ToS Game 2: Dark Eldar vs Space Wolves

Mission: Capture and Control (5 Objectives)Deployment: Spearhead

Nakoa's Space Wolves:

Bjorn (Twin Lascannon, CCW w/ Heavy Flamer)

5 Wolf Scouts (Meltabombs, Meltagun)

9 Blood Claws (1 Power Fist) 10 Grey Hunters (1 melta, 1 flamer, Wolf Standard, Power Fist) Rhino (Extra Armor) 10 Grey Hunters (1 melta, 1 flamer, Wolf Standard, Power Fist) Rhino (Extra Armor)

6 Long Fangs (2 Lascannons, 1 Missile Launcher, 2 Heavy Bolter) Land Raider (Extra Armor, Multi-Melta)

Nick's Dark Eldar (for reference):

Haemonculi

-3 Trueborn (3 blasters) Venom (+Splinter Cannon, Night Shields) -3 Trueborn (3 blasters) Venom (+Splinter Cannon, Night Shields) -3 Trueborn (3 blasters) Venom (+Splinter Cannon, Night Shields)

-8 Wyches (Hekatrix, Agonizer, Haywire Grenades) Raider (Night Shields, Flickerfields) -5 Wracks (Acothyst) Raider (Flickerfields) -5 Warriors (Blaster) Venom (+Splinter Cannon, Night Shields) -5 Warriors (Blaster) Venom (+Splinter Cannon, Night Shields)

Ravager (Night Shields, Flickerfields) Ravager (Night Shields, Flickerfields) Ravager (Night Shields, Flickerfields)

I didn't take notes for this or any of my games.  What I write up is what happened from memory, so I may miss some things or write things that happened out of order.

My reward for defeating Space Wolves in Round 1?  More Space Wolves!  My second round opponent was a nice guy named Nakoa.  He and some friends flew in from Washington to take part in the festivities.

We roll off to set objectives and I set 3 to his 2.  I try to keep them scattered as far apart as possible as I have the major speed advantage.  We roll off for first turn, Nakoa wins and opts to go first.

In a Spearhead deployment, Nakoa sets his Land Raider as close to the center as he can.  His Rhinos are partially in cover from a large building / fortification.  Bjorn is set up behind the building, and his Long Fangs are on the top of it.

I opt to reserve everything and do not try to seize the initiative.

Turns 1 & 2

Everything starts moving forward and gets in position to react to wherever I come on.  Land Raider pops smoke.

I have 3 Venoms come in (2 Trueborn, 1 Warrior) along with the Wych Raider and a Ravager.  I move in towards the center of my table edge so my Venoms can move 6" and the Warriors / Trueborn can fire at the Land Raider.  My shooting shakes the Land Raider and completely wipes out the Long Fang Squad.

Turn 3

More moving.  His return fire includes two Twin Lascannons (one from the Raider, the other from Bjorn) but neither do anything memorable.

I get the rest of my army save the Wrack raider.  I move to take out the Land Raider, and I do!  Venom shooting takes out the majority of the Blood Claw squad inside.  More shooting immobilizes a Rhino.

Turn 4

Feeling disheartened after the loss of his Land Raider, Nakoa hunkers his remaining two Blood Claws in cover on an objective.  His Grey Hunters in the immobilized Rhino get out and shoot up a Venom, then proceed to charge the guys inside.  His Wolf Scouts came in behind me but miss with their melta and melta bombs.

I'm moving in position to take objectives.  My shooting drops the remaining Blood Claws, along with the disembarked squad of Grey Hunters.  I send my Wyches to dance with the Wolf Scouts, they end up killing them instead.  Going in to turn 5, I have all four of my Troop choices in tact, while my opponent has one.

Turn 5-7

My opponent is playing for skulltaker points now, and manages to wrack up quite a few.  Bjorn is able to shoot and combo charge some Venoms, destroying one.  His Grey Hunters shoot up a Trueborn squad.  The remaining Grey Hunters conga-line in between an objective and Bjorn, hoping I kill Bjorn and give him control of another objective.

I don't take the bait and spend my last turn trying to shoot up a Rhino, which I failed to do.  Game ends with me controlling 2 objectives to one, and earning ~950 Skulltaker points to my opponents ~500.

My overall strategy for games 1 and 2 were to take out the most immediate threats, then use my range to minimize losses for the rest of the game.  I found it essential to risk my Trueborn early in games in order to get their blasters shots off early.  My opponent was forced to deal with them instead of my Ravagers or Troop choices.

I also found Night Shields to be incredibly useful early on.  Sure, things with 48" range will almost always be able to shoot at me, but it drastically minimizes incoming fire from mid-range threats.  Flickerfields proved invaluable as well, because when your opponent only has a handful of penetrating hits, saving 2-3 of them with Flickerfields is a game changer.

Nakoa was a very nice guy and I was happy to check in on how he was doing throughout the tournament.  If I remember correctly he went 2-1-2, his lone loss coming at my hands.  At this point in the tournament I'm 2-0 and expecting some healthy competition for game 3.