Battle Report - Massacre
Last weekend my group got together at Gamer’s Arsenal in Sparta for a day of campaign oriented games. When we had a light turnout, Brandon and I decided to go ahead and play a 3,000 point game in the line breaker mission. This one would see my Tyranids attempting to overrun a 3,000 point Imperial Guard army, commanded by Creed AND Straken, and made up entirely of infantry!
The Guardsmen were exhausted. Night had fallen again, bringing an end to another exhausting day under Castra’s sun. Reports were filtering through the communications network of a dozen breaches in the lines around them. The Tyranids had been bombarding the front line for days now, Spore Mines dropping through the poisoned cloud cover in their thousands.
The men in the front trenches were tired beyond all belief, but there were simply no reinforcements to spare. The lieutenants were moving among the men and spreading encouragement. Colonel Zala had arrived at the front a few days before, and the soldiers were fighting as hard as they could to hold the defenses together.
Without warning, dozens of shadows fell across the Guardsmen in their trenches. Bloodies knuckles gripped lasguns, and battered fingers rubbed sleepy eyes. Adrenaline dumped into the humans as the thunders of thousands of hooves became audible.
They had the prey scent. The Tyranids were coming.
The Mission
This was my third and final run with the line breaker mission for the Dicehead campaign. Colonel Zala (Creed) has moved forward to bolster yet another defense section that has fallen under attack from Hive Fleet Nug. With his skill and a little luck, they will defeat the Tyranids that have overcome the Dark Eldar and the Relictors.
All of the mission special rules are the same, with the exception of Minefields, which my opponent forgot to deploy.
Army Lists
Since we were playing at 3,000 points, we both decided to take advantage of two Force Organization charts. I have combined them into a single list here for ease of reading.
HQ
Company Command Squad: Castellan Creed (WARLORD), Color Sergeant Kell, Missile Launcher Team, Vox
Company Command Squad: Colonel Straken, Vox
Company Command Squad: Astropath, Officer of the Fleet, Master of Ordnance, Vox
Company Command Squad: Lascannon Team, Vox
ELITES
6 Stormtroopers: 2x Plasma Gun
5 Stormtroopers: Flamer
Sly Marbo
TROOPS
1st Platoon:
-Platoon Command: Autocannon Team, Vox
-3x Infantry Squad: 2x Flamer, 3x Vox
-2x Heavy Weapon Squad: 3x Lascannon each
2nd Platoon:
-Platoon Command: Autocannon Team, Vox
-3x Infantry Squad: 2x Flamer, 3x Vox
-3x Heavy Weapon Squad: 3x Autocannon each
3rd Platoon:
-Platoon Command: Missile Launcher Team, Vox
-3x Infantry Squad: 2x Flamer, 3x Vox
-2x Heavy Weapon Squad: 3x Missile Launchers, 3x Mortars
-Special Weapon Squad: 3x Grenade Launcher
4th Platoon:
-Platoon Command: Heavy Bolter Team, Vox
-3x Infantry Squad: 2x Flamer, 3x Vox
-Infantry Squad: Grenade Launcher, Vox
-2x Special Weapon Squad: 3x Grenade Launcher
5th Platoon:
-Platoon Command: Heavy Bolter Team, Vox
-3x Infantry Squad: 2x Flamer, 3x Vox
-Infantry Squad: Grenade Launcher, Vox
-Special Weapon Squad: 3x Plasma Gun
-Special Weapon Squad: 3x Melta Gun
HQ
Tyranid Prime: (WARLORD); Deathspitter, Lash Whip & Bonesword
Hive Tyrant: Wings, Hive Commander, 2x Twin Devourers with Brainleech Worms; Onslaught, Psychic Scream
Hive Tyrant: Wings, Hive Commander, 2x Twin Devourers with Brainleech Worms; Warp Blast, Paroxysm
Tervigon: Thorax Swarm with Dessicator Larvae; Onslaught
ELITES
Hive Guard Brood: two additional Hive Guard, Impaler Cannons
Zoanthrope Brood: two additional Zoanthropes; The Horror, Warp Blast
Venomthrope Brood: two additional Venomthropes
Venomthrope Brood: one additional Venomthrope
TROOPS
Termagant Brood: twenty additional Termagants, 30x Devourers
Tervigon: Thorax Swarm with Dessicator Larvae; Psychic Scream
Hormagaunt Brood: nine additional Hormagaunts
Hormagaunt Brood: nine additional Hormagaunts
FAST ATTACK
Hive Crone
Harpy: Twin Heavy Venom Cannon
HEAVY SUPPORT
Carnifex Brood: one additional Carnifex
Trygon Prime: Miasma Cannon
Mawloc
Pre-game
My opponent’s Warlord Trait allowed him to reroll 1s to hit when shooting units near objectives, while my Prime rolled Digestive Denial again. I used this to corrode away the central trench system. The first turn would be Night Fight, with the attacking Tyranids again having the first turn.
