DAEMONHUNTERS versus Eldar

Game: Warhammer 40,000 3rd edition
Opponent: Gary
Mission: Nightfight
1st turn: Eldar
Points: 1000
Daemonhunters

• Inquisitor Lord Severus, Master-crafted Daemonhammer, Bolt pistol, Holocaust, Icon of the Just, Consecrated Scrolls, 2xAcolytes, Power Armour, Bolt Pistols and Close Combat Weapons, 1xAcolyte with power weapon and las pistol, Combat Servitor, Rhino with Smoke Launchers
• Inquisitor Kurven, Psycannon, Power Armour, Gun Servitor, Plasma Cannon, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Targeter, 2 x Imperial Guard Veteran, Plasma Gun, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Targeter, 2 x Sage, Close Combat Weapon, Laspistol, Mystic, Close Combat Weapon, Laspistol
• 2 Daemonhosts
• Squad Matoso, 8 Stormtroopers, 2xFlamers, Veteran Sergeant with Bolt Pistol, Power Weapon, Rhino, Smoke launchers and Extra Armour
• Squad Godirtho, 7 Stormtroopers, 2 plasma guns
• Squad Seralvo, 7 Stormtroopers, 2 meltaguns
  

Eldar

• Farseer with mindwar and singing spear, Warlock retinue with witchblades
• 5 Scouts
• 8 Dire Avengers including exarch with power weapon
• Wraithlord with starcannon
• Falcon with scatterlaser and holo-field
• 5 Fire dragons including exarch with burning fist
• 5 Striking scorpions including exarch with powerfist

Terrain and deployment
Hooray for the new bunker! With all the new tables there was no-one shoving us out of the way to get their game in so we set up and went at it again.

This time we rolled up a nightfight and I suspected this would favour the Eldar. In particular it would allow their slower units to get into the fight and reduce my already meagre shooting phase even further. Additionally, Gary had the Wraithlord and Falcon which I could barely scratch. Straight off the bat he had two table quarters.

The game
The game was pretty exciting. This time the Farseer and retinue were in the Falcon and they sped forward to engage Squad Seralvo on my left flank. Lord Severus counter-charged and forced the Farseer and remaining Warlock to rout. Next, the Dire Avengers were charged and destroyed by Severus who raced into the Eldar deployment zone in his sweeping advance. Now he was threatening to loop around and get the Scouts.

In amongst the carnage Severus was mind-warred by the Farseer and managed to make four out of five invulnerable saves.

All was not so good on my right flank. Squad Matoso lost their rhino to a lucky glancing hit from the Wraithlord's starcannon and were then wiped out by the Fire Dragons. The Dragons then went on to kill both of the deep striking Daemonhosts who rolled useless powers and I failed all of their saves.

In the centre the Falcon was keep getting shaken but then tank shocked everyone in range, including squads Godirtho and Kurven. Godirtho lost all of its plasma weapons to death or glory and the survivors were reduced to below half strength by the Scouts. Kurven continued to shoot at the Falcon but couldn't bring it down.

In the end Gary claimed 2 table quarters (1 with the Fire Dragons, 1 with the Wraithlord) and contested 1 (Kurven and the Falcon).

Result: Lost

Learning points

• Boy is that Falcon tough. In my two games against it I must have rolled eight times on the damage table but couldn't roll higher than a 3. In fact most of the time I rolled 1's or 2's. I really needed my Guard allies for this bad boy.
• Severus showed his abilities again by wiping out the Farseer and Dire Avengers for the second game running. What I could really do with is swapping some of the acolytes with combat servitors. I already have my eye on the arco-flagellants from the Witchhunters range.
• My Daemonhosts were pants in this game. One was instantly killed by a shot from the Fire dragon Exarch and the other was beaten in combat by them. Even then, if he had just killed one more Dragon it would have stopped them from claiming a table quarter.