Taff Rep: 2000 points Eldar vs Chaos Marines.

No long intro here. In the thought of getting a bit of practice in before we head to Plymouth, Latent and I decided to have a 2000 point game. The main hope from the Eldar force was to try and get to grips with the close combat element of the army. The hope of the chaos troop was to gain and understanding of the new rules and figures with in the chaos army. Enough Pre amble:

Mission Type: Big guns Never tire
Deployment: Vanguard Strike
4 Objectives

The Armies

Chaos Army
* Daemon Prince - Daemone of Tzeench, Wings, Power Armour, The black Mace, Burining Brand of Skalathrax, Ichor Blood, Level 3 Psyker, Com Fam, GoM
* Lord of Chaos - Bike, Mark of Slaanesh, combi melta, SoC (4++), GoM, Murder Sword

* 10 Cultists inc champion
* 10 Cultists inc champion
* 10 Noise Marines - rhino, champion, blast master, 8*sonic blasters, Doom Siren

* Heldrake - bale flamer
* 3 Bikers - inc champ, Mark of Slannesh, 2 Melta guns, GoM

* Helbrute with multi melta

* 3 Obliterators
* Mauler
* 5 man squad with Missile launchers

(Not sure what GoM < Gift of Mutation?)stands for, but it gives a roll on the chaos boon table at the start of the game)..

GOM roll:
* Daemon Prince: Mechanoid - +1 to armour save (so to wound this guy you now him to roll a 1, which is automatically re rolled due to mark of Slaanesh )
* Chaos Lord - Stubborn
* Aspiring Champion - Witch Eater

Psyker rolls:
* Daemon Prince - Boon, Leach Life, Endurance

Warlord Trait
* Master of Deception (Lord nominates 2 infantry units to infiltrate - in this case Obliterators and Havoks


Eldar Army
* Eldrad
* Jain Zar (Banshee Pheonix Lord)

* 10 Dire Avengers - exarch, shimmershield, blade storm, defend
* 10 Dire Avengers - exarch, shimmershield, blade storm, defend
* 10 Guardians with missile

* 10 Howling Banshees, War Shout, Mirror Swords, Exarch
* 10 Howling Banshees, Mirror Swords, Exarch

* 5 Shining Spears - Exarch, Star Lance
* 5 Swooping hawks

* 3 War Walkers with Scatter Lasers
* 3 War Walkers with Scatter Lasers
* Fire Prism

Psyker Rolls:
* Eldrad took the standard 5 powers as per the Eldar codex.

WarLord Traits:
* Eldrad rolled on the strategic table and could re roll reserve rolls.


The Battlefield



The battlefield was arrayed as per standard rules. They were placed alternately by the players, as were the four dinosaur objectives.

The Eldar deployed first and split their army into three sections. Section One was based around the Sky Landing pad as it has a 4++ save. A group of War Walkers and Guardians went on top and Eldrad and the Dire Avengers went below it. Originally the Banshees were here also however Eldrad moved the using hi special rules. The Fire Prism went at the back to make best use of the 60" range and the shining spears hid there too! The third section was a group of Dire Avengers keeping on top of the objective. War Walkers were there to buff that side up and to protect the flank from the potential fliers...

Chaos deployed evenly across the board. The back corner housed the majority of the big stuff with the noise marines forming on the furthest flank with cultists there too. The Oblitertors deployed using their infiltrate in the right hand building, over looking the Sky Shield Pad.

Both the Swooping Hawks and the Heldrake deployed in reserve.

TURN ONE

Eldar
On the left flank the War Walkers moved out from cover and shot at the rhino housing the Noise Marines. They destroyed it and blew it up for the full 6". 5 cultists dies but the passed their pinning and leadership tests. The dire avengers moved forward and killed further two cultists. The Banshees moved up and failed to charge to Noise Marines. What I wouldn't have given for the old fleet rules......

The Fire Prism shot at the second group of cultists, killing a five.

Eldrad guided the War Walkers and the dire Avengers and domed the Obliterators. Between them and the guardians missile launcher, the Obliterators were destroyed. 2 points to the Eldar!

