Meet the Dynasty #4: Ref-tek Jahksehn

"Ref-tek" Jahksehn has worn many hats during his career.  In 5E he enjoyed wielding the many cool gubbins Crypteks had access to, he is still a little mopey about the 7E changes to his wargear.  On the other hand, he can now get a phase shifter and squad-wide 5++, and he has two wounds!  So it's not all bad, not at all.
Ref-tek was and still is the somewhat under-appreciated support for the Lahkers royal court.  In 5E, he and his proxy-Crypteks would tote the eldritch lances, teleport Kobeh around with the Veil of Darkness, blind the enemy with the Solar Pulse, re-roll dice with the old-style Chronometron, and occasionally pull a Look Out Sir for an overlord.  Currently, Ref-tek takes the new Chronometron and hangs out with whoever needs an invulnerable save, usually a warrior blob.

In the dynasty, Ref-tek's job is to be the judge and/or impartial adjudicator when the Triarchs aren't around.  The Lahker lords rely on him for a balanced point of view when solving their disputes, if by "balanced" you mean "whoever funds my mad science projects the most gets my tiebreaker vote".

Ref-tek is being repainted at the moment.  I first painted him almost two years ago, and my painting skills have improved a lot (I hope...) since then.  Plus I was never truly satisfied with how I painted him in the first place.  There will be an update once he is finished.

Moments of Glory: Surviving the CSM deathball that laid Kobeh and a whole warrior blob flat, wielding basically all of the 5E Cryptek wargear at one point or another (not all at the same time, sadly).

Ref-tek has seen this view far too many times.

Near the glory, but not quite in the spotlight. So goes a Cryptek's job.

Ref-tek helps an irate Kobeh direct traffic on an especially congested battlefield.

Workbench #4.1: Painting Lychguard/Praetorians

Been busy painting up the Lychguard and Praetorians the last few days, they're turning out great.  I'm also building and painting a few more lords, overlords, and the custom Cryptek as well.  And the gauss blasters you see there are for the Immortals in the back.  They used to be my tesla Immortals, but since I have literally used tesla only once or twice since the dawn of 7E, I'm switching them to gauss blasters.  Effective, WYSIWYG-accurate, and way cooler.

Plus working on these guys was the perfect excuse to buy more paints.  I'm a recent convert to the Game Color line, for its nifty eyedropper caps and for the quality of its paint.  It flows really well straight out of the bottle, it settles into crevices well, and it's not so fluid it just goes everywhere.  (Like, say, super-thin superglue.  Boy, have I learned my lesson there.)

Detail on the rearmed Immortal and a Warrior who has been my guinea pig for a standardized painting method test.  It has been very successful, I'm planning to do a how-I-paint post in the near future.

More second-hand Destroyers, because I'm irrecoverably addicted to plastic crack you can never have enough Destroyers.  Looking forward to fielding a full-strength Destroyer Cult with these dudes.

Working on the Venerable Dread my pal Ike gifted to me, and my "come-on-and-slam" Pariah-turned-overlord model.

Hopefully all these guys will be fully painted and up in batreps soon.

Workbench #4: Elite Reinforcements

In the last month I've been able to buff up my elites and HQ sections.  I found a squad of secondhand Praetorians and Lychguard to complement the squad of Lychguard I bought to magnetize.  And the secondhand Lychguard came with a Lord and two Overlords.

Yeah, that was a deal, all right.  The guy on the near right is a custom Cryptek I bashed together last night.

The Lychguard have already had their first game, in which it took nearly 1750 points of Dark Eldar all six game turns to wear them down and kill them.  I can't wait to get them all painted up and really ready for action.

Battle Report #12: Lahkers vs. Dark Eldar

We're back again, this time with my pal Sebastian and his Dark Eldar!

My list:

Destroyer proxied for Spyder, my B-2 bomber proxied for a Doom Scythe.

