2v2 DE and GKs vs SMs and Necrons

The Dark Eldar have joined forces with some Grey Knights to attack an alliance of Space Marines and Necrons.

1500pts per player.

DE (me)
Grotesquerie:
3 Grotesques
- Raider w/ Dark Lance
3 Grotesques w/ Aberration
- Raider w/ Dark Lance
Haemonculus w/ Sindriq's Sump
RSR Detachment:
Archon w/ Huskblade, Shadowfield, Soul Trap, Parasite's Kiss, Haywire Grenades (Warlord)
- Venom w/ splinter cannon
5 Warriors w/ blaster
- Venom w/ splinter cannon
5 Warriors w/ blaster
- Venom w/ splinter cannon
5 Incubi w/ Klaivex
- Raider w/ Disintegrator
5 Scourges w/ 4x Haywire Blaster
3 Reavers w/ Heat Lance and Cluster Caltrops
3 Reavers w/ Heat Lance and Cluster Caltrops
3 Reavers w/ Heat Lance and Cluster Caltrops
Ravager w/ 3 Dark Lances

GK Detachment
Librarian w/ ML3, Daemonhammer, some sort of psychic artefact (Warlord)
Draigo
Dreadknight w/ teleporter, sword, psycannon, incinerator
Dreadknight w/ teleporter, sword, psycannon, incinerator
~8 terminators with 1 psycannon, 1 daemonhammer and various other stuff
10 teleporty marines w/ 2 incinerators and various stuff
6 teleporty marines w/ 2 incinerators and various stuff

SM Strike Force
Chaplain w/ Power Maul (Warlord)
Command Squad
3 Centurions w/ 1 Grav Cannon
5 marines w/ plasmagun
- Razorback w/ lascannon and TL plasmagun
5 marines w/ plasmagun
- Razorback w/ lascannon and TL plasmagun
5 marines w/ plasmagun
- Razorback w/ lascannon and TL plasmagun
5 Assault Marines w/ flamer
Formation of some kind:
Techmarine
Vindicator
Vindicator
Whirlwind

Necron Mephit Dynasty
Overlord w/ phylactery, warscythe, MSS, phase shifter and orb or eternity (Warlord)
Orikan the Diviner
20 warriors
10 warriors
- Ghost Ark
10 warriors
- Ghost Ark
10 Deathmarks
- Nightscythe
Triarch Stalker

Mission was Eternal War 1 (one objective in the middle, 4 others basically in each corner). Warlord traits were all useless, save for the GK one which let his squad automatically arrive from reserve on turn 1. Grotesquerie got Rage and combat drugs were +1T.

We won the roll and elected to deploy first. Both GK infantry squads went in the centre, behind a wall. A Ravager and reaver squad joined them. A warrior venom went on the left, along with the Grotesque raider (with no aberration). Scourges, other grotesque raider, incubi raider, another reaver squad and the second DK went right of centre. The archon's venom and final reaver squad went to the far right. The haemonculus joined the incubi and the Archon joined the aberration grotesque squad. Draigo and the librarian joined the terminator squad, which went into reserve.

The enemy deployed the blob of necrons on the far left, flanked by the ghost arks and with the triarch stalker behind. Both characters joined the big squad. The vindicators went in the centre, with a whirlwind on the left and razorback on the right – forming a bunker around the command squad (joined by both characters). The remaining razorbacks and centurions went on the right, behind some ruins, and the assault squad went in front of said ruins.

They failed to seize the initiative.


DE/GK Turn 1

The terminators arrived and were placed ~9" in front of both vindicators. The left DK and both GK infantry squads teleported over to the Necron horde. The right DK was more cautious, not wanting to get close to all the plasma and grav on that side. I moved the scourges and ravager to take aim at the vindicator. The left venom moved a bit to aim at the Necrons, whilst the other venoms moved to shoot the assault marines. Seeing that my partner was being very aggressive, I flat-outed all 3 raiders forward, along with two of the reaver squads (the righthand ones instead aimed at the assault marines).

In the psychic phase, the GKs set the ball rolling by landing a Vortex of Destruction on the right vindicator, wrecking it. I followed up by wrecking the second with ravager and scourges. The assault marines were wiped out by venoms, reavers and DK (the reavers then retreating behind cover). The terminator's psycannon took out one of the razorbacks, and the large Necron squad suffered some casualties (enough to make him pop his orb).


