My Current Blogs

I do not anticipate updating this blog very often anymore.  I did want to add links to my current blogs so that any followers can update their blogrolls accordingly:

http://www.thediceabide.com

http://darkeldarblog.blogspot.com

Comikaze!

Hello again!  It has been a while.  I still post regularly at http://www.thediceabide.com, but since this article isn't strategy per se, but more rambling / thinking out loud I figured I would post it here, too.

I am all signed up and ready for Comikaze, which will be my first major tournament since the Throne of Skulls back in June. There's only one problem - I don't know which army to take! I have some interesting choices, and while I am leaning in one particular direction, I'd rather get some unbiased feedback from any readers first.

First up is my trusty Dark Eldar - there are essentially two variants of the army that I can run. First is the tried and true Darklight spam with massed Warriors and Trueborn. This army packs quite a punch in the shooting phase but can get beat up if the game drags on too long and my 5 man Warrior squads need to hold onto objectives. My second option for Dark Eldar is a more Wych heavy list which I think will fare a little better against Grey Knight variants. Wyches are certainly more fragile than Warriors and I lose some Blasters, but the combat punch might make up for it.

Next up is my wild card - Grey Knights. I have a Paladin based army ready to go (along with a possible 6 Psyflemen Dreads). The problem is I have relatively little experience playing Grey Knights in a competitive setting and while the list is strong and plays to the missions, I'm afraid my inexperience with them will show if I face some more seasoned Grey Knight players. Overall I like this army the best from a competitive standpoint, but I'm not sure I want to be one of those bandwagon Grey Knight players (which, having never played them before this Codex, I certainly would be).

Finally, I could bring an Eldar army. I have two themes to choose from; first up is an Iyanden style Wraithguard based army. I feel this type of army would really throw the meta-game for a loop and Eldrad would certainly wreak havoc on any enemy psykers. The army would consist of Wraithguard supported by more Wraithguard, Harlequins and Vypers. Last up is my trusty Saim Hann style Eldar. I played this army mostly before I got into Dark Eldar, and won much more than I lost with them. I haven't really brought them out lately, but I think they excel in strait Win-Loss-Draw tournaments where a win by an inch counts the same as a win by a mile.

Well those are my choices! What do you think? Which list would be the most fun / most interesting to see in battle reports?

Upcoming OC / SoCal Tournaments

I haven't had the chance to play in any tournaments over the past two months, but fortunately June and July are full of events.

June 25 - 1,750 pt. tournament at Pair-A-Dice Games in Vista, CA

July 9 - 2,299 pt. tournament at the LA Battle Bunker

July 16 - 1,850 pt. tournament at The Realm in Brea, CA

July 2, 16, 30 - 2,500 pt. doubles league at the LA Battle Bunker

July 23 - 1,500 pt. Sprue Posse RTT at Aero Hobbies in Santa Monica

Of course August 13 is 'Ard Boyz (isn't it??) and early September brings the SoCal Slaughter GT, which I plan on attending.

Now I gotta start working out some army lists. 

Also, please don't forget to check out http://www.thediceabide.com for some Dark Eldar tactica and other great articles!

Quick Update - Haemonculi Coven Army

You just have to love those new Dark Eldar models, eh?  I'm planning on ordering 5 Venoms and converting my 3 Vyper based Venoms to look more like the new constructs.  With Venom based lists being the new hype (as long as you don't play against IG), I figured I might as well up my Venom count in my standard list from 5 to 8. 

Pics Taken from http://natfka.blogspot.com/

You also have to love the new Grotesque, Wrack, Haemonculi and Talos models coming out soon.  It really has me thinking about switching over to a more Coven-themed army.  I don't know that I could ever get rid of my precious Ravagers, but something along these lines might be nice...

Haemonculi - 50+
Haemonculi - 50+

10 Grotesques - 350+
10 Grotesques - 350+

3 Wracks in Raider with FF - 100
3 Wracks in Raider with FF - 100
3 Wracks in Raider with FF - 100
3 Wracks in Raider with FF - 100
3 Wracks in Raider with FF - 100
3 Wracks in Raider with FF - 100

3 Ravagers with FF - 345

Comes out to 1745 which gives me plenty of room to upgrade the Grotesques and Haemonculi, and even some of the Wrack squads if I see fit. 

