I used Vassal to make a visual representation of the battle but the things are not 100% accurate since I cannot exactly reproduce it the way it happened. For instance distances may be off by a bit. I did try to give as much detail as possible as to where the troops fought and died to the best of my recollection.
Armies:IGHQ:
Commander Powerfist and melta bomb
2 bodyguards
4 Veterans: 2 flamers, 1 Medic, 1 Regimental Standard
Ride in Vendetta
Elite:
5 Rattlings with sniper rifles
Troops:
4 squads of
9 Veterans with meltagun
1 Sarge with powerfist
Chimera with dozer blade, heavy flamer and heavy bolter
Fast:
Devil Dog with dozer blade
Vendetta
Heavy:
Hydra with dozer blade
Basilisk
Vanquisher with hull mounted lascannon and dozerblade
DEHQ:
Archon with PGL, Agonizer, CloneField and GhostPlate
Heami with Liquifuer and WWP
Elite:
4 Incubi (Archon rides with them)
Raider with FlickerField and Shockprow
Fast:
2 squads of
3 Revers with HeatLance
Troops:
2 squads of
5 Warrios with blaster
Venom with extra SplinterCannon
8 wyches with Shardnet and haywire nades (Heami rides with them)
1 Hekatrix with Agonizer
Raider with FlickerFields
5 Wracks with liquifier
Raider with FlickerFields
Heavy
Talos with Chain Flails and Twin Link Haywire blaster
2X Ravagers with FlickerFields
Game Details:Mission: Seize Ground
Deployment: DoW
Objectives: 5
DE Drugs: +1 Attack
Ini: DE
Steal Ini: No
Pre game plan:Going into battle against a fully mechanized IG is scary for DE. My goal is to fight as close as possible to the Basilisk within its minimum 36" firing range to be safe from it. Honestly the Basilisk is my biggest concern due to its Barrage ability. The sooner I can take it out the sooner I'll breath easier.
Deployment:Objectives are one on each hill
We decided before hand that each hill is difficult terrain and gives infnatry units a +4 cover save
The hills were themselves high enough for vehicles to hide behind them.
DEFor my deployment I decided for my Wrack Raider and Wych Raider to take the field, in accordance with the two troops one HQ rule of DoW
The reason being these are the only two units with FNP and if IG were to steal initiative they have better survivability if shot down.
IGHe deployed two chimeras one each to the closest objectives behind cover from the hills. He did not steal initiative.
Turn 1Night Fighting rules are in effect
DEThe two Venoms and two Ravagers move in from the table edge deploying at left and right corners behind cover
Wych raider moves to the left of the central hill and the Heami drops out to deploy the portal. The raider can see the partially obscured Chimera on the left but misses.
IGThe Devil Dog and Ratlings deploy left while Basilisk, Hydra, and Vanquisher deploy to the right. He deploys conservatively a bit overestimating the Reaver ability to get at him should they come from the portal.
The Basilisk stays in the corner and shoots blind not requiring LoS due to barrage. The target was the left most Ravager but thankfully the shot scatters by 10"
Turn 2DEThe Talos a reaver squad and the Incubi raider come in from reserves.
My oppoenet has made a crucial mistake and I do my outmost to capitalize on it. He left his Basilisk wide open for my right most Ravager to attack. I think he undestimated that it can move 12" and still fire all its weapons. Just so there is no arguments later I ask for his list and confirm his Basilisk is open topped. The ravager shoots at the basilisk getting one glance, one pen
Pen is 3 + 1 (open topped) immobilized
Glance is a 6 - 2 + 1 = Wrecked!!
The right Venom has moved flat out to get into position offering cover for the Ravager.
Talos deploys from WWP shoots at left Chimera that is partial obscured by the hill it glances but it makes its cover save.
Reavers deploy from WWP shoot at left Chimera that is partial obscured by the hill it glances but it makes its cover save.
IGOnly a Chimera makes it from reserves and takes the left corner shooting at the partialy obscured wych raider but does not glance and the meltagun misses.
The Vanquisher moves to the right of the hill while the Hydra moves on it. It almost immobilized itself but the dozerblade saved the day. It shoots the autocannon which ignores flat out cover saves at the venom and misses 3 of 4 shots despite twin link! BS 3 truly sucks and adding insult to injury the single shot fails to even glance.
Right most Chimera moves 6" to draw a bead on the Ravager and fires the heavy bolter and the squad's melta gun. 2 bolter shots fail to even glance the rest missbut the melta pens even without being in melta range 2 + 1 + 1 = Immobilized
The Mid Chimera moves towards reavers and fires the heavy bolter and the squad inside is in rapidfire range. Despite all this only 1 bike fails the cover save the reavers pass the morale check.
Devil dog moves on the hill and fires at Wracks raider which scatters smack dab between the two raiders.
The Ratlings which have not moved shoot at the Wrack raider causing only 1 rending hit which glances and rolls a 5 - 2 + 1 = Immibilized = Wrecked for having moved flat out. Wracks bail out and are not pinned.
