Deathwing Vs Dark Eldar Vassal Batrep

[[TA]Typher]

Hi guys,


I know I haven't made a batrep in a while, but I've been busy with work, side projects and I just haven't had a good game in a while. Winning vs a novices or someone with a completely horrible lists probably wouldn't be entertaining for you guys. Sorry.

My friend James agreed to a game and seeing how he basically tabled me last time we played at 1500 pts I figured it would be a tough match.. I know that the DW suffers at such a low point value, but it gave me a very health respect for DE shooting. We agreed to a 2k game. I told him I'd made a batrep no matter who won.... Gulp!

I recently bought a 2nd Land Raider and figured I'd give Marches list a go. Of course I modified it it slightly to my play style.

NOTE: I'm kinda a fluff nerd, so if you dislike things like that and are only looking for straight Battle reports then ignore everything in italics.


My List.

Belial -TH/SS -placed in a LRC with the Hvy Flamer Terms

Lib. Epoch: Librarian -Bike, Power Field Generator, Lvl 1 -I rolled misforture

Brother-Dreadnought Mikal -Multi-melta, Drop pod.

5 Deathwing Knights -Placed in a LRC

5 Deathwing Terminators - 1xTH/SS, Hvy Flamer -Placed in a LRC with Belial

5 Deathwing Terminators -1xTH/SS, CML -Held in reserve

5 Deathwing Terminators -1xTH/SS, CML -Held in reserve

Land Raider Crusader -Dozer blades, Multi-melta, Deathwing Vehicle

Land Raider Crusader -Dozer blades, Multi-melta, Deathwing Vehicle


If you have ever had your landraider immobilized on turn one before you can move, you'll always pay the points for a dozer blade. Always. With so little models, It's just too important to get where you need to be. having to foot slog, while your 300pt model hangs out in your deployment zone is pretty much a auto-lose.

Multi-melta are in the same boat. With power of the machine-spirt, moving 12 inches and popping transports or tanks can make a huge difference.

I know people have their own preferences for term load outs, but for me CMLs are the only way to go if you have the points. Being multi-rolled as anti-vehicle and anti-troops is just so valuable to pass up.

I usually take a Vindy, as they draw fire away from my LRC, but thought I'd try a pure DW list (minus the bike of course). So I took a chance with the Pod Dread. I know they are hit or miss and I dreaded that he'd whiff and then die to the myriad of dark lances. In this scenario first blood could be the deciding factor.







The Xenos

Baron Kilscrex: Duke Sliscus the Serpent
10 Trueborn
Raider w/Dark Lance, Nightshield, splinter racks

10 Incubi -Klaive, -Held in reserve
Raider w/Dark Lance, Nightshield

3 Trueborn -2x Splinter Cannon, Splinter Rifle
Venom -Flickerfield, Nightshield, Splinter Cannon


3 Trueborn -2x Splinter Cannon, Splinter Rifle
Venom -Flickerfield, Nightshield, Splinter Cannon

10 Kabalite Warrior (90pts)
Raider w/Dark Lance, Nightshield, splinter racks

10 Kabalite Warrior (90pts)
Raider w/Dark Lance, Nightshield, splinter racks

5 Wyches -haywire grenades
Venom -Flickerfield, Nightshield, Splinter Cannon

5 Wyches -haywire grenades
Venom -Flickerfield, Nightshield, Splinter Cannon

Ravager -Dark Lance, Dark Lance, Dark Lance, Nightshield

Ravager -Dark Lance, Dark Lance, Dark Lance, Nightshield

Razorwing Fighter


I'm sure he had more odds and ends to round out his list, but nothing that changed the outcome.




For the mission we rolled the Emperors Will. Deployment was Vanguard strike. I knew that with the multitude Dark Lances my Land Raiders probably wouldn't last long. My only hope would be to down as many as I could before they took their toll on me.

Night fight was in effect and I won the roll for which side I get and I chose the side with more line of sight terrain. With the mobile terrain (landraider spam) I didn't want him to to be able to hide from me. He won the roll for who goes first, but he took second turn.

I placed my objective as close to his side as possible and he hid his behind a ruin near the edge of the table.

The battle was set....


Now...


The Battle of Hive Thranioux.


..Looking across the ruined city of humans, Baron Kilscrex grinned wide, his palid skin stretching, revealing a multitude of sharp, filed teeth. Soon the remaining humans hiding in the two underground bunkers would be added to their slave stores, to be used as he wished. He had been here for several weeks, slaying and enslaving all those he found. It was a good harvest.

