I had another showdown with PeteB on Tuesday night, again I haven't gone to any lengths to do a battle report. Both time constraints during play and to blog afterwards is preventing that from happening. It was an opportunity to try out one of the Blog Wars 7 missions with our potential armies. this particular mission is very similar to my
totally FREE Ephemeral Scuffle Mission - Knowledge is Power. Three objectives across the centre of the board and you get a point every player turn you hold one. Additionally no First Blood but a point for annihilating 75% of your opponents force. After our last game where I was very much outmatched I was not hopeful of the outcome, particularly as his Wraithguard, which were nigh unstoppable last time were now in a large unit. Pete got first turn but didn't secure any objectives. In my turn I managed to gain all three and intense firepower and poor armour saved managed to whittle his Wraithguard down to just three
My Hive Tyrant got knocked out of the sky, although he hadn't been wounded by the shooting [that won't happen in 7th!] took a wound falling and was pounced on by a Wraithlord for another 2 wounds, the Hive Tyrant making two in return. I tried desperately to get my Tervigon nearby so it could Psychic Scream the last wound off it but failed my Onslaught roll. Instead Deathleaper joined the melee but couldn't get a single rend in three rounds of combat and was eventually insta-killed after the Flyrant was squished again without providing an answer to the Wraithlord who went on to survive the game and kill the Crushing Claw Tervigon [Pete's MVP I think].
The other Wraithlord managed to kill a squad of Warriors and a Tervigon before he was taken down by a Carnifex, which had just eaten the last of the Wraithguard and his Spirit Seer. That was sweet revenge for being killed by a Wraithlord in our last game. It then went on to kill a jetbike and rout the rest of the squad which ended up exactly on the board edge! Karandras then faced down the Carnifex and despite every special rule under the sun could only put 2 wounds on the Carnie before it ate him too, yes quite a surprise to us. Other elements of note is that Hive Guard really only work in threes and Biovores seem to be more accurate in two's. By the end of the game I'd secured at least 15vps in holding objectives and Pete hadn't managed to get in range of 1! It was a athoroughly one-sided score line but it felt like a close game and although he suffered a lot in my first turn I also had some disastrous results were things just didn't work. I really need to find out what Tervigons can assault. I'm playing them as aggressively as I used to do when I had Warp Speed and Iron Arm and that just isn't working when Wraithlords just slice them up before they even get a look in. No doubt it'll all change in a few weeks anyway.
Additionally PeteB had asked about my son's stockpile of Eldar, what he might want to get rid of and trade for some Dark vengeance bikes. I had a chat with him and he wanted to keep his Prince Yrial and Swooping Hawks but everything else was on the table. So I took all the Guardians, the Dire Avengers he got before they reduced the models in a box by 50%, his three Jetbikes and the
Fire Prism. In return I got the three Ravenwing from Dark Vengeance, a Drop Pod and a Land Raider Redeemer. I think we both came out ahppy with the deal, although I probably owe my son something for the Eldar ;) The funny thing is Pete has already undercoated and washed the Dire Avengers.
And the Fire Prism is now a Death Spinner. I'm sad to see the Iyanden colours lost but it's better it's actually used by someone who cares about it and will show it some hobby lovin'. I'm also a little sad that it represents my son's abandonment of the hobby. I hoped it was something we could share together, I only really got back into it for him and although I have a great deal of fun and pleasure it's such a shame it's not something we can share anymore.
Anyway, one last reminder of the good old days: