After a couple of further rolls to determine the mission, we were ready to face off in the fitting Purge the Alien mission with a hammer and anvil deployment (short table edges).
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| The battlefield is ready to go. The Frontline Gaming FAT Mat is looking good! Imperial Fists deployed along the left table edge, and Tyranids deployed on the right table edge. |
The Mission - Purge the Alien
The objective in Purge the Alien is simple - kill as many enemy units as possible. Each unit completely destroyed is worth one point. Additional points were available for Slay the Warlord, First Blood, and Line Breaker. I was happy to see that the Space Marine and Tyranid forces had a very similar number of total units. Tyranids could yield as many as 11 kill points, while the Imperial Fists had 10 units to be farmed for points.
The Armies - Elite Astartes vs Deep Strike Tyranids
Taher fielded an Astartes force with a ton of elite units, special and heavy weapons. He was well-prepared for all of the monstrous creatures I would surely be bringing to the fight. On top of that, he had a pretty good amount of mobility with two transports, the bikers and assault squads, and the Terminators held in deep strike reserves, ready to join the fray where they would be most needed. What stood out most for me was the pricey Devastator squad that was armed to the teeth - I would have to keep my key units in cover as they advance or risk having them utterly obliterated at range.
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| The Imperial Fist force to be deployed normally - 2x Transports, 10x Assault Marines, 9x Devastators, and 5x Bikers. |
Librarian - Mastery Level 2 (Telekine Dome, Psychic Shriek)
5x Sternguard (2x Combi-Melta)
Dedicated Razorback w/ TL Lascannon, Extra Armour
5x Terminators (Cyclone Missile Launcher)
5x Terminators (Assault Cannon)
10x Tactical Marines (Melta, Multi-Melta, Melta Bombs)
Dedicated Rhino w/ Hunter Killer Missile, Extra Armour
5x Bikers (Melta Gun)
10x Assault Marines (Jump Packs, Melta Bombs, 2x Flamers)
9x Devastators (4x Lascannons, 4x Missile Launchers)
A note on Warlord Traits:
Both of us rolled Warlord Traits that would influence Reserve Rolls, which was huge considering how many units were deep striking! The Librarian's trait gave the Tyranids a -1 to their Reserve Rolls, while the Hive Tyrant allowed them to re-roll failed Reserve Rolls. After all was said and done, the Tyranids would be rolling 4+ to enter play, but with re-rolls.
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| Two Terminator Squads in deep strike reserves. The Sternguard are in the Razorback, and the Tactical Squad started the battle riding in their Rhino. Taher has chosen a metallic colour scheme for his Imperial Fists (it'll be a homebrew successor chapter I think), and they are going to look amazing once they're all done! |
Today I brought a list that had quite a different look from some of my previous forces. I finally put my two Tyrannocytes in action, and decided to give Genestealers and the Broodlord another shot. This was a very reserve-heavy list, and I tried out a tactic that I had been thinking of for quite a while now - saturating the battlefield with targets from Deep Strike so that my opponent simply had too many things to deal with - that was the purpose of the 4 individual Mucolid Spores. For a measly 15 points each they offered up the threat of a S8 AP3 large blast. Of course they wouldn't be able to charge in and blow up the turn they entered play, but they would either force my opponent to dedicate an entire unit to shoot each one, or limit his movement to avoid their potent detonations.
Hive Fleet Behemoth - Combined Arms Detachment
Hive Tyrant (Wings, 2x TL Devourers, Electroshock Grubs) (The Horror, Onslaught)
1x Lictor
1x Malanthrope
3x Zoanthropes w/ Neurothrope (Catalyst, Warp Blast, Spirit Leech)
Tyrannocyte w/ 5x Deathspitters
5x Genestealers w/ Broodlord (Scything Talons) (The Horror)
20x Termagants w/ 20x Devourers
Tyrannocyte w/ 5x Deathspitters
1x Mucolid Spore
1x Mucolid Spore
1x Mucolid Spore
1x Mucolid Spore
Hive Crone
Carnifex w/ 2x TL Devourers
Mawloc
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| The Tyranid force before deployment. The Zoanthropes and Neurothrope would enter play via deep strike in one of the Tyrannocytes, while the 20 Devourer Termagants would enter play via deep strike in the other Tyrannocyte, with the Mucolids and Mawloc also deep striking. |
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| The entire Tyranid deployment consisted of 4 models - Tyrant, Crone, Carnifex, and the Malanthrope granting them a 2+ cover save when in ruins. |
Deployment
Tyranids won the roll-off to choose table sides and also chose to deploy and go first. Given that the bulk of my army was either infiltrating (Genestealers and Lictor), or deep striking (2x Tyrannocytes, Zoanthropes, 20x Termagants, 4x Mucolids, Mawloc), I only had to deploy four models normally!
