Hump Day Heroics - Battlefleet Gothic

My friend recently finished converting up some Dark Eldar ships for BFG, so we just had to play a game (I'll never complain about that!). Here's what we used:

Ultramarines

Battle Barge - Master of the Fleet

Strike Cruiser - extra shield

Strike Cruiser - extra shield

Strike Cruiser - extra shield

Strike Cruiser - extra shield

6 Gladius Frigates

2 Sword Frigates

Dark Eldar

2 Torture Cruisers - launch bays

15 Corsair Escorts - 5 w/ torpedoes, 5 w/ Impalers, 5 w/ lances

Deployment

Noticing an irregularity in the sensor returns, the canny Space Marine commander ordered Thunderhawks into the void as a picket line. 

The Dark Eldar closed quickly, eager to capture some prime space marine subjects for the haemonculus. Many of the Gladius frigates were left without crew as Impaler modules poured Dark Eldar warriors within. On the left flank, the Sword frigates bravely move to intercept the Corsairs, but despite bracing for impact they broke apart under the furious shadow lance fire. Having shown their true colors, the Thunderhawks engaged, and managed to find and destroy two Corsairs.

While they'd been dealt a hefty blow losing many of their fleet escorts, the bulk of the Space Marine fleet was untouched and angry. Turning into their enemy, they unleashed hell. Bombardment cannon and weapons batteries let fly, taking a terrible toll on the Dark Eldar fleet. Thunderhawks rearmed and soared once more into the fight.

Seeing their plans turn to ash, the spiteful Dark Eldar attempted to circle the fleet and take the commander as a slave. However, the durable shields and massed turret fire kept the Space Marines safe.

Arresting their momentum with retro thrusters, the Strike Cruisers kept hugged the stern quarters on the Torture cruisers, blasting one to pieces in a vengeful bombardment and damaging the other. With the Dark Eldar right where they wanted them, the port and starboard batteries thundered death into escorts and the remaining cruiser, destroying and crippling each.

The remaining Dark Eldar disengaged, tails between their legs.

Welcome to 2013!

New year means new army! Last Friday I played for the first time with my new Dark Eldar. My friend David was also using his guys for the first time, so it was a learning game for us both. I had to proxy some stuff (flyers, bloodbrides), and I didn't take pictures or do anything fancy, so this will be a fairly brief report. Here's what went down:

Lelith
Archon - blaster, haywire, ghostplate, djin blade, clone field, phantasm GL
9 Incubi - klaivex, onslaught
> Raider - night shields
9 Bloodbrides - 3 hydra gauntlets, syren w/venom blade
> Raider - night shields
10 Warriors - blaster, splinter cannon
10 Warriors - blaster, splinter cannon
Razorwing - disintegrators, splinter cannon, night shields
Voidraven - 2 implosion missiles, 2 monoscythe missiles, night shields

vs

Zahndrekh
Obyron
Royal Court - Lord, 2 Crypteks (one had the tremor staff thingy)
Triarch Stalker
20 Warriors - Lord w/rez orb
20 Warriors 
5 Immortals - tesla
5 Immortals - gauss
8 Scarab Swarms
Annihilation Barge

Mission: The Scouring
Deployment: Dawn of War
Table: Scattered ruins and LoS-blocking ruins
Warlord Trait: Stealth/Move Through Cover in ruins  


Turn 1 - DE

So I went first. Both warrior units took shelter in a ruin in the center, hanging with two objectives. One raider with the Incubi moved up on the left to behind a building, while the other raider went to the center of the table behind a ruin. Shooting offed a Scarab and put a wound on another.

Turn 1 - Necron

He moved up stuff. Shooting was out of range due to night shields or it was out of LoS. In the assault phase, the scarabs swarmed the Bloodbrides' raider and predictably nommed it to scrap. They got out, not pinned.


Turn 2 - DE

Both flyers show up. The Incubi drive forward and hop out in front of a unit of warriors (w/o Lord), while Lelith and her girls surround the Scarabs. The shooting phase sees the tesla-Immortals get imploded (along with a couple warriors), and about half the Lord's warrior unit goes down. Those flyers can dish it out! In the assault phase, the ladies annihilate the scarabs and the Incubi drop 11 warriors, making them flee and die. Phew! 

Turn 2 - Necron

Suddenly down 36 models from the previous turn, he considers his options. His shooting causes a glance on the Razorwing, as well as taking out a couple Bloodbrides and four Incubi. Decent, and painful!


Turn 3 - DE

The Razorwing flits off, while my two other vehicles shoot up and wreck the Stalker. The Warriors tickle some warriors () and take down two of the royal court. The ladies fail the charge due to suffering a casualty from overwatch, but the Incubi make it into the warriors. The Archon challenges the Lord, and the clone field produces 3 copies and shuts down the Lord, and Archon Chuckle-Stab (seriously, he kept producing 2-3 clones and laughed at his opponents and stabbed them each time) knocked over the Lord. The Incubi utterly fail and only take out three warriors; they hold. 

Turn 3 - Necron

Hmm, he moves to hide and hold the objective he still has. The barge kills half the remaining bloodbrides, leaving me with four . The Lord gets up and gets confused by the clones. Archon Chuckle-Stab gets too giggly and also does nothing. Some more Warriors go plotz.


Turn 4 - DE

Flyers come back and shoot up the joint, destroying the Annihilation Barge. Lelith and her girls join the fray and help wipe out the warriors. Archon Chuckle-Stab gets depressed because his shiny toy is broken. They consolidate toward his remaining 6 models. 

Turn 4 - Necron

He moves out to try and shoot me a bit before getting wiped out. In a spectacular attack of the onesies, the three remaining Incubi get flayed away, and Archon Chuckle-Stab takes a wound. 


Turn 5 - DE

Archon Angry-Stab is done with games. He and his best girl Lelith go wipe out the remaining toasters in an orgy of death or whatever.


Total casualties: 9 Incubi, 6 Bloodbrides

Victory! 


Review:

I like how it went! I'm sure it had something to do with the dice or skill or something as well. The Incubi were nasty! I wonder how people ever only use units of 5 in venoms...9 is so much more effective. The Archon with the Clone Field was interesting. 7 power weapon attacks plus really powerful anti-tank capabilities, with the additional  benefit of completely shutting down characters in challenges. I feel like I should've had some sort of transport for the Warriors, but they did just fine. 

The flyers were very useful! The Razorwing fighter made for a superb ground-attack fighter, sweeping away enemies. The bomber made even quicker work of infantry...the Implosion missiles were nuts! I'd love to have four, but those two were pricey at 60 points. That's a whole transport vehicle right there. Alternatively, it's an entirely deleted enemy unit like terminators or paladins. No bomber model is also depressing, though I've seen a few nice conversions.

So, what do you, dear readers, think of this game?