have to shoot at him, I get 4 hits, 3 wounds, and he fails
1 save, he dies (warlord). Unleashing all their shots the dire avengers shoot
at the assault marines but all the wounds are saved. The remaining wave serpent
shoots at the assault marines and manages to kill a single marine. The war
walkers also shoot at the assault marines and kill a single marine as well. The
guardians shoot at the sanguinary guard, I doubt it will do much but somehow I kill
2!! Leaving 1 alive.
Combat starts with the dire avengers charging the
assault marines but I fail to do any wounds and take one in return, I fail the
leadership test and run but manage to escape. The guardians charged the
sanguinary guard and manage to drag down the marine before e can swing with his
axe. The wyches kill 2 marines and take no loses, the marines run and escape
but only run 3 inches... not even far enough to run off the table. That’s going
to be irritating and they will regroup next turn.
 |
| The dire avengers flee |
Blood angles turn 4
The devastators regroup and move forward towards the
raider. One combat squad of assault marines moves towards the wyches while the
other moves slightly closer to the dragons.
Shooting, the tactical marine’s lascannon shoots but
misses the raider. The devs shoot at the wave serpent but miss. The assault marines,
who moved to the wyches shoot, but they live due to feel no pain. The
sanguinary guard kill 4 dire avengers with their bolters.
Avenging their chapter master assault marines charge
the fire dragons killing 2 but losing 1 of their number, but I hold. The
sanguinary guard charge the dire avengers, I pass my leadership test but they
get cut down by the power weapons. The assault marines charge the wyches and I lose
a wych and kill a marine, drawn combat.
Eldar turn 5
We roll for night fight and still no night. The guardians move to see the sanguinary guard
as does the raider.
The raider shoots and downs a guard while the
guardians fail to do anything. The wave serpent shoots at the two devastators killing
both of them.
Wyches lose one of their number to the marines and
deal no damage back but I hold and don’t run. The combat between the dragons
and the assault marines is a draw with no one inflicting any damage.
Blood angels turn 5
The sanguinary guard move towards the wyches while
the lascannon marine shoots at the wave serpent but misses again.
Combat and the sanguinary guard charge the wyches and
kill 1 (thanks to dodge) and I fail to do any damage. I run this time and get
cut down. The dragons vs assault marines ends with my dragons holding again
after losing a single member of the squad.
We roll to see if the game carries on and it does,
still no night fighting.
Eldar turn 6
With nothing much left on the table I shoot the
guardians at the tactical marines but fail to do any damage. The wave serpent
shoots at the lone assault marine and get two shots past its armour save but as
its about a inch from the sanguinary priest and passes two feel no paint saves.
The war walker than charges in to help the fire
dragons but fails to do any damage but the poor dragons take two wounds and the
lone survivor runs.
Blood angels turn 6
Shooting has the devs take a hull point off the wave
serpent and the priest charges after the lone fire dragon and he is cut down.
 |
| The fire dragon just before he gets cut down |
The game then ends
Blood angels 11 (Warlord, 10 units destroyed) – Eldar
8 (first blood, warlord, 6 units destroyed)
So another loss for me but it was a very close game
and very enjoyable. Facing a list like this was cool and makes a nice change
from the meched up army he normally brings against me. So that was my 3rd
game with this list so I now have to go on to evolve it again. So what shined
in this game, and what didn’t do so well?
·
Wave serpents: They did well,
and with a lot of people online saying the drop them I'm tempted but I just can’t
see why. They have ok shooting ability and keep my valuable units safe. I might
drop the wave serpent in favour of a second falcon though for the dragons and
just drop the transports for the dire avengers. I don’t know, it’s hard to
decide fully.
·
Guardians: They aren’t great, I
might drop one for a unit of rangers or a second squad of dire avengers. I just
can’t keep two units at this points level.
·
Farseer: I need somewhere else
to put this guy, the guardians isn’t a great place to put him. So dire avenger’s
maybe? I'm going to drop the singing spear as I couldn’t do anything with it.
Would a warlock body guard be any good? Possibly too expensive though.
·
Dark elder: they are doing
well, I will keep them in the list, and I might even add a unit of warriors as
it will give me another unit to hold objectives.
·
Tactics: I know I lost this
game but I'm not sure how I could have improved it, please tell me what you
would have done differently to win this game.
So that’s it for this game I need to improve my list
and play my next game. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed playing
it.
No comments:
Post a Comment