After a lot of back and forth and here and there, we've finally arrived at a version of the Hive Fleet Dagon list that looks ready to push for approval. Since the name of the game here is stress-testing, I decided to assemble the most extreme War Engine list I could think of. In the original F-ERC list this wouldn't have been possible to play, so I thought that perhaps there was a reason for that. Argol took a sneaky Biel-Tan list with 14 activations and more rangers than you could shake a Long Rifle at, which had me at a distinct disadvantage.
Incompertus, 3000 POINTS
Hive Fleet Dagon (4.61 TCMD forum)
NEXUS SWARM (2-4 INSTINCTIVE SWARMS) [650]
Dagon Dominatrix, 2 Hierodule (1 Barbed Hierodule)
MINOR SWARM (2-4 INSTINCTIVE SWARMS) [225]
3 Zoanthrope, Gargoyles (4 Dagon Gargoyles), Biovores (4 Biovores)
MINOR SWARM (2-4 INSTINCTIVE SWARMS) [225]
3 Zoanthrope, Gargoyles (4 Dagon Gargoyles), Biovores (4 Biovores)
ATTACK SWARM (1-2 INSTINCTIVE SWARMS) [275]
Barbed Hierodule Prime, Hierodule (1 Scythed Hierodule)
ATTACK SWARM (1-2 INSTINCTIVE SWARMS) [275]
Barbed Hierodule Prime, Hierodule (1 Scythed Hierodule)
INFESTATION SWARM (1-2 INSTINCTIVE SWARMS) [250]
Trygon Prime, Burrower (2 Trygons)
BIO-TITAN [350]
Dagon Hierophant
BIO-TITAN [550]
Hydraphant
GENESTEALER SWARM [200]
7 Genestealers, Broodlord
Ghost Army, 3000 POINTS
Biel-Tan Craftworld (Biel-Tan Craftworld (v4.2))
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ASPECT WARRIOR WARHOST [350]
2 Exarch, 8 Warp Spider
ASPECT WARRIOR WARHOST [400]
Exarch, Autarch, 8 Shining Spear
GUARDIAN WARHOST [150]
Farseer, 6 Guardians, Heavy Weapon Platform
GUARDIAN WARHOST [150]
Farseer, 6 Guardians, Heavy Weapon Platform
SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE [250]
3 Falcon, 2 Fire Storm
SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE [250]
3 Falcon, 2 Fire Storm
PHOENIX BOMBERS [325]
3 Phoenix Bombers
VAMPIRE RAIDER [200]
VAMPIRE RAIDER [200]
WINDRIDER TROUPE [200]
4 Jetbikes, 2 Vyper
RANGER TROUPE [100]
4 Ranger
RANGER TROUPE [125]
5 Ranger
RANGER TROUPE [150]
6 Ranger
RANGER TROUPE [150]
6 Ranger
Decided to get the Trygons towards the Eldar Blitz in turn 3.
Start of Turn 1. On the HFD side, there are one Attack Swarm on either side of the battlefield, with the Hydraphant and the Nexus Swarm in the middle. They are flanked by two Minor Swarms. The Dagon Hierophant is on the right. The Genestealers garrisoned up near the Rangers to the left.
BT deployed one formation of Falcons on either side, with one formation of Guardians each. The Shining Spears deployed by the Blitz, and the Jetbikes on the left. The four formations of Rangers spread out on either side of the board, while the Warp Spiders were held back inside a Vampire Raider.
Eldar wins initiative.
Turn 1, Activation 1, BT: Rangers sustain fire at the Genestealers, but must use the re-roll to do so. They snipe the Broodlord.
Turn 1, Activation 2, HFD: Minor Swarm by the Blitz sustain fire at the rangers in OW, killing one.
Turn 1, Activation 3, HFD retain: Genestealers engage the Rangers, wiping them out with first strike.
Turn 1, Activation 4, BT: Jetbikes engage the Genestealers, kills 1, 1 Genestealer survives after combat resolution
Turn 1, Activation 5, HFD: Attack Swarm doubles, gives the Jetbikes 1 BM
Turn 1, Activation 6, BT: Phoenix Bombers bomb the Minor Swarm on the left, kills 2 gargoyles, 3 biovores and 1 Zoanthrope, breaking them.
Turn 1, Activation 7, HFD: Attack Swarm on the right advances and fires at the rangers on OW, giving them 1 BM.
Turn 1, Activation 8, BT: Rangers doubles and kills the broken Genestealer.
Turn 1, Activation 9, HFD: Hydraphant doubles and fires at the jetbikes in crossfire, killing 2 vypers, 1 jetbike and they break.
Turn 1, Activation 10, BT: Falcons advance and fires at the Attack Swarm, causing 1 damage on the Barbed Hieordule Prime.
Turn 1, Activation 11, HFD: Dominatrix advances and fires at the rangers on OW, kills 2 and breaks them.
Turn 1, Activation 12, BT: Guardians march up *real close* to the Hydraphant.
