Another test game. This time I am using Baron Sathonyx and I'll see how he works.
Dark Eldar "Coven of a 1000 corpses" - 2,000 points
HQ
Baron Sathonyx
Elite
4 x Kabalite Trueborn w/ Venom - 4 x blasters - Venom w/ splinter cannon
4 x Kabalite Trueborn w/ Venom - 4 x blasters - Venom w/ splinter cannon
3 x Kabalite Trueborn w/ Venom - 3 x blasters - Venom w/ splinter cannon
Troops
5 x Kabalite Warriors w/ Venom - blaster - Venom w/ splinter cannon
5 x Kabalite Warriors w/ Venom - blaster - Venom w/ splinter cannon
5 x Kabalite Warriors w/ Venom - blaster - Venom w/ splinter cannon
5 x Kabalite Warriors w/ Venom - blaster - Venom w/ splinter cannon
5 x Kabalite Warriors w/ Venom - blaster - Venom w/ splinter cannon
5 x Kabalite Warriors w/ Venom - blaster - Venom w/ splinter cannon
Fast Attack
Beastmasters - 3 x beastmasters, 5 x khymerae & 4 x razorwing flocks
Beastmasters - 3 x beastmasters, 5 x khymerae & 4 x razorwing flocks
Heavy Support
Ravager - flickerfield
Ravager - flickerfield
Ravager - flickerfield
Total: 2,004
Imperial Guard "Steel Lions" - 2,000 points
HQ
Company Command Squad w/ Chimera - 4 x plasma guns
Company Command Squad w/ Chimera - 4 x plasma guns
Troops
Veterans w/ Chimera - 3 x meltaguns
Veterans w/ Chimera - 3 x meltaguns
Veterans w/ Chimera - 3 x meltaguns
Veterans w/ Chimera - 3 x plasma guns
Veterans w/ Chimera - 3 x plasma guns
Fast Attack
Vendetta
Vendetta
Hellhound
Heavy Support
Manticore - heavy flamer
Manticore - heavy flamer
Manticore - heavy flamer
Total: 2,005
Game: Annihilation + Pitched Battle
Deployment
Dark Eldar won the roll off and deployed first. Everything deployed in the bottom right corner using a large shrine ruin to cover most of the army. Both Beastmasters units deployed inside a large ruin, or as much as they could to get cover.
Imperial Guard deployed in the opposite corner and castled up. Plasma units were placed at the front and melta ones at the rear. One Manticore was placed behind the Chimeras while the other two deployed in terrain behind a ruin out of sight. The Hellhound deployed in front of the ruin where the Manticores were hiding and both Vendettas deployed in the top right corner almost.
Turn 1
Vendettas do pre-game scout moves and move flat out towards the Manticores in terrain. Guard attempt to seize the initiative but fail.
Dark Eldar's first turn sees all Venoms move flat out, three Venoms holding two Trueborn units and a Warrior unit move up against the shrine ruin while all others move flat out and hide behind the next large ruin in the centre of the board. All Ravagers reposition to blow the Vendettas out the sky, one starts to flank around the shrine ruin. Beastmasters with Baron move out of terrain and hide behind the large ruin and Venom fleet while the other Beastmaster unit rolls low and stays inside terrain.
Shooting, Ravagers let rip on the Vendetta. It passes a few cover saves but it's not enough and it explodes.
Guard's turn. Chimeras all remain in position while the Hellhound moves out 12" to suicide itself on the Beastmasters and get some first turn burny death. If not it will be shot to pieces next turn or probably assaulted by the Baron's unit.
Shooting, two Manticores indirect fire which sees a Venom wrecked (squad passes pinning test), a Venom stunned and a Beastmaster fragged. The other Manticore teams up with the Hellhound and both fire at the Beastmaster unit, Baron asborbs two wounds thanks to his shadowfield and three Khymerae are done for. Remaining Vendetta blasts a Ravager but best it can do is score crew stunned. Multi lasers blast out but after cover saves best damage they can do is stun a Venom and score weapon destroyed twice on another.
