Yannis and I are long time friends.Our games are always interesting and usually end with him smashing and wipping the floor with my face. After some recent victories with my Angel Sanguine Army I needed a game with a competitive opponent and Yannis was the man for the job. Yannis' specialty is Eldars, both versions bad (Craftworld Eldars) and worse (Dark Eldars).The game took place in the Battle Bunker Club in Athens.
The mission was Capture and Control with the SpearHead deployment rules.
Yannis ''Kromeldar'' force was like that.
Baron Sathonix
Haemonculi
20 Helions
20Kabalite warriors with 2 Dark Lances
3 Venoms with warriors and blasters
2 Ravagers
1 Void Raven Bomber
Mine was:
A Librarian
A Chaplain
2 Sanguinary Priests
A 7 man Death Company
A 7 man Assault Squad with Land Rairer Phobos
A 8 man Assault Squad with Land Raider Reddemer
A 5 man Assault Squad with RazorBack its armed with TL Las Cannons
A Storm Raven
DEPLOYMENT
We rolled for the first turn and suprisingly enough I won! It was the first time in my career with the Angels Sanguine that I was given the opportunity to play first so I took it.
I Deployed my vehicles behind cover but that was my first mistake as I was afraid that Yannis would seize the initiative and destroy my Land Raider with Dark Lance fire but...
Yannis Deployed only his 20man Kabalite Warrior Squad and the Baron with his Helion gang behind cover.With only 2 Dark Lances to face, my deployment was wasted.
The Baron's Helion gang is a really good unit. It's Scoring, and with Baron Sathonix in the squad they've got the skilled rider and stealth special rules.Yannis added in the squad the Haemonculi too. A 3++ cover save and feel no pain rules are applied, not bad for a low armoured and low toughness army.
The 20man Kabalite squad is deep in cover. The objective was that eldar piece between the first and the second model.The same squad was armed with 2 Dark Lances. Deadly Anti/Tank weapon.
FIRST TURN
The game began with the 2 Land Raiders getting out of cover to engage the Eldars. The Land Raider Phobos named ''War Angel'' led first and it triggered its smoke launchers (another mistake). The Storm Raven put some suppresive Las Cannon fire claimming ''First Blood''. Please note that the StormRaven isn't mine. It's a really big problem to Transport my models all the way from Crete to Athens.
Retreat!With the Storm Raven in charge range (It's the Death Company's Trasport) and a 4+ Cover Yannis took no chances. He left the ruins for a safer place.
2nd TURN
Waiting for his Reinforcements. I moved all my Armoured might to the front.That was all for my second turn.
Yannis rolled for his reserves and the only thing he got is a Ravager. Of course he still packed a serious threat... in theory.
Yannis turned his Dark Lances against the StormRaven. He missed with the 2 and the third is failed to do any damage.Yannis then turned the infantry mounted Lances at the Raven but again he failed to do any damage at all.
3rd TURN
With all my armoured might intact it was time to assault. I really wanted to engage the Helion Gang but Yannis had already barred my way with the Kabalite Warriors like a sacrificial unit.Well, the prospect of destroying 5 Dark Lances in a turn was good enough to risk my Death Company so I disembarked.The StromRaven shot down the Ravager with Las Cannon and Multi Melta Fire and the Death company butcher, the Kabalite warriors with only a single casualty.
After the end of my turn the only unit that remained was the Helion Gang.
Yannis rolled again for the much needed reinforcements and finaly he got everything. A Venom races for my objective. A Ravager appeared at the center of his table edge and a Void Raven escorted the other two Venoms providing fire support on his objective.
Three Dark Lances later the only damage done on the ''War Angel'' was a shaken crew.
The Void Raven opened fire to the Storm Raven. The Astartes flyer soaked up the punishment.
Surely the Heavy Support section of the Dark Eldar army didn't fair so well.
But the Dark Eldar firepower still had a last word to say. The combined effort of two Venoms, Haemonculi and Helions found the Death Company greatly diminished. The end of the following assault phase found them destroyed to a man.
In the meantime, the RazorBack ''Black Death'' enjoyed some good time with coffee at the objective.
4th TURN
The StormRaven sped back. The Land Raider ''Rellentless Fury'' sped onward. The StormRaven had more Las Cannon Fire for the Dark Eldars. The victum was no other than the VoidRaven Bomber.
The ''War Angel'' Turned a Las Cannon to the Ravager and it stunned it.
Yannis was out of Dark Lances but still got some blasters in Venoms, blasters that Immobilised the Land Raider. Helions moved-run-assaulted the StormRaven. Baron Sathonix Hit-Penetrated-Destroyed the Storm Raven. Part of Yannis' clever strategy was to engulf the Land Raider "Relentless Fury" with his Helion Gang, that way the Immobilised Land Raider couldn't dissembark the Assault Squad it carried to exact vengeance for my Raven.
5th TURN
With my options limited to fire the FlameStorm cannons to the Helions and Immobilise-Stun Yannis Ravager I ended my turn. Nothing Impressive this turn. The same goes for Yannis who moved his Venom to contest my objective.
Another friend rolled for the random game leangth and it scored a big fat ''1''.
The game was over and I lost.
Excu...Erm Concusions
It was a mistake to deploy so far back.With the 1st turn I had to push forward.With the first turn the Dark Eldar was almost forced to stay in reserve, so less Daek Lances for me and more time to counter anything he threw at me.
It was a mistake to put the Phobos Land Raider infront of the Redeemer.This way the StormRaven and Death Company were unsupported. The Redeemer's flamestorm cannons were deadly against the dark eldar infantry.
Was this game competitive? Hell Yeah! The lists we both played were lists that could be played at any tournament. Was that game fun? Hell Yeah! You see, in the Battle Bunker we believe that a great game isn't the game with friendly lists but the game in friendly enviroment.
A Great Thanks to the Battle Bunker Community for the support and Yannis Kromydas for the Great Game!