As a final note, I just wanted to remind you all that I'm posting more regularly on http://www.thediceabide.com so check it out and leave me some comments!

The Dice Abide... dot com?? !!

 I'm excited to announce the formation of a new web-site, http://www.thediceabide.com

The name may have been inspired by this blog, but my buddy Adam B deserves the credit for putting this site together.  In addition to my posts here, I'll be one of the main contributors on thediceabide.com along with some of my long-time gaming buddies. 

Stay tuned for further updates!

Dark Eldar for 'Ard Boyz v.2

Well 'Ard Boyz is still a few months away, but I'm tossing around potential lists that I'd like to try out.  Last time I posted a spammy Dark Lance army, but here's a more serious variant based off what has worked for me in the past:

HQ
Haemonculi (Crucible of Malediction) - 65
Baron - 105

ELITES
3 Trueborn (3 Blaster) - 156
Venom (+Splinter Cannon, Night Shields) – [75]
3 Trueborn (3 Blaster) - 156
Venom (+Splinter Cannon, Night Shields) – [75]
3 Trueborn (3 Blaster) - 156
Venom (+Splinter Cannon, Night Shields) – [75]

TROOPS
5 Warriors (Syrabite, Blaster) – 145
Venom (+Splinter Cannon, Night Shields) – [75]
5 Warriors (Syrabite, Blaster) – 145
Venom (+Splinter Cannon, Night Shields) – [75]
5 Warriors (Syrabite, Blaster) – 150
Raider (Flickerfields, Night Shields) – [80]
10 Wracks (Acothyst, 2 Liquifiers) – 210
Raider (Night Shields, Flickerfields) – [80]
10 Wracks (Acothyst, 2 Liquifiers) – 210
Raider (Night Shields, Flickerfields) – [80]
13 Warriors (Dark Lance, Blaster) - 157

FAST ATTACK

5 Scourges (2 Haywire Launcher) - 130

5 Scourges (2 Haywire Launcher) - 130

5 Scourges (2 Haywire Launcher) - 130

HEAVY SUPPORT
1 Ravager (Night Shields, Flickerfields) – 125
1 Ravager (Night Shields, Flickerfields) – 125
1 Ravager (Night Shields, Flickerfields) – 125

Total: 2,420

Still have 80 points to play with!  3 Trueborn with blaster = 81 points. Damn!  Maybe I can upgrade one of those Scourge squads to a big Reaver squad.  Oh well, the details can be sorted out later, but this is a very good starting point.

25 KP
11 Vehicles
6 Troops
13 Dark Lance
13 Blaster
10 Splinter Cannons
6 Haywire Launchers
Night Shields and Flickerfields on everything

• Ld 9 on my Troops!  Having leadership 8 has cost me dearly in the past.  In the last tournament I attended, I failed my leadership test with a roll of a 9 in a tightly contested game- essentially costing me the game and a chance to play for first place.  Last week I failed a leadership test that would have given me a win over my friends Eldar army - only to settle for the tie instead.
• I opted to include the Haywire Blasters in order to give myself a little extra anti-vehicle.  I fully expect to see tons of AV12 this year, so hopefully I can slow them down a bit until my blasters get in range.
• Baron is there to help get the first turn.  My army isn't close combat oriented, so Vect doesn't quite have a place.  However, Baron still gives me a better than average chance at going first.
• The foot squad is there to sit on an objective and be annoying.  With a 3+ cover save from Baron, and FNP from the Haemonculi, they should be a seriously annoying unit to dislodge.
• I'm running night shields and flickerfields on everything.  I know there are some who don't think both upgrades are worth it, but combined they have a huge annoyance factor.  Stuff with a range of 48" will still ruin my day, but small arms bolter fire, mulit-meltas, and the like will have their effectiveness minimized.
  

Down Time!

Well it's that time of the semester again where things have started to pick up.  Unfortunately when school picks up, 40k goes on the back-burner.  I can't promise many updates in the following weeks, but come mid-May, I suspect things will pick up again.  I hope to attend the Slaughter in Space along with another RTT in May.  I'm pretty much set on my list, it's just a matter of if I can get my painting done in time.

Until next time, happy gaming everyone! 

Another Day, Another Tournament!

