First codex game against Dark Eldar (2000 pts)

[TheUbikator]

So I've played a game today with my friend during local beerhammer that's been hosted by the friendly pub for some time.

 

It was my first game against Dark eldar after their codex was released, and I was experimenting with couple new ideas. Also I didn't take recycling CPs warlord trait, because I felt its dull and boring.

 

My list was as follows:

Battalion detachment Tallarn doctrine:

2 Company Commanders (one with chainsword other with power sword)

3 Infantry squads (vox caster, lasguns)

 

3 Chimeras (double HB, hunter killer, track guards - I forgot to take my armoured sentinel)


Vanguard Detachment Armaggedon doctrine:

1 Company Commander (power sword + plasma pistol)

1 Vet squad (vox + granade launcher + boltgun on sarge)

1 Command Squad (medic, vox, granade launcher and one normal vet)

1 Special Weapon Squad (plasmas)

2 chimeras (doube HB, hunter killer, track guards, storm bolter)

 

Patrol Detachment Deathwatch:

1 watch captain [Warlord: Castelan of the Black Vault] (combi plasma, xenophase blade)

Aquila Kill Team ( 2 frag cannons, chainswords, 1 combi flamer, 1 combi melta, sarge with combi plasma, blackshield with chainsword and boltgun, vet with boltgun, termie with melta fist and H Flamer, VV with stormshield and thunder hammer)

 

Venator Kill Team ( 4 stalker pattern boltguns, chainswords, 1 infernus HB, 5 bikers 3 power mauls and 2 swords)

 

Razorback (with twin las)

Corvus blackstar (twin las, blackstar rockets, halo launcher)

 

All in all 2000 pts

 

 

My friend played with 3 ravegers (each with 3 disintegrator cannons he had total of 13 of them in his list), 2 razorwing jetfighters, 1 voidbomber. And some scourges, raiders, wyches and venoms. Most of his vehicles were from Cabal of Black Heart. 

 

We were playing with Maelstrom of war objective cards. Deployment hammer and anvil. Slay the warlord, linebreaker and first blood.

 

 

He won the roll off but gave me first turn.

 

I've put my combat squad bikers in teleport (after discussing it with him), move Corvus onto his side of the table. Popped smoke on two of my chimeras (had advance one to get Supremacy). Moved my armoured transports and claimed midfield of the table. Razorback with stalker squad stayed behind with guard Knocked one of his raiders to 2 wounds left. All in all, achieved one tactical obj and discarded one. I left myself an Assassinate obj card.

 

On his first turn, he moved his fighters onto my side of the table tried to shoot at one of my chimeras to achieve area denial but smoke saved my skin. The rest of his army however fired EVERYTHING at my corvus blackstar and if not for halo launcher it certainly would've been shot down. After his turn, my Corvus was on 2 wounds left.

 

My second turn. Disembarked with kill team and watch captain. Deployed my bikes (9" from a unit of 10 wyches) - rest of the army hold their positions. Bikes killed 9 of 10 wyches. Aquila Kill Team killed 6 bikes (he rolled well, and vected my doctrine), finished off wyches, put a wound on a venom, didn't manage to wound one of the raiders (he rolled 5++), charged venom, encircled it, killed it with two passengers on board (Lelith was one of them), then I consolidated into damaged Raider with my kill team, and played Honour your brothers and killed it too. All in all that was a good turn, I've scored two more obj and discarded another one. More importantly, I took significant part of his force and forced him to stay on his side of the board.

 

His second turn. Remaining bikes caused 3 mortal wounds on my kill team (he rolled 5, 5 and a 6). Then I failed first stormshield save on my vanguard vet from a blaster (bikes again), after that all of his ravagers (with archon aura) fired on the same kill team wiping it out. His planes shot at my bikes killing 3 of them. His planes again destroyed one of my chimeras. He moved his Rider with 10 wyches toward the central objective. Tried to charge my watch captain with his venom (it was on the last wound after my chimeras fired at it) got into combat, failed to wound my captain, who destroyed it instead. Unit inside of it disembark but lost 3 models. He deep strike his scourges with blasters and took 8 wounds from my chimera, which he finished off with fire from his flyers. He failed to accomplish any of tactical obj (one of them was blood and guts).

