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Isis and Iril Return:

I recently dusted off my Mechdar army to prepare for a tournament at a local LGS. Between university and my recent foray back into Privateer Press stuff I’ve been neglecting these guys since they won me a tourney last year. Not fair! This time around I’m going to try and get them painted and nice to appease the dice gods.

This is my first test game. I brought the exact list as I used in the tournament and played my friend’s new Orks. This was not a fair fight. My friend is a great player and the better tactician between us but is also unlucky and new to Orks. I apologise for being cheesy and we get going.

My List:
2x Farseer with Doom, Guide, and Stones

2x 10 Dire Avengers with Bladestorm and dual-wielding Exarchs
2x Wave Serpents with EML’s and Spirit Stones

3 Jetbikes with a Shuri Cannon

2x 5 Fire Dragons
2x Wave Serpents (one with Shuri Cannons all around, other with EML’s, both with stones)

3x Fire Prisms

His List (from memory):
Warboss with claw, bosspole, and other stuff
Mech with Kustom Forcefield

2x 15-20 Slugga Boys foot-slogging with powerclaw Nobz

5 or 6 Nobz in a Trukk with assortment of weapons
8 Nobz with various weapons and Warboss in a Battlewagon

2x Lotted Wagon

2x 6 Deffkoptas with TL Rokkits

Pre-game thoughts: Baptism by fire I guess. My list is pretty streamlined but he’s got more points than me (we planned on 1800pts, I was playing a 1750pts list with one less squad of Jetbikes I realized). We’ve both been out of it for a while so this is really just for fun and for me to have something to do at work later


The damaged but victorious fleet of Eldar pirates slipped out of the Imperial sector and all knowledge of man, leaving the shattered corpses of many enemies in their wake. What they would do with the Old One artefact they retrieved could only be guessed at by the Inquisition representatives sent to investigate. Its importance was apparent by the risk they had taken fighting off the might of the Imperial Guard backed by no fewer than 2 Space Marine chapters. Through surprise surgical strikes and the sacrifice of many of their own they were able to slip into their webway portal inches ahead of the Death Guard’s mechanised units. That was one year ago.

“Captain, prepare the ship for combat and inform the fleet. We’re moving on.” The voice over the cruiser’s pseudo-psychic communication channel nearly made the veteran fleet’s Autarch (he liked to think of himself as Autarch still rather than the pirate captain he had become) twitch. The twin sister’s deep connection meant that very few decision where discussed with him and very little warning was given when they’d decided.

“It will be done Farseer. The fleet will enter the webway within the hour.” There was no need to say anything else. As always the two large cruisers Dusk and Dawn would be guided telepathically by the two Farseers while the smaller craft slipped into their wake like dolphins around a ship. The captain’s only concern was to make the necessary preparations on his own ship and ensure that all forces where ready for combat.

A lesser being would have lamented his fate, but this was a former Autarch of the Eldar people. He had made his choice when he followed the sisters on their quest and he know the importance, if not the details, of their mission. His ship would be ready, and his kin would be armed.

The small fleet slipped into real-space with hardly a blip of warp energy and the two cruisers immediately engaged their cloaking protocols. The Ork hulks orbiting the large planet were not a threat to the Eldar, but informing the brutes of their presence would do little to aid in the Twin’s mission. A small contingent of craft separated from the fleet as the majority of the ships began to circle the planet. When the signal came the Ork hulks would be very distracted indeed and the Twins could complete their work on the planet and slip out again.

“Sister, the Orks are here already. The Bonesingers have not yet completed their task.” Isis’ thoughts carried little anxiety despite the implications of her message.

“This is but a small splinter of the horde and will break easily. We will break them and be gone before the rest of the beast can rear its head.” This thought was from neither sister and both. They were in agreement.


Terrain from my side of the board’s perspective:

---------------------------
---Tower-------Ruin---
-----------Ruin----------
------Craters------Ruin
--Ruin-------------------

Mission: Kill points with Spearhead deployment.

Deployment: I deploy all tanks in the bottom left-hand corner with Prisms behind the ruin and Serpents around it. I have no interest in getting close to the Orks. Jetbikes in reserve.

Orks deploy as far as they can up between the tower and the Ruin in the top right. Their formation is two large squads of Boys with the Mech. This is surrounded by the battlewagons and Truck and hidden behind the centre ruin as much as possible. One squad of Deffkoptaz in reserve and the other behind the centre ruin and in front of the boyz.

I’m up first and he doesn’t seize.