One of his menials interrupted his plotting. The humans genetic warriors had been spotted close by. He waved away the subordinates concerns with a lazy motion of his hand. They had arrived just hours ago, but some how they had already found him. In a slow drawn out method he ordered his forces into a gun line. He had encountered these genetic-neanderthals before and while they could be dangerous for the unprepared, he was the Baron of Blades, Slayer of Chothia. He had fought the likes before and the now extinct chapter of marines were all but a memory in the slave pens of his ships. He grinned again. More slaves for the taking.




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Deployment.

For terrain the two tree patches on the board were deemed to block line of sight.

The Eldar formed up in a gun line. Transports and Ravagers lined up to dish out maximum punishment. Dark Lances and hosts of gun toting Eldar filled their decks. He held back is Incubi in reserve, there AP2 weapons eagerly waiting to taste Astartes blood. In the distance his Razorwing fighter closed in.

I held back both of my CML Term units. DWAing them is the only way to go if you want to get the most from them. Belial took charge of the heavy flamer term unit in one of the landraiders, and the Knights took the other.

I deployed in a blocking position with both of my Land Raiders. I would be charging forward through the trees so I was depending on my dozer blades to keep my assault on course. Brother-Librarian Epoch came to a skidding halt behind the Land Raider Indomitable Absolution. He had divined the location of the raiders force and had been scouting ahead of Belial's forces.

"Straight ahead, bearing 30.." He said into the comm channel. "The Xeno's are at the at the hives two remaining shelters." He stated, his warp sight blazing forward. "They are still alive Master..."

There was only one response that came back over the command channel. The gruff voice coming with undeniable force of will, "Forward".

"The ruined landscape still smoked from the weeks of hammering orbital fire it had endured. The Aliens had done much to raze the planet, but death was not their main goal. Slaves were. Below the ruined city two large emergency shelters lay, filled to the brim with terrorized people. These were not the first shelters on the planet, but they were the last. The some of the others had been already harvested by the Xenos. Some of them had been flooded with caustic liquids, melting or turning the poor occupants into a slow mesh of soup. Others had viscous parasites dropped in them for the Dark Eldars for their evil amusement. hedious skin burrowing creatures left to eat all they found. These people in the last shelters where the last living citizens of the planet. Little did they know their prays were being answered... little did they know the Angels had come" -History of Thranioux


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Deathwing Turn 1 "Long is the path and death the only end" -from the sermon of the Tenth Circle, Dark Angels

With engines that had been used since the time of the Lion, the Vengeful Wrath and Indomitable Absolution rumbled forward. Brother Epoch activated the ancient device that was strapped to his bike. With a loud pop and a steady hum it came alive, blue haze surrounded him and the two giant vehicles.

May the Emperor bless us, he muttered.

Brother Mikal's pod fell like a burning star. I placed it between the two ruins to help ensure good positioning. It scattered little and Mikal was able to get if a good firing position for his melta. I made sure not to get too close, so my rear armor couldn't be shot at in case they flew past me. With a halo of hazy heat the Dread fired at the close troop transport. Hit, pen.. and failed save. The transport exploded in giant explosion, lighting up the night and flinging the bodies of the 4 Eldar warriors that perished in the blast. He rolled and the remaining Warriors were pinned.

"Death to the Xenos!" Mikal's loudly voxed voice came.

Rushing forward 12" with my LRCs I was able to get one of there multi-meltas into position, despite the night shields of the Ravager. Hit, pen and failed save again. I rolled a 4 and again the night lit up in a fantastic show of light.

With two of his vehicles down I claimed first blood. He still had a lot of lances left. Hopefully I could survive his rebuttal.

...The Baron's grin slowly disappeared as the thundering pod slammed into the ground. The edges of the steaming pod still glowed bright hot from it's entry into the atmosphere. With a hammering sound the petal like door was slammed open by a huge fist, after the explosive bolts failed to pop. A giant figure exited. It's right arm already a-glow with a white haze of molten heat. The Baron had to squint as the weapon unleashed it's fury and he watched as one of his Raiders exploded into a giant fireball of exploding ammunition and fuel cells. He cursed and let out a vile hiss.

Before he could react two mammoth vehicles crashed through the trees that he had originally thought unpassable to vehicles. The giant trunks smashing and falling away as they came. Before he could readjust his forces another beam of light and another of his vehicles exploded. He gritted his shark like teeth and a scowl enveloped his face. He would devour every one of their souls, he promised.


