Latest Game Observations

[Ronin_eX]

Well I managed to get another game in this weekend.  A 2000 point affair.  It was me versus two Tau lists (they were 1000 each).  They went suit-heavy gunline with a few vehicles and mounted units (can't remember the exact loadouts).  This was mostly an excuse to test out my Black Knights, Deathwing Knights and the Dark Shroud as well as a few other units I haven't tried under the new codex yet.  My list was:

 

Belial - TH/SS

Librarian - Bike, Auspex, Mace of Redemption (I had some left over points :D )

DW Command Squad - Standard of Fortitude, 1 TH/SS, 2 TLC, CML

 

Deathwing Knights

Venerable Dreadnought w/ TLLC and Missile Launcher

 

DW Squad - Assault Cannon, Chainfist

DW Squad - Assault Cannon, Chainfist

Tactical Squad - Vet. w/ Meltabombs, Missile Launcher, Meltagun

 

Black Knights (x5) - RW Grenade Launcher

Land Speeder Dark Shroud

 

We rolled up 'The Will of the Emperor' as our mission and they got first turn and the pick of board edges.  I ended up grabbing Prescience for my Librarian (not terribly useful this time around) and decided to go with a first turn strike with all four DW units and Belial.  My tac squad combat squaded for the game (if given another chance I would have taken advantage of min-sized squads and plonked down a second heavy weapon squad instead...  the melta-squad, sans transport, did nothing but soak fire all game).  They placed their objective close to the back corner in lots of sight-blocking cover, I think this was ultimately their undoing (more on this later).  I placed my objective on top of a building that was nice and defensible, the ML combat squad went there.

 

Their deployment had a Skyray (he wanted to test it out again), and a couple of foot Firewarrior squads protecting the primary objective on the far flank.  Their was also a unit of Broadsides deployed in a row of buildings.  On the opposite flank the two battlesuited commanders (one of them Farsight) deployed in a big, shooty clump with the rest of the suits (a big bodyguard for Farsight, small one for the other commander and an all-plasma suit squad).  A transport with a min-sized Firewarrior squad parked close by and a foot Firewarrior squad was positioned behind some blocking terrain on the far flank.

 

My Black Knights deployed as close to the line as possible, the Dark Shroud close by (but I completely ignored that they would out of range of the bubble after scouting...  lesson learned).  The other combat squad deployed to my flank as I realized that they would likely be useless without a transport.  The dread deployed behind the building my objective was on with access to a good sight line.

 

And from there we began.

 

Early Game Observations and Highlights

 

My BKs scouted in to some ruins (gotta love Skilled Rider!) but in the first turn some lucky shooting (and horrible saves) saw three of them die to three long-range plasma shots (used a Marker Light from the Skyray to reduce my save).  This included the GL, so I never actually got to test the bloody thing this game. *sigh*

 

But since most of my army was off the table, the rest of the potshots did little to me.

 

My Deathwing Assault was to good effect.  I got to split fire on several units (though the CML failed to hit the Skyray, rolling 1's and 2's even after a re-roll).  I managed to decimate the small commander/bodyguard unit with some combined terminator fire (Commander left with one wound) and took out one of the plasma battlesuits with BK plasma talons.  Those things are nasty even when not IKing the things.  My long-range anti-tank had little it could work with as the Tau vehicles were all getting a 3+ cover save.  So my ML and Dread finished off the Commander to get me first blood.

 

In a mad gambit to tie up a unit and hopefully protect my BKs from further shooting I charged the plasma-suits.  They killed one and wounded another and were locked in combat for the next turn (huzzah!).  I have to say, their assault prowess is quite awesome, I wasn't expecting that, but S5 rending makes them great combatants without being overkill units (which allows them to get great use out of hit and run to avoid enemy shooting turns and leap-frog through enemy units).

 

My DWKs with Belial made sure to come in precisely at the edge of the FNP bubble but within sight of the enemy objective.  They would be clearing it of the 20-ish Firewarriors and squad of Broadsides that were holding it.

 

In the next round he peppered my Terminators with fire from every angle, but with their natural toughness and the Standard, I only took a couple of casualties.  In a possibly ill-fated effort to deny me the charge, Farsight's squad charged one of my troop units.  I immediately challenged Farsight with the sergeant (who, with the help of FNP, survived) to keep him off the rest of the unit.  In return I slaughtered the rest of the squad, leaving only a couple of battlesuits.  They managed to hold firm.

 

Mid-game Observations and Highlights

 

We finished out the combat between Farsight and the terminators.  He killed my sergeant, but I had charged the command squad in and slaughtered the rest of the unit (good mix in there).  Split fire was a nice touch here again, allowing me to fire the CML at a better target and still charge the enemy unit I wanted.  Farsight broke and ran, but being terminators I could not pursue him.