The Imperial Fists then deployed. The threatening Devastator squad wisely deployed on high ground within ruins, allowing them excellent sight and shooting angles over the battlefield as well as a 4+ cover save against any shooting. The Assault marines split up into two squads, one on either flank ready to advance with their jump packs. The Bikers set up along Taher's right flank, in an area of the battlefield that did not have too much difficult terrain that could be problematic for their bikes. The Rhino and Tactical squad took the left flank, and the Razorback was deployed on the roadway that intersected the length of the game mat.
Taher's deployment was not all the way forward - he wisely made use of the deep Hammer & Anvil deployment zones to create distance between himself and the Tyranids.
Taher's deployment was not all the way forward - he wisely made use of the deep Hammer & Anvil deployment zones to create distance between himself and the Tyranids.
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| Devastators overlook the entirety of the battlefield. Rhino and Assault squad provide support. |
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| Bikes and Assault Squad #2. Razorback with Sternguard and Librarian are just behind the ruins. |
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| Genestealers and Lictor deploy last, infiltrating ahead. |
Turn One - Open Fire! (0-0)
The Hive Fleet Behemoth Tyranids enjoyed the luxury of having first turn, as the Imperial Fists were not able to seize the Initiative. Both the Hive Tyrant and Hive Crone took to the skies, using their impressive speed to swoop forward toward the Space Marines.
The Lictor elected to not move, as he was a vulnerable target, and would remain hidden out of line of sight until the time was right. The Genestealers cautiously advanced through the cover of a small ruin, within striking distance to charge next turn.
The Carnifex lumbered forward, but was not in range to make use of his Twin-Linked Devourers, while the Malanthrope floated ominously behind, providing a Shrouded bubble to everyone but the Tyrant.
In the Psychic phase, the Broodlord used The Horror against the Devastator squad. With their 4 lascannons and 4 missile launchers, I had decided that they would be my top priority. The ability went off and the Devastators failed their Pinning test (with -2 modifier)! I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that the bulk of the Imperial Fists' big guns would be snap firing for their upcoming turn. The Tyrant also cast The Horror, trying to pin an Assault squad, but was unsuccessful.
The shooting phase was short, as the Tyrant and Crone were the only two models on the table in range to fire. The Crone fired off two of its Tentaclids at the Tactical squad's Rhino, but missed with both shots. The Hive Tyrant however hit all 12 of his shots against the Razorback and was easily able to wreck the AV11 Razorback, forcing the Librarian and Sternguard to disembark, and taking its Twin-Linked Lascannon out of play! First blood and a kill point, and the Tyranids were off to an early 2-0 lead.
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| The Hive Tyrant advances forward fearlessly at the Imperial Fists. The Razorback (center) is wrecked, and its precious cargo of 5 Sternguard and the Librarian are forced to disembark. |
It was time for the Imperial Fists to take their first turn. The Space Marines consolidated their forces toward the table corner housing their Rhino, Devastators, and Assault squad. At first I was surprised to see Taher back himself into a corner, but the tactic would soon become clear. He was protecting against the coming turn two deep strike threat, forming a defensive perimeter around his key units. Like this, it would be hard to enter via deep strike in an aggressive location without risking a mishap.
The Rhino rolled back, creating some distance between itself and the Carnifex and other advancing Tyranids. The Assault squad hopped into the cover of the same ruin holding the Devastator squad, and the Librarian with his Sternguard entourage consolidated toward the same ruin. The only unit to advance forward was the Bikers, who felt a little bolder with their T5 stat line and ability to Jink.
