Post by mccaptain on Dec 1, 2008 23:31:51 GMT -5
I recently had the chance to play a game against a new opponent. He has been playing Eldar since second edition and offered some decent opposition.
The army list I took has just been posted under the army board. Here is what I believe was his list:
Howling Banshees in Wave Serpent
Wraithguard, Warlock, and farseer in a Wave Serpent
A squad of Striking Scorpions
x2 squads of Rangers
I believe his list was mostly made for fighting marines and it was his first run with it but here is how it went.
The battlefield consisted of a large (4x4) square of ruins in the middle of the field set in a diamond shape from my perspective. My left flank had a large grove of trees with a corresponding grove on the opposite side on my left. Between the trees and the ruins was a river that ran from his board edge to mine. On the right flank were tall pillars of stone arranged in a random pattern from my side all the way to his.
Greg the Eldar player deployed first. He deployed his WS (Wave Serpent) with the Howling Banshees behind his grove of trees on my left flank. His other WS with the Wraithguard Warlock and Farseer within were deployed behind the rocks on his side of my right flank. He chose to deploy the rest of his army using infiltrators.
Knowing the Eldars ability to move quickly, I did not want to spread out my forces and be cut up piecemeal. I also wanted to keep my army close enough to eachother to lend fire support. With only the grove of trees in my deployment zone, not offering enough cover to support my whole force, I decided to deploy as close to the ruins as possible.
The front line of my infantry were close enough to deploy base to base with the edge of the bottom corner of the ruins. My plan was to move into the ruins and try to pic up the cover save as quickly as possible. I also figured it would be a good place to set up a fire base because there were good lines of sight and it would force the eldar to move slower through the terrain. Anyway, I deployed the lascannon team right at the base of the ruins with the JO behind them and the Demolisher behind the JO w/ML. To the right of them I set up one of my infantry squads. Two more squads went on to the left of the Lascannons with the second JO w/ML behind one of them and the Hellhound behind the JO. On the far right end of the line I set up my Leman Russ w/3 HB's. It had a clump of rocks giving it hull down on the side armor. Hopefully that would be enough to slow down anything coming from that side. On my far left flank I deployed one squad in the grove of trees with a Leman Russ to the right of the trees and a mounted Armored fist squad to the right of the Russ. My Ratlings went on the top floor of the ruins with a good vantage point across the field.
The plan was to hold tight on the left and far right and move the middle troops, Demolisher, and hellhound into the ruins. Hopefully this would create a sort of triangle of troops with the base towards my deployment zone. How line of sight worked out, that would allow for easy redeployment of my armor to counter an attack on either flank while the main portion of my army held the center.
He deployed one of his ranger squads between some rock formations on my right flank. The second squad went on the second floor of some ruins on the far side. And his striking scorpions went on the opposite side of a building on my side of the ruins near the center of my line.
I failed to steal the initiative and Greg went first.
He began by moving his WS on my left up to the near side of his grove of trees and offloaded the banshees. He then proceeded to kill my Leman Russ with one shot of his bright lance on his WS. The explosion also killed a couple of guardsmen in the grove of trees. On my right flank he moved up his WS the full 24" and hid it very well behind some rocks. His Rangers killed a couple of my lascannon loaders and a few men on my right flank squad. They both passed moral. Heres the kicker though, his Striking scorpions roll a 6 for difficult terrain, 6 for run, and 6 for assault and get all the way to my line. This actually didn't work out so bad. He killed 7 of my men, and I took out one of his. BUT my guardsmen escaped CC and were able to fall back. Who would have thought? He then consolidated towards my next squad.
My first turn went fairly well. The squad on the left shot into the Howling B's with little effect. My Chimera crossed the river and offloaded its squad. I then encircled the Striking scorpions while at the same time preparing my forces to set up firing lanes towards the HBs on the left flank. I moved the Hellhound left as well. Three squads and an inferno cannon and three lascannons, and one shot from my retreating sarges laspistol wiped out the the SS in their entirety. My Leman Russ on the right fired all its HBs into the Rangers on the my right flank dropping several. My Demolisher and Ratlings killed a couple Rangers in the Ruins.
On Greg's second turn he moved up his WS on my left flank and destroyed my Chimera. His Banshees also assaulted my squad in the grove and butchered them to a man. They used their massacre move to head towards the river. His Rangers continued to pick away with no great success. His WS on the left flank moved out, almost touching my Russ and offloaded the Guardians. With all of their amazing firepower they were only able to stun my Russ.
