Battle Reports Against Dark Eldar

[Dark Legionnare]

So I played my first games against Dark Eldar today. It was a great learning day and I came out victorious in 2 games, tied another. I have pictures from the third and final game where I played for real and didn't putz around.

 

I decided to go for a simple, yet shooty list to counter Dark Eldar.

 

HQ 1: Reclusiarch

HQ 2:Librarian

 

Troops 1: Tactical Squad

Troops 2: Tactical Squad

Troops 3: Death Company

 

Fast Attack: Baal Predator

 

Heavy Support 1: Devastator Squad

Heavy Support 2: Vindicator Tank

 

Elites 1: Sanguinary Priest

Elites 2: Furioso Dreadnaught w/ Droppod

 

 

 

 

1st Game - Game Type: Pitched Battle, Seize Ground - Lost Roll to Go First:

 

Wanted to test out a vindicator proxy while I wait for my actual model to ship. Ended up just running around the field willy-nilly. Lost a few guys, killed a lot of DE ended up beating them out through the sheer awesomeness of my Furioso dread, haywire grenades aint got nothing on him. Good Even Game

 

2nd Game - Game Type: Dawn of War, Seize Ground - Won Roll to Go First:

 

I like to play for fun so I decided to not hold back and be a jerk so I rushed right up the mid into his arms and claws, and agonizers. Lost all foot soldiers by 3rd turn, but I destroyed his Dark lances. So My Vindicator, Baal Predator, and Land Raider Crusader all ran off to contest the 3 objectives. Was a draw, and a wicked close one at that.

 

3rd Game - Game Type: Table Quarters, Annihilation - Won Roll to Go First:

 

I wanted to play a game like I strategically would so I played like I really would. Hunkered up in a corner and took cover like an absolute jerk. Friend conceded after turn one because his Dark Lances did nothing and he knew his army would get shot to ribbons on the way in with his two closest assaulters already knocked out of the game. My Furioso was in a drop pod in reserve by the way.

 

Here's an overview of the table at the end of turn 1, and the game sadly:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp159/DarkLegionnare/40k/Overview.jpg

 

His side at the end of turn one and the game, sadly:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp159/DarkLegionnare/40k/DarkEldarSideEdit.jpg

 

My side at the end of turn one and the game, sadly:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp159/DarkLegionnare/40k/AngelsSideEdit.jpg

 

Well that's all I've got brothers. Thought I'd let everyone know that the key to success against Dark Eldar is, duh, shoot the crap out of them. Take that previous sentence with a grain of salt though because I really just posted to give my perspective on how turtling like a jerk works against DE like magic.

[igotsmeakabob!!]

That home made ravager is sweet.

[vahouth]

I agree! The straw in particular is an amasing addition! :lol:

[Hellios]

not enough terrain.... bwaahhhr

 

Apart from that thanks for the batreps :lol:

[Brother-Captain Devlonir]

He gave up after 1 turn when he saw his shooting did nothing!?

You really must have put the fear in him during the earlier battles my friend! But it does fit the Dark Eldar.. strike hard and fast, but if it fails.. run away even faster! :lol:

[Dark Legionnare]

The terrain comment is one I'm faced with all too often. I've been working on building manufactorim buildings out of scrap metal and taking branches to make into trees. We usually play in a group of 3 on weekends and we all pool our terrain for whoever is playing. This was a 40k night on a whim from a phone call that turned into, "Chinese food and 40k? Hell Yeah." With no prior planning, we couldn't acquire our third player or bring all out terrain to bear.

 

As for putting the fear in him, it's all about those damn raiders. First turn losing 2 raiders really hurts his mobility and he didn't want to risk flat-out moving. I have a history, especially tonight, of immobilizing 70% of the time, weapon destroying 20%, and destroying or wrecking 10%. So he was worried if he moved flat out I'd get my usual immobilization or up which means a 4, 5, or 6 guarantees his vehicle, and its passengers go boom.

 

So with 2 raiders down and out for movement and shooting it was going to turn into a campfire. My Death Company were shielding their rage filled eyes behind my Vindi and also coincidentally pitching a tent to wait out the fight. They were really only there to save my ass if he went deepstrike. Sadly for him all the remaining dark lances weren't scratching my Vindi. So I had a 24" "Don't you come on my lawn" range from that Vindi that guaranteed I'd be safe. Also, plasma cannons and bolters make for good firepower against those frail elves, I mean they're Dark Eldar, I could put bananas in my bolters' clip and it would kill them. :lol:

 

As a final note, when he showed up with that home built ravager there were a series of high fives and "That's the best proxy I've ever seen" I'll also do more detailed reports in the future. This night was just out of the blue so I wasn't really prepared for anything. Having Droid for a phone is the only reason I have pictures. XD

[Leonaides]

well, next time you speak to your de player, tell him that he doesn't loose his passengers if he moves flat out that turn. Unless he moves into terrain and ends his turn in it, and fails a dangerous terrain check. Thats about the only way he'll do it. Look up a thread in the official rules forum for the precise arguement. And tell him to play on even if he has a stinker of a turn 1. Would you invite a bunch of mates over for poker, get everything set up, open the beers, deal the cards, get a bad first hand and then tell everyone to go home? Exactly... If nothing else, you might have had an equally bad first turn...

[Zeller]

Didn't the BRB FAQ state that if a transport moves flat out the passengers are all killed if the transport is then destroyed in the opponents next shooting phase?

[Dark Legionnare]

Didn't the BRB FAQ state that if a transport moves flat out the passengers are all killed if the transport is then destroyed in the opponents next shooting phase?