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| The Imperial Fists converge on the black ruins building (Sternguard and Librarian are right behind it, out of view). The Devastators are pinned for turn 1, so they elect to fire at the swooping Hive Tyrant. |
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| The Rhino reverses away from the Tyranid threat as the Tactical squad bides their time to disembark. |
In the psychic phase the consolidation of units toward the one black ruin made even more sense, as the Librarian manifested Telekine Dome, which given his re-positioning effectively granted his entire army a 5+ invulnerable save! The only unit out of the 12" radius bubble were the Bikers, but they could always jink anyway. Brilliant!
In the shooting phase most of the Imperial Fist force took snap shots at the swooping Hive Tyrant, though Taher was unlucky to not score any wounds against the Tyranid Warlord. One Genestealer fell to Bolter fire from the Bikers, but no further damage could be inflicted as the two assault squads and Rhino had chosen to play it safe and wait for the next turn to ramp up the aggression.
Turn Two - Reinforcements Arrive (2-0 Tyranids)
After a relatively tame turn 1 that saw the Tyranids take an early advantage in kill points, it was time for the reserve roll shenanigans to kick in. Through the cumulative effect of our Warlord Traits, the Tyranid side would be rolling 4+ to enter the battle, but have access to re-rolls.
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Librarian and Sternguard with
Heavy Bolter survive the Mawloc's
subterranean ambush.
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| RIP Mawloc. We hardly knew ye. |
All 4 Mucolids, the Mawloc, and the Tyrannocyte holding the Zoanthropes and Neurothrope would be able to enter play, with just the Tyrannocyte holding the 20 Termagants failing its reserve roll. We resolved the Mawloc first - with the Devastators safe from the Mawloc's Terror from the Deep attack (it can only hit the bottom level in multi-level buildings), I chose the 2nd most threatening unit - the Sternguard and Librarian. After rolling a direct hit for scatter, the Mawloc attempted to burst out from underneath the Imperial Fist HQ and Elite unit. This is where the Librarian's Telekine Dome really kicked in. Taher was able to make 2 of 5 of the 5+ invulnerable saving throws on the first round. This killed 2 of the Sternguard and put a wound on the Librarian, but since the Mawloc could not be placed it forced a 2nd round of S6 AP2 hits against the squad. The 5+ invulns held up when Taher saved 2 of 4 on the 2nd wave of wounds. Even though 4 Sternguard died and the Librarian took a wound, some Look Out, Sir! shenanigans meant that the Mawloc still could not be placed and would have to roll on the mishap table... and wouldn't you know it I rolled a 1! The Mawloc had done some good damage, but perhaps the Librarian had the presence of mind to feed the beast a Krak Grenade as it burst out from the ground, and the Mawloc was removed as a casualty, giving the Imperial Fists their first kill point!
Three of the Mucolids also rolled a direct hit on their deep strike scatter, and had effectively formed a perimeter around the black ruin building housing the majority of the Imperial Fist forces. Now the Space Marines would be forced to either direct some shooting at the 15 point models or risk taking S8 AP3 large blasts next turn. One of the Mucolids had a mishap however and was placed by my opponent on the opposite end of the table atop a very high building. With a 3" move it was effectively out of the game.
The Zoanthropes and Neurothrope were last to enter the fray on this turn, their Tyrannocyte guiding them right into the center of all the action. Thankfully the Tyrannocyte has a rule which allows it to reduce it's scatter distance so as to not mishap, otherwise it would have landed on the black ruin building and resulted in a mishap.
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| The Neurothrope uses powerful warp energies to literally suck the souls out of the Imperial Fist Bikers. 4 of the 5 Bikers go down to a brutal Spirit Leech. |
The Zoanthropes disembarked and with 5 warp charges on on the table, the Tyranids were poised to have a big psychic phase. Meanwhile, the Hive Crone kept swooping forward, ending it's turn swooping over the only uninhabited corner of the ruin now housing both an Assault squad and Devastator squad. The Hive Tyrant stayed in the skies, moving swiftly forward to gain a firing angle at the Imperial Fist Warlord. The Genestealers, Lictor, Malanthrope, and Carnifex all advanced forward. The Genestealers were now in range to attempt an assault, while the Carnifex would finally put his Twin-Linked Devourers to use. The Malanthrope and Lictor were still out of range but it was clear that the time to sit back and play it safe had passed - the Imperial Fists have turtled up in the ruins and must be dug out!
