40K: Spreadsheet Template for Codex: Dark Eldar

Have you ever worked at something, and reworked it, and reworked it - only to suddenly have an idea that would have saved you a lot of time and effort if you'd thought of it before you started?

I think you can see where this is going.

All future versions of my spreadsheets will include every Universal Special Rule (USR) listed in the core rulebook, not just the ones that appear in the codex. This will prevent me from stumbling across one mention of USR that I missed and having to renumber all the references in the army list.

Additionally, I decided to get my screenshots done before entering in all the descriptions.

As with the Ork and Blood Angel Codices before, these templates are Open Office spreadsheets. Screenshots follow the link below:

DE_5th_2010_v_1-0_BLANK.ods (34 KB, Mediafire)

Don't worry - the Ranged Weapon names are included

40K: First Game With the 'New' Dark Eldar - 1500 pts vs. Sam Hain

It's been months since I've played, but the new Codex finally got me excited to bring some pain, True Kin-style. With so many new options and cool weapons, it took me FOREVER to pare things down to the standard 1500 points that we generally play at my FLGS that would require the smallest amount of proxying (I pride myself on having an army that is both attractive and accurate in its visual representation).

My List

Archon: Agonizer, Shadow Field, Combat Drugs, Ghostplate Armor, Phantasm Grenade Launcher
Haemonculus: Liquifier Gun
3 Incubi
Venom: 2nd Splinter Cannon, Night Field


Haemonculi: Liquifier Gun, Scissorhand
9 Wyches: Hekatrix w/Agonizer, Haywire Grenades
Raider: Flickerfield


2 x 9 Kabalite Warriors: Splinter Cannon, Shredder
2 x Raiders: Flickerfield, Splinter Racks


5 Scourges: 2 x Splinter Cannons

2 x Ravagers: 3 Dark Lances, Night Shields

1 x Talos: Ichor Injector, Chain Flail

Eldar Sam-Hain List (to the best of my understanding)

Autarch: Jetbike, Laser Lance


5 Fire Dragons: Exarch w/lance
Wave Serpent: Holofield, TL Brightlance

Dire Avengers (unknown # - they never disembarked)
Wave Serpent: Holofield, TL Brightlance


2 x 4 Jetbikes


4 x Vyper: Plasma Missile/Rocket (?)
2 x Fire Prism
1 x Night Spinner

Table Setup & Deployment - Sorry, no pictures this time :-(

I rolled up a Capture & Control scenario. My opponent won the deployment roll and opted to let me go first - usually not something you want to let Dark Eldar do, but I would realize in short order he chose to do this. The table was open plains, dominated in the middle by a Fortress of Redemption (sans guns) with simply-constructed Imperial ruins - approximately 12" x 12" - in each of the four corners.

I set up in the center of my DZ behind the Fortress with my Raiders and Talos lined up in front, Scourges to their right and Ravagers close behind.

My opponent did not put anything on the table.

Turn 1 - Dark Eldar: Charge?

Movement: The Raiders boosted to the opposite side of the Fortress, while the Ravagers circled 12" around the left side of the structure. Scourges jumped 12" around the right side. The Talos creeped onto the base
s vacant gun platform.

Shooting: Nothing to shoot.

Assault: Nothing to assault.

Turn 1 - Sam-Hain: I think not

His army couldn't do anything on the first turn, as it was held in reserve.

Turn 2 - Dark Eldar: Um, hello?

Movement: The Raiders drifted back towards the center of the table, putting about 6" between them, as did the Ravagers. The Talos stayed put and the Scourges moved towards the right corner of my opponent's DZ, where he'd placed his objective.

Shooting: Nothing to shoot.

Assault: Nothing to assault.

Turn 2 - Sam-Hain: Fashionably late

Movement: Using his Autarch ability to improve Reserve rolls, the Autarch appeared on the left edge of the table along with 4 jetbikes, all of whom turbo boosted into position. Following them 12" in was a Fire Prism. On the right flank, a Night Spinner appeared in the objective-bearing ruins along with a Vyper. Two more Vypers and a Wave Serpent appeared in the center of his DZ, drawing a bead on my Raiders, as did the Fire Dragons disembarking from it.

Shooting: The Frie Dragons made short work of the Wych Raider, taking out three Wyches in the process. The Night Spinner fired on the Talos, leaving it unharmed, but bogged down on it's perch on the Fortress. One of the Ravagers was Stunned by a Fire Prism. Other shots either missed or were turned aside by Flickerfields.

Assault: None

Turn 3 - Dark Eldar: Webway living is bad for your eyesight

Movement: The surviving Wyches passed their pinning & Ld. tests and moved towards the Fire Dragons, who suddenly looked very nervous. One of the Warrior Raiders moved a little closer towards the center, while the Scourges, realizing they could do nothing against the Night Spinner sitting on the Sam-Hain objective, headed back towards their objective in the center of their DZ. The unstunned Ravager moved 12" to gain line-of-sight on the Fire Prism. The Talos shook off the effects of the Spinner and crawled off the Fortress, headed for the jetbikes.

Shooting: The Wych Haemonculi unloaded his Liquifier Gun on the Dragons, killing all but the Exarch with an AP roll of 2. The Ravager managed to stun the Prism, while the Raiders lances failed to do anything to the Wave Serpent sitting right in front of them. One of the Warrior squads manged to take down a Vyper with their Shredder (the other Shredder shot having scattered off). The Talos managed to wound two of the bikers, but the saves were easily made. The remaining Warriors and Scourges could do nothing against the vehicles with their splinter armament.

Assault: Despite the Exarch breaking and running, he could not outrun the Wyches, who easily overtook him. The Talos was too far away to assault the jetbikes.

Turn 3 - Sam-Hain: Things turn ugly

Movement: More reserve rolls resulted in the remainder of the Eldar force arriving: a second Fire Prism, 4 more jetbikes, another Vyper and a Wave Serpent packed with Dire Avengers appeared on my right flank, headed for my objective. The first Fire Prism on my left flank moved across the ruins towards the Wyches. The left flanking jetbikes boosted strait towards my objective in the rear center of the table, while the Autarch took a postion directly in front of the nearest Ravager. One of the central Vypers moved up near the Talos, while the other Vyper and Wave Serpent milled about in near the Raiders.

Shooting: The Night Spinner unloaded on the Wyches, slaying all but three (and the Haemonculus), pinning the unit in the process. The Archon's Venom was immobilized and lost a Splinter Cannon, while one of the Raiders lost its Dark Lance to a Vyper. The Autarch immobilized a Ravager. Other shooting either missed or was turned aside by Flickerfields.

Assault: Despite taking advantage of an immobilized Ravager, the Autarch could not land a single blow with his lance!

Turn 4 - Dark Eldar: Payback time

Movement: The Scourges, finally having something squishy to shoot on their side of the table, stayed put in order to maximize their Splinter Cannon shots, while the two functional Warrior Raiders moved to flank the Avenger-bearing Serpent. The Talos stalked the passing jetbike squadron and the Archon and his gang abandoned their useless Venom to move onto the Fortress and run back towards the DE objective. They Wyches recovered and passed their Ld. test, moving against the nearby Fire Prism, haywire grenades in hand. The still-mobile Ravager moved back towards the DE table edge, keeping the Autarch, Fire Prism, jetbikes and home objective in his sights - he would be batting clean up.

