Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Mathhammer - Dark Lances vs. Splinter Cannons

Roboute Guilliman takes on the Drukhari Army
I've always been interested in the math behind Warhammer and how to use probability to influence your decisions during game play and list construction. I think the general consensus is that more volume outweighs higher quality weaponry. I wanted to see how this worked so I built a spreadsheet that would calculate 10,000 shots and compare something like a Dark Lance vs. a Splinter Cannon.

I used Roboute Guilliman as the defending model.


Roboute Guilliman
ToughnessSaveInvulnerable
62+3+

I ran 10,000 shots through him with a Dark Lance - Heavy 1 / Strength 8 / AP -4 / D6 Damage.

Dark Lance x3 (63 Points)
Hit %Wound %Damage RollsDamage
65% - 72%41% - 47%30% - 37%1.22 - 1.88

Damage Rolls is the percentage of wounds that were not saved.

I also ran 10,000 Splinter Cannon (6 shots per Weapon because of Rapid Fire) - Rapid Fire 3 / Strength: Always wounds on 4's  / AP 0 / 1.


Splinter Cannon x4 (64 Points)
Hit %Wound %Damage RollsDamage
65% - 72%30% - 36.5%15% - 18.5%.68 - 1.72

It seems like the Dark Lance edges it out in this situation with a higher average damage.

Next, I wanted to try this vs. a Primaris Marine. Excess wounds don't matter as much since they don't spill over so I'm only calculating the average number of Primaris killed.

Primaris Marines
ToughnessSaveWounds
43+2

Again, I ran 10,000 Dark Lance shots through the unit.

Dark Lance x3 (63 Points)
Hit %Wound %Damage RollsPrimaris Kills
65% - 72%53% - 60.5%100%1.42 - 1.62

It looks like 3 Dark Lances kill 1 Primaris and do 1 damage to another on average.

Splinter Cannon x4 (64 Points)
WS 3Strength 8Damage RollsPrimaris Kills
65% - 72%30% - 36.5%30.5% - 37.5%1.02 - 1.60

This was pretty close as well but the Dark Lance, point for point, seems like a better choice. The Poison Weapon attribute that the Splinter Cannon has that allows wounds on 4+ works much better against models like the Plague Marines with Toughness 5.

I think I will try running 10,000 shots against them next but it requires another addition the formula because of their 5+ Disgustingly Resilient. I'll post that result tomorrow.





Monday, April 6, 2020

Craftworlds - Painting

Craftworlds Army 2000 Points
I never really liked the look of the Eldar and I especially hate the look of the old metal models but these have been sitting in my office for years and figured if I give them some love they'll grow on me. They have old paint on them from the person I bought the lot from and whenever my 5 year old begs me to allow him to paint some models, the Eldar are the ones I sacrifice to him so he stops bugging me.

Every night I plan to work towards speed painting the army to get them at least table top quality. Last night I got to rework the old Wraithguards.

Wraithguard
I hope to get the Swooping Hawks or the Howling Banshees painted next and get these guys on the table.

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Drukhari vs Death Guard - 2000 Point ITC Battle Report


Today we have a Battle Report using ITC rules. The mission is "What's Yours is Mine" and the deployment is Vanguard Strike.

The Army Lists:
Let's get on to the Battle Report!

Deployment

The Drukhari win the roll and opt to go first. The plan is to sweep the left side of the map using the Talos as meat shields and hopefully control the objectives in the later rounds. The Death Guard focus on slowly pushing towards the center to score their King of the Hill secondary.

Turn 1 - Top - Drukhari
Turn 1 - Top - Drukhari: The Drukhari push through the top left of the map and focus in on the weaker flank of the Death Guard Army. The Reaver Jet Bikes see an unfavorable match up against the Foetid Bloat Drones and advance towards the center.

The Dark Lances and Splinter Cannons unleash and are able to destroy a precious Plagueburst Crawler scoring them a First Blood secondary and a Marked for Death secondary. They are also able to kill 20x Poxwalkers and one Plague Marine.