Sebastian's list:
2x Succubi w/ Archite glaives
4x Incubi w/double-splinter-cannon-Venom (plus one Succubi, proxied by Marines)
4x Incubi w/double-splinter-cannon-Venom (plus one Succubi, proxied by Marines)
10x Bloodbrides in Raider
10x Bloodbrides in Raider
1x Ravager w/3 Dark Lances
9x Reavers w/3 cluster caltrops and 2 heat lances (many proxied by Marine bikers)
5x Scourges w/Haywire blasters (proxied by Assault Marines)
5x Scourges w/heat lances (proxied by Scouts)
5x Kabalite warriors
5x Kabalite warriors
Raiders have Night Shields and Dark Lances

Mission was Purge the Alien, deployment Vanguard Strike.  I rolled Hyperlogical Strategist for my warlord trait (get to add/subtract 1 from my initiative and reserve rolls after I make the roll).  Sebastian rolled on the Strategic table and got the trait that allows Night Fighting first turn.

Pretty sure I lost the initiative roll, Sebastian let me set up first.  I set up the standard gunline, Canopteks in the center to go either direction, Rynkelyh in the CCB keeping an eye (and handing out Ld re-rolls) on the left flank.  I held the Doom Scythes, Tomb Blades, and one Immortal squad in reserve.

Sebastian set up his army with most of the squads to the front, and the Succubi in their Venoms and the Ravager towards the edge of the board.  Note the 24" distance between the armies.

One squad of his Scourges, the ones with the blasters I think, deployed in the double ruins.  He chose not to steal the initiative.

Turn 1

With 24" of nothing to shoot at, I moved the Canoptek Harvest up to midfield, around the central ruins.  The Scarabs went left towards the Reavers, the Wraiths went right, and the Spyder huddled under the ruins, behind the Scarabs.  The right-flank Immortals managed to get into plinking distance of the nearest Venom, and did zero damage.

Sebastian's turn, he thought for a moment, examined my Canoptek formation, and then deployed both squads of Bloodbrides and sent them and the Reavers at the Scarabs.  The plan was for the Bloodbrides to assault and draw in the Scarabs so the Reaver could get a "fucking dopeass charge" on the Spyder, to quote Sebastian.  The heat lance Scourge squad hopped joined their friends in the double ruins.  His shooting was marginally more successful than mine in that weight of fire brought down one Wraith.  Then the Bloodbrides engaged the Scarabs and Wraiths, but alas, the Reavers failed to get a dopeass charge on the Spyder.

Turn 2

I rolled for reserves and got one Scythe and the Tomb Blades on.  I sent the Blades in on the right flank to tackle the Ravager, and the Scythe roared in on the left flank to hit the big tasty blob of Reavers.  The Immortals moved a little closer, but otherwise the gunline stood and fired.  Despite the gauss spam and Doom Scythe's support (the death ray rolled a 1 to wound on its only target), only a few Reavers were killed, and the Bloodbrides held up reasonably well in both combats.  The Tomb Blades failed to damage the Ravager in any way.

Sebastian's turn.  He pulled the Ravager and Venoms back toward his corner.  The Reavers hopped about 12" over to face the leftmost warrior squad, and the Raiders moved up and focused down the Spyder, giving Sebastian First Blood.  The Bloodbrides fighting the Scarabs hung on, but the Bloodbrides fighting the Wraiths failed their morale check and ran.  Didn't get wiped, of course, this is Necron initiative you're talking about.  The Reavers assaulted my warrior squad on the left, and they held on.

Turn 3

The Doom B-2 and other Immortal squad arrived on the board, both heading out on the right flank.  I kept the gunline where it was, moved Rynkelyh in range of the Reaver-warrior combat, and managed to forget my Ark can spawn warriors.  Both Doom Scythes took shots and rolled 1s with their death rays.  Thank the Silent King for tesla destructors, at least they dealt some wounds.  The Wraiths caught up with and destroyed the fleeing Bloodbrides, the other Bloodbride squad continued to grind themselves and the Scarabs down in close combat.  Rynkelyh jumped into the Reaver-warrior combat and dealt a few wounds, the Reavers used Hit and Run to get out of there.

