Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Sorry for the delay on these, I had a crazy RL week and am still trying to get all the pictures.

Game 2 - Khorne Daemons vs. Laura's Eldar

Eldrad tried to raise the eldar planetside. Silence. His protege had manipulated the tyranids into a battle with the daemons earlier but had apparently lost their lives in what was, ultimately, a doomed attempt. Eldrad summoned Kaelis, master of the Dire Avengers and acting Autarch.

"We must hold the line here. Rouse the spirits of the dead, we march to war."


Army Lists
I am going to list my army on each of the battle reports for the GT - obviously it won't change throughout, but someone who just stumbles upon one will not have to flip back and forth to figure out what I played. My opponent lists are from memory for the most part so there may be some minor discrepencies which are totally on me.

The Warbringers Abattoir - Khorne Daemons

The Warbringer (Bloodthirster)
Ss'artan (Bloodthirster)

Fury (5 Bloodcrushers (1 rending))
Rage (5 Bloodcrushers (1 rending))

Malice (8 Bloodletters)
Ire (8 Bloodletters)
Spite (8 Bloodletters)

Scy'll (Soulgrinder (Phlegm))
Kharib (Soulgrinder (Phlegm))
Perdium the Kithless (Daemon prince (Mark of Khorne, Iron Hide))

Eldar

Eldrad

2x10 Wraithguard with warlocks
2x10 Dire Avengers with exarch and bladestorm
Guardians with 2 flamers and warlock
10 rangers

Wraithlord
Warwalker with 2 scatter lasers
Setup and early game
I typically just let my opponents say what everything is on the table and just go with their interpretation. I don't really care so playing to their expectations is just easier. Laura suggested that we make the two lakes be impassible and I didn't really think about it. Sure, why not. Deep strike mishap table, that's why not...


The eldar went first; Eldrad led a unit of wraithguard into the forest in the middle of the table. Everything else on the Eldar side was held in reserve.

I once again got my preferred wave - the bloodcrushers appearing to the south the forest Eldrad was in, the soulgrinder on the hill to the west, a unit of bloodletters just east of the bloodletters and the Warbringer appeared behind the ruins to the east.

The bloodcrushers ran towards Eldrad and the bloodletters fell in behind. The only eldar reinforcements to show up this turn was the warwalker who came on behind the Warbringer and put a wound on him with shooting. This made him very mad and he turned his attention to the walker.

On my turn I realized how little real estate I actually had for deepstriking. The arriving soulgrinder drifted into the water and was destroyed. Everything else decided to stay in reserve for another turn.

He tore it apart in a fit of rage causing a massive explosion but the flames dripped harmlessly from his corporeal form.

Some guided, doomed shooting saw one of the bloodcrushers take a wound and one wound was put on the rending champion. It wasn't enough to stop the charge and the bloodcrushers charged in and cut down a few of the ancient constructs for no loss of their own.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/Patrick.Burdine/SM7CtyUvwgI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/nTVqmq6x2qI/s720/IMG_0547.JPG

Eldrad attempted to Doom the bloodcrushers and failed his psychic test (but didn't get perils of the warp.) The bloodcrushers wiped out the rest of the wraithguard.
Mid-game to end game

The rest of the eldar reinforcements started to show up coming in on the center of the northern edge. Everything but the rangers (who were flanking) arrived over the course of the next turns - first the wraithguard and then everything else.



The Warbringer jumped over behind the ruins and Ss'artan appeared on the northwest flank and took a wound from landing in dangerous terrain.

He then moved over toward the newly arrived reinforcements. He then died in a horrible pair of bladestorms and various other shooting. Ouch.

Khorne is obviously smiling on his bloodcrushers as Eldrad failed his second psychic test in as many turns - this time it was fortune. Blades rose and fell and daemonic steeds battered the ancient farseer causing him to lose his concentration for a fraction of a second - just long enough for head to be lopped from his body.

But as Khorne giveth, so taketh he away, in this case it was in the form of a daemon prince who scattered a mighty 12" to end up within 1" of the wraithguard reinforcements. At this point I was down 3 kill points to 2 but in surprisingly good position. The bloodcrushers moved towards the reinforcements as the other bloodthirster. The bloodletters appeared in a safe area near the east edge of the table.

