I’ve been bad: New Dark Eldar fleet for Gothic

 So I’ve been a bit busy at work.  Recently, I was bad and bid on a great Dark Eldar Battlefleet Gothic fleet.  I won.  I won too much actually, winning the five cruisers shown above.  I planned to sell two.  That didn’t happen, so I had to buy more escorts to compensate (currently shipping).

It was painted terribly, so I stripped it (and gave myself a chemical burn with paint thinner.)  I then thought: hey why not magnetize it?   It can’t be that hard.

Then I did the math.

108 holes to drill, 108 magnets to use.

*sigh* I’d better get to work.  Next: Escorts!

Battlefleet Gothic Teaching Game with Lexington

Lexington of Dice Abide was in town, and wanted to learn about Battlefleet Gothic.  I thought of it as a perfect time to show off my Battlefleet Gothic teaching so I headed on up to Lansing.

Bozeman – Imperial Navy

-Admiral (Ld8) with one re-roll.

-Lunar Class Cruiser True Heart

-Lunar Class Cruiser Blind Faith

-Gothic Class Crusier Verisimilitude

-Tyrant Class Cruiser Belligerent

Lexington – Chaos

-Chaos Warmaster (+2 Ld) with one re-roll

-Slaughter Class Cruiser Swiftboat of Truth

-Slaughter Class Cruiser Traitor’s Blade

-Murder Class Cruiser Domination

-Carnage Class Cruiser Overkill

Setup

Scenario: Cruiser Clash.  Zone: Outer Reaches.  Upper left had one gas/dust cloud.  Lower left had a large planet with two rings of asteroids and one ring of gas/dust.  Lower middle had two asteroid belts.  Lower right had three asteroid belts.  Asteroids were moved more towards the center of the board at both players’ agreement.  Sunward edge was at the top.

 I set up at the bottom, with the two Lunars between the planet and asteroids, and the Gothic and Tyrant between two asteroid belts.  Lexington set up at the top, with one Slaughter to the extreme left, Murder center, Carnage slightly to the right, and the other Slaughter to the extreme right.

Turn 1 – Imperial Navy.

I moved forward and turned with the Lunars.  This was a tactical error, I sould have turned the other way.

Turn 1 – Chaos

Lextington went on All Ahead Full with the Traitor’s Blade.  Other ships moved up.  Long range shooting brought down one shield on the Gothic class.

Turn 2 – Imperial Navy

The Gothic and Tyrant went on Lock On, while the Lunars wheeled to rejoin the battle.  Some minor damage to the Chaos Slaughter, forcing a Brace For Impact.  I miscalculated the distance to move the Tyrant, and so fired its torpedoes ineffectively.

 Turn 2 – Chaos

The Slaughter moved around behind the Gothic and Tyrant, while the rest of the fleet closed in.  The Tyrant was crippled.  The other Slaughter fails a leadership check when clipping the edge of an asteroid field, but a re-roll saves it.

Turn 3 – Imperial Navy

I disengaged the Tyrant.  Gothic moved up into base contact with the Carnage.  Lunars moved closer, and one went on Lock On.  The Lunars tore up the Slaughter Class Swiftboat of Truth, while the Gothic turned its guns on both the Slaughter and the Carnage, firing torpedoes as well.  The torpedoes did nothing, thanks to a poor roll, and the lances brought down the Carnage’s shields but did little else.  The Slaughter went on Brace for Impact.

Turn 3 – Chaos

Ships re-positioned to regroup.  Fire at the Gothic class forces a Brace For Impact. 

Turn 4 – Imperial Navy

Ships regrouped.  Fire lowers a shield on the Swiftboat.

Turn 4 – Chaos

Murder goes All Ahead Full to get around the asteroids.  Slaughter goes right through the asteroids, hides inside.  Carnage and other Slaughter put enough damage on the Gothic to cripple it.

Turn 5 – Imperial Navy

Disengaged the Gothic class.  Lunars bash the Slaughter, causing a BFI and crippling it.

Turn 5 – Chaos

The crippled Slaughter disengages.  The other Slaughter pops out of the asteroids and makes one of my Lunars Brace For Impact.  Does little damage.  Murder near the bottom fails to Come To A New Heading.

