17 replies to this topic

[[TA]Typher]

Hi guys,

I know it's been awhile since I posted a batrep, sorry.

This was my first game vs the new Eldar Codex. I've fought against them as allies to Tau, but this was the first pure list. I was waiting for some tau type cheesiness, but was pleasantly surprised. My opponent wanted a very specific point list, 2250, so I had to adjust one of my normal lists. It was ok, since the DW seem to function better at higher point values.

My list was pretty much pure Deathwing. The 1st company has always been my favorite and despite the hardships I think they face in their current form I will always play them.

HQ
Belial" TH/SS
Librarian Epoch: Term Armor, force Staff

DW Command squad: CML, Champ, Standard of Fort, 4xTH/SS

Elites
6 DWK : Relic

Troops
10 DW terms: 2x TH/SS, 2x Heavy Flamers
5 DW Terms: CML
5 DW Terms: CML

Heavy
LR Crusader: Multi-Melta, Dozer Blade
Whirlwind

I took divination's Presciences for Lib Epoch. I know it's probabaly over kill to use it on the knights, but with the relic the unit would have a great chance to deny the witch. Plus I find the lib a better choice than a Chaplain, with his ability to insta-kill things.

My goal with this list was to have a devastating alpha strike with the 2 heavy flamers, while the Crusader with the knights and the Lib ran forward ready to crush anything they contacted and the WW sat back and covered them with pie plates of doom.

The Eldar list
(I'm not a pro at their new codex, so hopefully I get this right.)

HQ
Eldrad
Farseer (dunno what he had)

elites
10x Striking Sporpians: Exarch

Troops
10x Dire Avengers: Exarch (counter attack), wave serpent
10x Guardians: Hvy weap platform
5x Rangers
4x Jetbikes
5x Jetbikes

Fast
10x Warp Spiders: Exarch
A flyer.. I forget which.

Heavy
10x Dark Reapers: Exarch
Fire Prism

Aegis Defence Line w/ Quad gun



I'm sure there were more odds and ends, but like I said I don't know their codex well and couldn't remember.



We rolled Purge the Alien, which suited me fine as he had more units. For deployment we rolled table corners. I won the first turn, and decided to take it. I made a note on my phone to DWA on turn 1. My goal was to inflict critical damage on turn 1 before he could escape his deployment zone, which would be crowded with the multitude of units he had.

I placed all Belial with the 10 man DW unit. I held them and the other two DW troop units, along with the DW command squad in reserve. With my WW and LR, which held the DWK and LIB on the board I was finished deploying.


The Eldar formed a gunline with the Reapers behind the Aegis. Behind the hill the Fire Prism, and both Wave Serpents hid, one holding a unit of guardians and the other held the dire avengers with a farseer. The Snipers infiltrated and the scorpions and flyer stayed in reserve.



DW Turn 1

Teleporters sparked into life, and with a deafening crack and a blinding flash of bluish light the Deathwing had arrived. Belials Squad landed between the snipers and warpspiders. One of the flamers split his fire and immolated 4 of the 5 snipers. The rest of the squad unleashed a torrent of fire and downed 6 of the 10 warpspiders. (the Quad gun fired at belial's squad and managed to kill 1 Terminator. sorry I forgot to show that)

I spread out my drops a little, hoping to corral the Eldar to one side of the table. The last thing I wanted was to try to chase them for 5 turns. The landraider's spirt of the machine spirt and snaps shots added to the WW's fire and managed to take down 6 of the 10 reapers! That had to hurt.

The DW Command squad's CML fired a the lone sniper, but he went to ground and managed to survive, denying me firstblood. The last DW squad's CML managed to kill 2 jet bikes, they failed their moral check and fled off the board! FB!



Eldar Turn 1

One of the Wave Serpents flanked to he south and deployed the Dire Avengers and farseer. They, with fire from the guardians, which also deployed and the remaining bikes and reapers managed to kill all of one of my DW troop squads. I vowed vengeance.

