Defensive Stand!

Hammertime: 8th November

1500 points

Dark Angels – Jack

Librarian (Warlord) with Terminators

7 Terminators in Land Raider Crusader

2 squads of Tactical Marines, combat-squadded

5 Scouts

Predator

Whirlwind

Vindicator

Dark Eldar – Frank and ‘Touched by Evil’ Shane

Baron Sarthonyx (Warlord) with Hellions

Haemonculus (with Scissorhands) with 8 Incubi

Haemonculus (with no buffs) with Hellions

19 Hellions

3 x 10 Kabalite Warriors on Raiders

2 x 5 Wyches on Venoms

4×6 table as usual

We agreed to use an optional scenario that puts a single 5-point objective in the center of the board, with the Marines deploying in a 12″ circle around it. The Dark Eldar deploy a further 6″ away from the center.

Random terrain density, let’s call it ‘light’ density! Dark Eldar must use strategically placed LOS-blocking hills to aid their deployment

No Night Fighting (actually we forgot to roll)

Marines won deployment roll and opted to go first

UNIT CARDS

The first trial run for some info cards! Need to add the actual unit pictures, correct typos and add extra info where possible.

DEPLOYMENT

The scenario calls for the defender to place a unit first, then the sides alternate placing units on the board.

The final deployment, with the Marines in the middle:

All of the Dark Angel units are in the middle, huddled in the large ruined building and the small ruins.

The Whirlwind is right next to the objective.

There are three Dark Eldar Raiders and a single Venom on this side of the battlefield. Let’s call this the ‘north’ end.

Here’s the view from the ‘south’ end, with the 20 Hellions (one is the Baron) surround a Raider and Venom who are out of line of sight.

On Transports

Some freshly painted old school Incubi next to some partially-painted new school Incubi…with the Archon subbing in as the Haemonculus that is running with the Incubi squad.

Also: 30 Kabalite Warriors and 10 Wyches, not shown 😛

Reserves

The only units in reserves are the Dark Angel terminators and Librarian, ensconced in the Land Raider.

Initiative NOT stolen, Marines go first!

Librarian Cornelius listened to the report from the outpost with growing anger. He slammed the headset onto the radio console and turned in his seat, looking with grim eyes at the Terminator squad that crowded the Land Raider with him. “Those buffoons didn’t detect a warp entry, and now they say they’re surrounded by Dark Eldar that have warped in for a raid.” He slapped the driver on the shoulder, motioning him to turn around. “Let’s go! And we must make sure to not let them take that archeotech back to the Dark City. Pray they don’t.”

TURN 1 – DARK ANGELS

None of the marines move, and the Whirlwind is the only thing that can fire, so it fires on the Hellions. It scatters, but the group is so large that it still takes out the Raider, forcing a pinning test that the Kabalite Warriors fail. They pass their Leadership test, so they stay put. Two Hellions are hit by the Whirlwind, but both pass their Feel No Pain rolls (from the Pain Point given by the Haemonculus) – unfortunately two more Hellions are hit from the Raider’s explosion, and one fails his armor and Feel No Pain rolls.

At the (arbitrarily chosen) north end of the battlefield, the Vindicator can just see the blue Raider with the Incubi on board, and it scores a penetration, knocking out the Dark Lance for the next turn.

TURN 1 – DARK ELDAR

At the (arbitrary) south side of the board, the blue Venom moves flat out, straight up to the rear of the Predator, with the plan being the Wyches will disembark and immediately assault the vehicles guarding the objective.

The black Venom (left, behind the blue container) moves forward and shoots at the tac squad in the small ruins, killing a single Marine. The blue Raider with the Incubi, with a damaged Dark Lance, moves forward and goes Flat Out slightly to gain the extra Jink save. The plan is that no matter whether the Raider stays intact after it is fired upon in turn 2, the Incubi will disembark and charge the tactical Marines in the small ruins.

The silver Raider unloads its Disentegrator (3 shots) at the tac squad on the ground, and the Kabalites on board fire 10 twin-linked shots.

The 5-man squad is taken down to just a single man!

TURN 2 – DARK ANGELS

The edges of Librarian Cornelius’s mouth turned up as his Land Raider crested a low hill, coming up behind a huge group of Hellions. “These filthy vermin must learn their lesson. The Imperium will NOT bow to their will! OPEN FIRE!”

The Land Raider arrives from Reserves, choosing to come in just behind the Hellions.

Welp. That’s a lot of Hellions killed. Even with the Feel No Pain rolls, a huge chunk of Hellions are killed. The Baron helps them make their Leadership test, so they ignore their fallen comrades and they keep flying on!

As expected, the Incubi’s Raider is wrecked, and they disembark, preparing to take down the two Dark Angels tactical squads.

The blue Venom is wrecked, and the Wyches unfortunately fail their Pinning test! They pass their Leadership test however, so they stay in place.

The other Venom is wrecked as well, and this squad of Wyches also fail their Pinning test! Disaster!