Turn 6 – Imperial Navy

Lunars open up on the Slaughter, crippling it.

Turn 6 – Chaos

Carnage moves to just outside the asteroids, fails to do damage to a Lunar.  Murder successfully goes on Come To A New Heading.  I forgot to take a picture for this turn end.

Turn 7 – Imperial Navy

Lunars close on the Carnage, causing it to Brace For Impact.  A Critical Hit smashes the brige, causing a permanent -3 Ld.  The Lunar that fired torpedoes Reloads Ordnance.

Turn  7 – Chaos

The Carnage fails the check to go through the asteroids, but luckily Brace For Impact saves against damage.  Fire is ineffectual.  Murder moves up to join.

Turn 8 – Imperial Navy

One Lunar goes on Lock On, other goes minimum distance, turns.  Damage to Carnage is minimal, but causes a Brace For Impact.

Turn 8 – Chaos

Fleet disengages.

Final Victory Points: Imperials: 128 – Chaos: 91.

Final Thoughts: The teaching game worked well.  I made an early mistake by splitting my forces.  I should remember Imperial doctrine: focus on one target until it is obliterated, and then move on.  Got a bit lucky near the end.  Next time, hopefully we won’t be so restricted and Lexington will have his Ork fleet done.

As an epilogue, me and a bunch of the guys chipped in for an xmas present for Lexington!  Behold stompy goodness!

He tried to eat it.

Battlefleet Gothic Battle Report.

Just got back from R.I.W. Hobbies in Livonia after a great game of Battlefleet Gothic with Gothic expert: John!

Scenario: Cruiser Clash with no limits on fleet composition

Size: 850 pts (was 750 but John forgot how much the Eldar Pirate Prince costs)

Bozeman – Imperial Navy

– Overlord Battlecruiser Centaur with extra turret and battery left shift upgrades.  Admiral.

– Dominator Cruiser Kar Duniash with extra range battery option.

– Tyrant Cruiser Belligerent with battery range upgrade.

– Squadron of 5 Sword class escorts, Dagger Squadron.

John: Corsair Eldar

– Aurora Class Light Cruiser, Pirate Prince

– Solaris Class Light Cruiser

– Squadron of 3 Hemlock Class Destroyers

– Squadron of 3 Hemlock Class Destroyers

– Squadron of 3 Hemlock Class Destroyers

– Squadron of 3 Hemlock Class Destroyers

Board Setup: Mercurial Zone.  Upper right had one small planet.  No other terrain.  One Radiation Burst.  Lower long board edge is sunward.  I set up on the Sunward Edge, John opposite me.  I clustered in the center, John kept his cruisers centered, and spread out the escorts to avoid Nova Cannon fire.

Turn 1 Imperial Navy: Radiation Burst, -1 Ld to the whole board.  Moved forward.  Fired Nova Cannon, no effect.

Turn 1 Eldar: Moved forward, split fleet in two.  Capital ships went to the left side with 2 escort squadrons, other 2 escort squadrons went right.

Turn 2 Imperial Navy: Radiation Burst, -5 Ld to whole board.  Unable to go on special orders or even fire at select targets, I moved forward and shot the closest things.  One Hemlock squadron on the right side takes two casualties.  Capital Ships put 3 damage on the Solaris class cluiser, with 2 criticals that hamper turning.

Turn 2 Eldar: Solaris fails to disengage, and so runs for the board edge.  Surviving Hemlocks on the right side roll poorly and do not harm the squadron of Sword frigates.  The ships on the left side obliterate the Tyrant class because it can’t make Brace For Impact.  A Warp Explosion puts one damage on the Dominator class.

Turn 3 Imperial Navy: No Radiation Burst.  Sword Frigates on right side wipe out a squadron of Hemlocks.  Two surviving capital ships on the left strike at escorts, failinto do damage but forcing Brace For Impact.

Turn 3 Eldar: This turn much less effective due to successful Brace For Imapct by Dominator Class.  Hemlock on right side fails to damage Sword Frigates.

Turn 4 Imperial Navy:  Radiation Burst, another -5 Ld board-wide!  Surviving Cap ships swing to the right, put 3 damage on Aurora Class, with a -1 Ld critical.  Sword Frigates fail Come To A New Heading check, begin a two-turn long 180 degree turn.

