So my first attempt with using my Dark Eldar was against my mate Ben's rampaging Blood Ravens ("counts as" Blood Angels). Since switching from Tau, Ben has had a 100% win rate! His army is solid and he has one of those blasted Storm Ravens that my Emperor's Word Space Marines always had trouble shifting from objectives.
We were both after Tournament practice, so with that in mind, we decided on a Seize Ground mission (5 objectives) and we rolled for deployment which was Pitched Battle. I won the roll and opted to go first. I set up mostly in cover anyway and this proved lucky as Ben rolled a 6 and stole the initiative... I then promptly rolled a 1 for combat drugs giving applicable units a 3d6-choose-the-best run move.
Turn #1
Ben shifted one of his Combi-Pred's sideways and blasted apart a Venom with the Trueborn inside diving out as best they could... one of them didn't get back up (either that or one of the other two slit his throat ;)). The Storm Raven moved 12" and shot at another Venom (the empty one) and managed to Wreck it. Some minor movement from the rest of his units and his turn was over.
For my part I moved my Ravagers around to get some clear shots on the Storm Raven. Pain Token shenanigans allowed the Baron and the Hellions to kick start their journey with 2 Pain Tokens (so FNP and Furious Charge) and they headed off roughly in the direction of a Combi-Pred and tactical combat squad. I was happy with landing them in cover too - despite needing to roll for dangerous terrain tests, they didn't fail any rolls and not needing to rely on having skilled rider from the Baron for re-rolls. The Pain-less Wracks and Haemonculous ran in the general direction of one objective and the vehicles shifted around for some clear shots on things. In the shooting phase I brought just about every dark light weapon to bear on the Storm Raven and managed to strip it of all its weapons (bar the missiles) and shake it around a bit. Despite all the penetrate results I couldn't score a kill which was disappointing... One Ravager had a side shot on a hidden rhino and blew it up exposing the marine squad within who failed their pinning test. Some Venom shooting accounted for several jump marines who were with a Sanguinary Priest who failed to save them with his FNP. Only 3 jump vets left, but they went on to be annoying in turns 3 and 4.
Turn #2
The Storm Raven came in and dropped the dreadnought off and it promptly frag cannoned the wracks/haemonculous wiping them out (they were pain token-less and their ride had been destroyed in turn #1). For some reason the terminators chose not to come out of the Raven and stayed inside. The rest of his army moved around again and a couple of vehicles popped smoke. Owing to some confusion, Ben didn't realize this stopped him shooting which actually hindered him slightly and saved a vehicle or two on my side. Still nothing in charge range for him so his turn ended.
Some shuffling of Ravagers and the bold Baron & Hellions continued to dice with dangerous terrain tests (and laughed at them!) making their way to the Predator with their run move putting them in charge distance of it. The two wych units moved out, one to head after the incoming rhino and combat squad, the other went after a multi-attack on the dreadnought and storm raven. In the shooting phase the Ravager nearest the Combi-Pred blew it up and managed to kill a couple of Hellions with its 6" explosion... bah! Left without a tank to assault they went after the combat squad nearby and were just within range to attack. I had forgotten that the Storm Raven had popped smoke and wasted some dark light on it trying to immobilize or destroy it when I should probably have gone for the dreadnought. In combat the Wyches failed to do anythng to the Rhino and neither did the wyches fighting the dreadnought. I placed the shardnet next to the dreadnought so it was only getting one attack back which limited its chances to do anything to the wyches. The ones in base contact with the storm raven however managed to wedge four grenades into key areas and obviously hit several key areas (3penetrating haywires!) - they Storm Raven exploded killing a few Wyches, but they had done a good job of removing a key objective grabber. Unfortunately terminators and a libby piled out suffering no wounds and avoiding pinning despite a -1Ld modifier. The Baron and Hellions assaulted the combat squad and wiped them out, becoming fearless.Turn #3
More moving about from the Blood Ravens, with the terminators getting into position for a multi-charge on the Raider and Wyches. The combat squad got out of their rhino ready to charge my other wyches. There was some minor shooting with one Raider going down. It was the combat phase that was to prove to be crucial to the game in general. The wyches did nothing to the dreadnought and were wiped out to a single wych by the assaulting terminators who tapped on the raider but decided that even a Thunder Hammer wasn't hard enough to take out a paper plane! O_o! In a rare (and slightly annoying turn of events) the lone wych passed her Ld3 test and stayed in combat - annoying as I'd hope she had died. If she had the 3 Ravagers could have hit the terminators hard. Instead they were going to win in my turn which was not part of the plan... *sigh* The other fight went well enough with the marines charging and losing a couple of guys. In response (and because the powerfist guy assaulted the shardnet) they couldn't inflict anything a 4+ inv save couldn't stop. The marines chose to fail their Ld test and run for it managing to roll a 6 and escape from the wyches. The 3 jump vets that survived the first turn also came back to haunt me here taking out 2 blasterborn in the ruins and multi-charging the nearby venom stunning it.Turn #4
We were swiftly running out of time here. Ben moved the remaining rhino behind some cover with the aim of contesting an objective with it come turn #5. The terminators prepped for charging the Baron and Hellions and a combat squad brought a couple of flamers to bear on the Hellions as well. In the end when the flames cleared and the terminators had finished their assault, only the Baron remained (fearless). He survived the fearless saves (only 2 guys left after the flamers had done their work). He then Hit & Ran 14" towards a different combat squad leaving the Terminators to fend off 3 Ravagers. The 3 Vets finished off the Venom.
With no time to do a proper turn I pushed my Venom into position for the Wracks to claim an objective which technically netted me the match. Had it gone on to be a proper turn I probably would have disembarked the Wracks and claimed the objective and then blocked the rhino physically with the Venom. The Wyches would have been able to reach the Combi-Pred or the other combat squad and the Baron had the choice of the Combi-Pred or the combat squad. Either way when called, I had an objective for a win, but not a decisive win as it was more of a technicality rather than due to strategy or tactics etc.
I supposed when time is called in a tournament you play out the turn, so that would indeed have been game. Need to get to grips more with my army though as I need to be faster playing them.
Things to take from the Game:
1. The Baron works. Him with some Hellions can be very nasty even to MEQ. With some better judgement on my side I could perhaps of held back further and waited to see the outcome of the terminators fight.
2. The Wyches did their role as tarpits, and one of the units did manage to beat a combat squad. Anything bigger than that and they'd have struggled to win. A power weapon/agoniser would be better for the Hecatrix - the same probably applies to the Hellions.
3. Phantasm Grenade Launchers are the don. Knocking charging attacks off is awesome sauce and really helped with the wyches survivability as well as the Baron's.
4. Not sure about Haemonculi. I can see the point of them, but I'm not sure if 50points for FNP is worth it or not.