Palpatine takes on Jason's Dark Eldar at the 2000 level. "Everything is proceeding according to my plan," Palpatine says, but then, he WOULD say that.
My Army:
HQ:
Primaris Psyker Palpatine (with Grenade Vets)
Lord Commissar Vader, Lightsaber (Powerfist) (with Flamer Vets)
Elites:
Boba Fett (Guardsman Marbo)
5 Storm Troopers, 2 Meltas, Plasma Pistol
5 Storm Troopers, 2 Meltas
Troops:
Veteran Squad, Grenadiers, 3 Plasma Guns, Plasma Pistol
-AT-AT Walker (Chimera), Multilaser, Heavy Bolter
Veteran Squad, Grenadiers, 3 Plasma Guns, Plasma Pistol
-AT-AT Walker (Chimera), Multilaser, Heavy Bolter
Veteran Squad, Grenadiers, 3 Flamers
-AT-AT Walker (Chimera), Multilaser, Heavy Flamer
Veteran Squad, Grenadiers, 2 Grenade Launchers, Flamer
-AT-AT Walker (Chimera), Multilaser, Heavy Flamer
Veteran Squad, Grenadiers, 3 Plasma Guns, Plasma Pistol
Veteran Squad, Grenadiers, 3 Grenade Launchers
Fast Attack:
3 Armored Sentinels, 3 Lascannons, 2 Hunter-Killers
3 Armored Sentinels, 3 Plasma Cannons
7 Speeder Bikes (Rough Riders)
Jason’s Army:
HQ:
Haemunculus, Webway Portal
Haemunculus, Webway Portal
Lelith Hesperax
Elites:
Chronos, Liquifier Gun
Talos, Liquifier Gun
Troops:
5 Trueborn, 4 Blasters
-Venom, Lots of Splinter Cannons
5 Trueborn, 4 Blasters
-Venom, Lots of Splinter Cannons
9 Kabalite Warriors
-Raider, Dark Lance, Flickerfield
9 Kabalite Warriors
-Raider, Dark Lance, Flickerfield
12 Wyches, Agonizer, 2 Hydra Gauntlets, Haywire Grenades
12 Wyches, Agonizer, 2 Hydra Gauntlets, Haywire Grenades
Fast Attack:
Beast Pack, 2 Beastmasters (1 w/Agonizer), 10 Khymerae, 4 Razorwings, 1 Clawed Fiend
Heavy Support:
Ravager, 3 Dark Lances, Flickerfield
Mission: 1 objective apiece
Deployment: Spearhead
I won the roll for deployment, and elected to go first. We each put our respective objective toward the back of our own deployment zone.
Jason rolled +1 Strength for his Wyches’ Combat Drugs.
Deployment:
I decided to go Reserve heavy this game, so I could react to the enemy movements. Accordingly, I deployed my two Heavy Bolter AT-ATs with Plasma Vets inside them, one on the objective, the other midway between the objective and the side edge of my quarter, both behind cover. The Plasma Vets on foot also deployed on my objective. Palpatine and the Grenade Vets went near the front, screened by the Lascannon Sentinels. The Plasma Sentinels anchored my left flank, at the front edge of my deployment zone.
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/...loymentIGL.jpg
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/...loymentIGC.jpg
Boba Fett, both Storm Trooper squads (in Deep Strike), the Speeder Bikes, Vader and his Flamer Vets, their AT-AT, and the other AT-AT with Grenade/Flamer Vets all went in Reserve. So I actually deployed only about half my army. Risky? Yes, but I had a plan (see below).
Jason also had a plan. He put one Raider front and center, knowing it’d probably get shot down but hoping its passengers would live long enough to move forward and open their portal. A Venom also went toward the front, facing the Sentinels. The other Venom, Raider, and Ravager clustered by a building on the left rear edge of his deployment zone. Everything else lurked in the Webway.
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/...ploymentDE.jpg
The Plan:
1) Shoot down all the skimmers. Priority goes to the Raiders, though the Trueborn are a serious threat to my Sentinels’ wellbeing.
2) Use the Sentinels and Palpatine’s squad to slow down and interdict the enemy advance. Force the Dark Eldar to make a slow grind through my army.
3) Once my front line cracks (and it will, unless my Sentinels are lucky), I’ll use my AT-AT Plasma Vets to move to physically intercept the Dark Eldar, blocking their path to my objective with the bodies of the vehicles, and using close-range rapid-fire shooting to whittle them down. The Plasma Vets on foot will hang back to the last, holding my home objective and sniping nearby targets of opportunity.