On Sebastian's turn, he deployed both Incubi squads and their Succubi to face my encroaching Wraiths.  The Reavers embarrassed Rynkelyh by knocking two wounds off him with their heat lances, and then assaulting him.  The Incubi assaulted the Wraiths and wiped them out.  Power From Pain was really kicking in by this time.

Turn 4

Not much movement for me this turn, the Immortal squads and Tomb Blade on the right flank were running away from eight angry, hopped-up Incubi.  Since gauss cheese had failed to killed the Ravager, at this point I sent my Doom Scythe over.  I forget whether the death ray flubbed again, and I don't care, because the combined death-ray-tesla-destructor dice killed the Ravager.  The Doom B-2 killed one Raider, and gauss cheese got its act together and killed the second Raider.  Rynkelyh and the surviving warriors killed a couple more Reavers, and they used H&R again and got out of assault.

That'll be one hell of a pilot skill roll.

Sebastian's turn, the blaster-toting Scourges (jump Marines) hopped out of the ruins and headed for the Ghost Ark.  The Reavers killed an indignant Rynkelyh with their heat lances.  The Incubi caught up with and destroyed both Immortal squads.

Turn 5

The Doom Scythes finally ran out of room and had to leave the board.  The Ark and its passengers hosed and killed the blaster-Scourges.  The warriors on the left engaged the Reavers, attempted and failed to avenge Rynkelyh's death, the Reavers used H&R.  The last Tomb Blade just ran like hell.

Sebastian's turn, he moved everything in on my remaining forces.  The Reavers and heat-lance Scourges hopped over and immobilized my Ark.

We rolled and the game ended.  Final score was Lahkers 5 VP for five units killed, versus Dark Eldar 7 VP for five units killed, plus First Blood and Slay the Warlord.  Chalk up one for the boys from Comorraugh.

Endgame

What did we learn today, kids?  Focus fire, focus fire, and focus more fire.  Good game, all the same, it wasn't a pushover for either side.

Extra pics:

The size difference here looks oddly comical.

Oh yeah, dem aerodynamic lines.

The beginning of a long and brutal combat... 

...and the end of a long and brutal combat.

Battle Report #11: Lahkers vs. Imperial Guard Armored Company

The final game for the June league!  I was matched against Charles again, this time fighting his Imperial Guard rather than his Tyranids.  I was excited and intimidated when he plunked a dozen vehicles on the table. 

My list was much the same as last week, except instead of the Nightmare Shroud and a Gauntlet of Fire or two, I gave both Overlords (Rynkelyh and Kobeh) Tachyon arrows.  My idea of "reliable long-range anti-tank".

Charles' list:

3x Russes (2x Executioners w/plasma sponsons, 1x Punisher w/heavy bolter sponsons and Pask)

2x Demolishers w/heavy bolter sponsons

6x Chimeras each with 10-man squad w/krak nades, 1x with Command Squad

3x Wyverns

everything has pintle-mounted heavy stubbers

Mission was Purge the Alien, good old kill points, deployment Vanguard Strike.  Rynkelyh, my warlord, rolled Hyperlogical Strategist, which buffed my reserve rolls.  I won the roll-off and deployed on the edge of my zone, anticipating having to close with the Guard to beat their ranged advantage.  The Canoptek Harvest and CCB were set up to charged either right or center, and hopefully take some heat off the rest of the army.

Charles set up with his artillery in back, his tanks in front, and his Chimeras with their Guardsmen in flanking positions.  Really, he could have set them up in a smiley-face, and I would not have been any less frightened of that wall of guns.

He rolled to seize, failed, and the fourth June league game began.

Turn 1

So.  I had the honor of marching into a Guard armored division's guns.  Fun, right?

Bunker Hill, Pickett's Charge, Gallipoli, these are all synonyms for this picture.

Okay, not that fun, but I told myself, if I got wiped, it would at least be by a well-painted (color-coded even!) Guard army.  Man up and wargame like you mean it.

