Lady Jenna vs. Lady D'ysperax in "SHE'S BACK!" (1500, 6/5/13)

[BigToof]

Lady Jenna vs. Lady D'ysperax in "SHE'S BACK!" (1500)

Hi All,
Yes, I know I have another rep going, but I have to report this one.

I just took my Lady Jenna SW/IG list down to the club to see if I could get a game in and who would I see sitting across from my table, but Lady frickin' D'ysperax!!

I hadn't seen the player for a while, but it was good to see him and yes, he was running NEW Eldar with Dark Eldar as allies.

Wait.

What??

We had to proxy a few models, but I wanted to see what kind of devious build he had ready for me, and well...

IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

You see, the one thing about Lady D'ysperax matches is that the build looks mediocre or even weak, but it ends up blasting your socks off.  My wins have been scarce against the Dark Ones, and with all the crazy from the new Codex, I didn't know what to expect.

So, lists are below, there is some fluff, and let me know what you all think!

How much of a bloodbath was it, and could the (somewhat cursed) Wolves pull this one out?

Best,
-BT

P.S.  Comments and critiques greatly appreciated!

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The Lists
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The Imperial Alliance 1500 pts: 79 Infantry, 1 Vehicle, 1 Fort; 12-15 VPs
Space Wolves
-Rune Priest Harald "Mad Harry" Runesmith w/ Runic Armor
-Lone Wolf "Heartless" w/Chainfist, Stormshield
-Wolf Guardx4 in Terminator Armor, Power Axes, Combi-Plasmasx2, Combi-Flamer
-Grey Huntersx10 w/Plasmagunsx2, Wolf Standard
-Grey Huntersx10 w/Plasmagunsx2, Wolf Standard
-Grey Huntersx7 w/Flamer, Wolf Standard
-Long Fangsx5 w/Missile Launchersx4
Lady Jenna's Marauders
-Lady Jenna Mordheim (Primaris Psyker w/Force Staff)
-Cpt. Alyssa Jax, Stormtroopersx5 w/Meltagunsx2
-Lt. Jack Hawkins, Platoon Command Squad w/Flamersx4
-Infantry Platoon w/Lascannon, Sgt. w/Power Axe
-Infantry Platoon w/Lascannon, Sgt. w/Power Axe
-Infantry Platoon w/Lascannon, Sgt. w/Power Axe
-"The Boxbreaker" Leman Russ Exterminator w/HB Sposons
Ageis Defense Line w/Quadgun

Lady D'ysperax's Wraithbone Armada (1500pts): 33 Infantry, 4 Vehicles, 1 MC; 13 VPs
Farseer w/Jetbike, Stone of Anathlan
Spiritseer
Wraithguardx5
Jetbikesx3
Hemlock Fighterjet
Wraithknight (!)
Lady D'ysperax (Archon w/Huskblade, Shadowfield, Soul Trap, Combat Drugs)
Warriorsx5 in Raider w/EA, Torment Grenades, Shock Prow
Warriorsx5 in Raider w/EA, Torment Grenades, Shock Prow
Beastpack (Beastmastersx3, Khymaraex5, Razorwingsx4)
Razorwing Fighterjet
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Chapter Six: Never Say Never
--------------------------------

Spiritseer Illandara opened her eyes with a moan.  The room seemed to swim for a few moments until her eyes settled into focus.  Where was she?  The last thing she remembered was falling down from a combination of hunger, thirst and the elements on that misbegotten planet that she had fought Lorilune and her Orks on.  She was sure that she would have died and her bones picked clean by the scavengers.  But, something had happened, as this was clearly not the infinity circuit, and unless She Who Thirsts had an unusual sense of humour, this was clearly not the Warp either.

She looked around, and realized she was seated at a large table, simple in design and perhaps once elegant, but fallen out of use.  The room was clearly Eldar in design, but unusually decorated with spartan glyphs and simple paintings.  She blinked and sniffed the air as unusual smells came to her attention.  She looked down and saw a plate of rather bland looking food that was partially congealing.  Wrinkling her nose, she glanced up and saw another Eldar sitting across from the table.  The other Eldar was beautiful, with long, silken hair and a regal looking face.  She was wearing a somewhat tattered looking outfit that seemed reminiscent of a courtesan, but nothing elegant in design.  However, her pale complexion marked her clearly as one of the Dark Eldar.  Illandara looked down at her meal again.  The Dark Eldar were known connoisseurs of poison.  She would not be eating this meal.  Uncountable questions came to her mind, when the other Eldar spoke.

"Ah, good, you're awake.  I apologize for the rather long wait.  I take it you're well?"

Illandara paused, not saying anything as she checked herself for injuries.  She noted she was wearing a black and purple dress that was far nicer than the other Eldar's outfit.  Why was she wearing something nicer than her host?  The Dark Eldar were not known for their generosity.  Illandara was still considering what to say, when the other Eldar sniffled and looked forlorn.

"You... you don't like the dress, do you?  I'm...  I'm so sorry, it was the best I had.  Things just haven't been the same since..."

The Eldar hung her head and sobbed for a few moments, leaving Illandara in uncomfortable silence.  Deciding she might as well say something, the Spiritseer spoke,

"No, no, really it's... fine.  Who...  Who are you?  Where am I?"

