***NEWS FLASH*** Eldar suffer crushing defeat!

Ouch. That's the result of my recent game at GW Sterling Friday evening. Simply put, ouch.

Lets start at the beginning with the list. Friday evening I headed out to my local GW (GW Sugarland) and was able to grab a game with one of the regulars. He plays Space Marines (the emperors finest). Mission was annihilation and set-up was the one with 12 inches per side (normal set-up).

I brought @1750:
HQ
Autarch (Mandiblasters, WJG, Power Weapon, Fusion Gun)
Farseer (Doom, Guide, Runes of Warding, Spirit Stones, Witchblade)

Elite
9x Banshees
w/ Banshee Exarch (Mirror Swords, Warshout)
w/ Wave Serpent (Spirit Stones, SCan, TL SCan)
3x Wraithguard

Troops
9x Dire Avengers
w/ Dire Avenger Exarch (Bladestorm, Defend, 2x Avenger SC)
w/ Wave Serpent (Spirit Stones, SCan, TL Missile Launcher)
9x Dire Avengers
w/ Dire Avenger Exarch (Bladestorm, Defend, Power Weapon, Shimmershield)
5x Pathfinders

Fast
9x Warpspiders
w/ Warp Spider Exarch (Withdraw, Powerblades, 2x Deathspinner)

Heavy
1x Falcon (Holo-field, Spirit Stones, Missile Launcher, SCan)


The list I played against was basically:
2 units of Bikes (with attack bikes)
1 unit of Bikes (with attack bike) and melta weapons
Scout Squad with Tellion (Special Character) and a heavy bolter with special rounds
1 Veteran squad (sternguard?) in a Razorback
3 Thunderfire Cannons

So here is where the comedy of errors began. First, I roll and get choice for first or second turn. I choose to let him set-up first and go first. He sets up his entire army on the table, thunderfire cannons in 3 ruins at the rear of his board. Each of these building are "reinforced ruins", providing a bonus cover save.

I then choose to keep the following in reserve:
Spiders + Autarch - deep striking
Falcon
Serpent + Banshees
Serpent + Dire Avengers + Farseer

I deploy the wraithguard half in one of the 2 ruins on my side of the board, the Dire Avengers in the other, and the pathfinders on the second floor of the central ruin (where the wraithguard were). At this point I choose to not try and seize initiative.

Yes, I imagine many of you are cringing right now.

So, first turn his thunderfire cannons wipe out the pathfinders, drop the wraithguard to 2, and drop the dire avengers to 2 (exarch still alive). I move forward with the wraithguard and try and shoot with the dire-avengers. It is at this point I realize that a DA Exarch with Power weapon and shimmershield does not have a gun to shoot with. Fail. Strangely I am still fairly confident I can recover a bad start.

Turn 2, thunderfire cannons complete the job of clearing the eldar from the board. I bring in my spiders, and both wave serpents. Falcon sits around for another turn. I burn the Serpents 24 inches onto the board, tank shocking one bike squad. Bike Squad makes 2 leadership tests and moves out of the way. Spiders deep-strike behind a ruin on his side of the board and take out one of the thunderfire cannons. Excellent!

Turn 3, the only squad with range on the spiders are the scouts in the ruin above the dead thunderfire cannon. Scouts unload into my nicely packed deep-struck formation with their special heavy bolter round. I cringe, but only 2 spiders fall. Tellion whiffs. At this point he opens up with las-cannons and plasma guns on the 2 serpents. Both serpents are penetrated, both fail their save, both explode (on a 6) with a 6 inch range, the second one wipes the dire avenger squad down to the Farseer + Exarch + 2 DA. Now the bike squad opens up on the banshees, leaving 1 banshee sitting in the crater. I now realize I am not going to make a good showing on this game.

Suffice it to say that I did not actually kill another unit before being wiped off the board in turn 4. That's right, I was tabled before the end of Turn 4.

Record: 1-2-0

After-Thoughts
The Army
I am not uncomfortable with this list, and will continue to play around with it. I am fairly certain the following list is what worked against me:

1. I should have chosen to deploy and go first. With 3 Thunderfire Canons and bikes I needed to get on the board and move early.
   
2. My dice really hated me in this game. This happens, and I need to work on my strategy a bit more to off-set these types of games.
3. I really need to play more games. I need to learn 5th edition better and re-learn my own army. I am still losing by making decisions that are either un-informed or badly informed.

I enjoy playing, and my opponent was a gentleman about the game.

Saturday is/was Baltimore Gamesday 2009. Pictures and coverage will be up soon.