Everything moved up, the Canoptek Harvest and CCB pulling the same schtick as last time, run and chop, with the Spyder giving out Reanimation Protocols.  The gunline advanced towards the center, with the warrior blob as the lynchpin and bullet sponge.  I barely had any shooting that could reach Charles' army, all my gauss-fire plinked off the tanks, and the Tachyon arrows, as I feared, went afoul.  Rynkelyh at the back totally missed his shot, and Kobeh in the Barge hit, but only rolled a 2 for armor pen.

Charles' turn, he unleashed the firepower characteristic of the Guard.  The Demolishers and Chimeras on the right focused on the Wraiths, and poured probably nearly a hundred shots into them, dealt 30 wounds, and thanks to some crazy rolling from my dice, inflicted only 1 wound at the end of it all.  The warrior blob was less lucky, hit by everything the Executioners and Wyverns had.  15 warriors were worn down to 6 warriors, and Nahz took a wound.

Hairbo snacks, objective primaris, hold at all costs.

Two things: Decurion is where it's at, and thank you Lady (C'tan? maybe?) Luck.

Turn 2

The Deathmarks and single squad of Immortals came in.  Immortals walked onto the board to the bottom right, the Deathmarks tried to deep-strike by the Wyverns.  One succeeded and then forgot to shoot that turn, the other mishapped and rolled a 2.  Not dead, just useless, as Charles positioned them at the bottom left.

Oh yay, another suicide mission.  Thanks, nemesor.

Again, I scooted the gunline up, and directed the Wraiths and the CCB towards the Executioners, while the Scarabs went for the Demolishers.  During shooting, the warrior blob, Ark, and embarked warriors glanced 2 HP off the nearest Executioner, and the warriors on the left flank killed a Chimera, earning First Blood.

Then it was assault time.  The Wraiths and CCB assaulted the Executioners, the Scarabs went for a Demolisher.  The dice were suddenly on fire: the Scarabs nibbled the Demolisher to death, and the Wraiths tore up both Executioners and Pask so fast that Kobeh didn't even get to swing.  (And with his newly redone warscythe, too.)  I wasn't complaining, that was the turning point of the game.

For my next trick, I will make these two tanks disappear.  Please sign these waivers and don your hard hats.

Charles, like anyone with Wraiths in their face, pulled his center back, and deployed all Guardsmen.  He cleaned up the Scarabs quick with the remaining Demolisher and loads of las-fire and stubbers, and the Guardsmen on the left flank killed enough of the warriors nearby they forced a morale check.  The squad broke and ran to the Tomb Blades.  The Wyverns focused on killing the Deathmarks, and got all but one.

Turn 3

With Charles' army split in half, I had the Wraiths and CCB go right, aiming to clean up the Demolisher and Wyverns, and the Ark and warriors go left to engage the Guardsmen.  The running warriors regained their nerve and stopped running, both Immortal squads ran forward to try and be useful, and the lone Deathmark in a position to do something set himself up for an assault on the Wyverns.  I went to shooting, the Deathmark lined up his shot, with his rapid-fire sniper weapon, and then literally missed the broadside of a tank.  60 million years of skill, right?

Um.

At this point, Charles chose to concede the game.  The Wraiths were on the way to wrecking the Demolisher, Charles' only remaining source of heavy firepower, and then it would have been grinding down the Guardsmen and Chimeras.

Finale

Final score: Lahkers got First Blood, Line Breaker, and killed a Chimera and Pask's squadron for 4 VP, and Charles killed the Scarabs for 1 VP.  LAHKER VICTORY!

That was genuinely unexpected.  I was 80% sure, even with Decurion buffs, that the Guard would open fire and half my army would vanish.  Turns out everyone else knows my army's strengths better than me, i.e. Decurion might lose to flyer spam and that's it.  Final June league score for the Lahkers is 2 wins, 2 losses, one win better than the February league.  I am happy.

Thanks to Charles for playing and for letting me take photos of those incredible tanks.  They're color-coded by platoon, if you look closely enough.

Extra Pics: