This one was something. My opponent was Steve, and he brought a Godzilla list of Tyranids. Five flyrants, three Carnifexes, and five Mucolids, which were new to me. Apparently they're the big brothers of Spore mines, hitting you with a S8 AP3 large blast when they explode.
Anyway. Mission was Tactical Escalation, so Tactical Objectives would be multiplying like cockroaches. I was glad for this, seeing as I wouldn't be killing much this game.
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| Glorious, to be sure, with a conspicuous lack of Skyfire. |
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| Conspicuous excess of angry flying things with guns. |
I brought Nemesor Zahndrekh back to avenge his honor, along with a reworked Decurion that included the Reclamation Legion, a Judicator Battalion (Deathmark proxies again), and a Canoptek Harvest (Destroyer proxying as Spyder). Allies were once again Space Marines, with Iron Hands tactics, this time I switched out my Librarian and Tac squad for a Scout squad with Sergeant Telion, with camo nets, sniper rifles, and a missile launcher.
Turn 1
Not a lot happened turn 1, Steve moved his flyrants up, moved his Carnifexes around, potshots were taken, and my Spyder died. The Devastator squad got wiped out in a hail of deathspitter worms. Sergeant Telion and his scouts remained thankfully untouched.
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| "Stay perfectly still, and they just might mistake us for rocks..." |
My turn, I finally heeded gunline army tactics and held position. A few shots were taken at the 'nids, not much happened. The Wraiths and Scarabs moved up, eager to avenge the fallen Spyder. The Scouts killed a Hive Guard.
Turn 2
Steve's Mucolids began to drop in this turn, proxied by Lictor models. My Wraiths became a 288-point bullet sponge, slowly getting whittled down to two or three Wraiths. The flyrants got their psychic buffs off fine, their psychic mind-bullets did little to nothing, to the relief of my troops. The Carnifexes and Hive Guard lumbered around and took potshots, they might have knocked the Ark's shielding off.
On my turn, I dropped the Praetorians in, one squad by the Carnifexes, the other on the right side of the board. They were armed with the Rod of Covenant (12" S5 AP2), they were my cheap Terminator-equivalent. They put a wound on one of the Carnies, and took out one of the Mucolids. There was more ineffectual plinking at flyrants, maybe one wound dealt? I captured Objective 6 for one VP, and the Wraiths and Scarabs assaulted the Carnifexes. Surprisingly, it was the Scarabs who put a wound on the big bugs.
On my turn, I dropped the Praetorians in, one squad by the Carnifexes, the other on the right side of the board. They were armed with the Rod of Covenant (12" S5 AP2), they were my cheap Terminator-equivalent. They put a wound on one of the Carnies, and took out one of the Mucolids. There was more ineffectual plinking at flyrants, maybe one wound dealt? I captured Objective 6 for one VP, and the Wraiths and Scarabs assaulted the Carnifexes. Surprisingly, it was the Scarabs who put a wound on the big bugs.
Turn 3
Flyrants, flyrants everywhere. Flyrants above, flyrants behind, flyrants in my lines. The Ghost Ark became a cost-effective fire magnet, shrugging off dozens of dice of fire. My Warriors and Immortals were probably just staring up, grateful they weren't being hosed, hoping the Ark held up for a little longer. (This was also one of the few games it took longer for my opponent to do his Shooting phase than me.) As for VP, it was close, with Steve staying one or two VP ahead.
Memories of this turn are hazy. Maybe it was lack of sleep, maybe it was the bottle of Bridgeport I had. I think I scored another objective. Scarabs and Wraiths were whittled down in assault. The Praetorians near the Carnifexes had been assaulted, and were inflicting wounds, but slowly losing men as well.
Turn 4
Steve's synapse creatures had left the Hive Guard and Carnifexes behind by now, one Carnie and a Guard failed their instinctive behavior rolls and went dumb for a turn. One flyrant turned his fury on the Scout squad, blew all except Telion away, but he said "Nope!" and made his 6+ FNP...
...and right as I'm writing this, I realize Telion is Ultramarine, he uses Ultramarine tactics...crap, I screwed up. Well. It's not like he affected the game from here on, so the stain on my honor is only a small one.
Back to the batrep. The Ghost Ark was finally popped, and the flyrants at last turned their attentions to my troops. The warriors took the fire, the flyrants mostly ignored the Immortals (dat troll 3+ save). I think the Scarabs, Wraiths, and Praetorians on the left flank died at this point. The Praetorians on the right flank had only one man remaining, he went straight for the objective.
My turn, I had the smaller Warrior squad head for the nearest objective, and my Immortals and other Warriors stood and fired. Not much happened. The Stalker wounded something, a Carnifex or a Mucolid, one of those.