The two Tervigons went into Outflank Reserve for the Hive Commander ability. In addition to them, the Trygon Prime and the Mawloc would be using their Deep Strike arrival option.
The rest of the Tyranids deployed along the line; the Gaunts all clustered on the right flank with the Zoanthropes and Carnifexes, and the Flying Monsters took the left, supported by the Hive Guard. One squad of Venomthropes joined each group.
The Imperial Guard deployed a large number of their infantry in reserve, with another significant portion deployed in and around the front trenches to stymie the Tyranids’ advance. The Heavy Weapons Teams deployed in the open areas to the rear, with one squad in each Bastion’s tower. “Zala” and Kell led their Company Command to the ramparts of the Firestorm Redoubt, with Straken and his men deployed inside. The third Company Command was in the slit trench to the left, and the fourth was in reserve.
The Imperial Guard decided not to Seize the Initiative, waiting for their opponents to close before unleashing hell.
The Orbital Bombardment had many more targets than in previous games, and this came into play now. The Autocannons to the right of the Redoubt lost one team to the spores that were raining down, and several squads took a casualty or two. Colonel Zala deemed the casualties acceptable, and all squads were commanded to hold their positions.
Turn One
After a few quick psychic powers, the Tyranids closed with the Imperial Guard. The Hive Crone doused one of the leading Lieutenants and his command squad with the Drool Cannon; the nearby squads attempted to shut out the screams as they melted into the ground, giving the Tyranids First Blood.
Each of the Hive Tyrants fired on the nearest Heavy Weapons Team, blowing them apart in a hail of carnivorous insects and taking them out of the fight. The Hive Guard impaled another Lieutenant’s adjutant on the roof of the front Bunker. The first Orbital Bombardment targeted Colonel Zala, deviating slightly but still striking the Redoubt. Colonel Zala and his Color Sergeant escaped unscathed, but their command team was blown apart in the blast. The Redoubt took heavy damage, and the collapse killed one of Straken’s adjutants inside. Finally, the Devourer Gaunts ran up under Onslaught and killed another Lieutenant and most of his squad, leaving a bloodied vox operator standing alone.
The Imperial Guard returned fire in the bottom half of the turn. The advance squads opened fire under Zala’s direction, as Straken bellowed orders for Reserves into the comms. Adrenaline replaced earlier fear as the swooping monsters closed on the trench system. Disciplined volleys of small arms broke through the carapace of both Hive Tyrants, bringing them crashing to the ground. Once there, the remaining Heavy Weapons Teams were able to bracket them and slay them.
The first turn had been bloody for both sides, and action was only just beginning. It was going to get much messier before the battle was over.
Kill Points: Imperial Guard 2, Tyranids 3
Additional Imperial Guard Points: None
Additional Tyranid Points: First Blood
Turn One Score: Imperial Guard 2, Tyranids 4
Turn Two
Due to the efforts of the Officer of the Fleet, the Tyranids only received the Trygon Prime and one of the Tervigons from reserve. The Tervigon arrived near the Bastion on the Guard’s right flank, and the Trygon Prime erupted from the earth behind the trench system. As the reinforcement arrived, the Hive Mind spurred the rest of the assault wave forward to attack the foe.
The Harpy dropped a Spore Cyst cluster on the nearest platoon as it flew past, blasting the center out of their formation. The Crone scythed through several of the same men with his scythed tail before blasting again with the Drool Cannon, incinerating the Lascannon teams taking shelter behind the Aegis Wall at the foot of the Bastion.
The Trygon Prime sprayed the nearest platoon with his shooting attacks, slaying eighteen Guardsmen! The Tervigon also sprayed her Dessicator Larvae into the trench system, The nearest Guardsmen didn’t have time to scream before the cloud of ticks reduced them to shriveled husks. The spawned Termagants fired on the nearest Autocannons, slaying two bases. Watching their friends being devoured alive from within was more than the survivors could stand, and they fled the battlefield.
Finally, the second bombardment dropped from orbit, slamming into the Redoubt with stunning force. The hit vaporized Zala and his Color Sergeant where they stood before driving deep into the Redoubt. The massive blast cooked off ancient capacitors stored in the building, ripping Straken’s command group apart and leaving the tough old commander with one wound as he crawled out of the crater.
