Archon Malagant’s Kabal of the Blackened Sun:
-Archon with Shadowfield, Punisher, Tormentor Helm, Plasma Grenades
-Wych Drachite with Agonizer, Splinter Pistol, Wych Weapons, Plasma Grenades
-Retinue: 5 Wyches w/ Wych Weapons and Plasma Grenades; 2 with Blasters;
1 Succubus w/ Wych Weapons, Agonzier, Splinter Pistol, Plasma Grenades
Raider with Dark Lance and Horrorfex
-6 Wyches w/ Wych Weapons and Plasma Grenades; 2 with Blasters
1 Succubus w/ Wych Weapons, Agonizer, Splinter Pistol, Plasma Grenades
Raider with Dark Lance and Horrorfex
-10 Warriors with 2 Dark Lances
-10 Warriors with 2 Dark Lances
-5 Warriors with 1 Dark Lance
Raider with Dark Lance and Horrorfex
-5 Warriors with 1 Dark Lance
Raider with Dark Lance and Horrorfex
-5 Warriors with 1 Dark Lance
Raider with Dark Lance and Horrorfex
-Ravager with 3 Disintegrator
-Ravager with 3 Disintegrator
-Ravager with 3 Disintegrator
Legio Victoris Light Expedition Force:
-Company Command Squad with Vox Caster, 3 Meltaguns, and a Power Fist for the Commander
-Platoon Command Squad with 4 Flamers
Chimera with two Heavy Flamers
-Infantry Squad with Flamer
-Infantry Squad with Flamer
-Veteran Squad with 3 Meltaguns and Carapace Armour
Chimera
-Veteran Squad with Vox Caster and 3 Meltaguns, Carapace Armour and a Power Weapon for the Sgt
-Veteran Squad with 3 Flamers, Carapace Armour, and a Power Weapon for the Sgt
-Vendetta Gunship
-Valkyrie Assault Carrier with Multiple Rocket Pods
-Valkyrie Assault Carrier with Multiple Rocket Pods
-Leman Russ Battle Tank with 3 Heavy Bolters
-Leman Russ Battle Tank with 3 Heavy Bolters
Deployment was Spearhead. Mission type was Capture and Control. Both of my Wych squads rolled Always Strike First…not something that seemed particularly useful!
The terrain for this battlefield was, as usual, a ruined city. Large multi-story buildings, mostly intact, were at opposite corners of the battlefield where we both placed our objectives. I placed mine high up on the third floor, hopefully making it more difficult for him to get up to it. Several other ruins were scattered around the battlefield, surely the result of prolonged fighting in this city. I wonder what happened to the civilian inhabitants. Hopefully they’re enjoying a nice long stay in Commorragh!
Pre-battle Thoughts
This was a battle that I felt I had very little chance for success. The IG stuff is very strong these days, the opponent is very skilled, and this particular army is just as fast as I am and far more resilient with far more firepower. The only edge I felt I had was in melee troops, but to use that edge I needed to get the soldiers out of their transport, but penetrating AV12 with my S8 is not the easiest thing to do. I decided to play very conservatively, planning to concentrate my firepower on his flying transports first to gain maneuverability edge, then deal with anything moving to my objective, then using Flat-out movement to contest his objective late-game.
Deployment
The Imperial forces arrived on the battlefield first. The foot soldiers were kept in reserve. Their Platoon Commander took up position to defend their objective, being flanked by the two mighty Leman Russ Battle Tanks. The Chimera with the Veteran Squad and Valkyries deployed far forward, ready to swoop towards my objective, while the Vendetta hovered behind the large ruined building, ready to reposition to respond to any vehicular threats.
Archon Malagant deployed only his two Warriors squads to hold his objective, choosing to keep the rest of his forces in reserve.
Archon Malagant attempted to seize the initiative, but was unsuccessful.
Guard Turn 1
The Airborne forces all swoop forward 12”, while the Veteran Chimera and Battle Tanks move forward to bring their firepower to bear. Massive shooting results in several wounded Dark Eldar, but the protection offered by the ruins saved most.
Kabal Turn 1
The Warriors are more than a little intimidated by the incredible amount of armoured might flying and rolling towards them…they’re so shaken up by this awesome display of force that they fail to inflict any damage with their Dark Lances.
Guard Turn 2
One of the Valkyries continues its advance, flying over a ruined building, and the Chimera moves a bit closer as well. More concentrated fire on one Warrior squad results in a few more casualties, but the survivors stand firm.
Kabal Turn 2
Drachite Dretchen and her support arrive on the left flank of the battlefield. (I’d hoped they’d be able to destroy a LRBT and clear the way to assault or at least contest his objective…this was a deviation from my original plan…yeah…bad idea.) Dark Lance fire manages to Shake one of the Valkyries, but that’s all. These Dark Eldar shoot like Orks!