Turn 1: I shuffle around getting lines of sight for prisms and EML’s. Opening salvo blows off a looted wagon’s main weapon and explodes the Nobz’ Trukk. Several Koptas also die. Nice.

The orks start their trek up the field with the Nobz Battlewagon (BW) going around the bottom of the ruin and the two Looted wagons (LW1 and LW2) heading around the top. In frustration at the early losses they forget to run, repair the looted wagon, and stay within the mech’s forcefield with BW. Koptaz jump the ruin and fire a salvo of missles at a serpent, shaking it. LW2’s shot does nothing to a prism.

Turn 2: More shuffling. I’m playing like a pansy but its kill-points and he’s orks so I don’t feel too bad. Koptaz are shot down to 1, several shots bounce off BW and LW2 is immobilized.

Boys keep coming, Nobz from the exploded Truck (N2) move behind BW which continues moving forward below the centre ruin and behind the crater. Lone kopter flies up to a Dragon serpent (D1) and blows off its EML! LW1 moves to cover Boyz while LW2 shoots and does something minor and disappointing to a Prism.

Turn 3: Jetbikes don’t come in. One Avenger Serpent moves past the top-left tower to get a bead on some BW side armour or LW2 front. Prisms start getting ready to clear up some Boyz and the EML-less Serpent moves back. Second Dragon Serpent (with Shuri Cannons) moves in from of the Prisms between Ruin and Tower to add some fire. Kustom Forcefield soaks up a lot of damage. A few boyz die, and the last kopta goes down.

BW moves up into my personal comfort bubble with N2 not far behind. Koptas come in from the far side (phew) and overdrive behind centre ruin. Boyz move up. LW2 opens up and crunches an Avenger Serpent near the prisms. It explodes but no one dies. He declares a Waaagh! To catch the Avengers inside but its no good. Nearest Boyz don’t make it and are left hanging. Far-off Boyz move up to attack my Avenger Serpent up there and make it. The nob hits but only shakes it. Close one.

Turn 4: He’s in my face so I go for it. Doom is case on both Boyz squads and the walking Avengers are Guided. The overdrives over the squad assaulting it and parks its rear to the centre ruin. Dragon Serpent up there also overdrives over them and ends up parked beside the Avenger one facing a weapon-less LW2. The now chariot-less Avenger move up to exact vengeance. Bladestorm kills all the grunts and leaves the nob with one wound. Combat sees off the nob and mech in a flurry or I5 slaps. Prisms scatter and suck, not hitting the bunched up and doomed second boyz squad but kill some Koptas. The nearest Fire Dragon Squad (in the EML-less Serpent) move up and bravely stare down the BW. Only immobilizing it and leaving the nobz safe from prisms. Damn.

The Boyz remaining turn around and go for the second Avenger Serpent again. The remaining (and apparently fearless) koptas move to crack the Dragon Serpent near LW2. Nobz get out of BW and proceed to do unspeakable things to the Dragons who just lie there and take it (no wounds in return). Everything else manages no hits on my Serpents.

Turn 5: I’m left with almost everything so this is the end. Doom goes on the remaining Boyz and Warboss Nobz. Second Dire Avengers disembark into a ruin and ruin the Boyz day (4 left, and they don’t pass leadership). Nobz are dropped to 3, but have gone to ground and I don’t have any Prisms left anyway. Remaining Fire Dragons eat the LW2 while their transport finished off the koptas.

Nothing much in retaliation.

Turn 6: The game goes on but we both agree that our time is better spent heading to McDonalds for free coffee and a snack wrap.

End of Game Thoughts: Meh, exactly what I expected. My friend has notoriously bad luck and it showed on many occasions here. He built his list to eat my Blood Angels army but I needed to start warming up Eldar. Also, next time he’ll know to get in face more. Slogging is not the way to catch Eldar.

Thanks for reading and sorry for the long write-up. More to come. I’m probably facing an old friend on Sunday who I’ve never defeated so it should be interesting. I’m thinking of using a list with 1 less Farseer, 1 less Jetbike squad and 1 less Prism. In their place I’ll have a squad of 3 War Walkers with Shuri Cannons and 3 Vipers with Scatterlaser, shuri cannon. This is a lot more models on the table turn 1 and hopefully a better way to deal with many tough-ish targets.

The Ork Hulks continued to bombard empty space as several assault craft crashed into the planet surface around the battlefield littered by green bodies and scarred battlewagons. The Eldar, meanwhile, where already out of orbit and heading to intercept their fleet. One cruiser had been hit by a lucky Ork barrage but the shields where holding and the Bonesingers were already goading the hull into its original shape. This battle had cost the Twins little, and therefore could not have been the conflict they had foreseen. A shadow loomed over the future of their mission.

