hyv3mynd's Eldar + Dark Eldar @ September 1850pt RTT: Game #2

After a strong victory in round #1, I was paired against Craig's CSM+Daemons for round #2.  I've faced Craig several times in the past and he's always given me tough games, also defeating me on several occasions.  Believe it or not, this is also the first time I've had to face multiple heldrakes in a 1v1 tournament setting.



Here's my list updated with warlord and powers:
Farseer + spirit stone of anath'lan (game #2 - split fire. death mission, guide, psychic shriek)
Spirit Seer + shard of anaris (game #1 - conceal, destructor/renewer)
Baron Sathonyx
Wraithguard x5
Wave Serpent + scatter lasers, holofields, ghostwalk matrix
Dire Avengers x5
Wave Serpent + scatter lasers, holofields, ghostwalk matrix
Windrider Jetbikes x3 + cannon
Windrider Jetbikes x3 + cannon
Kabalite Warriors x5
Venom + extra cannon, grisly trophies
Beastmasters x4 + khymerae x12, razorwings x2
Wraithknight
Vaul's Wrath Support Battery x3 shadow weavers
War Walkers x3 + scatter lasers

Craig's List:
Sorceror + ml3 (puppet master, dominate, shriek)
Herald of Tzeentch + disc, ml3, grimoire (prescience, scrier's gaze, precognition)
Cultists x20 + flamers x2
CSM x10 + plasma x2
CSM x10 + plasma x2
Plague Bearers x10
Screamers x9
Heldrake + flamer
Heldrake + flamer
Oblits x3 + MoN, VoTLW
Oblits x3 + MoN, VoTLW

Game #2 was BGNT with 3 objectives and Vanguard Strike deployment.  Just based on lists, I feel like my odds are pretty good.  I have a lot more speed and scoring with 5 troops and 3 heavies, I just need to survive the heldrakes without any dedicated AA.  The other good news is the tzerald rolled really bad powers so at best the screamers will have a 3++ instead of the 2++ rerollable.

We rolled up night fight and Craig got the first turn.

He deploys everything except the drakes.  Starting on the left are 10 CSM, screamers, cultists + sorc, 10 CSM, oblits, plague bearers, and oblits.  We decided to put the odd objective dead center.  His objective is in the ruin on the right in front of the plague bearers.

I deploy my valuable assets behind a bunker.  My objective is right in front of the (scoring) artillery.  War walkers are on the far flank (we called everything 'ruins') banking on cover + night fight to keep them alive turn 1.  Wraithknight is back a bit so that only lascannons can hit it.  Beasts are up front with all 3 characters attached.  I don't attempt to seize.

Turn 1:

Screamers get grimoire'd and advance.  They eventually turbo-boost left towards my walkers.  CSMs shuffle around and oblits move to get LoS on my walkers.  Plague bearers shuffle around the objective in the tall ruin and will stay there all game.  Central oblits target my walkers with lascannons and despite night fight, 2 explode and the last is stunned!  The oblits on the right put 2 wounds on the wraithknight.

The screamers are in striking distance of my beasts so I move them up.  Both serpents advance.  Wraithknight (guided) jumps towards oblits followed by the venom.  Wraithknight and venom kill 1 oblit and the 2 survivors fall back.  Wave serpents and artillery take out about half the of cultists.  Beasts assault screamers and both sides take a few casualties and we lock.

Turn 2:

Both drakes arrive and fly up to my serpents (each one actually passes wing tips over the lead serpent).  The tzerald uses precognition and perils.  He then uses prescience and perils again!  First blood to me thanks to double perils and before he could even use the grimoire.

CSM on the left move up to help the screamers.  Cultists and more CSM head for the middle with 3 oblits following.  The 2 fleeing oblits rally and jump into terrain.  Double vector strikes explode the wraithguard's serpent.  Double flamers kill 4 wraithguard.  The sorceror tries puppet master on my wraithknight and perils also!  It goes off and he targets my venom, but misses both shots.  The CSM next to my beasts fail a 4" assault thanks to one man remaining in terrain.  My beasts take the screamers down to 1 model and I fail my hit-and-run check.