Guard Turn 3
The foot Platoon arrives, taking up position around their objective such that it would be impossible to get a vehicle close enough to contest without landing in Dangerous Terrain. The Valkyries all shuffle around, the Shaken one moving flat-out behind the others. The Battle Tanks and Vendetta take aim at the recently arrived Dark Eldar forces, and fire to great effect. The Ravager explodes. The Drachite’s Raider explodes, killing four of the seven passengers, the remaining fleeing off the table. The other Raider had its Dark Lance blown off. Continuing fire at the Warrior squad on the objective kills more, but the remaining Warriors stand firm.
Kabal Turn 3
Archon Malagant arrives on the field, along with another Ravager and Raider squad. They choose the relative safety of the corner behind their objective. The surviving Raider from the poorly-conceived flank attack moves flat-out to the middle of the table, trying to be a distraction and draw fire.
Dark Lance fire is successful this turn, as the Chimera and Vendetta are immobilized and one of the Valkyries is wrecked.
Guard Turn 4
The veterans disembark from the Valkyrie and Vendetta and move towards their enemy’s objective, firing as they go. The surviving Valkyrie repositions to gain cover from the massed Dark Lance fire.
The lone Raider at the middle of the table succeeded in his mission of drawing enemy fire, and explodes. The survivors take shelter in the crater. Massed fire at the surviving Warriors holding the Dark Eldar objective results in all but two being killed, and those two had decided enough was enough, and ran off the table.
Kabal Turn 4
Archon Malagant’s remaining forces arrive on the battlefield as he directs his Raider towards the veterans closing on his position. He directs the Wyches to deal with one group while he moves to deal with the other personally.
Ravager fire softens up the squad the Archon is attacking, while Dark Lance fire wrecks the Chimera.
Archon Malagant slaughters the hapless Mon-keighs that survived the disintegrator bombardment, and he’s so eager to bathe in more blood that he only has time to collect one hand before consolidating towards the enemy’s Chimera ruins. The Wyches do not do quite as well, as the Imperial Carapace armour proves very effective in thwarting their Wych Weapons.
Guard Turn 5
Firing their afterburners, the Company HQ flies next to the Dark Eldar objective. The veterans in the chimera disembark and move to avoid the raging Archon while taking aim at the Raider near their commander’s Valkyrie.
Imperial fire kills a few of the Warriors in the ruins near the objective, and meltagun fire explodes the Raider. The last of the suicide Raider squad is flattened, despite the cover provided by their crater.
The Wyches finish off the last of the Veterans, and move towards the middle of the table.
Kabal Turn 5
The Wyches continue to advance towards the middle of the table (My intent being to draw fire and threaten the LRBT there), and their Raider moves flat-out to mid-table to block Line Of Sight. The Ravagers move to allow shooting at the last Veteran squad. The Archon runs towards the Veterans and the Valkyrie.
Every surviving Dark Lance fires at the Valkyrie, to no effect. I need to hire some Orks to man these guns! Disintegrator fire is far more accurate, however, as the Veterans are all blasted to their component atoms.
The Archon, though wounded by overdosing on combat drugs, makes a flying leap in to the air, and manages to use his kung-fu grip to hang on to the Valkyrie while tearing it apart with his Punisher. His attacks cause it to crash to the ground in a brilliant explosion!
Guard Turn 6
The concentrated fire of the Battle Tanks and Vendetta explode the Wych Raider. The Company Command squad moves in to the ruins and fires at the Warriors there while contesting Malagant’s objective.
Kabal Turn 6
The Wyches do an about face and race back towards their objective. The last Raider squad moves to claim their objective. The Archon moves to assault the Command squad.
Ravager fire decimates the Command squad, and the Archon finishes them off in melee!
Final result: a draw!
After-battle Thoughts:
Well I certainly have no complaints about the results, though I feel I really screwed up with putting everything in reserve. Had I had another 8 Dark Lances on the table for the first few turns I might have had opportunity to wreck the Airborne stuff sooner and been in position to move to contest his objective for a win. Even so, deviating from my original plan to make an early move towards his objective was foolish, and had I deployed near my objective and gone after the airborne things I would likely have had an easier time removing the forces trying to take my objective and had an extra turn to push to contest his. Well, that’s one of the reasons I like to make these battle-reports: it helps me really look at what I did and evaluate what I might have done differently when the pressure of needing to make immediate decisions during a game is not looming over me. I think keeping things all in reserve is something I should do only against an army with a lot of drop-pod assault that can have a devastating first-turn alpha-strike.
Sadly, still no pictures of my decrepit primer-black colored Kabal…next battle! (Which is what I tell myself every battle, actually…see how well that works?)
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