The Harpy blasted one of the Mortar Teams apart with its Heavy Venom Cannon, but the survivors held steady. The Devourer Gaunts swept the last Lieutenant and his men from the trench. Finally, both Hormagaunt units failed their charges into the trench system.
All of the Imperial Guard reinforcements arrived this turn, running into position to throw back the Tyranid advance. Surveying the smoke and the piles of dead bodies where there comrades had been, they stiffened their resolve to make this foe pay.
The Stormtroopers with Plasma Guns scattered into the Hormagaunts as they tried to fast rope into the rear of the swarm. The Valkyrie pilot quickly pulled away and circled back for another pass. The squad with a Flamer was able to make quick time to the ground, landing behind the two Venomthropes on the flank. Finally, Sly Marbo emerged from a dugout as the Zoanthropes passed, prepping his demolition charge as he emerged.
The Stormtroopers only managed to inflict a single wound on the Venomthropes, but Marbo scored a direct hit with his demo charge against the Zoanthropes. The psychic creatures disappeared in the concussive blast, but when the smoke cleared their telekine shields had turned away the damage. Nearby, two Hormagaunts had been reduced to ragged stains on the wall of a ruin.
The rest of the Imperial Guard shooting went much better. Although it took much of the reserve force, the Harpy was brought crashing to the ground, where it was slain by multiple Grenade Launcher hits. The Trygon Prime was also cut apart by a flurry of Melta and Plasma shots from the Special Weapon Teams. The Termagants that had spawned this turn were also cut down to a man. The Mortar Teams attempted to bracket the Devourer Gaunts, but their shells landed long, inflicting no damage.
The Tyranid threat had been partially contained within the Guard deployment zone, but there were still creatures left floating in the kill box.
Kill Points: Imperial Guard 5, Tyranids 6
Additional Imperial Guard Points: None
Additional Tyranid Points: First Blood, Slay the Warlord, Linebreaker, two units Breached
Turn Two Score: Imperial Guard 5, Tyranids 17
Turn Three
The Mawloc and the second Tervigon both arrived from Reserve this turn, with the second Tervigon arriving on the opposite side of the table. The Mawloc burrowed up under the trench system, devouring eight Guardsmen before returning to Ongoing Reserves after a Mishap.
The Crone was unable to Vector Strike because of the extreme angle. Instead, he changed his approach angle and dove on the Mortar crews. The Hormagaunts rushed up to the trench system, and the rest of the swarm followed close behind.
The lone survivor from the Lieutenant’s squad on the left flank had bravely interposed himself between the Tervigon and his comrades, preventing the creature closing to unleash another clutch of Dessicator Larvae. The beast cast Onslaught on itself as the Prime switched over to join the Zoanthropes, giving me an extra set of shots at this lone Guardsman. The Venomthropes closed on Marbo, the Hive Mind driving them to feed.
The Prime scored a single wound against the vox operator, who went to ground behind the trenches for a 3+ Cover Save. Luck was not with him, and the Deathspitter blew him apart. Hissing in eager anticipation, the Tervigon ran forward 5” and triggered another clutch of Dessicator Larvae and her Stinger Salvo, killing the entire Plasma Gun team of specialists and desiccating one of the Melta gunners.
The Devourer Gaunts turned their fire on the Stormtroopers, cutting the veterans apart in a hail of terrible punishment. The Crone fired into a ten man squad behind the mortars, slaying the mortar teams and eight of the Guardsmen. One of its Tentaclids latched onto a ninth Guardsman and tore him to pieces. The newly arrived Tervigon then cast Psychic Scream, slaying the last of the Missile Launchers in the Bastion nearby and killing a couple of Guardsmen on the ground.
Finally, the Tyranids launched their assault into the trenches. The Guardsmen fought bravely and killed several Hormagaunts as they leapt over the trench lip, but it was ultimately in vain. In a few moments of horrific butchery, the Hormagaunts had reduced the trench line to an abattoir.
The Venomthropes quickly turned Marbo to poisonous ooze, and consolidated toward the Imperial Guard DZ.
The Stormtroopers in Deep Strike Reserve quickly repositioned to the emerging threats, fast roping into position near the Tervigon on the left flank. The other Guardsmen maneuvered to get optimal shots, and then the line opened fire.
The Hive Crone was able to pass Crash Test after Crash Test, but eventually his wounds gave out, and the winged monster fell lifeless from the sky. The Stormtroopers and nearby squads were able to cut down the Tervigon, killing several Devourer Gaunts from Synaptic Backlash. The grenade launchers lobbed their rounds into the trench in rapid succession, cutting two thirds of the Hormagaunts down in deadly shrapnel storms. The newly spawned Gaunts on the right flank were cut down, with the exception of one tenacious bug that held on behind the Aegis.