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| The Librarian and remaining Sternguard Veteran that were hiding behind the ruins fall to the Hive Tyrant's shooting. The Crone's Drool Cannon fells a couple of the pinned Devastators. |
The Psychic phase was a devastating one for the Imperial Fist force. First, the Neurothrope turned its attention to the 5-strong unit of Bikers. With a single Spirit Leech, four wounds with no armour or cover saves allowed were laid on the fast attack unit, leaving one sole survivor. They then used the extra warp charge dice to lay a Warp Lance onto the Rhino, but were unsuccessful in manifesting the Warp Charge 2 ability.
The Broodlord once again prioritized the Devastator squad for his The Horror ability. He was again able to manifest it, and much to the chagrin of the Librarian, the Devastators would be pinned for yet another turn! This was a huge deal, since the bulk of the Space Marines' heavy weapons would be hitting on 6's for yet another turn. Unlucky pinning tests for my opponent - perhaps that 10 point upgrade to get a Ld 9 Veteran Sergeant may be a good investment against the Tyranid leadership-based psychic shenanigans.
The Hive Tyrant tried to pin an Assault squad once again, but continued to be unsuccessful in manifesting his psychic abilities... and with that we were off to the shooting phase.
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| The Tower of Mishap! Terminators botch their approach, landing far away from the heart of the battle beside a most unfortunate Mucolid. |
The Carnifex and Crone laid some wounds on the pinned Devastators, though not too much damage was done after their Power Armour held up nicely. The Hive Tyrant focused his shooting on the wounded Imperial Fist Librarian and his Sternguard buddy, felling both of them with a barrage of Devourer fire, earning the Tyranid side two more kill points.
The Genestealers attempted to charge the lone remaining Space Marine Biker, but failed their charge and lost a Genestealer to overwatch for their troubles.
With the Imperial Fist Warlord slain, the Terminators sprang into action, arriving from deep strike reserves. The unit with the Cyclone Missile Launcher successfully landed right behind the Malanthrope and Carnifex, poised to outflank the advancing Tyranids from the rear. The 2nd unit of Terminators however miscalculated their approach and, following a roll on the mishap table, were placed by me on the far table edge right beside the tower housing an unfortunate Mucolid Spore. This would now come to be known as... The Tower of Mishap! Well, at least they were now in position to score a point for Linebreaker.
The remaining Imperial Fists were poised to have an effective shooting phase, now that the majority of the Tyranids had advanced forward out of cover. The lone Biker put some fire into the Genestealer unit, but the Bolter rounds bounced off. The Pinned Devastators fired at the Hive Tyrant yet again, but were once again unable to score any wounds after missing all of their shots. The Tactical squad was surrounded by a couple of Mucolids and a Hive Crone, so they decided to stay embarked upon their transport to avoid the threatening Large Blast and Flamer Template weapons. Melta and Multi-Melta fire from within the Rhino felled one of the Zoanthropes, while it's mounted combi-bolter damaged one of the Mucolids.
An Assault squad sprang forward out of the ruins and wounded the lone advancing Lictor with their bolt pistols, as they readied themselves to charge the grotesque Tyranid creature. The other Assault squad stayed back to deal with the two other Mucolids that were threatening to float into the ruins and decimate the remaining Devastators. They were able to bring one down to a single wound, leaving it vulnerable to overwatch should it declare a charge next turn.
The Terminators with Cyclone Missile Launcher poured fire into the Malanthrope but found it to be quite resilient with it's 4 Wounds, T5, 3+ armour, and shrouded. The synapse feeder-beast took two wounds but survived to continue to provided synapse and shrouded to the Carnifex and Lictor.
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| The Lictor and Assault Marines do battle while the Tyrannocyte and Zoanthropes hang out for some moral support. |
The Assault squad jumped into action, bringing the fight to the Lictor. The Tyranid beast was formidable foe in close combat with WS6, S6, Rending, and a solid Initiative of 6 which had him strike first. The Lictor slayed two of the Assault Marines before they were able to strike. The remaining three marines poured in 9 attacks and were able to inflict one unsaved wound, leaving the Lictor at just one wound remaining.