Well it's that time again!  Gearing up for another 1,850 RTT over at The Realm.  I'm going to be bringing a slightly altered Dark Eldar list that I've tested a few times.  It lacks the CC punch as my previous list, but (hopefully) makes up for it with 6 Troop choices.  I've also spent a good amount of points on vehicle upgrades.  Despite what the majority of the Internet says, I believe that Night Shields AND Flickerfields are very worthwhile upgrades, and should make an appearance in well-rounded lists. 

1,850 List for The Realm RTT

HQ
Haemonculi (Stinger pistol) - 55

ELITES
3 Trueborn (3 Blaster) - 156
Venom (+Splinter Cannon, Night Shields) – [75]
3 Trueborn (3 Blaster) - 156
Venom (+Splinter Cannon, Night Shields) – [75]
3 Trueborn (3 Blaster) - 156
Venom (+Splinter Cannon, Night Shields) – [75]

TROOPS
5 Warriors (Blaster) – 135
Venom (+Splinter Cannon, Night Shields) – [75]
5 Warriors (Blaster) – 135
Venom (+Splinter Cannon, Night Shields) – [75]
5 Warriors (Blaster) – 130
Raider (Flickerfields) – [70]
5 Warriors (Blaster) – 130
Raider (Flickerfields) – [70]
10 Wracks (Acothyst, 2 Liquifiers) – 210
Raider (Night Shields, Flickerfields) – [80]
10 Wracks (Acothyst, 2 Liquifiers) – 210
Raider (Night Shields, Flickerfields) – [80]

HEAVY SUPPORT
1 Ravager (Night Shields, Flickerfields) – 125
1 Ravager (Night Shields, Flickerfields) – 125
1 Ravager (Night Shields, Flickerfields) – 125

Total: 1,848
13 Dark Lances
13 Blasters
10 Splinter Cannons
22 Kill Points

MSU Dark Eldar at 1,250?

I'm planning on attending an RTT down at Pair-a-Dice Games in Vista, CA on March 26.  The last RTT I attended there was fun, but had some really wacky missions.  Missions in which all force organization slots could control objectives.  I also know that in the event of a tie, they go to KP's to determine the winner and at the end of the tournament, the individual with the best record and most KP's wins.

This RTT seems to follow the same format, but the point level has been decreased from 1,500 to 1,250.  The plus side is that it'll be easier to get 4 games in, the downside is that I haven't played a 1,250 point game since second edition.

Based on my last experience there I expect to see quite a few Marine armies, with a few Xenos scattered here and there.  As I mentioned, I haven't played a 1,250 game yet, nor have I really utilized the Fast Attack slot, so this army is still in its early stages.

1,250 Bare Bones Max Firepower Dark Eldar:

Haemonculi (hex rifle) - 65

4 Trueborn (4 blasters) in Venom (+SC)- 173
4 Trueborn (4 blasters) in Venom (+SC)- 173

5 Warriors (1 blaster) in Venom (+SC) - 125
5 Warriors (1 blaster) in Venom (+SC) - 125
3 Wracks in Raider - 90
3 Wracks in Raider - 90

3 Reavers (blaster, arena champion) - 91

Ravager - 105
Ravager - 105
Ravager - 105

Total: 1,247
17 KP
11 Dark Lances
11 Blasters
8 Splinter Cannons

This army is very fragile and gives up a ton of kill points, so the obvious goal is to win the objective game outright by contesting /controlling with my multitude of units, and wrack up as many KP's as possible.  I'm very nervous about not having vehicle upgrades, but it's something I want to try out anyway.

Dark Eldar for 'Ard Boyz: 38 Dark Lances

Well, 'Ard Boyz is officially happening August 13 and I'm sure in the coming months I'll starting practicing with both my Eldar and Dark Eldar to come up with the best list possible.

My first idea is a Dark Lance spam Dark Eldar list, designed to hit with a nasty alpha-strike.  I have the Baron in there to help ensure the first turn, and I could easily fit Vect in by dropping a big Scourge squad or reducing the size of the Warrior squads. 