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Dark Eldar Turn 1 "What a beautiful, populated little world... I wonder how their souls taste?" -Baron Kilscrex

In response to the headlong charge of the Deathwing, the Eldar started to retreat and spread out. His warlord and his Trueborn cohort backed up, along with the remaining ravager and one of the trueborn vemons.

Both of the Wytch Vemons sped to the south, hiding behind the LOS blocking trees. The other Trueborn Vemon boosted to the south, getting into a better firing position.

Most of the lances shot out, but between misses and PFG saves the Land raiders were unscathed. Brother Mikal wasn't as lucky and he took a glancing hit. Without much else to shoot out it was my turn again.

I was pretty surprised here. I thought for sure I'd lose something. But he rolled below average on hitting and I rolled good on my invuln and cover saves.


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Deathwing Turn 2 "Xenos Raiders are a threat to Imperium of man as wolves are to sheep. We will be the thing, that even the Wolves fear" -Belial at the transition into real-space

With a thunderous crack and a giant ball of bluish light and arching strings of lightning the Deathwing had arrived. I positioning both DWAing CML units to the south I tried to hide them from a majority of his shooting. Between the landraiders and LOS blocking trees they were very protected. I planned to add their fire to piece meal his southern units and then secure the objective on my side of the board.

They shot at the Trueborn vemon to the south and managed to take it down. One of the xenos died in the explosion.

The Land Raiders rumbled forward and Epoch hid in the space between them and the trees. He was completely protected from fire for all directions, save south, which the CML terms had just secured. The land raider fired, but I rolled fairly bad and couldn't kill the Wyches Vemons.

Belial exited, leading his unit against the two Wytch Vemons. I multi-charged and rolled well, catching both of them. One exploded killing two Wyches and the other was wrecked.

Brother-Dreadnought Mikal charged the pinned warriors killing two and causing them to run. But before the cowardly xenos could clear the wreckage of their raider Mikal had caught and smashed them all. He consolidated back.

..The Baron smashed his hand down on the command railing of his Raider. This could not be happening he thought. Grabbing a nearby Trueborn he whispered a stern set of commands with menacing teeth clenched tightly together. The terrified Eldar nodded quickly before he was pushed forcibly the to the ground.

"I will feast on your souls" He stated out loud at that distant Astartes, as the fearful subordinate scrambled to complete his tasks.


Note: This is the problem I see in most games and tournaments. With out LOS blocking terrain armies like Tau have 5+ whole rounds of uninterrupted fire. It's counter to the rules and makes unbalanced, unfun games. Remember it's d3 pieces of terrain for every 2"x2" section of table. With up to 18 pieces, you should have LOS terrain to protect your units. The rules state that you can place up to the max you rolled, even if your opponent doesn't want to. Don't let 3 pieces of non-LOS blocking terrain be your only protection.


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Dark Elder Turn 2 "What do he have here. More Munkees. you can not hide from us little ones. We can smell your essence" -unknown Dark Eldar on the opening of one of the emergency bunkers.

His fighter failed to come in, but his warlord trait allowed him to re-roll. It silently glided in. Incubi's raider also entered the match. .

The fighter and one of the lances from his main force scored a glance and a weapon destroyed result on the Vengeful Wrath, taking the multi-melta. The Deathwing Knights who were still inside vowed retribution. Epochs Power Field saved a couple of more pens, so it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Brother Mikal took a pen and was immobilized, the joints in his hulking leg fussing together.

Belial's unit lost it's Sgt and Belial tanked a whole host of shots, taking two wounds and saving his unit from the worst of the fire. To the south the two remaining true born failed to take any of the DW Terms down. (Character Tanking FTW!)

One of the Wytches rolled bad while moving through the remains of their Venom and couldn't get in to a good position. The other one however moved and were able to charge one of the land raiders. With Haywire grenades primed they attacked, scoring a hit on one of the land raiders. Thankfully the PFG saved it.

"Yes! Kill! Slay!" The Baron said from the command pulpit of his raider. His cabal would flay these genetic-throwbacks or he would have their blood he thought.


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Deathwing Turn 3 "I will purge this filth from the blessed Emperors world, even unto my death" -Brother Dreadnought Mikal

I moved one of my DW Term units close to my objective, firing it's CML at the flier and obviously missing. I had nothing else to shoot at. The other one moved to the north, split firing it's missiles at the ravager to no effect, while storm bolters finished off the two remaining trueborn to the south.

Belial's Landraider killed the group of three Wytches, while it's Multi-melta pen'd the remaining ravager destroying one of it's lances. Belial charged the last of the Wytches, killing them all before consolidating to the north.