Shooting: The Scourges layed an unholy amount of poisoned firepower on the fresh jetbikes, slaying all but two of them. What they left behind, the Raider-bourne Warriors finished off. Unfortunately, their Raider's Dark Lance was not as effective against the Wave Serpent, doing no damage. The Talos brought down one jetbike with it's twin-linked Splinter Cannon. The Autarch avoided the shots made by the downed Ravager, but was vaporized by the second Ravager behind it.

Assault: The Wyches charged the Fire Prism, but were unable to do anything with three grenades. The Talos, on the other claw, managed to roll a staggering seven attacks against the jetbikes and brought the unit crashing down in one fell swoop!

Turn 4 - Sam-Hain: Stay focused!

Movement: The Avenger Wave Serpent boosted over to the DE objective, spinning it's rear armor to the DE table edge. The assaulted Fire Prism moved up, away from the Wyches and the Vyper next to the Talos drew near to the Archon and his unit on the Fortress. The Vyper and Fire Prism on the right edge of the table moved up to provide support as well, bearing down on the Scourges standing between them and the DE DZ (say that ten times fast).

Shooting: The majority of the Eldar shooting was against the two Raiders, still carrying full squads of Kabalite Warriors, with some of the attention getting diverted to the backfield Ravager. The majority of the Eldar shooting was thwarted by Flickerfields, much to the consternation of the Eldar player and the delight of yours truly. The Scourges did take some casualties, but passed their Ld. test.

Assault: Despite the Archon's attempts to coax them out their armored shell, the Dire Avengers were not setting foot outside the Wave Serpent.

Turn 5 - Dark Eldar: Futile Fusillade

Movement: Anything mobile that still had a Dark Lance (one Ravager and one Raider at this point) made a 12" bee-line for the Wave Serpent. The Talos, still buzzing off its jetbike kill, turned to face the Vyper harassing the Archon (it was too far away to reach the WS). The Wyches tried to chase after the Fire Prism, but simply could not keep up.

Shooting: The Dire Avengers 'ooh'-ed and 'aah'-ed at the nice light show their enemies put on for them, safe and content within their floating, armored womb. No other Dark Eldar armament had a chance of putting a scratch on any of the tanks.

Assault: Channeling the frustration generated by the rest of the army, the Talos charged and landed two blows against the Vyper - immobilizing and stunning it.

Conclusion

Before taking his last turn, the Eldar player asked me to roll and see if the game would end on this turn. Unfortunately for me, it did. I had no models within 3" of the Wave Serpent and the Dire Avengers inside it. Additionally, his Night Spinner sat uncontested on his own objective in the distant corner ruins. The Sam-Hain had won. Had he taken his turn, his shooting would have likely taken out the remaining Dark Lances, leaving me completely unable to destroy the Wave Serpent.

Despite winning by objectives, the Sam-Hain had only completely destroyed one Raider; immobilized a Ravager and Venom; caused 3 casualties on my Scourges, 6 on my Wyches; and taken two guns off of vehicles - a Dark Lance off a Raider, Splinter Cannon off the Venom. For the Dark Eldar, that's pretty amazing.

In return, they suffered the loss of their Autarch, two squarons of jetbikes, a unit of Fire Dragons, and one Vyper. A second Vyper was immobilized.

Quick Thoughts About the Updated Dark Eldar

• The Dark Eldar are going to masscre horde (infantry heavy) lists.
• The Dark Eldar are going to struggle against mechanized lists, unless they are tailored to anti-mech - or happen to be consistently lucky with the Lances (I'm not).
• Pain Tokens are pretty cool. I used red acrylic gem counters to keep track of them. ($5 at my FLGS)
• It was nice to dust off the Scourges and use them again, but I'm dropping them for Reavers w/Caltrops in my next list. Maybe I'd feel different if I'd played against Orks or Tyranids.
• If you take a Talos, the Chain Flail upgrade is a must.
• Enemy ordinance has been, and will continue to be, a huge problem for Dark Eldar. Indirect, pinning pie plates that travel 70" are scary.
• I can't imagine taking a named character at 1500 points. Of course, I don't like to take them anyway, so that may not mean much.
• Flickerfields - don't leave home without them. They are the reason this game was so close.

Got any thoughts or advice on what I should do to improve my list? Let me know!

40k: New Dark Eldar - They are real and they are spectacular

This morning I happened across some pics (courtesy of BOLS) coming out of Games Workshop's German and Italian Games Day events, which included the first good look at the new Dark Eldar models.

Having played the True Kin as my primary 40k force for about 8 years now, I was all set to say something along the lines of "That's nice, they don't look good enough to replace what I have." Let's face it, the existing Dark Eldar line was widely known to be downright ugly. But factor in the fact that 1) I'm not rich and 2) it takes me FOREVER to get models painted due to a variety of reasons (no time, perfectionistic tendencies, procrastination, other hobbies) and one might understand why I'd be quick to adopt such a position.

But I was wrong. Very wrong. The new Dark Eldar range is beautiful:

Not only are the new models awesome, but the rules that have been glimpsed from the new codex (see the BOLS link above) sound awesome and very much in keeping with the army's theme of speed and fragile lethality.

It's obvious that I'm going to get the Codex as soon as I can. That's a given. But these new models . . . I have a wife and two kids, man! We just moved into a new house and I don't have a painting area set up yet! I'm not even halfway done with my Ork Horde! These people have NO idea what they're doing to me.

This November, one man's self-restraint will be pushed to its limit. Will he endure or succumb? Only time will tell.

40K: Battle Report - 1500 pt Dark Eldar vs Dark Eldar

I have often encountered players who, upon learning that I play DE, say something along the lines of "Yeah, I used to play them." I was surprised to find that someone at my LGS actually show up with his DE, looking for a game. I was more than happy to oblige.

We rolled for a mission and wound up competing for four objectives - one located in each quadrant of the table.

Kabal of the Guilded Talon (my list)
1 Archon (HQ)
- Punisher; Shadow Field; Drugs; P.Grenades; Animus Vitae; Tormentor Helm
6 Incubi Retinue
- Torm. Hl. & Punisher (x5); Blaster (x1); Plasma Grenades
1 Raider
- Dark Lance

9 Wyches (Elites)
- Splinter P. & CCW (x8); Blaster (x1); P.Grenades; Wych Weapons
1 Succubus
- Agoniser (x1); Splinter Pistol (x1); P.Grenades; Wych Weapons
1 Raider
- Dark Lance

1 Raider Squad (Troops)
5 Warriors:
- Splinter Rifle (x3); Splinter Cannon (x1); Blaster (x1)
1 Raider
- Dark Lance; Horrorfex

14 Warriors (Troops)
- Splinter Rifle (x10); Splinter Cannon (x2); Blaster (x2)

10 Warriors (Troops)
- Splinter Rifle (x8); Dark Lance (x2)

10 Warriors (Troops)
- Splinter Rifle (x8); Dark Lance (x2)

3 Reaver Jetbikes (Fast Attack)
- Splinter Rifle (x1); Blaster (x2)

3 Ravagers (Heavy Support)
- Dark Lance (x1); Disintegrator (x2)

Models in Army: 65
Total Army Cost: 1500

My opponent's list, as near as I remember:
1 Archon (HQ)
- Agonizer; Shadow Field; Drugs; P.Grenades; H.Grenades
10 Incubi Retinue
- Torm. Hl. & Punisher (x10); P.Grenades
1 Raider
- Dark Lance; Horrorfex