NotesOut of all that shooting the MVPs are clearly the lowly ratlings with their sniper rifles...
So far I can't complain out of all that shooting I lost very little and killed what I believe to be a major headache the Basilisk. Maybe I am over estimating its importance but that thing scares me.
Turn 3DELast Reaver squad doesn't make the reserve roll
Left Ravager Moves up 12" and shoots left most chimera wrecking it but the Wych raider having moved towards the chymera for a side armor shot destroys it. Had it only been wrecked the vet squad would no have been able to exit the vehicle since access point was up against the table's edge unable to escape the wreck. Six veterans survive the ensuing explosion and make the morale but fail the pinning test.
Talos moves through cover 6" remaining on the slope of the hill and shoots the mid chimera stunning it.
Reavers move for a side shot on the mid chimera and wreck it! Squad falls out not pinned.
Wracks consolidate away from the devil dog and shoot the liquifier (rolled AP4) at the rattlings killing 3 and the remaing two fail morale and fall back 7"
As soon as they fall off the table the Wracks will gain their PT gaining FC
The Incubi Raider and the Venom move forward for a side shot on the devil dog only stunnig it with glances. To my dismay I have just learned that the devil dog has 12/12/10 AV aargh!
Heami hopes on the Incubi Raider
The right most venom escapes with its life running flat out away towards the objective on the bottom right.
The immobilized Ravager shoots the chimera right infront of it missing twice but manages to immobilize it with the last shot.
IGThe last Chimera comes in from the center of the edge of the table and shoots at the Reaver squad killing both.
The Vendetta deep strikes in behind the central hill and shoots at the left Ravager only one shot hits but wrecks the ravager.
The vanquisher moves onto the hill and fires at the partially obscured Incubi raider but misses.
The squad exit the stricken chimera on the left and fire at the immobilized ravager but are out of range for the melta gun. The Chimera however manages to stun the Ravager.
The Hydra prepositions on the hill and fires the autocannon on the Ravager wrecking it.
The retreating rattlings with no possibility of regrouping fall of the table giving the Wracks the Pain Token.
The squad from the Wrecked Chimera in the center shoot at the Talos which is just out of rapid fire range. I tell him not to bother rolling since S3 weapons cannot damage T7, at wich point he looks very scared.
Notes: At this point I am a bit worried having lost both Ravagers meaning half my lances and he has plenty of vehicles having lost 2 chimeras and the basilisk.
Turn 4DEThe last reaver squad fianlly join the fight and moves left of the Vendetta, along with the Venoms that reposition to take shots at the Vendetta managing to destroy it. Two of the three reavers are hit by the explosion but both do not take damage. The command squad only loses one veteran thanks to the Medic. But the squad is pinned. The venoms open up with their Splinter Cannons promptly mowing down 3 more and on the Commander is left with his two bodyguards. The Reavers assault striking at the commander causing two wounds with nine attacks. Apparently the bodyguards can be taken as casualties instead of the Commander. I lose one reaver on the exchange and he fails his morale test. I catch him easily as he tries to flee.
The Talos moves, runs and manages to get within assault range of the Devil Dog destroying the heavy bolter and stunning it.
The Wracks move off the hill and once again fire the liquifier at the 6 man squad killing 5 of them and the survivor flees giving the wracks a 3 PT.
The Wych Raider moves towards the Central Chimera for a side armor shot and the Incubi raider moves towards the same Chimera for a frontal shot. The Heami disembarks towards the central squad firing its Liquifier killing 5 while the survivors retreat off the table giving him a Pain Token.
The Incubi also disembark preparing to charge the Chimera. Both Raiders shoot and pen destroying the Chimera. 5 veterans survive the explosion and they hold their ground but are pinned and charged by the Archon led Incubi. The Archon kills everyone single handed earning him his first PT. The squad then consolidates in the Chimera's ruins.
IGThe veteran squad moves towards the objective and fires at the Incubi hitting two but they make their cover saves
The Hydra has a clear LoS at the Wych Raider and destroys it killing one wych in the explosion.
The vanquisher shoots at the Incubi Raider wrecking it.
The Devil Dog watches the fight impotently still stunned.
At this point my opponent concedes the game since he controls one objective to my two soon to be three.
Overall I think the biggest factor was the lack of hits during the IG shooting phase on T2. Even with BS 3 for his vehicles I believe he should have done more damage.
Leaving the Basilisk wide open when he could have easily blocked LoS with his Chimera didn't help matters. I could be wrong of course maybe it would not have had the impact that I feared if it had survived. I do believe I made a mistake committing both the Venom and Ravager to its destruction as it could have cost me the Venom as well. But I got lucky.
I would really like to hear from other players about the Basilisk if it is a weapon platform to be feared.
I was very happy with the placement of the WWP it turned out to be a tremendous asset getting the Reavers and Talos quickly in the fight, as it has any every other game I have used it. Oh and Liquifiers rock!!