The Imperial Guard had managed to mostly cut through the Tyranid breaching units once again, but there were still enemies in their defensive positions. Both sides were losing models quickly. Could the Guard hold the line where other had fallen?
Kill Points: Imperial Guard 7, Tyranids 14
Additional Imperial Guard Points: None
Additional Tyranid Points: First Blood, Slay the Warlord, Linebreaker, two units Breached
Turn Three Score: Imperial Guard 7, Tyranids 25
Turn Four
The Imperial Guard were taking a serious beating, but the Tyranids could not feel mercy for a foe they saw only as prey. All elements advanced again, with the Mawloc scattering off the board as he attempted to Deep Strike back in. He was misplaced, which led my opponent to put him back in my Deployment Zone.
The Tervigon cast Psychic Scream again and rolled a 12. After a quick check we realized the Harpy’s Spore Cyst had slain all of the Sergeants in the squad. At Leadership 7, they took seven casualties! After this and the Dessicator Larvae had done their grisly work, only three stunned survivors remained. The Hive Guard cut down half of the Stormtroopers, and the Devourer Gaunts wiped out another group of Guardsmen. The Zoanthropes inflicted some casualties with their Warp Blasts, and the Carnifexes continued to work on the tower across from them to little effect.
The Hormagaunts launched another charge, ripping into the Grenade Launcher specialists nearby and cutting them down in a flurry of blades. The Stormtroopers tactically withdrew, leaving the Hormagaunts with nothing to charge. Finally the Tervigon barreled into the nearby survivors, cutting down one of them. With the mission allowing re-rolls on Leadership tests, the survivors all held their ground, determined to exact a measure of blood.
One of the last two Lieutenants moved into the Bastion near the lone surviving Gaunt, cutting him down for a Victory Point. Straken led the flank in firing on the Hormagaunts, slaying the last of those who had assaulted the Special Weapons Team. The opposite flank started working on the Devourer Gaunts, but the Venomthropes made certain that this firepower had very little effect.
Lastly the Stormtroopers launched an assault against the Hormagaunts, killing one and taking no damage in return. (Yes, we know you cannot charge after regrouping. No, we did not remember at the time!)
The Tervigon killed another Guardsman; the last survivor bravely held his ground.
Kill Points: Imperial Guard 9, Tyranids 16
Additional Imperial Guard Points: None
Additional Tyranid Points: First Blood, Slay the Warlord, Linebreaker, one unit Breached
Turn Four Score: Imperial Guard 9, Tyranids 24
Turn Five
The Prime joined with the nearest group of Venomthropes, and together they closed on the Stormtroopers. The Devourer Gaunts continued to advance, and successfully cut down another group of soldiers. The Zoanthropes cut some other infantry down with targeted Warp Blasts, and the Hive Guard cut down half of the Command Squad in the center.
The Tervigon finally finished the last Guardsman and consolidated towards the nearest blob. The Prime led the Venomthropes into the Stormtroopers, brandishing his Bonesword at the Sergeant. The veteran knew the odds, but still he leapt forward. A moment later he was opened from shoulder to hip, bleeding to death on the ground. The Venomthropes and the Hormagaunts made short work of the other survivors, and they all turned to continue the advance.
The Imperial Guard forces were dwindling away to nothing, but my opponent was determined to see this one to the very end of the bitter struggle. His firepower was aimed at slaying the Prime, since he was Warlord and therefore worth three Victory Points in addition to the point for Slay the Warlord. However, the Venomthropes had consolidated back into the trench system, and the combined firepower only managed to cut two of them down. Another handful of Devourer Gaunts were also slain, but the Guard’s firepower had been reduced to a trickle of fire amidst a sea of slain corpses.
Kill Points: Imperial Guard 8, Tyranids 19
Additional Imperial Guard Points: None
Additional Tyranid Points: First Blood, Slay the Warlord, Linebreaker, three units Breached
Turn Five Score: Imperial Guard 8, Tyranids 31
Turn Six
The Tyranid Prime joined back with the Devourer Gaunts and continued the advance, pushing up the hill into the last knot of survivors. Their withering firepower quickly cut down another blob of soldiers, and the Hive Guard impaled the Major to his trench, the bloody banner falling from his adjutant’s hand. The Tervigon slaughtered most of the large blob near its position, and the survivors fell back.
The Venomthropes and Hormagaunts were able to cut apart most of another squad, but the last of their survivors held on tenaciously. The Tervigon declared a charge against the soldiers who were broken and running; they failed to Regroup and were cut down.
