Mission Three was Spearhead deployment and the mission objective determined at the Top of turn 3. On a 1-2 Annihilation, 3-4 Table Quarters, and 5-6 Terrain Features (as objectives.) My opponent was pleased to explain all the ins and outs of the Black Templar codex while slowly revealing that he had not 1, not 2, but 4 lance-proof Land Raiders. One with terminators, another with the Emperors champion the "last two" with crusaders and then two drop pods with small crusader units in them. Four Lance Proof Land Raiders, I was impressed, but Vect was not.
The Black Templar armor deployed in a line-abreast type formation. Mostly because of the random mission, the Lance proof upgrades ended up not affecting my strategy much. Although I wouldn't be opening any land raiders with lances, if I had to I have plenty of haywire grenades on the 30+ Wyches and Trueborn. A Black Templar, Emperors Champion or Terminator powered counter assault wouldn't be fun for the dark eldar, so the entire force ended up in reserve, as long as the mission didn't end up Annihilation I would game his list and win easily.
The Black Templars went first and formed a column while driving into my neutral table quarter. BT drop pods dont come in first turn and roll-in from reserve like normal. His 2nd turn he continued his drive with the Terminators in the lead followed by a Crusader raider the Emperors Champion raider and then the final Crusader unit brought up the rear. No drop pods.
Bottom of turn 2 the Dark Eldar army arrives. Almost everything makes it on to the board. Troops zoom fast to his side of the board, Warriorblaster venoms on the right, Wyches in the middle, Wracks on the left. Trueborn venoms and Ravagers jump into positions to literally block the front, side and rear of his Land Raider column - effectively stuffing his army into that table quarter (for the rest of the game.)
We rolled Table Quarters for the mission objectives. He reacts to the roadblocks by backing up a bit and unloading with his Land Raider weapondry. No one disembarks. Mission accomplished. The drop pods end up arriving in the middle of the game and the guys inside murdered by Venom splinter cannon barrage, marauding Wyches, and a very bored Vect + Shattershard Haemonculus. Land Raiders blow up first wave of skimmers, guys inside get out and block some more. He kills them with shooting from his land raiders, and more skimmers move into position to block. Wyches, Warriors, Wracks move to the center of each table edge so they can bump/slide/stack into the table quarters necessary for massive win.
Eventually he pushes his way through the layers of trueborn in my deployment quarter. Turn 6 and 7 he gets off charges with 1 unit of crusaders and the terminators onto the wracks and dark lance trueborn. Somehow, thanks to grisley trophies, the Wracks survived a turn of combat with his lightning claw terminators, and died on turn 7. Dark Eldar Victory!