After the dust had settled on turn two, the Imperial Fists had Linebreaker (at least for now), but had not scored any additional kill points (Mucolids are non-scoring, non-denial units). Meanwhile the Flyrant had put up 3 more points for the Tyranid side with Slay the Warlord and a kill point each for finishing off the Sternguard and Librarian. At the end of turn two, the score sat at 5-2 for Hive Fleet Behemoth.
Turn Three - Attrition (5-2 Tyranids)
The Tyranids entered turn 3 with a modest 3 point advantage... however there were multiple other points within grasp. The Hive Mind urged the xenos forward, sensing that the Imperial Fists were on the back foot. A single Biker and three Assault Marines were each vulnerable to yielding the Tyranid side another kill point, and the Hive Tyrant, having single-handedly scored all 5 points for the Tyranid side so far remained unscathed and poised to do even more damage.
The Tyrannocyte with 20 Devourer Termagants finally arrived via deep-strike. A little late to the show, but now in position to counter the deep strike location of the Terminators. Even though the small Tyranid creatures could not ignore the Terminator's 2+ armour saves, the sheer weight of fire they brought to the table would be a formidable challenge to the flagship Astartes elite unit.
The injured Malanthrope called upon the Carnifex to double back and help her deal with the new Terminator threat as the Tyrannocyte unloaded its contents of 20 Termagants nearby. The 5-strong squad of Terminators was absolutely surrounded, but knew no fear as they readied themselves for the inevitable onslaught of Tyranid fire and talons.
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| An Imperial Statuary watches over 5 Terminators who quickly find themselves in the wrong side of town. |
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| A Hive Crone soars above the battlefield as a Mucolid Spore and Genestealers led by a Broodlord prepare to assault the enemy. |
This Psychic phase was uneventful compared to the last - the only power that successfully manifested was the Zoanthrope and Neurothrope's Warp Lance, putting a single penetrating hit on the Rhino and destroying its sole Hunter Killer Missile. Most notably, the Devastator squad was finally free of The Horror ability, and would no longer be pinned for their next shooting phase as none of the Tyranid psykers were able to manifest the power this turn.
The Hive Tyrant opted to switch to gliding mode and forego the defensive boon of swooping for the superior maneuverability of gliding. He would be more vulnerable to shooting, but poised to make a turn four charge. The Crone had jinked last turn when targeted by one of the Imperial Fists' heavy weapons, and could not use its Drool Cannon, so it continued to swoop, laying a Raking Strike on the Devastator unit and removing yet another of the heavy weapons.
The Tyrant circled around and put fire into the rear of the remaining Transport, wrecking the Rhino and earning yet another kill point for the Tyranids. The Tactical squad was forced to disembark and prepared to seek revenge against the gliding Tyranid Warlord.
The Carnifex and Termagants put out an ungodly amount of fire against the surrounded Terminators - 69 shots in total. The elite Imperial Fist unit proved its durability, taking only 2 unsaved wounds!
The Carnifex and Termagants put out an ungodly amount of fire against the surrounded Terminators - 69 shots in total. The elite Imperial Fist unit proved its durability, taking only 2 unsaved wounds!
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| The Tactical Squad disembarks from their wrecked Rhino. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, they remain determined to vanquish the vile xenos. |
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| Termagants score 30 of 57 hits with their mass Devourer fire. |
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| The Terminator armour holds true, passing 18 of 20 armour saves. 3 of 5 Terminators survive to fight in the assault phase. |
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| The Broodlord leads his Genestealer entourage in a consolidate move after finishing off the remaining Biker. |
The Lictor managed to slay two more of the Assault Marines, while the lone remaining Imperial Fist struck back and finished off the Lictor, yielding a kill point for the Imperial Fists. The Zoanthropes were completely ineffective, and I was beginning to regret charging with them.
Meanwhile, the Broodlord made quick work of the remaining Biker, earning a kill point for the Tyranid side. The Terminators stood strong against the onslaught form the Malanthrope and Carnifex. Two of the Terminators survived, and they were able to put a wound on the Carnifex using their Power Fists to tie the combat.