Score: Drukhari: 4 / Death Guard: 0


Turn 1 - Bottom - Death Guard
Turn 1 - Bottom - Death Guard: The Death Guard respond by advancing forward towards the center hoping to score their King of the Hill secondary. Without a strong screen of Poxwalkers in the middle of the map, the Foetid Bloat Drones move in to provide a charge barrier with their auto hitting Plaguespitters.

The Death Guard drop mortars and disease filled bile on their enemy and are able to destroy 4 Incubi, an entire unit of Wyches, 10 Scourges, and 1 Raider transporting 10 Kabalite Warriors who miraculously jump off the transport unscathed.

In total, they are able to take out 4 units scoring them the mission bonus but are unable to claim any other secondaries. This was a painful round for the Drukhari but they are still up in points.

Score: Drukhari: 4 / Death Guard: 3


Turn 2 - Top - Drukhari

Turn 2 - Top - Drukhari: The Drukhari unleash their squad of Reaver Jet Bikes and crash down on a Foetid Bloat Drone. With a few good placed Blaster D6 Damage shots and a final charging push, the Foetid Bloat Drone goes down. The tight group of Talos burst through the Poxwalker screen and tear open into a Malignant Plaguecaster.

The casualties are high for the Death Guard. They lose 18 Poxwalkers, 1 Foteid Bloat Drone, 1 Maligant Plaguecaster.

The Drukhari score on 3 Mission points, Recon, and Marked for death.

Score: Drukhari: 9 / Death Guard: 3


Turn 2 - Bottom - Death Guard

Turn 2 - Bottom - Death Guard: The Death Guard charge wildly into the Reaver Jetbikes and smash through 9 of them. The Cultists sacrifice themselves and try and hold off the massive Talos that are coming to eviscerate the unprotected Plagueburst Crawlers. The very slow Blightlord Terminators drop in and blast away at the Kabalite Warriors but unfortunately fail their charge.

The Death Guard score 3 Mission points and a King of the Hill secondary.

Score: Drukhari: 9 / Death Guard: 7


Turn 3 - Top - Drukhari

Turn 3 - Top - Drukhari:
 This was the most devastating turn for the Drukhari. The three Talos focus their fire their Heat Lances on a Plagueburst Crawler and melt it to a mound of glowing ooze. They are also able to take out 6 Plague Mariens, another Malignant Plaguecaster, and 20 Cultists who fail morale checks and run off screaming into the alien forest.

The Drukhari score on 4 Mission points, Marked for Death x2, and Recon x2.

Score: Drukhari: 17 / Death Guard: 7


Turn 3 - Bottom - Death Guard

Turn 3 - Bottom - Death Guard:
 Typus laughs at the remaining 2 Reaver Jet Bikes and carelessly charges into their Blaster shots. With a miraculous overwatch of double 6's, the Blasters turn Typhus into a pile of ashes. This was a huge turning point for the Drukhari as Typhus was the focus of the Born for Greatness secondary and his death prevented the scoring of this objective.

Only 13 Kabalite Warriors fall to the Death Guard this turn. They are only able to score 2 points for the main mission.

Score: Drukhari: 17 / Death Guard: 9


Turn 4 - Top - Drukhari

Turn 4 - Top - Drukhari: It seems pretty hopeless for the Death Guard but the Drukhari are relentless and ruthless and press on. They are able to kill the Chaos Lord which was the Death Guard Warlord along with the Noxious Blightbringer. They also control their two placed objective which gives them their mission bonus.

They are able to score 4 Mission Points along with Kingslayer and Recon.

Score: Drukhari: 22 / Death Guard: 9


Turn 4 - Bottom - Death Guard

Turn 4 - Bottom - Death Guard: There isn't much left of the Death Guard. The Blightlord Terminators finish up the Kabalite Warriors at the top while the Foetid Bloat Drone wipes out the other unit.

They score 2 mission points.