Dark Lance Spam:
Baron - 105

3 Trueborn (2 dark lance) in Raider - 146
3 Trueborn (2 dark lance) in Raider - 146
3 Trueborn (2 dark lance) in Raider - 146

10 Warriors (dark lance) in Raider - 175
10 Warriors (dark lance) in Raider - 175
10 Warriors (dark lance) in Raider - 175
10 Warriors (dark lance) in Raider - 175
10 Warriors (dark lance) in Raider - 175
10 Warriors (dark lance) in Raider - 175

5 Scourges (2 dark lance) - 140
5 Scourges (2 dark lance) - 140
10 Scourges (4 dark lance) - 280

Ravager (night shields) - 115
Ravager (night shields) - 115
Ravager (night shields) - 115

Total: 2,498

Obviously 38 Dark Lances is more than enough to handle most opponents, so the final version of the list will likely substitute some Venoms in for Raiders and 5 man squads of Warriors.  Just wanted to throw this list out there to hopefully generate some creative juices.

Can anyone out there cram more than 38 Dark Lances into a 2,500 point list?

Post RTT Thoughts: Dark Eldar

Post Tournament Thoughts:

• Night Shields and Flickerfields proved to be absolutely worth it.  In my first game they were huge.  My second game he just wanted to ram me, so Night Shields didn't matter but Flickerfields did.  When you have massed Orks charging you with S4 and you can mitigate 1/3 of their damage, you're in a good spot.  With Guard,  Flickerfields and Night Shields don't play a huge role, but it did prevent his Veterans from shooting at me.
• Overall, close combat is still lacking.  Wracks and Wyches can certainly mop up units, but they're not especially "scary" for the vast majority of close combat units.  I'm considering running a list that has 5-man Warrior squads in Venoms and Raiders exclusively as Troops, and adding in a unit or two of Beasts.  I lose the survivability of the Wrack troops, but gain some CC nastiness.
• Dark Eldar should follow the mantra; if your opponent can out-shoot you, reserve (even if you get first turn).  By shortening the game, and playing to the Eldar advantage of speed I believe Dark Eldar can compete with the likes of Space Wolves and Imperial Guard.  They just can't win in a strait up slug fest.
• AV12 is still a pain.  Even with 12 Dark Lances and 11 Blasters, I have trouble with AV12.  I might considering adding in a few Dark Lance Trueborn squads for more of a ranged threat.

RTT with Dark Eldar: 3 Games

I'm going to do my best to make an accurate recount of my three games at the Realm RTT.  I don't have pictures or notes, so many things are going to probably be off but it should provide a "close enough" overview of each game.

Dark Eldar at the Realm RTT

Well the Realm RTT has come and gone and once again I had a blast.  There's always a great mix of opponents there ready to have fun and take your game to the limit.  There was a fairly good mix of armies there too with 3 Orks, 2 Dark Eldar, 2 Blood Angels, 1 Tyranid, 1 Eldar, 1 Daemonhunter, 1 Imperial Guard and 1 Chaos.  

My army was:
Succubus - 85 (agonizer)
Haemonculi (stinger pistol, venom blade) - 60

3 Trueborn (3 blaster) - 156 (Venom +SC, NS)
3 Trueborn (3 blaster) - 156 (Venom +SC, NS)
3 Trueborn (3 blaster) - 156 (Venom +SC, NS)

10 Wracks (acothyst, 2 liquifier) - 210 (Raider FF, NS)
10 Wracks (acothyst, 2 liquifier) - 210 (Raider FF, NS)
8 Wyches (agonizer) - 190 (Raider FF, NS)
5 Warriors (blaster) - 125 (Venom +SC)
5 Warriors (blaster) - 125 (Venom +SC)

1 Ravager - 125 (FF, NS)
1 Ravager - 125 (FF, NS)
1 Ravager - 125 (FF, NS)

Total: 1,848

This list is becoming pretty familiar for me.  It has the same elements as my 2,000 point list, only I dropped Vect for a Succubus.  I also filled out the Wrack squads with Liquifiers, dropped the Agonizers and added in some additional vehicle upgrades.

The three armies I faced were:
Mike's Kan Wall Orks (9 Killa Kanz, 2 Big Meks, 2 Deff Dreadz)
Chris M's Battlewagon Orks (Ghaz, Big Mek, 5 Battlewagons)
Erick's Imperial Guard (Hydras, Manticores, Vendettas, oh my!)

I'll be looking to post some more details about my opponents, their army lists and the games sometime this week.  All in all it was a great tournament - thanks to my opponents for the games!

