40k Batrep • DraigoStar vs. Jetseer Council @ TempleCon
I played in a fantastic matchup at Templecon this last weekend. Come enjoy the battle.
I have decided to present mine out of sequence. We all know I didn’t win the event so it’s not a big deal in my opinion. The first report will cover my first game from the second day which was the fourth game out of five overall. The second day can make or break you at a big event and this game was versus Jetseer council featuring a Cullexus assassin and bastion with an escape hatch. I had not played against the new Cullexus assassin but did a lot of research since it’s literally the bane of any psychic Deathstar.
Deployment was Dawn of War so the Cullexus had a potentially huge foot print to shutdown DraigoStar. I knew that my initial deployment was key which I’ll cover in more detail later.
TempleCon used the new ETC mission which means you want to accumulate as many battlepoints as possible every round. The first primary goal was The Relic from the Eternal War missions and is typically fairly easy for DraigoStar to achieve but versus a Jetseer Council (JSC) it’s by no means a given. That said I knew I needed to fend off any eldar infantry unit from grabbing it and making a quick dash into the bastion. The head judge made the ruling you couldn’t use the escape hatch to move the relic into the bastion as some players were hoping they could do with the escape hatch located 12″ away. I think this was the right call.
My army is not great at scoring Maelström points which was another primary objective. The ETC modified Maelström deck is really good for a competitive tournament. This round it was the Maelström Spoils of War.
The other primary goal was Purge the Alien (kill points) which is easy for DraigoStar to achieve no if, ands or buts. 😀
Taking a page from the 2014 BAO my overall strategy was to focus on the Eternal War and the secondary objectives – First Blood, Slay the Warlord and Line Breaker. First Blood is typically very easy for DraigoStar to achieve but Iike I said above my deployment was key to defending against the Cullexus so it wasn’t a sure thing this time around.
Here is my opponent’s army list: (Eldar + Friends)
Baharroth /Warlord
Farseer Bel-Annath (Forge World)
8x Warlock – jetbikes & 3x spear
5x Dire Avenger
Wave Serpent – Ghostwalk Matrix – scatter laser
5x Dire Avenger
Wave Serpent – Ghostwalk Matrix – scatter laser
5x Dire Avenger
Wave Serpent – Ghostwalk Matrix – scatter laser
5x Fire Dragon
Wave Serpent – Ghostwalk Matrix – scatter laser
Bastion – escape hatch
Cullexus Assassin
Here is my army list: (Draigostar)
Draigo /Warlord
Grey Knight Librarian – stormbolter – Nemesis daemonhammer – Liber Daemonica
9x Grey Knight (Strike squad) – 2x psycannon
Justicar – Nemesis daemonhammer
4x Grey Knight (Strike squad) – psycannon
Justicar – Nemesis daemonhammer
Stormraven – locator beacon – twin linked assault cannon – twin linked multi-melta – Hurricane sponsons
Severin Loth
Techmarine – combi plasmagun
4x Scout – bolt pistols & combat weapons
Sergeant – bolt pistol & combat weapon
Landspeeder Storm – heavy flamer
4x Devastator Centurion – grav cannons – grav amps – chest missiles
Sergeant – twin linked lascannon – chest missile – omniscope
Here are my psychic powers:
Draigo – Banishment – Gate of Infinity – Hammerhand – Purge Soul
GK Librarian – Gate of Infinity – Prescience – Pefect Timing – Misfortune
Severian Loth – Psychic Shriek – Invisibility – Shrouding – Dominate
I didn’t write down the psychic powers my opponent rolled but he did get multiple Fortune which he really wanted to protect the JSC.
Setup and Deployment
I won the roll to choose my deployment zone picking the side with a line of sight blocking building in one of my table corners to hide DraigoStar from the Cullexus. I also won the roll to deploy and go first which I chose to do. Tomorrow I’ll post a picture of my deployment… Basically I deployed DraigoStar in the corner behind the building with the scouts outside their transport and the five man Strike squad in front of the DeathStar and also behind the building to form a buffer. I held the ten man Strike squad embarked in the Stormraven held in reserve.