The other Eldar looked up with a smile,
"You... you really don't mind it?  That's good to hear.  Oh, where are my manners?  My name, dear one, is Lady D'ysperax.  And I am the Archon of the Wicked Talon Kabal... such as it is."

Illandara nodded.  She had heard rumours of the Dark Ones doing things with your true name, but given the obvious lack of resources on the Archon's part, it seemed like a safe decision.

"Yes, I see.  My name is Spiritseer Illandra, of the Craftworld Iyanden."

Lady D'ysperax nodded pleasantly in return, "Oh, my, yes, that's wonderful!  I've heard of your Craftworld's story.  So tragic...  I'm glad that we were able to save you, I'm sure that every Eldar is needed."

Illandara sighed, "If... only that was the case.  Now, if you will excuse me, Archon, I must go and..."

"No, no, please, please stay.  I so rarely have company now-a-days.  Most of the other Archons don't want to have anything to do with me.  I'm just... not to their liking really.  Even on my best days, I just didn't have the heart for all of the usual politicking and things just aren't the same since he left."

The Spiritseer paused for a few moments, weighing her decision.  She wasn't sure how long she had been out.  Nor was she really aware of where she was.  No doubt most of her force had already returned to the Craftworld, which meant that she was at the mercy of her rather scatter-brained host.  Best just be polite and play along for the lonely old thing.

"Ah, yes.  Well, I suppose there's no harm in talking.  Who are you referring to?"

Lady D'ysperax swelled as if a great star crossed over the horizon.

"His name... was Vasily.  I loved him more than anything.  But he left me.  And now...  I have nothing.  I... only wish I had someone.  Anyone to keep my days busy in my twilight years.  Would...  Would it be too much to ask if..."

Illandara sighed.  She could see where this was going.  Still, she thought, even the most meager of Archons were said to have some resources, and if this Lady D'ysperax could muster some kind of strength, then she could prove to be at least a half-useful ally in the future.  First, she would have to contact the Craftworld for support, and then she'd have to find Lorilune and show her that Illandara of Iyanden was not someone to be crossed.

"Very well, Lady D'ysperax, I accept your proposition.  After all, in this day and age, why shouldn't the Eldar work together, regardless of their upbrining?"

Lady D'ysperax laughed politely and smiled a perfectly innocent grin, "Thank you, Spiritseer.  You have made me very happy indeed.  You will not regret your decision.  Trust me."

----------------------------
Pre-Game Thoughts: That's... all?  I have more than twice the models, and my opponent has chosen some rather dubious units from the Eldar Codex.  The Wraithknight is quite scary looking, but you know... I have Long Fangs.  The Not-A-Crimson-Hunter Jet really does NOTHING of any use.  And the Raiders with minimal Warriors seem like a waste of points.  Only the Beastpack seems to have some viability, as it could be a fairly nasty deathstar in the right situation, like say... if he gets Fortune and it happens to be Scourging or some weird combination.  But I have more shots, more bodies and if I get the right buffs, I think I might just cram the blob down his throat and see how the Wraithknight deals with that!  I think he's just trying out random units with a theme (i.e. all Wraithbone), and it's clearly not quite there yet.  Maybe I'll have to play nice?
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Setup: Dawn of War (Night Fight OFF)
Mission: Cleanse the Alien (VPs!)
Warlord:
Harry: Can... hold objectives (hahaha)
Farseer: Opponents within 12" roll using lowest morale (as if he's ever getting close enough to use that one!)
Psyker:
Harry: Prescience, Forewarning (not bad, it'll make assault a real terror for the Beasts!)
Jenna: Enfeeble, Warp Speed (aww... no Hulk Jenna, but I'll live with it)
Farseer: Prescience, Guide, Fortune (That's... a pretty good set)
Spiritseer: Conceal/Reveal, +1/-1 armor (Not too bad either, although the beasts have lousy armor...)
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To be Continued!

[The Man They Call Jayne]

Hmm, so he gets Shrouded and you get a 4+ Armoursave, that is not going to be fun.

His list does seem to be lacking some fairly basic things from the new codex, seems he just picked what looked cool at the time, still, I don't trust this new codex, it's tricksy, and the wraithknight is just dang hard to wound in the first place.

[Cammerz]

The return of Lady D, I am awaiting the rest of this report with baited breath, waiting for that moment where she shows just how evil she really is, the Lady D we all remember.

I can't comment on his list, I haven't seen any of the new Eldar codex yet so this will be my introduction to it.

I've been looking forward to this.

[crisis_vyper]

Lady D'ysperax's Wraithbone Armada (1500pts): 33 Infantry, 4 Vehicles, 1 MC; 13 VPs
Farseer w/Jetbike, Stone of Anathlan
Spiritseer
Wraithguardx5
Jetbikesx3
Hemlock Fighterjet
Wraithknight (!)
Lady D'ysperax (Archon w/Huskblade, Shadowfield, Soul Trap, Combat Drugs)
Warriorsx5 in Raider w/EA, Torment Grenades, Shock Prow
Warriorsx5 in Raider w/EA, Torment Grenades, Shock Prow
Beastpack (Beastmastersx3, Khymaraex5, Razorwingsx4)
Razorwing Fighterjet

Farseer: Prescience, Guide, Fortune (That's... a pretty good set)
Spiritseer: Conceal/Reveal, +1/-1 armor (Not too bad either, although the beasts have lousy armor...)
-----------------------------

To be Continued!