“Captain, we need that hull repaired and the fleet made ready. We are once again heading into the Webway.”

If he hadn’t expected the order the Captain would have sighed; inwardly. “Fire main thrusters and keep the cloak active until we’re ready to slip out”.

GO ELDAR!

Nice rep and nice win

Thanks for the comments guys. Like I said, the first game was fairly non-competetive. I played another against Blood Angels last night and it was a damn good time. Battle report coming soon-ish. I've got pics from both reports but I have to add those from home and all my free time is being spent painting.

For the painting portion of the preparation, I had 18 days to paint 2 Serpants, 3 Prisms, 5 Dragons, 2 Dragon Exarchs, and 3 Vipers. I'm now down to 12 days and have 2 Serpents painted. Everything else will be faster so I'm optamistic.

Stay tuned.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
btw, here is the list I'm thinking of trying out next. I tried cheap Vipers against Blood Angels and I have to say that they worked wonders. They can zoom around to get rear armour with their S6 guns. 7 shots with scatterlaser/shuri or 6 shots with 2 shuris is enough to at least keep things from shooting and unless I face Land Raiders I can always zoom. Having models that are 57pts (with 2 Shuris) means that I really couldn't care less if they drop. Any shooting they divert from my transports is a bonus. I will miss the Scatterlaser range in some games but I think its more important that I have 3 Troop choices in the tourney so here is the revised list:

Farseer (Doom, RoWitness, RoWarding)

2x 10 Dire Avengers (Exarch, 2 Shuris, Bladestorm)
2x Waveserpents (EML, Spirit Stones)

6 Guardian Jetbikes (2 Shuri Cannons)

2x 5 Fire Dragons
Waveserpent (EML, Spirit Stones)
Waveserpent (TL Shuri cannons, Shuri Cannon, Spirit Stones)

3x Viper (2 Shuri Cannons)

3x Fire Prism


Hopefully I get another game in next week to see how much the Viper downgrade and losing the Dragon Exarchs hurts. In the end though, I think having a squad of troops that can't be grounded by one missle and can have a 4++ when it hops onto an objective is worth it. Battle report short version maybe coming today.

Prep Battle Report 2:

In this game I dropped the second Farseer to make my list more streamlined. 2 Dooms can be nice but its not worth the price tag in most cases. Hopefully the many S6 shots that I’m adding will balance out.

As the shadow looming over their future deepens and draws closer, Isis and Iril are forced to split their already tiny fleet in order to try and complete their mission in time. Isis enters the webway in her cruiser, headed for Ork-infested territory while Iril plunges in the other direction. Each sister has her task, but as their ships speed in opposite directions, they find themselves separated psychically for the first time in centuries. Can each of twins function and alone or will this decision see the end of their mission and the death of all hope for their craftworld? As Robert Jordan wrote, it was time to throw the dice.

I got to play an old acquaintance from my early days in gaming. He’s a great guy and very passionate about his Blood Angels. This is not the first time I’ve faced his bright-red horde and I know that it will be a great match. The game is 3 objectives and Spearhead deployment. Again I’m going to be backed against the far corner as I try and stall a head-on rush into my lines.

My list:

Farseer (Doom, RoWarding)

2x 10 Dire Avengers (Dual-wielding Exarch, Bladestorm, in an EML Waveserpent)

3 Jetbikes with a Shuri Cannon

2x6 Fire Dragons (Exarch) in Waveserpents (one with EML, other with Shuris)

3 Vipers with Scatter Laser/ Shuri Cannon

3 Fire Prisms

His List:

Librarian with some CC power and Jump pack

2x 5 Assault Marines in Rhinos with a power first

10 Tacticals with Plasma Cannon

2x 10 Assault Marines with a Power Fist, Melta Gun, Flamer

2x Sanguinary Priest with Jump pack (with Rhino Squads)
Attack Bike with Multi Melta

Land Speeder with Heavy Bolter and Multi Melta

Furioso Dread with Blood Fists and melta gun

Vindicator

Baal Pred with Heavy bolters and TL Assualt Cannon

Pre-game Thoughts: Damn that’s a pretty hard list. Is that 1750? If he gets his way and catches me there is no way I’m winning. This will be a much tougher game than the last one. Bring it!