Brother Mikal, undaunted by the loss of his movement fired and caused a hull point of damage on the enemy warlords transport.

The other Landraider stormed to the north, climbing through the ruins and disgorging the Knights. It fired all of it's weapons, wrecking the Raider and causing the warriors inside to exit. The Xenos moved their 3" as close to the board edge as possible. The Knights charged forward, loosing one to overwatch (LOL.. figures). The Knights reached the evil Xenos and killed them to the man in close combat. They consolidated to the east, toward the remaining aliens.

I moved Librarian Epoch so is PFG would effect everyone. Hopefully he survived.



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Dark Eldar Turn 3 "There..target that one. His light in the warp is blinding!" -the Baron, pointing at Librarian Epoch

The Raider with the Incubi jetted forward attempting to get in a good attack position. The Fighter glided forward firing, but failing to damage one of the landraiders, due to missing and the PFG. Luckily for the Xenos one of the lances from the main force did inflict a glance on it.

Brother Mikal took several hits and finally went off line. He would be back, but for now he was trapped in a unresponsive metal husk.

The warriors in the remaining Vemons and Raiders split there fire between Belial's terminators and the Librarian Epoch. One term fell and I failed a look out sir, then rolling a second 1 Belial fell. (LOL Tanking FTL). Epoch tanked a whole host of hits (about 8), but his armor held and he took only 1 wound.

.. Fire rained from his raider, in the distance several of the giant monsters fell, including the giant armored corpse. The baron sucked up the warp essence. it was intoxicating. He blinked away the after effects and bellowed more commands, reinvigorated. Soon they would all fall! Soon he would wear their skin.


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Deathwing Turn 4 "And here.. on the rock that the Lion once strode, I swear onto you that I will not fail" -Belial during the rites of blade.

I took possession of my objective with one of the DW CML units. The other CML unit rolled back and only moved a few inches over the wrecked Vemon craters. Their missiles shot, but I rolled bad. Epoch took a defensive position behind the Indomitable Absolution. The ancient war machine shots taking off another hull point from the enemies command Raider.

Belial's unit marched forward, close to the enemy.

The other Landraider, pivoted and unleashed death on the incubi's Raider destroying it and killing 2. Now they would have to walk, limiting their threat.


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Dark Elder Turn 4 "Tell him to come back and support us, or I will send him to the Crox cages for skinning!" -The Baron, watching the Razorwing fly off

The fighter, unable to move to a good firing spot, flew off the table.

The Incubi rushed forward, closing in on the DW unit holding my objective. AP2 swords waiting for their due.

Belial's unit took a hell storm of fire and all three fell. Their names would be remembered.

The Knights took fire too, but all of my dices 1's seemed to have been used on Belial's ill fated unit.


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Deathwing Turn 5 "We are the hidden light, the sword in the knight, we are the Angels of Death" -From the book of Angels.

My CML moved up into the forest to get a better view of the incubi. With the land raiders help the two devastated the elite Xenos, killing all but three, who fell back in panic. Another round of bad rolling for difficult terrain, my other CML inched forward. Their CML did better this time however, downing the Command Raider, killing several in the explosion.

The other Landraider fired, killing the last Vemon, killing 1 in the explosion. Multi-Melta FTW!

The Knights closed, but failed their charge through the wreckage of the vehicles.



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Dark Eldar Turn 5 "no..No... NO!" -The Baron

The fighter came back, but failed to do anything noteworthy. The Incubi rallied, but couldn't do anything.

His remaining units fired at the knights, but to no avail.




He rolled and another turn was to be played. We played it out, but nothing changed. the Knights made their charge, killing the Baron and remaining troops and the incubi died to the LR and DW unit.

The enemy Razorwing failed to do anything note worthy.



So that's it. A solid victory for the Deathwing. It was a good game, and despite my early advantage in the first turn things could have been much different. If the Incubi would have knocked me off my objective and his warlord had survived.. who knows. Trapping him in the corner really helped. My fear was that he'd escape and we would play rope-a-dope for the rest of the game. The PFG is nice, but I did make more saves then average. With so many Lance weapons I really should have lost a LRC.

In the future prescience will probably be what I take. Misfortune sounded good, but my Lib hid for most of the battle so I couldn't get the power off. I'm still not sold on the pod Dread, as he sometimes fails and surrenders first blood, but he was fun to use and I'm glad I took him.


Anyway thanks for reading this guys.



