So without further ado I'll launch into the meat of it. Despite originally intending to run 2 squads of 6 Incubi for the lulz I decided to semi screw the nut, and took only 1 squad of 6 but managed to squeeze in some Eldar allies for the GK/SW/general psyker trollage. My list was as follows:
The Huntress - succubus, venom blade (Warlord) 70
Joseph + the Techicoloured skin-coat - Haemo, liqufier 60
Troops
8 Wyches with haywires, heka with venom blade, raider with aethersails and nightshields 186
3 wracks, venom with x 2 splinter cannon 95
3 wracks, venom with x 2 splinter cannon 95
Elites
6 x Incubi, raider with aethersails, nightshields 207
3 Trueborn, x 2 splinter cannons 56
Heavy
Ravager, x 3 dark lances, nightshields 115
Ravager, x 3 dark lances, nightshields 115
Razorwing x 4 monoscythe missiles, x 2 dark lances, x1 splinter rifle, flickerfield 155
Allies
Hq
Farseer, spear, fortune, rof Warding 103
Troops
10 Guardian Defenders with shuriken cannon, Warlock with Emolden and Singing Spear 118
Heavy
Small John the mighty - Wraithlord with wraithsword, x2 flamers, EML 125
Total 1500
Once I actually got down to Nottingham, and in particularly when I noticed my friend Jay's list - who was running Eldar primary with DE allies - actually had more Venoms than I did I seriously regretted not taking 3 Venoms. Megafail, so I wasn't amazingly happy with this list. Though I was chuffed to have the Farseer in there, and I've found the Wraithlord to be amazing for just smashing units that deep strike into my deployment zone (DZ) and in particular in getting me the Slay the Warlord point. Was worried about other fliers as a solitary Razorwing is a bit fail in taking down anything that flies, but didn't want to compromise too much with my ground units and this luckily proved to be the correct decision.
So zooming into the battlezone, the Annihilated Souls first encounter is with the Knights of Titan
Game 1 - opponent is a cool guy called Adam with a Grey Knight Terminator army
Game 1 - opponent is a cool guy called Adam with a Grey Knight Terminator army
Mission - Purge the Alien (old annihilation kill points (KP) mission)
Deployment - Vanguard
Adam's list was something like this:
Modrak (warlord) and 5 Ghost Nights with a mix of hammers and halberds
Modrak (warlord) and 5 Ghost Nights with a mix of hammers and halberds
5 GK Terminators with 2 halberds, hammer and 2 swords, psycannon, psybolts, flag of activate force weapons, psbyolts
5 GK Terminators with 2 halberds, hammer and 2 swords, psycannon, psybolts, flag of activate force weapons, psbyolts
5 more terminators as above, but with no psybolts
GK dakka psybolt autocannon dreadnought
GK dakka psybolt autocannon dreadnought
I won the roll and elected to go first. I got an extra pain token for combat drugs units (succubus and wyches) and Modrak's grand strategy allowed both psybolt terminator squads to re-roll 1's for hits or wounds (not that familiar with the GK codex of pwnage). No nightfighting, but I rolled on strategic Warlord traits and got Night Fighter so made it NF on turn one. I can't remember Adam's warlord trait.
Pre-game thoughts - Hmm Grey Knights. I hate GK dakka dreads, they are just so win against DE vehicles its unreal, and they are really gonna rack up the KP tally for Adam quickly if I don't deal with them. Having saying that though, with my nightshields on a lot of my vehicles then aside from the dreadnoughts I can easily outrange the psycannons on the terminators, and footslogger GK are actually not too bad for DE. Modrak is a major pain in the hole though with his deep striking, non scattering ways of trollage, and I need to make sure that when I start wounding Modrak I finish him off, or more of his creepy spectral buddies will appear for the lulz. As regards the mission - Adam has only 6!!! KP in his entire army. I have 17!!! Epic fail sadface :(
Set up - I take bottom left corner. There is not much terrain other than trees on the board, which is annoying but there is a bastion in the middle of the board which we classed as impassable, and I can use it a bit to block Line of Sight (LOS). I put most stuff where it will either be out of range of the Dreadnoughts or likely to be out of LOS behind the bastion, except one Ravager out at front to manouver to try take out a dread for first blood. Guardian + Farseer set up in a big piece of trees terrain in the corner with Small John the Epic Wraithlord of Doom next to them ala wraithsight, and the Incubi + succubus raider behind them. Everything else is gonna be out of LOS or out of range of GK stuff
Adam deploys his 3 Terminator squads on his line as far forward as he can, and puts his dreadnoughts in some trees over to the bottom right of his DZ. One is gonna get a cover save but the other wont as its not 25% obscured. Modrak is doing deep strike of lol turn 1. Adam doesn't seize and its DE first.