1 Dracon (HQ)
Agonizer
Combat Drugs
Plasma Grenades
Haywire Grenades
10 Incubi Retinue
Torm. Hl. & Punisher (x10); Plasma Grenades
1 Raider
Dark Lance; Horrorfex

3 Raider Squads (Troops)
Warriors
- Splinter Rifle (x3); Splinter Cannon (x1); Blaster (x1)
1 Raider
- Dark Lance; Horrorfex

1 Ravager (Heavy Support)
- Disintegrator (x3)

2 Talos (Heavy Support)

Deployment
I won the roll for deployment and opted to go first, I deployed towards the middle of my DZ, placing Sniper Squad 1 near an objective in a forested hill on my left and Sniper Squad 2 near an objective on a large plateau on the right. Between them sat the Warrior Squad. The Archon and RJB unit were deployed behind Sniper Squad 1's hill. Ravager 1 was at the rearward base of the hill, between Sniper Squad 1 and the Warrior Squad, while Ravager 2 was located behind the large hill that Sniper Squad 2 occupied, along with the Wych Raider and the Raider Squad. The last Ravager was placed on my right flank, behind a building

My opponent placed his entire force behind a forested hill in the center of his DZ, flanked by the Talos with 2 Raider Squads blocking line of sight to the other Raiders and Ravager packed in behind them.

Deployment (sorry for the crappy cellphone pics)

My Turn 1
Moving
The RJB's boosted along the extreme left flank, ending their move behind a forested hill. The Warrior Squad moved forward cautiously, backed up by Ravager 1 which moved up 12". Ravager 2 moved forward 12" to hover in front of Sniper Squad 2 on their hill, while Ravager 3 moved forward 6" out from behind the building. The Raider Squad moved up 12", heading for the nearest objective, located in front of my opponent's DZ. Both Sniper Squads sat still, as did the Archon and Wych Raiders.
Shooting
Despite the full complement of Dark Lance, Heavy and Light Disentegrator fire poured into the mass of enemy Raiders, I only managed to down a single Raider; The Dracon Raider was shaken, his lone Ravager was stunned, and a single wound was taken off the Talos that was lined up against my left flank. The Warriors waited until the Raider was downed to open up on the pinned enemy Warriors, killing several with their Splinter Cannons.
Assault
No assaults this turn, but the RJB adjusted their position along the left flank.

Opponent's Turn 1
Moving
The foremost Raider on his right side moved across his deployment to provide cover for the pinned Warriors. The other vehicles that could still move inched forward, but seemed hesitant. A second Raiders on [his right, my left] was destroyed by a scattering blast from a Disentegrator, killing almost half the Warrior squad on board. The two Taloi surged forward, but rolled poorly in their attempts to fleet/run.
Shooting
The enemy's return fire downed my Raider Squad with a lance shot (note the flaming wreckage template in front of Sniper Squad 2's hill), and the survivors were quickly picked off. Another lance to Ravager 1 (Between Warrior Squad and Sniper Squad 1) disabled its dark lance. The rest of his shooting was largely ineffectual.
Assault
No assaults

End of Turn 1

My Turn 2
Moving
The RJB's move to the small hill near the objective and leftmost enemy Talos. Ravager 1 and the Warrior squad stay put, having plenty of targets in range. The other two Ravagers move forward 6". The Archon's Raider moves 12" over Sniper Squad 1's hill and sit on the objective just outside my DZ. The Wych Raider shifts out from behind cover to draw a bead on the rightmost Talos with its lance. The Sniper Squads maintain their positions.
Shooting
Not a great round of shooting, due in large part to my opponent's ability to make a ridiculous number of cover saves. The RJB's are somehow just outside of Blaster range and can't fire on the nearby Talos. Additionally, only one of the many lance shots in its direction managed to score a second wound - proving it's worth a fire magnet. Some other shooting from on the opposite side of the field managed to stun a Raider while the Warrior Squad picked off a few more of the downed Warriors from the first turn. Talos 2 takes a wound.
Assault
No assaults, but the RJB's advanced upon the Talos, putting them within the threat of assault - depending on my opponent's fleet/run roll.

Opponent's Turn 2
Moving
The Talos takes the bait and moves over difficult terrain, headed for the RJB's. The Warriors move up to support it, taking them closer to the objective in that quadrant. The Archon's Red Raider zooms forward 12" with the Ravager following close by. The second Talos moves up on the my right flank Ravager. The Dracon's Raider finally decides to move up opposite the Archon, while the remaining Raider continues to meander around the wreckage of the Raider from turn 1, as the survivors move into cover around the nearby objective.
Shooting
His Ravager manages to immobilize Ravager 1 beside the Warrior Squad, leaving it with two functional Disentegrators. A volley of lances annihilates Ravager 3 along my right flank. A few more Warriors are picked off from the middle.
Assault
Talos 1 reaches assault with and kills two of the RJB's, leaving the lone survivor to flees back towards his table edge as it consolidates towards the downed Ravager 1. Talos 2 assaults Ravager 2, but only succeeds in shaking it.

End of Turn 2

My Turn 3
Moving
The Archon's Raider moves up behind Talos 1, roughly where the RJB's made their stand. The Wych Raider moves up to the edge of the hill where the enemy Warriors are holding an objective and disembarks. Ravager 2 retreats from Talos 2, taking up a position behind the Warrior squad.
Shooting
Talos 1 is largely ignored, while shots are poured into Talos 2, only managing to score a second wound on it. The Wyches thin out the Warrior squad holding the objective with their Splinter Pistols and Blaster. Fortunately, the Archon's Raider is taken down and a few casualties a taken in the unit. Unfortunately, my opponent continues to make the majority of his cover and armor saves.
Assault
The Wyches assault the remainder of the Warrior squad, using their Plasma Grenades to negate their cover. The Warriors are slaughtered and the Wyches consolidate into cover around the objective.

Opponent's Turn 3
Moving
The remaining Raider with its squad of Warriors move up to unleash splintery heck on the Wyches. Talos 1 creeps 6" towards the downed Ravager 1. The Dracon's Raider dashes across the center of the table, as the Archon and his retinue slog across on foot. Talos 2 remains in contact with the shaken Ravager 3. The enemy Ravager falls back to cover the Warriors who are holding an objective and staring down the Archon's Raider.
Shooting
My Warrior squad is nearly cut in half by shooting, mainly from the Ravager. The Raider Squad pours fire into the Wyches, but cover saves prevent them from being wiped out entirely. My Archon's Raider is stunned, but otherwise unharmed.
Assault
The opposing Archon and Incubi charge the remnant of the Warrior squad and crush it - leaving a lone survivor scrambling for a table edge. They consolidate towards the forest where Sniper Squad 1 is hiding. Talos 2 attempts to destroyRavager 2, but can't seem to connect.

End of Turn 3

My Turn 4
Moving
Sniper Squad 1 surges forward to claim the objective sitting just forward of the forested hill they've been hiding in while Sniper Squad 2 rushes forward to surround the objective in front of them. The Archon's Raider slides on to the small hill beside it before disembarking. Ravager 2 continues to make a tactical withdrawl, ending up in nearly the same position it started the game. The Wyches shift around in the cover, anticipating that they will either charge this turn or be wiped out by shooting shortly after, while their Raider maneuvers deep into enemy territory and flanks the Ravager. The fleeing RJB and Warrior continue their headlong flight off the table.
Shooting
Finally getting our targeting matrices aligned, Talos 2 is taken down by lance fire. The Wyches also manage to take down the Raider closest to them with a Blaster, taking some Warriors out in the ensuing wreck (and pinning them, I think) - My opponent attempts to deploys them on the opposite side of the wreckage from the Wyches. The Wych Raider sends a beam of dark matter into the rear of the enemy Ravager, stunning it. Ravager 2 lays waste to the Archon and his Incubi with its Disentegrators, but can't quite wipe them out.
Assault
My Archon and his Incubi charge and make short work of the Warriors holding an objective. They consolidate around the objective.

