Eh'up Epichaps, My first attempt at a playtest battle report here, using the latest version of the Knightworlds list. McHaggis and I had hashed over some changes to the list, which the Haggis had put to the rest of the Board. E&C had put into effect some of the idea we'd had, but the nerf we'd suggested to balance the buff wasn't there. Suffice to say, I was expecting to get hammered...

We played 2550 points in the standard Tournament scenario, I took an army designed to maximise my activations from the models I had available. I suspect this didn't help my chances, as infantry (or at least Eldar infantry) are essentially powerless vs Knights in their previous form and moreso in the current setup.

Anyway on to it. Two pictures of the armies concerned. There should be a picture of the table too with objectives marked, but we forgot to take that one along with the deployment so I'll do some jiggery pokery and label them at the end of turn one photo.

Armies

Knight Worlds

Paladin Household led by Baron
Paladin Household led by Seneschal
Errant/Lancer Household led by Seneschal
Crusader Household
Skitarii Demi-Century
Ballista Flak Guns

A mere six activations...

Eldar
Guardian Warhost with Heavy Weapon Platforms
Guardian Warhost with no upgrades
Aspect Warriors (Avengers and Reapers) mounted in Waveserpents and 2 Exarchs
Aspect Warriors (Scorpions annd Banshees) with an Exarch and Autarch
Scorpion Engine of Vaul
Swords of Vaul 2x Firestorm, 3x Falcon
Rangers
Jetbike Host
Vyper Jetbike Host
Night Wing Squadron

A more Healthy 10 Activations, shame many of them are duff.





As for Deployment, the Eldar started mostly behind the two hills in front of their deployment zone, with the Scorpions/Banshees behind the left hand hill along with the Engine of Vaul and Vypers and the Mounted Aspects between the forest and the right hand hill. Falcons/Firestorms behind their right hand hill. Guardians with Heavy Platforms behind the central forest with Rangers ahead of them on the forward forest edge Garrisoned and on Overwatch. On the far left hand side was the Un-upgraded Guardians.

On the Knights side, The Skitarii were Garrisoning an objective in front of their central Woods with most of the Knights clustered behind it.

Coming up will be Turn 1...

Watching closely ; With your username, I'm expecting a masterful win! ;-)

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I don't have a drone to cheat for me alas...

Turn 1

McHaggis Wins Strategy roll.

Morat: Activates Nightwings to hit AA battery. They're flak does nothing 4 hits caused, all destroyed.

McHaggis: Skitarii go on Overwatch

Morat: Puts Rangers on overwatch.

McHaggis: Advances Crusaders, fires on mounted Aspects. Kills one with Quakes killing 2 Avengers and placing 5 BMs.

Morat: Doubles left Guardians to the left of central hill.

McHaggis: Doubles central Paladins to the left of the Chapel. Take OW from Rangers placing a BM. 2 are killed breaking the formation. They fall back behind the forest.

Morat: Trys to double the Scorpions/Banshees to the right of the central hill. They fail and move singly instead.

McHaggis: Baron's formation doubles and blasts the left flank Guardians. Caught in the open (Not to mention only 2 failures to get 5s or 6s with Knight cannon reduces them to one broken stand. The lone survivor flees behind the central hill, to "hold" the blitz objective all alone.

Morat: Mashalls the Battered Avengers/Reapers. All BMs removed. They move into the lieu of the right hand hill.

McHaggis: Errants/Lancers double behind cental chapel.

Morat: Vypers Triple behind the Knight's right flank hill to threaten the Blitz or to later Xfire the Baron's unit.

Morat: Jetbikes double to cause a Xfire on the now left hand Paladins. The now significantly buffed Levy/Skitarii, pulped them, killing 3 and breaking the formation. So much for using crossfire...

Morat: Scorpion Doubles to fire on Baron's unit. Strips one power field, leaving Seven.

Morat: Falcons double to fire at Crusaders. Strip all shields and Damage 1. No criticals.

Morat: Central Guardians double and fire at left Paladins. No damage caused. BM placed.

End of Turn

Rally phase

Morat: Scorpion/Banshees remove their BM on a re-roll.

McHaggis: Clears BM on Baron's Knights.

Morat: Jetbikes fail to rally. (Should have saved that re-roll...)

McHaggis: Left Paladins clear both BMs due to Seneschal.

Morat: Lone Guardian behind central hill fails to rally.

McHaggis: Clears one BM and regains a shield on Crusaders.

Morat: Fails to rally rangers.

Turn 2

Morat takes Initiative.

Morat: Advances Vypers behind Baron's unit. Firing strips 2 Shields.

Morat: Retains to Double with Scorpion Kills 2 with it's pulsars due to Xfire from Vypers.

Morat: Retains Again to double the central Guardians and fire on the Baron's Knights. No damage, but they are broken. Guardians are high and dry for their pains.

McHaggis: Puts Crusaders on OW.

Morat: Nightwings GA Crusaders. Stripping a Shield and causing a hit which is saved.

McHaggis: Left Paladins engage Guardians. 4 First strike hits. Kills 2 Guardians, 1 platform and hits the Farseer who saves. Farseer hits a Paladin but it saves. 2 more hits from Guardians strip 2 shields. 4 more hits from Knights and the Combat resolution, nuke the Guardians. No more Chance of Avatar now...

Morat: Doubles Scorpions into forest. Overwatch from Crusaders causes 5 macro hits kill the Supreme Commander.