Score: Drukhari: 22 / Death Guard: 11


Turn 5 - Top - Drukhari

Turn 5 - Top - Drukhari: The Talos use their massive claws to rip open the last Plagueburst Crawler and the Raiders fire on the Bloat Drone hoping to whittle it down but are only able to do a few points of damage.

The Drukhari score 4 Mission points and Marked for Death.

Score: Drukhari: 27 / Death Guard: 11


Turn 5 - Bottom - Death Guard

Turn 5 - Bottom - Death Guard: The Blightlord Terminators launch everything they have against the Incubi but fail to kill them. The Foetid Bloat Drone stands on the stone bridge and launch down but fail to cause any casualties.

The Death Guard score 1 point for holding an objective but nothing else.

Score: Drukhari: 27 / Death Guard: 12


Turn 6 - Top - Drukhari

Turn 6 - Top - Drukhari: With an overwhelming advantage of firepower, the Drukhari easily destroy the Foetid Bloat Drone completing their Marked for Death secondary leaving only 3 Blightlord Terminators alive.

The Drukhari score 5 Mission points along with Marked for Death, Linebreaker, and Last Strike.

Turn 6 - Bottom - Death Guard: The Blightlord Terminators make their final push and kill 1 Incubi putting an end to this nightmarish match for the Death Guard.

The initial casualties that the Death Guard suffered in the 1st and 2nd turn were too much to come back from. The final nail in the coffin was the failed charge from Typhus which sealed his fate. The Drukhari's ability to quickly change strategies between turns made it difficult for the lumbering Death Guard to react and caused their weaker flank to crumble to the shifting tides of the Drukhari army.  

Death Guard - 200 Point List - Corona Crew


Death Guard 2000 Point List

Battalion 1

  • HQ - Typhus
    • Miasma of Pestilence 
    • Blades of Putrefaction
  • HQ - Malignant Plaguecaster 1
    • Pandemic Staff (Relic +1 to Smite)
    • Miasma of Pestilence 
    • Curse of the Leper
  • Troops - Plague Marines x12
    • 1x Power Fist
    • 3x Plasma Guns
  • Troops - Poxwalkers x20
  • Troops - Poxwalkers x10
  • Elites - Blightlord Terminators x5
    • 4x Bubonic Axe
    • 1x Flail of Corruption
    • 1x Blight Launcher
  • Elites - Noxious Blightbringer
  • Fast Attack - Foetid Bloat-drone x

Battalion 2

  • HQ - Malignant Plaguecaster 2
    • Plague Wind
    • Blades of Putrefaction
  • HQ - Malignant Plaguecaster 3
    • Miasma of Pestilence 
    • Gift of Contagion
  • Troops - Cultist x10
    • x9 Brutal Assault Weapons
    • x1 Heavy Flamer
  • Troops - Cultist x10
    • x8 Autoguns
    • x1 Shotgun
    • x1 Heavy Bolter

Spearhead Detachment

  • HQ - Chaos Lord (Warlord)
    • Arch-Contaminator (Re-roll all failed Plague Weapon wound rolls within 7")
    • Fulgaris Helm (+3" to all auras)
    • 1x Plasma Pistol
    • 1x Power Sword
  • Heavy Support - Plagueburst Crawler x3
    • 2x Entropy Cannons 
    • 1x Heavy Slugger

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Drukhari 2000 Point List - Trifecta

I finally completed painting my 2000 Point Drukhari list over the Covid break which actually made me feel hobby productive. I might not have fixed anything around the house or mowed the lawn but I got my purple baddies painted up.