SM/Necron Turn 1

Things got off to a bad start for our opponents when the vortex scatter right and clipped a razorback, promptly wrecking it. The Necrons barely moved, and the marines got onto their wrecked vehicles to take vengeance. The only surviving razorback moved out of cover to the right, and the centurions waddled left to aim at the terminators.

The terminators took 2 casualties from the whirlwind and Draigo lost 2 wounds to various bolters, plasmaguns and the centurions. The razorback shot at the Incubi raider but missed. Most of the casualties were on the left, where the 2 GK squads were reduced to just 2 guys from the 10-man squad, and 1 guy from the 6-man squad.


DE/GK Turn 2

The vortex basically scattered back where it was before. My left-hand grots jumped out next to the big necron squad (with the DK and other squad remnants moving to join them). Draigo moved to attack the right ghost ark, my left reavers moved to shoot either that or the stalker. My scourges moved to shoot the right ghost ark (if I could wreck it, draigo and co. could hit the passengers), whilst the ravager moved to shoot the other ghost ark (it couldn't get sight to the other). Both right reaver squads moved to hit the remaining razorback. My incubi disembarked near the centurions, and my archon unit moved next to one of the disembarked marine squads, whilst the 2 venoms aimed at the other. The DK shuffled forward a bit.

My right-hand reavers did nothing, but the DK there wrecked the razorback (I think the passengers might have already disembarked behind it). Despite a lot of shooting, the ghost arks emerged basically unharmed. I think the venoms picked off one man from the marine squad and the disintegrator raider got another.

The DK, marines and Grots charged the Necrons, Incubi/Haemonculus charged the centurions and the Archon/Grots charged the marines in their wrecked razorback. The Necrons took 6 wounds and did 2 back (1 grot was wounded and a GK died), but stayed in combat despite the -1Ld from Grots! Draigo's squad exploded the ghost ark, killing one reaver in the explosion and causing the squad to flee! One centurion went down to the incubi and another was wounded, they took no casualties back. A plasmagunner died trying to overwatch against the Archon, and he challenged and killed the sergeant (1 soul). The Grots finished off the 3 remaining guys and consolidated back.


SM/Necron Turn 2

The vortex moved over the centurions and incubi! The wounded centurion died, along with 2 incubi and the haemonculus (I chose not to LoS, as he wasn't my warlord and AP2 was more important). The command squad moved to shoot the grots, the right SM squad moved to shoot/assault the reavers. The disembarked warriors encircled draigo's squad, and the other warriors disembarked and moved to join the big combat. The Nightscythe arrived and moved to the centre of the field, aiming at the ravager, whilst the deathmarks disembarked next to the scourges.

The whirlwind shot the reavers but failed to wound. Scourges were obliterated by deathmarks, and the ravager jinked and took only a single glance from the nightscythe. The Archon's squad took 2 wounds from command squad shooting. Necrons and stalker picked off a couple of members from draigo's squad. Other shooting was insignificant.

The left warriors charged into the big melee, the command squad charged my Archon/grots and the right-hand marines charged one of the reaver squads. The reavers and marines failed to hurt one another (and I forgot about Hit and Run, whoops!). A command squad champion was forced to challenge, and promptly eaten by the Archon (2 souls now). The grots did a lot of wounds, but every single one of them (about 9) was saved! In return, 2 grots went down – leaving only the aberration and Archon. In the big melee, we rolled abysmally and did basically nothing, the grots taking several wounds in return (1 died and the others were both wounded). One GK died and the other fled, the Grots and DK stayed. The incubi managed only a single wound to the centurion, losing one of their own number in return.


DE/GK Turn 3

The vortex evaporated (thankfully). The right DK moved to help my Archon, as did the free reaver squad that side. The other reavers regrouped. The ravager moved to shoot the ghost ark (I probably should have aimed at the flier, since it would be snapshotting anyway). All 3 venoms moved to shoot the deathmarks, as did the disintegrator raider. Other raiders moved to shoot the stalker, the lone GK moved to melta-bomb the ghost ark.

The deathmarks took heavy losses from venoms, warriors and a disintegrator – losing all but 3 of their number. Draigo shot up the squad in front of him. That was about it.

