The gentle art of going first

The first turn is... mine

For those of us who can remember the bad old days before the new book, there was one thing on every Dark Eldar player's wishlist. If only i could affect that one crucial roll... if only I could enhance my chance of going first.

Now, the heathen curses of those spiky elf pirate pioneers have been partially answered. The Baron, and Asdrubael Vect are both on hand to make sure you really are too fast to go last.

We know the mechanics of the bonuses. But how good are the bonuses really?

First, lets look at the default. If there are no bonuses to either side, clearly each player has a 50% chance of winning the roll for first turn. Each player then has the option of seizing the initiative, and a 16.6% chance to do so - obviously this remains balanced at a 50% chance each, assuming no shenanigans.

Before we go any further, let me assume that the opponent wants the first turn as well. If they don't, and you do, then you have the start of a beautiful relationship!

But let's assume that they do want to go first, perhaps out of spite for your own best-laid plans, or perhaps because smashing spiky-ears is a lot easier before they can start revving their engines. How far ahead will the Baron get you, in the first turn arms-race?

+1 to the dice roll is a pretty handy advantage. At first glance, we can easily see that the Baron will win the first turn roll 21 times out of 36, the opponent will somehow prevail 10/36, leaving 5/36 rolls drawn. Then, we realise that the 5/36ths of rolls that are drawn must be re-rolled, with the Baron's advantage still in play. So another 21/36 of these 5/36 draws go to the Baron, and so on. Ultimately, this puts the Baron's first turn figure at a shapely 67.7%, with his hapless victi- opponent, taking up the slack with 32.3% first roll wins.

Woof! Turning a 50/50 into a better than 2/1 proposition is not bad, not bad at all! But there is a downside - winning that first turn more often leaves his nibs more exposed to having the initiative seized from him. Instead of the opponent seizing 16.6% of 50% (8.33%), he will seize 16.6% of 67.7%, or 11.2%. Similarly, there will be fewer opportunities for the Lord Hellion to seize the initiative from his opponent, only 16.6% of 32.3%, or 5.36%.

So, bringing those figures together, your net chance of winning the first turn with the Baron is 67.7% - 11.2% + 5.36% = 61.9%. Still quite a bit better than average, but perhaps not as good as it seemed first time around.

The codex provides what seems an obvious remedy for this problem, in the person of the self-styled Lord of Commoragh himself, Asdrubael Vect. Employing him (or is he employing you?) in addition to the Baron will help you regain the initiative from your foe even more often; in fact 50% of 32.3%, or 16.15%, almost what a normal army expects to seize from an even first roll! This also means that if the two Lords decide to act together for you in a game, your enemy has only a 16.15% chance of winning the roll to go first, and then proceeding to do so.

Unfortunately, as we have seen, this is not the only way for him to go first, and taking into account the chance to have the initiative seized from you, the Vect-Sathonyx tag team has a 72.7% chance of going first.

But, does Vect really need the help? Recall that the Baron increases your exposure to enemy seizes, which Vect cannot stop, and reduces the opportunity for Vect to seize himself. If we were to leave the Baron to his own devices, and just take good-old-Asdrubael, we have a much starker equation: 50% to win the first roll, less 8.33% enemy seizes, plus 25% (!) Vect assisted seizes, equals a 66.7% chance to go first. Not quite as good as the combo, but certainly lets us know who the major player is.

This is not to go into the different deployment strategies required - for example, balls-out with Vect, playing for the seize? Neither does it go into the chance that your opponent will adopt a more defensive strategy in light of his failure to win the first roll, and decline to attempt the seize. Nor does it utilise the most complete method of victory, of subtly convincing your opponent that they do not in fact want first turn at all!

But, if the spiky-eared space corsairs really need that first turn boost, unlike the old days, now there are no excuses. It can be... mine!

Hellions

The first Hellions to join the Kabal of Creeping Darkness have emerged unscathed from the painting table. How long the flimsy skulls attached to them will last is anyone's guess, but I have emerged with a new respect for Revell's Contacta plastic glue!