Drukhari 2000 Point - Trifecta
This list is probably not the most competitive list. I built it based on a random assortment of metal models I had laying around. Here is the list:

2000 Point Drukhari List:

Battalion

Kabal of the Obsidian Rose: (+6" to Rapid Fire, Assault, and Heavy weapons)

  • HQ: Archon
    • Helm of Spite (Allows 1 Deny the witch a turn which causes a Perils of the Warp for the Psyker.)
    • Hatred Eternal
    • Huskblade
  • HQ: Archon
    • Huskblade
  • Troops: Kabalite Warriors 1
    • Dark Lance
    • Blaster
  • Troops: Kabalite Warriors 2
    • Dark Lance
    • Blaster
  • Troops: Kabalite Warriors 3
    • Dark lance
    • Blaster
  • Troops: Kabalite Warriors 4
    • Splinter Cannon
    • Blaster
  • Elites: Incubi
  • Heavy Support: Ravager
    • 3x Dark Lance
  • Dedicated Transport: Raider 1
    • Dark Lance
    • Shock Praw
    • Splinter Rack
  • Dedicated Transport: Raider 2
    • Dark Lance
  • Dedicated Transport: Raider 3
    • Dark Lance

Spearhead Detachment

Prophets of Flesh (+1 Invulnerable Save) 
  • HQ: Haemonculus
  • Heavy Support: Talos
    • 2x Heat Lance
    • Ichor Injector
    • Macro-Scalpel
  • Heavy Suport: Talos
    • 2x Heat Lance
    • Ichor Injector
    • Macro-Scalpel
  • Heavy Suport: Talos
    • 2x Heat Lance
    • Ichor Injector
    • Macro-Scalpel

Outrider Detachment

Cult of the Cursed Blade - (+1 Strength) 
  • HQ: Succubus 
    • Combat Drugs: Grave Lotus (+1 Strength)
    • Razorflails
  • Troops: Wyches - x9 + 1 Hekatrix
    • Combat Drugs: Adrenalight (+1 Attacks)
  • Fast Attack: Reavers - x10 + 1 Arena Champion
    • Combat Drugs: Painbringer (+1 Toughness)
    • 2x Heat Lance
    • Ichor Injector
    • Macro-Scalpel
    • 3x Grav-Talons (When you charge, roll 4+ for Mortal Wounds)
  • Troops: Scourges
    • 4x Splinter Cannon
    • Shardcarbine
  • Troops: Scourges
    • 4x Dark Lance
    • Shardcarbine

I'm really liking the large group of 11 Reaver bikes. They have some Stratagems synergies and Mortal Wound capabilities. I played a couple practice games with myself and they were great at grabbing far objectives and smashing light infantry.

I've built the list with 13x Dark Lances and 13x Blaster/Heat Lance shots which all have D6 damage. With the majority of them having the 6" bonus to range they should be strong enough firepower to take out a Heavy Support or two and score some good points.

I think I've also got about 53 shots of Rapid Fire weapons which can handle infantry pretty well. 

I hope to get to try this list out after we're off from lockdown and get some better ideas about how to make it ITC ready!


Monday, March 23, 2020

Warhammer 40k - Death Guard vs. Drukhari - ITC Rules Battle Report

I've been itching to learn and play some ITC rules and get the strategies down. For this battle report we have the Death Guard vs. Drukhari facing off in a 2000 point game using the ITC Scenario 1: Seize Ground. 

Drukhari - Top of Round 1 - Movement Phase
Special Rules - Seize Ground Bonus Point: If the player holds or contests 4 or more objectives at the end of their player turn, gain 1 point.

Drukhari List
This was a mishmash of models I've owned. I wanted to get a feel for them before I purchased the models I needed to shore up their weak spots.
Battalion (Kabal of the Obsidian Rose +6" to Rapid Fire, Heavy, and Assault)
  • HQ - Archon: Blast Pistol + Power Sword + Helm of Spite + Phantasm Grenade Launcher
  • HQ - Archon: Blast Pistol + Venom Blade
  • Troop x3- Kabalite Warriors: Dark Lance + Blaster
  • Elite - Incubi x6
  • Fast Attack: Scourges + Splinter Cannon x4
  • Fast Attack: Scourges + Dark Lance x4
  • Heavy Support: Ravager + Dark Lance x3
  • Dedicated Transport x3: Raider + Dark Lance
Battalion (Mixed)
  • HQ - Haemonculae x2 - Tools + Stinger Pistol
  • Troop - Wyches: Grave Lotus Combat Drug (+1 Str) + Razor Flails, Agonizer, Shardnet and Impalor, Hydra Gauntlets + Hekatarii blades
  • Troop- Kabalite Warriors: Dark Lance + Blaster
  • Troop- Kabalite Warriors: Splinter Cannon + Blaster
  • Fast Attack: Reavers x5 + 1 Blaster + Painbringer (+1 Toughness)
  • Heavy Support - Talos x2 + Macro + Ichor + 2x Heatlance
This gives the Drukhari 13 CP 