Turn 5
Four of the five flyrants decided it was beatdown time, and landed around my Warrior blob and Zahndrekh for an old-time gunfight. Cue dramatic last-stand music.
With around 40 dice of deathspitters coming in, every last warrior died or Look-Out-Sirred for Zandy. Zandy's 2+ save kept all but one wound at bay, and then a Carnifex assaulted him. Zandy lost another wound, but held his own, and may have even inflicted a wound on the Carnie. The Stalker got wrecked.
My turn, the Immortals got out of cover and marched to Zandy's rescue. The last warriors fired with no effect at the nearest flyrant. Same with Telion. The last Praetorian squatted in cover. The Immortals successfully joined Zandy's combat, and punched the Carnifex to death. Score! And I finally achieved my Big Game Hunter objective, got another VP for securing an objective, and came out one VP ahead of Steve.
We rolled for game end, it went on. There were about 3 minutes left before the event timer ran out.
Turn 6
Steve went after his tactical objectives in a frenzy. Zahnrekh was focus-fired by three flyrants, because he hadn't joined a unit, but he wasn't about to die after holding off a Carnifex, and survived 30 deathspitter shots to the face. The last warriors died, a flyrant landed on my side of the board to get Line Breaker, and Steve achieved enough objectives to catapult him 6 VP ahead to victory.
I conceded the game to Steve. In all honesty, I was feeling fairly bitter about that defeat. Being one point ahead one turn, and then getting slammed in the last 3 minutes of the game...there was no upside to it.
Come on, Gabe, silver lining! The Praetorians worked decently, having their Rod of Covenant range buffed to 12" was a big upgrade from 5E. I will be taking them again. It was good to see Zahndrekh reclaim his honor (stained from running off the table in game #2 the week before).
One more game to go, here's to hoping it's a win.
Memories of this turn are hazy. Maybe it was lack of sleep, maybe it was the bottle of Bridgeport I had. I think I scored another objective. Scarabs and Wraiths were whittled down in assault. The Praetorians near the Carnifexes had been assaulted, and were inflicting wounds, but slowly losing men as well.
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| Now that's what I call an open mind on that Carnifex, hurr hurr hurr (boo, hiss) |
Turn 4
Steve's synapse creatures had left the Hive Guard and Carnifexes behind by now, one Carnie and a Guard failed their instinctive behavior rolls and went dumb for a turn. One flyrant turned his fury on the Scout squad, blew all except Telion away, but he said "Nope!" and made his 6+ FNP...
...and right as I'm writing this, I realize Telion is Ultramarine, he uses Ultramarine tactics...crap, I screwed up. Well. It's not like he affected the game from here on, so the stain on my honor is only a small one.
Back to the batrep. The Ghost Ark was finally popped, and the flyrants at last turned their attentions to my troops. The warriors took the fire, the flyrants mostly ignored the Immortals (dat troll 3+ save). I think the Scarabs, Wraiths, and Praetorians on the left flank died at this point. The Praetorians on the right flank had only one man remaining, he went straight for the objective.
My turn, I had the smaller Warrior squad head for the nearest objective, and my Immortals and other Warriors stood and fired. Not much happened. The Stalker wounded something, a Carnifex or a Mucolid, one of those.
Turn 5
Four of the five flyrants decided it was beatdown time, and landed around my Warrior blob and Zahndrekh for an old-time gunfight. Cue dramatic last-stand music.
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| crapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrapcrap |
My turn, the Immortals got out of cover and marched to Zandy's rescue. The last warriors fired with no effect at the nearest flyrant. Same with Telion. The last Praetorian squatted in cover. The Immortals successfully joined Zandy's combat, and punched the Carnifex to death. Score! And I finally achieved my Big Game Hunter objective, got another VP for securing an objective, and came out one VP ahead of Steve.
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| Carnifex tipping: like cow tipping, except |
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| FATALITY |
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| Endgame. |
Steve went after his tactical objectives in a frenzy. Zahnrekh was focus-fired by three flyrants, because he hadn't joined a unit, but he wasn't about to die after holding off a Carnifex, and survived 30 deathspitter shots to the face. The last warriors died, a flyrant landed on my side of the board to get Line Breaker, and Steve achieved enough objectives to catapult him 6 VP ahead to victory.
I conceded the game to Steve. In all honesty, I was feeling fairly bitter about that defeat. Being one point ahead one turn, and then getting slammed in the last 3 minutes of the game...there was no upside to it.
Come on, Gabe, silver lining! The Praetorians worked decently, having their Rod of Covenant range buffed to 12" was a big upgrade from 5E. I will be taking them again. It was good to see Zahndrekh reclaim his honor (stained from running off the table in game #2 the week before).
One more game to go, here's to hoping it's a win.
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