I kinda understand why he wants the Hemlock, especially when the Torment grenade Launchers and shock prow are factored into the equation. However, I find that the combo is less reliable especially when you need a greater amount of Leadership modifier items to make the idea work better. That and that flyer's effect will only come to play during the second turn, which means that he is reliant upon those raiders to survive the first round of shooting.

Also it seems that he wants to give you a multiple threat in the form of the Wraithknight that is essentially a jump monstrous creature and the beastpacks.

However Guide is not as good as prescience in regards to his particular build, as the list is not as shooty.

[Arguleon-veq]

I think you should handle every element of that list pretty easily besides the wraithknight, if he is a sun knight conifiguration then he will be a nightmare as the 5+ ward should keep some of those lascannon shots off and the +1 save from the spiritseer will make him nearly invulnerable to your missiles. Plus that sun cannon will put big holes in the grey hunters.

If he is a standard set up the missiles/lascannons should be enough.

The flyers can put out some hurt but thats providing they get past the quadgun, which the eldar flyer in particular will really struggle with.

Should be a fun game though, looking forward to it.

[BigToof]

Thank you all for the very kind comments.

Please let me know if any of you saw the results coming and most of all:

Was I just unlucky (again) or did I just massively screw up?

I suspect a bit of both, but you never know.

Next up is me finishing the other Dark Eldar report (which doesn't go great for me either), but let me know what you'd like up next!

I'm thinking new Eldar, but not sure if I should do Eldar/Dark Eldar or Tau/Eldar.

Best,
-BT

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Setup: Have you ever gotten a feeling that something is decidedly wrong?
I started placing terrain, and started with putting my ADL in the center with the edge on my 12" border, making a nice center cage... uh, I mean, defensive line, for my Guardsmen.  I then see what my opponent is going to place, as there's two very big pieces of terrain.  He takes neither and takes a small piece of terrain that he puts in the center on his side.

That's... odd.  Usually Dark Eldar players (myself included) are throwing themselves at terrain like its say... a small group of islands off the coast of Argentina.  However, my opponent just lets me take one big piece of terrain to either of my flanks.  The big ruins nicely give me cover and leave the rest the board pretty sparse.

Strange, indeed.

Well, I win the roll to go first, and I KNOW the first rule of fighting Dark Eldar is to NEVER EVER let them go first.
Second, is of course, kill the Ravagers, but since there are no Ravagers in his list, I'm forced to deal with just a single rule for now.

So, I first place all of my blob behind the ADL, with the smaller Flamer Grey Hunters in front.  Harry and Jenna in the blob as usual, with Erik on the Quadgun.  I think about maybe trying to get the other two groups of Grey Hunters in, but that would make it rather tight.  So I just put Boxy in the middle.  The Grey Hunters go to either flank.  I'm not sure if I should put them in cover yet, so I leave them out in case I have to run to a flank or not.  To my back left go the Long Fangs who have a decent amount of cover yet good central LoS, and Jack goes back to the right.  Luckily if my opponent goes to either flank, they can't see my PCS, so there's no easy points given up there.  Jax goes in reserve.

I expect my opponent to just reserve and hide, but he doesn't.

Quite the opposite in fact, as he deploys directly opposite my line, with Beasts in front, followed by the Wraithguard with ALL of the ICs (including Lady D), and the GIGANTIC Wraithknight behind them.  A Raider goes to either side.  Jetbikes and Flyers in reserve.

This is just... odd.
I'm going to just advance and start shooting him to bits.  I think I can just slog forward and start cleaning house, when he STEALS THE INITIATIVE!


Picture Caption: I... wha... Oh, this is BAD!

----------------------------

Lieutenant Jack Hawkins poked his head out and squinted in the still dawning sun.  Nothing.  Still nothing.  He glanced down the road at another group of Guardsmen who also shrugged in confusion.  Everything felt wrong about what was going on.  Lady Jenna, mere weeks ago, had brokered peace between the crew of the Anne Bonney and a Tau Cadre.  The Tau were so smitten by Jenna, much to Jack's irritation, that they had invited the Rogue Traders back to their nearby outpost.  After some polite carousing and overly-done diplomatic venues, the two groups had parted ways.  Not perhaps the closest of friends, but at least they weren't going to put Railgun holes through them anytime soon.  Which suited Jack fine.  Then, a matter of days later, they picked up a weak Tau distress call.  Jenna had ordered all haste, and when they arrived, they were shocked to see an empty outpost with no signs of life.  Scanners and psykers had no luck trying to find anything of use.  Jack didn't like the looks of it at all, and wanted to leave immediately, but Jenna refused.  She had said that running in ignorance was worse than searching for hope.  As much as Jack hated to admit it, the words made sense.  And it was the only reason why he was looking around a bunch of Tau buildings, whose only occupants were ghosts.  He shivered a bit.  He only hoped that the universe didn't take his suggestion literally.

Figuring he should check in with the others, he walked back to the hastily made command post where Lady Jenna and Rune Priest "Mad Harry" were standing around.  Both of them were oddly quiet and kept looking at their surrounding like nervous cats.  They didn't even notice Jack until he coughed politely.  Jenna stirred first, and smiled her gentle smile at him.  Jack felt his heart warm.  He cold get lost forever in her violet eyes, and it was hard not to stroke her platinum hair, but he wasn't going to go soft in front of the Space Marines.  A man had to have standards after all.