The rangers showed up finally, also on the east edge of the table and the bloodletters hoofed it over to them. The rangers tried to run away but just got a 1" leaving them in range. I was able to get charges in on three different units with the bloodthirster, the bloodcrushers and the bloodletters. All three lived up to their names and much blood was spilled with all three units wiped out. The game ended at this point giving me a minor win.



After action review
I was a bit worried when I saw that I was playing Eldar. I was expecting a ton of skimmers which treat me really really bad (whether controlled by the Mannimal or Shep.) I saw that she was mostly expensive foot troops and figured unless something very strange happened I probably had this one in the bag, though Eldrad is always a wildcard.

Also, it was a kill point game where I had 10 to give up as opposed to Laura's 9! Losing 2 of them pretty early due to mishaps hurt quite a bit and kept me from getting a major win.

Overall, though, this was a very rough matchup for Laura. Her biggest advantages of the wraithguards shooting causing instant death and working over vehicles were largely of no use against daemons.

Eternal Praise
The bloodcrushers were tops. They wiped out the wraithguard and then took the old man of the Eldar's head.

Prized Skull
Eldrad (finally collected that old bastard.)

Eternal Damnation
Apparently the Kithless (daemon prince) is unable to appear without forcing me to roll on the mishap table...


The eldar were broken and scattered. Kaelis wept as he collected the spirit stones of the fallen. The daemons had fallen on them like a rain of blood and many had died who would never be replaced. Eldrad himself had fallen though his ghostarmor had protected him from the worst of the injury. Kaelis had led his dire avengers in a desperate action to save the farseer and though it had been costly they were successful in the end. Just as the daemons had the upper hand they vanished back into the empyrean.

Perhaps, somewhere in the warp, some of the gods of the eldar still lived.

That's wild that Eldrad failed two in a row! I love the way you do your batreps. Curious - how many Battle Points did you get for this round? 13? 16?

Dear Somnicide and St. John,

I have a few questions about the Eldar tactics in the game.

1. Based on your comments, I assume Chaos Blood Crushers are immune to instant death, is that correct? But still, wouldn't the Wraithguard still wound on a 2+ when shooting?

2. I agree that this seems like a difficult match for the Eldar. The army is Foot slogging, and doesn't appear to have any long range firepower (calling Dark REapers). The SoulGrinders could very well have sat back and picked up a win just by firing their battle cannons at long range.

3. Still, I don't think I see the wisdom behind keeping so many Eldar units in Reserve. I would have opted to castle up in the corner to try and force the Daemons back during Deployment, the 'deep strike denial' tactic? With all the terrain maybe force some more difficult terrain landings. Then layered up. Hopefully Daemons crashing into the Guardians could then be fired on by 2 units of wraithguard. Enhance gets WG up to WS 5, I 5 which should be good against the Crushers in assault.

Setting up forward, coming in piecemeal when you are a firewpower army does not strike me as optimal.

Opinions?

All Daemons have the rule Eternal Warrior, making them Immune to ID. And yes, I would have thought it better to castle with weaker units (guardians & rangers) forming the outer wall.

@stjohn70 - yeah I know, it was crazy to see Eldrad fail one roll much less two. I ended up with 16 battle points for this one (13 plus all 3 bonus points).

@mikeguth - the wraithguard also spent a turn shooting at the soulgrinder but his ability to ignore shaken and stunned results really helped out there.

also, I am not sure why, but it is a fairly common reaction after someone has played against daemons once or twice to try and start their entire army in reserve. I guess because they think that there is nothing to shoot at on turn 1 they are better off. For the record, that is about the worst thing you can do - but I wasn't going to give tactical advice during the game ;-)

Enhance is okay with the wraithguard, but really, they will lose against the bloodcrushers in any event. 10 will, on average do 3 - 4 wounds of which I might lose one whole model. In return I will also do 3-4 wounds with no armor save. It will just get worse from there.

I have to say, bloodcrushers are probably the biggest surprise for me from the codex. It is easy to discount them since they basically just move like infantry, but they are dead hard.

I'm a big fan of Khornate chariots, possibly even 'arder than Crushers.

Yeah, I like chariots - I am trying to figure out an aesthetic that works for me on them - I don't like the look of the fantasy ones in 40k but that is just a personal preference.