New Year, New Blood: Part 1
Pat won the roll to go first, and the brutality began.

Turn 1
The Avengers, Scorpions, Dragons, and Banshees all advanced (using Fleet of Foot, as applicable) as Eldrad cast Fortune on the Avengers and Guide on one unit of Dark Reapers. One Guardian Squad made its Night Fighting check and overcame Squad #0’s Concealment, using the starcannon to vaporize one Death Twinkie. No other units—not the Dark Reapers, and not the Rangers—were able to do squat in the Shooting Phase.

On my turn, Squads #0 and #6 moved up and combined their fire on the Striking Scorpions, killing 8 out of 10. Booyah! Squad #5 unloaded its dark lances on the Avengers but only managed to kill one (blasted Fortune power!). Squad #7 fired on the Howling Banshees, gunning down two. Each Haemonculus discreetly moved into better positions to open the webway portals next turn.

Turn 2
Pat’s Jetbikes, Shining Spears, and Vyper came on from reserves. The Avengers, Dragons, and Banshees continued to advance. Eldrad casted Guide on a Dark Reaper unit and a nearby Guardian unit. 

This time, the Eldar shooting was much more effective. The Rangers shot dead four Warriors of Squad #7; Dark Reapers killed eight from Squad #5, and the Dire Avengers used Blade Storm to kill three more from that unit—the lone survivor began to fall back off the table. 

The Fire Dragons, Striking Scorpions, and a Guardian squad unleashed on Squad #0, killing five. Another Guardian Squad pasted two of Squad #6. In the Assault Phase, the Scorpions charged Squad #0, killing two Warriors and losing one of their own. Nevertheless, the lone Exarch was sufficiently formidable enough to scare off the remaining Dark Eldar: they turned to run, but he cut them down and the squad was lost.

On my turn, the Haemonculi opened their webway portals: Fybze on my left, Vulnayvya in the center, and Jheste on my right. Squad #6 tried to fire on the Shining Spears, with no success. Squad #7 shot one Howling Banshee. Hardly an impressive turn for the Ozone Scorpions, but the best was yet to come….

Turn 3
At the start of the turn, Pat’s War Walkers and Warp Spiders came on from reserves. The Avengers and Dragons continued to advance, joined by the Rangers, who had no targets. Eldrad used Guide and Fortune on the Guardians nearby. The Guardians, War Walkers, and Vyper unloaded on Squad #6, wiping them out. The Banshees charged Squad #7, slaying them as well, and the Striking Scorpion Exarch cut down Vulnayvya. At the end of Pat’s turn, I had two figures on the board. 

On my turn, hell exploded out of the webway portals, with the Archon Lynatharr, Dracon Dr’zzlah, Silver Scorpions (Wyches), Handmaidens (more Wyches), Warp Beasts, Squads #2-4 (and their Raiders), two squads of Reavers, and all three Taloses appearing. 

In the Shooting Phase, Raider Squads #2, 3, and 4 went after the Rangers, killing six of them (damned cover saves!). The Taloses—with their freaky Talos sting—shot dead two Warp Spiders and two Shining Spears. The Handmaidens shot two Dire Avengers. 

It was in the Assault Phase that the Dark Eldar really hit hard. The Handmaidens charged the Dire Avengers and wiped them out, losing one of their own. The Silver Scorpions (one of my Wych units—not to be confused with Striking Scorpions) killed five Fire Dragons and forced the rest to fall back. Dr. Fybze and the Warp Beasts killed three Jetbikes, and the Reavers and a Talos killed two Shining Spears while losing one Reaver. One of the other Taloses crunched into the Warp Spiders, killing two before the Spiders  Hit-and-Ran 10" away. 

On the right flank, the Archon, Dracon, and Dr. Jheste charged the Howling Banshees, killing four of them but losing Dr’zzlah. Nevertheless, the Banshees broke, were caught by Lynatharr, and were wiped out. The Archon swept into the Rangers. 

Posted February 2007
 

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