"Any luck, Jack?"

Jack shook his head, "I'm sorry, Captain, but no luck at all.  It's like they just... vanished or something."

Harry itched an ear, "Hmm...  Too fast for plague.  No signs of a protracted battle.  'S odd.  Like they just up and left."

Jack tried not to scan the surroundings as he felt his nerves start to twist about.  A battlefield he could deal with.  Even a grisly one.  But all this nothingness just bothered him.  Why would they just leave?  It didn't make any...

A high-pitched laugh brought his attention across the large courtyard, and he saw a woman leaning casually in the shadow of  a tree.  She smiled and waved at them, and Jack tried not to let his gaze linger on her for too long, but it was rather hard.  The woman had long, raven hair and had curves that seemed more out of a propaganda poster than real life.  A slinky dress, showing more skin than material was stretched tight over her body and Jack tried not to wonder what was underneath.  She winked, and Jack could have sworn that she was looking straight at him.  He turned away, blushing and saw that Lady Jenna was looking at him a bit hurt.  Trying not to redden even further, Jack barked out, "Who are you?  State your business."

The woman snickered and walked pranced forwards a bit.  Jack sucked in when he saw her alabaster skin was paler than any human had a right to have, and her pointed ears glinted in the light.  Eldar.  What were they doing here?

In a honeyed voice, the woman replied, "Oh, dear me, little ones, I'm oh, so rude.  My name is Lady D'ysperax.  And I'm here because I wish to be here.  Guardsmen and Space Marines?  What a droll little combination.  Who gets to be on top?"

Growling, Jack replied, "We do not have time for you, Eldar.  Do you know what happened here?"

Lady D'ysperax put a finger to lips and chuckled, "Oh, I do, my dear boy, I do indeed.  The Tau...  They ran away."

Jack glanced at Jenna who had an odd look on her face.  Apparently for some reason, she couldn't read the Eldar's mind.  That boded ill.  Best to play along a bit further.

"What did they run from?"

The Eldar leaned forward and gave Jack a predatory grin, "They ran from me."

And with a gesture, a huge shimmering hologram behind her dropped away to reveal a snarling pack of otherworldly beasts and a gigantic Xenos construct that towered over them all.

Jack swore as he backpedaled.  It was a trap!  And they ran right into it!


Turn 1: Eldar/Dark Eldar
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Lady D'ysperax hummed to herself as she attached the rest of her armor.  The Tau had given her just a mild aperitif.  Enough for her to get a bit of her old self back.  Things were just so dreadfully boring up until now, but now it looked as if things were going to be getting quite interesting.

"I don't like this, Illandara."

The high-pitched voice brought Lady D'ysperax's attention to the pair of Craftworld Eldar behind her.  The two sisters were oh so amusing.  Farseer Talissa was the older of the pair, and was clearly in charge.  Lady D'ysperax found her quite amusing, with her firey red hair and coquettish attitude.  In a way, it was nicely contrasted with Spiritseer Illandara, who had so much drive that she could almost taste it.  The two had brought along quite a few of the Wraithbone constructs, and it would be good to see if they could do some damage before her surprise hit the Mon'Keigh.

"You don't have to like it, Talissa," replied Illandara who wasn't even looking at her sibling. 

Talissa felt her eye twitch, but let the matter drop.  What was Illandara thinking?  She was on the Council's watch list after her association with the "fallen" Saim-Haim Farseer, and now taking on a Dark Eldar as council was all but political suicide.  She was about to order her constructs back to the Craftworld, but knew that Illandara would never let her hear the end of it.  Very well, she knew the future of the battle was somewhat clouded, but no doubt the Eldar would be victorious.
------------------------

The game starts with a literal bang.

But more on that in a second.

The Farseer Fortunes and puts Prescience on the Beasts.
So... that makes them re-roll hits and saves.
Oh, that's so, so BAD.

And since, the Farseer has some kind of special gear, she also puts Guide on the big Wraithknight.

Uh, oh.

And the Spiritseer then gives the Wraithguard-Star +1 Armor and Shrouded.
So, if I want any shots to go down, then I have to deal with T6, 2+/3++ saves?
Right, there are probably better targets out there.

And I'm quickly vindicated in my thinking as everyone then gets in my face.
The Beasts get a solid move and run, getting very close to my front line.
For some reason, I always thought the Wraithknight was Jump Infantry, like the Crisis Suits.
But, he is NOT.  12" jumps from an MC is really quite jarring, let me tell you.

The Raiders hit their sails and go down either flank, but the are so far off my radar, it's no joke.
The Farseer also goes down my right flank out of sight, but at least she won't be using her powers on anything meaningful over there.
The Wraithguard-Deathstar also move forwards.

There's only one unit shooting, but it's enough as the Wraithknight shatters Boxy with it's enormous guns, earning a VP and First Blood for the Xenos.


Picture Caption: Wow, I HAVE to kill that thing.


Turn 1: SW/IG
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"Lieutenant, what are those things?"

"Throne if I know, Sergeant, just keep firing!"

Jack looked with some grim satisfaction as the Xenos monsters were being torn asunder by lasguns.  Whatever they were, they could bleed, which meant that they could be dealt with.

"Lad!  I think we may have a problem here!"

Jack looked up and saw the missiles of the Long Fangs knocking the enormous Eldar creature back a few half-steps, but the thing was so eerily fast.  And silent.  Even though it was being damaged, there was no roar of pain or growl of fury. 
Like a ghost.

He swallowed.  Why did that thought have to come to mind?
------------------

I'm sort of dimly aware that there are other threats on the board, but there are two things that need to be taken care of before they get in my face.

First, are the beasts as I don't want to them to stick around until Lady D hits me next turn.  And second is that enormous bowel-drenching Wraithknight monstrosity.

So, first things first.

Prescience goes off on the blob.  Enfeeble goes off on the beasts.  Aww... they're T2 now, isn't that cute?
My guys shift around to open up fire lanes, and the shooting starts with Jack ordering First Rank Fire/Second Rank Fire on the blob.  Twin-Linked Lasguns on T2 beasts does most of the trick, shaving down almost all of them.  The Flamer Grey Hunters pick up the rest, as S4 boltguns instant-kill the Razorwing Flocks.

The rest of my army fires into the Wraithknight doing about half of its wounds, but not enough to down the beast.  T8 is a hard nut to crack!

Oh, and as for Jack, I managed to sneak him off to the right to krak-attack a Raider that is strangely closer than it should be.  Flamers don't do much, but I decide to try for a charge...  And I fail it as it has Torment Launchers.  I have a hard time, as the Farseer is close and I have to use the Guardsmen's Ld instead of Jack's.

That was kind of irritating, and, as I'm sure you'll soon see, a kind of foreshadowing.


Picture Caption: Well, I shredded the beasts and wounded the Knight, so we should be doing alright.


Turn 2: Eldar/Dark Eldar
----------------------
Illandara frowned, watching Talissa zoom ahead on her Jetbike.  Just like her to take all the credit.  She didn't ask her older sister to come.  It wasn't as if she needed her hand held.  But, Talissa had insisted on it, and once again, she was the overbearing irritation that had loomed over her all her life.

"Not giving us much of a chance to do anything, is she?"

Illandara looked over to see a rather bored looking Lady D'ysperax stroking the neck of a Wraithguard, who sat there passively.

"No, she's not," fumed Illandara.  She was used to this sort of thing.  Talissa would take all the glory and she would sit back and watch the home base with the Wraithguard.  Boringly predictable.  If only things would be different.

"Oh, I have...  I have a little suggestion, if you'd like to hear it?"

Illandara nodded at Lady D'ysperax.  The Dark Eldar was so different now.  Back when she first met her, Lady D'ysperax seemed so demure and passive, almost rotting away.  But now, it was if new life was breathed back into her, and she was clearly enjoying every minute of it.

Lady D'ysperax nodded, gliding over, throwing an arm around Illandara.  The Spiritseer raised an eyebrow at the gesture, but then mentally shrugged.  Maybe the Dark Ones did things like this all the time.  Who was she to judge?  In any case, there was little chance that she would dare try anything with all of her Wraithguard around her.

Smiling, the Archon whispered, "It's a little magic trick, and it goes something like... this."

---------------------

Spiritseer once again buffs the Deathstar.
Farseer puts Prescience and Fortune on herself.

Both his flyers come in.
The not-a-Crimson-Hunter Eldar Flier zooms in right up to the Quadgun, now that I've handily made a space where there used to be beasts.
The missile-packing Razorwing Fighter that has blown up SO many of my Guardsmen in the past comes in on the left.
The Knight jumps forward.  I don't think I can stop an assault this turn, but that's ok.  I'm actually more worried about his guns than his fists.

The Farseer then moves out to the center.

Why is my opponent doing this?  I'll just shoot down the Farseer for free.

Then CALAMITY happens.

The Raiders, you know, the ones that I've been completely ignoring?, they declare TANK SHOCK.
My jaw drops as they activate the sails to boost their move and they slice in from my flanks.

I need to roll hella well, as the Farseer's Warlord trait and the TGL means that my Guardsmen need to roll SIX.  TWICE.

They do not.

My blob runs.  Jack runs.  Heck, even the Grey Hunters on the right and in the center run.  To make matters even WORSE, my Long Fangs also run.

The only ones who stay are Erik (who didn't get tank shocked), and the Grey Hunters on the left.

I'm really quite gutted at this point, and I forget to fire the Quadgun, but really, can you blame me?

The Wraithknight assaults the Grey Hunters who lose a few Marines, and can't do anything back.  Its sort of depressing when even Krak Grenades need 6's to wound...


Picture Caption: What.  The.  HELL?


Turn 2: SW/IG
----------------
Erik Redclaw heard the screaming and felt his insides twist as some kind of alien purple mist filled the area.  He felt his senses churn and nightmarish visions seemed to leap from every corner.  But it bothered Erik little, after all, what was the worst they could do?  Kill him?

He waited for his vision to clear and felt the ground shake.  He looked over and saw the building-sized Eldar monstrosity smash a pair of his Brothers into the ground.  He growled and felt a slight tug on his shoulder.

Looking over, he saw his apparition, a vision that seemed just like his long-dead sister Astrid.  In a way, it was comforting to see her again.  Perhaps it meant that he would be joining her soon.  Nodding, he gripped his Chainfist tighter and walked forward to meet his destiny.

-------------------

Jax doesn't come in, but well... I guess that's ok.

I look at Erik.  He's the only model left and once Lady D and the rest of her Deathstar get here, he won't be there for long.

But if you're going to go, go out big, right?

I charge Erik into the Wraithknight.

The Wraithknight tries to crush Erik, but my 3++ keeps working and Erik then hits back with ALL of his hits and brings down the last of the Wraithknight's wounds!

I... I don't think I can ask for more than that.

My Grey Hunters try to consolidate into cover, but that's just not happening.

[BigToof]

Turn 3: Eldar/Dark Eldar
-------------------
His Jetbikes don't come in, but I don't think they'll be missed.
Prescience and Fortune goes down on the Deathstar.  Lady D separates from the Deathstar and even I can see where this is going...
The Spiritseer lowers the Armor of my Grey Hunters and they all die horribly from poison weapons/Wraithguard guns.
Lady D attacks Erik and manages to sneak a hit through his 3++ save, as she basically hits will all her swings thanks to Prescience.

Result: Eldar/Dark Eldar CRUSHING VICTORY



Picture Caption: That is the first time in a very, very long time that I've been completely wiped out.  In fact, last time I think it was done by Lady D way back in 5th edition.

My opponent later told me that he had good luck with getting the right Warlord trait and also that I rolled hella bad.
I think I can agree with the bad rolling, and I have to admit that his list is geared to give a lot of people trouble, if only that they don't see it coming.  I know I didn't see it.

Apparently it was created to give gunline Tau issues, but I think he's switching it up, as it's not that reliable (shocking, I know).  So, apparently, my horrible demise at least kept my current meta from ever seeing it again.

So, umm... I... Yeah.

I think some changes are needed, but at least I learned a lot from this list.

The first is that the new Eldar Codex is quite different.
You have to really learn about the new powers and the Spiritseer has nasty powers (especially the malediction-like powers) that can really do the number on elite-type armies.  Debuffing ARMOR SAVES is something that I never thought I'd see, and it makes all of the poison in the Dark Eldar army so, so scary.
The Wraithknight is a giant, giant distraction.  I became so obsessed with it, I sort of ignored actually trying to do some damage against the ACTUAL units that cost me the game.
Target priority is really important versus the Eldar, and things would have been A LOT different if I could have picked off the Farseer.
------------------------------

Illandara gasped in shock as the huge Space Marine fell with a crash to the ground.  Lady D'ysperax practically bounced from toe to toe, dancing over the fallen man before sauntering back to her with a salacious looking grin.  The Spiritseer had never seen one of the famed Astartes dispatched so easily.  They were giants that were best met with deception and distraction and failing that, overwhelming firepower.  To turn one aside as if it was a youngling was shocking.  She still hadn't decided if it was more satisfying than terrifying, when the Archon leapt at her with a growl.  Bringing her arms up, she was surprised when Lady D'ysperax grabbed her in a vicious hug and kissed her passionately.  Illandara felt herself redden as emotions that she had never felt before bounced around in her head.  She wasn't sure how much time had passed before a familiar voice howled out.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!"

Lady D'ysperax turned away and Illandara looked over to see a shocked and extraordinarily angry looking Talissa.

The Farseer snarled, "I did not order the Hemlock Fighter or the other Dark Eldar to attack!  You do not act without my orders!  And...  And...  You keep your hands off my sister!!"

Lady D'ysperax bowed deeply and winked at Illandara, who felt her cheeks blush more deeply.

"I sincerely apologize, great Farseer.  I was simply in the throes of passion at the end of a wonderfully decisive victory.  I have been out of touch for quite some time.  I'll be better next time.  Promise."

Talissa growled, "There will be no next time, Dark One.  You will go back to whatever hole that my sister found you in, and you will..."

"Oh, shut up, Talissa."

Talissa turned with fury to look at her sister, who stood, arms crossed.

"Lady D'ysperax gave us a decisive victory without the loss of a single Eldar.  The Wraithknight has suffered some damage, but it will be repaired.  But we routed not only an entire Tau Cadre, but a Company of the Imperial Guard AND their Space Marine allies.  Surely you are not blinded by jealousy to see that?"

The Farseer gritted her teeth and looked down at the handles of her Jetbike.  Taking a few minutes, she forced her emotions to calm themselves.  There was some truth in Illandara's words.  They were harsh, but not without merit.  However, putting yourself into debt with the Dark Eldar always had a price, and she just hoped that her sister would be willing to pay it.

She heard a giggling, and looked back to see Illandara looking away with barely held laughter, while the Archon grinned at her in a way that made Talissa uncomfortable.  One thing was clear, she was not going to leave the two of them alone.  Illandara would come to her senses and then they could go home.  It was only a matter of time...

[Mabbz]

... wow.

I'd say you didn't really screw up, and you weren't massively unlucky. You just came up against a very unusual tactic that worked very well. I may have to give it a go myself at some point.

[Cammerz]

Well that was brutal, I never even thought of tank shocking an entire army at once.

And there's the Lady D we all know, love and fear so much we can't sleep at nights, how I have missed her.