My second turn: I moved my Armored Fist squad into the wreckage of the Chimera and one of my JO squads left into Grenade launcher range. My other squad on the left moved into the ruins to eventually engage the rangers. I got two direct hits with Nade launchers and a frag missle on the Banshees. Those with the Hellhound and AF's firepower were able to wipe them out entirely. My Demolisher got a direct hit on the guardians, that and three lascannons killed all but one as well as the warlock. My snipers again harassed their rangers.
Greg's turn: His WS on the left continued to move towards my side and was able to destroy my hellhound (three shots, three kills with the bright lance.... seriously?!?!). His WS on the right moved in behind my Russ but with the fire from both it and the guardian was still only able to stun it. His rangers again didn't do anything spectacular (Good moral checks, have to love close order drill).
My third turn: A meltagun, two nade launchers, and two krak missles later I was able to destroy his WS on my left flank. I rolled my Demolisher back and put a plasma cannon in the rear of his WS shaking it pretty good. My squad on the right flank, my lascannons, and Ratlings were able to knock out the last Guardian and farseer. I forgot about my squad in the city, so they just sat around and caught a bite to eat from their mess kits.
Greg's turn: Not able to fire his WS on my right, he flew it away behind some rocks. His Rangers were finally able to wipe out the rest of my lascannons, now that they had nothing to shoot. :-)
My fourth turn: My Stormtroopers finally decide to drop in and roll box cars directly towards the board edge and make it off the table by exactly one inch. Bastards. My Russ on the right, finally free to shoot opens up with its HBs and kills all but one Ranger. He books it off the field. My squad in the city moves and then runs into position to eliminate the rangers in the city next turn.
Greg concedes the match and the Guard go home with a victory.
Finally Tally of losses:
Eldar
-1 Wave Serpent
-9 Howling Banshees
-20ish Rangers
-5 Guardians
-1Warlock
1Farseer
Imperial Guard
-1 Hellhound
-1 Chimera
-1 Leman Russ
-25 Guardsmen
-5 Stormtroopers MIA...
I'll call that a match well won. Any suggestions though would be great.
The army list I took has just been posted under the army board. Here is what I believe was his list:
Howling Banshees in Wave Serpent
Wraithguard, Warlock, and farseer in a Wave Serpent
A squad of Striking Scorpions
x2 squads of Rangers
I believe his list was mostly made for fighting marines and it was his first run with it but here is how it went.
The battlefield consisted of a large (4x4) square of ruins in the middle of the field set in a diamond shape from my perspective. My left flank had a large grove of trees with a corresponding grove on the opposite side on my left. Between the trees and the ruins was a river that ran from his board edge to mine. On the right flank were tall pillars of stone arranged in a random pattern from my side all the way to his.
Greg the Eldar player deployed first. He deployed his WS (Wave Serpent) with the Howling Banshees behind his grove of trees on my left flank. His other WS with the Wraithguard Warlock and Farseer within were deployed behind the rocks on his side of my right flank. He chose to deploy the rest of his army using infiltrators.
Knowing the Eldars ability to move quickly, I did not want to spread out my forces and be cut up piecemeal. I also wanted to keep my army close enough to eachother to lend fire support. With only the grove of trees in my deployment zone, not offering enough cover to support my whole force, I decided to deploy as close to the ruins as possible.
The front line of my infantry were close enough to deploy base to base with the edge of the bottom corner of the ruins. My plan was to move into the ruins and try to pic up the cover save as quickly as possible. I also figured it would be a good place to set up a fire base because there were good lines of sight and it would force the eldar to move slower through the terrain. Anyway, I deployed the lascannon team right at the base of the ruins with the JO behind them and the Demolisher behind the JO w/ML. To the right of them I set up one of my infantry squads. Two more squads went on to the left of the Lascannons with the second JO w/ML behind one of them and the Hellhound behind the JO. On the far right end of the line I set up my Leman Russ w/3 HB's. It had a clump of rocks giving it hull down on the side armor. Hopefully that would be enough to slow down anything coming from that side. On my far left flank I deployed one squad in the grove of trees with a Leman Russ to the right of the trees and a mounted Armored fist squad to the right of the Russ. My Ratlings went on the top floor of the ruins with a good vantage point across the field.
