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Ventured down Powerfist and played Andy with his Eldar. He had shoehorned S.M in there just to make the list up to 2k. I'll be helping Andy out as he hasn't played much of 6th ed and this is his second game with Eldar. I'll help with rules and tactics etc.

Dark Angels 'Ravenwing' - 2,000 points

HQ

Sammael
Ravenwing Command Squad - black knight, apothecary, grenade launcher & banner of devastation
Techmarine - power field generator & auspex

Troops

6 x Ravenwing Attack Squad w/ Attack Bike - 2 x meltaguns - Sgt w/ melta bombs - Attack Bike w/ multi melta
6 x Ravenwing Attack Squad w/ Attack Bike - 2 x meltaguns - Sgt w/ melta bombs - Attack Bike w/ multi melta
6 x Ravenwing Attack Squad w/ Attack Bike - 2 x plasma guns - Attack Bike w/ multi melta
6 x Ravenwing Attack Squad w/ Attack Bike - 2 x plasma guns - Attack Bike w/ multi melta
6 x Ravenwing Attack Squad - 2 x flamers

Fast Attack

7 x Ravenwing Black Knights - 2 x grenade launchers

Eldar - 2,000 points

HQ

Farseer (prescience, fortune & misfortune)
Librarian (prescience)

Elite

5 x Fire Dragons w/ Wave Serpent - Serpent w/ twin-linked scatter lasers & holofield

Troops

5 x Dire Avengers w/ Wave Serpent - Serpent w/ twin-linked scatter lasers & holofield
5 x Dire Avengers w/ Wave Serpent - Serpent w/ twin-linked scatter lasers & holofield
5 x Dire Avengers w/ Wave Serpent - Serpent w/ twin-linked scatter lasers & holofield
10 x Tactical Marines w/ Drop Pod - plasma gun

Fast Attack

Crimson Hunter - exarch

Heavy Support

5 x Dark Reapers - Exarch
Fire Prism - holofield
Fire Prism - holofield
5 x Devastors - unknown weapons

Game: vanguard strike + scouring - night fighting active

Deployment

Andy wins table side but I win roll off and deploy the left half of the table. On the front line I put all the Attack Bikes with the RCS behind in a crater. They are surrounded by the Ravenwing and pretty much all units are within 6" - meltas are at the front plasmas behind. Black Knights are close to my table edge where the deployment zone ends against the line, they will scout into a ruin and have LOS blocked to them.

Andy smartly deploys the Reapers far back with the Farseer attached. All vehicles deploy back with the Devs and Libby in area terrain ruin in Andy's deployment zone.

We turn over the objectives and there's a 3 point objective top left and centre. The 1 point and 4 point are both on the right flank in either corner and the 2 points and other 3 point objective are floating around the middle.

* Tactical Notes

The Reapers are high on the target priority list as they will smash my bikes to bits with their AP3 ignores cover shots; I need to kill them first.

Prisms are next on the list as the large AP3 blasts can tear holes in me. I'll need to move some units flat out to get uber cover saves or hope Andy gets bad luck with scatter, but as I am bunched up he will end up hitting something.

Avenger Serpents are next as mass shuri fire with bow shields can ruin my day. I do not want to be victim to bladestorm so I need to take these out.

Crimson Hunter and Dragons do not bother me, I'll get them last.

Turn 1

I scout everything with some units going through terrain (broken into combat squads btw) I do fail some terrain tests but pass armour saves fine. Andy attempts to seize and fails.

Ravenwing; I zoom up 12" and it looks like some of my bolters are pushing range on those Reapers.

Shooting; I do some cheeky premeasure and find only a single unit is in range of the Reapers, I blast them and score 10 wounds, though Andy gets really lucky and only fails a single armour save! Sammy drops plasma cannon and it scatters and hits a Serpent; does jack gak. Two Attack Bikes fire into the closest Serpent, I take a hull point off it and immobilise it after Andy fails the shield roll. Black Knights fire at the same Serpent though fail to do anything. The other two Attack Bikes blast the two Prisms, one takes a hull point loss. Remaining bolters hose down the Dev squad and score me first blood, Libby remains with a single wound, who I leave as not threat. Three bikes haven't fire as out of range so I move them flat out. I do fail two dangerous terain tests and two bikers die from two different units.

Eldar; Pod comes down top right on a three point objective - it scatters off the board. I place the Pod in the top left corner as keeps the Marines out my way and I can easily scoot over and get the objective anyway.