Draigo charged the squad in front of him, the GK charged the Ghost Ark and the DK and reavers both piled into the Archon/grot/command squad battle. The DK challenged and ended up fighting the apocathery. The Archon managed to slice through both the techmarine and another guy, the DK got the apocathery and a normal dude (leaving just the Chaplain and 1 normal guy alive). The Aberration took a wound and 2 reavers died. The other marines killed all 3 reavers and consolidated onto the objective in that corner. The Incubi failed to scratch the centurion. In the big combat, the Grots were reduced to just one guy and the overlord ended up in a challenge with the DK (nothing much happened there). Draigo and co. cut down some warriors. I think they stayed, but I wasn't really paying attention tbh.


SM/Necron Turn 3

Orikan finally transformed. The nightscythe moved to shoot a venom, the deathmarks hid behind some ruins. The stalker moved towards draigo. Little else moved.

The nightscythe shot my empty venom, but jinking left it alive on 1 hp. Various stuff shot my raiders, leading to some lost hull points and one losing a dark lance, but none actually died. No other significant shooting.

The stalker assaulted Draigo. Any remaining warriors in that combat were cut down, but the walker survived. In assault, the DK killed the overlord and the warriors finished the Grots. The large squad consolidated into it, and the other warrior squad ended up out of combat and instead consolidated into the objective there. The Incubi failed once again to kill the Centurion, taking no damage, and it even regained a wound with IWND! The Archon challenged and ended up cutting down both the Chaplain (3 souls) and last remaining squad member. He and the aberration consolidated towards the deathmarks, the DK went towards the marines on the right objective and the reaver went to help out the Incubi.


DE/GK Turn 4

My left venom, Ravager and jetbikes moved to shoot up the warriors. Other venoms moved to shoot up a few marines still in the centre. The Archon/Grot closed with the deathmarks and the DK went to the right-hand marines. Two raiders (including the gunless one) moved to claim the centre objective.

About half the remaining warriors went down to venom, ravager, raider and reaver shooting, the DK killed 3 of the right-hand marines, and one of the deathmarks died to warrior shooting.

In assault, the Incubi and Reaver finally managed to take down that centurion (they each scored a wound). The Archon mercilessly dispatched the deathmarks, and the DK likewise removed the marines from their objective. In the large combat, Orikan's new form proved no match for the DK there as he was force-weaponed out of existence. At this point, the enemy conceded the game.

Dark Eldar and GK win!
In terms of points, we had 13 (first blood, linebreaker, 2 warlord kills and were holding 3 objectives). Had they not conceded, I could easily have slid one of my venoms a few inches across next turn to claim a 4th. Our enemies had just 3pts from the single objectives the left-hand warriors were holding.

Post-game thoughts:
1) My friend's tactics were risky, to say the least, but they paid off.
3) Having so many melee units in their faces turn 1 really hit them hard. Not only did we manage to tie down a lot of their shooting units, but we also basically locked them into their deployment zone – whilst my skimmers at the back could hover near the objectives.
3) I think our first blow was crucial – removing both vindicators and 2 razorbacks before their first turn was devastating. The vindicators were their best chance to take out the terminators and/or my grotesques (hence why they were priority targets). Also, the Razorbacks were the enemy's only long-range anti-tank - so with 2 of them gone, my venoms were pretty safe.
4) Regardless, I think the Necron player castled up far too much (especially considering that his army was pretty short of both mobility and long-range firepower). Aside from his Nightscythe, he deployed all his forces in that one corner of the board – leaving his ally to try and cover the remaining 3/4 of their deployment zone. At the very least, he probably should have sent his leftmost ghost ark up the board from turn 2 (rather than dumping more warriors into that combat). If he'd moved it up, he'd have been able to threaten my venom and ravager there, as well as laying claim to that objective. As it was, nothing even came near the objectives on our side of the field – making it a lot easier for us to concentrate out forces.
5) Man of the match for me was my Archon – claiming a chaplain (warlord), 2 sergeants, 2 marines and 2 deathmarks – all without ever taking a single Shadowfield save!
6) I imagine the left DK would be my ally's men of the match. One of them killed an overlord (warlord) and orikan, whilst pinning that squad for the entirety of the game.
7) I'm glad I didn't choose the Haemonculus as my warlord.

Thanks for reading.