14.3.24 1850 Dark Eldar vs Eldar

What a terribly fun game.  This game is a repeat from one in Jan.  Shawn and I didn't get to finish that game.  He told me to bring the same list so we can do a rematch.

JJ playing, met Shawn at Fantasy Flight.  Due to playing around on the internet I arrived later than planned.

Mission: The Scouring.  Deployment: Vanguard Strike.

Wore my VNV Nation hoodie.

Our theatre of removing A Lot of models.

Won roll off decided to deploy and go first.  Then decided to go and deploy second.  Shawn said we already set up objectives can't change my mind.  Was for the better.  Plus playing by the rules.  Always a bonus.

Dark Eldar and Eldar deployment.  Dark Eldar have two squads of 10 warriors in reserves, two squads of 5 Scourges and Razorwing.  Eldar have war walkers and shining spears in reserves.

Top of first.  Dark Eldar move into the other half of the board.  Where the fight will be for the rest of the game.  Vect takes out a wave serpent.  Haemonculi drops webway.  Trueborn armed with blasters glance wave serpents.  Ravagers take out another wave serpent.  First Blood 1 VP Dark Eldar.  Hull points removed from fire prism.  Venoms shoot at dire avengers hanging behind one wave serpent.  Several are removed.  One shadow weaver removed to shooting.

Bottom of first.  Vect is put down by dire avengers.  Slay the Warlord 1 VP Eldar.  Shooting from dire avengers and wave serpents remove trueborn.

Possibly best maneuver in the game.  Bastions are impassable terrain.  Rolled difficult terrain and 1 appeared.  This Raider has 10 warriors in it.  They can't do anything.  Can't capture objective.  They are stuck in a skimmer which is immobilised by impassable terrain.  Shawn laughed and thanked me.  Also laughed and told he was welcome.

Everything arrives from reserves.  Here's a Dark Eldar cancer to eat at the Eldar centre.

Top of second.  Two 10 warriors move towards objectives.  Dark Eldar continue their forward push into Eldar deployment.  Venoms remove a few more dire avengers.  Scourges put some glances on wave serpent.  Another shadow weaver is removed.  Fire prism put down.

Bottom of second.  War walkers arrive from reserve and take out the 10 warriors on the 4 VP objective.  Shining spears move up left flank to take care of the 10 warriors sitting on the far objective.  Eldar shooting removes the Dark Eldar cancer that was eating at its centre, all scourges and ancient haemonculi are removed.  Eldar 2 VP for removing Scourges, they are fast attack.  Eldar total of 3 VP.

Top of third.  10 warriors that shining spears are heading towards take out one jetbike.  Wish I would've thought of the 10 warriors immobilised in impassable terrain.  They have a splinter rack.  Would've been good to re-roll hits against that jetbike squad.  Venoms take out last dire avengers behind wave serpent.  Ravager shoots at war walkers, only stunned one.  Flat out raider with 10 warriors to 4 VP objective.  Razorwing uses shatterfield missiles and dark lances to remove Asurman, farseer and dire avengers w/exarch that came out of wave serpent.  Only Asurman, farseer and exarch remain.

Bottom of third.  War walkers take out raider and 5 warriors remain.  Shining spears prepare their attack run on 10 warriors.  Shawn did some slight of hand.  Asurman, farseer and exarch embark on wave serpent and it speeds off.  Didn't notice this til much later.  Thought I killed them.

Top of fourth.  Ten warriors near objective shoot at shining spears.  Two are removed and fail morale.  Shawn rolls three 6's for falling back.  Gave him a high five.  Ravagers and Razorwing remove all but one war walker.  Venoms start focusing on dire avengers on 2 VP objective in terrain in the far back.  Couple of hull points off last wave serpent.

Bottom of fourth.  War walker remove enough warriors on near objective to make them test morale.  They fail and fall back.  Wave Serpent moves into position to drop off dire avenger exarch last scoring model in that unit.  There are about 5 dire avengers in area terrain on left side of the board.

Top of fifth.  Ten warriors in immobilised raider and rapid fire from 8 warriors near objective remove the shining spears.  1 VP Dark Eldar for removing shining spears.  Dark Eldar total 2 VP.  Warriors near far objective regroup and head back to objective.  Venom shooting at dire avengers in far area terrain that has objective removes enough dire avengers.  Test morale, fail and fall back.  Turns are becoming very quick.

Bottom of fifth.  War walker removes 2 warriors heading back to objective.  Asurman, farseer and exarch appear to grab 3 VP.  Thought that squad was dead.  Was surprised when it reappeared, then remembered all dire avengers but the exarch were removed by the shatterfield missiles.  Wave serpent immobilises one raider.  As of right now Shawn is winning.  Time to find out if turn 6 appears.

Shawn asks me if I should roll.  5 appears.  Turn six.

Top of sixth.  Razorwing is too close to shoot at Asurman, farseer and exarch.  Ravager shoots at dire avengers in area terrain.  Few are removed.  After a lot of shooting Asurman is eventually put down.  That is one tough eldar.  Slay the Warlord 1 VP for Dark Eldar.  Total of 4 VP.  Wave serpent is also wrecked.  Move 8 warriors around far objective around to avoid shadow weaver blast.  Turns are becoming very fast.

Bottom of sixth.  War walker glances a ravager.  There are three dire avengers on a 2 VP objective.  Dire avenger exarch on 3 VP objective.  Right now Shawn is still winning.  Let's see what happens.  Thought I was on the winning side at the end of fifth and sixth.  Wasn't til talking with Shawn after the game that he reminded of a few things that he was actually winning at end of 5th and 6th turn.  Shawn asks if I want to roll the dice again.

Rolled dice and 4 appears.  Onto turn seven.

Top of seventh.  Combined shooting of raiders, ravagers and warriors in immobilised raider remove farseer and exarch.  3 VP objective is cleared.  Vemons pump poison into the three dire avengers on 2 VP objective and they are also removed.  That's when Shawn says "That's it.  At least I wasn't tabled."

Win 5-3 Dark Eldar

It has been a long time since I've won a game of 40k.

Made only a couple of mistakes with my Dark Eldar.  I believe Shawn's hesitancy and protectiveness of his dire avengers cost him the game.  If they were a little more aggressive they could've downed a couple of raiders with their shuriken catapults.  Also could've diced up venoms nicely.  He pulled a tactic of mine of turtling.  85% of the game was played on 1/3rd of the table.  Would've been better if I moved my second 10 warrior reserve squad into 1 VP objective in area terrain.  Could've gone to ground for 3+ cover while capping the objective.  Instead the 4 VP objective was so tempting I just had to have it.  Which cost me 50% of my troops.


slainte mhath