Opponent's Turn 4
Moving
The Dracon and his Incubi disembark at the foot of the hill by Sniper Squad 2. The Archon and a surviving Incubi (or two), attempt to move into the forest towards Sniper Squad 1, but poor difficult terrain tests frustrate their movement. Talos 1 casually floats up to the immobilized Ravager 1, claws twitching greedily.
Shooting
The Dracon and her retinue take pot shots at Sniper Squad 2 while her Raider blows Ravager 2 out of the sky.
Assault
The Dracon and Incubi charge Sniper Squad 2, slaughtering most of the them, but the survivors refuse to back down. Talos 1 wails on the Ravager 1, but can't seem to do anything to it that hasn't already been done.

End of Turn 4.
Somewhere around this point, another player made the smart alec comment:
"Hey the DE are finally going to win a game!"
I gave him the stink eye.

My Turn 5
Moving
The Wyches move out of cover to face the Warriors hiding behind their downed Raider.
Shooting
Sniper Squad 1 finally FINALLY takes down Talos 1. The Splinter Pistols and a Blaster of the Wyches trim the ranks of the Warriors. A couple shots aimed at the Ravager keep it unable to fire, IIRC - that or the Archon's Raider blew up the Dracon's Raider (I really need to remember to get the end game pics)
Assault
The Wyches charge and overrun the Warriors contesting the objective - they consolidate towards the Dracon and Incubi, who finishes off Sniper Squad 2 and consolidates around the objective.

Opponent's Turn 5
Moving
The Archon and Incubi try to move through the forest, but can't get within striking distance of Sniper Squad 1 - the only scoring unit left on the table.
Shooting
n/a
Assault
n/a

At this point, my opponent rolled to see if the game would continue and got a 1. I was firmly in possession of 1 objective, and contesting 2 others. My opponent was contesting 1 objective. I win!

Sorry, no pic for Turn 5

40K: Updated Dark Eldar List

Based on some feedback I've gotten, I have decided to tweak my all-comers list a little bit and throw in a unit I have models for, but have yet to actually put on the table: Reaver Jetbikes.

1 Archon (HQ)
Punisher
Shadow Field
Combat Drugs
Plasma Grenades
Animus Vitae
Tormentor Helm
6 Incubi Retinue
Torm. Hl. & Punisher (x5); Blaster (x1); Plasma Grenades
1 Raider
Dark Lance

9 Wyches (Elites)
Splinter P. & CCW (x8); Blaster (x1); Plasma Grenades; Wych Weapons
1 Succubus
Agoniser (x1); Splinter Pistol (x1); Plasma Grenades; Wych Weapons
1 Raider
Dark Lance

5 Raider Squad (Troops)
Splinter Rifle (x3); Splinter Cannon (x1); Blaster (x1)
1 Raider
Dark Lance
Horrorfex

14 Warriors (Troops)
Splinter Rifle (x10); Splinter Cannon (x2); Blaster (x2)

10 Warriors (Troops)
Splinter Rifle (x8); Dark Lance (x2)

10 Warriors (Troops)
Splinter Rifle (x8); Dark Lance (x2)

3 Reaver Jetbikes (Fast Attack)
Splinter Pistol; Splinter Rifle (x1); Blaster (x2)

3 Ravagers (Heavy Support)
Dark Lance (x1); Disintegrator (x2)

Models in Army: 65
Total Army Cost: 1500

Got an opinion or some advice? Let me know!

40K: 1500 pt DE vs. Demonhunters - Rematch!

Validation - er, I mean Victory, huzzah! My apologies if you were hoping for a tense build up to an uncertain climax (no need to get into my intimate life here, zing! Oh wait, that's on me . . . ).

Anyway, it's been a rough couple of weeks on the table. Finally, FINALLY, the Law of Averages decides to stop screwing me over. The result? One of the most amazing rounds of shooting I've ever had and some recognition that, yes, the Dark Eldar are still a force to be reckoned with.

My opponent was the same player I faced two weeks ago. Both of our army lists were the same, the only exception being that the pair of plasma guns his Stormtroopers carried were swapped up for Meltaguns, bringing the total number of Meltas in his list to five.

The Imperial forces won deployment and opted to set up and take first turn - which I was unable to steal away. He set up behind a large, forest covered hill on his right and a small, centrally located structure surrounded by difficult terrain, the Land Raider taking up his left flank.

I responded by deploying in a tight refused flank (one of my favorite deployments) behind a smaller forested hill in the table quadrant opposite the bulk of his force, maximizing the distance his Grey Knights and Penitent Engines would have to travel. A second hill on my right helped provide additional cover to my Raiders, leaving a narrow firing lane visible to his Land Raider's guns.

The armies deployed
(Click for larger image)

Turn 1: Daemonhunters
Movement: The Land Raider moves 6" toward the DE and parks on top of a patch of difficult terrain. Both Penitent Engines move forward on either side of the structure, while the Chimeras move up behind it. The Grey Knights bring up the rear.
Shooting: Utilizing the frickin' Machine Spirit, the Raider manages to immobilize - but not destroy - the Warrior Raider. The Grey Knights find that they have range with a single Psycannon and pick off two members of Sniper Squad 2 at the base of the hill.
Assault: None

Turn 1: Dark Eldar
Movement: The footslogging Warriors and functioning Raiders head towards the hill on the far right. The downed Raider Squad disembarks and moves into the choke point, while Ravagers 1 & 2 move left around the hill (2 remaining hidden this turn). Ravager 3, however, tries to join Sniper Squad 2 in the pipe-cleaner forest of doom on the hill and manages to fail its difficult terrain test - become immobilized. Fortunately, its guns are still active and it landed in a good firing position.
Shooting: Sniper Squad 1 takes aim at the Land Raider and blows it sky high on the very first shot! woot! The Cannoness and her retinue of Sisters stand firm, making all but one save and avoid being pinned. The nearest Penitent Engine (2) soaks up an unbelievable amount of firepower before being immobilized and having a weapon destroyed.
Assault: None.

Dark Eldar: Consumers of souls . . . and strawberry soda
(End turn 1)

Turn 2: Daemonhunters
Movement: The Chimeras try to position themselves to take shots on the Sniper Squads while the second Penitent Engine rounds the structure and makes a Bee-line for Sniper Squad 1. The Cannoness and her retinue dig in behind the difficult terrain, and the Grey Knights reach some terrain of their own to use as cover.
Shooting: Penitent Engine 1 forgoes shooting to move up on the Snipers. The Inquisitor's Chimera takes one or two Warriors out of Sniper Squad two, the rest make their saves. The Grey Knights again send some Psycannon shots at Sniper Squad 1, but cover saves negate all but one of them. The Ravagers avoid any damage from the Stormtrooper Chimera.
Assault: The Penitent Engine is in range, but unable to charge due to running in the Movement phase.

