DE Coven vs IG 1000 pts

A battle report against Faerrrd, a good friend of mine.

The Armies:

Fast Assault Coven (DE)
HQ
3x Haemonculus w/power axe and liquifier Gun
1x Haemonculus w/power axe and shattershaErd

Elites
Grotesques
-1xGrotesque
-1xGrotesque w/liquifier gun
-1xAberation w/venom blade
-Raider w/dark lance, enchanced aethersails and shock prow

Grotesques
-1xGrotesque
-1xGrotesque w/liquifier gun
-1xAberation w/venom blade
-Raider w/dark lance, enchanced aethersails and shock prow

Troops
Wracks
-10xWracks w/ 2 liquifier guns
-Raider w/dark lance, enchanced aethersails and shock prow

Wracks
-2 Wracks
-1 Acothyst with hexrifle
-Raider w/dark lance, enchanced aethersails and shock prow

Gunline (IG)
HQ
Company Command Squad
-Autocannon team

Company Command Squad
-Autocannon team

Troops
Veteran squad
- 1xAutocannon team
- 7xVeteram
- 1xVeteran Sergeant

Veteran squad
- 1xAutocannon team
- 7xVeteram
- 1xVeteran Sergeant

Veteran squad
- 1xAutocannon team
- 7xVeteram
- 1xVeteran Sergeant

Veteran squad
- 1xAutocannon team
- 7xVeteram
- 1xVeteran Sergeant

Fast attack
Scout Sentinel with autocannon
Scout Sentinel with autocannon

Heavy Support
Eradicator (range 36'', str 6, ap 4, ignore cover largeblast)
Medusa Siege Cannon (range 36'', str 10, ap 2, largeblast)
Medusa Siege Cannon (range 36'', str 10, ap 2, largeblast)

Deployment: Dawn of war
Mission: Crusade (3 objectives)
DE Warlord trait: Strategic Genius (Reroll reserve rolls)
IG Warlord trait: Master of ambush

Terrain

I tried to set up los-blocking terrain through the middle af the board to protect my raiders. The red O's are the objectives.

Deployment

I choose to let my opponent deploy first, he spread out. His warlord in the top right corner, a medusa siege cannon in the middle and in the left corner. The eradicator is also deployed in his left corner. I deployed out of range of most of his shooting, 1 raider with 10 wracks, 2 raiders with 3 grotesque and 2 homonculi. I keep the small unit of wracks in reserve.

IG turn 1

His one flank shuffles toward the side including all my army. The autocannons shoot at my raiders only managing 1 result of weapon destroyed.

DE turn 1

One grot raider(with my warlord) turboboosts straight forward. The other grot raider turboboosts behind a big piece of terrain (im not quite able to get him completly out of line of sight). The empty raider and the wrack raider moves 12'' forward and takes 2 shots at the medusa siege cannon, both fail to do anything.

IG turn 2

One sentinel arrives from reserve. Combines imperial fire manages to explode two raiders(first blood), the grot raider and the empty raider. Aswell as stunning the other grot raider. 10 Veterans charge the warlords raider trying to finish it off, they have str 6 grenades! Lucikly my 3 liquifier guns finished of half the veterans before they made contact.  

DE turn 2

The grot with my warlord disembarks their raider. and in assault wipes the remaining veterans (couldn't pull of an multi assault). My Wrack raider turboboosts inside a ruin that complete blocks line of sight.  

IG turn 3

Str 10 large blast and grotesques makes for a sad homoncules. Ig shooting kills of all but my warlord and his liquifier grotesque with shooting. their raider is wrecked. A single grotesque in the other unit is slain.

DE turn 3

My small unit of wracks arrive from reserve running for the objective. The grots run for the ruin and a new raider. The large unit of wracks disembark out of line of sight and within 3'' of the middle objective. The warlord and the last grotesque liquifies og finises the 10 man strong veteran unit of in assault.

IG turn 4

His scout sentinel arrives. He moves his eradicator do shoot at the small unit of wracks but scatters off! Combines shooting of the 2 sentinels does 0 wounds ! The warlord and the grotesque makes all their 4+ cover saves! The other unit of grotesques loses one more guy to shooting (isn't shown in the pictures but there is only 1 grot og 2 homonculus remaining in the unit.)

DE turn 4

The grot and 2 homonculi embarks in the raider and turboboosts to the left. To block his scoring unit from reaching the wracks and the objective they are holding. My warlord and his remaining grot wipes the Company command squad (gaining slay the warlord!).

IG turn 5

Str 10 large blast of doom kills my warlord and his one remaining bodyguard (gaining the imperial guard playert slay the warlord and denying me line breaker). He wrecks my grot raider. The eradicator and the two sentinels mannages to kill two of my 3 man unit af wracks. The Sentinel makes its 8'' charge through difficult terrain and kills the lone wrack (denying me a 3 pt. objective).