Vehicle Synthesis Rules

This was born from a whinge I stumbled across on a 40k forum, complaining that in the next edition, the rules for vehicles should be more closely integrated with the rules for infantry and other unit types. This is what I came up with.

In this experimental rules set, all vehicles have their AV replaced by a single Toughness value, and receive a profile the same as other models.

AV 10 becomes T6, AV 11 becomes T7, AV12 becomes T8, AV13 becomes T9 and AV14 becomes T10. Convert based on the vehicle’s front armour value.

Additionally, vehicles receive an armour save based on their type. Open topped vehicles receive a 4+ save, and all other vehicles gain a 3+ save. Perhaps some special, heavy tanks like the Monolith could receive a 2+ save.

Each vehicle then has a number of wounds, ranging from transports with, say, 2 or 3 Wounds, to heavy battle tanks with 4 – 5 Wounds. Naturally these values are arbitrary, and entirely subject to testing.

Walkers retain their WS, while other vehicles are assigned WS -. All vehicles gain a Ld stat equal to the basic Ld stat of their race.

Interacting with vehicles: shooting them

So, under the synthesis system, shooting at vehicles is exactly the same as shooting at everything else. However, it would be more fun if there were still some way of representing a damage-based metric of performance impairment. So I suggest the following extra rules for all multi-wound models:

Crippled!

A multi-wound model that is reduced to or below half of its starting Wounds must half its WS, BS I and A characteristics (rounding up) for the rest of the game, and may no longer run. Additionally, models with the ‘Vehicle’ unit type may only move at half their normal speed (so combat speed is 0 – 3”, cruising speed is 3 – 6” and flat out is 6 – 9”; remember that skimmers moving fast must displace 18” to gain a cover save, which most crippled vehicles will find impossible).

Critical Damage

When a multi-wound model survives an unsaved wound, the attacker may opt to try for critical damage. Roll a d6, and if the result is a 6, roll again on the chart below.

1 Shaken: the model must pass a Ld check to fire any weapons in its next turn.

2 Stunned: the model must pass a Ld check to move or fire any weapons in its next turn.

3 Disarmed: the model has lost a weapon, perhaps from having a turret or an arm blown off! The attacker chooses one weapon which may no longer be used. If the model already had no functioning weapons, then count this as result 4 below.

4 Immobilised: the model has had one of its motive systems, either legs or tracks, forcibly removed. It may not move or pivot in place for the remainder of the game.

5 Crippled!: If the model is not already crippled, either from sustaining this result previously or from being reduced to half wounds, then it becomes crippled. If the model was already crippled, then it is killed instead!

6 Annihilated!: The model is spectacularly annihilated! If a vehicle or a monstrous creature, then all models within d6” will suffer a S3 hit from the explosion/death throes, with normal armour saves allowed. The vehicle or monstrous creature is then removed from play, as are any other models suffering this critical damage result.

Squads of multi-wound models treat 4 Immobilised results as 5 Crippled!, and results of 2 Stunned as 1 Shaken.

Astute readers will notice that this is essentially the current vehicle damage chart. Under this proposed rule set, it becomes a characterful addition to all multi-wound models, and not the be-all and end-all of vehicles, which will more commonly be destroyed by running out of wounds.

Tyranids probably don’t like having their monstrous creatures subject to having arms or legs blown off, but they can perhaps take solace in eating the Reclusiarch’s thunder hammer!

Other rules that interact with vehicles

Of course there are a few more rules that interact specifically with vehicles at the moment, so here is a stab at covering them.

AP1

Weapons with AP1 add +1 to the roll to cause critical damage, and so will do so on a 5+.

AP-

Weapons with AP- never cause critical damage.

Lance

Lance weapons treat Toughness greater than 8, as 8.

Melta

Melta weapons within half range may re-roll all rolls to wound.

Grenades

Grenades may be used in an assault, by any model that is carrying them. However, trying to fix them in place can be difficult against a target that is retaliating! Models using grenades only ever make one attack per round, regardless of any other factors or attack bonuses. Furthermore, against targets with a Weapon Skill, the grenade will only hit on a ‘6’, again regardless of other bonuses or special rules. Against vehicles with WS -, grenades will hit as normal for the speed the vehicle has travelled; ie automatically if stationary, 4+ if it has moved up to 6”, and 6 only if it has moved over 6” in its last movement phase.