...Broken and bleeding, he tried to rise to his knees. Barely successful he was rewarded with a fit of coughing up blood. The crimson substance on his stretched, pale skin seemed to fit, failing to look out of place on his shark-like face. Before him the broken, bent shapes of his cohort lay among the shards of their vehicles. They had failed him and as such deserved their fate. His arm screamed in pain that was clearly phantom, as his arm was no longer there. He would be dead soon and he knew it.

Above him the giant loomed.

The light of the rising sun hid the giant face as he stood in front of it, shadowing his features. The white clad monster hovered over him, immobile, as if it was waiting for something. It seemed curious to him why, It was as if it was waiting for death to take it's toll. Perhaps it was gloating, He wondered. If the rolls were reverse he would have surely done that. With a spasm of blood and labored effort he forced words from his throat in broken Imperial Gothic.

"You have not wuuu...nn Gene-warrior".. his sentence was cut short by a coughing fit of blood that barely seemed to stop. He steadied himself and continued. "This planet's inhabitant's are d..d..dead.. Burnt, skinnnned, saaaccc. *Cough* ficed. You have only saved a handful at best." He said with a defiant bloody grin.

The Giant did something unexpected and the smile washed away from the Baron's face. It laughed. A loud bellowing sound that pounded from the monsters lungs like a war drum. it was course and hard to the Baron's ears and between the pain and annoyance he grimaced.

"We did not come here to save them, Xeno pirate.", the giant's deep laughing stopped. "we came here to kill you", it said in a matter of fact way. With a quickness that seemed impossible for such a monstrous being the Giant swung his enormous weapon in a fine arc, smashing into the Baron's still surprised face and sending him to Slaneesh.

[Axagoras]

Its nice to see one of your bat reps, and its nice to see how you use all of the vassal tools like the turn counter and the shots which I really should use in my reports. Also WOW that was a good battle report, I feel that compared to yours mine just seem so dry and you manage to spin a story and the important bits into a solid report. Keep it up.

[[TA]Typher]

Lol, nah. Yours are great.

 

I wrote mine fast. Tons of typos. I gotta work on those tomorrow.

[Axagoras]

To be honest I dont notice typos... I just read over them :P

 

But yea looking back its not too bad, had to leave as soon as I finished it and it just felt like it was a monotone narration.

[Kasper_Hawser]

Hi typher. Well done. You had more than your fair share of luck I m sure but hey! You proved that terminators CAN be deadly even against ton of shooting. I shudder to think of how many 2+ saves you had to make but by the looks of it, if I count properly you lost only Belial, 5 terminators and a DWK. More than a quarter of your terminators so you did fail more than average but thanks to your great ability to priorities targets, you made full use of every shot you had to make.

 

Of course I m not counting the dreadnought but hey, once again I m glad to see it doing major damage instead of whiffing and blowing up turn 1.

 

Lastly, I immensely enjoyed your narrative. The last bit between the duke and DA terminator (Belial?) was especially nice. Just like the DA to not really care about lives but about killing Xenos. The look on the Duke's face must have been priceless as his verbal jibe failed dismally.

 

Until the next bat rep Typher!

[greggles]

Excellent bat rep!  Really surprised you had both land raiders at the end.  Was sure all those dark lances would have torn the poor girls apart.  Keep up the good work!

[[TA]Typher]

Hi typher. Well done. You had more than your fair share of luck I m sure but hey! You proved that terminators CAN be deadly even against ton of shooting. I shudder to think of how many 2+ saves you had to make but by the looks of it, if I count properly you lost only Belial, 5 terminators and a DWK. More than a quarter of your terminators so you did fail more than average but thanks to your great ability to priorities targets, you made full use of every shot you had to make.

Of course I m not counting the dreadnought but hey, once again I m glad to see it doing major damage instead of whiffing and blowing up turn 1.

Lastly, I immensely enjoyed your narrative. The last bit between the duke and DA terminator (Belial?) was especially nice. Just like the DA to not really care about lives but about killing Xenos. The look on the Duke's face must have been priceless as his verbal jibe failed dismally.

Until the next bat rep Typher!

Between LOS Terrain and the LRCs I was really saved them from a majority of the DE fire. This was intentional. I made sure to hide my units to all but those I would either be shooting or charging. This dramatically helped in retaining my troops. Glad you liked it I have more batreps in my sig.

Excellent bat rep! Really surprised you had both land raiders at the end. Was sure all those dark lances would have torn the poor girls apart. Keep up the good work!

Me too! Having the Deathwing vehicle upgrade and the PFG save really helped.