4) Meanwhile, I’ll hook hard right with Vader and the other two AT-ATs. This is my objective-claiming crew. By the time they show up, I should have most of the enemy anti-tank disabled, so they can make a straight run for Jason’s objective, ignoring most of the enemy army. Two squads of Vets, with Heavy Flamer AT-ATs and Vader, should be sufficient to kick any small squad of objective-holders off Jason’s objective.
5) The Speeder Bikes and Boba Fett are disruption units, to harass the enemy and pick off clustered units or stragglers. The Storm Troopers will drop to hit whatever hard targets survive my early barrage (specifically, the Talos, Chronos, or Ravager).
6) What this should look like, if all goes well, is that the Dark Eldar will lunge straight into my lines, bog down fighting my front-line troops, and get enveloped from the right by my Reserves, which will go straight past the enemy army to his objective, while I hold my own with my final line of defense for a brilliant 2-0 victory.
That was the idea, at least. Let’s see how it played out.
Jason failed to seize, fortunately for me.
Turn 1
Somewhat against my troops’ better judgment, I advanced toward the enemy with the Sentinels, hooking the Plasmas around a big building near the middle of the table, the Lascannons going straight up the middle, Palpatine and his Vets accompanying (I wanted to get within 24” to use my Grenades and Lightning). The AT-ATs stayed put, pivoting to target the enemy with their main guns.
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/...12/Turn1IG.jpg
Shooting was quite effective. Palpatine unleashed an 8-shot Lightning Arc, accompanied by a volley of Krak Grenades, and obliterated the nearby Venom, electrocuting every last one of the Trueborn as they tried to bail out! One of my AT-ATs Immobilized the front Raider with a Multilaser hit. The Lascannon Sentinels targeted the other Raider with a bunker-busting salvo of Lascannon beams and Hunter-Killer Missiles (I fired the whole works at them), scoring one glance and three penetrations, blowing up the Raider and killing 3 Kabalite Warriors in spite of the Haemunculus’s loving attentions. The Warriors then fell back 6”, alarmed by the resistance offered by the “puny mon-keigh”. The Plasma Sentinels were the only fly in the ointment, the only Plasma Cannon hit they scored on the other Venom failing to scratch it. Still, an excellent first turn; two skimmers and one infantry unit destroyed, another skimmer neutralized, and one of the Webway Portals falling back!
Jason didn’t have much on-field to answer with, but he did his best. The Ravager drifted into the open to draw a bead on the Lascannon Sentinels, while the Venom zoomed 12” toward the Plasma Sentinels and disembarked its Trueborn into good Blaster range. The fleeing Warriors regrouped and consolidated back toward the fight, while the other Warriors hopped out of their unmoving ride and hustled toward the heart of my position.
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/...12/Turn1DE.jpg
The Trueborn blasted away at the Sentinels, but only Shook one of them. Not a very good result. The center Warriors’ Haemunculus opened his Portal, knowing he probably wouldn’t get another chance, while the other Warriors Ran toward my left. The Venom fired Splinter Cannon shots at Palpatine’s squad, but in a display of complete incompetence, didn’t score a single wound. The Ravager made up for this by blowing two of the Lascannon Sentinels apart, in the only really good news for Jason this turn.
Objectives:
Guard: 1
Eldar: 0
Turn 2
I rolled for my Reserves and got both AT-ATs and the non-Plasma Pistol Storm Troopers. Not a bad result; I didn’t need the Speeder Bikes yet, and Boba Fett would be more useful later. The Storm Troopers dropped directly behind the Ravager, while the AT-ATs marched onto the field on my right, directly opposite Jason’s objective. They moved 12” on and popped smoke, fearing the Ravager.
Lord Vader, right on schedule:
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/...2/Turn2IGR.jpg
Palpatine’s squad and the last Lascannon Sentinel gritted their teeth and went straight toward the Kabalite Warriors around the Webway Portal. If I’d still had all my Sentinels I might’ve been able to completely surround the Portal and prevent enemy exit, but as it was, my initial plan of phased sacrificial units would have to suffice. The Plasma Sentinels, feeling better about their chances, went after the Trueborn who’d so conspicuously failed to damage them.