Haywire

Instead of causing a wound, will cause a critical damage roll on a 2+.

Monstrous creatures

In addition to their other rules, monstrous creatures may re-roll all to wound rolls.

Anything else? Monstrous creatures re-rolling wounds is an attempt to emulate their special effect against vehicles, but makes them even deadlier against infantry – perhaps this balances their new vulnerability to critical damage?

Some other odds and sods:

In the rear!

An attacker shooting at a multi-wound model from behind may add +1 to his roll to cause critical damage. This may stack with other bonuses, such as from AP1 weapons. ‘Behind’ is defined as to the rear of the center of mass of the model. For models that do not have a clear ‘front’, a point of reference should be established before the game.

All close combat attacks are considered to use this rule, as vulnerabilities are easier to exploit from face range!

Note that some vehicles that are symmetrical all around, such as the Monolith or Drop pod, or others that are just that badass like the Land Raider, may not be affected by this rule. This should be noted in their description.

(Simply defining vehicles to have a front and back makes up somewhat for the loss of side armour values, and may make perpendicular Rhinos giving cover to their brethren a thing of the past!)

Poisoned weapons

Models with the ‘Vehicle’ unit type are not affected by a poisoned weapon’s fixed wound roll. The weapon or unit’s base Strength must be used instead; if it doesn’t have one, then it can cause no damage.

(To stop Dark Eldar and snipers from raping every vehicle they see in a wholly unrealistic manner! This leaves some weapons out – witch blades and agonisers, notably – can be covered separately.)

Movement

I’ve got no issues with vehicle movement and shooting as it stands currently. I do like the idea of crippling vehicles to slow them down and reduce their general efficacy short of killing them though!

Comments? As I have noted, it no doubt needs extensive testing. Of particular note is how many wounds a vehicle should receive, and whether the T and Sv stats assigned are appropriate.

I will craft a follow up looking at some of the numbers involved, and compare the average number of shots to kill in this system compared to the 5th ed rules. Keep your browser tuned!

The Kabal of Creeping Darkness

HaHA! The kabal prepares to march forwards! With guns, and whips, and... more guns, and... backup?

I finished these guys a few weeks ago now, my first of the lovely new Dark Eldar plastics. Yes, I am a slow painter. Please forgive the dodgy photoshop, I am still learning the gentle art of miniature photography. For some reason I had serious focus issues trying to get the whole squad into a single shot.

Currently I'm working on some Hellions. Man, they have some serious detail going on. No doubt I will clutter the webz with some more photos when I am done :)

Wacky Dark Eldar Armies, 1 - Haywire!

Disclaimer: Creeping Darkness does not support or condone 80s hairstyles or pouty looks.

I hate tanks. I hate the smarmy grins of the untouchable missile launcher guys, safe in their oversized metal longjohns. And most of all, I hate watching my dark lances bounce off their protective layer of Darklight Protection Factor 30+ Zinc cream.

In fact, I found the disabling and disintegration of these glorified wheeliebins problematic even in 4th edition, before the 5th edition damage chart revised their survivability to levels that may see Land Raiders joining the other cockroaches after the nuclear holocaust. Even when I resorted to packing more dark lances than splinter rifles, the thrice-cursed boxes often took the distinctly rude option of placing themselves in cover, ensuring that not even a direct hit from Ron Jeremy's wang could remove them from the tabletop.

Hence, one of the curvier Dark Eldar lists that I've come up with, and now share with the anonymous internet at large. As you may have gathered from the title and preceding rant, it picks the haywire ball up from where a drunk Phil Kelly left it, and runs screaming toward the distant horizon of suicide-by-horde-army.