The IG/SW fluff wasn't much to write home about but then it wasn't the focus of this report, and the DE/E fluff exceeded expectations immensely, the way only a great antagonist can be. You should challenge this guy again with another army; Tau or Orks or Emperor forgive your 1st Auric Guard, we much hear more of Lady D.

Job's a good un!

[Chicop76]

Well that was brutal, I never even thought of tank shocking an entire army at once.

And there's the Lady D we all know, love and fear so much we can't sleep at nights, how I have missed her.

The IG/SW fluff wasn't much to write home about but then it wasn't the focus of this report, and the DE/E fluff exceeded expectations immensely, the way only a great antagonist can be. You should challenge this guy again with another army; Tau or Orks or Emperor forgive your 1st Auric Guard, we much hear more of Lady D.

Job's a good un!

That's why I stopped playing Tau. Damn tank shocking crap. Glad to seen that in action, the bastards. Reminds me of losing 1k points of my army to a 50 point rhino. Again I hate tank shock. The main nemesis of Tau in 5th edition and 4th. Again bastarrrds.

[Arguleon-veq]

I would say you were pretty unlucky as it was only his warlord trait that cost you the game. Without that your taking that test on your blob with Ld 9 which you should pass. It was also unlucky that all the unit actually rolled high enough to leave the table.

I dont think his tactic is something that will work very often, he does have a good chance of lowering a targets LD with his Spiritseer but he need to get it off, his flyer needs to survive any intercept and then he needs to get those raiders to tank shock. Plus things like the long fangs should still have passed anyway. Even one of your units passing would have let you death or glory.

You were well on your way to blowing his army away so im sure youd get this list next time. Maybe a commissar to completely stop any LD reduction sillyness? Im always worried about my blob now ive dropped mine, even LD 10 is failable and I dont want my blob running straight off the table so I am tempted to put him back in BUT he will execute my Primaris if I do fail.

[crisis_vyper]

My opponent later told me that he had good luck with getting the right Warlord trait and also that I rolled hella bad.
I think I can agree with the bad rolling, and I have to admit that his list is geared to give a lot of people trouble, if only that they don't see it coming.  I know I didn't see it.

Apparently it was created to give gunline Tau issues, but I think he's switching it up, as it's not that reliable (shocking, I know).  So, apparently, my horrible demise at least kept my current meta from ever seeing it again.

Exactly as I predicted as to how his list would work with those elements that you think are 'weird'.  The Hemlock, Raiders with Torment grenade launchers and the shock prow really did prove to be the things that sealed your fate, especially when that warlord trait of his is factored in the equation. Man, seriously these days I can see through so many shenanigans that things do not surprise me anymore.

But as I said before, and your opponent agrees with me, it is not that reliable. He is really lucky that the two big threats (Beastmasters and Wraithknight) worked as they should be, and he got the right stuff at the right time.

So, umm... I... Yeah.

It's okay, it's okay....*pats Bigtoof in the back*........Once in a while we do get hoodwinked  by the apparent 'harmless' list.

The first is that the new Eldar Codex is quite different.
You have to really learn about the new powers and the Spiritseer has nasty powers (especially the malediction-like powers) that can really do the number on elite-type armies.  Debuffing ARMOR SAVES is something that I never thought I'd see, and it makes all of the poison in the Dark Eldar army so, so scary.
The Wraithknight is a giant, giant distraction.  I became so obsessed with it, I sort of ignored actually trying to do some damage against the ACTUAL units that cost me the game.
Target priority is really important versus the Eldar, and things would have been A LOT different if I could have picked off the Farseer.

I like the spiritseer, but the problem is that I am using a fast Dark Eldar force so I have to choose the Farseer due to the mobility.

The sad thing is that without poisoned weapons, that 'distraction' is a true big threat that people could not ignore. With that footprint, they will be happily charging you ASAP. Toughness 8 is a great defense for a reason.

[Rej]

I've missed Lady D, it's good to see she's back! Her fluff was brilliant and I would love to see some more!

[Lord Sotek]

Holy crap, go Erik! Soloing a Wraithknight, what a guy!

And... Lady D is a wicked delight, as ever. She's like if Cruella de Vilel and the Joker had an Eldar lovechild.

[BigToof]

... wow.

I'd say you didn't really screw up, and you weren't massively unlucky. You just came up against a very unusual tactic that worked very well. I may have to give it a go myself at some point.

Thanks Mabbz!
I really wasn't sure what had happened.
Low leadership really can be a hassle and I'll make sure to watch out for this combo next time!

Well that was brutal, I never even thought of tank shocking an entire army at once.

And there's the Lady D we all know, love and fear so much we can't sleep at nights, how I have missed her.

The IG/SW fluff wasn't much to write home about but then it wasn't the focus of this report, and the DE/E fluff exceeded expectations immensely, the way only a great antagonist can be. You should challenge this guy again with another army; Tau or Orks or Emperor forgive your 1st Auric Guard, we much hear more of Lady D.

Job's a good un!

Thanks Cammerz,
I had totally forgotten about tank shocking in 6th, as it's so much harder to do.  However, it's quite nasty if pulled off right, it seems.
I missed Lady D as well, and I'm glad that she's getting some good comments/affection.

How did you like the other Eldar?  I wasn't sure if they worked off well, but Lady D seems to play off them fairly well.