DE turn 5

My Grot and homunculi charges the eradicator and wrecks it.
The game ends turn 5.

Victory goes to the IG with 5 victory pts (objective, first blood and slay the warlord) vs. my Dark Eldars 4 pts (objective and slay the warlord).

After game thoughts:
Str 10 is the bane of my grotesque! Liquifier guns are godsend. After writing this report i see a few things i would have done differntly. In turn my turn 4 instead af turbo boosting the grot boat to my left, i should have turboboosted it straight forward as close to his objective as posible. This would have forces him to use his medusa siege cannons at either my warlord and grot (to gain slay the warlord) or the other bigger unit that would threathen to deny him of his objective. This would ofcouse allow him to claim my wrack objective with his veterans (but it might have kept my warlord alive, it almost would have ensured me line breaker it, and there was a good chance i would deny his objective).

Thoughts and comment would be greatly appreciated

Cheers Hejle

Very interesting! Your lack of anti-tank weaponry showed in this game eh? I liked your push into his deployment zone but I feel that choosing your warlord to do this was a mistake too when your other Grotesque unit could've done the same thing but not offered up Slay the Warlord. Overall, you went very Coven heavy but I don't think this really worked out so well. What do you think would need to be changed?

Yeah, lack of ranged anti tank really hurt me in this game. The grotesque would have destroyed those tanks with ease in close combat. But i wasn't able to get them there.

You are absolutely right about throwing my warlord in the enemys deployment zone was asking for trouble.

I love the coven, so i will still keep my list coven heavy. But to make it work better i'm considering adding scourges with blasters or heat Lances (sacrificial Deep stike unit).
Another thing i realized is when the raiders go down (and they will) it is fantastic to have a back up raider. So maybe i could squeeze in another raider in the list, either at the cost of my big unit of wracks, the cost of a few homonculus, or one of my grotesque units.

It might even Work to replace the homonculi with tooled out archons (but then i will go away from the coven, i will lose wracks as troops so i'm not sure i like that idea).

A Ravenger for your Heavy Support Choice would have done better in my opinion (would have been a major target as well). The con is that your Grots would have taken a serious hit in their numbers. Almost enough to where that second raider could have went to your other unit of wracks, and their numbers might have been able to be increased.

Good report!

Thinking of trying something like this:

HQ
1x Haemonculus ancient w/power axe and Shattershard
1x Haemonculus w/power axe and liquifier gun

Elites
Grotesques (Ancient joins this unit)
-2xGrotesque
-1xGrotesque w/liquifier gun
-1xAberation w/venom blade
-Raider w/dark lance, enchanced aethersailsTroops

Wracks (Homonculus joins this unit)
-9xWracks w/1 liquifier gun
-Raider w/dark lance, enchanced aethersails

Wracks
-3 Wracks
-Raider w/dark lance, enchanced aethersails

Wracks
-5 Wracks w/ 1 liquifier gun
-Raider w/dark lance, enchanced aethersails

Heavy support
2xtriple lance ravagers

Thoughts? i can definately see the advantage of more long range anti-tank. But I'm not impressed by our dark Lances (glancing on 4 against av 12 just dosn'r seem impressive).

Dark Lances get much better the higher the armour you are facing: sure vs AV12 they're nothing but when a land raider gets placed down opposite you thats when you thank the high lords of commoragh for the invention!

As for your new list, I like the additional Anti-Tank, for a 1000pt game I think you have more than enough AT there. Not massively convinced by the tiny 3 man Wrack unit but I can see why you included it - for target saturation. Somehow though I can't help but think that a Talos would draw more fire and survive through it too. I could be wrong however...

You have a decent list rush in with high toughness thugs..I like it.

But..drop the power ax on the Haemie,he doesn't have the armour save to take the hits to swing last.
I've run with a flesh gauntlet,with success.
All it takes is one bad armour save and they're dead..plus it's poisoned.

Haemies are good for gadgets not a stand up fight.

The ravagers will come on,give them a chance.

You'll learn to love Dark Lances when they're turning Broadsides and Crisis Suits into bluish-grey goop.

I second dropping the Power Axes....run Venom Blades and sink the extra points into gadgets.

Solid report, you almost had that one!
I totally dig the Coven-heavy list, coven doesn't get enough love. Ever try running a succubus with Grots? I would keep at least one Haemy, but I've used succubi/grot squads with great success. Haywire grenade before the charge, then another one in CC helps ruin tanks. And as for mooks Succubus > Haemy at sowing death and destruction.

Props again, reading your next report right now!