Chaos Marines
The daemon prince cast the boon of mutilation on the chaos lord. he did not take the potential wound. He rolled an unworthy blessing so the Chaos Lord did not receive further enhancement.

The chaos Lord /bikes moved up the full 24" and closed ground on the ELdar. The Deamon Prince switched to flyer mode and joined them. The Daemon Prince used his artifact to kill 6 dire Avengers (Taff - Why take an invunerable save when you forget to use it.......... /facepalm)

The Mauler ran forward while the Helbrute combined with the Havoks to shoot their missiles at the War Walkers. One exploded but the shrapnel did not hurt anyone else.

On the other flank the depleted cultist squad shot at and assualted the closest Banshees and were mauled for their efforts. Between this shooting phase and the previous over watch 7 Banshees seemed to go missing.....

TURN TWO

Eldar
The Blade Storming Dire Avengers to the left combined with the Walkers and the Fire Prism to kill 7 noise marines. Unfortunately the Banshees, having seen what the two combined could do to Grey Knights, assumed they would be dead and moved towards the centre. Hoping to kill the cultists before moving on.

Eldrad moved on to the Landing Pad whilst casting fortune on himself and the War Walkers. They were also guided. The War Walkers and the Missile Launchers scored enough wounds to kill half the squad but Feel no Pain was passed, leaving only one dead! The shining spears moved up to join them, using the Sky Shield as cover.

The Swooping Hawks managed to come on and land close enough to the Hell Brute to use their Hay Wire grenades. Whilst they didn't manage to penetrate the armour, they did manage to glance it to death!

Chaos
The Demon Price cast the boon of mutation on the Chaos Lord. He survived the potential damage and gained re roll armour saves! The bikes did a 180 turn and destroyed the swooping hawks.
The Daemon Prince moved up into the line of sight of the Shining Spears. The Mauler moved up using the building as cover.

The Havoks fired into the War Walkers who were saved by the shield again.

The Heldrake came on and vector striked the Dire Avengers to the left, killing one. It then used it’s flame templates to kill off the unit of three Banshees and a further 4ish Banshees from the other squad. Not to be out done the Noise Marines shot at the Dire Avengers, killing three more.

TURN THREE

Eldar
Eldrad cast Guide on both the War Walkers and his unit of Dire Avngers. The Guardians then shot at the Daemon Prince, grounding it and causing a wound. The War Walkers and Dire Avengers then shot at it causing three wounds but all were saved thanks to the Mark of Slannesh.

The unit of Dire Avengers ran toward the objectives and the cover of the building!
The other unit of War Walkers readjusted to mainly see the Heldrakes rear armour. Three penetrating hits were scored, the third of which was saved by the daemonic aura of the machine. Curses – 1 hull point left.The penetrating hits meant it could only fire it’s weapons as snap fire. Not a terrible result considering the potential of the flamer template!

The Fire Prism adjusted and failed to hit the noise Marines.

The Banshees tried to move through cover and managed a mighty 2” between their move through cover and the run  Sensing the frailty of the Banshees the shining spears turbo boosted to the other side of the board in preparation of a counter attack.

Chaos
The Heldrake moved forward but found nothing was in range.

2 further Avengers died to the noise marines.

The Bikers moved towards the Shining Spears and combined fire with the cultists in the ruin, but failed to wound. The Havoks shot the fire prism and blew it up.

But things got complicated at the Sky Shield….
• The Daemon Prince flew on top of the pad and charged the Guardians, wiping them out before they could even over watch (figure of speech)
• The Mauler then, realising it couldn’t reach Eldrads unit, charged the Sky Shiled landing pad itself! We said it had AV14 as we couldn’t tell from the rule book.
• It destroyed it with ease and managed to roll a 7 (on 1 D6) thanks to the Ap of the two power fists.
• This meant that each unit on the pad (or in the building) too 4D6 strength 6 hits.
• The Daemon Prince survived unscathed thanks to his enhancd armour and rerolling of fails
• The War Walkers were utterly destroyed and een the rebounded hit faild to wound the Mauler
• Thanks to receiving Eldrads fortune a single Dire Avenger surivied the travesty. Eldrad was still at full strength.