Weekly Update

Not too much new to report.  I've mainly been preoccupied with the hobby aspect of the game lately.  I'm working on getting the majority of my Dark Eldar primed red and ready for speed painting.  Ditto goes for my Eldar - I've been enjoying using a very basic Footdar list in 1,500 games so I figure it'd be worth the effort to get them to a tabletop standard as well. 

I'm also working on putting together a 1,500 Space Wolves army *gasp* from excess Marine stuff.  I've used it once, and played against it once and am just shocked at the sheer amount of firepower Space Wolves can put out.  For now, it's not a list I plan to use competitively, as it's so much more satisfying to get a win with Eldar or Dark Eldar.

I am getting ready for a number of tournaments and have actually mapped out five I'm hoping to attend in the coming months (school, work and significant other permitting...):

2/19 - 1,850 Realm RTT; Brea, CA
3/26 - 1,500(?) Pair-A-Dice Games RTT; Vista, CA
4/16(?) - 1,850 Realm RTT; Brea, CA
5/21 -  1,500 Sprue Posse RTT; Santa Monica, CA
5/27-28 - 2,000 Slaughter in Space GT; Ontario, CA

Dark Eldar: Missions, Mistakes and Lessons

So as mentioned in a previous post, while Dark Eldar generally have all the tools they need to win games, the army itself is so fragile that a small mistake can often result in a loss.  Over the past two tournaments I've made a fair number of mistakes, hopefully writing them out will help me (and you!) learn from them.

My Dark Eldar Army Unit Tactica

After playing numerous pick-up games and in a handful of tournaments, I'm very happy with how my Dark Eldar army has evolved.  In all of my losses I can pin-point mistakes that swing the game in my opponents favor.  I take the full blame for these mistakes, and am fairly confident my current army has just about all the tools it needs to take on most tournament armies.  The hard part with both Eldar and Dark Eldar is that it's such an unforgiving army that one mistake, small or otherwise, can often cost you the game.  All you can do as a gamer is keep practicing, learn what to do in specific situations, and continue to evolve your tactics.  It doesn't help that I'm relatively new to the competitive scene, and the first time I see some of these units / unit combinations is during a tournament game. 

Having said that here's a breakdown of what I've learned about my army composition in the past two tournaments (Sprue Posse Grand Prix and LA Battle Bunker Mini-GT).

Post Tournament Musings

Well the LA Battle Bunker Mini-GT has come and gone.  I went a very average 1-1-1 with my win coming against Tau, and my loss and tie against Space Wolves.  Thanks to the Bunker for putting on a pretty fun (free) event and even provided us with (free) pizza.

I really got spoiled at the Sprue Posse Grand Prix, where they used standard book missions.  The missions at the Bunker were kind of wacky, but didn't stray too far from the regular missions.

Mission One: Plant the Flag
At the beginning of the game determine how many buildings (objectives) should be placed by rolling a D3 and adding 1.  Each player takes turns placing buildings, and then roll off to determine who sets up first.  After deployment roll another D6 to determine who starts the game.  An objective can be claimed any time during the movement phase by planting the flag with a non-embarked Troop choice.  The objective is held until an enemy Troop choice controls the building, and plants their own flag.

Not too bad, as you don't have to leave your Troop choice in the building in order to claim it at the end of the game.  We each planted a flag for the building in our respective deployment zones, and quickly planted flags in the other building closest to us.  Tie for me (2-2).

Mission Two: Hold the Hill
Place a hill in the center of the table.  Players deploy using pitched battle and cannot be within 18" of the hill.   Whoever has more Troop choices on the hill at the end of the game wins.

Great for close combat and resilient armies - terrible for the Tau army I played against.  I was fortunate enough to shoot his Troops off the objective before the assault phase in turn 6, but in case I didn't I had Wyches waiting to assault. Major victory for me (3-0) troops on the hill. 

Mission Three: Modified KP
HQ - 3 KP
Elites - 2 KP
Troops - 3 KP
Fast Attack - 1 KP
Heavy Support - 2 KP
Transports - 1 KP

Great.  My army gives up enough kill points as it is, but now Troops and HQ count for triple.  I got matched up with a Space Wolf player whose biggest unit was a biker squad (Fast Attack).  Regular KP missions are tough enough for me, but with modified KP missions like this it's very hard to pull out any sort of victory.  A sour note for this game is that my opponent started his Lone Wolf on the table in a Dawn of War set-up.  Assuming he was an HQ and worth 3 KP I poured all my Venoms into him, downing him during turn 2.  After the game my opponent told me he doesn't count for KP purposes.  It wasn't until I got home I realize the Lone Wolf was an Elite, and shouldn't have been on the table to start.  Oh well, I should have asked more questions from the get go.  Loss for me (8-18 KP).

