First 6th ed batrep, here we go:
IG army list:
Primaris psyker with rulebook powers (got puppet master and psychic shriek)
Marbo
PCS with 3x flamer
20 man blob, 2x autocannon, 2x grenade launcher, commissar with plasma pistol and power weapon
Veteran squad with 3x plasmagun, grenadiers, power sword and chimera with heavy flamer
Vendetta with heavy bolters
Hydra (just trying it out in 6e)
Leman russ battle tank with lascannon and heavy bolters (another experiment)
Ilya had 3 quite large dire avenger squads, a farseer, a few warlocks, a warwalker, a falcon and some striking scorpions
Mission was crusade, deployment was the standard pitched-battle style one. We did everything in the order of the rulebook and one thing I noticed was that the terrain was a lot denser than how we usually play it. It also took a fair amount of time to set up. I tried to create areas of los blocking stuff down the middle for hiding and some open firelanes. Ilya was to deploy first and I didn't manage to seize the initiative.
Considering this was the first battle of 6th ed, all tactics went straight out of my head and I spread my army, allowing Ilya to sort of refuse flank me. Also the blob and the Leman Russ ended up having a very limited field of fire.
He moves up a little and begins to cast spells and dish out a bit of firepower... It turns out that the primaris psyker I was hiding behind what seemed to be a LOS blocking piece of terrain could be seen through a crack and he suffered a wound.
This was followed by minor losses on the blob.
My turn and I return some fire doing minor damage, mainly to the falcon.
Eldar turn 2 and the advance continues. Some striking scorpions arrive and the eldar inside the falcon get out
A little more damage is done to the blob...
The eldar suffer some more losses in return
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| I begin to reposition or try to and get some shots in at the eldar in the ruins |
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| And end up killing a whole squad on one of the objectives |
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| Vendetta comes in and my pcs flames another dire avenger squad hiding in a ruin and follows up with a rather unsuccessful assault. |
The eldar try to retaliate in turn 3 but don't do much...
The blob runs into the bastion and hides hoping to claim the objective next turn, and also I took out the falcon either this turn or the one before
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| Marbo combined with a desperate attack by the veterans causes this to happen - although I think the pictures have got a bit jumbled for some reason... |
In any case game ends 9-5 to the eldar
Following this match:
- I found that at least against non-flyer armies I still don't like the hydra
- That the primaris psyker, even with rulebook powers is still nothing too special... so I next match I tried out a ccs instead (stay tuned)
- I need to work on positioning the blob
- Should not be making simple mistakes during deployment
- This points level is not nice to my guard, as I have to take away a lot from my usual army list - should probably try building a specific one from the ground up
- First blood is VERY important need to work towards getting it rather than doing max damage to the enemy
Although not too bad overall considering this was my first game and I was able to salvage some points towards the end
The problem with flyer defence is that it will get taken out by the main force turn1... so things like Hydras and Aegis defence lines.
ReplyDeleteOverall a good report! Better luck next time!
Thanks :)
DeleteCool report man. I'd consider taking some cover denial units, even if it's only a heavy weapon team with mortars...although an eradicator would be preferable. It's instant death for most eldar units.
ReplyDeleteYeah I know - it's what I usually do, and what happened in the next batrep... I was just testing a few things and ideas this game
DeleteI probably like the Hydra more now than I did in 5th, despite its apparent nerf to only being able to Snap fire vs ground units.
ReplyDeleteFrom my experience, if your opponent is fielding flyers, keep the Hydra(s) in reserve (in a related point, I have found I have much more success going second in games were my opponent is using flyers) otherwise, the Hyrda acts as a 75 blocker which will generally be ignored by opponent for more 'threatening' targets. The Hydra also basically becomes a fast vehicle, as it suffers no disadvange to moving 12" each turn (as it has to snap fire anyway). Hitting on sixes does suck, but with rerolls for twin linked I still find I get a hit or two on average every round it fires (7 shots incl. Heavy bolter, rerolling misses with 4 autocannon shots, someone else can do the mathhammer!! :) ) Because its generally ignored and can move 12" without loss of fire output. I tend to use the hydra as mobile cover for my meltavets chimera and/or banewolfs for the first turn, before zooming off to harras units from the side/rear in turns two onwards. Last game vs SW with IG allies, my hydra manage to destroy a chimera first turn (three hits, two glaces and a pen on side armour, result!) saved my meltavet chimera by offering cover on his first and second turns, before tank shocking a platoon out of cover on the second turn so they could be shot to ribbons, and then finished off a leman russ demolisher third turn with some autocannon-in-the-ass action from behind. The only downside was my opponent managed to puppet master it and bring down my Vendetta on his fourth turn! :)
Either way, I'm really enjoying using it, and at only 75 points its a steal to offer good anti air and the high volume twin linked shots means its still useful against light ground armour, and in a mech heavy list, most opponents simply don't want to waste the missles required to bring it down!
As for Leman Russes, now the full blast is as deadly as it should be, Demolishers are just a massive cut above the other variants. There's still room in my lists for the trusty Executioner, but my god if you haven't rolled a squadron of two Demolishers into enemy lines in 6th yet, I recommend you give it a try. The number of resulting explosions is strangly gratifying!
My problem is that I usually play against people who do NOT use flyers, in which case I sort of don't know what to do with it. Also the reason that I never really used it anyway is that most flyers, being AV12 at front/side/whatever, require 5+ from the autocannons to do anything. I tried it out for this match just to see if my luck has changed and imo it nothing has really even with the newly included hull points.
DeleteAnother thing is that I only have 2 chimera hulls, so if I take a hydra that reduces the number of veterans for me, and so it won't really be ignored and won't do much either. Also I like taking a trio of leman russ' for my heavy support so it competes for slots there aswell...
In terms of allies, then yes I agree it is definitely a good inclusion to other lists, I just can't really find space for it in my IG, as while 75 pts might be a steal, I don't even have the points at 1500 to include a 65 point marbo so really maybe it's not for my list.
I shall definitely try out some demolishers sometime soon, the problem is that it's hard to switch out my usual "tried and trusted" combination of Leman Russ', the only problem comes when there aren't many things to explode and you start scattering on your own guys, but being someone who takes vindicators in SM lists, that shouldn't really stop me.
Thanks for commenting :)