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2013/07/11 22:30:22
Subject: 1500 Points Eldar vs Orks; Stemming the green tide
“The orks will be upon us soon farseer.” Arwin‘s voice broke through Niena's meditations. “Are you certain we will be prepared, their numbers are great.”
“One can only hope he is prepared Arwin;" She paised looking at her young apprentence, "I believe we are ready, the rest is up to the warriors and the Gods.” Niena's voice was calm as she settled back into her trance. “Are the exarch’s prepared?”
“More or less; Eyena is screaming for blood. She says the orks may slate her sisters apatite.”
“See to it her battle lust does not get the better of her, I have no desire to see another exarch risk lives.”
“Do you think she will?” The silence was heavy as Niena searched for a response.
“I certainly hope not. We have been friends for quite some time, Eyena and I, she has always been... overzealous.I can only hope that she knows her limits and does not exceed them.” Nearby an outcast gave a small nod to the farseer. "They will be here soon, go prepare yourself."
With that Arwin bowed and left the farseer to her thoughts once more.
This planet was heavily contested, a hot bed for nearly every force in the system; Niena had been sent here to see why. Thus far the only reason she could see was the lesser races need to kill one another over age old feuds, and worthless pieces of rock but some greater cause seemed to be hiding just out of reach. Now a large orkish force was headed straight for the warhost, too large to be circumnavigated , the decision was made then that they would break the orks here before they knew what hit them. This would hopefully buy the warhost enough time to retreat to the webway and back to the craftworld. Niena was confident in her warriors, but they had never faced such a numerous foe before, the fates were cloudy showing nothing but death and the fires of war.
Army lists
Spoiler:
My list; Pretty much the same list as last time, could be better but I like it so far
Farseer Niena- Runes of witnessing, Singing spear, Long rifle
Powers- Guide, Prescience,Foreboding
Warlord- Ambush of blades (Re-roll 1s to wound once per game); sadly I never used it
Spiritseer Arwin- Powers, Protect, Conceal
Avengers x10- Exarch Meeran with twin catapults
Wave serpent- Scatter lasers, holo fields
Avengers x10- Exarch Jorahn with twin catapults
Wave serpent- Scatter lasers, holo fields
Rangers x8
Banshees x10- Exarch Eyena with executioner
Warp spiders x10- Exarch Akamon with twin spinnerette rifles
Fire prism- holo fields
Fire prism- holo fields
His List;
Warboss-cyborg body, power klaw, boss poll, other orky bitz
Warlord- Stealth and move through cover in ruins (actually pretty helpful for him)
I could be wrong on the numbers but safe to say there were a lot of boyz on the field.
Deployment; Dawn of war
Objectives; Purge the alien
Not dark
No seizures
The battle
Spoiler:
The battle field had been chosen in order to deny the orks cover as they advanced, only a hill stood between two large ruins with an easy killing field in between. The assembled host waited as the orks approached.
The orkish hordes swarmed forward towards the eldar’s lines. Tanks opened fire and rent through the green tide causing heavy casualties to the onrushing mobs. Together with the assembled outcasts Niena and her snipers took a heavy toll on the orkish heavy weapons assembled in the ruins causing those that remained to dive deep into their holes.
The green tide could not be stopped however and slowly but surely it surged towards the eldar lines. Larger brutes riding crude vehicles surged over the hill and unleashed some form of explosives into the nearby fire prism. Thankfully the primitive charges were far more of a spectacle than weapon merely wreathing the vehicle in flames. From the ruins across the field lumbered a walker perhaps the size of a dreadnought armed with all manner of claws and saws.
Seeing the walker as the main threat Niena directed the two heavy tanks to take it down with all haste, unfortunately even their most powerful lances seemed to bounce off of the ramshackle things hide. Exarch Akamon arrived and combined his fire with that of the dire avengers reaping heavy tolls through the orcish lines. It seemed the warhost had the upper hand at the moment, dozens of the greenskins had been scythed down with shuriken fire, but more simply kept charging forward.
“Farseer send my sisters and I into the fray. We shall cleave through this greenskin tide with ease.” Exarch Eyena stood with her squad beneath the Farseers position.
“No Exarch, you and your squad will be needed soon enough be calm.” This seemed to calm her battle lust for the moment at least.