My opponent deployed his entire army spread across his table edge with the bastion in the middle with the escape hatch right beside the relic. He chose to infiltrate the Cullexus as close to my deathstar as possible in a big ruin right up against my building.
You can’t even see that nasty bugger it was so well hidden !!! Aaaaargh !!!
Note I chose to place my Landspeeder outside the building to push back the Cullexus. The thought here was I was going first so unless my opponent seized on me I could move it back behind the building before the wave serpents could shoot it for First Blood. Even if he did seize I felt it was worth the risk to keep the Cullexus far enough away so I could cast psychic powers the first turn.
Of course my opponent did seize the initiative using one of those scatter dice from NOVA – personally I don’t like them as the 1 and 6 pips both have the scatter symbol on them which can lead to confusion.
Turn 1 – Eldar
This was a fairly uneventful turn with the Eldar performing the serpent shuffle and the Cullexus moving forward towards my deathstar while hugging cover like a green tree lover. The Farseer jumps out of a serpent joining the tail end of the JSC.
JSC successfully casts Fortune on itself.
My Storm was popped by a serpent giving Eldar First Blood.
Turn 1 – DraigoStar
The five man Strike squad and scouts jump back behind the building moving completely out of sight. DraigoStar moves to my right drawing a bead on one serpent with the lascannon.
I successfully cast Invisibility and Perfect Timing. Loth burns a warp charge for the 2++ invulnerable save.
The lascannon hits and penetrates the Fire Dragons’ serpent. It explodes killing one of the Fire Dragons.
Turn 2 – Eldar
The Cullexus feels bold moving forward again just within 12″ of DraigoStar canceling Invisibility… This brings the assassin out in the open. JSC moves forward as well so it can line up some shots on DraigoStar – roughly about 10″ out with the lead jetbikes and a small bit of terrain between them. The remaining serpents also move into position to target what they can see of DraigoStar.
My opponent casts some psychic powers… I save all my dice to deny Fortune, which I do – they won’t be risking an assault this turn.
My dice are hot during the Eldar shooting phase and I make all my saves.
Turn 2 – DraigoStar
The Stormraven with the embarked ten man Strike squad comes in from reserve… Just what I needed !!! I move the flyer into position to blast down the Cullexus and the Strike squad paratroops down behind it with minimal scatter – all guns are trained on the assassin with the psycannons up front in rapid fire range.
DraigoStar moves further right and out of the Cullexus’ 12″ anti psychic bubble.
DraigoStar botches the roll for Invisibility but I successfully cast Shrouding, Perfect Timing and Prescience. I also botch the rolls for Force and Hammerhand. Loth burns another warp charge for his 2++ invulnerable save.
The Stormraven then unloads into the Cullexus… Thank the Emperor for all those twin linked weapons (you always have to snap fire at that cunning bastard) !!! The assassin is splattered to oblivion – untimely death for the Imperial turncoat… What a relief that was gunning down the assassin. I also manage to shoot down a jetbike with DraigoStar. The Strike squad targets the Fire Dragons and blows them off the table.
I then attempt to assault the JSC and just miss reaching them by 1″… Shouldn’t have shot them… Oh well.
Turn 3 – Eldar
The serpents shuffle around again with one squad of Dire Avengers disembarking to draw a bead on the exposed Strike squad. JSC moves up to within an inch of DraigoStar.
This turn the Eldar successfully casts Fortune on the JSC and reveal DraigoStar.
It takes two serpents to pop my Stormraven. Some more shooting drops one Grey Knight from the Strike squad. JSC unloads on DraigoStar… Loth tanks the rending shots and Look Out Sirs the armor saves onto a Centurion like a boss.
The JSC then makes the charge into DraigoStar – psychic deathstar versus psychic deathstar. I fail one armor save on a Centurion and fail the ensuing blind test from the Farseer’s special witch blade… That’s rolling a 1 for a 2+ armor save followed by a 6 for the blind check which would have passed on a 5 or less. I am less than pleased with my dice to say the least. My opponent passes all his invulnerable saves thanks to Fortune and we remained locked.