The Imperial Guard were ready to give their last breaths; the line was broken, and there was no extraction team coming to save them. Volley after volley punched into the Tyranid Prime, knocking the Gaunts apart that surrounded him, until eventually the craters and burns in his carapace became too much for even the leader beast. With one last screech of defiance, the Prime collapsed and was still.
The Imperial Guard did not have time to celebrate their victory; there would be a Turn Seven.
Kill Points: Imperial Guard 11, Tyranids 22
Additional Imperial Guard Points: Slay the Warlord
Additional Tyranid Points: First Blood, Slay the Warlord, Linebreaker, three units Breached
Turn Six Score: Imperial Guard 12, Tyranids 34
Turn Seven
The Sergeant staggered aimlessly through the smoke and fire of the destroyed Redoubt. His weapon and his helmet were gone; absent-mindedly, he remembered dropping them. The flames threw stark patterns on the thick smoke banks around him, showing silhouettes of hunting monsters running rampant through the pollution. He didn’t notice any of it.
His boots were melting to his feet, and he distractedly realized that the clumps of molten flesh that clung to them had been his squad a few minutes ago. The violence of the attack had broken his mind, and he staggered aimlessly onward.
He never saw the Impaler organisms that blew him apart in a spray of gore, homing in unerringly on him through the banks of smoke.
The Hive Guard quickly killed the survivor from the Crone’s Drool Cannon run. The Devourers picked up a final squad, leaving the survivors entangled with the Venomthropes, and one Lieutenant squad. The Lieutenant and Major on the opposite side of the battlefield were desperately calling for evac, but there was no answer.
The last of the Hormagaunts fell in the morass of close combat, but the Venomthropes finished one of the squads off. The exhausted survivors did all in their power to remain on their feet.
The Guard officers fired in a dismal show of support for the last of their companies, then the Lieutenant ordered his men to fix bayonets. With a nod of respect, the last of the Guardsmen rushed into the melee. A handful of Guardsmen survived, and one of the Venomthropes still lived as the game came to a close.
Kill Points: Imperial Guard 12, Tyranids 24
Additional Imperial Guard Points: Slay the Warlord,
Additional Tyranid Points: First Blood, Slay the Warlord, Linebreaker, three units Breached
Turn Seven Score: Imperial Guard 13, Tyranids 36
Post-Game Thoughts:
Man, what a bloodbath. The Imperial Guard were tenacious, but once the line started coming apart the Guardsmen died very, very quickly. Props to my opponent for maintaining his game face as his Guard were consumed before his very eyes!
This mission was a lot of fun, because it showed a very classic match-up of the dark side of 40k fluff. I’ve always been intrigued by the bravery the individual human shows in the face of the galaxy’s horrors, and this mission definitely showcased that aspect of being a human in the 41st Millennium.
I’m glad Brandon talked me into playing 3,000 points. I got to try out several approaches and units I normally have trouble fitting into my usual list; I just wish I could have made Swarmlord fit to counteract that blasted Officer of the Fleet. At any rate, the army performed well, and almost every unit performed the task I needed it to accomplish.
It was interesting to see a Guard army made of nothing but infantry; I personally think he should have at least had some artillery, but his forces definitely fit the bill for an overstretched garrison duty. The Tyranids are full, and the line is breached. The Hive Mind is satisfied, until next time…
The Guardsmen were exhausted. Night had fallen again, bringing an end to another exhausting day under Castra’s sun. Reports were filtering through the communications network of a dozen breaches in the lines around them. The Tyranids had been bombarding the front line for days now, Spore Mines dropping through the poisoned cloud cover in their thousands.
The men in the front trenches were tired beyond all belief, but there were simply no reinforcements to spare. The lieutenants were moving among the men and spreading encouragement. Colonel Zala had arrived at the front a few days before, and the soldiers were fighting as hard as they could to hold the defenses together.
Without warning, dozens of shadows fell across the Guardsmen in their trenches. Bloodies knuckles gripped lasguns, and battered fingers rubbed sleepy eyes. Adrenaline dumped into the humans as the thunders of thousands of hooves became audible.
They had the prey scent. The Tyranids were coming.
Massacre
The Mission
This was my third and final run with the line breaker mission for the Dicehead campaign. Colonel Zala (Creed) has moved forward to bolster yet another defense section that has fallen under attack from Hive Fleet Nug. With his skill and a little luck, they will defeat the Tyranids that have overcome the Dark Eldar and the Relictors.
All of the mission special rules are the same, with the exception of Minefields, which my opponent forgot to deploy.