Death Guard List
Battalion 
  • HQ - Typhus
  • HQ - Malignant Plaguecaster + Pandemic Staff (+1 to Smite)
  • Troop - Plague Marines x 8 + Plasma Gun on Champion and 2 other Marines
  • Troop - Poxwalker x20
  • Troop - Poxwalker x10
  • Elite - Blightlord Terminators + Flail + Blight Launcher + Axes and 1 Sword
  • Elite - Noxious Blight Bringer
  • Fast Attack - Foetid Bloat Drone x2 + Plaguespitters
Battalion 
  • HQ - Lord of Contagion + Plaguereaper
  • HQ - Malignant Plaguecaster
  • Troop - Cultist x10 + Autogun + Heavy Stubber + Shotgun
  • Troop - Cultist x10 + Brutal Assault + Flamer
  • Troop - Poxwalker x10
Spearhead
  • HQ - Chaos Lord (Warlord) Arch-Contaminator (Re-roll Plague Weapon Wounds)
  • Heavy Support - Plagueburst Crawler x2 + Entropy Cannon x2 + Heavy Slugger + Mortar
  • Heavy Support - Plagueburst Crawler + Plaguespiters x2 + Heavy Slugger + Mortar
This gives the Death Guard 13 CP 

Let's get on with the game!


Round 1 - Top - Drukhari

Round 1 - Top - Drukhari
The goal of the Drukhari movement phase was to get into position and form a gun line but also set up to possibly get the Seize Ground bonus of controlling 4 objectives and score on Recon.

The Haemonculae hold the back objectives while a unit of Kabalite Warriors grab their center objective and work to get line of site to a big target. The Reaver Bikes set up to get into position for the bottom left quadrant next turn while the Raiders at the top of the map do the same.

Units with Dark Lances get set to hold off the lumbering ball of death that will approach them. The Scourges with Splinter Cannons jet to the 2nd level platform in the center of the map and plan to set up a gun line while the Scourges with Dark Lances fly on top of a building to prepare a barrage of armor penetrating long ranged blasts.

Both the Wyches and Incubi Advance as far as they can to get into charge position in Round 2. The Archons head towards the top of the map to lend some re-roll to hit assistance to the Ravager and Dark Lance Scourges. The Talos moves up to get the Plagueburst Crawlers into Heat Lance range.

The Drukhari unleash their deadly Dark Lances and manage to only damage the bottom Plagueburst Crawler with 6 damage. 1 CP was used to reroll a damage but it doesn't wound. The rest of the shots hit but fail to roll the 4+ needed to wound. The Scourges with the Splinter Cannons do the most work and are able to remove 10x Cultists at the bottom of the map which will hinder the Death Guard's ability to grab objectives by taking out a unit of their fastest infantry. Many Cultists are shot at the top of the map but they surprisingly make their 6+ Saves to live to fight another day. There are no Morale checks needed.

Round 1 - Points: - Drukhari:

The Drukhari score 0 points but they are able to wound a Plagueburst Crawler 6 Wounds and take out 11 Cultists.



Round 1 - Bottom - Death Guard:




With rotting limbs and their intestines dragging on the floor, the Death Guard army shambles towards searing hot gun fire. They focus on controlling the center of the map to gain the King of the Hill secondary objective and push to get valuable targets into Smite range. A Cloud of Flies protects the Plague Marines as 30 Poxwalkers shield them from any attacks. Typhus moves up into their center objective and scores 1pt for Born for Greatness.

The Smites are devastating, hitting on all 3 rolls from Typhus and the Malignant Plaguecasters, even beating a Deny the Witch from the Archon equipped with the terrifying Helm of Spite which can cause a Psyker to face the Perils of the Warp. They are able to take out 4 Scourges with Splinter Cannons.

The Plagueburst Crawlers launch their Mortars and take out a few of the very threatening Scourges at the top of the map with Dark Lances while the Plaguemarines finish off the Scourges in the center of the map.

Round 1 - Points: - Death Guard

The Death Guard score 1pt for King of the Hill for controlling the center and 1pt for Born for Greatness with Typhus controlling the center objective.

They lead the match Drukari: 0 - Death Guard: 2



Round 2 - Top - Drukhari




With blinding fast speed, the Drukhari race into their enemy's zone. The Reavers, Ravager, Raiders, and Talos under the bridge focus their fire on the Plagueburst Crawler but only manage to get it down to 3 HP. The Raiders at the top of the map go for the Plagueburst Crawler across from them and manage to bring it down to 2 HP.

After the dust settles, the Drukhari are only to kill 4 Cultist while damaging the Death Guard's Heavy Support Tanks. There were many wound rolls which failed and could have turned the tides of battle very quickly to favor of the Drukhari but alas, it was not to be.



The Wyches make their charge against the 20 Poxwalkers and are able to kill 12 but when they return the favor, it was decimating. With Typhus' boost to their Toughness and Strength and with the help of Blades of Putrification (+1 Wound) and the Stratagem of Veterans of the Long War (+1 to Wound) the Poxwalkers and their 16 dice are able to take out 7 Wyches which rise up and become more Poxwalkers and brings back their unit size from 8 to 15.

Round 2 - Points: - Drukhari

The Drukhari score 2pts for Recon and were able to kill enough to score 1pt for Reaper.

The score is now Drukhari: 3 - Death Guard: 2



Round 2 - Bottom - Death Guard



Now in position, the Death Guard unleash their unholy Smite barrage against the Drukhari. Combined with their fire power from the Plagueburst Crawlers, Foetid Boat Drones, and Plague Marines, they are able to wipe out a Ravager, 10 Kabalite Warriors, 2 Talos, 3 Wyches, and 4 Reavers. It was a brutal round for the Drukhari. One Death Guard Plague Marine armed with an supercharged Plasma Gun did fall to an exploding roll of 1.

Round 2 - Points: - Death Guard

One of the Talos fell to the power of Typhus which helped him score 1pt for Born for Greatness. 4 units were also within 9" of the center which gave 2pts for King of the Hill. The Cultist also ran forward and were able to get 1 point for Recon.

The score is now Drukhari: 3 - Death Guard: 6



Round 3 - Top - Drukhari:



Things are not looking good for the Drukhari but this might be the turn that gives them a fighting chance. The rest of the Drukhari army pours all their shots on the heavy hitters of the Death Guard army. They are able to take out 2 Plagueburst Crawlers, 4 Poxwalkers, and 2 Cultists. A Plagueburst Crawler explodes and takes out a Reaver Bike and does 2 damage to a Malignant Plaguecaster and the Chaos Lord.

Round 2 - Points: - Drukhari:

With 2 of the Plagueburst Crawlers down, the Drukhari are able to score 2pts for Marked for Death. They also score 1 more point for Recon.

The score is now Drukhari: 6 - Death Guard: 6



Round 3 - Bottom - Death Guard



Turn 3 is a pivotal moment in the match. The Death Guard surely looked like they were unstoppable but now are now in danger of losing in ranged combat. Typhus was able to charge in and destroy a Raider and a Bloat Drone, after failing to shoot off the defending Haemonculae, was able to melee him to death.