Set up - I take bottom left corner. There is not much terrain other than trees on the board, which is annoying but there is a bastion in the middle of the board which we classed as impassable, and I can use it a bit to block Line of Sight (LOS). I put most stuff where it will either be out of range of the Dreadnoughts or likely to be out of LOS behind the bastion, except one Ravager out at front to manouver to try take out a dread for first blood. Guardian + Farseer set up in a big piece of trees terrain in the corner with Small John the Epic Wraithlord of Doom next to them ala wraithsight, and the Incubi + succubus raider behind them. Everything else is gonna be out of LOS or out of range of GK stuff
Adam deploys his 3 Terminator squads on his line as far forward as he can, and puts his dreadnoughts in some trees over to the bottom right of his DZ. One is gonna get a cover save but the other wont as its not 25% obscured. Modrak is doing deep strike of lol turn 1. Adam doesn't seize and its DE first.
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| Grey Knights deployment |
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| Dark Eldar deployment |
DE 1st turn - Right I'm going balls out to get first blood, what with him having near zero kill points in his army!Trueborn steal a Wracks Venom and move 6" to line up terminators to my left, other wracks Venom lines up the same unit, as does wych raider with its dark lance and a Ravager. Other Ravager moves to get in range of the unobscured dreadnought, and Incubi raider moves just behind the Guardians. Fortune on the Guardians, and the Wraithlord lurks next to them.
Shooting phase and the Incubi raider moves slightly to get flat out save. The ravager tasked with taking out the dreadnought fires, hits twice and penetrates once, I roll a 1 for damage. Arse. Ravager now in worst position ever.
On the left flank, the Trueborn, 2 venoms, the 2nd ravager and the wych raider open up on the left side terminator squad. After some epic armour and invulnerable saves only 1 dies(3 of them passed 5++ saves from dark lances grr). That was fail. So much for first blood plan.
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| 4 terminators still alive, despite 2/3 of my army's shooting! |
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| Dark Eldar positioning of fail after my 1st turn |
GK turn 1 - Modrak the arch-troller teleports next to the Guardians with his spooky buddies, and the 3 terminator squads advance. Undamaged dread moves forward from behind the trees over on the right flank to line up the ravager of fail in its guns, whilst Adam elects not to try and cast Fortitude on the damaged dreadnought due to the threat from Runes of Warding.
Shooting, and the damaged dreadnought snap fires at the ravager, and scores one hit that penetrates but the skimmer jinks, knowing that unfortunately that was merely the entree. Undamaged dreadnought scores 4 hits and explodes the dumbass Dark Eldar skimmer FIRST BLOOD.
Shooting, and the damaged dreadnought snap fires at the ravager, and scores one hit that penetrates but the skimmer jinks, knowing that unfortunately that was merely the entree. Undamaged dreadnought scores 4 hits and explodes the dumbass Dark Eldar skimmer FIRST BLOOD.
Modrak and buddies shoot at the wracks Venom, and take off a hull point. Terminator squads all run forward but I think Adam rolled poorly here.
DE turn 2 - Razorwing arrives from reserve and moves into a position where it can shoot either the left flank termies or the middle ones. Fortune on the Guardians again. Incubi move towards Modrak and jump out their raider with the Huntress, wych raider manouvers to let the haemonculus shoot with its liquifier gun shoot Modrak and co, but it will only be getting one or two at the most. Some shuffling goes on, I actually move close to the adavncing Terminator squads but obscured behind the bastion with venoms etc from 2 of the squads and the dreadnoughts, as I've had enough of their nonsense for the time being.
In the shooting phase the razorwing, surviving ravager and venoms + trueborn shoot and kill 3 of the left flank terminators, leaving only a sword guy with psybolts who passes morale.
