I just played my first Ulthwe Strike Force game and thought I would give a battle report and then give my first impressions of USF. This is fairly long, so if you can’t read it all, please skip to the bottom and give feedback on a couple of questions. Thanks!
Mission: Alpha level Cleanse
Points: 1850
Opponent: Blood Angels
Army Summaries:
USF:
On the table:
Seer Council with 2 Farseers (2x Fortune, 2x Witchblades), 6 Warlocks (4x Augment, Embolden, Enhance, 6x CCW/Shuriken Pistol, Wraithgate)
9 Defender Guardians, Warlock with Wraithgate/Embolden
D-Cannon
D-Cannon
Vyper with Starcannon, CTM
Vyper with Starcannon, CTM
In Reserve:
Spear of Khaine: Avatar, 2x Warlock (Destructor, Withblade)
19 Defender Guardians, Warlock with Embolden
5 Storm Guardians with Haywire grenades
11 Storm Guardians (2 Flamers), Warlock with Enhance
9 Storm Guardians (2 Flamers), Warlock with Enhance/Waystone
9 Howling Banshees, Exarch with Executioner
2x Warwalker (2x Starcannons)
Blood Angels (rough list):
Chaplain and Death Company (Jump Packs)
Force Commander, Power weapon/Jump Pack
2x 9 Tac marines, (Lascannon, Plasma Gun)
2x 6 Tac marines, (Heavy Bolter, Plasma Gun)
6 Scouts ( Missle Launcher, 5 Snipers, Vet. Sgt.)
Baal Predator (H. Bolter sponsons)
3x 8 Assault Jump Packs (5 BP, Flamer, Plasma Pistol, Vet. Sgt. W/ Power Weapon)
My plan:
Deploy each WG in turn 2 near the back edge of where my deployment quarter touches each of the neutral board quarters. By staying deep, this would hopefully keep my army out of assault until turn 3 when my Reserves arrive and also set me up to hold or dispute three board quarters (ignoring the Blood Angels’ deployment quarter).
Overview of game:
USF had the first turn.
Things went fairly closely to plan as I deployed both WGs in turn 2 with one on my right board quarter edge and one in the middle of my board quarter. Early in the game I softened up the closest Death Company and Assault squads as the BA advanced.
My Reserves arrived on turn 3. I really wanted to try out the Warwalkers, but they didn’t come in yet. The good news was that I was able to destroy two Assault squads upon arrival, one which included the BA Force Commander. The bad news was that my right WG was too far away and therefore my large Defender squad was out of range for shooting.
My Banshees were quickly killed in turn 3 and the remaining four Death Company and Chaplain went on to slaughter and break my large Defender squad and then consolidate into my WG Defender squad.
In turn 4 My Seer Council headed straight into danger and into the BA board quarter as they charged and destroyed the Baal. I was still waiting for those shooty Warwalkers to show up! Many precious Eldar were slaughtered by the rampaging DC and Chaplain. (I think they accounted for about 30 dead Guardians!-Ouch!!!)
In turn 6 my Warwalkers FINALLY decided to show up and they finished off a squad that could contest a board quarter.
By this time, the rest of the USF had killed three assault squads, the Baal, and dropped a couple of Tac squads to below 50%. My Storm Guardians and Vypers raced to either neutral board quarter.
End of Game:
I was able to hold two board quarters and contest one which gave the USF the victory. I ended better than I thought since in about turn 4 my Guardians were getting slaughtered in droves.
Thoughts on my first USF game:
I definitely liked having two WG squads. This allowed my army to deploy in two areas of the board and therefore use Reserves more effectively and it also gave me a backup WG just in case I needed it.
My biggest problem was deploying the WG in the best location. I struggled with getting close enough to the enemy with the WGs so that my Reserves could come out and assault or shoot well with needing to stay back far enough so that I didn’t get assaulted prior to my Reserves coming in. With lots of jump pack Assault troops around, this was a little tough.
I also found myself really wanting some medium range guns coming out of the WG since some of my squads were out of range.
Questions:
1) How do you get your WGs close enough to the enemy for good Reserve deployment, but stay out of assault? My biggest concern here is not getting assaulted (especially since the Seer Council is so hardy), but getting the WG surrounded by the enemy and therefore not being able to deploy my Reserves because they can’t exit the WG without getting within 1” of an enemy model.
2) Do you find yourself using very many mid-range guns coming out of the WG or do the Shuriken Catapults and Assault squads have good enough range for you?
3) Do you ever have Vypers coming out of the WG to add some real range and shooting to the Reserves, or do you think that is a waste since the WG effectively adds movement to your units anyhow?
Thanks a lot!
Gorthrax the Beast