With all of the Leviathan-related buzz going around lately, it’s easy to forget that the rest of the galaxy is embroiled in equally bloody battles – even between those who could otherwise be kin. Despite their shared blood, the Aeldari and Drukhari harbour little love for one other – as seen in today’s exciting episode of Battle Report.
Following on from last week’s close-fought game, two further forces are here for another quick-fire scrap. We asked our own personal Farseer, Simon, to cast visions of his experience into our feeble human minds.
Warhammer Community: So who used which Combat Patrol in the game, and how did you find them?
Simon: I used the Fatebreakers, the Aeldari Combat Patrol led by Farseer Iraneth. They’re a well-rounded collection including the high-speed manoeuvrability of two squads of Windriders, and a tough, hard-hitting Wraithlord that’s a threat at every range. The Guardian Defenders have some formidable firepower at their disposal too – especially when bolstered by the Farseer’s Eldritch Storm – and crucially, her Foresight Enhancement means they can Fire Overwatch on a 5+ or better, so they’re a massive threat.
Nick actually fielded his own Drukhari army in the battle, as he already had everything he needed to make a Combat Patrol in his collection.
The Blades of Torment have a nasty combination of units at their disposal. The Ravager has the range to threaten anywhere on the battlefield, all the while protecting its home objective. On the other hand, the Incubi are deadly in melee, while Archon Malivex and his well-armed Kabalite Warriors can embark upon their Raider to drop into the heart of the battle via Deep Strike and take advantage of its Firing Deck 11 ability.
WC: How did the new army rules shake out for each faction?
Simon: Strands of Fate enables the Aeldari to generate anything up to 12 Fate dice at the start of the game, which they can expend to predetermine the results of key dice rolls throughout the battle. They can generate more during the game by holding objectives with their Guardian Defenders, but with access to so many Fate dice right from the outset, you can front-load your damage output in the early stages of the battle and gain a massive advantage for doing so.
The Drukhari, meanwhile, can use any Power From Pain tokens they accrued to earn various rerolls for their units. Nick, however, found their best use was to empower a unit in the Shooting or Fight phase to reroll their failed hit rolls. With the one token you get at the start of the battle, you can use it to create a chain effect, ensuring the destruction of an enemy unit and thereby earning another Power from Pain token to repeat the process later in the battle.
WarCom: Without fishing for spoilers, what were some of the highlights of the battle for you?
Simon: Ha! Well, we had a number of key moments where the result of a single dice roll would’ve changed the outcome of the battle. That’s one of the things I love most about playing smaller-scale games like Combat Patrol – or skirmish games such as Kill Team, Warcry, or the Middle-earth™ Strategy Battle Game, for that matter – as every blow or shot fired often has a far greater impact on the result than in larger battles.
As fate would have it, I fell foul of a Deadly Demise yet again – explosions of every ilk seem to be my nemesis on Battle Report! That being said, my Wraithlord did survive one that would’ve otherwise destroyed it, as it had been reduced to 1 Wound remaining at the time, so I can’t really complain.
Thanks Simon! Head over to Warhammer TV to catch the latest episode of Battle Report now, alongside hours of phenomenal animated shows, painting masterclasses, and in-depth lore videos. Not signed up for Warhammer+ yet? Check out everything a yearly subscription gets you!
