New Year, New Blood: Introduction and Army Lists
At the start of every year, my friend Pat and I get together for a day-long dust-‘em-up. This year, to tie in with the recent release of Codex: Eldar, we decided to pit the Goody Two-Shoes Pointy Ears against their sinister cousins, the Dark Eldar. We knew going into this that it would be an ugly, bloody fight. 

Eldar: 3,000 points
Pat dusted off his wife’s collection of very-nicely painted figures (in mothballs since the Bad Old Days of 2nd Edition 40K) and brought the following:

• Eldrad Ulthran  (210 points) 
• Warlock w/ singing spear, jetbike, and Conceal (88 points)
• Avatar  (155 points)
• Nine Howling Banshees and Exarch w/ executioner and War Shout (187 points) 
• Nine Striking Scorpions and Exarch w/ biting blade and Shadowstrike (197 points)
• Nine Fire Dragons and Exarch w/ firepike and Crack Shot (185 points)
• Nine Dire Avengers and Exarch w/ power weapon, shimmershield, Blade Storm (157 points)
• Fourteen Guardians (including a starcannon) and Warlock w/ witchblade and Conceal (177 points)
• Fourteen Guardians (including a starcannon) and Warlock w/ witchblade and Conceal (177 points)
• Fourteen Guardians (including a bright lance) and Warlock w/ singing spear and Conceal (185 points)
• Ten Rangers  (190 points) 
• Five Jetbikes  (110 points)
• Seven Warp Spiders and Exarch w/ deathspinner, Withdraw, Surprise (203 points)
• Vyper w/ scatter laser, vectored engines, and spirit stone (90 points) 
• Four Shining Spears and Exarch w/ star lance (202 points)
• Four Dark Reapers and Exarch w/ missile launcher, Fast Shot (217 points)
• Four Dark Reapers  (140 points)
• War Walker w/ scatter laser, shuriken cannon, spirit stones; War Walker w/ scatter laser, starcannon, spirit stones (130 points)

Dark Eldar: 2999 points
I dredged up the Kabal of the Ozone Scorpions, which were last seen being slapped around at Counter Offensive 3 in August 2006. I was itching to reassert them as the Bad Mofos they can be. I brought the following, in two detachments:

• Archon Syryx Lynatharr w/ Reaver jetbike, power weapon, trophy rack, shadow field, and hell mask (145 points) 
• Dracon Dr’zzlah w/ agonizer, splinter pistol, and combat drugs (81 points)
• Dr. Jheste. Haemonculus w/ webway portal, destructor, and hell mask (95 points)
• Dr. Fybze. Haemonculus w/ webway portal, destructor, and scissorhands (95 points)
• Vulnavya. Haemonculus w/ webway portal and stinger (80 points)
• The Silver Scorpions. Succubus Blygos w/ splinter pistol, agonizer, and trophy rack; two Wyches w/ shredders and wych weapons; seven Wyches w/ wych weapons (183 points); Raider w/ disintegrator (60 points)
• The Handmaidens. Succubus Phaedra w/ splinter pistol and agonizer; nine Wyches w/ wych weapons (158 points); Raider w/ disintegrator (60 points)
• The Ring of Honor. Succubus Eklavdrah w/ splinter pistol, agonizer, and trophy rack; two Wyches w/ shredders and wych weapons; six Wyches w/ wych weapons (170 points); Raider w/ dark lance and horrorfex (60 points)
• Warp Beasts. Beastmaster Wormwood w/ splinter pistol and agonizer; five Warp Beasts (75 points)
• Squad #0. Twelve Warriors w/ splinter rifles; two w/ splinter cannons; two w/ shredders (168 points)
• Squad #1. Seven Warriors w/ splinter rifles; one w/ splinter cannon; one w/ blaster (87 points); Raider w/ disintegrator (60 points) 
• Squad #2. Seven Warriors w/ splinter rifles; one w/ splinter cannon; one w/ blaster (87 points); Raider w/ dark lance and horrorfex (60 points) 
• Squad #3. Seven Warriors w/ splinter rifles; one w/ splinter cannon; one w/ blaster (87 points); Raider w/ dark lance and horrorfex (60 points) 
• Squad #4. Seven Warriors w/ splinter rifles; one w/ splinter cannon; one w/ blaster (87 points); Raider w/ dark lance and horrorfex (60 points) 
• Squad #5. Eight Warriors w/ splinter rifles; two w/ dark lances; two w/ blasters (126 points)
• Squad #6. Six Warriors w/ splinter rifles; two w/ splinter cannons; one w/ blaster; one w/ shredder (115 points)
• Squad #7. Six Warriors w/ splinter rifles; two w/ splinter cannons; two w/ shredders (120 points)
• Lynatharr’s Guard, Squad #1. One Reaver w/ splinter rifle; two Reavers w/ blasters (95 points)
• Lynatharr’s Guard, Squad #2. One Reaver w/ splinter rifle; two Reavers w/ blasters (95 points)
• Lynatharr’s Guard, Squad #3. Two Reavers w/ splinter rifles; two Reavers w/ shredders (130 points)
• Three Taloses  (100 points each)

Setting Up
We played at Pat’s house, on a 4' x 8' table liberally sprinkled with very impressive urban terrain (Pat has recently acquired several kits of the Cities of Death scenery). The mission was an Omega-level "Recon," but Dusk and Dawn was not in effect. I deployed Squads #0, 5, 6, and 7 (infantry Warrior Squads) in cover and placed the Haemonculi (Drs. Jheste, Fybze, and Vulnayva) near them (but not attached to them) to sneak my webway portals near to the enemy line. I had planned on deploying the Taloses with Squads #0, 6, and 7 to protect them from Pat’s Fast Attack units, but the Escalation condition ruined that tactic. 

Pat—with most of his army consisting of infantry—deployed both Dark Reaper squads, all three Guardian units, the Dire Avengers, the Howling Banshees, the Fire Dragons, and Eldrad. He infiltrated the Striking Scorpions close to the center of my line (near Squad #0) and infiltrated the Rangers into a building on my right flank. 
 

Posted February 2007
 

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