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Can someone please tell me how to make the pictures a bit larger. I don't want them full size, because that's too large, but for them to be as wide as the page at least, would be ideal.. Thanks!

Optional Details: I recently moved from Washington to California. This game is between a friend of mine (aquaticrna) in Seattle vs myself in Santa Clara. He is also just getting into the hobby, and still deciding on a permanent first army to start playing. So this was a good way for us to try and give him a feel for Dark Eldar as a possible army, and a good way for me to try out some different tactics. We're both still learning the game and rules, so any reminders or clarifications on the rules or tactics would be more than welcome! We played two games prior to this one. Originally was a 500pt Daemon vs Ork Battle. Then a larger 1000pt Daemon vs Ork Mek Battle. I tweaked the mek army from the 1000pt army I used vs the daemons.. We used GoogleDocs for this game.

Back Story: We setup the map and ended up with a "Annihilation"/"Pitched Battle" setup. After the battles with the Daemons, and still hungry for battle, my orks were happy to come across some puny dark elves. They were hovering about on their dinky hover rafts, and looked in need of some krumpin'!

Ork Army: I had never used a gretchin screen before, and they were quite fun! I also tried out buggies for the first time, but had bad results with them, as I missed all their shots..
- (HQ) Big Mek w/ KFF, 1 Grot Oiler - 90pts
- (HQ) Big Mek w/ KFF 1 Grot Oiler - 90pts
- (Troop) Deff Dread w/ 2 more Dread CC Weapons - 105pts
- (Troop) Deff Dread w/ 2 more Dread CC Weapons - 105pts (Next time I run these guys I want to try them with some Skorchas! )
- (Troop) 14 Gretchin, 1 Runtherd - 52pts
- (Troop) 14 Gretchin, 1 Runtherd - 52pts
- (Heavy) 3 Killa Kans w/ Rokkit Launchas - 150pts
- (Heavy) 3 Killa Kans w/ Rokkit Launchas - 150pts
- (Heavy) 3 Killa Kans w/ Grotzookas - 135pts (These were a top of fun -- but not very good range at all.... I'm not sure on what I think of them yet for that reason..)
- (Fast Attack) 2 Warbuggies w/ TL Rokkits - 70pts (I threw these on to the end of the list, as I had the extra points and wanted to try them out. I want to try them again in a full squad of two of 3 buggies each. They seemed great. I just missed every single shot with them, and then they got shaken every round after that.. )
Total: 999pts

Dark Eldar Army:
- (HQ) Archon w/ Blaster, Venom Blade - 80pts
- (Troop) 5 Warriors w/ Splinter Cannon in Venom with Splinter Cannon - 120pts
- (Troop) 5 Warriors w/ Splinter Cannon in Venom with Splinter Cannon - 120pts
- (Elite) 5 True Born w/ 2 Dark Lance, 3 Blaster, Raider with Flickerfield - 225pts
- (Elite) 5 True Born w/ 2 Dark Lance, 3 Blaster, Raider with Flickerfield - 225pts
- (Heavy) Ravager w/ Flickerfield - 115pts
- (Heavy) Ravager w/ Flickerfield - 115pts
Total: 1000pts

Setup:
So as you'll see in this first image, the view is always from a top view. The marks along the top and left side show the scale. The distance between each mark is a foot. So we played on a 4x8 map. On the bottom right of the image, you can see our Key for what the symbols mean. The forest was difficult terrain with 4+ cover. The bottom right hill is really the most complicated. It has elevation, so the inner shape is one layer above the middle layer. The edge of the hill is the outside layer. In between one layer to another layer is where the hill rises to another level. If you are behind the top segment of the hill at the ground level of your unit, then it would provide cover/ block LOS... Just ask for more clarification if you need it. The 3 rectangles on the top right are flimsy storage sheds that provide cover but don't block LOS. The center building is a damaged bunker/barracks yet is still very strong in some places. The solid lines are impassable. The dashed lines designate difficult terrain.

Game:
TURN 1
So the Dark Eldar rolled high and chose to go first.. here's the map on the first turn right before the hits the fan. (I suggest you zoom into at least a few3 of these images to get a better idea of what's going on..)


At the end of the DE's shooting phase - despite all the KFF cover - there are a lot of dead grots.. and a wrecked Kan.


But that don't matter! The orks get a turn to shoot now! The Kans lumber forward blasting their rokkits. The Buggies zip over the hill and launch their TL Rokkits...unfortunately they all miss / do anything with their shots...


TURN 2
The ravager turns and scores hits on both my buggies, Shaking both their crew... more grots get slaughtered... one of the kanz is shaken...


...luckily the orks are even closer now and can shoot even better this turn to make up for all their misses last turn! My Big Mek moves back and repairs a rokkit on a Kan, and then the Kans unleash Hell!!! And the grotzookas, after landing all their shots, only manage to stun one of the Venoms... but that was better than the rest of the army, that all missed... The buggies also run away so that they can opefully live and shoot next turn.


TURN 3
As my orks get ever closer to combat the DE unload their weapons into the ork's faces. Stunning and Immobilizing both the Deff Dreads, Weapon Destroyed/Shaking the Buggies, Killing a Kan, and Mowing down yet more Gretchen... The only real time my terribly low rolls were coming in handy were on the Gretchen leadership tests. I consistently was rolling 3's for their leadership.. Gutsy Grots!!