One of my bike units arrives and hides in a ruin on my far right with no windows (they stay here until the final turn).  My wraithknight jumps towards the central objective keeping on my side of the ruin.  The venom follows behind.  My last serpent moves behind one of the drakes.  My last wraithguard and walker shuffle around.  The wraithknight ID's two oblits from the full squad.  I try to barrage snipe his warlord but he passes enough rolls and I kill a handful of cultists.  Wraithguard misses and serpent wiffs against the drake.  My beasts finish off the last screamer and consolidate.


Turn 3:

Drakes pivot and fly right.  Leftmost CSM surround my beasts.  Rightmost CSM and cultists surround the central objective.  Vector strikes wreck my venom.  Flamers take out my last wraithguard and a few beasts.  Central CSM and all oblits focus on my wraithknight with plasma but he doesn't take any damage.  CSM on the left pistol down a couple beasts, assault, lose combat, and get swept.

Forgot to take a pic on my turn.  I had actually spent too much time chatting with a spectator who doesn't play 40k but was asking a lot of questions.  Promoting the hobby and such... you know.  As a result, we're quickly running out of time.

My last bikes arrive and park next to the other unit in a ruin with no windows.  I renew 1 wound on the wraithknight.  My serpent heads for the middle along with the disembarked kabalites.  Wraithknight jumps onto the central objective 1" away from the CSM, but actually fires at oblits (trying to get the +vp's for heavies) and kills 1.  My beasts assault and kill the remaining cultists and his warlord/sorceror.

Turn 4:

Drakes turn again and pass over my beasts.  Between str7 vectors and flamers, I lose the beasts and all 3 IC's.  Central CSM's fire on my kabalites, killing 3 and force the last 2 to run.

I move the serpent over 6" and dump out the avengers.  Kabalites fall back again.  Walker moves over to my objective to make sure it's mine at the end.  Wraithknight gibs a lone oblit.  Artillery and avengers combine fire and wipe out the remaining CSM.  Walker and serpent combine fire on the plague bearers and kill half of them.

Turn 5:

Last turn due to time.  Drakes hover and backtrack towards the middle.  The last oblit heads for the objective.  I lose my avengers to flamers but the oblit is unable to hurt my knight.

I finally move out my bikes.  One unit takes Craig's objective and the other boosts into the back for linebreaker.  My serpent and walker finish off the plague bearers.  The knight takes out the last oblit.

We call the  game there due to time (and only heldrakes left).  I've got all 3 objectives, first blood, linebreaker, warlord, and 2 heavy support kills.  Craig got my warlord.  Final score is 14-1.

Well, this game went a lot better than I had hoped.  The sad thing is it was mostly decided by Craig's bad dice (notice he's also using Vegas casino dice :).  Suffering 3 perils on turn 2, losing his tzerald before he could use grimoire, and giving me first blood was pretty brutal.  The heldrakes were bosses taking out a serpent, 5 wraithguard, venom, beasts, spiritseer, farseer, and the baron.  I could have played better against them, and will next time.  Avoiding the arrival vector strike is key I think.  The oblits, CSM, and plague bearers were non-factors after turn 2 due partially to dice and partially to list design.  Craig's always a joy to play though and always good for a few laughs so it was an enjoyable game for sure.

This tournament is win/loss with battle points so I've got 30pts (15 per victory) at this point.  Amongst the other undefeated players after 2 rounds are Calypso2ts (daemons), Crimthaan (old SM + tau), Dave (same guy I played in round 3 last in July and August), a tyranid player (2 walking tyrants, 2 tervigons, 2 t-fexes), and Sinistermind (eldar w/ 4 serpents, 2 prisms, WK) out of 18 players.

Stay tuned for the final round and results.