In the shooting phase the razorwing, surviving ravager and venoms + trueborn shoot and kill 3 of the left flank terminators, leaving only a sword guy with psybolts who passes morale.
In my DZ, the liqufier rolls something fail like ap 5 and wounds no Ghost terminators. A combination of the wyches, their raider's dark lance, guardians and wraithlord kill 3 of the Ghost nights and wound Modrak, who fails to bring in another ghost from his wound.
Assault phase, and Incubi with Succubus + the Wraithlord charge. Succubus + Incubi kill ghost nights, with the ghost knights slaying an Inucbus in return. This now leaves Modrak facing the wrath of Small John, who at strength 10 with re-rolls to hit with his wraithsword power mashes the Grey Knight Grand Master SLAY THE WARLORD. Whilst this was fun, that means that the Incubi unit didn't accumulate a pain token as the wraithlord finished the unit! Both the Inucbi and and Small John roll a mighty 1 for consolidation.
Assault phase, and Incubi with Succubus + the Wraithlord charge. Succubus + Incubi kill ghost nights, with the ghost knights slaying an Inucbus in return. This now leaves Modrak facing the wrath of Small John, who at strength 10 with re-rolls to hit with his wraithsword power mashes the Grey Knight Grand Master SLAY THE WARLORD. Whilst this was fun, that means that the Incubi unit didn't accumulate a pain token as the wraithlord finished the unit! Both the Inucbi and and Small John roll a mighty 1 for consolidation.
Adam's shooting phase, and his eagerness was not misplaced as one of the dakka dreadnoughts nukes 3 of the Incubi after some rank rotten power armour saves on them, and it being more than twice my toughness no Feel No Pain (FNP) roll. Unfortunately (for Adam, not me!) the Terminators are not as lucky, and kill no more of the squad. Middle terminator unit shoots and damages the Razorwing, making it snap fire only next turn, whilst the lone terminator shoots a venom but I pass flickerfield save after it he got a penetrating hit.
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| This is where Modrak was unitl Small John got hold of him, then Adam blasts Incubi to shreds in return |
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| We're coming for you, you pointy heided-bastards! |
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| View of the battlefield after turn 2 |
DE turn 3 - I want to Fortune the wraithlord but its out of range so fortune Guardians again. Razorwing flies off the board, as it can only snapfire this turn and I want to get those dreadnoughts, but I'm not flying the length of the board down the barrel of those autocannon dreadnoughts, so it goes off to go into ongoing reserve. The remaining Ravager and the Wraithlord take aim at the right flank terminators, whilst the venoms unfortunately are hiding out of LOS of the dreads behind the bastion as they will just get minced by psycannons and dreadnoughts until I can deal with the walkers. Wych raider uses aethersails to fly to the top left. Remaining Incubi and succubus mount up in their raider and move out of LOS of the dreads as well.
In the shooting phase, I flat out the wych raider to behind the trees to the left of Adam's dreadnoughts, and I am pretty certain that only one of the dreads will be able to shoot at it. Wraithlord kills 2 Terminators on the right flank with its plasma missile launcher shot ha! and the ravager kills another with a dark lance. Splinter cannon Trueborn finish lone terminator and gain a pain token for FNP.
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| After Turn 3 DE movement |
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| After turn 3 DE shooting |
GK turn 3 - Adam moves the dreadnought that has lost a hull point forward to be in range of the Guardians as he can't see or is out of range of everything else. Other dreadnought turns to shoot the wych raider, and the middle GK terminator squad moves round the side of the bastion, whilst the 2 remaining right sider terminators move up to be out of LOS behind the bastion.
In the shooting phase Adam's middle terminator unit shoots and immobilises the Incubi raider, whilst a dreadnought does 4 wounds to the Guardians, those 4 of which are not getting a cover save. I elect to go to ground, and save 3 of the 4 on a re-rollable 6+ with Fortune.. The second dreadnought shoots the wych raider but rolls poorly and merely takes out the dark lance from the skimmer.
In the shooting phase Adam's middle terminator unit shoots and immobilises the Incubi raider, whilst a dreadnought does 4 wounds to the Guardians, those 4 of which are not getting a cover save. I elect to go to ground, and save 3 of the 4 on a re-rollable 6+ with Fortune.. The second dreadnought shoots the wych raider but rolls poorly and merely takes out the dark lance from the skimmer.