The grots move right in close to be a super obnoxious screen/cover in the DE's face... The Deff dreads both get back on their feet and run forward in the shooting phase.. All the other shots, other than the grotzookas fail yet again. The Grotzookas however, with 4 direct hits do Amazingly this turn (and score my first Destroyed Weapon of the game!!! Wooooo! ) Despite all the failed shooting the entire game, I'm looking forward to the next turn, where I'll get to finally charge into the DE with my Dreads...


TURN 4
....except that all my hopes of a charge are destroyed like a toy ship being ripped asunder against the rocks by a large hateful wave!
The DE retreat away, jumping over the trees like they aren't even there... They also destroy a buggy.


But since he split his forces, I decide there still might be a chance for me to win if I just go after a single half.. My Kans get my FIRST kill and wreck a Ravager!!! My grots make a run for the building, so that they hopefully don't give away any kill points... THe rest of my forces run into the woods after the to transports.


TURN 5
The two Raiders let loose and blow up and immobilize both my lone kans. The last buggy is Stunned (as he has been every single turn since the 2nd..) Only 1 grot is killed this turn.


The grots run farther into the building... the last buggy makes a run for it, hoping not to die... The rest of the army rushes at the two Raiders. Yet again, none of the rokkits hit, but a grotzooka shot gets lucky and stunnes one of the skimmers...


TURN 6 - Last Turn
The Venoms move up and kill off one of the grot units and one of the Big Meks... The last ravager Finally chases down the last buggy and immobilizes it... The Raider lands two good hits on the Grotzookas and destroys one weapon, and shakes the other.. The raider also moves farther away so that my deff dreads realize just how useless they were the entire game..


For my last turn, hoping maybe I can make back some of the points I've lost, I shoot one last volly... and as expected, don't hit enough to do anything but destroy my 2nd weapon of the game..


FINAL SCORE: Dark Eldar 4 - Orks 1

So yeah, clearly I rolled pretty terribly, but my force was also clearly lacking in some elements. I could have used a bit more fast attack, I think my Dreads could have actually been useful with Skorchas (though not that much more...) Any suggestions would be super appreciated! I really like the style of this army, but it was way outclassed/out maneuvered by this DE army.. I just couldn't move fast enough.. Either way, thanks for reading! Check out the other battle reports (1000pt Daemon vs Ork Mek Battle and 500pt Ork vs Daemon), and check out my Blog to be updated when I post more.

Well, in my experience, have 9 kans and 2 Deff Dreads in a 1000 pt army doesn't work that well. Mainly because you can't afford any boyz. Your only scoring units are 2 units of gretchin, which die really easy. If I were you, I would drop the Deff Dreads, and even drop one of the Big Meks and get yourself 2 squads of shoota boyz (at least 20 boyz each). Also, you may be able to squeeze out enough points for a small 5 man squad of Lootas. They're golden against the low armour DE vehicles. Lastly, when I play kan wall, I put my troops behind the kans, not in front. That way, everything benefits from the 4+ cover save.

It was definitely a fun game! had the rolls gone a bit differently it could have turned out much less in my favor. On a side note i have to say that those grots were the toughest darn grots around! they took so much splinter cannon fire and just kept on trucking. Starting at turn 3 i was expecting one or both squads to go down but that just wouldn't happen! Good game, i look forward to the next one!

The DE list is illegal. You can only have Splinter cannons on warriors if they number 10 or more.

Found that out today, miss read the description when i was making the army, though the added shots didn't end up making too big of a difference with so few fleshy opponents to shoot at.

Yeah, I hear you about the boyz. I would have much preferred having boys than deff dreads... And originally, I just had a small amount of points, and didn't know what to spend them on, so I chose to make a gretchen wall for cover, which shielded my Kan wall, which was supported by the KFF... likely too much cover. It didn't have enough dakka to deal with the DE.

Do you really prefer shoota boys to slugga though - in general I've felt like the sluggas are a better choice - or are you just suggesting them for the kan wall? Thanks!

Is there another cheap/good way to get a Mek out there? I really liked having the ability to repair out there on the battle field.

Edit: Adding anger!

What? Your squads were illegal!! *Angrilly Shakes Fist!*

The Slugga vs. Shoota boy debate has been raging for quite a while. For me, it depends on the type of army I'm running. Foot slogging/Kan Wall army I always try to go shoota boyz. If if've got boyz in a trukk, I usually go slugga boyz. Boyz in a BW, usually shoota boyz, but that one isn't as definite as the boyz in the trukk. Most people agree that, with Orks low initiative, shooting with the shoota boyz, then assaulting will probably result in more damage done then the extra attacks from the sluggas having two close combat weapons. But in the end it all boils down to your preference.

Thanks a bunch for the run down. I haven't seen the threads dealing with that debate, but I'm sure there are plenty. I'll definitely give some shoota boys a try, as the initiative issue absolutely makes sense! Besides, I suppose the boy squad IS just a big 20 to 30 wound model intended to deliver a PK to CC. Thanks, your input's most appreciated!