Turn 2: Dark Eldar
Movement: Ravager 2 moves out from behind the hill to support Sniper Squad 1 and the stunned Ravager. The Wych Raider moves up on the Cannoness' position and disgorges its scantily-clad passengers while the Archon Raider hangs back on top of the rightmost hill (no tree on that one). The footslogging Warriors continue their trek along the right flank, up the hill as well. We now begin what I shall forever refer to as The Greatest Shooting Phase in the History of My 40K Career. ^_^
Shooting: I can't even remember exactly which squad did what this turn, but Penitent Engine 1 was wrecked, both Chimeras were blown up, the Stormtroopers taking two casualties and getting pinned, and the Inquisitor's unit loosing a man (or two?). Finally, the Grey Knights ate a heavy Disintegrator blast and, in an incredibly bad roll for my opponent, failed all three 4+ cover saves.
Assault: The Wyches, having rolled +1 Attack for their drugs this game, charged the Cannoness with a sick number of attacks, mowing down all but the Cannonness herself and one other (not the Preacher) with an Eviscerator, despite the blessing of an Invulnerable Save having been bestowed upon the squad. They managed to cut down a single Wych in their counterattack, but rolled lower than the Wyches and were overrun. The Wyches, realizing the Penitent Engine still had a working flamer, tried to consolidate 4" outside of its range.

At this point, the Imperials had 1 wounded Grey Knight Grand Master, 3 pinned Stormtroopers, a wounded Inquisitor with 4 Stormtroopers and an immobilized Penitent Engine with one weapon destroyed left on the table.

Best. Turn. Ever!
(End turn 2)

Turn 3: Daemonhunters
Movement: The remaining Grey Knights opt to stay in their cover. The Inquisitor and his unit move up behind the immobilized Penitent Engine and the Stormtroopers (hidden behind the structure) can't move.
Shooting: The Penitent Engine manages to toast two Wyches with his flamer. It's just enough to cause a Leadership test - which they fail, causing the unit to flee 12" back to where the Raider Squad has been holding position. The Grey Knights manage to stun a Ravager.
Assault: Nothing in range to assault.

Turn 3: Dark Eldar
Movement: The Archon's Raider moves towards the Inquisitor, but stays outside of flamer range. The Wyches are able to rally but not move. The Raider Squad loads into the Wych Raider and rides it up by the Archon. The Warriors on the hill adjust their position to keep from being bored and the still-mobile Ravager 3 bears down on the Grey Knights.
Shooting: A lot of Lance shots are aimed at the Penitent Engine, but it's the Wyches, of all people, finally blow it up with a single Blaster shot. Ravager 3 downs one more Grey Knight, leaving only the Grand Master with a single wound. The Raider Squad open up on the Inquisitor, leaving only him and one meltagun-carrying Stormtrooper standing.
Assault: none.

I don't know what happened to the picture for Turn 3. Forgot to save it again?

Turn 4: Daemonhunters
Movement: The Inquisitor, attempting to escape the oncoming fury of the Archon, falls back and breaks away from the lone Trooper. The other 3 Stormtroopers finally round the central structure and take aim at Sniper Squad 1. The Grand Master sits tight.
Shooting:The trooper manages to down the Archon's Raider, taking a single Incubi with it in the process. The Grand Master and the trio of Stormtroopers try to break Sniper Squad 1, but they just can't do enough damage.
Assault:None.

Turn 4: Dark Eldar
Movement: The Wyches head towards the Stormtroopers. The Archon and his retinue disembark in front of the poor Trooper. The two Ravagers position themselves against the Grand Master.
Shooting: The Raider Squad kill the Inquisitor and one Lance shot from the two Ravagers finishes off the Grand Master. The Wyches forgo shooting to run and the Incubi try to kill the Trooper with their Tormentor Helms, but can't.
Assault: The remaining Stormtroopers fall to the Wyches and, with a single swipe, the Archon clears the table.

The Imperials are wiped out - Soulfeast in the Spire tonight!
(End turn 4 - Game Over)

Observations

• As Hannibal was fond of saying: I love it when a plan comes together! Deployment played a key role in reducing my opponent's effectiveness.
  
  
• The second round of DE shooting was simply unholy. Beautiful to witness, as were my cover saves. I probably burned up all my dice karma for the rest of the year in this game.
  
  
• Remember that IG player I faced last week? Well, it turns out he's gotten himself a bit of a reputation for questionable application of the rules. Thing is, we can't tell if it's intentional, or he's just not familiar with them. Very frustrating.
  

40K: Battle Report Overview 1500 pt DE vs. IG

There are times when I sincerely believe that partaking of this hobby is nothing less than a masochistic endeavor. Being a Dark Eldar player, one might think that is something I'd enjoy . . . At the very least, faithful reader, you may rest easy in the knowledge that I will share these reports with you even if they are not flattering to me in any way. I just hope the other DE players out there don't get mad at me for my poor track record as of late and any sort of associations or assumptions one might make on the race as a whole.

Anyway, I played against the new IG Codex for the first time last Thursday night (and the first time in a loooong time vs IG in general). I have such a poor understanding of that Codex and army organization - not to mention the fact that there is no way I could remember what happened during each of his hellacious shooting phases beyond 'my guys died' - that I've decided to give an overview of the game and wrap it up with some observations.

I did, however, manage to take and save my pictures correctly this time.

Dark Eldar Army List (same as last time)
Archon (S.Field, C.Drugs, P.Grenades, Animus, T.Helm) - [375]
- Incubi Retinue (x 6 Incubi; 1 x Blaster, P.Grenades)
- Raider (Lance)

Wyches (x 9 Wyches, W.Weapons, P.Grenades) - [228]
- Succubus (Agonizer, P.Grenades, S.Pistol)
- Raider (Lance)

Raider Squad (x 9 Warriors, 1 x Blaster, 1 x S.Cannon) - [173]
- Sybarite (Agonizer, S.Pistol)
- Raider (Horrorfex, Lance)

Warrior Squad (x 14 Warriors, 1 x Blaster, 1 x S.Cannon) - [176]
- Sybarite (Agonizer, S.Pistol)

2 x Sniper Squads ( x 10 Warriors, 2 x Lances) - [200]
3 x Ravagers (1 x Lance, 2 x Disentegrator) - [345]

Total Points: 1497

IG Army List (as detailed as I can recall)
2 x Leman Russes (Battlecannon, Lascannon)
2 x Chimeras (Multi-laser, Heavy Bolter; Each carrying a unit of Psykers each)
1 x Sentinel (Missile Launcher)
6 x Heavy Weapon Squads (4 x Autocannons, 2 x Lascannon)
8? x Platoons of Guard (1 x Missile Launcher, 1 x Grenade Launcher)
1 x HQ unit with a standard/banner of some sort (1 x Grenade Launcher, 1 x Missile Launcher)

Deployment and Strategy

Deployment: an additional Russ & Ravager just above the top of the image.
Click for larger (equally crappy) cell-phone images

I won the roll for deployment and had him deploy first. He deployed in a fairly balanced gunline favoring (his left, my right) side of the table. I response, I deployed a semi-refused flank towards (my left, his right) side of the table, leaving a lone Ravager to serve as a fire magnet on my right flank. With a rare roll of '6,' I managed to steal first turn away.

Basically, the Dark Eldar strategy was to get into CC as soon as possible. I ran the Raiders flat-out up his right flank and ended up right next to his footsloggers on that side of the table. The Ravagers moved up a little more cautiously, except for my flanking decoy who perched on top of a hill. My footslogging Warriors tried to move and fire up the table as best they could - hopefully taking attention away from the three Raiders, while the Sniper Squads sat tight with visibility to most of his armor between them.