 

My third turn. Moved surviving bikes toward the captain. Killed venom stragglers with them, Cap killed one bike. Infantry disembarked from chimeras and moved toward the central objective. Blown up raider with combined fire from Chimeras and Corvus. Vets, infantry squads killed wyches and scourges. I charged jetbikes with my cap, managed to kill one, but his champion dealt 3 unsaved wounds on my warlord. Scored couple more tac obj. Discarded domination.

 

His third turn, his ravagers killed my bikes, veteran squad. He fell back with the last bike, tried to kill my cap, but I made all of my inv saves. His flyers reduced two of my infantry squads to a couple of men and destroyed corvus blackstar.

 

My fourth turn. Finally killed that damn bike (he rolled really well for those saves and fnp during this game), disembarked with stalker squad and killed remaining wyches with it. I tried to move my two depleted infantry squads up to save cap, but didn't manage to do it. I've scored two tactical obj (he moved out of my deployment zone with his flyers so I scored Hold the line) and that was it.

 

On his fourth turn, he finally killed my cap (making seven 4++ inv saves was too much), killed two of my squads, two stalker vets and one chimera. No tac obj for him either.

 

On my fifth turn, we came to a conclusion that the result of the game was pretty much set in stone and ended the game with a score of 11: 3 for me.

 

 

Couple of stray observations:

Bikes really needed those stormshield vanguard vets. (I just need to buy and build them)

 

Disintegrator cannons are frakking terrifying.

 

I need to find a way to put more CPs on my list.

 

Corvus Blackstar with halo launcher is amazing against Dark Eldar. The amount of fire that unit had tanked is just crazy.

 

Castelan of the black vault on combi plasma is crazy good. I shot both profiles every turn!

 

 

Some photos!!!

 

 

Sorry for rumbling in my post its quite late and it was a long day.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

I really enjoyed this report a lot and learned some good stuff too !!!

[Delta.Skies]

how much and performance wise did your doctrines come into play (I'm using AM as allies)

[Delta.Skies]

how much and performance wise did your doctrines come into play (I'm using AM as allies)

[Vel'Cona]

Lovely pics and batrep!  So how many VP was the glass of beer worth? :P

[TheUbikator]

how much and performance wise did your doctrines come into play (I'm using AM as allies)

 

Since IG codex dropped I play mostly Tallarn, but since I started building my own regiment I was wondering how Armaggedon would do (makes sense fluff wise). After yesterdays game I can't say I'm impressed. Guard doctrines can be put into two categories: defensive and offensive (shocking I know). Offensive are Militarum Tempestus, Tallarn, Catachan. Defensive ones are Cadian (in a big way), Armaggedon, Valhallan and Vostroyan. Mordian doctrine is somewhere between those categories (it's easy to get LD 10 on your infantry squads, and doctrine makes getting into enemy's face more forgiving).

 

As I wrote above I play motorized infantry in chimeras, and from what I played chimeras like to be up close with the enemy (to use pintle weaponry, lasgun arrays, and bolters). When you play with Armaggedon doctrine you should use your transports as mobile bunkers, but if you want to move AND fire at units/army with -1 to hit it becomes extremely punishing - because you can't move to an advantageous position and contribute to the fight effectively. Ignoring -1 AP is great when it works, but when fighting against Dark Eldar (who either doesn't have AP on their weapons, or their AP is through the roof) came up only twice during the game. Tallarn armies can move up and claim midfield (which you really want to do) much more effectively than Armaggedon who honestly either moves or shoots. Also, ability to advance and shoot is better offensively (rooting out enemy infantry, getting into some nice cover, or just claiming objectives), while 18" rapid fire range is better on the defensive (you want an enemy to move into your range while you are entrenched than other way around.

 

Tallarn units did much more during the game than Armaggedon ones.

 

Tallarn chimeras are amazing. Their toughness makes them hard to crack and the amount of HB shots they can throw is quite good. I tend to focus fire from all of my chimeras on the single target. 30 bolter shots are nothing to sniff at and have a nice psychological effect. Also. you get to throw a ton of dice

 

Lovely pics and batrep!  So how many VP was the glass of beer worth?

 

All of them!