Kill points - Dark Eldar: 1 Imperial Guard: 0
Turn 2
The three Venoms behind the shrine ruin move over the shrine, two land in terrain but pass dangerous terrain ok. The two mobile Ravagers flank around the shrine to support them while three Venoms move flat out and hide best they can behind a ruin on the right flank which is close to the Chimera wall while a single Trueborn Venom moves into the area terrain of the large ruin without any problems.
Shooting, Trueborn blast the Vendetta and it's smoked. One Ravager blasts a CCS Chimera and it explodes, squad is then mauled and slaughtered by splinter cannon fire. Trueborn in the area terrain of the large ruin blast a melta Chimera which was behind the CCS Chimera, it explodes also and the squad gets showered by splinter fire leaving a solo melta Veteran left who passes morale. The remaining Ravager blasts a Manticore through the window of the ruin it is hiding behind, it fails cover save and it explodes!
In assault Baron and the Beastmasters charge the Hellhound, after the dust has settled between them they manage to stun it and score weapon destroyed taking the inferno cannon.
Guard's movement turn sees three Chimeras break formation and move up to deal with the three Venoms on the right flank hiding behind the ruin. Others move back a little bit so Beastmasters don't auto hit if they do get into charge range next turn.
Shooting the three Chimeras on the right flank blast a shower of multi laser fire and plasma guns at the Venoms, the Venoms do well on cover saves but two are stunned and one explodes - all Warriors are fine in the explosion and pass pinning test. One Manticore rains down on the trio of Venoms in the shrine ruin, one is wrecked and the Trueborn pass pinning. The other Manticore fires at a Ravager and hits, but it can only stun it and rolling 2 1's to glance it. Multi lasers blast the Trueborn Venom in the large ruin in the centre of the board and it's wrecked - squad passes pinning test.
In assault Beastmasters manage to immobilise the Hellhound and rip off the heavy flamer.
Kill points - Dark Eldar: 6 Imperial Guard: 4
Turn 3
Baron splits from his Beastmaster unit and jumps into terrain by the Manticore which didn't move last turn as it indirect fired, Baron passes terrain test ok. The Beastmaster unit then moves up towards the Chimera wall and has multiple targets to assault while the Beastmaster unit at the back of the board moves out of terrain and towards the immobilised Hellhound. The two Venoms in the shrine ruin move out and flank down towards the Guard table edge while the Trueborn on foot runs behind them. Warrior squad now on foot on the right flank move into the ruin nearby onto the first floor while one of the Warrior units in a stunned Venom bails out and moves into the ground floor to support them. The previous stunned Venom from turn 1 moves forward to support the Warrior squad on foot from the first Manticore bombardment.
Shooting, Trueborn in the centre ruin along with the Warrior squad on foot and the Venom blast a plasma Veteran Chimera, they score immobilised, weapon destroyed taking the multi laser and shaken. Warriors squads in the ruin on the right flank blast the CCS Chimera and another Plasma Veteran Chimera, the CCS tank is immobilised while the Veteran Chimera is stunned.
In assault the Beastmasters which were with the Baron charge the immobilised plasma Veteran Chimera what got shot by several blasters, it explodes killing a single Veteran in the blast and scoring two wounds on a Razorwing flock. Baron charges the Manticore and scores immobilised and shaken. Other Beastmaster unit charges the immobilised Hellhound and it explodes.
In Guard's turn the other plasma unit by the CCS bail out their tank ready to open fire on a Warrior squad while the two melta Chimeras move up to deal with the Beastmasters.
Shooting, CCS issues fire on my target to the plasma unit nearby, they blast the Warrior squad on the ground floor of the ruin and the squad is destroyed. CCS also issues FRFSRF to the plasma unit what got blown out their tank, they fire at the Beastmasters in front of them with support from both melta Veterans inside the Chimeras and a heavy flamer from a Chimera to put the Beastmasters down. CCS itself fires at the other Warriors in terrain, 3 plasma gunners die to gets hot! and only a single Warrior dies after cover saves. The operational Manticore bombs the other Beastmaster unit with two shots, the Beastmasters fail morale and fall back 10".