DE turn 4 - Razorwing arrives right to the side of the damaged GK dreadnought, and one of its dark lances are hitting the rear whilst the other will be on side armour. Haemonculus gets out of the raider and hides behind a tree to try and keep linebreaker for me if the wyches get killed, whilst they move 6" in the raider, disembark 6 towards the undamaged dreadnought. Wraithlord moves towards larger squad of GK terminators that are still living. Incubi + succubus disembark towards the GK termie squad, whilst the ravager and guardians are going to target the smaller squad of termies as they are not quite out of LOS
Shooting, and I think this is where i finished the smaller unit of Termies off. Other shooting kills one terminator from the other squad, and a grenade thrown by the wyches removes a hull point from their dreadnought target. Razorwing whiffs, and only takes a hull point from its target dread, leaving it on 1.
Assault phase, and I charge the remaining Terminators with Succubus and the 2 incubi, no wounds from overwatch. Wyches charge dread and take one casaulty from overwatch autocannons. The wyches explode dreadnought and take one dead from the explosion. Succubus issues the challenge of fail - I challenged the justicar and forgot about the flag of force weapon activation. Succubus does 5 wounds with her venom blade on the Justicar, who passes all his saves. The Grey Knight then slams his sword into the Huntress, who fails her dodge and her soul is sucked into the warp to the delight of Slaanesh. SLAY THE WARLORD. The two halberd guys despatch one of the Incubi, who guts a terminator back himself before being smashed by the hammer. Wow that was a great idea Sean!!
GK turn 4 - from here my memory is a bit sketchy, but I'll try and write out how I think it went. The remaining dreadnought takes its shots at the razorwing, reducing it to its last hull point, whilst the terminators wreck the Trueborn's venom I think - it explodes and kills the guy who doesn't have a splinter cannon. They are too far to charge though.
DE turn 5 - The razorwing once again flies off the table to escape the autocannons of doom. The ravager will be out of range but the wraithlord moves up, and destroys the dreadnought with a krak shot of its EML.
Other shooting kills the terminators - possibly the Trueborn finishing them off - and its game over.
Victory for the Annihilated Souls!
Thoughts: With Adam getting first blood and a fair few kill points it would have been a draw we worked out, had I not tabled him. I always get tempted to go all out for first blood if its nightfighting because of how it favours DE, but really made an arse of it. Adam was thinking he should have deepstruck his force in in retrospect but I'm not sure that would have been a great idea, as I could have mass assaulted him with Incubi, wraithlord and wyches after all my shooting. Would have been fun anyways! That was an absolute fail idea, assaulting a near full Terminator squad with just the succubus and 2 incubi, and needlessly gave away 3!! victory points (warlord, plus the two units) when I was winning, and it could have lost me the game like an idiot. Adam was a really fun opponent, we were having a good laugh and banter all way through so yeah he was awesome.
Overall, I do admit I think my army should have the best of this army due to outranging most of it easily, but the mission really evened it up for Adam, coupled with a really poor decision on my part (succubus assault) but it worked out. I could not have dealt with Modrak so easily without the wraithlord, and he really could then have been the proper arch-troller that he is!
Overall, I do admit I think my army should have the best of this army due to outranging most of it easily, but the mission really evened it up for Adam, coupled with a really poor decision on my part (succubus assault) but it worked out. I could not have dealt with Modrak so easily without the wraithlord, and he really could then have been the proper arch-troller that he is!
Win unit - Small John the Victorious, with a Warlord kill, 2 GK terminators and a dakka dreadnought
Fail unit - the Huntress. No kills. Got pwned.
Onwards - to game 2!
Nice!
ReplyDeleteI thought you were gone for all money after the first couple of turns, but I guess your opponent's lack of models/units brought him unstuck.
Well done on bringing the annihilation!
Thanks dude :)
ReplyDeleteYeah the mere 6! kp in his army was a bit of a worry, and like I said - chucking the succubus and the remaining Incubi at a near full GK terminator squad was a terrible idea that could have lost it for me.
All my armies are always kill point intensive, however I suppose if you have 15 units you can have 15 different targets, whereas its reversed with a small army
True that, but now that there's only one mission which is straight kill points its not so bad - except that one time in six when you do actually play it.
ReplyDeleteTypical that its against an army like this when you do!