 

I focused a bit of fire on the Skyray and brought it down.  And the DWKs moved up the flank, engaged the Firewarriors and because of their proximity to the board edge, they immediately fled off of it.

 

The Dark Shroud continued to be a surprisingly effective fire magnet and drew off shots from the Broadsides but finally died in a fireball.  But it drew their fire for two turns during which their S10AP1 attacks weren't hurting anything more immediately useful.  The Black Knights circled around but failed to charge the Broadsides on a roll of 2 (surprisingly my other two charges that round were on completely unnecessary 12's; good times :D )

 

His flanking forces (FWs and a Devilfish) finally managed to take out the melta-tacs and had been peppering the support tacticals all game (they were down to three models).  Farsight charged back in to my Command Squad and challenged me, but I declined the offer so I could beat him with thunder hammers and fists.  Unfortunately some bad rolling on FNP saw me lose three terminators (only the Champion and the Standard Bearer was the only one left standing).  This is where the make or break part of the game came in.

 

My home-base tacticals were getting pressure from a vehicle that was proving to be hard to kill.  My center had just been chewed up by Farsight and I still hadn't gotten close to his objective.

 

End Game Observations and Highlights

 

Quickly deciding on a plan I split my Deathwing up.  The slightly more damaged squad that had been chewed up by Farsigh's unit, earlier, charged toward the command squad, the other unit (down to four) began sprinting toward the enemy objective that Belial's squad had cleared.  The Black Knights and Belial moved to surround the Broadsides (and I had yet to pop smite).  My missile launcher tactical squad fired on the Devilfish and managed to ground it, stranding the only squad close enough to claim my objective.  And finally, in combat, Farsight attempted another challenge, which I declined again.  He was pounded in to submission by a combined total of 11 power fist attacks for his trouble.

 

At the end of turn three, my opponents conceded.

 

I had secured my own objective (3VP), his objective (3VP), achieved first blood (1VP), had units in his deployment zone (1VP) and had just killed his Warlord (1VP).  He had a unit in my deployment zone for 1VP.

 

Victory Dark Angels!

 

Overall I didn't get to test a lot of things this game.  My GL died in the very first shots of the game, the Dark Shroud largely just soaked fire rather than providing a protective bubble for the army, and my DWKs were mostly mopping up light infantry and rolling everything in their path without needing smite.

 

But still, the Black Knights proved to be able in every realm of combat, I saw what the effect of our cheap tacticals and dreadnoughts was, and I finally got to execute a proper Deathwing Assault with precision and accuracy.

 

The codex performed admirably against a list loaded with AP2 attacks (thanks FNP banner!) and ended the game with full points for objectives (save for one extra point The Hunt may have gotten me).

 

Things I Would Change

 

Remember to take a minimum tac-squad with a support weapon if I don't have spare points for a Rhino.  No more extraneous special weapons when we neither want or need them.  Tactical squads rock!

 

Remember that BKs scout, so calculate that in to your plans when positioning the Dark Shroud.

 

Other than those two things I think I am starting to get the hang of our new toys.  My Deathwing did very, very well this game.  But I need to try them sans banner next time (replace the Command Squad with another scoring unit and use the points saved for more bodies on the field).

 

Overall this game gave me a much better idea of the codex's abilities than the odd 4-way free for all.  And I have to say, I love it.

[Cactus]

Congrats on the worthy victory Ronin_eX.

 

The darkshroud also has the scout rule, so you can redeploy the stealth bubble with the bikes.

[elphilo]

Excellent write up! Always good to see a win. I've come to the same conclusion of the Black Knights, they seem to be our "go to" unit in this codex. I can't wait for you next report.

[Ronin_eX]

Bugger, so it does, for some reason I completely overlooked that.  Hmm, might have saved the RWGL...  Oh well. :D

[Polythemus]

Hey ronin great report. I'm really looking forward to seeing how our new 'dex matches up, vs. crons, vs. guard, and demons. I am curious about your reasoning for losing the command squad vs the dwk. As much as i want to love the knights im not really sure how to use them. I mean i guess you can throw them against deathstars and MC's but they Seem to be a one hit wonder when the command squad offers a bit more utility. I need more games with them but right now they seem to more of a luxury pick than anything.

[MithrilForge]

great to get a bat rep from a respected frater, i was of 2 minds on making my Dark shroud or the plasma shooter...looks like its dark shroud first to get some synergy with my bike units....dark talon is next...do u have one yet Ronin_eX ?? your thoughts on it??

 

cheers mithril