 

This is what I had heard and was playing off of. My buddy up in Vermont is a far more frequent 40k player and shot me a screen shot of a FAQ that said if it moves flat out and is destroyed all the passengers die. So being a skimmer, if it moves flat out and is immobilized it goes boom. So for a skimmer transport to get immobilized, wrecked, or destroyed after it moves flat out it means it's destroyed and all its light skinned little freaks aboard die in a magnificent explosion of screams and fire, knowing Dark Eldar they'd probably get off on getting burnt alive.

 

As for ending after turn 1, he'd lost most of his AV capability and silenced none of mine. So my Vindi was going to stick around and the LAS cannons and Missile Launchers weren't going anywhere anytime soon.

 

We do play out one-sided games all the time. My friend Johnpaul's Nurgle army put up a defiant defense against George's Space furries just 4 months ago. Absolutely one sided but they both had a blast.

 

We decided to call our third and last game yesterday because it was 5 minutes short of midnight and we effectively tested and proved what I wanted to in that third game; that turtling like a girl makes it hard for DE to get in close and eat you, ESPECIALLY table quarters where it's the longest distance apart.

 

This coming weekend is going to be Nurgle vs my Angels Cruentus, then Nurgle vs Space wolves if Johnpaul can make it. If not, old school match up of my Angels vs Space Pups. We've been playing the latter games for years on end now.

[Seahawk]

That's only if it's wrecked in the same player turn that all his passengers die, as it states in the FAQ. Any other way to play it has always been and continues to be wrong, so if you shoot it down the passengers simply get out and do the normal pinning test ;).

 

Bunching up your firepower and tur-castling makes it very hard for Dark Eldar, especially in Annihilation games. I know from experience. Autocannons ftw!

[antique_nova]

it doesn't state player turn. i am going to get gws to clear it tomorrow as a top priority. they still haven't got to my emails, stupid gws and it;s been 2 weeks since i sent the email. they didn't even clear it up in the FAQ, i even spoke with the tournament organiser.

thanks

antique_nova

[Dark Legionnare]

What Games Workshop needs is one man dedicated to that word. One person in that company whose SOLE purpose is to double check the context of the word "Turn" in everything Games Workshop publishes. :P

[igotsmeakabob!!]

Don't need to! All turns are player turns unless otherwise specified.

[Seahawk]

Incorrect antique_nova. Page 9 of the BRB says any time something refers to a turn, and doesn't specifically say "game turn," it means player turn. Case in point, no reference to game turn and thus it's player turn.

 

It's also been covered here. It's really quite clear-cut.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

it doesn't state player turn. i am going to get gws to clear it tomorrow as a top priority. they still haven't got to my emails, stupid gws and it;s been 2 weeks since i sent the email. they didn't even clear it up in the FAQ, i even spoke with the tournament organiser.

thanks

antique_nova

 

There is other stuff somebody important like you could help us with like what new models are going to be released. Please make that your top most priority.

 

Thanks,

0b :)

[Leonaides]

You'd think when I said look here: New FAQ thread. people might want to at least read the dratted thing before getting all het up about stuff and nonsense. And it is very clearly player turn, not game turn. So, barring scattering blast markers and terrain, its nothing to worry about.

[Zeller]

Read the FAQ. Saw "turn." Somebody mentions Turn = Player Turn. Hopes destroyed like a podracer smashed across the plains of the Dune Sea.

[Ranwulf]

Somehow I just thought about a battle in a giant ship made of wood in the middle of the sea.

 

That actually would be pretty awesome!

 

Ran

[TrentL]

Honestly I'd like to know how normal BA armies that are assault heavy perform.

[Chaplain Gunzhard]

Honestly I'd like to know how normal BA armies that are assault heavy perform.

 

My army is pretty assault heavy and I do alright. Likely my win percentage is only close to 50% though or possibly worse. However, my gaming group is really good - like guys that often win or place very high in the national tournaments and such.

 

I typically play against SM, SW, Nids, Eldar, occasionally IG, Daemons and Khorne CSM, and now 2 DE armies.

[Dark Legionnare]

Assault heavy might do very well. From what I saw with just my Tacs fighting back in melee, marines that are oriented towards close combat will obviously excel and do double what tacs do. Wyches aren't the huge threat they used to be. They're still dangerous, but no more wytch weapon rules mean I can actually fight back and hit stuff. Next time I play I'm going to try going for an assault list 1000 point army and see how that fares. Whenever I get around to playing DE again I'll update about it.

[Chaplain Gunzhard]

In my last game versus DE... my opponent assaulted my 10man RAS with Libby and SP with a squad of Wyches and another squad of Wracks. They did surprisingly very little damage. When my second RAS joined in next turn and we finished them off. He was a little disappointed but FnP and Preferred Enemy made all the difference... and the second squad coming in with FC helped too.

[BigBaals]

No DE players in my area yet. I've been wondering how we would fair against them, and most of what I've read seems about on par with what I thought. Can't wait to see where this DE codex ranks in 4-6 months. I'm guessing somewhere above Tyranids, but below Vanilla Marines. Don't get me wrong, love my BA, but I'd like to see a non-marine codex take the top spot above BA/SW.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

I played a tough game this past weekend versus an army featuring three maxed out beastmaster squads. Melée started on turn 1 with my Furioso deboarding the Stormraven to plow right into a huge squad of beasts. By the time the game had ended the dreadnaught had helped kill two squads of beasts and also caught a squad of Trueborn. There was only like four models left from both sides when it was all said and done - very bloody indeed!

 

0b :angry:

[Tigcarn]

Just don't let Lelith assault your marines. When she assaults she is a beat train.