Warhammer 40,000 Battle Report #38 – Eldar vs Necrons

Today we have another instalment in the ATC missions, rough draft one. By now these are slightly dated, but I still wanted to share the content to show the general idea behind the ATC missions. If all goes to plan, we will have more up-to-date mission reports to show by the end of the week.

For now, Craftworld Iybraesil and the Dagon Dynasty go to war! Who will emerge triumphant?

The Armies

Craftworld Iybraesil

Craftworlds – 1,850

Combined Arms Detachment

HQ

Farseer: The Spirit Stone of Anath’lan; Psyker (Mastery Level 3); Guide, Doom, Eldritch Storm,   Executioner

TROOPS

Dire Avengers: four additional Dire Avengers; Wave Serpent transport with Twin Scatter Lasers,             Shuriken Cannon, and Holo-fields

Dire Avengers: two additional Dire Avengers; Wave Serpent transport with Twin Scatter Lasers, Shuriken Cannon, and Holo-fields

FAST ATTACK

Vyper: 2x Shuriken Cannon

HEAVY SUPPORT

Night Spinner: Spirit Stones, Holo-fields

Wraithlord: Ghostglaive, 2x Bright Lance, 2x Flamer

Falcon: Bright Lance, Holo-fields

Aspect Host Shrine (+1 BS)

Warp Spiders: one additional Warp Spider

Fire Dragons: one additional Fire Dragon

Dark Reapers: two additional Dark Reapers; Starshot Missiles

Aspect Host Shrine (+1 WS)

Howling Banshees: Exarch has Executioner

Striking Scorpions: Exarch has Scorpion’s Claw

Swooping Haws: one additional Swooping Hawk

Dagon Dynasty

Necrons – 1,850

Decurion Detachment

Reclamation Legion

Overlord: Warscythe

Immortals: five additional Immortals; Gauss Blasters

Immortals: five additional Immortals; Gauss Blasters

Necron Warriors: four additional Warriors

Necron Warriors: four additional Warriors

Tomb Blades: five additional Tomb Blades; Nebuloscopes, Shieldvanes

Judicator Battalion

Triarch Stalkers: one additional Stalker; Twin Heavy Gauss Cannons

Triarch Praetorians: Rods of Covenant

Triarch Praetorians: Rods of Covenant

Doombringer Flight

Doom Scythe

Doom Scythe

After Action Review

Randall:

In case no one has ever said it before me, I love the Decurion! That bonus to Reanimation Protocols, plus the horde of other special rules from the combined detachments, just really brings the resiliency pain to a whole new level. Add in my ridiculously good dice and he just couldn’t do anything to bring my model count down. With the exposed position his Aspect Warriors found themselves in, it was just a bad fight all around for the Eldar.

I do think my opponent would have been better served by using Battle Focus more fully in the pivotal turn. The Dire Avengers might have been able to reach some much-needed cover, and the Fire Dragons would have been less exposed to the charge from the Praetorians. Still, he pulled some good maneuvers and my resilience just made him die in droves. Those charges against the Warrior squad should have whittled my numbers handily; instead he was wiped out with only a pair of Warriors to show for his effort.

I’m enjoying the Twin Heavy Gauss on the Stalkers as well. The Heat Rays are nice, but they feel like they only come into their own when the rest of the phalanx is already in position. Killing heavy armor has never been something the Necrons needed to do better, so I like the idea of those long-range shots to end pesky threats. They did a nice job of cleaning up the Wraithlord early, and were instrumental in keeping his heavy tanks Jinking rather than tearing holes in my lines.

Brandon:

I don’t think I can say I have had a game feel like such a Chess match before. I can’t stress enough how much I am enjoying these ATC missions. I literally had to spend ten minutes looking at the board from every angle trying to judge what I could risk to sacrifice for Objective points, and what I needed to hang on to in order to get later Objectives. This was the first time I had faced the Necron Decurion as well. Man, those things just don’t go down!

The biggest letdown was going all out and casting a level four Eldritch Storm with my only five dice to get the Warp Charge, hitting the huge blob of Necrons in the center (10 Immortals and 6 Warriors total). Between Cover from my Fire Dragons (why did I put them there?) and their Reanimation Protocols I only managed to kill two Warriors. What I thought was the attack that could turn the tide and give me a shot at coming back proved my undoing as I was then fully committed with everything in the open ready to catch hot Gauss return fire from some very upset (and smoldering) Necrons!

Still, a very fun game and I’m looking forward to the rematch. ‘Til next time, I will continue to show why Gav Thorpe believes there are only six million Eldar left in the galaxy!