The IG strategy was to sit still and shoot. A lot.

End of turn 1: Two Raiders & flanking Ravager are destroyed; Warrior Squad broke and running; Wyches & Archon prepare to charge

Dark Eldar Performance
The Wyches got blown out of the air and then shot up. 3 of them made it into CC on turn 2 and, over the course of two Assault rounds, got wiped out by a Junior Officer and 3 Guardsmen. The Archon and Incubi also got shot down, but only lost a single Incubi before making it into CC and wiping out a platoon across two turns. They managed to survive a round of Shooting and make it into CC with another platoon - wiping them out in a single Assault round. However, the relentless firepower of the IG took its toll and eventually saw the Archon and a single Incubi taking cover by the smoking hull of the destroyed Russ by turn 4.

The Warriors broke and ran after a single round of enemy fire, but rallied and came back to pick a few wounds off of two platoons (including the HQ) and a Heavy Weapons unit. They never made it into CC, though and ended the game with the sole surviving Sybarite breaking and running away right as he was set to charge the remaining IG HQ.

Sniper Squad 1 managed to immobilize, shake, and finally destroy a Russ across four turns; sadly Sniper Squad 2 didn't really do anything but eat ordinance and blast templates. The Raider Squad managed to take out the Sentinel with a lucky Blaster shot and eventually wiped out a small platoon in CC - they did not survive the next turn's Shooting Phase, however. Their Raider ended the game with a Weapon Destroyed and heading for cover.

End of Turn 2: Archon w/retinue & Raider Squad are in CC (Wyches were defeated . . . by Guardsmen); Warrior Squad has rallied, but Sniper Squad 2 breaks.

IG Performance
I have a hard time remembering exactly which unit did what on each turn - they all shot, a lot. Each shooting phase was a little marathon of despair for the True Kin. While there were plenty of cover saves and missed shots that alleviated the damage, the pure amount of firepower simply whittled away at the DE until there was little left - certainly nothing to put a dent in the surviving Russ and two Chimeras. The Psykers were particularly damaging to the Warriors and Snipers - having some sort of long-range large blast attack that (I'm 90% sure) rolled AP 1 every time it was used.

End of Dark Eldar Turn 3: Remaining DE forces prepare to get shot to pieces

Observations
There were some missteps, though - the IG player had been playing the banner as allowing re-rolls to any Leadership test (including Psychic tests). Another player who began observing the latter half of the match stated that the banner only allow re-rolls on Morale and Pinning tests - not Psychic tests. I wish I'd known that earlier, it would've made a noticeable difference.

Also, he was tracking line of sight for his Heavy Weapon Teams from the barrel of the guns, and not the guardsmen operating them. They also apparently had the ability to see through Russes and Chimeras? I was not a fan of this approach, but I resisted commenting on it as I did not want to come across as a bad sport. To my opponent's credit, he was fairly generous with the cover saves.

However, it demonstrated a serious need on my part to brush up on the rules before my infrequent games. Additionally, I should undertake to gain a decent understanding of the other Codices out there.

Had I known ahead of time I'd be facing IG, I would have left the Disintegrators off the Ravagers and gone with a 3 x DL loadout. I also would have tried to get Slave Snares on the Raiders. That way, even with a Weapon Destroyed Result, they could've caused some damage. I don't know that the points would've allowed for much else. If my RJBs were finished, they might have been an alternative to the footslogging Warriors with their two Blasters. But that kind of defeats the purpose of an 'all-comers' list, so I need to learn how to use what I've got more effectively.

End of Turn 4: Lone Sybarite fleeing; Archon & single Incubi hiding out by destroyed Russ - Game Conceded

40K: Battle Report - Dark Eldar vs. Demon/Witchhunters, 1500 pts.

I am so weak-willed.

I have said multiple times to multiple people that I've shelved my Dark Eldar until we get a new Codex. I managed to stand by that for many moons - not so hard to do, as busy as I am. But I found myself home from work today and decided to make a new army list. Having accomplished that and feeling a great deal of cabin fever by dinner time, I decided I wanted to take it for a spin at my LGS.

I wish I'd stuck by my convictions . . . *sigh* Anyway, here is the new list:

Archon (S.Field, C.Drugs, P.Grenades, Animus, T.Helm) - [375]
- Incubi Retinue (x 6 Incubi; 1 x Blaster, P.Grenades)
- Raider (Lance)

Wyches (x 9 Wyches, W.Weapons, P.Grenades) - [228]
- Succubus (Agonizer, P.Grenades, S.Pistol)
- Raider (Lance)

Raider Squad (x 9 Warriors, 1 x Blaster, 1 x S.Cannon) - [173]
- Sybarite (Agonizer, S.Pistol)
- Raider (Horrorfex, Lance)

Warrior Squad (x 14 Warriors, 1 x Blaster, 1 x S.Cannon) - [176]
- Sybarite (Agonizer, S.Pistol)

2 x Sniper Squads ( x 10 Warriors, 2 x Lances) - [200]
3 x Ravagers (1 x Lance, 2 x Disentegrator) - [345]

Total Points: 1497

Here is my opponent's list, to the best of my memory:

Grand Master Grey Knight
- Grey Knight Retinue (x 5 Knights, 2 x Psycannons, 3 x Storm Bolters)

Cannoness
- Celestine Retinue (5 x Sisters, ? Multi-melta, ? Psycannon)
- Preacher (Eviscerator)
- Sister Superior (Eviscerator)
- Land Raider (Dedicated Transport for Grey Knights? Started outside the LR, then embarked)

Inquisitor
- Stormtrooper Retinue (2 x Plasma guns, 1 x Meltagun)
- Chimera (Multilaser, H.Bolter)

Stormtroopers (at least 1 x Meltagun)
- Chimera (Multilaster, H.Bolter)

2 x Penitent Engines (H.Flamer, CCWeapon)

I won the side/deployment roll and opted to let my opponent deploy and go first. We were using a lava-themed board, but opted to ignore the deadly terrain and treat it more like . . . very bright grass (sorry, that's the best I could come up with).

Imperial Deployment:
He set up in a refused flank on my right: Land Raider in the center of the table with the Celestines behind it, ready to jump inside. Stormtroopers in both Chimeras - one on the extreme flank, the other between the Raider and the first Chimera; The Grey Knights were in the middle of the table behind the Raider and the Penitent Engines were between the three tanks.

Dark Eldar Deployment:
I put my transports on the left side of the table, my Ravagers on the right (two behind, one in cover) and tried to cover the firing lanes in the center with my footsloggers, gravitating towards the right side of the table.

This is where I show you the crappy pictures taken with my cell phone - however, I forgot that, in addition to taking the picture, one must also elect to 'save' it.

Turn 1: Demon/Witchhunters
Movement:
Inquisitor Chimera and Pentient Engine 1 moved up right flank toward the Ravagers, while the Stormtrooper Chimera and Penitent Engine 2 came up towards the footsloggers. The Celestines jumped into the "dedicated" Land Raider and the Grey Knights moved forward into cover.
Shooting:
Inquisitor Chimera shook the only visible Ravager with its Multilaser; Stormtrooper Chimera killed two in the Warrior Squad.
Assault:
None

Turn 1: Dark Eldar
Movement:
The Raiders move 12" toward the Grey Knights while the footslogging Warrior Squad marches forward and two unshaken Ravagers move to the right flank while the shaken one retreats behind the hill it started on.
Shooting:
Out of 9 Lance Shots, 4 Heavy Disentegrator Blasts and 3 Blaster Shots to all his tanks, I managed to shake the Inquisitor Chimera once. That's it.
Assault:
None

Turn 2: Demon/Witchhunters
Movement:
The Grey Knights get comfortable while the Chimeras roll on and the Penitent Engines try to run forward as fast as they can and end up right on the edge of flamer range. Land Raider moves up and unloads the Celestines right in front of the centrally located Sniper Squad 1
Shooting:
The Celestines mow six of the Snipers down and cause them to break and run out of assault range (ha!). Penitent Engine 2 levels its heavy flamer on the Warrior Squad, killing just enough to make them fall back out of charge range, but not enough to keep them from regrouping (double ha!). The Land Raider blows the Warrior Raider out of the sky, wrecking it - fortunately, the Warriors mounted on it were unharmed and disembarked right beside the Celestines, who began to look really nervous.
Assault:
Penitent Engine 1 has just enough range to get into assault against the nearest Ravager. 6 attacks and 3 hits later, it is left stunned.

Turn 2: Dark Eldar
Movement:
The remaining Raiders make a 12" bee-line for the Grey Knights. Sniper Squad 1 flees off the board while the Warrior Squad rallies (but can't move). Sniper Squad 2 sits tight and the two unstunned Ravagers draw a bead on Penitent Engine 1.
Shooting:
2 Dark Lance shots against the Grey Knights are wasted, as are most of the Splinter Cannon shots against the Celestines from the downed Raider Squad, the blaster manages to claim a victim, however. The rallied Warrior squad manages to shake the Land Raider with a single penetrating Blaster shot, while Sniper Squad 2 destroys Penitent Engine 2. The two Ravagers manage, with 2 Lance shots and 4 Heavy Disentegrator blasts to immobilize Penitent Engine 1 and destroy one of its arms.
Assault:
Raider Squad assaults the Celestines. They loose combat by 3 Wounds, but pass Leadership (finally, my low rolling is a good thing >_>). Penitent Engine 1 continues to wail on the foremost Ravager, but fails to damage it.

Starting turn 3 - I finally remembered to save the pictures.

Turn 3: Hunters
Movement:
The Inquisitor Chimera moves up behind Penitent Engine 1 as the Stormtrooper Chimera bears down on Sniper Squad 2. The Land Raider spins around, targeting the Wych Raider. The Celestines are locked in combat and Penitent Engine 1 is immobilized, so neither can move.
Shooting:
The Land Raider blows the Wyches out of the sky. Surprisingly only 3 Wyches are lost; not surprisingly, 4 more Wyches are annihilated by the Grey Knights. However, 3 remain standing and pass their Leadership and Pinning tests (yay for low rolls!). Apparently, excited by all the action, the Land Raider's Machine Spirit decides to take a shot at the Incubi Raider and glances it enough to immobilize it - I didn't know it could do that, but there you have it. :-/

The Stormtrooper Chimera uses its Multilaser and Heavy Bolter to thin the Warrior Squad after deciding the my Lance-weilding Sniper Squad posed no threat - indeed, none of my guns (especially the big, expensive ones) proved to be much more than an annoyance at best. Finally, the Inquisitor Chimera downs one of the Ravagers (the unpainted one, naturally).
Assault:
Lead by the Cannoness and backed up by the Evicerator-weilding Preacher and Sister Superior, the Celestines (ability to re-roll failed To-Wound rolls?) mop up the remaining Raider Squad and consolidate towards the footslogging Warriors.

Turn 3: Dark Eldar
Movement:The Archon disembarks with his Incubi and moves towards the Grey Knights, along with the remaining 3 Wyches (who rolled 12" assault for their drugs). The surviving members of the Warrior Squad line up against the Celestines and the Ravagers reposition out of flamer range of the immobilized Penitent Engine, but still targeting the Inquisitor Chimera - one moves into cover back up on the hill, the other shifts back slightly.
Shooting:
A single Blaster shot from the Incubi against the Knights is shrugged off. Unfortuantely, so are most of the Splinter Cannon and Blaster shots from the Warrior squad against the Celestines. The hilltop Ravager does manage to pop the Inquisitor Chimera with its Lance, but is not allowed to use its Disentegrators against the survivors ("The unit inside is a different target from the transport" - gee, if only DE had the Machine Spirit rule. Sorry, I'm being a poor sport). Fortuantely, they are pinned and can do nothing next turn.
Assault:
Finally, the DE get their due! The Archon buffs up with +1 A and Re-roll misses (taking an OD Wound in the process >_<) and leads the charge against the Grey Knights. He kills one Knight. The Wyches follow-up, getting some hits in, but their puny S 3 can't scratch the Terminator Armor and the Succubus can't seem to get her Agonizer working properly. The Incubi, however, step up to the plate and mow down all but the Grand Master and one of his lackeys, loosing a single member of their squad in the counterattack. Unfortuantely (or perhaps fortunately?) they stand firm in the face of overwhelming odds. The remaining Warriors assaulting the Celestines, however, were not so lucky. They quickly succumbed to mastercrafted power wounds and re-rolled Eviscerator attacks. The victors consolidated towards Sniper Squad 2.

Turn 4: Hunters
Movement:
The Stormtrooper Chimera turned sideways and disgorged the troops from its bowels. The Cannoness, Sister Superior and Preacher (along with a Celestine or two) stalked the last warriors of Sniper Squad 2. The Land Raider, unable to shoot the Incubi or Wyches still locked in close-combat, spun back around. The Inquisitor and his Stormtrooper retinue remain pinned.
Shooting:
One of the Chimera Stormtroopers destroys the hilltop Ravager with his Meltagun - the resultant blast taking out a lone Stormtrooper. His Chimera, meanwhile, rapidly thins the ranks of Sniper Squad 2 with its Multilaser and Heavy Bolter. The Land Raider lobs a volley at the remaining Ravager and destroys it, despite any cover from intervening units.
Assault:
The Celestine squad charges the surviving snipers and clears the table of any remaining Dark Eldar Warriors. The Archon and Wyches fail to kill the remaining two Grey Knights, but the Incubi make short work of them. They consolidate into the cover on the hill.

Turn 4 - after my opponent's Movement phase, but before his Shooting phase.

Turn 4: Dark Eldar
I had my Archon (2 Wounds left) and 5 Incubi, along with 3 Wyches left on the table. My opponent had his Land Raider, 1 Chimera, a unit of Stormtroopers, the remnants of his Celestine squad (1 wound left on the Cannoness), and an Inquisitor with his Stormtrooper retinue.

Realizing that I had nothing left that could scratch the Land Raider, and determining that I was too far away to make it into CC with the Stormtroopers before being shot to pieces, I conceded the game. (My Archon and his entourage would've run off my opponent's table edge, had he insisted we keep playing)

The game is conceeded - also on the table is the Inquisitor and his squad along the upper edge.

Observations/Questions

• I wonder if I wouldn't be better off with an all-CC army? My shooting/damage rolls are a joke. I'll never have to worry about being accused of using loaded dice - except against myself, perhaps.
• How does the Animus Vitae work in 5th edition? My opponent allowed it to count for killing a foe in CC (at my suggestion), but I don't know how DE can take slaves if there is no longer any rules for Sweeping Advance.
  