Terrain (Stars indicate objectives):

--------------------------------------
--Ruin---------Hill------To*wer---
-------------------------------------
-----Cra*ter------Ruin------------
------------------------------------
----------- ----------------Ruin-----
---- Rocks----R*uin--------------
------------------------------------

Deployment: Blood Angels win the roll and deploy in the upper right-hand corner. Their formation is as close to my lines as possible with the Baal and Vindicator in the center, Rhinos on either side (one on the upper-center hill) with Assault Squads hiding behind and the full tactical squad sitting on the tower objective.



My deployment is predictable with Prisms hiding behind the rocks and Serpents, Serpent out on either side (Dragon Serpent more exposed then Avenger ones). Two Vipers are hiding between vehicles and the last one is using the objective ruin for cover.



I fail to seize the initiative (damn that would have been nice), and the game kicks off.

“Farseer, our scans indicate that the mon-kie elite forces have spotted us and are moving to engage. We will not make it to the extraction points in time to escape battle.” The Avenger Exarch reported in a commendably resolute manner. All the troops felt the shroud of misery surrounding Iril since the fleet separated and it did not bode well for the battle ahead.

“Thank you Exarch, inform our force that all haste must be made to the extraction sites. No forces are to engage in close quarters fighting unless our escape is cut off. Get the scouts back too. We’ll need them.” Iril would not allow these savages to cut her mission short.

BA Turn 1: The Baal pred speeds forward 18” for its scout move and the Furioso drops out of the sky close to the Fire Dragon Serpent (D1) below and to the right of the rock formation. The Baal advances more and the rest of the army moves to catch up. A rhino and Assault squad moves around each side of the central ruin in their way. A land Speeder over-drives along the far edge to hide behind the top left ruin.

The furioso gets lucky and wrecks D1 serpent. Baal shakes and stuns the viper hiding behind the objective ruin (V1) and nothing else happens. So far so meh.



Eldar Turn 1: Everything moves from behind cover to engage. D1 move through cover to get a choice of shots, unshaken viper (V2) jumps behind the Furioso.

V2 wrecks the Furioso, and the Dragons explode the Drop Pod (no casualties). The Baal is stunned by a side shot from an EML while the prisms don’t manage to do much to the approaching Rhinos (damn).



BA Turn 2: Vindicator moves up to the objective crater and one of the Rhinos (R1) moves through it to get close to the tanks along the left-hand board edge. Assault Marine squad on that side (A1) jump to cover the Baal from Dragons while the other Rhino hit the pedal to the metal and manages to hit a Dire Avenger Serpent (DA1) which is sitting against the near edge behind the objective ruin. The vehicle is simply shaken. Damn that was close. I forget that the jerk should have taken a hit himself, oh well.

Some shooting manages nothing against Vipers and Prisms and the Vindicator scatters. The sneaky Speeder jumps out and fails to glance a Serpent (Ha!).

Eldar Turn 2: Time to bring the pain! V1 is now operational and jumps behind the Vindicator and Baal. Dragons do the unexpected and rush the Assault Marines guarding the Baal to the right of the craters. Other stuff moves to deal with Rhinos and Speeder. Shaken Serpent jumps back behind the Rocks. One Prism is sitting on top of the rocks for awesome sight-lines. Guardian Jetbikes come in and decide to risk everything to kill Rhino 2 near the objective ruin.

I can’t remember what shot what but the end result was the Rhino rushing left is wrecked, the speeder is wrecked, Vindicator is shaken, Baal has Assault Cannon and Heavy bolter blown off and stunned. Some other stuff drops. Not half bad. Jetbikes do nothing. Fire Dragons and Prism do a number on Assault Squad and Dragons charge!

Dragons knock the assault squad down to just the Sergeant but that sergeant kills 3 and they pass leadership. They were dead next turn so I had some fun charging him. Glorious Combat!



BA Turn 3: Second Assault Squad come after my Dragons while second Rhino Squad goes back a bit to deal with 3 bikes. The objective ruin is 3 floor high with the objective on top so I thought the jetbikes were sacrificed to keep him from reaching it. Wrecked rhino squad rush vehicles. The attack bike realizes I don’t care about tower objective and moves up.

A viper is downed, jetbikes run off, and the second Fire Dragon Serpent is immobilized by a lucky fist. The dragons die without finishing the sergeant. This will prove pivotal in the next turn.

Eldar Turn 3: Downed Dragons disembark as do Dire Avengers. Between the two squads they only kill 4 regular marines. Some Assault marines die but the lone sergeant dodges stuff. Prisms finished off the Vindicator and Baal is shaken by a Viper.