My first round opponent captured first overall, while my third round opponent got second. 

This puts my record with the new Dark Eldar in tournaments at 7-7-1.  In the first few tournaments with Dark Eldar I was still experimenting with units and what worked, and what didn't.  Now, I have a great familiarity with my army list, but my mistakes are coming when faced with unfamiliarity with how to handle my opponents list.  My army list is giving me all the tools I need to succeed in tournaments, but my mistakes are still handicapping me.  I'll make another post within the next few days highlighting these mistakes and what I've learned from them.

1,500 Dark Eldar for Mini-GT

Well another weekend, another tournament.  This time it's at the LA Battle Bunker.  After considering bringing my Footdar out, I've opted to go with the Dark Eldar once again.  Aside from the first tournament I played with them I've yet to crack into the top spots - here's hoping that changes sooner than later! 

The scoring will be based on the old Games Workshop Grand Tournament scoring - meaning there's sportsmanship, army composition, painting, battle points and a pub quiz.  I haven't had the time to do any more details to my army so while the best overall prize will probably be out of my grasp, I hope to make a run for most battle points.  It won't be easy, and the competition will be fierce, but it should make for another fun Saturday.

On to my list:

Succubus (Agonizer) - 85
Haemonculi - 50

3 Trueborn (3 Blasters, Venom; +SC, NS) - 156
3 Trueborn (3 Blasters, Venom; +SC, NS) - 156

5 Warriors (1 Blaster, Venom; +SC) - 125
5 Warriors (1 Blaster, Venom; +SC) - 125
10 Wracks (2 Liquifier, Agonizer, Raider; NS) - 220
8 Wyches (Haywires, Agonizer, Raider; NS) - 196

Ravager (NS, FF) - 125
Ravager (NS, FF) - 125
Ravager (NS, FF) - 125

Total: 1,488 - just enough to add a flickerfield somewhere.
17 KP
11 Dark Lances
8 Blaster
8 Cannons

• I think the firepower for this list is excellent.  19 lance weapons, combined with 48 36" poisoned shots per turn is pretty nice.  My 2,000 point list only had 4 more lances and 12 more poisoned shots.
• Where my firepower is strong, my close combat is weaker.  Not having Vect is huge, but he's just not feasible in anything under 1,850.  I'm relying on 2 assault units with FNP and a Succubus.  Needless to say I won't be jumping into combat until I've gotten off a few rounds of shooting.
• I have four Troop choices, which is a nice luxury at this level.  If my opponent only brings two and it's an objective game, they will almost certainly be my first targets.  The Warrior squads hang back to guard my objectives, while the FNP combat troops try to capture my opponents.
• My Wyches have Haywire grenades!  This is another nice luxury.  My opponent will be less likely to send a Dreadnaught in just to tarpit - if they do there will be consequences.
• 17 KP is quite a few at this level, but if I play this army right I will make my opponent work to get those KP. 
• An alternative for this army list is to drop a 5-man squad of Warriors in a Venom along with the Succubus in exchange for a 10-man Wrack squad.  I lose 12 poisoned shots, but gain another solid Troop (with 30 poisoned attacks on the charge).  3 CC squads with FNP is nothing to scoff at in a 1,500 point game.  Guess I'll have to do more play-testing!

Sprue Posse Results!

Well the Sprue Posse GT has come and gone.  The competition was fierce and I can honestly say I've never faced so many good opponents consecutively like that.  I ended the tournament 2-3-0, with wins coming against Tyranids and Dark Eldar and losses to Orks, Double-Wing Dark Angels and Space Wolves.  Playing against the best is always a good learning experience and I know I took some lessons home with me.  I'll post some additional details and opponent army lists after the TO's post them on http://www.chaoswins.com/ 

You say crater, I say cover.

The silver lining of this tournament was that I picked up the Best Sportsman award and a $50 gift certificate, which went towards a Night Spinner for my Eldar army.  Thanks again to all of my opponents and to the TO's - I had a blast!