The Imperial Fists were backed up against a wall. The unfortunate ineffectiveness of their Devastator squad in conjunction with one of their Terminator units arriving late to the party left them spread thin by the time their turn 3 rolled around. But they shall know no fear, and were determined to purge the alien forces.
The Imperial Fists were backed up against a wall. The unfortunate ineffectiveness of their Devastator squad in conjunction with one of their Terminator units arriving late to the party left them spread thin by the time their turn 3 rolled around. But they shall know no fear, and were determined to purge the alien forces.
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| Tied combat - the heroic Terminators are prepared to fight to the last man. |
The remaining Devastators turned their attention to the now-gliding Hive Tyrant, opening fire with their Lascannons and putting two wounds on the Tyranid Warlord.
Meanwhile, the Assault squad that had was biding their time and dealing with Mucolids (perhaps for a tad too long), sprang into action, turning their bolt pistols and flamer to the advancing Broodlord and Genestealers to great effect - they killed 3 of the Genestealers and wounded the Broodlord!
The Tactical squad fired on the Hive Tyrant with their Melta and Multi-Melta, but were unlucky in rolling 1's to wound. The bolter fire was predictably ineffective, so they dug in their heels, anticipating an assault from the Tyranid Warlord soon.
The lone remaining Assault Marine from the unit that had vanquished the Lictor was now locked in combat with a Neurothrope and Zoanthrope. They were not much of a threat, however their durability through 3+ invulnerable saves caused a stalemate.
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| Hero Terminator, holding out against all odds and very nearly scoring multiple points by taking out the Malanthrope. |
The Assault Cannon Terminators finally were able to enter the fray. After taking some time to carefully weigh the options of either firing at the Termagants/Tyrannocyte, or taking a run move to be able to enter assault next turn, the Terminators opted to run, but had a most unfortunate run distance of just one inch.
Their Terminator brethren, still locked in combat with a Carnifex and Malanthrope, fought bravely. One of them was killed, and the surviving member scored two hits against the Malanthrope - enough to kill it, score a kill point, and put the Synapse web in jeopardy... but despite needing 2+ to wound, he rolled snake eyes! Such bad luck.
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| The lone remaining Assault Marine after an ill-advised charge against the ferocious Broodlord and Genestealer. |
Turn 3 saw a ton of action on the table. A few units were killed and points were scored, and a number of units for both factions were heavily wounded and vulnerable. On Turn 3, the Imperial fists scored a point for killing the Lictor (and were close on the Malanthrope, Genestealers, and Tyrant). The Tyranids scored two points; one for destroying the Rhino and one for the remaining Biker (and were close to gaining more points for the two remaining units consisting of a single Assault Marine, and one remaining Terminator). The score currently sat at 7-3 for the Tyranid side.
Turn Four - Backs Against the Wall (7-3 Tyranids)
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| Termagants pour forward, behind the cover of their Tyrannocyte. Their job was to clog up the road and keep the Terminators from scoring any points. |
Hive Fleet Behemoth had widened the gap, entering turn 4 with a 4 point lead, and several more points within their grasp.
The Hive Crone, now gliding, finally doubled back and prepared to do battle against the remaining 4 Devastators. The injured Hive Tyrant had the Tactical squad in his sights.
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| Zoanthropes are not known for their combat prowess. This ongoing assault yielded a 0-0 result 3 rounds in a row. But now a Carnifex is closing in, sure to end the stalemate. |
The Termagants decided to leave the single Terminator to do battle with the Carnifex and Malanthrope, and set their sights on the approaching unit of 5 Terminators with an Assault Cannon. They put mass Devourer fire into the unit, but were only able to fell 1 of the resilient Imperial Fist Terminators. With the brood 20-strong however, they blocked the Terminators' path. The Hive Mind was secure in the knowledge that they were unlikely to yield the opponent any kill points - being fearless due to Synapse and having 20 wounds for the Terminators to chew through would keep the most threatening of the remaining Imperial Fist units at bay for the remainder of the game.
Meanwhile in close combat, the Carnifex was finally able to slay the last remaining Terminator and earn a kill point for the Tyranids. He consolidated toward the Zoanthropes, ready to help them finish off their target, while the Malanthrope moved up to provide Synapse to the Termagants.