Combat sees the small squad with priest wiped.



BA Turn 4: The lone sergeant makes it in with Dire Avengers, and the large squad catches the Dragons and their transport. Librarian Perils and the small Rhino squad starts climbing the building.

Dragons are not wiped but their transport gets a fist in the face. 3 DA’s die without killing the sergeant (damn!).

Eldar Turn 4: The remaining Viper tries to pick off some of the small squad climbing while the prisms manage to kill 3 marines on the back objective. Vindicator is stunned and has his guns blown off by the ever-useful remaining Viper.

DAs engaged by sergeant continue slap-fighting and I can’t remember how the Dragons survived. I know the assault squad wasn’t free to charge Avengers in their turn 5 so maybe they hit later or something.



BA Turn 5: The librarian dies to a second perils this turn having done nothing. The small squad doesn’t reach the objective and the Baal downs some DA’s. Vindicator tries to ram something but is immobilized on the crater. Bike misses a Prism.

Dragons are wiped here and the assault squad spreads out.

Eldar Turn 5: The full DA squad jumps their Serpent onto the crater objective and the Viper kills one of the small climbing squad. Bike is killed and assault squad taken down to 6 members. If the game ends here we’re tied with one each.

GAME CONTINUES

BA Turn 6: Assault Squad surrounds the Crater DA squad and immobilizes it in combat. They are all around it and contesting. My DA’s can’t get out and will not be contributing. Worst result possible. Climbers finally reach the ruin objective at last. Not looking good.

Only good news is that the DA squad finally kills the one ass-clown sergeant and is free to move.

Eldar Turn 6: I have to dislodge him from two objectives or lose. The free DA’s hop in and overdrive to contest the building objective. Three prisms stay still and let the remaining assault squad know who’s boss. If they had destroyed the Waveserpent by accident I would have been happy as that would have meant I got to Bladestorm and easily kill those fools. The Assaults are Doomed and between 3 concentrated Prism shots (needed to deny FNP) I kill maybe 2 marines due to Go to Ground saves and scatter. Luckily the little TL shuri catapults that everyone forgets about kill 3 more despite FNP and armour. I didn’t manage to wreck the Serpent despite scattering onto it twice so all I can do is pray. He passes leadership with climber squad (he lost one to the remaining and immobilized Viper) and then rolls for the assault squad…an 11!! They flee like pansies and I get the draw.




THE GAME ENDS.

End of Game Thoughts: I really wanted it to go on so I could wipe the floor with the remaining Marines. Thanks to the un-known game length I was totally handicapped in using my troops. 2 Bladestorms and the Prisms hitting the tower-guarding squad in turn 7 would have seen me with at least 2-1 if not 2-0 victory. I’m content with the close-fought draw though as this was a hell of a game against an opponent who likes to yell as much as I do.

I should have saved my Jetbikes for late-game contesting and really should consider getting more. Having 2 troop choices (that are survivable) will lead to more of these situations where I have to choose between using them and jumping onto objectives. Lesson learned.

As you can see the Vipers did great but I think that they would have done the same with 2 Shuri cannons instead of the scatterlaser. It’s a 13pt savings too which will help with getting more bikes.

Iril gave the retreating human mutants. She felt rage boil within her at the inability to exact vengeance on their decimated forces. 2 full squads on Fire Dragons gave their lives to keep those brutes from intercepting her. The mission was more important however and the thought of seeing her sister again helped clear her mind of anger.

Thanks for reading.

Pics added to second Battle Report. Also, tournament tomorrow! I'll probably be posting at least pics of every battle and armies involved.

Enjoy.

Looking forward to more reports.

ELDAR FOR THE WIN

Alright, tourney's over and I'm kind of neutral on my experiance. I finished tied for 3rd which is not too bad. The bad part was that there was an odd number of people (who signed up the day of) and despite the fact that I payed 2 weeks before I got randomly selected to sit on my ass for the first round. The kicker: I didn't care about winning (first place got the Horus Heresy boardgame which looks awesome but I'd have no one to play it with), and this is the second tourney in a row this has happened to me.

Meh, at least I got to eat lunch at the right time. I spent the first round watching my friend run the new Dark Eldar for the first time. I actually ended up reminding him to get pain tokens and taking pictures for his report.

Reports will be written up at some point soon. Right now I'm writing a work report and finishing off my work term before the holidays. The second army I faced was a fully painted SW force so I hope the pics turn out ok. The only two painted armies at the tourney facing off!