TURN FOUR

Eldar
Not too many models left here…. But the rallies around their commander.

Eldrad charged the Mauler but failed to wound despite using hi Witch Blade as lash whips brought him down to one attack from three. The Mauler failed to penetrate the hero in return.

The Dire Avengers finally made the distance and took the objective and the cover save! The remaining War Walkers killed the Heldrake.

The Banshees once more did little as they moved three inches but then failed their charge. Sighing, the Shining Spears shot the noise Marines, finally ending their eternal misery.

Chaos
The Daemon Prince became a flyer and followed the same path the shining Spears had done previously. His flame attack killed two more Banshees and a Shining Spear.

The combined fire of the still adjusting bikes and the cultists killed all Banshees but the Pheonix Lord!

The Havoks shot at the spears but failed to wound. As did both Eldrad and the Mauler.

TURN FIVE

Eldar
The War Walkers adjusted and shot at the bikes, killing one. The shining spears and Pheonix Lord charged the bikes. The Chaos Lord tore the Pheonix Lord apart whilst the Spears Exarch destroyed the Aspiring Champion.

Eldrad was still tied in fruitless combat!

Chaos Marines
The Daemon Prince charged the War Walkers and tore them apart.

The cultists moved towards the central objective but missed claiming it by 1 inch!

The Bikers destroyed al but the Spear Exarch in combat, and he ran but was clear.

In the final action of the game Eldrad rolled double one for the armour penetration. A fitting way to end the game I think…


Final Scores

Eldar 3 vs Chaos 5!

Eldar: 1 objective, 1 heavy kill (hell brute), First Blood
Chaos: 1 Objective (Havoks), 3 Heavy Kills, Line Breaker (Daemon prince)

Final thoughts.
Well the thing I will remember about this game is the Sky Shield landing pad being ripped to pieces! Didn’t see that coming!

Had that not happened, perhaps I would have been more competititve at the end, but I’m not sure.

What I do know is I took Stryph’s advice and used nowhere near enough of it. I should have had my eye on the mission more. Here are “Taffs rose tinted “should have been” highlights".
• The Swooping hawks should have targeted the Mauler, not the Helbrute. Simply because it was more advanced and I had less to deal with it in CC
• The Dire Avengers to the left should have spent more time shooting at the noise marines and getting them gone
• I should have been more careful with the Fire Prism. I lost it to the Havoks through Carelessness = 1 less point for him!
• That said I should have killed them with the War Walkers – 1 more VP for me, 1 less objective for him, = a draw.
• I probably didn’t have to shoot the Hell Drake the turn I did with the War Walkers due to the angle the Hell Drake could have gone. I should have concentrated fir on the Noise Marines to finished the second cultist unit once and for all.

I am trying to sort a video but I have also learnt these valuable lessons
• My files are very odd and not always compatible. Stupid Nokia phone.
• The lights in my living room are awful for films
• Floor Hammer does not a good video make
• I could do with a better camera.
But never fear – practice makes perfect!


Any comments, questions, rule challenges – let me know!!!

But finally, to end this - a photo from the past which sums feelings up well for the victor....

The skyshield landing pad bit sounds like a funny turn of events!

"hah I'm up here with my 4++ - you can't get me... wait what are you.... don't touch that... AAAHHHHHH!!"

Haven't played with fortifications yet (although slapping an aegis line right across the board has ocurred to me) - does the landing pad give the 4++ for all units on top (i.e. including the enemy) and I would assume you get the save (being an invulnerable) in close combat as well? and for when it collapses???

I'm glad Eldrad didn't get penetrated by the mauler - sounds unpleasant.

My highlight - the picture of tallis with "the one ring" behind him.

This was a good batrep though - I need to up my game with the ones I put out....

Its more like a 4++ cover save that it treated like an invun. So, as far as my interpretations of the rules go anyway, the Guardians did not get the save when they were slaughtered.

We didn't actually take it as part of an army. We took it as cool terrain. Perhaps next time we should play it without the special rules. That said it made such an epic centre piece to the battle why would I ever not take tit!

thought it was something like a 4++ invuln when flaps are closed - somehting along those lines anyway, I have no idea as i don't own one, and doubt it matters too much anyway! May have to look it up later though, although I'm thinking up an eating challenge at some point tonight :-).

