13.5.4 1850 Grey Knights vs Eldar

Shawn had a different Eldar list than I expected.  When he said he was using his Eldar.  I was expecting Eldrad.  Nope, Yriel.

JJ playing, Met Shawn at Fantasy Flight last Sat.  Wore my CONvergence Connie hoodie.

Shawn's Yriel list.

Mission:  The Emperor's Will.  Deployment: Hamer and Anvil.  Both objectives are in terrain.  GK middle terrain with stones.  EL about 1:30 position from GK objective.

Our stage of fun this afternoon.

Won roll off and decided to deploy and go first.

Grey Knights deploy.

Eldar deploy.

Shawn attempts seize.  Nope.

Top of first.  Grey Knights aggressively push into the middle.  Shawn always does it and I should expect it by now.  Perhaps this is the last time I'll be fooled.  I make a mistake in the opening turn that will give too many points to the Eldar.  All Rhinos move 12".  Extremely aggressive compared to my norm.  Far Psyflemen takes out two Rangers from far area terrain.  There's an objective in the middle, amidst the stones in the terrain.  This is where I believe I firmly handed the game to the Eldar.  Psyflemen attempt to shoot at Wave Serpents behind rock.  Damn that 3+ Obscured Vehicle Save.

Bottom of first.  Shawn pulls his usual Eldar-Flat-Out maneuver.  Two Wave Serpents come out from behind the rock and drop behind my Aegis thus securing him Line Breaker if I'm unable to route them out.  Those familiar with foreshadowing know exactly what happens at the end of the game.

Top of second.  This is completing the mistake mentioned in turn one.  Pull near Rhinos and Psyflemen back.  Purifiers get out and start doing their work on the "Eldar" that popped out out of the Waver Serpents.  Both transports are Wrecked and some Eldar are removed due to shooting.  First Blood 1 VP to Grey Knights.  Vindicare take Yriel's invuln save.  Continuing my mistake that gives Eldar way to much of a point lead I focus shooting at Rangers in the far area terrain.  Didn't occur to me til turn five how much of a waste that was.  Shawn agrees when I inform him what occurred to me.

Bottom of second.  Everything from Eldar reserves arrives on the field.  Fire Prism.  Other Wave Serpent.  Warp Spiders.  Some shooting in my deployment removes 4 Purifiers.  Shooting on other front removes 4 Purifiers.  One from one combat squad.  Three from another.  Rhino is immobilized.  Vindicare is removed due to Eldar shooting.  Had to make some 12 3+ cover saves from Warp Spiders.  Yeah, right.  And I'm David Spade.

Shawn rolls some amazing saves.  He never, well rarely ever, rolls this well.  Shawn says I should take a pic.  Responded with "Was going to!"

Top of third (unpictured).  Not sure how I missed this pic.  After a too long discussion about Challenges which Shawn and I are on the same page, Crowe is dead.   Slay the Warlord 1 VP to Eldar.  Warp Spiders are removed.  Fire Dragons take some wounds.  Dire Avengers hiding behind hull of near Waver Serpent are slowly being reduced in number.  Rhino repairs itself.   I've sent too many Purifiers into that squad for Yriel's Spear of Twilight to kill them without any saves.  Not pulling that BS anymore with him.  Single Ranger on far area terrain remains.  Bottom of third.  Only two Purifiers remain from both combat squads on far side of field.  Such a waste of resources for area terrain that means nothing.  Psyflemen is immobilized.  Fire Dragons remove one Psyflemen.  This is where I figured I lost so much momentum.  Wasted too many resources going backwards to my deployment zone instead of continuing to objective and holding it.  Extra range from 4 combat squads with two Psyflemen on objective while Dire Avengers hid and Fire Dragons had to move into range would've been helpful.  Not going to be distracted by shiny eldar toys anymore.  F it!  They can have the deployment zone and their 1 VP Line Breaker.  Nevermind the Psyflemen providing fire support at a vital piece of area terrain that I didn't figure out til two more turns.