McHaggis: Errants/Crusaders engage Vypers on Knights Right flank, First strike does nothing. 1 hit from the vypers. 1 vyper killed by normal attacks. Rest of squad wiped by combat resolution.

Morat: Falcons fail to activate and no SC re-roll... Mashall to remove BM.

McHaggis: puts Skitarii on OW.

Morat: Wave Serrpent Aspects double up to Crusaders and Pray for Initiative next turn...

End Phase

Morat: Rallies Scorpion/Banshees.

McHaggis: Baron's Knights fail to rally on re-roll.

Morat: Fails to rally rangers.

McHaggis: Crusaders fail to rally.

Morat: Jetbikes fail to rally.

Morat: Fails to rally lone Guardian near blitz.

Turn 3

Morat wins initiative on a draw.

Morat: Avenges/Reapers engage. Strip 1 shield and five hull hits. All are saved. One serpent dies. Eldar win by 3 losing 2 in the resolution and sending the last packing. Eldar consolidate into some rocks hoping to force a Xfire with the Scorpion SHGT.

Morat: Attempts to retain with the Engine of Vaul fails and fires from location, strips 2 shields.

McHaggis: Fails to activate Skitarii. Marshalls to clear their BM.

Morat:Scorpion/Banshees double to hold objective in Eldar right hand forest.

McHaggis: Central Paladins fail to activate with a re-roll. They fire from position and break the Banshee/Scopions. Leaving them -just- scorpions.

Morat: Falcons advance to fire on Paladins with everything they have. Strips all their shields and kills one.

Morat: Retains for a ground attack from Nightwings on Paladins to try and break them. One hit is caused and it's saved...

McHaggis: Paladins/Lancers Double right across the table, open up on the Avengers/Reapers and kill 2 taking them to 4 BMs, one from broken.

End of Turn.

End phase

Morat: Rallies Striking Scorpions.

McHaggis: Fails to rally Baron's Knights, re-rolls again, fails again!

Morat: Rallies Jetbikes.

McHaggis: Fails to rally Crusader.

Morat: Fails to rally Rangers.

McHaggis: Paladins clear some BMs.

Morat: Fails to Rally poor lone Guardian near blitz yet again.

Morat: Clears some BMs from Avengers/Reapers.

Not a single objective is achieved. Time for turn 4 then...

Why didn't they start the game on overwatch?


Why did they fail? BM on them?


Why were they (deployed? Moved into?) in the open?


lee. :-)



You doubled into range of a formation with 10x 30cm AP5+ weapons, on overwatch, with a small infantry formation?

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Turn 4

McHaggis takes the Initiative.

McHaggis: Engages the Avengers/Reapers with Lancers/Errants. The formation is slaughtered for no return... BTS achieved.

McHaggis: Retains to fire on Falcons with Paladins, destroys two firestorms and breaks the formation.

Morat: Advances the Striking Scorpions to their left to secure the soon to be vactated Blitz assuming the Lone Guardian won't rally.

McHaggis: Skitarii fail to activate. Marshall to remove BM.

Morat: Engine of Vaul advances on Paladins kills one only but secures an objective provided the Paladins will be good enough to leave...

Morat: Nightwings ground attack same Paladin unit and kill 3! Formation breaks and flees from Eldar table half.

Morat: Jetbikes fail to activate they advance but are still able to secure the objective in front of the Eldar's centre forest.

End of Turn

End phase

McHaggis: Baron's Paladins rally, a little late perhaps.

Morat: Falcons rally.

McHaggis: Crusader still won't rally.

Morat: Nor will poor little lone Guardian.

Morat: Scorpions clear their BM.

Morat: Jetbikes clear their BM.

End of Game

McHaggis
BTS
Defend the Flag
They Shall Not Pass

Morat
Defend the Flag
They Shall Not Pass

3-2 to the Knights



So all over then. Will save my detailed thoughts for tomorrow, A couple of major errors from me certainly didn't help my chances, I seemed unable to Rally units, which reduced my activation bonus. I was certainly lucky that the Baron's unit stayed broken for the entire game, with them operational I'd have been turned over all the faster.

Because I'm an Eldar player, I like to react to my opponents moves. Putting them -back- onto overwatch is Filibustering vigilantly.



Yes simply me forgetting that they Auto succeed. Ah well doubling them might have made them a bigger target for the fate that the Guardians later suffered.



Not sure what you're asking here.



Indeed



Being so busy writing this report I had completely forgotten that they're suddenly twice as good as they were when they were Serfs... Also perhaps a little too eager to try a crossfire on them.

Nothing wrong with a good filibuster. That's practically an artform for the Eldar.


Yeah, Aspect formations have better Initiative.


I'm asking why your infantry weren't in cover.

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Sadly there was no real cover on that side of the table, they were behind line of sight blocking terrain where they were but the Knights double took them around it leaving them defenceless. That -did- leave the Baron's unit vulnerable to a Crossfire from the Vypers in the next turn but I really didn't expect to take that much damage from a doubling unit. Nor did the Haggis expect to cause it!

What luck I had getting 6's and 7's in shooting was negated by the failure of so many activations and rally tests. Normally having a 650pt formation in a 2550pt game break before activating on turn two and staying broken till the end of the game would be fatal.

A very detailed Batrep. Thanks for the read.

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"You'll never understand how much watching other people's pain gets me off, hearing their screams and knowing that I have the power of a god." -Velvet Acid Christ