2000 PT BATREP: Harlequins Vs Imperium

[CrystalSeer]

Masque of Cegorach's Jest:

 

Battalion (Masque) 

Troupe Master 1 Harlequins Kiss, Fusion Pistol

Shadowseer 1 Mask of Secrets, Hallucinogen Grenade Launcher

Troupe  12 Harlequins Caress, Fusion Pistols

Troupe  5 Harlequins Caress, Fusion Pistols

Troupe  5 Harlequins Caress, Fusion Pistols

Starweaver 1 Mirage Launchers, Shuriken Cannons

Starweaver 1 Mirage Launchers, Shuriken Cannons

Voidweaver 1 Mirage Launchers, Prismatic Cannon, Shuriken Cannons

Voidweaver 1 Mirage Launchers, Prismatic Cannon, Shuriken Cannons

Skyweavers 6 Zephyrblades, Mirage Launchers, Shuriken Cannons      

 

Vanguard (Masque)

Troupe Master 1 Harlequins Kiss

Solitaire 1 Harlequins Kiss, Harlequins Caress

Death Jester 1 Shrieker Cannon

Death Jester 1 Shrieker Cannon

Death Jester 1 Shrieker Cannon

 

 

 

Opponents List:

 

Guilliman

Custodes with Shield and Spear (5)

Celestine

Eversor Assasin

Vindicare Assassin

Callidus Assassin

Death Korps of Krieg Senior Officer

Master of the Fleet

Death Korps of Krieg Subterranean Assault Squad

Death Korps Infantry (7 Squads)

Vulture Gunship with Twin Punisher Cannons (2)

 

 

Both armies were fully painted and we played on a fully painted table. It was a beautiful sight!

 

 

 

Pre-Game:

 

We decided to use the Open War deck for expediency. By agreement, we declined to use the 'Twist', 'Sudden Death', and 'Ruse' cards, as we were both familiarizing ourselves with new rules, and 'Twist' cards tend to do strange things when combined with Harlequins. The 'Objective' was Supply Cache with the Deployment Zone being table halves, going longways down the table. Objectives were placed evenly on both sides, with me trying to move them into the open towards the center of the table. The idea being that I wanted to force his guard to get closer to me than they would normally like. I also put objectives into high ruins for the Death Jester to camp.

 

Deployment:

 

We were evenly matched for number of drops, however I had the benefit of being able to cram characters into the Starweavers, allowing me to grab the plus 1 to go first. As it was practically guaranteed, I allowed my opponent to drop first. He deployed his Subterranean Assault Squad into reserves, which I then countered by spending 3 CP to put the 12 Man Troupe and Shadowseer into the Webway (thank you Chapter Approved!). He wisely deployed his infantry squads first, using them to camp objectives, then progressed to assassins (reserve), then Gunships (deployed to center of the table).

 

As soon as I saw the Gunships drop, I pushed my Starweavers with Troupes to the center to give me an early game counter. Death Jesters deployed on objectives, as high up as I could manage. This made them difficult for the enemy to get to, and gave them clear line of site. Being characters, they also don't have to worry about being targeted by shooting unless someone drops right on top of them. My main goal was to get my fusion pistols in range, and to spread out my drops. I was hoping this would get my opponent to dis-aggregate, and minimize opportunities to deep strike. I dropped my Troupe Master (Warlord on the left side of the table in some ruins, and then dropped my Skyweavers to finish. This ended up being critical to the game, as it tipped the balance of force to that side of the table. In response, my opponent deployed Guilliman and Celestine to that side of the table to counter. This left the entire right flank as 3 squads of Guardsmen and a Gunship.

 

As I had finished dropping first, I got the +1 to the roll for first turn. Rolled a five to my opponent's 3, giving an early start to this circus.

 

Harlequins Turn 1:

 

So I have a problem; most of my close combat punch is lined up across from stuff I very much do not want to be in close combat with. As much as I love my Troupe Master and Skyweavers, sending them against Guilliman and Custodes, let alone Celestine backing them up, would leave them as little more than brightly colored smears on power armor. I have to break up this duo if I want to survive. In response, I embodied the spirit of Falchua and got my clown butt out of there. The Skyweavers used prismatic blur to move 22" to the other side of the table, and popped the strategem of the same name to give them a 3++. The Death Jester and Troupe Master on that side of the table both advanced to get into ruins, where their small silhouette allowed them to get out of line of site. The last thing on that side of the table is a Voidweaver, which I move into position to provide supporting fire, be far enough away to avoid close combat, and remain closer than the exposed Death Jester.