Turn 3 – DraigoStar
The big Strike squad moves forward towards the relic and that’s pretty much it for the movement phase.
I cast a few dice to successfully Prescience DraigoStar which my opponent does not attempt to deny. Most of the rest of my warp pool is cast on Gate of Infinity via Draigo which is denied by the Eldar using all their dice. I have a couple of warp charge left and just manage to successfully cast Gate via the GK Librarian. DraigoStar at full strength bounces across the table squatting down in a big ruin beside the relic… Really needed that to go down !
The Strike squad targets the disembarked Dire Avengers wiping them off the table. DraigoStar targets another serpent and blasts it off the table. Four of the five embarked Dire Avengers go up in flames from the ensuing explosion and the last Avenger breaks legging it towards it’s table edge.
No assaults this turn.
I have a solid lead on kill points and currently have two units in range to grab the relic with the JSC caught out of position way over on my table edge… Heh ! The plan is methodically coming together but time is starting to run low now. Eldar are currently on the back foot though much to their chagrin. I need to keep applying the pressure.
Turn 4 – Eldar
The remaining two Dire Avenger squads both disembark from their serpents… One squad is in position for a challenging attempt to procure the relic while the other squad runs up to an upper level in the ruin beside DraigoStar (i.e., xenos death wish). JSC makes a long haul back stringing out towards the relic to support the ground level disembarked Dire Avengers. One of the remaining serpents performs a flyby landing dead center on top of the relic… I knew it was coming and was well prepared.
JSC casts Fortune on itself again.
Most of the xenos shooting is directed at the Strike squad, whittling them down to roughly five Grey Knights and they just barely pass their break check.
No assaults this turn again.
Turn 4 – DraigoStar
Time is running out… There’ll only be enough time left after this turn for a fifth turn. Scouts pop out from behind the building moving towards the JSC while the fully intact Strike squad pops out as well heading towards the relic along with remainder of the other Strike squad. DraigoStar encircles round the serpent situated on top the relic.
I successfully cast Shrouding and Invisibilty on DraigoStar along with Shrouding and Hammerhead.
I assault the sitting serpent and wreck it (no passengers inside) blowing it up a mile high. Only one more to go ! There is much rejoicing amidst the brutal Marines.
Turn 5 – Eldar
JSC moves into position to contest the relic but are blocked off by DraigoStar. Farseer splits off to intercept my Scouts. The final serpent cruises in place of the last one to block off the relic yet again. My opponent forgets his psychic phase… Oh well. Shooting finishes off the remainder of the remnant Strike squad and the Farseer heavy flamers a couple of Scouts it can see but they pass their break check. The JSC fail their attempt to chsrge DraigoStar – big break for me.
Turn 5 – DraigoStar
DraigoStar moves into position to assault the final serpent currently holding the relic while the Scouts encircle the Farseer. The five man Strike squad moves and runs toward the relic ending up beside the JSC just out of range from the relic.
First DraigoStar shrieks the Dire Avengers up in the ruin – gone. I then am able to cast Hammerhand and Loth juices his armor again for the 2++ invulnerable save.
Scouts bolt pistol the Farseer dropping a wound. DraigoStar splits fire pounding the JSC managing to pop a few more jetbikes.
Scouts opt not to assault the Farseer and run around him cutting the Eldar psyker off from the JSC. DraigoStar charges the last serpent and explode it as well… Game over.
JSC is contesting the relic from DraigoStar so we draw on that objective. Eldar take Maelström and I take kill points. We both have Line Breaker and my opponent has First Blood and Line Bresker. We tally up the final overall score – Eldar just manage to squeak the win due to Maelström.
One heck of a close battle… Wish there had been enough time for one last turn as I probably would have scored the relic.
More Templecon games next time. Monday Morning Quarterbacking – BEGIN!