Oh, the Death Guard finally deepstrike the Blightlord Terminators at the top right of the map but forget to deepstrike the Lord of Contagion which automatically dies. It was pretty dumb and a waste of 115 points. Duh.

Round 3 - Points: - Death Guard:

The Foetid Bloat Drone takes over the Drukhari bottom objective and the Death Guard are able to score a Seize Ground point. They have also completed the King of the Hill secondary along with getting 2 more points for Recon.

The score is now Drukhari: 6 - Death Guard: 10.



Round 4 - Top - Drukhari



Things look bleak for the Drukhari but they go all out this round and send in the Archons to battle in Melee. They are able to score 11 Poxwalker kills along with 4 Plague Marines and finally finish off 1 Foetid Bloat Drone. The Archons and Typhus battle it out but it is a standstill. The Shadowfield 2+ Invulnerable saves from the Archons hold off every attack.

Round 4 - Points: - Drukhari

With their firepower and melee skills, the Drukhari score 1pt for Marked for Death and Reaper. They also get 1 more point for Recon.

The score is now Drukhari: 9 - Death Guard: 10.



Round 4 - Bottom - Death Guard





This looks like an easy game for the Death Guard but the Blightlord Terminators fail their Charge and another Plague Marine loses his life to an exploding Plasma Gun. The bottom left Death Guard objective is also being threatened by a Raider with 10 Kabalite Warriors in it. The Malignant Plaguecasters were able to Smite their way out of a possible comeback from the Drukhari and take out the Raider which explodes.


Round 4 - Points: - Death Guard:

The Death Guard score another point for Seize Ground and gain the final Recon point.

The score is now Drukhari: 9 - Death Guard: 12.




Round 5 - Top - Drukhari



Not much happens here for the Drukhari. The Archons wildly swing at Typhus but are unable to wound him with 10 shots. This pretty much seals their fate.



Round 5 - Points: - Drukhari:

No points are scored for Drukhari.

The score is now Drukhari: 9 - Death Guard: 12.



Round 5 - Bottom - Death Guard



The end of the Drukhari is inevitable. The final insult to injury is when the Poxwalkers charge in and knock out the Shadowfield of the Archon Warlord and easily take him down. The loose units are cleaned up which only leave a Raider and a few Kabalite Warriors.

Round 5 - Points: - Death Guard:

The Death Guard score 1 more point for Seize Ground.

The Final Score: Drukhari: 9 - Death Guard: 13.



Final Thoughts

Drukhari Stratagems - Need to make use of them more. I was not too familiar with the Stratagems available but after looking at them, it doesn't seem like they would have changed the outcome of the game very much. Everything that the Drukhari needed to hit was able to hit but it was the multiple failed wound rolls which really hurt. None of the defensive Stratagems would have helped much as a majority of the wounds the Drukhari received were from Smite spams.

Drukhari Movement - The Drukhari probably didn't need to move so far up and should have kited the Death Guard more. Recon was the only secondary objective that could have benefited from a forward advance and would have easily been completed in later rounds with Drukhari speed. The focus should have been on taking out the Heavy Weapons threats of the Drukhari instead of controlling key positions. The area control would come later.



Friday, March 20, 2020

Drukhari - Stabby Stabby Pokey Pokey Models

This Drukhari army has been sitting in my plastic tub of shame for quite a while now. When I purchased them online I thought that the models were going to be the new plastic versions but instead they were the old metal derps. For the longest time I hated them because of how lame the models look but after fondling them for a bit they grew on me.

Drukhari Army Painting Progress
Durkhari Army - Painting Progress 1
The maneuverable glass cannon play style was a stark contrast from my main Death Guard army and opened up more strategies for me to try.

I decided to go with a deep purpley color for there base and highlight it with gold and silver.

Dark Archons and Haemonculae
Dark Archons and Haemonculi
The Dark Archons are my favorite models of the bunch. One has a cool Hannibal Lechter face mask and the other is a bad ass warrior chick. The Haemonculi look like old frail grandmas.

Drukhari Raiders Dedicated Transports
Raiders
The Raiders are pretty cool. I don't own many transports so I'm excited to try them out. I dig the open-top rule which allows the Kabalite Warriors inside to shoot and with the Obsession Obsidian Rose + Splinter Racks it gives them +6" to range and all 6+ hits become 2 hits. They're fast and are armed with a single Dark Lance.

Dark Eldar Drukhari Scourges OOP Metal
Scourges
I also love the Scourges but they drive me nuts as they constantly tip over because they're so top heavy. I love that I can take 4x Dark Lances in a 5 man unit along with their 14" move. They're also not too shabby looking models.

OOP Reavers Drukhari Dark Eldar
Reavers
The Reavers are blindingly fast at 18" move and 8" automatic Advance. I just purchased 6 more for my army but I'm not sure how they'll play out. I think they'll be good for grabbing objectives for some late game points (if they survive) but they're not much stronger than the Kabalite Warriors. There are a couple of Stratagems that beef them up a bit but they're still shooting with pea shooter Splinter Rifles at 4S/4+ Wound (6+ on Vehicles).

Old School Metal Dark Eldar Drukhari Talos
Talos
These units were my most disappointing ones. When I purchased them I thought I was getting the really awesome plastic models but when I got my box they were these janky cartoon scorpion things. They're slowly growing on me. I do need to swap out the arms as you can only have 1 pokey poke and pinchy pinch per model.
Drukhari Dark Eldar Incubi
Incubi
I like the look of the old school metal Incubi but there are very few model poses which makes it hard to determine which is the Klaviex. The shore up some of the melee holes that my army is lacking.

It looks like I'll be on lockdown for the next week because of COVID-19 so I'll be able to get some painting done. I've also got some more old school metal models coming next week that will help my 2000 point list be more competitive. I'm looking forward to posting more progress pics!

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Death Guard - The Big Green Swarm Machine

I've been really into 40k recently and found a game group that plays near my work (yes, Tarin) and I committed myself to fully painting a full 2000 point army of Death Guard.

Death Guard 2000 Point List
My Death Guard Army

Typhus
I was really drawn to the whole synergy between the models and how well everything worked together. I love how Typhus buffs up the puny Poxwalkers (+1 Toughness) and then the Malignant Plaguecasters can buff them up with their psychic powers, Putrescent Vitality (+1 Strength +1 Vitality) and Blades of Putrifaction (+1 to wound). Oh, not to mention the 1 point Stratagem, Veterans of the Long War which gives another +1 to wound.

This essentially turns a cheapy cheap S3/T3 model into a S4/T5 that hits on 4+ with +2 to wound and that makes more Poxwalkers each time they kill an infantry model. That's fun stuff.

3x Plagueburst Crawlers
The Plagueburst Crawlers are pretty awesome models too. These are my newest models and they have Plagueburst Mortars which are Heavy D6 S8 /D3 Damage that don't need line of sight to target models within 12"- 48". They can do some major damage. I've kitted 2 out with Entropy Cannons that are 36" S8 / D6 Damage and the other with 2x Plaguespitters  I plan to kamikaze one right into enemy lines and for 1 Stratagem you can make sure that bad boy explodes right in front of the enemy's face and cause D3 Mortal wounds on everyone who dares stand close.


I've also got 4 Pskyers in my army (Typhus + 3 Maligant Plaguecasters). They have an awesome ability where if the Malignant Plaguecasters successfully roll 7 on a test, they do a mortal wound to the closest enemy within 7". They each can cast 1 spell along with Smite which means they can really dish out some extreme Mortal Wounds. I've also equipped one with a Relic that gives Smite +1 which means the first Smite I'm rolling has a Warp Charge Value of 5, the next 6, the next 7, and the next another 7 because that model gets +1 to Smite.

Overall, I'm really liking the Death Guard. I initially chose them because they were part of the Dark Imperium set and I could grab the models cheaply. Now I'm seeing how fun they are and how they match my playstyle.