Batrep vs Crow Valley Crusaders

So another battle report, but this time myself and the eflling Alun took a wee trip down to the Crow Valley Crusaders where we challanged a couple of its members to a game of 40k! Shaun, whose Imperial Fists Contemptor has been featured on this very blog before, and Michael took up the challange. Just recently myself, and the other Chairman from the Welsh GCN clubs had a little meeting about more interclub gaming and events, and we've got some great ideas we're hoping to implment over the coming year. Byron, the GCN rep for Wales and also Chairman for the CVC guys has come up to the Reavers several times, so it was great to get down and play on away turf!

Shaun was using Imperial Fists, and Michael used Iron Hands tactics, although his marines were very red! It sort of looked like the Howling Griffons had curdled and split into two forces! I was using Krohmus Guard, while Alun had speedily built his latest purchases, and was able to field an all Dark Eldar force for the first time. 

Mission was Crusade, 2k points per player so 8k altogether, 4 objectives with the diagonal deployment. Looking across the table we could see a lot of firepower and already I was worried about whether I had enough to send into them. Alun assured me his 10 or so dark lances would be fine so we set off with the first turn. Night Fighting in effect as Alun had a warlord trait to put in into effect.

Heres the deployment, the achilles worried me a little, although I didn't realise it had three multimeltas on it! Thunderfire cannon would hurt, especially as there were objectives and two FW Plasma predators could do a lot of damage to me. 

First turn kicks off and I send a drop pod down in front of Mikes Land Raider Redeemer to try and blast it open with a meltagun. Which obviously I miss! Alun advances his raiders and ravagers forward but his fire only immobilises the land raider and takes another hull point off. Not good so far! My bikers advance around the flank, cautious of the contemptor there and my on foot tactical squad advance into the ruins towards the objective there. Aluns two venoms fly up the right flank to get into a position to assault next turn.

The CVC guys first turn proved devastating. Most of Aluns raiders or ravagers suffered horribly, either blowing up and taking a lot of the wyches away with the resulting explosions or losing weaponry or being immobilised. Not good for an army that needs to get across the board quickly! My drop pod and squad are wiped out from the redeemer and terminator fire. I roll for reserves and nothing comes on in the next turn!

Aluns flyers come on, and whittle down some of the squads in front of us. I advance my Land Raider and chapter master, chaplain and termies come out and charge the contemptor dread in their way. They blow him up, the explosion killing three of my terminators in the blast. Yep, another terrible armour roll for my terminators! Bikes advance a little more, Aluns survivors try to get into position to stay alive and the venoms unleash their Archons and incubi, who assault into a tactical squad butchering most and the terminator squad where their combat is a lot closer, a couple of termies die along with the incubi but the archon survives and fights on. 

Shaun and Mikes turn and two Fireraptors enter play, yes two! These Fists termies come down too, and do a little damage before a well placed plasma cannon shot and some wyches sort them out. 

The Fireraptors are deadly buggers fair play, being able to fire at four targets they annihilate Aluns two flyers and do more damage to Aluns surviving raiders, leaving alun looking very vulnerable. my tactical squad lose a couple more members due to thunderfire cannon fire, and the contemptor dread unsleashes Kheres assault cannon fire into the dark eldar killing even more.  Then my chapter master gets target. So much firepower butchers him, the chaplain and last two terminators. I had hoped they'd last longer but my dice rolling just isn't good!

My reserves come on, the tactical squad drop podding near the slightly forgotten about objective with the bikes moving up to support. The Stoemtalon flies in between the fireraptors into a position that it can't get shot by them next turn, crafty move I thought! I use the tactical doctine but completely forget to reroll ones, missing with both krak missiles this could have made a difference and I only take a hull point off and shake the crew. Its something though and helps an archon and incubi unit survive a little more in the next turn! Elsewhere fire proves to be fairly ineffective as we just don't have much left. In combat the other archon joins his beleagured general and wounds the chatper master, no easy thing! The other archon does die however, his shadowfield flickering and dying out. 

Aluns army is finished off in this turn, and I curse the Dark Eldars fragile nature. And Aluns bad dice rolling haha. Shauns contemptor with powerfists comes hurtling through the ruins and charges into my bike squad, the gravguns firing but doing little but the storm talon does fly in from behind and takes a hull point off. The grav guns fire again and I manage to get the two sixes I need to finish it off and hopefully keep the objective on the left flank. My tactical squad on the other objective are barraged heavily by loads of fire and all members die leaving the objective free. Two Imperial Fists capture the middle objective after Aluns wyches were finished off and another Fists squad holds the other objective. I fire some kraks at the unit but the Chapter master takes the missiles which kill him, granting us an extra point. 

The game ends and the score is 9-4 to the Crow Valley lads. Thats a generous result considering I had very little left and Alun was wiped off the table, but we had a great game and I hope the guys enjoyed! Those Fireraptors are crazy, and we just couldn't deal with the amount of firepower across the table from us. If Aluns dice were a little better in the first turn it could have been a lot closer, and he'd also forgotton about the bonus to jink saves from the night fighting which may have helped... although I doubt it! Tactically I made some mistakes during deployment. Putting the Crusader in the middle just invited firepower from all fronts, so when my Chapter Master came out he was right in the middle of everything and that was just daft! Fair play though Shaun and Michael played a great game and I hope we get to play them again to regain some pride and get some revenge!