Steel City GT
This weekend I was over in the city of steel, Sheffield for the Steel City GT - a smaller event with only 20 players, but within that field a very strong set of players, including a sizable contingent from my own team, DeadRedGaming. For this week I was running with the Eldar - testing out the really nasty lists ahead of Leicester next weekend. My list:
The Yncarne
Autarch Wayleaper (Phoenix Gem)
Farseer
Spiritseer
Fuegan
3 x Night Spinners
3 x 5 Warp Spiders
1 x 10 Wraithguard
It is the quintessential Eldar list - and having played it is obvious that Eldar are playing a different game to the rest of the meta. That said, it is a devishly fun army to play, and did require me to think and play in a specific way in certain match ups - I can easily see people playing themselves into losses with this army. But for now: The games
My Night Spinner - Painted to Hero level and ready to go
Game 1: Grey Knights
My first game this weekend was into Grey Knights, a match up I felt slightly disadvantaged going into - Jacob is a well known and strong Grey Knights player, and from my own experience with the gents in silver, I knew his army would be able to keep the game close no matter what. Then the missions were announced - Purge the Foe.
2+ Saves and all the movement shenanigans in the world enables a really strong game for the GK, I definitely felt at a disadvantage when I rolled a 6 to go first. Failing to kill a unit turn 1 hurt, and gave him the opportunity to really start to mess with my game plan. However the game came back around with once crucial turn swinging in my favour as he failed 2 6” charges. I managed to stabilise and claw back to a win.
Eldar Win 93 - 82
Game 2: Chaos Knights
Game 2 saw me take on Chris and his chaos knights, again an interesting match up as I struggle in the primary game here, and his ability to run through walls can cause me a lot of pressure in the backlines in about 2 turns, fortunately the deployment and mission favoured me - Hammer and Anvil, Priority Target, Hidden Supplies. This lead to a really strong area of control in the middle for my wraith guard to threaten anything that stayed there.
Going first was essential to my gameplan here - I used the Warpspiders speed to be able to run up and box in the big vehicles into their deployment zone, even using the strat would not have resulted in a favourable position, especially paired with the night spinners slowing down and cutting advances from the army. I kept this up for 2 turns at which point I had established Fuegan and the wraithguard as very strong Anti-Knight threats, with the Yncarne bouncing from melee to melee killing 1 or 2 knights a turn.
In the end I was able to completely table the knights in a few turns.
Eldar Win 100 - 61
Game 3: Space Wolves (Firestorm)
Game 3 saw me pair into fellow team mate Laurence, and actually the first time we have played despite the number of events we have both attended. His list was an interesting MSU twist on a Firestorm aggressor list, plenty of mechanised movement with scouts able to push a screen right up turn 1. This lead to me being forced onto the back foot Turn 1, and losing 2 of the nightspinners turn 2 to reserves really started to make me worry - fortunately fuegan was able to claw it back with his flat 3 damage. And a long charge with the wraith guard let me take a very dominant board position. Allowing me to work through his vehicles with a perfectly timed bring it down draw giving me the advantage by working through the threats and out running them. For a great result to end day 1
Eldar Win 100-51
Game 4: Dark Angels (Unforgiven)
Game 4, the first of day 2 was Matt and his dark angels - a very nasty list with a Deathwing command squad, backed up by redemptors, hellblasters, and inceptors. On Vital ground I knew it was important that I had to make it as hard as possible for him to reach my no mans land objective and lock me out on the primary game. Fortunately this was very possible with phantasm giving me so much more flexibility, and the spinners keeping the terminators moving 3” a turn.
I went for fixed; homers and BEL - this would enable me to get a consistent scoring using the warp spiders to find gaps in the back lines for getting me 7points a turn.
In the end it came down to a lot of playing keep away, with a key moment resurrecting a wraithguard to flip an objective for scoring in my turn helped me secure the win.
Eldar Win 69-57
Game 5: Deathwatch (Ironstorm)
Game 5 was Kev and his Ironstorm marines list - on search and destroy, sadly this game was a bit of a blow out after I was able to go first and use warp spiders & spinners to keep him in the deployment zone whilst the wraithguard moved into position. Once there they were dominant, killing 2+ redemptors a turn, unfortunately a short lived game but an amazing opponent and a good way to end the tournament.
Eldar Win 100-51
Overall
In the end I finished 1st, being the only undefeated player all weekend. In a strong field I am very happy with my performance and I want to thank all my opponents for the amazing games, and the organisers for running a smooth and amazing event, I will definitely be back for more though maybe not with Eldar. In the end the team took:
Me
Nathan
Best painted: Aza
Best Opponent: Laurence
Next week I take on Leicester GT and will be doing a write up as well - so come back next week to see how I get on. (Maybe Ill even learn to take a decent photo)