• Machine Spirit is bull****, man.
  
• I need to read up on a character having a dedicated transport - it just seems off that instead of using it, he wonders off, leaving the 'dedicated' vehicle for another squad.*
• Overheard quote of the evening: "I'd like to scratchbuild Ork vehicles, but my work is just too nice - I don't know how to make something look that bad intentionally" - this was actually the same guy who, upon seeing my table being used in a local gaming tournament said "It's nice, but it's too flat. I like to have some elevation and terrain on my tables."
• Second overheard quote of the evening (same guy): "Only buy the GW sets that say 'made in UK' on them, because those are based on original molds. The second generation models cast in the US are lousy and have less well-defined detail."

* EDIT: I originally thought the thought the Inquisitor had the dedicated transport, but in retrospect I think it was actually the Grand Master Grey Knight.

40K: Dark Eldar Webway Portal Templates

Another port over from the old site: Select the color and style you like, print 'em off and cut 'em out. They are (supposed to be) the same size as the small blast template (if not, please let me know ASAP).

40K: DE Haemonculi on Skyboards Tutorial

In an under rated army, Haemonculi are one of the most under rated choices a player can take. With their Destructors, Haemonculi can wreak havoc on any race in the 40K universe. The main drawback to this weapon, however, is its short range. What the Haemonculi needed most was mobility. Enter the skyboard.

Why use a skyboard instead of a jetbike? Personal taste, mainly. I'd already converted an Archon on a jetbike and wanted to do something different. Plus, it simply would not do for the subservient Haemonculi to be riding around on something as nice as the Archon's chosen mode of transporation.

With the exception of some moderately difficult sculpting, this conversion was somewhat easier, but much more tedious and (to my dismay) hazardous to my fingers than the jetbike conversion was. It is not recommended for people just starting out in the wild world of model conversion.

Here are the parts and raw materials used for this conversion and their part numbers (where applicable):

• 2 x Babylon 5 Narn Ka'Toc Battle Destroyers
• 2 x Dark Eldar Haemonculi w/Destructor (011200301)
• Wych 7 w/Blaster (011200113)
• Sybarite 1 (011200201)
• Spiky Bitz from Dark Eldar Warrior Sprue(45-07)
• Citadel Modeling Epoxy Putty - "Green Stuff" (66-13)
• thin paper clip (for pinning)

Step 1: Using a thin bladed hacksaw, I cut across the torso of the half-finished (and already partialy converted) Haemonculi models just below the point on their belts and the Wyche & Sybarite just above the hips and lower abs.

Step 2a: The excess metal was cut/ground out from the under the Haemonculis' belts, leaving a concave area. This step takes forever and is greatly helped by using a Dremel rotary tool with shaped grinding tips - Eye protection is a must! Jewlers' hand files were also used. Don't be suprised if things break off at this stage - especially if they were the result of previous converting.

Step 2b: Once the upper torsos were finished, the tops of the legs were filed and shaped to fit into the smooth concave opening. It didn't half the time of the previous step, but at this point I was sick of removing metal.

Step 3: Once the legs fit to the underside of the torso, it's time to drill holes and add pins to the torso and the feet. Be VERY careful here - especially if you are using a Dremel! I wasn't paying attention and pushed through the legs of one model right into my thumb - it nearly came out the other side. Needless to say, I learned my lesson about paying close attention when using power tools (while watching TV, that is).

Step 4: Once the torso and legs are fitted and pinned, you can glue them together. I did not glue the bodies to the skyboards because I find it's much easier to paint them prior to gluing. You may also want to start replacing parts that broke off from all the cutting and grinding in the initial steps.

Step 5a: At this stage, it's time to add the tabards (made from greenstuff). This took some time, as I have really never used the Stuff for anything more than gap filling.

Step 5b: Rear shot showing the tabards pushed up under the belt of the torso. It was at this stage I pinned the arm that broke off earlier and filled the gap. NOTE: The bodies are not glued to the skyboards - I just photographed them that way to illustrate what I'm working towards (and it holds them upright nicely) .

Step 6: The last stage before painting is to add any further conversion details to the model. Since I had already partially converted the two Haemonculi when I first got them, I just basically re-glued bitz that had fallen off and filled the gaps with Green Stuff. Time for primer!

Note: This is an older article relocated from my website - I've since painted these two and hope to have some decent pics of them up soon.

40K: DE Archon on Jetbike Tutorial (pt. 2/2)

Step 13: After an evening of filing the stumps of the legs, I was finally able to fit the torso into the shallow impression I had drilled in the Eldar biker's legs.

Step 14: The pack on the back of the gunner's torso was hitting the back of the seat, so I had to cut it off using an X-acto knife and clippers. Be very careful when cutting metal with an X-acto knife!

Step 15: I put a mark on the torso and the legs to help me glue it at the right angle. The torso required pinning to the legs because there just wasn't enough surface area with glue on it to hold the torso securely in place. The pin actually went through the legs and will go into the seat of the bike a tiny bit.

Step 16: The biker's left arm was cut at the elbow so it could be re-glued at a better angle.


Step 17: The upper arm was filed slightly and glued to the torso. I sat the body on the bike so I could get a good idea of the angle needed.

Step 18: The forearm was filed out around the elbow to fit the upper arm better. A pin might have been a good idea here, but it would have had to been bent lest it stick out of the arm. I just didn't have the patience for that.

Step 19a: The forearm is glued to the upper arm. Again, I sat the body on the bike to I could be sure an glue it at the proper angle. The string in the picture is holding the body in the correct position until the glue dries.

19b: Here is another shot of the glued forearm and the angle of the torso. I wanted the rider to have a more dynamic,aggressive pose than simply sitting on the bike with both hands on the handlebars.


Step 20: The Agonizer arm is pinned to the torso. It looks huge on the rider by himself, but the bike helps it to appear a little more natural - well, as natural as a sadistic drug-crazed maniac on a flying bike brandishing a bladed glove might appear.

Step 21: The arm is glued into place. I postitioned it back a little to accomodate the wires on the back of the arm as well as to give the impression that he might be drawing back for a strike.

21b: Another shot of the Agonizer arm from the side.

Step 22: While the body is drying, it's time to add some dark character to the jetbike. I used some leftover bitz from my Raiders and Ravagers to enhance the Dark Eldar feel of the bike. Greenstuff was then used to hide seams and fill gaps once the glue dried.


Step 23: Some spikes were added to the legs and the left arm. Greenstuff was used to fill the gaps and seams, especially where the torso and legs were glued together. I try not to use too many blades and spikes for my Dark Eldar because I don't want them mistaken for the many Chaos armies at the two game stores in my area.

Step 24: More greenstuff was used to build up the tricep of the left arm and the back of the torso where the pack was cut off. I put grooves in it to mimic the ribbing of the Dark Eldar armor.

Step 25a & b: Here's the finished model. It is important to note that it is NOT glued together! I am keeping the model separate until after I get it painted, then I will glue it together.


25c & d: Two more shots of the finished model, awaiting paint.

Step 26: OH NO! I forgot to convert the tormentor helm (Good thing I hadn't undercoated it yet)! I had to clip the end off of a Splinter Pistol and file it to fit the curve of the helmet's crest. I could have added some more detail to the side of the helmet, but I was ready to paint.

That's it for the actual converting and modeling portion of this model. Hope it was useful!

I apologize for the inconsistency in the quality of the photos. I'm still new to photographing miniatures.