All vehicles move down along Andy's table edge while the Avengers get out the immobilised Serpent.

Shooting; immobilised Serpent fire at the Black Knights and kill 6! Avengers fire at an Attack Bike and kill it with blade storm. Fire Prisms blast the command squad, Techmarine tanks wounds and laughs them all off, though is brought down by a Wave Serpent. Reapers fire at the RWC, I do well thanks to night fighting saves and feel no pain. I think that's about it as the Techmarine absorbed a lot of fire.

* Tactical Notes

Not an awesome first turn; I was hoping to take out those Reapers but Andy deployed them good and held them back. Thing is now he has no where to run them as they are at the table edges and I'll be in range with more of my bolters soon. My Black Knights also must be wearing paper armour or something as only one remains, Andy called the survivor a c*nt so this dude is gonna kick some ass now.

Though it is not all bad; I did get first blood and took out the Devs. I also have things setup for next turn as the Attack Bikes can easily fire and assault the Fire Prisms and the immobilised Serpent is just waiting to be taken out.

Next turn I will move up and blast the Reapers and hopefully get the Farseer too. The lone Black Knight will go after those exposed Avengers while a melta unit will tackle the immobilised Serpent. Attack Bikes will go after the Prisms while bolters will finish off the Libby.

Turn 2

Ravenwing; I move my bikes up with Attack Bikes getting in on Prisms (two gang up on onee with two hull points left) while lone Black Knight moves up to tackle Avengers and dual meltas move up to tackle the immobilised Serpent.

Shooting; I dakka the Reapers, but as Andy moved them back last turn half my units are out of range, luckily bolters drop them down to two left and Sammy flattens the other two with plasma cannon shot - Farseer passes morale and remains. Dual meltas blow up the Serpent while tag team Attack BIkes take another hull point off the already damaged Prism while the other Attack Bike flops shooting at the other Prism. Plasma guns double tap the Libby who goes to ground, but Andy rolls a 1 and the last wound is taken.

Assault; Black Knight charges the Avengers, smacks them out and they fail morale and fall back.

Crimson Hunter arrives and zooms up towards my table edge on the left flank. It does the vector dancer turn and uses a bastion to get 25% cover.

Eldar; Avengers regroup and move up along with the Farseer, I do suggest to Andy for the Avengers to join the Farseer though I do not think he hears me. Remaining vehicles start to kite me around the table and start moving over to the left flank.

Shooting; Fire Prism drops a blast on the RCS again and catches another squad, Andy doesn't do well wounding and I do great for cover saves. Serpents open up and put a wound on an Attack Bike and continue to blast bikes, though my armour/cover saves are very strong. Crimson Hunter fires at a bolter unit and destroys them after I roll gak for jink saves. Remaining Serpents move flat out and do not get any shooting in.

Assault; Farseer charges the Black Knight and the Farseer gets beaten up and dies.

* Tactical Notes

A quick turn this one and not very destruction for Andy but brilliant for me I have done extremely well with saves and only lost a single biker from one unit and a three man bolter unit. All in all I cannot complain.

I think I have done Andy quite some considerable damage this turn. I have taken out his Dark Reapers, destroyed two vehicles, got slay the warlord and almost taken out some Avengers who are not far from the 1 point objective.

Next turn I'll send double Attack Bikes and dual meltas into the single hull point Prism while the Black Knight finishes off the Avengers. I'll start sending bikes after the other Wave Serpents.

Turn 3

Ravenwing; I sent the two Attack BIkes and dual melta right up to the single hull point Prism, I want to kill it plus they are not in range of the other Prism anyway. Black Knight targets the Avengers. Two man melta unit who lost their Sgt thanks to dangerous terrain peel off with the wounded Attack Bike and go for the other Prism. All other bikes move into the large centre ruin for some cover and to get into range of the other Serpents.

Shooting; all meltas fire at the single hull point Prism and holofields make the save. Black Knight kills the two Avengers with rapid fire krak from the grenade launcher. Other Prism gets shot by melta and I manage to glance it thanks to holofield. All remaining bikes move flat out to get a 4+ cover save or get closer to the Serpents as they are already in the centre ruin anyway.

Assault; wounded Attack Bikes and melta dudes charge the Prism they just fired at, though fail to take it out with krak attack. All other units charge the other Prism and hammer of wrath smashes it to bits.