At 1,500 points:

Haemonculus with liquifier and venom blade [65]
8 Wyches, including a shardnet and a hekatrix (agoniser), all with haywire [136]
Raider with dark lance and enhanced aethersails [65]

Haemonculus with liquifier and venom blade [65]
8 Wyches, including a shardnet and a hekatrix (agoniser), all with haywire [136]
Raider with dark lance and enhanced aethersails [65]

10 Scourges, including a solarite and 4 haywire blasters [270]

5 Scourges, including 2 haywire blasters [130]

5 Scourges, including 2 haywire blasters [130]

Talos with chainflails and haywire blaster [115]

Talos with chainflails and haywire blaster [115]

Voidraven with 4 shatterfield missiles, night shield, flickerfield [205]

Total 1497 points, 10 haywire blasters, 12 KP, only two troops.

Obviously there are only two units that can actually take haywire blasters, so this somewhat limits the spammability of them. Luckily, a Talos is one such unit; putting some power weapon hand to hand grunt into an otherwise pretty oddball list.

In objective missions, the two wych squads start in reserve, and hope that the enemy have grown tired enough of static shocks that they are milling around on foot. In kill point missions they can get stuck in straight away, using their haywire grenades to fuck shit up, or at least give little tickles to any tanks that they can find. Hence the haemonculus, giving them Feel No Pain as a modicum of protection against both annoyed vehicles that have the temerity of exploding instead of being quietly wrecked, and also against the wrath of passengers who have now realised that they will have to walk home.

The Scourges fly around at approximately 24", stunning vehicles left, right, and centre. The large squad can pick preferentially on vehicle squadrons; any damage result prevents a squadroned vehicle from shooting (at least, with its best gun), as immobilised results lead to death. Four haywire blasters in a unit have a respectable 40% chance of inflicting 3 or 4 damage rolls on an unsuspecting adversary, and a 76.5% chance of inflicting at least two. Naturally these may be subject to cover saves, reducing the odds of rendering a whole squadron ineffective, but still, good times.

The Talos' provide some support to the Scourges, picking other vehicles to try and stun, and if possible assault. With the chainflails, a Talos can be quite deadly to vehicles, and unlike the rest of the Dark Eldar army, has a decent chance of monstering whatever was inside, massed power fists notwithstanding.

The voidraven could be swapped out for another Talos, or a foot squad to hold home base, but is really here to add a more conventional dimension of ranged anti-tank with its twin void lances. That, coupled with 4 rather dangerous shatterfield missiles to thin out the numbers of any advancing hordes before they get too cocky. The S7 missiles mean that in a pinch they could be used against a parking lot, especially if other passengers have been forced out nearby for a two-fer.

Of course, Tyranids will laugh at this list, and so will any foot castle based armies. At least the Scourges can still kick out some anti-infantry poison with shardcarbines, though personally I would reserve everything and hope for the best.

Worst case, at least opposing tank commanders should be mildly annoyed. And that's what really matters!

The Shredder... Returns?

This budding Archon has been scheming, plotting and dreaming about which units will be mustered for war. And, like many, I've noted the devastating potential of Trueborn loaded with darklight.

As it happens, I've so far only managed to buy one box of warriors, and they've been established as a raider squad. Noting that there is exactly one of each special warrior weapon in the box, I have planned my order of warrior buying and building accordingly.

The second warrior box I pick up will be dedicated to a dark lance / blaster home objective holder squad. These guys will be boots on the ground, probably accompanied by a Haemonculus to harden them up. The next warrior box will be another raider squad, similar to the first.

So when I pick up my fourth box of warriors, that will leave me with one blaster and three dark lances available. The dark lance minus barrel will look enough like a blaster to pass for one, so that gives me a four blaster Trueborn unit to make Land Raider drivers reach for their security blankets. But I've been toying with a few ideas on what to do with the other half of the box. And it has occurred to me, that I will also have four shredders.

The shredder gets a bad rep next to its snazzier cousin. All my raider squads will be toting blasters, and probably blast pistols, for the extra anti-tank threat. Besides, one shredder in a unit of dudes who are quite capable of annoying infantry themselves is not so scary.