 

Everything else in my army makes a hard flank to the right side of the table, lining up against the guardsmen and gunship found there. My two Starweavers get within pistol range of the Vulture, my Solitaire moves forward, and I bring the Shadowseer out of the Webway within range of my Skyweavers. Twilight Pathways is a success, granting them a second 22" movement and continuing my efforts to be as far away from Guilliman and co. as possible. The total 44" of movement lines them up to shred some guardsmen, and out of line of sight of most of the enemy army.

 

In the shooting phase, ten fusion pistols are sufficient to take down the gunship, while the shuriken cannons all target guardsmen. This resulted in 2 squads down to 2-3 men and one squad destroyed, leaving a clear avenue for my Solitaire to charge the enemy Senior Officer. The Solitaire kills the enemy leader and consolidates in to the Master of the Fleet. Starweavers and Voidweaver assault remnants of Guard Squads to get out of line of sight and be protected from shooting.

 

 

Enemy Turn 1:

 

Probably wondering what they smoked that made them see a ton of disappearing space elf clowns, the enemy turns to getting across the table to reinforce. Our mission rolls for 'Supply Cache' came up with a six on the objective that my entire army was currently circling around. This is huge, because it means Guilliman has to foot slog across the entire table to have any bearing on the mission. Celestine uses an Act of Faith to get an additional movement with her Gemini, and all reinforcements come in to try and counter the large influx of enemy combatants enunciating dramatic prose. The three assassins, Subterranean Assault Squad, and second Vulture Gunship all line up to take on the xenos aggressors. Celestine takes her second move to line up a combi-charge against the Solitaire and a Starweaver. The guard fall back from combat to allow the Vulture Gunship to fire.

 

The Vulture Gunship has a tough choice, as all valid targets have Mirage Launchers. This takes his normal BS of 4+, reduces it to 5+, which stacks with the movement penalty for heavy weapons, making him hit on 6's. He chooses to fire on one of the Starweavers that took out his comrade, but the dice are not kind to him. His 40 shots net him 3 wounds, of which I save 1. The Vindicare fires on the Solitaire, doing 3 wounds bypassing his invulnerable save. Everything else targets the Skyweavers.

 

Between the -1 to hit, and 3++ from 'Prismatic Blur', the bikes take a grand total of 4 wounds. Killing one and leaving a wound on another. The Callidus takes the medal as she does 3 of them, bypassing the 3++ with her pisol. The Subterranean Assault Squad, Callidus, and Eversor all charge the Skyweavers, While Celestine does a combi-charge on the Solitaire and a Starweaver. Overwatch does 2 wounds on the Callidus.

 

The Callidus uses her phase blade hoping to bypass the 3++ on the skyweavers, but has a hard time with the wound role, only getting one wound through. The Eversor gets four, of which I save 3, kiiling another bike. I take this opportunity to use Counter-Offensive on my Solitaire. Knowing that I'm wounding on 3's either way, I choose to use his harlequins kiss. The Solitaire kills both Gemini, before taking 3 wounds from Celestine. He saves 2, leaving one wound remaining. The attacks from the Skyweavers then take out both assassins in combat.

 

Harlequins Turn 2:

 

All Harlequins in combat Fall Back, taking full advantage of 'Rising Crescendo'. I move the Death Jester hiding from Turn 1 back into a firing position to add shots to the middle, confident that the enemy will not commit to chasing after him with Guilliman. At this point, I move the Shadowseer up to mid-table on the right flank, and bring the 12 man Troupe out of the webway 3" forward of her, 9" away from Celestine. The Starweavers position within 3" of the Vulture Gunship, and the Skyweavers and remaining vehicles move out to put fire on the center of the table. Everything stays close to max range of their weapons. The Solitaire uses his Blitz to move into the building that the Vindicare has his sniper's nest.

 

In my psychic phase, I roll a 4 and a 1 for Veiled Pathways, so I use my last CP to re-roll the 1. Pathways allows the 12 Man Troupe to move within 3" of Celestine. Shadowseer attempts to cast smite but it doesn't go off.

 

The fusion pistols of the 12 man Troupe target Celestine and the Subterranean Assault Squad's Drill, killing both, while the Troupes in the Starweavers targeted and killed the second Vulture Gunship. All shuriken cannons targeted Guardsmen, leaving all squads below effective combat strength.

 

 

 

*****At this point, the enemy conceded, because he didn't want to spend several turns walking Guilliman across the board while getting shot. I brought up that Celestine would likely come back, but he still chose not to continue.*****

 

 

Key Takeaways and After Actions:

 

- The key to Harlequins is maneuver, and Chapter approved only made it better. Be wherever the enemy's strength is not.

- Fusion pistols and Harlequins Caress on every Troupe makes them 31 points per model, but they hit like a clown car.

- Death Jesters at their new reduced cost are golden. They are perfect for holding objectives, controlling space, and providing supporting fires.

Edited December 17, 2017 by CrystalSeer