Turn 1, Activation 13, HFD: Dagon Hierophant advances and shoots at the broken rangers, kills 2 and wipes them out. HFD is out of activations.
Turn 1, Activation 14, BT: Guardians fails to activate and moves once.
Turn 1, Activation 15, BT: Falcons tries to advance, fails and removes BMs.
Turn 1, Activation 16, BT: Vampire Raider w Warp spiders attempt to engage the Attack Swarm w BMs, fails to activate (again!)
Turn 1, Activation 17, BT: Vampire Raider flies in and picks up the Guardians.
Turn 1, Activation 18, BT: Shining Spears doubles.
Start of turn 2. BT summons the Avatar next to the Hydraphant, and within 5 from the Guardians. Eldar rolls a 1 for the strategy roll, but HFD fails to roll a 4+... Close one!
Turn 2, Activation 1, BT: Rangers with a BM doubles and gives the hydraphant 1 BM.
Turn 2, Activation 2, BT Retain: Avatar does a combined assault with the Guardians and engage the hydraphant, one Guardian is killed but the Eldar leads by 3 and wins, the Hydraphant breaks.
Turn 2, Activation 3, HFD: Attack Swarm engage the Rangers, only kills 1 and wins combat by 2, 2 Rangers manage to survive.
Turn 2, Activation 4, HFD Retain: Attack swarm attempts to double, fails and moves into the forest (accidentally entangling them with the Dagon Hierophant!)
Turn 2, Activation 5, BT: Vampire Raider with the Warp Spiders engage the Attack Swarm and the entangled Hierophant, kills both Hierodules with first strike attacks and wins the combat by default. The Dagon Hierophant breaks.
Turn 2, Activation 6, BT Retain: Vampire Raider w Guardians attempt to engage the Dominatrix, fails to activate w reroll!
Turn 2, Activation 7, HFD: Dominatrix engages the Warp Spiders, kills 6 for 1 damage in return, the Warp Spiders are wiped out.
Turn 2, Activation 8, BT: Phoenix Bombers fails to activate, and Argol wants to play Space Marines instead.
Turn 2, Activation 9, HFD: Minor Swarm by the Blitz goes on OW, since they fear they'll get company soon. Since all Light Vehicles in the the Dagon list are treated as Inf for the purposes of Cover, they all get a cover save from doing so. HFD is out of activations...
Turn 2, Activation 10, BT: Falcons doubles and fires at the Attack Swarm in crossfire, kills the Schyted Hierodule and breaks the remaining Barbed Hierodule Prime.
Turn 2, Activation 11, BT: Rangers doubles and fires the the broken minor swarm, killing 1 Gargoyle with a BM.
Turn 2, Activation 12, BT: Falcons doubles and fires at the Dominatrix, makes 1 damage on a Barbed Hierodule.
Turn 2, Activation 13, BT: Shining Spears engage the broken Barbed Hierodule Prime, makes one damage, the Hierodule loses again but is fearless.
Start of turn 3. The Trygons pop up 10 cm from the Eldar Blitz. Eldars win initiative.
Turn 3, Activation 1, BT: Rangers sustain fire at Minor Swarm, gives them 1 BM, which isn't enough to break them.
Turn 3, Activation 2, BT Retain: Shining Spears engage the Trygons with a RR, makes one damage and kills the Trygons in combat res. The Trygon Prime runs away.
Turn 3, Activation 3, BT Triple Retain: Falcons advance and fires at the Hydraphant in Crossfire, makes 1 damage, not enough to break it.
Turn 3, Activation 4, HFD: Hydraphant Marshalls and move to contest the objective, but only removes 2 measly BMs.
Turn 3, Activation 5, HFD Retain: Minor Swarm Marshalls, and moves to contest the objective.
Turn 3, Activation 6, BT: Jetbikes attempt to activate, fails and moves.
Turn 3, Activation 7, HFD: Dominatrix engages the rangers, takes 2 damage on the Dominatrix and wipes out the Rangers. The Dominatrix now contests They Shall Not Pass.
Turn 3, Activation 8, BT: Falcons fires at the Hydraphant in crossfire, makes 1 damage and breaks it.
Turn 3, Activation 9, HFD: Minor Swarm by the HFD Blitz renews OW. HFD out of activations.
Turn 3, Activation 10, BT: Guardians doubles and gives the Minor Swarm 1 BM.
Turn 3, Activation 11, BT: Phoenix Bombers attack the minor swarm. One PB is shot down by AA fire. This in combination with the cover from the OW means that they only kill 1 Dagon Gargoyle and 1 Biovore.
Turn 3, Activation 12, BT: Vampire Raider w. Guardians engage the Minor Swarm by the HFD Blitz, taking AA and OW on the way in which kills one Guardian. 2 Biovores are killed for 1 damage on the Vampire Raider, they win the combat but the fearless Zoanthropes line up and prevent the Guardians from taking the Blitz.
We decide not to push the game into turn 4, so the game ends in a draw.
