Death in the Rain - Miridian

Planet: Miridian.
Region: Cadian sector.

Death Guard vs Drukhari
1500 points.
Mission: Secure and Control.
Deployment: Vanguard Strike.

Bad weather and shattered roads hampered the Death Guard's pursuit of the Drukhari after the battle of Miridian City. In the autumn rain, forward elements of the plague marines encountered fire from a combined Drukhari force just north of the city ruins. This started an impressive three day battle. When the Drukhari reinforcements arrived on the battlefield, the xenos gained an overwhelming advantage, forcing the Death Guard to withdraw back into the city.

My first game against the brand new Drukhari codex. I was looking forward to this and dreading it at the same time. With a new codex to hand I fully expected to get my backside handed to me plus I don't often have much luck against Dark Eldar Drukhari due to their annoying poisoned weapons ignoring my T5 benefit. Dan and I agreed to a smaller 1500 points game. I chose Secure and Control as a possible easier mission than going for a kill point total. With some annoyance I yet again rolled the hated Vanguard Strike deployment.

I managed the first turn but with no visible targets to really shoot at all I could do was move a few units forwards. To protect my daemon prince I used my psychic potential to miasma the deathshroud terminators and up their strength and toughness just in case. My only shooting came from the plagueburst crawler which was able to ineffectually shoot at a group of venoms and a talos.

Dan's first turn saw him move everything forward bar one unit which sat back on his own objective far away from anything I could throw at them. His shooting stripped a few wounds off of my vehicles and daemon engines but nothing I couldn't handle.

Turn two was where it started to go horribly wrong. My advance was blocked in both routes by the Drukhari. A flight of venoms to my left flank and a pair of talos to my right. I did manage a few more wounds but not an awful lot. Dan's turn was a lot better. I lost a significant chunk of my army to Dan's phenomenal round of shooting. From that point the game was lost to me.

Turn three and there was little I could do. From the shadows burst forth wracks and mandrakes behind my lines. Dark lance fire burnt my daemon prince down, and assault decimated what few infantry I had left. I think by the end of the turn I had two or three plague marines and a couple cultists left while Dan's army was almost untouched. So I conceded.

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++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Chaos - Death Guard) [85 PL, 1500pts] ++

+ HQ +

Daemon Prince of Nurgle [8 PL, 156pts]: 3. Tainted Regeneration, 5. Putrescent Vitality, Hellforged sword, Warlord

Malignant Plaguecaster [6 PL, 110pts]: 1. Miasma of Pestilence, 6. Curse of the Leper, The Pandemic Staff

+ Troops +

Chaos Cultists [6 PL, 48pts]
. 9x Chaos Cultist w/ autopistol and brutal assault weapon
. Chaos Cultist w/ special weapon: Heavy stubber
. Cultist Champion: Shotgun

Plague Marines [10 PL, 186pts]: Icon of Despair
. Plague Champion: Plague knife, Plasma gun, Power fist
. 4x Plague Marine w/ boltgun
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Plague Spewer
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun

Plague Marines [10 PL, 177pts]: Icon of Despair
. Plague Champion: Plague knife, Plasma gun, Power fist
. 4x Plague Marine w/ boltgun
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Blight launcher

+ Elites +

Deathshroud Terminators [11 PL, 180pts]
. Deathshroud Champion: Manreaper, Plaguespurt gauntlets
. 2x Deathshroud Terminator: 2x Manreaper, 2x Plaguespurt gauntlets

Hellforged Contemptor Dreadnought [10 PL, 185pts]
. Left Arm: Hellflamer, Hellforged deathclaw
. Right Arm: Kheres assault cannon

+ Fast Attack +

Foetid Bloat-drone [8 PL, 158pts]: 2x Plaguespitters, Plague probe

+ Heavy Support +

Plagueburst Crawler [8 PL, 152pts]: 2x Entropy cannon, Rothail volley gun

+ Dedicated Transport +

Chaos Rhino [4 PL, 74pts]: Combi-bolter, Combi-bolter
Chaos Rhino [4 PL, 74pts]: Combi-bolter, Combi-bolter

++ Total: [85 PL, 1500pts] ++

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After game thoughts...

I didn't think I was going to have much luck in this game. Mainly due to a combination of new codex and not having the sort of options to handle what the Drukhari are good at. Even so I tried a list that I hoped would get me across the table and deal with the sort of Drukhari infantry armies that I have faced previously. Still, a very good game and maybe next time I'll have better luck.

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