The Warpspiders moved up and last sniper managed to kill 3 terminators from Belial's squad before jumping back, in a futile attempt to escape retribution.

The Fireprism managed a glance on the Landraider.



DW Turn 2

The Landraider moved up and disgorged the Knights. It's multi-melta managed to pen a wave serpant and it exploded in a brilliant flash of light, killing 4 Dir avengers. With the power of the machine spirit and the combined fire of one of the DW troop squads 3 more reapers fell, leaving on the exarch and Eldrad.

The WW missed a shot on the exposed guardians.

"For the Lion, and the Emperor!" came the cry as Belial led his squad into both the warpspiders and the fire prism. I rolled well and both charges made it. In the ensuing combats the remaining spiders fell and the fire prism was hammered into a wrecked mess of fluids and debris.

The command squad broke through the woodline smashing the lone sniper down before ending his life.

The Knights rumbled forward, reaching the Dire Avengers. A challenge was issued by the Exarch and after a series of blows the Knight Master's shield sparked, protecting him. His rebuttal saw the Xeno broken and bloody in the dirt. The other Knights followed suit and nothing remained of the fey aliens. the knights consolidated closer to the aegis line.



Eldar turn 2

Both the Flyer and the Scorpions failed to come in. Eldrad fell back and joined the guardian unit, leaving the reaper's Exarch to stand with his fallen alone. The jet bikes rushed to the south, guns blazing away they failed to kill any of the Knights. Any other fire the Eldar produced couldn't bring down any of the Dark Angels.



With my turn now about to start the Eldar player resigned from the game. He stated that he didn't think he could mount a comeback even if everything went right in the following turn. We shook hands and talked about the game.

I didn't count up the VP's, but with only one of my units destroyed it was clearly a landslide victory for the DW.

locking the Eldar into the corner and keeping him there seemed to work well. The alpha strike also seemed to help, with 6 Reapers down before they could fire and Firstblood with the bikes fleeing off the table. I got a bit of good luck there.

I understand some units like Fire Dragons and maybe a WraithKnight probably would have helped him, but he didn't happen to bring those in this list. I've never fought against either of those units. but I imagine focusing the dragons, instead of the reapers would have been my strategy.

Anyway guys.. hope you enjoyed the Batrep.




+++++++++++Modus Terminatus++++++++++++

Classified vid feed.

Brother Librarian Epoch looked down at the dying alien at his feet. The large lenses of the Eldar's conical battle helm were cracked, exposing a violent colored eye, which flickered between pain and definaice. The two looked at each other for a lasting moment. Unseen, a battle of wills was being fought. The alien gradually losing as his life ebbed away. Around the two the white clad Knights milled, finishing any of the Eldar that happened to survive the initial assault.

"You have no idea what you do human this is not your planet", came the weakening Alien's voice. No words had been spoken, but Epoch was used to warp speech. He was born to it. His training absolute and unfailing.

"You are wrong Xeno filth, this planet belongs to the Emperor" He replied back to the Farseer using the warp. Blood gushed from cracks in the aliens armor as the Terminators heavy foot pinned him to the ground. Slowly he raised his stormbolter, aiming squarely at the head of the fallen Eldar. If the battle of wills still continued it ended with the weapon barked into life.

Epoch turned, and took a step toward the continuing battle before stopping. Before him the remaining Eldar were in full retreat. Those slow to react were being mauled and trampled under the Deathwings advance. Then, with a voice so quiet that only those very near to him had a chance to hear he spoke. "And.. I am a Astartes".

++++++++++++++++++++++++End feed+++++++++++++++++++

Edited by [TA]Typher, 03 September 2013 - 02:24 AM.

[Biggabertha]

I really like reading these "diaries" of battles - especially when you weave such a nice narrative for it!

 

Despite your Whirlwind missing once, I believe that it's a very good pressure tool especially when used against xenos and Imperial Guard. I'm curious to know how much its missed for you in all of your games; both friendly and serious. Would you ever consider taking more than one in your list/army..? For instance, if this was a 2500 point army?

 

 

I'm also curious to how you felt before the match: were you nervous at all or did you have nerves of steel and full confidence in your models?

[[TA]Typher]

I really like reading these "diaries" of battles - especially when you weave such a nice narrative for it!

Despite your Whirlwind missing once, I believe that it's a very good pressure tool especially when used against xenos and Imperial Guard. I'm curious to know how much its missed for you in all of your games; both friendly and serious. Would you ever consider taking more than one in your list/army..? For instance, if this was a 2500 point army?

I'm also curious to how you felt before the match: were you nervous at all or did you have nerves of steel and full confidence in your models?

Against bad armor armies like IG, Orks or even Eldar I find the WW really good. Ignoring cover and armor saves with the same pieplate is amazing. Even in this battle it paid for itself, helping to kill 6 reapers on turn 1. For 65 points I wish I had at least two of them.

I pretty much only play Deathwing, even though I have a huge power armor army. the meta at my local store is very tau heavy and I've been tabled several times, but hordes and hordes of cheap firewarriors, so losing isn't unknown to me. I knew this could have been a horrible battle for me, with the battle focus rule, but in the end I just chalked it up to a learning game.

[SRSFACE]

Sounds like a pretty huge alpha strike won you that game. Pretty hard to recover when half of your force that can actually handle armor 2+ are already dead! I know I wouldn't want to fight that many terminators all up in my face on the first turn.

 

His list is not the most fearsome against that many terminators. Needs more grav tanks if you ask me. Fire Prisms are easily one of the best units in the game right now in my opinion. Anti-whatever you need at the moment weapon, armor 12 with jink saves. I'm not sure I would have gone after your land raider with the Prism if I were him, simply because he could have dropped a Plasma template on your terminators with Belial while they were all grouped up. Probably would have hit a good 5 of them. Considering he built a firewall, he should have actually used it as a firewall and focused down the thing that was going to do the most damage to him. Granted, if he rolled 4+, there's the chance keeps it away from your troops an extra turn but I mean you already had a ton of guys in his face already. Not sure keeping DW knights out of your grill for an extra turn is worth giving up evaporting 3 or 4 terminators with it's plasma-strength regular blast size gun.

 

It's also unfortunate for him you rolled Purge the Alien! Almost all of his units were scoring troops. Would have been a totally different game if there were objectives. Your guys could have started on them and been immovable objects, his guys can fly around the whole map and grab things last turn more easily.

 

Which psychic powers did he roll, do you know?

 

Still, I think he made the right call scooping. Can't believe I never thought to use double heavy flamers in an alpha strike DW squad like that. Brutal against anyone not in power armor or better. It's also pretty nice in a Belial-led squad that won't scatter because there's a good chance they're going to get assaulted themselves if they don't wipe out everything in their path near where they land against most armies, meaning that many more automatic hits in overwatch.

 

Ever thought of throwing a Plasma cannon into the alpha strike squad? Twin-linked on turn they arrive lets you reroll the gets hot roll, AND scatter. I find it's pretty effective for it's point cost that way.

[madman2980]

Very good battle report, you played well. The Alpha Strike helped you quite a bit I think. I've played against similar eldar lists and so far alpha striking the eldar tanks and psykers has always ended in a victory(albeit with outflanking black knights). Your opponent also must have had some pretty rotten luck on his jink save and viper shield for his tanks. Overall a very fun looking game and a great battle report. 

[[TA]Typher]

 

Which psychic powers did he roll, do you know?
Still, I think he made the right call scooping. Can't believe I never thought to use double heavy flamers in an alpha strike DW squad like that. Brutal against anyone not in power armor or better. It's also pretty nice in a Belial-led squad that won't scatter because there's a good chance they're going to get assaulted themselves if they don't wipe out everything in their path near where they land against most armies, meaning that many more automatic hits in overwatch.

Ever thought of throwing a Plasma cannon into the alpha strike squad? Twin-linked on turn they arrive lets you reroll the gets hot roll, AND scatter. I find it's pretty effective for it's point cost that way.

He had Guide, prescience, fortune and one other that I don't remember. Over all they didn't do much, except give him a few more hits.

As for the double hvy flamer.. I find it devastating when coupled with Belial. I'm far from a pro, but after all my battles and every batrep I've seen I find that DWA fails if you DS only one or two small groups. The volume of fire (even more so in 6th) leads to the DW being piece-mealed apart. In my opinion a hard hitting DWA is the only way to go.

Plasma cannons are ok, but I find a asscannon more reliable and it doesn't have the possibility of killing my own troops if I roll bad. I like to build my lists to be in your face, because that's where Term's usually excel. Most of my lists have a hammer (Belial's squad), an anvil (the LRC with the knights) and a couple of scoring run and gunners (the exta troop squads that scatter). The troop squads are random and can't be relied on to get into combat on turn two due to scatter,so they need to be shooty. Personally I'd rather have a CML in this roll than a plasma. For Belials group a hvy flamer can be garunteed to strike just where it needs to be, while a plasma would be sub-par in this roll. coupled with the fact that a bad scatter roll might cause friendly fire I find them not as useful.

Very good battle report, you played well. The Alpha Strike helped you quite a bit I think. I've played against similar eldar lists and so far alpha striking the eldar tanks and psykers has always ended in a victory(albeit with outflanking black knights). Your opponent also must have had some pretty rotten luck on his jink save and viper shield for his tanks. Overall a very fun looking game and a great battle report. 

Yeah, he blew his shields to add to fire and later regretted it as I killed his wave serpent.

[SRSFACE]

So do you just rely on the powerfists and thunderhammers and chainfists to deal with armor?

 

I've personally run Belial in a squad with double Assault Cannons and it was pretty awesome. Then again, most everyone around my parts is playing power armored lists.

 

I tend to just not run Belial, though, because I don't find I need my DW to count as troops with the number of bikers I tend to run. Turn 1 scout move to get my bikes in position with their teleport homers and I don't have to worry about scattering anyway, and it's not like my elite slots are used for anything else.

 

ALSO: He took the wrong powers against you. Against terminator armor, he should have run Psychic Shriek on both of his dudes. I mean, you can't help what you roll but you can guarantee you roll that.

 

Also, did he fail his shield save on his wave serpent? Or did he fire it off on the turn before so he couldn't take it? I know a lot of people love firing off it's shield because it can cause a lot of damage, but against a bunch of armor 2 guys, it's a waste as it has no AP value and at max only causes 4 hits, AND you give up the ability to shrug off penetrating hits. It's a desperation someone should only use if there's just a few guys left in any given squad and they need to drop that turn.

 

Btw, I am simply trying to fill you in on some of the ways Eldar tend to run. I'm fairly familiar with that codex as one of the only guys around here I enjoy playing against runs them pretty well, and I've got the Codex because I'm planning on building an 1850 point list for the tournaments around my parts.

 

So, pass this on to your friend you played against!

 

The Warp Spiders absolutely should not have began the game on the table. They have the range with their guns to reliably deep strike where they are needed, shoot, and then run, and then jetpack away back out of range. They do tons of damage when they can unleash their volley and so letting them get shot up on the first turn was unnecessary.

 

In fact, seeing as you don't have to declare reserves as part of creating your list, he should have held back the majority of his units in reserves as soon as he saw he was playing Dark Angels, haha. Against heavy alpha strike armies, the best thing to do is simply give them less to shoot at. Imagine if he just put his tanks and the squads they were holding on the table to begin the game. I think he might have had to field a sacrificial lamb unit out there just because of Reserves rules, but that would have been the only thing you could have hurt on your first turn, and then he could simply move 12" over your head then turbo boosted another 18" to simply stay out of range of your guys, regroup, and then unload from a distance. At the very least, he should have left his bikes in reserves because 1) relentless and 2) ridiculously maneuverable. If they are in trouble when they come in from reserves, the dang things turbo-boost 36" freakin' inches, AND can choose to move another 2D6" in the assault phase. They zoom and get where you need them or in this case, get away from what someone might need them to get away from.