Top of fourth.  Fire Dragons are gone.  Yriel and 4 Dire Avengers are still in hiding.  Moving one Rhino to Tank Shock.  Little did I know at the time this was a valid tactic to get them out of my deployment thus denying them Line Breaker.  Figured this out later that night.  Move Last full combat squad on this side to objective.  Finally last Ranger on useless area terrain is removed.  Two Purifiers on that side of the board.  Far Rhino moves itself in between Rangers on objective, see how I eluded to that without stating it earlier?, so they won't take out last 2 Purifers on that side of table.  Let's see.  Seven Purifiers, 3 Rhinos, 2 Psyflemen for Grey Knights.  Eldar:  Yriel, 15 Dire Avengers, Asurman, Wave Serpent, Fire Prism, 6 Rangers.  Shawn says game is going much better for him than he expected.

Bottom of fourth.  Shawn pulls his Eldar-Flat-Out move again.  Wave Serpent comes in hot to dump off Asurman with Dire Avengers.  One Purifier on far side of board is removed due to Fire Prism shooting.

Top of fifth.  Tank Shock Yriel and Dire Avengers.  They make their morale roll.  Wave Serpent is down.  Three Rangers from objective terrain are removed.  This is where I learned I wasted FAR too many resources on Rangers that weren't on an objective.  Had I focused on Rangers on objective terrain they would be removed.  Non-objective terrain would only have three Rangers remaining.  Damnit.  Terribly waste.  Hopefully won't make that mistake next time.  /crosses fingers.

Bottom of fifth.  All Purifiers are removed from the table.  Far Pysfleman also gone.  Down to 3 Rhinos and 1 Psyfleman.  Things are looking up.  Have the Eldar exactly where I want them.  Oh, giving them 8 VP's to my 1 is all apart of my master plan to lure them into a false sense of security.  Just watch.

Roll to see if game goes on.  4 rears its head.  Turn six here we come.

Top of sixth.  Here's the gambit I've been waiting for.  Psyfleman shoots into Asurman and Dire Avengers then assaults them.  Bet he wasn't expecting that!  Tank Shock Yriel again.  Makes morale again.  One Ranger taken off objective terrain from Rhino.  Dire exarch takes a wound and is removed.  The Eldars army back is broken.  They have no choice but to wallow in defeat.  Another Dire Avenger is down.  Asurman and other 9 Dire Avengers cannot pen the Psyflemans armour.  Hear me roar!

Bottom of sixth.  No wounds to Dire Avengers from Psyfleman.  Far Rhino is safe from shooting.  This is where I forgot to move middle Rhino towards Ranges on objective terrain.

Roll a die to see if turn seven arrives.  6 appears.  Onto the last turn of the game.

Top of seventh.  Finally trying moving Rhino to shoot Rangers.  Not in range.  Attempt Tank Shock Rangers off objective terrain.  Shawn says I'm due a 1 to be immobilized.  Didn't happen all night.  Rhinos were doing some monster truck Sunday stuff on the board.  Another tank shock at Yriel.  Makes his morale again.  One Dire Avenger removed from my objective.  This is where I start scrambling to figure out if the Psyfleman denies the Dire Avengers my objective.  Right now points are 1 GK and 8 EL.

Top of seventh.  No Dire Avengers removed from Psyfleman.

Walker attmpts to deny Dire Avengers from Grey Knights objective.  Ya, right!

Rangers on Eldar objective.

Lose 8-1 Eldar

What Shawn thought would be a loss turned into a win.

Things I learned:

*Spent too many resources at the wrong Ranger squad.  Should've focused on the Rangers in objective terrain in the Eldar deployment.  Something to do next time.

*Spent too much energy moving backwards into my deployment.  Should've kept moving forward and standing ground on my objective.

*Would've been better to keep shooting at Dire Avengers on objective because of twin-linked psyautocannons.  More likely chance of removing them.  Though Asurman is Fearless with Eternal Warrior.  Not scoring once all Dire Avengers are dead. hmmm



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