Army Lists
Since we were playing at 3,000 points, we both decided to take advantage of two Force Organization charts. I have combined them into a single list here for ease of reading.
The 317th Cadian
Imperial Guard - 3,000
Imperial Guard - 3,000
HQ
Company Command Squad: Castellan Creed (WARLORD), Color Sergeant Kell, Missile Launcher Team, Vox
Company Command Squad: Colonel Straken, Vox
Company Command Squad: Astropath, Officer of the Fleet, Master of Ordnance, Vox
Company Command Squad: Lascannon Team, Vox
ELITES
6 Stormtroopers: 2x Plasma Gun
5 Stormtroopers: Flamer
Sly Marbo
TROOPS
1st Platoon:
-Platoon Command: Autocannon Team, Vox
-3x Infantry Squad: 2x Flamer, 3x Vox
-2x Heavy Weapon Squad: 3x Lascannon each
2nd Platoon:
-Platoon Command: Autocannon Team, Vox
-3x Infantry Squad: 2x Flamer, 3x Vox
-3x Heavy Weapon Squad: 3x Autocannon each
3rd Platoon:
-Platoon Command: Missile Launcher Team, Vox
-3x Infantry Squad: 2x Flamer, 3x Vox
-2x Heavy Weapon Squad: 3x Missile Launchers, 3x Mortars
-Special Weapon Squad: 3x Grenade Launcher
4th Platoon:
-Platoon Command: Heavy Bolter Team, Vox
-3x Infantry Squad: 2x Flamer, 3x Vox
-Infantry Squad: Grenade Launcher, Vox
-2x Special Weapon Squad: 3x Grenade Launcher
5th Platoon:
-Platoon Command: Heavy Bolter Team, Vox
-3x Infantry Squad: 2x Flamer, 3x Vox
-Infantry Squad: Grenade Launcher, Vox
-Special Weapon Squad: 3x Plasma Gun
-Special Weapon Squad: 3x Melta Gun
Hive Fleet Nug - Siegebreaker Swarm
Tyranids - 3,000
Tyranids - 3,000
HQ
Tyranid Prime: (WARLORD); Deathspitter, Lash Whip & Bonesword
Hive Tyrant: Wings, Hive Commander, 2x Twin Devourers with Brainleech Worms; Onslaught, Psychic Scream
Hive Tyrant: Wings, Hive Commander, 2x Twin Devourers with Brainleech Worms; Warp Blast, Paroxysm
Tervigon: Thorax Swarm with Dessicator Larvae; Onslaught
ELITES
Hive Guard Brood: two additional Hive Guard, Impaler Cannons
Zoanthrope Brood: two additional Zoanthropes; The Horror, Warp Blast
Venomthrope Brood: two additional Venomthropes
Venomthrope Brood: one additional Venomthrope
TROOPS
Termagant Brood: twenty additional Termagants, 30x Devourers
Tervigon: Thorax Swarm with Dessicator Larvae; Psychic Scream
Hormagaunt Brood: nine additional Hormagaunts
Hormagaunt Brood: nine additional Hormagaunts
FAST ATTACK
Hive Crone
Harpy: Twin Heavy Venom Cannon
HEAVY SUPPORT
Carnifex Brood: one additional Carnifex
Trygon Prime: Miasma Cannon
Mawloc
Pre-game
My opponent’s Warlord Trait allowed him to reroll 1s to hit when shooting units near objectives, while my Prime rolled Digestive Denial again. I used this to corrode away the central trench system. The first turn would be Night Fight, with the attacking Tyranids again having the first turn.
The two Tervigons went into Outflank Reserve for the Hive Commander ability. In addition to them, the Trygon Prime and the Mawloc would be using their Deep Strike arrival option.
The rest of the Tyranids deployed along the line; the Gaunts all clustered on the right flank with the Zoanthropes and Carnifexes, and the Flying Monsters took the left, supported by the Hive Guard. One squad of Venomthropes joined each group.
The Imperial Guard deployed a large number of their infantry in reserve, with another significant portion deployed in and around the front trenches to stymie the Tyranids’ advance. The Heavy Weapons Teams deployed in the open areas to the rear, with one squad in each Bastion’s tower. “Zala” and Kell led their Company Command to the ramparts of the Firestorm Redoubt, with Straken and his men deployed inside. The third Company Command was in the slit trench to the left, and the fourth was in reserve.
The Imperial Guard decided not to Seize the Initiative, waiting for their opponents to close before unleashing hell.