The plan was to hold tight on the left and far right and move the middle troops, Demolisher, and hellhound into the ruins. Hopefully this would create a sort of triangle of troops with the base towards my deployment zone. How line of sight worked out, that would allow for easy redeployment of my armor to counter an attack on either flank while the main portion of my army held the center.
He deployed one of his ranger squads between some rock formations on my right flank. The second squad went on the second floor of some ruins on the far side. And his striking scorpions went on the opposite side of a building on my side of the ruins near the center of my line.
I failed to steal the initiative and Greg went first.
He began by moving his WS on my left up to the near side of his grove of trees and offloaded the banshees. He then proceeded to kill my Leman Russ with one shot of his bright lance on his WS. The explosion also killed a couple of guardsmen in the grove of trees. On my right flank he moved up his WS the full 24" and hid it very well behind some rocks. His Rangers killed a couple of my lascannon loaders and a few men on my right flank squad. They both passed moral. Heres the kicker though, his Striking scorpions roll a 6 for difficult terrain, 6 for run, and 6 for assault and get all the way to my line. This actually didn't work out so bad. He killed 7 of my men, and I took out one of his. BUT my guardsmen escaped CC and were able to fall back. Who would have thought? He then consolidated towards my next squad.
My first turn went fairly well. The squad on the left shot into the Howling B's with little effect. My Chimera crossed the river and offloaded its squad. I then encircled the Striking scorpions while at the same time preparing my forces to set up firing lanes towards the HBs on the left flank. I moved the Hellhound left as well. Three squads and an inferno cannon and three lascannons, and one shot from my retreating sarges laspistol wiped out the the SS in their entirety. My Leman Russ on the right fired all its HBs into the Rangers on the my right flank dropping several. My Demolisher and Ratlings killed a couple Rangers in the Ruins.
On Greg's second turn he moved up his WS on my left flank and destroyed my Chimera. His Banshees also assaulted my squad in the grove and butchered them to a man. They used their massacre move to head towards the river. His Rangers continued to pick away with no great success. His WS on the left flank moved out, almost touching my Russ and offloaded the Guardians. With all of their amazing firepower they were only able to stun my Russ.
My second turn: I moved my Armored Fist squad into the wreckage of the Chimera and one of my JO squads left into Grenade launcher range. My other squad on the left moved into the ruins to eventually engage the rangers. I got two direct hits with Nade launchers and a frag missle on the Banshees. Those with the Hellhound and AF's firepower were able to wipe them out entirely. My Demolisher got a direct hit on the guardians, that and three lascannons killed all but one as well as the warlock. My snipers again harassed their rangers.
Greg's turn: His WS on the left continued to move towards my side and was able to destroy my hellhound (three shots, three kills with the bright lance.... seriously?!?!). His WS on the right moved in behind my Russ but with the fire from both it and the guardian was still only able to stun it. His rangers again didn't do anything spectacular (Good moral checks, have to love close order drill).
My third turn: A meltagun, two nade launchers, and two krak missles later I was able to destroy his WS on my left flank. I rolled my Demolisher back and put a plasma cannon in the rear of his WS shaking it pretty good. My squad on the right flank, my lascannons, and Ratlings were able to knock out the last Guardian and farseer. I forgot about my squad in the city, so they just sat around and caught a bite to eat from their mess kits.
Greg's turn: Not able to fire his WS on my right, he flew it away behind some rocks. His Rangers were finally able to wipe out the rest of my lascannons, now that they had nothing to shoot. :-)
My fourth turn: My Stormtroopers finally decide to drop in and roll box cars directly towards the board edge and make it off the table by exactly one inch. Bastards. My Russ on the right, finally free to shoot opens up with its HBs and kills all but one Ranger. He books it off the field. My squad in the city moves and then runs into position to eliminate the rangers in the city next turn.
Greg concedes the match and the Guard go home with a victory.
Finally Tally of losses:
Eldar
-1 Wave Serpent
-9 Howling Banshees
-20ish Rangers
-5 Guardians
-1Warlock
1Farseer
Imperial Guard
-1 Hellhound
-1 Chimera
-1 Leman Russ
-25 Guardsmen
-5 Stormtroopers MIA...
I'll call that a match well won. Any suggestions though would be great.
