Anthem games in Tampa, FL held a Crucible Qualifier, where the winner receives free entry into the Crucible tournament in Orlando in Feb. (Crucible is a multi day multi game system tournament...)
Though I am not a fan of Forgeworld and Double force org by any stretch of the imagination, this tournament allows it, so when making my list, I took into account what superheavy or 6 wraithknight nastiness I may face.....
So I took my "Eraser" army.
Dark Eldar
2K
Haem/ venom blade/ liquifier/ dark gate
Haem/ liquifier
3 wracks
venom w/cannon
9 warrior units w/blaster in venoms w/ cannon
6 ravagers
2K on the dot.
Walking around I saw riptides a plenty (1 guy had 4), a couple of wraithknights, etc but not a lot if any forgeworld.
So onto the tournament. I will say now that every warlord trait was useless (outflank, +1 reserves and a redeploy) and I never had nightfight.
Game 1 versus Jordans Black templar w/ tau allies
He had:
Chapter master w/ bike/ thunderhammer and eternal shield
Tigerius
sternguards in a drop pod x 2
2 scout squads
centurion devestator squad
thunderfire cannon w/ pod
Tau "buff" commander
riptide
firewarriors
Deployment was hammer and anvil (I hate that deployment!) and the mission was:
objectives worth 8
Kill the warlord worth 5
contest and control worth 3
slay the warlord/ first blood/ linebreaker/ last blood 1 pt each
I won the roll to go first, and deployed across the board evenly, he castled in the back left with centurions, tigerius, commander, and buff commander all in one squad.
He failed to seize.
Turn 1 saw the riptide and thunderfire cannon off the table, and a smattering of wounds across his deathstar.
He replied with 2 fallen venoms and 2 glances on a ravager
Turn 2 saw a torrent of fire decimate his sternguard that dropped turn 1, and his deathstar down to 2 models.
The dual liquifier shots on 1 sternguard unit both rolled above 3 for the AP though
His firewarriors took out another venom, all his reserves (scouts and empty pod) arrived, but no further damage thanks to flickerfield saves on a venom.
Turn 3 saw only his firewarriors on the table, at which point he ended the game.
Dark Eldar victory, 20 out of 20 points.
So turn 2 saw me to the top table against David who also went 20/20. I lost his list, but from memory:
Davids Taudar, or Eldau. Whichever you prefer.
Eldrad
Illic
20 guardians w/ 2 weapon platforms
2 wave serpents with dire avengers
1 wave serpent with dark reapers
A "buff" tau commander
a riptide
firewarriors
tau sniper team
Mission was killpoints (worth 8 pts)
Destroy a selected enemy troop unit (I picked the guardians) worth 5 pts
Table quarters worth 3 pts
First blood/ slay/ linebreaker and Last blood 1 pt each.
I again won the roll to go first, and let slip the dogs of war!
His dark reapers had to die, so at the end of turn 1, the waveserpent they were in was destroyed, they were down to 1 model, the guardians were cut to half their original number.
He responded with a venom down and a ravager immobile.
Turn 2 saw the other 2 waveserpents brought down by a ton of glances, the guardians, snipers, firewarriors, dark reapers and 1 unit of dire avengers either wiped out or brought down to 1-2 models.
He was desperate, and joined eldrad, illic, the tau commander and the riptide in a big unit. They were able to take out a ravager and a venom.
My turn 3 saw me high tail it outta dodge, leaving a venom or 2 around to clean up every unit except his big one right off the table. I hid every vehicle and troop possible. He had nothing to shoot at.
At this point, he called the game. He could not catch me, or catch up on kill points, nor could he take a table quarter without braeking up his uber unit, which if he did, would be wiped.
So he scored last blood by blowing up my immobile ravager, but I got everything else.
Dark Eldar victory.. 19/20
Top table again against Ryans Space marines w/ dark angel allies
Mission: Kill points (again!) 8 pts
Troops in enemy deployment zone 5 pts
capture and control 3 pts
First blood/ slay the warlord/ linebreaker/ last blood 1 pt each
He had:
Khan
Chapter master/ bike/ shield
command squad w/ apotecary all on bikes
2 tac squads in rhinos
3 attack bikes w/multi meltas
2 stormtalon gunships
a stalker
2 thunderfire cannons
Dark angel librarian on bike
tac squad in drop pod
He won the roll to go first.
There was a decent amount of LOS blocking terrain, so I used it as best I could. After his scout moves, I felt pretty safe that i would lose 1-2 vehicles at best.
Then I rolled to seize.
Got me a 6!
So, my turn 1, his bikes were right in front of me, but because i hid most my vehicles, I could not bring my full force to bear. Either way, 1 thunderfire cannon was removed, all 3 attack bikes were toasted, his bikes were shot a bit (lost maybe 1-2 but wounds were spread around) and his stalker was stunned. HOWEVER, i was in a great position to really bright the fight to him next round. I also threw a sacrificial venom right in front of his bikes, so he could not go around it to the meat of my army.
His turn saw the sacrificial venom gone, and 1 shaken due to thunderfire shots.
My haemi venom was dropped by sternguard drop podding behind it, but they were all lined up for liquifier shots!
Turn 2 saw the liquifiers roll boxcars for ap!
, but shooting across the board saw a rhino weaponless and 1 HP remaining, the other rhino with a HP stripped, and my opponent making almost EVERY SINGLE FNP save possible. I killed 1 biker with 7 venoms firing 12 shots each! it was sick.
The ravagers took out the stalker.
In HTH, my wracks and haemis charged the 2 remaining marines, and killed 1. He held.
His turn saw a flyer come in and drop a venom that had strayed into his deployment zone.
He then used his bikes to drop a venom, and charge the troops that fell out. It was an ugly HTH for dark eldar, Except for the wracks who finally put paid to the marine squad.
Turn 3 saw the haemi with he dark gate move up and chuck it at the bikes... no FNP from str 10 jack!
He made all the 3+ saves. Luckily, the venoms all opened up and the bikes were wiped from the board
, the rhinos also bit it, the flyer was destroyed and the thunderfire taken out as well. Things are looking up for the Dark Eldar!
His turn 3 saw shuffling of his remaining marine squads, and he took out some warriors on foot.
His last flyer came in and whiffed against a venom!
My turn 4 Saw the flyer die, and as I started to venom up his troops, he called it.
Victory Dark Eldar 20/20
So 3 games, 59/60 points with the Dark Eldar.
I took first place, and will enjoy my free entry to the Crucible tournament in Orlando!
Subject: Crucible Qualifier. 2K points/ Forgeworld allies and DFO allowed 
Mon Dec 09 2013, 14:40