Four of them in a dedicated shredder unit may be a different story. It should be straightforward enough to hit 3 models under a small blast marker, so 12+ hits from a round of shooting is quite possible. S6 is nothing to sneeze at, and the non-existent AP is mitigated when firing at units in cover (ie everything).

Naturally it will not be as good against anything with an armour value. But that may yet be an advantage, as they can act as surprise anti-transport! Even with a -1 to damage tables, four S6 hits on side or rear armour can make a mess of many light vehicles. And while the foe is busy running away from the darklight destroyers, he may just overlook these little guys!

At least, that's the plan. At the rate I paint, I'll be putting them together maybe, next December? Still, the best laid plans of men and Archons...

The Rise of the Fallen Phoenix

A nice feature of the new Dark Eldar codex is the presence of Ahra, the legendary fallen phoenix - here named Drazhar, master of blades. Really, the transition between the particularly good bodyguard of the old book to Ahra incarnate exemplifies the evolution of the backstory across the whole codex.

I suppose I should point out that the designers stop short of explicitly calling him out, but they don't stop too far from it. The clincher is his profile, which by sheer coincidence is the exact same profile as the other phoenix lords!

It certainly got me wondering, how would he stack up against his craftworlder cousins? The most obvious challenge would be Karandras, successor to the Striking Scorpion mantle.

Now, Karandras has a problem. If he wants to ignore Drazhar's armour, which he does, he'll have to swing last. This means that he'll have to survive a full round of attacks! Unluckily for him, Drazhar can re-roll his misses, and put 4 S6 attacks into him very easily (as it happens, he has a better chance using the 4 S6 attacks than the 6 S4 attacks, even accounting for the increased Onslaught chance). It works out to be about a 50% chance to kill Karandras stone dead before he can so much as lift his limp wrist.

However, should he fail, Karandras has 6 S8 attacks to show him how its done. And he, too, has about a 50% chance of removing Drazhar's smug little updated head from his shoulders.

As both of them have extremely lethal attacks, and not much in the way of defence, chances are good that victory will go to he who strikes first. In this case, the Fallen One!

Against Jain Zar things start to get heated, as she can throw her 4 S6 attacks at the same time as Drazhar's. However big D's ability to gain preferred enemy against her tips the balance; he will slaughter her in one round ~50% of the time, but will be cut down only 19% of the time himself. While he has the advantage, it is very likely that whoever wins will be in no shape to do much more!

But against the Father of the Phoenix, Asurmen, Drazhar meets his match. Asurmen not only matches his rerolls, but denies him an attack. And while Drazhar can still muster one more S4 attack than his foe, Asurmen rather unsportingly carries the extra protection of an invulnerable save.

Incidentally, the presence of both Asurmen's invulnerable save and Defend ability and Drazhar's Onslaught special rule tips the balance ever so slightly in favour of using the demiklaives to provide +2 attacks. In this situation, the expected value for the number of wounds caused is 0.9791 for the +2S, and 0.9871 for the +2A, so the discrepancy is minor.

Asurmen though administers tough love to his wayward protege, returning an expected 1.4802 wounds (killing him in one round 15% of the time, compared to 7.8%) while spanking Drazhar, and telling him to bring an invulnerable next time.

Of course, this all assumes that they all stand in a ceremonial candle-lit duelling pit, where no-one has charged. If Jain Zar wins the charge, her chances of offing the recalcitrant Phoenix rise to ~34.5%, and the odds of mutual annihilation are a quite respectable 17.5%. If Drazhar were to charge Asurmen, he is not only better off with the +2S once again, but his chance to one-round kill the do-gooder climbs to 11.3%, and his expected return to 1.2849. If he has been lucky enough to chew through some mooks first, or simply made friends with a Haemonculus and some Wracks, he might have enough pain tokens to unleash a furious charge. Naturally, this favours the +2A mode of demiklaives, and improves his chances of nailing the King in one go to 21.59%. Going first is nice, too!

So, if you're going to teach those silly Craftworlders how a real Phoenix Lord rolls, feel free. You might not emerge unscathed, but the dark brethren are surely used to that. Just remember, if Asurmen is around, to bring the PAIN!