Turn 4 Eldar: Fleet on the right finishes the Dominator class, reduce it to a Burning Hulk.  Hemlock destroys one of the Swords.

Turn 5 Imperial Navy: Radiation Burst -5 Ld AGAIN!  DAMMIT!  Swords complete theie 180.  Overlord Class battlecruiser fails to target the Aurora Class to finish it off, and so just causes a Brace For Imapct on one of the escort squadrons.

Turn 5 Eldar: Aurora fails to disengage, runs for the board edge.  Surviving Hemlock on the right runs for the board edge.  Two remaining Hemlock Squadrons fire on the Overlord class, do one damage from poor rolling.  Overlord fails Brace For Impact Check.

Turn 6 Imperial Navy: Overlord passes check for Lock On, and destroys an entire Hemlock squadron.  Swords fail All Ahead Full and simply move forward.

Turn 6 Eldar: Escorts fire on Overlord and split fire onto Dominator Hulk.  No damage.  They flee off the board edge during the Ordnance Phase.  Game Over.

Final Score: Imperial Navy – 445, Eldar – 385  Victory for the Imperial Navy!

Commentary: I finally beat not just the Eldar, but John playing the Eldar!  Close at the end.  John could have won had he blasted the Dominator Hulk and gotten an explosion result, as holding the field put me over the top.  The Eldar aren’t that bad if you have long distance batteries.  If you don’t, you’re in trouble.  When I played John with my Carrier-heavy Chaos a while ago, he just flew right through the bomber waves and blew my ships to smithereens.

Look forward to another Gothic clash later this week vs. Lexington of Dice Abide!

Update: Battlefleet Gothic Image Gallery

Good news everyone!  I resized all of the hideously big pictures in the Battlefleet Gothic gallery.  Sadly this doesn’t fix all previous posts, but it makes the gallery pics load in a reasonable amount of time.  Expect the same treatment for the other galleries soon!

Edit: Blood Bowl is now browser friendly too!  As well as Necromunda!

New Image Gallery

In case you hadn’t noticed, up on the right there’s a new link: Image Galleries.  Unfortunately only one is up right now, the Battlefleet Gothic gallery.  Check it out.

http://fourstrandshobby.com/battlefleet-gothic-image-gallery/

GOTHIC DONE

I can’t believe it.  I’m done with Gothic.  Low Orbit Table defenses and Mines are above.

So what’s next?  I’m definitely making a Gothic Gallery for all the images, but what do I paint next?  My Menoth starter box?  Necromunda?  Start my Orks again?

Transports and Orbital Defences

Included above:

-Space Station or Orbital Dock (can be either)

-3 Orbital Defences (Lance, Torpedo, Battery)

-Heavy Transport Argosy

-8 Out of print pewter transports

Next: 16 Orbital Mines, 8 low orbit Missile Silos, 8 Low Orbit Lance Batteries, and 4 Low Orbit Airfields, and then GOTHIC IS DONE!

Finished Chaos Fleet!

The above ordannce markers are the last thing for my Chaos fleet!  20 fighters, 21 bombers, 20 Forgeworld Dreadclaw assault boats (yes there’s one per base, they’re expensive) and 8 count ’em 8 custom converted torpedo bomber bases!

All were glued to 20mm fantasy bases.  The torpedoes for the torpedo bombers are bristles from a $3 woman’s purse hairbrush.

The final picture is the fleet!  There are fewer escorts for Chaos compared to my Imperial Navy fleet.  However, I do have the Repulsive Grand Cruiser re-based onto a large base so I can buy the 3rd shield.  I also have a LOT more ordnance because my Chaos fleet is pretty carrier heavy.

Next: Defences!!

Chaos Escorts

Next: Ordnance and then Chaos is done!  Then defences and Gothic is complete!

Imperial Navy Fleet finished

Imperial Navy done!  Next: Chaos!  First, I must re-base the Repulsive class grand cruiser onto a large base so it can buy a 3rd shield.  Then, paint 11 escorts and all their ordnance, which is a lot.

EDIT: With all available upgrades, Torpedo Bombers on the Emperor Class,  and a Solar Admiral with 3 re-rolls, this is 3980 points, so if 4 ships take power rams, it’s exactly 4000