As Akamon and his squad jumped back behind the ever shrinking eldar lines a great roar came up from the orkish horde.
“WAGHHHHHHHHHH!!!” Over the din one could also hear the sputtering engine of some kind of aircraft coming in from the orkish lines. The craft seemed to defy natural laws as it flew made of nothing more than an engine and strapped on wings with as many primitive guns as possible; regardless of its appearance it proved effective nonetheless all but obliterating exarch Meeran and his squad in a hailstorm of heavy gunfire.
Now the tide of orks was perilously close, the disciplined eldar fire cut down ork after ork but more were always present. Fearing the walkers might Niena again directed the heavy guns into it, and again their shots did nothing against it’s armored hide. Below the banshees assembled let out a fearsome war cry before leaping out of their position towards the orkish lines. It seemed was done waiting and had ordered a charge straight into the heart of the orks aiming for their brute of a leader. Eagerly the orks rushed forward to meet the oncoming banshees. The crush of bodies was horribly one sided, the banshees while skilled and swift stood no chance against such vast odds; they were quickly inundated beneath the green tide. Even stood no chance, all her skill and furry snipped away by a single brutish orks klaw.
The unexpected charge from the banshees had now brought the orks almost into the eldar lines, fresh from their slaughter of the howling sisters the greenskins lept into the remaining eldar. Niena could do nothing but watch as the orks smashed into their lines crushing frail eldar left and right. Leading a small pocket of resistance and exarchs and managed to hold their own against the tide slaying those who came before them; or so it was until the orkish leader lumbered into the fray. With his massive claw he smashes aside the remaining eldar and crushed with a single swing.
Niena let out a wail as she saw her apprentice fall, his loss ripping through her psyche far more devastating than any wound. All around her the orks swarmed killing any warriors who would not flee; the battle was lost.
Results and ending fluff
Spoiler:
I conceded after that, Orks Win!!
Orks continued steaming over the field in countless numbers. Niena could do nothing but flee the field, the host had been broken, the rangers valiantly screened their retreat while Niena and the remaining exarchs fled.
“We cannot leave.” Meeran managed to say, his body riddled with shells from the ork strafing run, “ the others … they may still be...”
“Rest now Meeran brother.”Exarch Jorahn who was carrying him cut in. “ There is nothing we can do for them now.” Akamon appeared from the warp nearby his armor covered in blood, some his own.
“I was able to recover some of the stones farseer....” he paused presenting a handful of the precious spirit stones; glowing gently in his blood caked hand. “But I was unable to reach the body of Exarch Eyena … or your apprentice farseer, there were simply too many... I am sorry.” Niena wanted to simply topple over and weep, the thought of their stones being defiled by those greenskins and souls fed to she who thirsts was almost more than she could bear.
“Well done exarch, “ She quickly regained her composure and turned to the remaining warriors.“ We have failed this day, nothing more can be said of it. But we will return for our comrades, and when we do the greenskins will pay dearly for every one of us lost this day.” With that the remaining warriors fled leaving their dead behind to one day return and reap bloody vengeance upon their foes.
Closing thoughts
Spoiler:
Ouch that was painful, orks are deceptive, sure they die in droves but man can they punch in melee. Obviously charging the 40 strong squad with my banshees probably cost me the game. That combined with my two prisms failing to pen the Av 12 walker for two rounds in a row even with guide on both didn't help either. An under performer this time had to be the snipers, they consistently haven't done much all game; either being obliterated in a turn, or completely ignored. Regardless I feel they don't have the damage to make any real impact in games.I think this battle put the final nail in the coffin for my banshees, and made me see how scary big horde armies really can be. All in all it was a good learning experience and a good game against a good opponent.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2013/07/19 17:28:56
Come watch me and my friends play good games poorly on Boss Room Ahead
Have a wonderful day
2013/07/11 22:35:16
Subject: Re:1500 Points Eldar vs Orks; Stemming the green tide
I too am having trouble understand this battle. The 40 strong was more than 1 unit of Orks, and the Defkopta were at least 2 units Keeping each 3 means that Killing one is a rout check, in a squad of 5 Killing 2 would cause the same thing.