In assault the Baron smacks the Manticore again and this time scores weapon destroyed taking the storm eagle rockets.
Kill points - Dark Eldar: 8 Imperial Guard: 7
Turn 4
Baron moves away from the Manticore to tackle the solo Guardsmen as it's a easy kill. Two Ravagers flank down between the two large ruins in the centre of the board while the other moves across the D.E table edge to get side armour shot on the immobilised Chimera by the exposed plasma Veterans. Venoms near the shrine move up 12" as their blasters won't be in range of nothing and the Trueborn run behind them. Surviving squad in the ruin on the right flank gets back into their now free to move Venom as it's not longer stunned. Two Venoms and the Warriors on foot move up to deal with the plasma Veterans on foot.
Shooting, Ravager on it's own blasts the side armour of the Chimera next to the plasma Veterans and it explodes, some Veterans are cut down from the sharpnel. A Venom and squad inside open fires on them and wastes them. The other Venoms blast the other Veteran unit and they are all poisoned to death, remaining blaster shots get fired into the CCS Chimera, it's wrecked after three weapon destroyed results, the Commander and solo plasma gunner pass pinning but then are blasted by splinter cannon fire and they are wiped out. Two Ravagers blast two Chimeras with meltas and stun them both, Manticore is shaken by Trueborn.
In assault Baron charges and kills the solo Guardsmen.
Guard's fourth turn and it's looking pretty grim. The Manticore moves behind the two surviving Chimeras while those Chimeras pop smoke as neither can fire. A melta Veteran squad bails out their tank and blast the Baron, Baron passes melta saves but a pesky lasgun save he fails and his shadowfield is gone.
Kill points - Dark Eldar: 14 Imperial Guard: 7
Turn 5
Baron moves away from the Veterans on foot and prepares to assault the immobilised Mantcore. Remaining Dark Eldar units move up to ensure blasters and lances are in range and those that are just hold position.
Shooting, plenty of blasters and lances fire at the two Chimeras but both save every single damage result thanks to smoke. The Veterans on foot get blasted by splinter cannon fire, they get cover but half are wiped out, they pass morale.
In assault Baron charges the Manticore and it explodes - he takes a wound from sharpnel.
Guard's turn, a melta Chimera moves through a crater but gets immobilised after failing terrain test. Veterans on foot move up to blast Baron to kingdom come.
Shooting, Manticore uses it's last barrage and frags a Trueborn unit while meltas from inside a Chimera blast a Venom, only one hits and flickerfield makes the save. Veterans on foot slag Baron with meltas.
Kill points - Dark Eldar: 15 Imperial Guard: 8
Summary
I changed my tactics using the Dark Eldar this game to how I used to use them, which was move everything flat out first turn and take it from the next turn. I kept the army together, but it was spread out, but when each part of the force fired they had weight of guns to cause damage to a target. Near the end the other half flanked towards the Guard and boxed the Guard in.
I tested Beastmasters on foot using dual units. In this game they took out a Hellhound and a Chimera, which isn't a huge amount, but they opened up a Chimera for the splinter cannons to go to work and one unit it took a plasma Veteran unit, two melta Vet units and a heavy flamer to wipe them out - that's a lot of high strength low AP shots to deal with them which meant that fire wasn't going into my Venoms.
Baron I'm not sure about yet. I can see his helpfulness for going first would be limited, either the opponent needs to beat me big or I we roll a draw (which D.E will go first thanks to Baron) or I roll one less which makes it a draw in the roll off and roll again. In combat he's more of a tank hunter than anti infantry, which is fine for me as he's not too bad at it. I'll give him some more thought and testing before I commit. In game Baron finished off a single Guardsman and while this doesn't sound a lot it did save me directing a whole unit's fire power into killing a single model. Baron did also neutralise a Manticore for a turn then took it out, this works out to be 177 points worth of enemy models the Baron took out.
At the moment Beastmasters are stopping on foot. I will either use those extra points from the webway portal to pay for Baron or beef up a Haemonculus. Though the Haemonculus cannot tackle vehicles but would be better at anti infantry thanks to a liquifier gun and scissor hands.
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Originally Posted by thrawn