TURN 2 – DARK ELDAR

The Hellions move up and prepare to shoot at whoever will present a good target after the Kabalites fire. The Kabalites on the black Raider fire on the tactical marines to the right of the Incubi, taking them all down. The Hellions fire on the tactical Marines remaining in front of the Incubi, taking them down to just a couple of Marines. The Incubi then assault, wiping out the remaining Marines and gaining a second Pain Point to get Furious Charge.

The Kabalites from the other Raider fire on the tactical Marines on the second floor of the big ruins, and four are killed, forcing this lone Marine to break and run! He climbs down and runs towards the closest table edge.

TURN 3 – DARK ANGELS

The Whirlwind moves back, attempting to get the Wyches out of its minimum range. The rocket rains down, killing all of the Wyches!

The Land Raider moves around the hill, ignoring the Kabalite Warriors who can’t harm it, and fires on the Hellions. The Baron uses his Shadowfield’s 2++ save to best effect, absorbing several hits from the guns, until the field fails (on a 1) and he finally falls. (forgot to do LOSir!!)

(not pictured) The Vindicator takes down a Raider, killing 7 of the 10 Kabalite Warriors on board. They pass both their Pinning and Leadership tests! 3 of the 5 remaining Wyches are killed (by the Predator?)

This Marine fails his Leadership roll again and keeps running!

TURN 3 – DARK ELDAR

The Incubi charge forward, hoping to do something (anything!) against the Predator.

The surviving Kabalite Warriors move up to take a shot at the remaining Dark Angel on foot, the last Marine who can hold the objective…and take him out!

The last 2 living Wyches move forward to attempt an assault, and the last Marine in the ruins is killed. The Hellions kill all of the Scouts on the top of the red ruins. At this point, the Dark Angels have 8 victory points and the Dark Eldar have 4.

TURN 4 – DARK ANGELS

The Vindicator unloads on the Incubi squad, killing all but 2 of the Incubi and the Haemonculus. They make the Leadership test and stay in place. The Predator shoots down the last surviving Raider, putting the final unit of Kabalite Warriors on the ground.

And the lone Marine that was falling back? He failed yet another Leadership test and ran off the table, giving the tricksy Dark Eldar another victory point!

TURN 4 – DARK ELDAR

(no picture, duh)

The Haemonculus and Incubi duck behind cover to make sure they can survive another attack. The Hellions dive into the small ruins to also get some cover. The Kabalite Warriors behind the Vindicator get directly behind it on the outside of the building to get extra cover just in case. The Kabalite Warriors from the Raider that was just shot down move forward towards the ruined building corners.

TURN 5 – DARK ANGELS

“CHARGE FORWARD!! SLAY THESE DESPICABLE CREATURES!” Cornelius spat at his gunner as he readied his hand over the the switch that would lower the front assault hatch of the Land Raider.

(no picture)

The Land Raider moves flat out to drive over the objective, hoping to block any troops (of which there are many about – just not from the Dark Angel side!). Whirlwind backs up more to get the Incubi and Haemonculus out of its minimum range, then the Predator drives forward to fire on the Kabalites from the last Raider, taking a few of them out.

TURN 5 – DARK ELDAR

The Wyches wreck the Vindicator with 2 more glancing hits from their Haywire Grenades!

Then the Hellions rush forward to hold the objective!!

SO WHO WON?!

KILL POINTS:

Dark Eldar: 11 (6 from Kill Points, 5 from holding the Objective) Linebreaker not considered a secondard objective for this mission

Marines: 11 (1 from First Blood, 9 from Kill Points, 1 from Slay the Warlord)



TIE GAME!

What a thriller!

Librarian Cornelius looked out of the port window, aghast at the Hellions who carried away the ancient box of mysterious components. He knew the Dark Eldar wouldn’t have any use at all for the highly regarded archeotech – in fact, they had most likely staged the raid to simply take the piece of old Imperium tech away to their webway portal and back to Comorragh, to be put on some archon’s trophy rack. To the image-conscious Dark Eldar, the cost in the lives of their own was inconsequential when it came to showing off their tiny black box of dusty, millennia-old machinery – and laughing at the suffering of those who had tried to defend it.

THOUGHTS ON THE BATTLE from Frank: We went a bit anti-troop heavy, I think dropping one of the Raiders and taking another Venom full of Wyches, and with the leftover points giving more special weapons to the Kabalite Warriors (like Dark Lances). Tactically, I think the only mistake we really did was put a single Raider behind the huge hill, and putting the other big hill too far away and stacking 3 units behind it. The Land Raider coming in from Reserves could have come on anywhere, so we couldn’t worry about where it would enter, so we just carried on and dealt with it (by running away!) – luckily the FNP from the Haemonculus let the Hellions live to take that crucial objective point!

My Unit of the Match: I would have to go with the 2 last living Wyches, who got that critical Victory Point for wrecking the Vindicator!

RULES WE MISSED/GOT WRONG: Forgot to do the Night Fighting roll and Look Out Sir! for the Baron. I think we also forgot to clearly say what the Raiders were armed with, next time I’ll use note stickies on the Raider bases.

Any comments from Shane and Jack are welcome!