They are pretty basic affairs, I think all the games for this campaign ended up being annihilation matches (so much for all my intricate plotting) and I'm learning the art of reporting as I go; this is my first using Vassal although I ended up just using templates from it in Paint, which wasn't ideal, but time is against me and well you know by now my somewhat ham-fisted track record with IT; maybe I can master it another time.
1500 point battle Blood Drinkers v's Eldar
Following the dark events at the Octus Chemical Plant, an allied force of Blood Drinker Marines and Eldar of Kaela Mensha advance together towards the Quater Mine. As they reach the ruins of the mines Ministorum Mission Station, one of the Arch Enemies conjured storms, moving against the wind, wreaking of foul warp magic engulfs the formation and works it's insidious power upon the minds of those caught within its wrath. The Blood Drinkers are seized by the Red Thirst and turn upon their Eldar allies with the single intent to purge the treacherous Xeno scum; likewise the Eldar see the stinking Mon-Keigh for ignorant bestial fools that deserve nothing but a quick death; a fire fight erupts as the fragile alliance is torn violently apart.
HQ - Reclusiarch 'Crixus'
HQ - Librarian Codicier 'Leto'
ELITE - x3 Sanguinary Priests
TRP - Assault Squad 'Idus' (x8 Marines)
TRP - Assault Squad 'Faustus' (x7 Marines)
TRP - Assault Squad 'Tauron' (x5 Marines + Razorback)
TRP - Assault Squad 'Jachin' (x5 Marines + Razorback)
FA - Land Speeder Typhoon
FA - Land Speeder Typhoon
HEAVY - Predator Destructor
HEAVY - Predator Destructor
In prepping for this battle I attempted to tailor make my list with my opponet in mind for the first time, I've always been guilty in the past of a take whats cool and see how it goes attitude. I went with a large flamer presence in the army due the Eldar's lower armour saves; with only a couple of infernus pistols (in case of emergencys) and then the Predators and Typhoons to give a little more sustained fire support and long range punch.
HQ - The Avatar of Khaine
HQ - Farseer + Warlock
ELITE - x8 FireDragons
ELITE - x 5 Banshees inc Exarch
TRP - x10 Dire Avengers
TRP - x10 Dire Avengers
TRP - x10 Storm Guardians
FA - x6 Warp Spiders
HEAVY - Wraithlord
HEAVY - x2 War Walkers
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| Deployment |
I decided to keep my forces tight, where they could best support each other and formed up on the right flank; this wrong footed Will slightly as he had spread his forces across the board and now several of his squads would have to double time it across the field to get within firing range, especially those Fire Dragons with their lethal Fusion Guns.
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| Turn 1 |
As expected the Wraithlord and War Walkers opened up, the Walkers lances slicing open and destroying one of my Predators; the other lost its Auto Cannon to the Wraithlords beams.
Peering through the smoke of my burning armour I realised I had got off very lightly and quickly threw my force into an advance up the right flank, I wanted to try and hit and run against the Eldar squads whilst trying to keep the Avatar at arms length and harry him with long range firepower.
My Razorbacks moved ahead, I deployed Squad Tauron on foot ready to assault the Dire Avengers to their right, then realised my foolish error as they were unable to assault that turn due to their transports movement.Crixus and Squad Idus shadowed the armour advance.
Then it was my turn to bring the pain; my wounded Predator vented its anger on the advancing Banshees, their terrible war cries turning to shrieks of pain as heavy bolter shells tore into the squad killing all but the Exarch. The heavy flamer turrets on the Razorbacks hosed the ruins ahead of them with torrents of liquid fire incinerating two Warspiders hidden there, another one was engulfed as Squad Tauron flamer joined the inferno.
My choice of long range support in the form of the Land Speeder Typhoons paid early dividends as their volley of Krak missiles brought the Wraithlord crashing down, but they failed to wound the Avatar who shrugged off the detonations.
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| Turn 2 |
The Avatar continued to advance and began to push towards my flanking attack, but thankfully still remained out of effective range as did another three Eldar squads.
The remaining Warp Spiders cut down one of Tauron squad with their Death Spinners as they charged in to avenge their cremated comrades and the Dire Avengers unleashed a Bladestorm upon them before they too joined the charge. But the Marines of Tauron stood strong, their power armour shrugging off the buzzing hail of blades and chain swords roaring, they set to receive the attack.
Sanguinary Priest Clodius of Tauron Squad, lead the defence, his power sword felling all three Warp Spiders; one of the Dire Avengers also fell to a Marine blade for no losses.
Squad Jachin with Librarian Leto disembarked and charged in to support Tauron against the Dire Avengers, smashing the Eldar line and utterly destroying them. The now empty Razorbacks advance towards the centre, their flamers trapping and destroying the Banshee Exarch.
Another volley from the Speeders and one of the War Walker was blown into Wraithbone dust and its partner was left shaken. Crixus and Squad Idus descended upon the ancient Farseer; the Reclusiarch immolating the powerful psyker with his Inferno Pistol.
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| Turn 3 |
The Dire Avengers then chance the same tactic their companion squad had paid the ultimate price for, they charged into close combat with Crixus and the battered remnants of Idus, gambling on their now far superior numbers to see them to victory.
Crixus decapitates the first to reach him with a swing of his Crozius, the fight will not go as planned. Crixus, Sanguinary Priest Varro and the squad Sergeant stand their ground and between them slaughter all their attackers.
My Predators heavy bolters find and kill the Warlock who appears to be crouched in mourning amongst the debris of the shattered Walkers and Wraithlord; my Speeders score another excellent shot, wounding the Avatar who remains adrift with no one to fight.
The only hiccup to my outstanding run of luck is the arrival of Squad Faustus who utterly botch their Deep Strike despite Descent of Angels and end up with a mishap forcing them into the far corner of my left flank.
Turn 4 and Will's luck descends into bitter farce, his Avatars only targets are my two Speeders who stay out of reach stinging him from a safe distance. Both his Storm Guardians and his Fire Dragons fail to wound Crixus and his small band of brothers, allowing the threat of a charge in my turn and his War Walker then misses my Predator with both lance shots.
Will concedes a defeat, it's getting late and lady luck seems to have left him for the night. I was very happy with my army's performance, I think both the structure and the tactics worked very well against the Eldar and I'll certainly be trying to tailor my lists more often in future. Will was hampered by some very bad dice rolls (we all have days like that) but I think also his game suffered because he perhaps under estimated both the lethality of the close combat ability and the versatility of the Blood Angel list, I'm sure it's a mistake he will not make again.
Picture featured 'Lemartes' by Andrea Uderzo
3 comments:
Hi All
We have as a group discussed at large the strengths and weekness of each army we play, and on this point steve wrote a army list that hit my Eldars week point while being able to stay away from my strengths.
Within this game how every the loss of the dice was amazing to see, now we have all seen very bad armies win games and very good armies lose, in this case both armies where good and if I could have gotten with 12" of his army would have been toast. ( maybe would have been toast)
With each army there are two things you need to be able to do HIT and WOUND, if you cant do that then pack up and go home, of which I did.
To go though you whole army and only have two guys hit is bad and for them to fail to wound means it's time to pack up
Well there's always next time
Will
Thanks for posting mate, like we've both said, bad dice rolls played a big part and also me not wanting to wrestle with your Avatar; can you blame me? He brings burning pain like a bad case of 'roids!
Im sure the next time won't be long in coming. You'll be wanting to field test that Hornet and I doubt those Spectres or Warp Hunter will be out of your hands for long.
Maybe try wave serpents. Expensive, but fast.
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