The Orbital Bombardment had many more targets than in previous games, and this came into play now. The Autocannons to the right of the Redoubt lost one team to the spores that were raining down, and several squads took a casualty or two. Colonel Zala deemed the casualties acceptable, and all squads were commanded to hold their positions.
Turn One
After a few quick psychic powers, the Tyranids closed with the Imperial Guard. The Hive Crone doused one of the leading Lieutenants and his command squad with the Drool Cannon; the nearby squads attempted to shut out the screams as they melted into the ground, giving the Tyranids First Blood.
Each of the Hive Tyrants fired on the nearest Heavy Weapons Team, blowing them apart in a hail of carnivorous insects and taking them out of the fight. The Hive Guard impaled another Lieutenant’s adjutant on the roof of the front Bunker. The first Orbital Bombardment targeted Colonel Zala, deviating slightly but still striking the Redoubt. Colonel Zala and his Color Sergeant escaped unscathed, but their command team was blown apart in the blast. The Redoubt took heavy damage, and the collapse killed one of Straken’s adjutants inside. Finally, the Devourer Gaunts ran up under Onslaught and killed another Lieutenant and most of his squad, leaving a bloodied vox operator standing alone.
The Imperial Guard returned fire in the bottom half of the turn. The advance squads opened fire under Zala’s direction, as Straken bellowed orders for Reserves into the comms. Adrenaline replaced earlier fear as the swooping monsters closed on the trench system. Disciplined volleys of small arms broke through the carapace of both Hive Tyrants, bringing them crashing to the ground. Once there, the remaining Heavy Weapons Teams were able to bracket them and slay them.
The first turn had been bloody for both sides, and action was only just beginning. It was going to get much messier before the battle was over.
Kill Points: Imperial Guard 2, Tyranids 3
Additional Imperial Guard Points: None
Additional Tyranid Points: First Blood
Turn One Score: Imperial Guard 2, Tyranids 4
Turn Two
Due to the efforts of the Officer of the Fleet, the Tyranids only received the Trygon Prime and one of the Tervigons from reserve. The Tervigon arrived near the Bastion on the Guard’s right flank, and the Trygon Prime erupted from the earth behind the trench system. As the reinforcement arrived, the Hive Mind spurred the rest of the assault wave forward to attack the foe.
The Harpy dropped a Spore Cyst cluster on the nearest platoon as it flew past, blasting the center out of their formation. The Crone scythed through several of the same men with his scythed tail before blasting again with the Drool Cannon, incinerating the Lascannon teams taking shelter behind the Aegis Wall at the foot of the Bastion.
The Trygon Prime sprayed the nearest platoon with his shooting attacks, slaying eighteen Guardsmen! The Tervigon also sprayed her Dessicator Larvae into the trench system, The nearest Guardsmen didn’t have time to scream before the cloud of ticks reduced them to shriveled husks. The spawned Termagants fired on the nearest Autocannons, slaying two bases. Watching their friends being devoured alive from within was more than the survivors could stand, and they fled the battlefield.
Finally, the second bombardment dropped from orbit, slamming into the Redoubt with stunning force. The hit vaporized Zala and his Color Sergeant where they stood before driving deep into the Redoubt. The massive blast cooked off ancient capacitors stored in the building, ripping Straken’s command group apart and leaving the tough old commander with one wound as he crawled out of the crater.
The Harpy blasted one of the Mortar Teams apart with its Heavy Venom Cannon, but the survivors held steady. The Devourer Gaunts swept the last Lieutenant and his men from the trench. Finally, both Hormagaunt units failed their charges into the trench system.
The Hormagaunts are rapidly closing the distance. With all of their frontline officers slain, can the men of Cadia hold the line?
A tide of fresh troops pour into the sector to lend a hand.
All of the Imperial Guard reinforcements arrived this turn, running into position to throw back the Tyranid advance. Surveying the smoke and the piles of dead bodies where there comrades had been, they stiffened their resolve to make this foe pay.
The Stormtroopers with Plasma Guns scattered into the Hormagaunts as they tried to fast rope into the rear of the swarm. The Valkyrie pilot quickly pulled away and circled back for another pass. The squad with a Flamer was able to make quick time to the ground, landing behind the two Venomthropes on the flank. Finally, Sly Marbo emerged from a dugout as the Zoanthropes passed, prepping his demolition charge as he emerged.
The Stormtroopers only managed to inflict a single wound on the Venomthropes, but Marbo scored a direct hit with his demo charge against the Zoanthropes. The psychic creatures disappeared in the concussive blast, but when the smoke cleared their telekine shields had turned away the damage. Nearby, two Hormagaunts had been reduced to ragged stains on the wall of a ruin.