Eldar; Tactical Marines come down the hill and get ready to put some ranged shots into a two man bike squad as two Serpents round up on them and park on objectives. Crimson Hunter flys about hunting for targets. The last Prism moves away towards the other meltas, this is really to get better LOS on units in terrain as no matter where Andy moves it my meltas will always chase it.

Shooting; Wave Serpents and bolters fire at the two man unit closest to them (they are armed with bolters) and I pass an impressive amount of cover/armour saves and both remain. Crimson Hunter fires at my depleted flamer unit (got hit by a prism blast first turn) and wipes them out. Shots go into the wounded Attack Bike from Avengers who got out from the other Serpent and the Attack Bike goes down. Prism blasts dual plasma unit in the centre and the Sgt dies after some amazing cover saves.

* Tactical Notes

Wow, Andy has really taken it this turn - I've had some super good luck though and everything has gone my way - if I wanted something to die it did and my saves were amazing, except for that damn Prism, though it had limited life left..

Now I have the right side of the board in my control. I have several scoring units in that half and only the Crimson Hunter can really threaten me as Andy has two troop choices left, I have half my army and two secondary victory points already.

Next turn I'll focus on troop units and the Hunter to stop any scoring.

Turn 4

Ravenwing; units in the centre move up with the two man unit going to an Avenger Serpent while plasmas target the Dragon Serpent. Melta units who destroyed the other Prism move down to tackle the last remaining one.

Shooting; plasma guns fire into the Dragon Serpent and I shake it. RCS and bolters fire into the Crimson Hunter, it jinks and passes one though I manage to glance it still. Last Prism goes boom boom after many melta shots. Dual melta fire at the Serpent where the Avengers had bailed out and killed the Attack Bike, I stun it.

Assault; double bikers charge the Avenger Serpent supporting the Dragon Serpent and score two penetrating hits (first turn a melta had took a hull point off), I manage to shake it on the vehicle chart which means the Avengers are only snap firing next turn. Plasmas slam into the Dragon Serpent and do nothing while the meltas slam into the stunned Serpent and wreck it.

Eldar; Crimson Hunter darts along my table edge looking to even up the damage while Dragons bail out and are ready to nuke Sammy as he is the closest, Tacticals come running down and claim the 3 point objective top left in a ruin.

Shooting; Crimson Hunter fires at a unit and does bugger all. Dragons try to nuke Sammy though fail to hit, Serpent supports them and I pass any armour saves I have to make. Shaken Avengers fire into the two man unit though do nothing. Avengers next to the other wrecked Serpent (previously stunned) fire into the dual melta unit though fail to score any wounds.

At this point Andy asks if can call it a game or carry on. I say it is up to him and we review the situation; Black Knight will hold the 1 point objective and an Attack Bike will get the other on the right flank. I can easily get the two centre ones and use remaining units to attack the Tacticals and destroy Avengers and claim/contest objectives. In theory I could claim at least half of the objectives without any issues and I have points for all secondary.

Ravenwing score a victory.

Summary

I had a really good game with Andy and despite him saying he hasn't played much he played pretty well. I think moving those Serpents flat out second turn diluted his fire power and really he only brought himself a turn anyway. I think some of his target priority could have been better as killing melta units would have done the job to keep Serpents alive and with the fire power he had he could easily have wiped out my Attack Bikes and melta units without breaking a sweat. Though to be fair Andy did shoehorn the Marines in to make the list 2k, he did say for 2k he would add more Dragons and perhaps go triple Prisms - yikes!

Thanks for the batrep, it was well written and painted a decent picture of what was going on. What are your post battle tactical thoughts on your list? How do you find your build working? What's your typical plan vs. flyer heavy lists?

With the mobility of your bikes, I'm surprised you didn't just go round the back of the serpents to negate their shield?

Grim Smasha wrote:Thanks for the batrep, it was well written and painted a decent picture of what was going on. What are your post battle tactical thoughts on your list? How do you find your build working? What's your typical plan vs. flyer heavy lists?

Cheers dude.

I really haven't got any thoughts on post battle or the build to be honest. Works ok and I am happy with it, that's all I have to say

Plan vs flyers, well get into combat if possible and then do hit and run on the opponent's turn. I also have a lot of twin-linked weapons and can get into the rear of flyers.

Gork and Mork wrote:With the mobility of your bikes, I'm surprised you didn't just go round the back of the serpents to negate their shield?

He had his vehicles against the table edge so not possible for me to get into the rear.