As for who's next...  I'm not sure, I want to finish that rather brutal DE/Eldar game of mine and then try to get something going.  Playing against Lady D is just painful.  I'll have to see how brave I feel

Well that was brutal, I never even thought of tank shocking an entire army at once.

And there's the Lady D we all know, love and fear so much we can't sleep at nights, how I have missed her.

The IG/SW fluff wasn't much to write home about but then it wasn't the focus of this report, and the DE/E fluff exceeded expectations immensely, the way only a great antagonist can be. You should challenge this guy again with another army; Tau or Orks or Emperor forgive your 1st Auric Guard, we much hear more of Lady D.

Job's a good un!

That's why I stopped playing Tau. Damn tank shocking crap. Glad to seen that in action, the bastards. Reminds me of losing 1k points of my army to a 50 point rhino. Again I hate tank shock. The main nemesis of Tau in 5th edition and 4th. Again bastarrrds.

Hi Chicop,
Yeah, tank shocking is apparently still viable, but I think really much harder than previous.  Plus, it's not THAT effective as you can rally much easier.  But, I understand the pain...

I would say you were pretty unlucky as it was only his warlord trait that cost you the game. Without that your taking that test on your blob with Ld 9 which you should pass. It was also unlucky that all the unit actually rolled high enough to leave the table.

I dont think his tactic is something that will work very often, he does have a good chance of lowering a targets LD with his Spiritseer but he need to get it off, his flyer needs to survive any intercept and then he needs to get those raiders to tank shock. Plus things like the long fangs should still have passed anyway. Even one of your units passing would have let you death or glory.

You were well on your way to blowing his army away so im sure youd get this list next time. Maybe a commissar to completely stop any LD reduction sillyness? Im always worried about my blob now ive dropped mine, even LD 10 is failable and I dont want my blob running straight off the table so I am tempted to put him back in BUT he will execute my Primaris if I do fail.

Thanks, I think the same, as it was a pretty fairly nasty combination that he just happened to get.
I'm not sure about the Commissar, as it would either make me drop my Primaris, or make me have the Wolves be secondary.
It's an idea, but I'm not sure if I can deal with having just two units of Grey Hunters, as they are sort of an "all-in" feeling, as they need a certain number to weather shooting.
Still, food for thought...

My opponent later told me that he had good luck with getting the right Warlord trait and also that I rolled hella bad.
I think I can agree with the bad rolling, and I have to admit that his list is geared to give a lot of people trouble, if only that they don't see it coming.  I know I didn't see it.

Apparently it was created to give gunline Tau issues, but I think he's switching it up, as it's not that reliable (shocking, I know).  So, apparently, my horrible demise at least kept my current meta from ever seeing it again.

Exactly as I predicted as to how his list would work with those elements that you think are 'weird'.  The Hemlock, Raiders with Torment grenade launchers and the shock prow really did prove to be the things that sealed your fate, especially when that warlord trait of his is factored in the equation. Man, seriously these days I can see through so many shenanigans that things do not surprise me anymore.

But as I said before, and your opponent agrees with me, it is not that reliable. He is really lucky that the two big threats (Beastmasters and Wraithknight) worked as they should be, and he got the right stuff at the right time.

So, umm... I... Yeah.

It's okay, it's okay....*pats Bigtoof in the back*........Once in a while we do get hoodwinked  by the apparent 'harmless' list.

The first is that the new Eldar Codex is quite different.
You have to really learn about the new powers and the Spiritseer has nasty powers (especially the malediction-like powers) that can really do the number on elite-type armies.  Debuffing ARMOR SAVES is something that I never thought I'd see, and it makes all of the poison in the Dark Eldar army so, so scary.
The Wraithknight is a giant, giant distraction.  I became so obsessed with it, I sort of ignored actually trying to do some damage against the ACTUAL units that cost me the game.
Target priority is really important versus the Eldar, and things would have been A LOT different if I could have picked off the Farseer.

I like the spiritseer, but the problem is that I am using a fast Dark Eldar force so I have to choose the Farseer due to the mobility.

The sad thing is that without poisoned weapons, that 'distraction' is a true big threat that people could not ignore. With that footprint, they will be happily charging you ASAP. Toughness 8 is a great defense for a reason.

Hi Crisis,
I wish I was in your shoes!

I totally didn't see that trick and it nailed me.

I was hoping that someone would have had something similar happen to them and they would go:

"Oh, 'Toof, you just do X, Y and Z and you wouldn't have failed so badly!"

Apparently, though, I just ran head-first into the wall, and the wall won.

Agreed with the Spiritseer, as the Seer seems so powerful, but a bit more limited and lower range, which gives me issues..

I've missed Lady D, it's good to see she's back! Her fluff was brilliant and I would love to see some more!

Hi Rej!

I missed Lady D as well
I'll see what I can do to get another game sooner than later

They're fun to write but PAINFUL to play.

Holy crap, go Erik! Soloing a Wraithknight, what a guy!

And... Lady D is a wicked delight, as ever. She's like if Cruella de Vilel and the Joker had an Eldar lovechild.

Hi Lord Sotek,
Thanks for noticing Erik, he really did pick up where the wolves failed, and every time he does something epic, it just makes me THAT much more reluctant to drop him.  Poor guy's been stuck as a Lone Wolf forever!

And thank you for the kind words on Lady D.  It felt good to write her again, and I'm glad to see her receive some nice replies!

Best,
-BT