That photo is horrible!
That was the 2v1, where the game lasted longer than the extended version of all Lord o fthe Ring films!

Slight correction on my army list:
5 Bikes, also with Icon of Excess (Grants F'n'P) and Champ had a Power Weapon.
Helbrute swapped his Powerfist for a Missile Launcher
Maulerfiend swapped his 2 Magmacutters(?) for 2 Lash Tendrils
1 Champion in the Cultist squads had a Shotgun

Abbreviations: (Is there a way of installing an abbreviation buster in the text like dakka?)
Com Fam - Combat Familiar
GoM - Gift of Mutation
SoC - Sigil of Corruption

Chaos Lord also got another roll on the Boon Table after killing your Jet Bike Champion, granting Dark Crusader (Crusader USR)

It was a really enjoyable game and felt I learnt alot from it.
The turning point of the game was undeniably the detonation of the Skypad.
That 4D6, Str 6 hits is really nasty, even considering me nor Taff rolled the average!

i think there is actually!

let me have a look!

sounds like a really exciting end to end game! Very impressed with the Chaos boon table - seems almost OP!

im still lookign forward to the first video taff rep though! i can post that onto the main website as a blog entry too!

I would love to get it done, I really would. Still having some troubles.

1) I have a job and cannot spend the time I want to on this aspect of the hobby. In my ideal world I would give up my day job and make videos all day.
2) The camera I use is really bad at this. I am genuinely thinking of buying an entry level video camera though. It may work out given I will doubtless want to video baby Taff at Christmas and birthdays and the like
3) My camera automatically loads onto programme called Zune, which Windows media does not seem to recognise.

I'll get there slowly and figure it out. It used to be the same with every aspect of computing, but I'm getting their slowly too!

Feel free to help a brother out if you know how to fix some of this!

without wanting to go too off topic, do you actually have the file downloaded on your PC?

if so you can open it with anything you like by right clicking and "open with"



id also recommend ensuring this zuma creation isnt the default program to open with.

if this doesnt help, whats the file extension? (right click and properties if you arent sure)

I go into
- Start
- Pictures
- The relevant file I have saved them in and right click on it. I do not get the options you do

Also how did you do a screen print in to here.

Now I look at it I do not have the Video file that you do...

screenprint (control & prntscrn)
paste it onto MS paint
save as > jpeg
voila a normal picture to upload!

can you screen print your options when you right click? (also tell me the file extension?

That properties thing may have changed things. I will now fiddle for the rest of the night to try and figure this out. I shall update you al tomorrow with my progress!

Wish my luck!

ha ha, hpw can you get lost hitting properties!

we'll figure it out if you send me screenshots for me to get my bearings ill put together a step by step for you - ill have to remember how to use xp! windows 7 at work and home! (though would like to try windows 8...but is it the same experience without a touchscreen?)

I didn't say I was lost with properties. I said it changed things. As in I can convert them to Windows player now and use them in Windows movie maker!

ah i see! so it works now - awesome

Now I just have to figure out how to use Window Media player, get some music, cut my clips, get myself the title/introduction I have had in my head (stupid move Johnson) and go from there. Why do I do this to myself!

itll be worth it!

i dont really know what the windows default stuff can do - i dare say youd be better off googling "free movie editting" or something

Its actually highly regarded and as good if not better from the research I have done. All rubbish though until I get used to it!

Lets see if this works.....

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIetVtJuk3HG8DxxwGhIEGezuOb9i6IdR

Good rep - especially for a first attempt I see you've got the hang of editing!! - How long it take?

I made Nat watch it with me to help with feedback which is

1. Tallis - apparently you have weird fingers - not sure if you knew that but there ya go...
2. Taff - you sounded tired - Natalie suggests you watch the (apparently not gay...) guy from blue table painting and dial it back a bit from there
3. it wasn't always clear what you were talking about - Nat suggested a pointer - that may look lame though, so maybe more pointy camera at what your talky talky about
4. wobbly camera syndrome (I believe there is no cure for this - I'm a million times worse than you so can't help with that!)