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| The Hive Crone has finished off all of the Devastators, now only their Sergeant remains. |
The Broodlord finished off the last remaining Assault Marine, scoring yet another point and further widening the lead for the Tyranid side, while the Hive Crone and Tyrant both charged into assault. The Crone took 2 wounds from a potent overwatch from the Devastator squad, and yet another from a well placed melta bomb from the Sergeant, leaving him at just 2. He did however manage to kill all but one of the remaining Devastators, and looked poised to earn the Tyranids yet another kill point in the upcoming Imperial Fist assault phase.
The Hive Tyrant was surprisingly ineffective in combat, killing only one Tactical Marine while taking a wound himself from the Sergeant's melta bomb, resulting in an unlikely tied combat.
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| The Tactical Squad hold their ground against the wounded Hive Tyrant. |
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| A preemptive tarpit from the Termagants and Tyrannocyte all but ensures the Terminators would be unable to tie the game for the Imperial Fists. |
The Imperial Fists entered the bottom of turn 4 with a 9-3 deficit. They would need to score some big points or this would likely be the end of it. With everything tied up in combat but the Terminators, they advanced and put fire into the Termagants. They were able to inflict a few wounds, but so many more of the small Tyranids remained, the odds seemed insurmountable.
The Tactical squad suffered heavy losses this round in their melee with the Hive Tyrant, taking 4 more casualties, leaving only 4 of them to fight back. They were however able to fell the Tyranid Warlord that had dominated the points of this game with a barrage of Krak Grenades. One of them got through the the Tyrant slumped over in a lifeless pile of sinew, chitin, and vile leathery wings. Two points for the Imperial Fists!
The other assaults however didn't go as well, as the Assault Marine continued to be unable to injure the resilient Zoanthrope and Neurothrope, while the Devastator Sergeant fell to the Hive Crone at Initiative 5 before he was able to secure the deathblow to the Tyranid flyer.
At the end of turn 4, the score sat at 10-5 for the Tyranids. The Terminators, while mighty, would surely not be able to overcome the deficit themselves, so my opponent conceded and the game was called a victory for Hive Fleet Behemoth!
Victory Tyranids! (10-5)
Wow, when I first looked back at the battle I was thinking that the Hive Tyrant did OK, but not too impressive. Now that I've had a 2nd look and written this report, he was clearly the MVP of the battle, even though he fell at the end. The Hive Tyrant absorbed a ton of firepower over the first two turns, and was almost single handedly responsible for scoring 6 points (First Blood, Razorback, Librarian, Sternguard, Rhino, Slay the Warlord). Of course the Mawloc softened up the Sternguard and Librarian, allowing the Tyrant to have that 3 point shooting phase, but still very impressive!
It has become evident to me that the Flyrant has grown quite a reputation, as my opponents rightfully identify him as the strongest threat on the Tyranid side and focus their firepower to down him ASAP. I find this can sometimes be a blessing in disguise for my Tyranids though, since I often field a variety of other very potent threats that are much less durable. So what ends up happening is that my most durable threat is taking the most fire, leaving time and space for my other forces to get into position and do their work relatively un-harassed.
I don't blame my opponent for focusing the flyer at all in this case though since he was unlucky to have his Devastators pinned for the first two turns - they would have had to snap fire anyway. With most of them dead by the time the third turn rolled around, that 250+ point unit was largely ineffective, mostly through poor luck on the Pinning tests. Perhaps the lesson is less about target priority and more about diversifying your threats. If the Devastators had been split into two squads, they would have been less vulnerable to The Horror. Yes, they could give out 2 kill points instead of just 1, but they would also be able to split their fire if necessary.
This was a blast of a game to play, and I was really happy to finally get in a 1500 point game at Hairy T. Hive Fleet Behemoth keeps rolling on - this makes win number 7 in a row! I thoroughly enjoyed this deep strike heavy list, and will be fielding a similar list tomorrow when I do battle against the intimidating Tau in yet another 1500 point game. Stay tuned for that battle report, it's sure to be action-packed, and may even have a cameo from the one and only Super Drone!
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