Up next is a 1500 point "Mini GT" held at the LA Battle Bunker.  It's a mix of painting, army composition, sportsmanship, battle points and even a quiz.  If nothing else, it should make for an entertaining Saturday afternoon.

Sprue Posse GT!

The time has come!  I'm on my way to the Sprue Posse GT with my Dark Eldar.  Some of the toughest competition in California will be there.  No painting scores, no army composition, just strait wins and losses.  I've only just re-entered the competitive scene a few months ago, but I'm looking forward to testing my mettle against the best of the West.  Wish me luck!

They will occasionally do live blogging for their events over at http://www.chaoswins.com so check it out.

2,000 Points of Dark Eldar Ready to Go!

So in the past week I've been feverishly painting to get my mishmash of primed and bare plastic Dark Eldar to a uniform scheme.  As I mentioned in my previous post, this isn't intended to be the end product, but a simple scheme with 3-colors that most certainly looks better than stuff that is just primed. 

Enough of that and onto the list!  After play-testing this list for the past week or so I'm comfortable with the list and feel it has a good, balanced attack.  I'm 2-1 against Eldar, Tyranids and Blood Angels, with the loss coming against BA in a KP mission.

We Feel Very Little Pain...

Vect - 240 Rides with Wracks
Heamonculi (Venom Blade) - 55 Rides with Wyches

3 Trueborn (3 Blasters, Venom; +SC, NS) - 156
3 Trueborn (3 Blasters, Venom; +SC, NS) - 156
3 Trueborn (3 Blasters, Venom; +SC, NS) - 156

10 Wracks (2 Liquifiers, Acothyst w/ Agonizer; Raider NS) - 220
9 Wracks (Acothyst w/ Agonizer; Raider NS) - 190
9 Wyches (Hekatrix w/ Agonizer; Raider NS) - 190
5 Warriors (1 Blaster; Venom +SC) - 125
5 Warriors (1 Blaster; Venom +SC) - 125

1 Ravager (NS, FF) - 125
1 Ravager (NS, FF) - 125
1 Ravager (NS, FF) - 125

Total: 1,988
21 KP
12 Dark Lances
11 Blasters
10 Splinter Cannons

I have 12 points to play with which will either go for a Liquifier for the Heamonculi, or Flickerfields for Vect's Raider. 

What I like about it:

• Vect is in the list which ensures me a great chance of going first.  He's also a MEQ killer in close combat.  Supported by Wracks gives him FNP and makes him harder to shoot up if his transport gets shot down.
• 3 close combat squads that start with FNP to claim enemy objectives. 
• 2 extra scoring units that can sit back, lay out anti-infantry fire and have anti-tank capabilities.
• 23 lance weapons should be enough anti-tank. 
• I have enough Venoms to reliably deal with infantry (Long Fangs and Lootas) at range.

What I don't like about it:

• Lack of Flickerfields on Raiders.  I've been using these since the new Codex came out, but have found great utility in Night Shields and using Terrain in order to grant myself cover saves.  Still, I miss my 5+ invulnerables.
• Agonizers on Wracks - while I like Agonizers and Wracks, 20 points is a lot for a model that won't get the benefit for +1 ccw.  If I drop both Agonizers I free up enough points to give all my Raiders Flickerfields and two Troop Venoms Night Shields.  It's tempting but against FNP armies I could really use the Agonizer attacks.
• 21 KP.  Of course KP are going to be an issue, but with Night Shields I can help minimize them.  I've been doing fairly well against my opponents in KP missions, but it's difficult for me to get a win.  I have to kill so much more than my opponent.

Speed Painting Dark Eldar

Greetings dudes and dudettes, it's been awhile!  I'm currently working on getting my Dark Eldar painted up to a basic tabletop standard.  I'm not going for anything spectacular, just something that's playable.  I'm rushing and trying to get this army ready for a two day tournament later this month.  There is no painting requirement, but I thought it would be nice to bring a painted army anyway.  I think I've devised a quick method that will give me tabletop ready miniatures that I can go back and do additional detailing at a later date.

Step One: Prime Chaos Black

Step Two: Basecoat Burgundy Red (Krylon Fusion)

Step Three: Two coats of Badab Black wash

Step Four: Paint the gun Chaos Black, Loincloth / Misc. areas Bleached Bone

Step Five: Wash loincloth with Delvan Mud, add details (eyes, etc...), Base and repeat!