That's all we have - Nat loved the dinosaurs as well :-) - again though very good for a first try I've seen much worse on your tube - much much worse. Hope the feedback is of help!!

It took about 6 or 7 hours in the end. Thats not to say that all of them will of course (because then I would never do one again. EVER!). But when you consider I had not heard of Windows movie maker and didn't really knwo anythign about the topic, let alone software and how to use it, I don't think that was too bad. I would expect the next one to take 2-3 hours as a maximum.

Thank you to both Nat and yourself for the feedback. I shall address each point individually. Before that though I thibnk I shall drop my own feedback on the subject.

The first thing I should ad is that it was not as hard as I thought once I started to understand the software. This gives me hope for the future that , not only will i probablymake another one, but that others can too on this site. My second thought was that they take a surprisingly long time to down load on to you tube. I think this took 30 minutes? It's something to bear in mind.

Thirdly the way I have done the round up is most probably the simplist way. That said I don't think that either Latent or myself were in the frame of mind for this, mainly because I didn't intend to do it at all (if I had bought some hardboard I probably wouldn't have as I would have been making christmas presents!)! I think the round up can be made a lot simpler by keeping proper tabs on it, knowing the opponents army and knowing you are trying to make a video in this way.

The bigest inspiration I took was that I want a gaming table even more now. Videoing the battle on the floor in my badly lit flat with a camera not made for purpose whilst tired was probably not the best. Not that I regret it, because Ihave now made a video battle report! And that is a massive step in itself!

Anywho, comments on your comments below:

1)Not quite sure what to say about that. Maybe the first of many Warp based mutations kicking in?

2) I do watch the blue table painting guys but fewar I cannot afford the crack I expect they're on. I shall give both them and anyone else aanother look as it will help me to imrove if I intend to do this more. As for being tired - hell yeah! It was maybe 3.30am when Latent and I parted company. Thats dedication to the hobby right there!

3) Absolutely right. The videos were made for me to understand what was going on rather than for a video battle report. The feedback on the main bat rep implies it was good enough for that purpose but not for the other. One of the other things that didn't translate too well were the midels themselves. Because so many of them were either unpainted or proxyied just added to the confusion. I was hoping that a 20 or 30 second shot at the beginning of the video with either text of what that unit is or a voice over will help that a bit. Just another reason to get painting done isn't it!

I beleive this will be clearer on a table top too, even if it's just because of the way the angles will go and how much closer I can hopefully get to them without casting my big butch shadow over it.

The pointer is just not going to happen though....

4)Defintily something Iwill focus on and, again, this may be better with a table top. not sure, but we can hope! The other thing might be that buying a video camera may help as it will have a stronger and more suitable grib than a standard camera. That and a tripod if needed!

Thansk again for the feedback. If anyone wants to help me practice this art please let me know and we can have a battle. I'm expecting a big balnk as usual but I try in vain!

Well I've got one of those flip digital cameras (old one not an HD one ) down here, if I can find it, so you can record any games you have down here and post them up as well! Taff on the road!

I think it was a great effort for your first video.
Loved the music.
The break between phases was done quite well imo.
I can see what the others are saying about not always being clear due to the shot at the time of dialog.

I would of found it hilarious if a clip of a building detonating was inserted for a description of what happened to the skypad.

As with everything it'll be perfected over time.

Howcome the whole thing flipped? Is it just how it's transferred via the software?

My fingers are busy weaving the threads of fate!

Taff, its bloody brilliant - a giant leap forward for the Godiva Gaming Group!

thank you, and i appreciate the effort you put in to making a film!

my honest critique, is that the video itself is awesome, the only thin that let it down, was the fact that the video footage was never meant to be aired and therefore wasn't tailored for that purpose
Having said that, it still did the job marvellously!

If you want, come over when my Orks Grab themselves some more Silver tin food against Nick, then you can dedicate your time to filming with a bat rep in mind rather than just to take notes!

So you know, ive added it onto the main site and created a page for videos!

oh and everyone, that was awesomeness 300.

Beer please

I take your awesome and reject it all because I did the video and that makes me more awesome than you!