[marvmoogy]

great read, thanks for posting.

 

Also, I LOVE the diagrams...must have taken quite a while but really adds to it.  Reminds me of WD back about 10 years ago!

[elphilo]

Great read as always Typher! It seems your opponent was just trying out different things and seeing how he likes them. Though this could be because I'm coming back from the NOVA Open and all you saw was Wraithknights and wave serpents from a pure Eldar stance

If they are in trouble when they come in from reserves, the dang things turbo-boost 36" freakin' inches, AND can choose to move another 2D6" in the assault phase. They zoom and get where you need them or in this case, get away from what someone might need them to get away from.

You cannot do your 2d6 assault move after turbo boosting. Since turbo boosting says they cannot "execute any other voluntary action for the rest of the turn after Turbo-boosting." But lets be honest, 48" move is more than enough and is insane.

[SRSFACE]

Oh, you're right. True enough. I knew that. It's not like it's ever come into play though for the reason you've mentioned. 48" movement that ignores obstacles is crazy.

 

Looks like it's the "Battle Focus" for bike troops, then. Allows you to shoot, and then try to flee back to relative safety.

[elphilo]

Unfortunately you cannot run on a bike. So until GW FAQs it, Battle Focus on a bike is a meaningless rule

[SRSFACE]

Unfortunately you cannot run on a bike. So until GW FAQs it, Battle Focus on a bike is a meaningless rule

Right, it is, but Eldar Jetbikes can move 2d6" in the assault phase. They can't use it and then fire like Battlefocus, but when you already move 12" and over obstacles in the movement phase, getting in range of their shurikens isn't as hard as it is with foot soldiers. It still allows you to shoot and then back up, however, which is what I was getting at.

[HJL]

Very nice win, most of my group seems to think that Eldar are far better than Dark Angels. Stupid Xenos.

[SRSFACE]

Very nice win, most of my group seems to think that Eldar are far better than Dark Angels. Stupid Xenos.

We're more well rounded, but if Eldar want to abuse their best units, they tend to dominate.

 

Ever run into a bajillion Wave Serpents all carrying Wraithguard that count as troops? It's pretty frightening.

[Gillyfish]

Nice report and it sounds like a good game. To me it looks like the key factor was the pressure you applied - he started reacting to your moves rather than the other way round and for a more 'traditional' Eldar list like his that can be suicide as they rely on getting the right troops into the right place to counter enemy units. As you say, if he had brought fire dragons it may have been harder for you.

[Dread]

Nice report, great graphics. Hard for me to add anything, everyone else already brought up the points.  You'll have to teach me how to do the graphics part sometime so I can utilize it for a report.

[HJL]

I think hes used a program called vassal 40k. Its pretty much perfect for battle reports and playing games of 40k online.

[elphilo]

Unfortunately you cannot run on a bike. So until GW FAQs it, Battle Focus on a bike is a meaningless rule

Right, it is, but Eldar Jetbikes can move 2d6" in the assault phase. They can't use it and then fire like Battlefocus, but when you already move 12" and over obstacles in the movement phase, getting in range of their shurikens isn't as hard as it is with foot soldiers. It still allows you to shoot and then back up, however, which is what I was getting at.

Ah, I thought you meant the jetbikes using the actual battle focus roll, not their assault move. My apologies.

 

 

Nice report, great graphics. Hard for me to add anything, everyone else already brought up the points.  You'll have to teach me how to do the graphics part sometime so I can utilize it for a report.

As HJL says its vassal he is using with the 40k module. It might seem intimidating to use at first, but a handy get started and get playing guide will help!