Big Mek KFF doesn't offer much to a non vehicle intense army. But if you really wanted to take out the Def Dread. you should have focused all your fire on the Big Meks unit. Once that happens 3 glances on the Dread and it's gone. Eldar Farseer has that 3d6Ld Check thing, that is devastating to Orks. especially if you are focusing fire on 1 unit. using Blast and Large Blast weapons are amazing at thinning the horde.
Footsloggin' Orks take 2 to 3 turns to reach you, if you have range fire all you have to do is focus on one of his flanks and just keep distance unil the Orks are gone. Eldar have tremendous mv and rule psychicly. The only thing the Orks can do is try to run and keep up. and their Army list should never have done that.
My suggestion for next time is that take a farseer and artillery. Purge the Alien is an Ork opponent's dream. You should be able to get both First Blood and Linebreaker. and if you focus on the unit with the Warlord, you should get Saly the Warlord as well. You had far fewer units than the orks, so even without these 3 points, you should still have won.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/07/14 02:28:55
Not loud, on fire, or explodin' yer doin' et wrong
2013/07/15 00:42:00
Subject: 1500 Points Eldar vs Orks; Stemming the green tide
If you get backed into a corner as a mechdar player just turbo boost to the opposite side of the board (you get 12" move +18" turbo boost moving freely over terrain/enemies).
Sleg is also correct in that you normally focus on a single flank and destroy it and then focus down the other flank as they are forced to hoof across the other half of the board.
Finally I understand you reservations about rangers as they don't really provide anything unique to your list. Banshees are better against other enemies as orks just don't have 3+ saves and they have T4 which is bad news for banshees.
2013/07/15 01:28:15
Subject: 1500 Points Eldar vs Orks; Stemming the green tide
Since the 4th Edition Codex came out, Orks no longer "Mob Up" so any unit that takes loses, can no longer combine to a larger unit. I do not know how many units were in the 40 strong, but I would imagine since you scattered your fire, it was more than 2. I assume that the elder went first. So deploying in the center, is actually a great tactic. Shooting the Loota and hope they routs, was perfectly executed. I would have shifted everyone right. This way you could focus all your fire on the lonely Ork Boyz unit after getting rid of the Lootas Unit. The Idea is that you are forcing the orks to come to you. The unit with their Warlord wont make it to you until round 4. Your only worry at this time should be that Dakkajet. But if you continue to move up the right side and focus your fire on one unit at a time (getting all the points you need to win) You probably don't even need to worry about the unit the DakkaJet takes out. The Dakkajet is paper (hull str 10) if you just focus on snap shooting it, it'll be gone and you make the ork player wonder why did he take it.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Correction, the Ork army list doesn't include the Dakkajet and the Defkoptas were listed as 1 unit, so I think they had at least 10 units even though it's listed as 8, while the Eldar had 11 - so for Purge you were about equal. When you conceded the game, Orks had 6 units and Eldar had 7. So currently tied on units killed, Eldar had first blood, while the Orks had linebreaker. But had their Warboss out in the open and if Nina and her Unit just killed him, he was worth 2 points and the win. After which the Jet would've had to turn or fly off the board (not able to shoot). and you would've had to just contend with a lot of ork boyz, which the game might have ended before they could've done anything. Still giving the eldar the win, an ugly win, but one none the less
Automatically Appended Next Post: If the law of averages work, If the game went yet another round. Let's say the Dakkajet went off the board and came back in (otherwise it would have spent 2 more turns turning around). Orks take out 2 more units of elder, tied up. Ork boyz charge Nina and one unit is wiped out from overwatch, the other unit engages in the Assault. The Def Dread also assaults (Nina would have probably overwatched the Dread, but lets say she didn't). Banshees should win each assault phase causing the Boyz to Ld each time, if they fail, sweaping advance they are gone. The Dread is is a bother, hopefully you are able to remove it before Int 1. But let's say you don't and it kills everything but Nina before Nina removes it. The Fire Prisms should have taken out that lonely Ork Boyz unit (which should have already been removed.
by the top of turn 7, the Orks should only have the Dakkajet left and if the game continued it would only get 1 shot before having to turn or leave (and not on Nina because she was in Melee, again if it leaves and the game end, the Orks would have been tabled. Otherwise Eldar would still win.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2013/07/15 02:30:25
Not loud, on fire, or explodin' yer doin' et wrong
-5000 Pts. of Orks
-1750 Pts. of Ravenwing 
yer doin' et wrong 