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/...2/Turn2IGL.jpg
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Two Trueborn went down to Plasma Cannon fire, the remainder holding their ground. The Storm Troopers got a penetrating hit on the Ravager, but only rolled a 1 for damage. This still upgraded to Weapon Destroyed, courtesy of Open Topped and AP1, but I’d hoped to kill the thing, and it still had 2 Dark Lances ready to fire next turn. Palpatine’s squad made no mistakes, however, and wiped out the Haemunculus and his whole squad with a massive Lightning Arc, volley of Grenades, and Lasgun beams. One of my AT-ATs picked off two Kabalite Warriors at long range. Finally, the other AT-AT knocked out the Immobilized Raider with a lucky Heavy Bolter hit.
In assault, the Plasma Sentinels stomped into the Trueborn, flattening two of them. The survivor refused to flee, which was probably a good thing in that it rendered my Sentinels un-shootable for the turn.
Can you find the Trueborn? Not a fair fight...
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/...2IGAssault.jpg
I’d had it all my own way to this point, massacring Eldar right and left, but now it was time to pay the piper, as Jason got ready to roll his Reserves.
Lelith and her Wych squad sprang out of the Webway alongside the Chronos, right in front of Palpatine’s squad. The Talos drifted in front of the Sentinel in a sinister fashion, and the Beast Pack loped out of the Webway as well, behind the other units. Only the other Wych squad remained in Reserve. Thanks to my troops’ and Sentinel’s placement, it was very crowded around the Portal.
So THAT's where the rest of them were!
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/...n2DEWebway.jpg
The Venom moved sideways, angling toward the center of the board, as did the Ravager, which sought to get away from the Storm Troopers. The remaining Kabalite Warriors hustled toward my left flank.
The Warriors opened their Portal, just to have more options for the Wyches when they arrived. The Ravager fired at one of my AT-ATs, but I made my cover save against the only hit that got through. The Venom shot up the Storm Troopers, and for the second straight turn rolled nothing higher than a 3 to wound. Wyches and Beasts Ran.
In assault, the Talos slammed into the Sentinel, but only Stunned it (it got just 3 attacks this turn, only one of which penetrated). This was bad, as I’d wanted to shoot the Talos in my turn. The Wyches and Chronos, totally unsurprisingly, annihilated Palpatine and his squad, collecting one Pain token on the Chronos and two on the Wyches, all of whom consolidated further into my table quarter. This was actually going completely according to plan, as my backup troops were well-positioned to repel them. The Plasma Sentinels squashed the last Trueborn into jelly and consolidated toward the middle of the board.
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/...Turn2DEEnd.jpg
Objectives:
Guard: 1
Eldar: 0
Turn 3
The other Storm Troopers and Speeder Bikes arrived, but Boba Fett bided his time and didn’t show. Stupid mercenaries; I wanted him to deal with the Wyches. I dropped the Storm Troopers behind the Ravager again, but scattered badly, 9”. It wasn’t a mishap, so I didn’t risk a reroll (I was still in long Melta range after all). The Speeder Bikes moved on between Vader’s task force and my home quarter, eyeing the Beast Pack warily.
I moved my HB AT-ATs into blocking position between Wyches and objective, as planned. Since they’d only moved 6”, the Plasma Gunners inside were quite able to shoot, and enthusiastic to do so. The Plasma Sentinels moved to draw a bead on the nicely-bunched-up Wyches, and the Storm Troopers already on field hustled after the retreating skimmer, determined to finish it off. Lastly, Vader’s AT-AT force moved just 6”, drawing Heavy Flamer lines of fire on the Beast Pack. I figured I could afford a short detour to try to whittle down the Beasts.
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/...2/Turn3IGL.jpg
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/...2/Turn3IGR.jpg
Shooting was devastating. My first Plasma Vets were less than effective against the Chronos, failing to wound it and losing two Gunners to overheats, but the second Vet squad knocked it down to just 1 wound, and a lucky Multilaser bolt from an AT-AT finished it off. The Sentinels’ Plasma blasts were fearsomely effective, scoring a total of 16 hits on the Wyches. Lelith’s reflexes saved her, but she stood alone, and was blown apart seconds later by long-range Plasma fire from my foot Plasma Vets on the objective, destroying the first Dark Eldar thrust on my objective. The Beasts proved harder to destroy, as Khymera after Khymera made its saves against lots and lots of Flamer templates from the AT-ATs and the troops inside. I did kill a handful of Khymerae, but it scarcely mattered. The Storm Troopers, however, did their jobs with efficiency, shooting down both the Venom and the Ravager. Unfortunately, the Plasma Pistol Sergeant practiced poor firearm safety and killed himself with an overheat (the third of the turn, but then, I HAD been firing an awful lot of Plasma).
I gambled and assaulted the Talos with the Speeder Bikes, hoping for 6s. None showed up, but fortunately the Talos only got 1 attack in return. It crushed a Speeder Bike, but the Bikers held their ground.
It had been an excellent turn, with two vehicles, one Monstrous Creature, Lelith and all her Wyches, and a hanful of Beasts destroyed. Now it was time to take the counterattack, but I was starting to think there weren’t enough Dark Eldar left to stop me.
The other Wych squad jumped out of the Webway into the middle of all the chaos, running toward the Plasma AT-ATs and my objective in a desperate attempt to cut through my lines and claim my objective. The Beasts moved toward the ongoing Talos-Biker-Sentinel melee, also approaching Vader’s AT-ATs. The handful of Kabalite Warriors and Haemunculus, ignored by me, moved toward the center as well.
No shooting to speak of.
The Beasts overran the Speeder Bikes, killing them all with ease. The Talos must have hit something important, because the Sentinel exploded with a huge 6” radius, killing one of the Bikes, two Khymerae, and even a pair of Wyches! The Wyches jumped on the AT-AT with their Haywires... and scored one lousy hit. It did penetrate with a 6, but then rolled a 1 for damage and only Shook the mighty machine. Luke Skywalker they ain’t.
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/...12/Turn3DE.jpg
At the end of this turn, weirdly, I had the Dark Eldar completely surrounded, with Plasma Sentinels and Storm Troopers coming in behind, and massive AT-ATs at their front and flanks.
Objectives:
Guard: 1
Eldar: 0
Turn 4
Boba Fett emerged in a building overlooking the Wyches, readying his Thermal Detonator. Vader, considering the situation well in hand and wanting to accomplish his mission, instructed his AT-AT’s pilot to make for Jason’s objective at full speed. Another turn would easily get them there. The other AT-AT shifted sideways to intercept the Beasts from pursuing Vader, and targeting the Beasts with its Flamer. The Shaken AT-AT moved away from the Wyches, depositing its Plasma Vets out the back in prime rapid-fire range. The Sentinels approached the Wyches, hoping for a repeat performance of last turn. Storm Troopers started moving toward the fighting.
"Boba Fett?! Where?!"
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The Sentinels got their wish, wiping out the entire Wych unit with deadly accuracy and racking up their third full-unit-kill of the game. Boba Fett, disappointed, slipped his Detonator back into its pouch on his belt and fired a frustrated Ripper Pistol shot at the Beasts, which failed to wound. The Beasts suffered badly, more Khymerae going down, the Clawed Fiend taking a couple of wounds, and a Razorwing flock flying apart into a cloud of feathers under heavy fire from all sides.
Jason was down to just 3 Kabalite Warriors, their Haemunculus, and the depleted Beast Pack. Determined to do what damage he could, he sent the Warriors toward the dismounted Plasma Vets and the Beasts swarmed into the AT-AT next to them.
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/...12/Turn4DE.jpg
The Warriors scored two wounds on the Vets, but their Carapace protected them from harm.
The Clawed Fiend, furious at its wounding, ripped off the Multilaser and one of the legs of the AT-AT, Immobilizing it. The Razorwings couldn’t find any weak points in the armor and failed to get any 6s on Rending.
Objectives:
Guard: 1
Eldar: 0
Turn 5
I dismounted my Grenade/Flamer Vets from their Immobilized ride and targeted the Beasts. The Plasma Sentinels and Boba Fett stomped toward the Kabalite Warriors. Vader’s AT-AT took up position on Jason’s home objective. Storm Troopers hustled toward the Beast Pack. The rest of my army, with not much to do, held its ground.
Not a good place for Dark Eldar to be...
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/...2/Turn5IGL.jpg
http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/...2/Turn5IGR.jpg
Boba Fett gleefully tossed his Detonator into the Warriors, scoring a direct hit and annihilating them and the Haemunculus. The Vets blasted the Beast Pack, reducing it to one Beastmaster and two Razor flocks. Then the Sentinels finished them off with Plasma blasts.
The game was over; the Dark Eldar had been entirely destroyed.
Originally Posted by Atrahasis
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