The rest of the Imperial Guard shooting went much better. Although it took much of the reserve force, the Harpy was brought crashing to the ground, where it was slain by multiple Grenade Launcher hits. The Trygon Prime was also cut apart by a flurry of Melta and Plasma shots from the Special Weapon Teams. The Termagants that had spawned this turn were also cut down to a man. The Mortar Teams attempted to bracket the Devourer Gaunts, but their shells landed long, inflicting no damage.
The Tyranid threat had been partially contained within the Guard deployment zone, but there were still creatures left floating in the kill box.
Kill Points: Imperial Guard 5, Tyranids 6
Additional Imperial Guard Points: None
Additional Tyranid Points: First Blood, Slay the Warlord, Linebreaker, two units Breached
Turn Two Score: Imperial Guard 5, Tyranids 17
Turn Three
The Gaunt swarm continues to surge forward.
The Mawloc and the second Tervigon both arrived from Reserve this turn, with the second Tervigon arriving on the opposite side of the table. The Mawloc burrowed up under the trench system, devouring eight Guardsmen before returning to Ongoing Reserves after a Mishap.
The Crone was unable to Vector Strike because of the extreme angle. Instead, he changed his approach angle and dove on the Mortar crews. The Hormagaunts rushed up to the trench system, and the rest of the swarm followed close behind.
The lone survivor from the Lieutenant’s squad on the left flank had bravely interposed himself between the Tervigon and his comrades, preventing the creature closing to unleash another clutch of Dessicator Larvae. The beast cast Onslaught on itself as the Prime switched over to join the Zoanthropes, giving me an extra set of shots at this lone Guardsman. The Venomthropes closed on Marbo, the Hive Mind driving them to feed.
The Prime scored a single wound against the vox operator, who went to ground behind the trenches for a 3+ Cover Save. Luck was not with him, and the Deathspitter blew him apart. Hissing in eager anticipation, the Tervigon ran forward 5” and triggered another clutch of Dessicator Larvae and her Stinger Salvo, killing the entire Plasma Gun team of specialists and desiccating one of the Melta gunners.
The Devourer Gaunts turned their fire on the Stormtroopers, cutting the veterans apart in a hail of terrible punishment. The Crone fired into a ten man squad behind the mortars, slaying the mortar teams and eight of the Guardsmen. One of its Tentaclids latched onto a ninth Guardsman and tore him to pieces. The newly arrived Tervigon then cast Psychic Scream, slaying the last of the Missile Launchers in the Bastion nearby and killing a couple of Guardsmen on the ground.
Finally, the Tyranids launched their assault into the trenches. The Guardsmen fought bravely and killed several Hormagaunts as they leapt over the trench lip, but it was ultimately in vain. In a few moments of horrific butchery, the Hormagaunts had reduced the trench line to an abattoir.
The Venomthropes quickly turned Marbo to poisonous ooze, and consolidated toward the Imperial Guard DZ.
The advance elements have been slaughtered, with the exception of a few tenacious survivors on the right flank.
The Stormtroopers in Deep Strike Reserve quickly repositioned to the emerging threats, fast roping into position near the Tervigon on the left flank. The other Guardsmen maneuvered to get optimal shots, and then the line opened fire.
The Hive Crone was able to pass Crash Test after Crash Test, but eventually his wounds gave out, and the winged monster fell lifeless from the sky. The Stormtroopers and nearby squads were able to cut down the Tervigon, killing several Devourer Gaunts from Synaptic Backlash. The grenade launchers lobbed their rounds into the trench in rapid succession, cutting two thirds of the Hormagaunts down in deadly shrapnel storms. The newly spawned Gaunts on the right flank were cut down, with the exception of one tenacious bug that held on behind the Aegis.
The Imperial Guard had managed to mostly cut through the Tyranid breaching units once again, but there were still enemies in their defensive positions. Both sides were losing models quickly. Could the Guard hold the line where other had fallen?
Kill Points: Imperial Guard 7, Tyranids 14
Additional Imperial Guard Points: None
Additional Tyranid Points: First Blood, Slay the Warlord, Linebreaker, two units Breached
Turn Three Score: Imperial Guard 7, Tyranids 25
Turn Four
The Imperial Guard were taking a serious beating, but the Tyranids could not feel mercy for a foe they saw only as prey. All elements advanced again, with the Mawloc scattering off the board as he attempted to Deep Strike back in. He was misplaced, which led my opponent to put him back in my Deployment Zone.
The Tervigon cast Psychic Scream again and rolled a 12. After a quick check we realized the Harpy’s Spore Cyst had slain all of the Sergeants in the squad. At Leadership 7, they took seven casualties! After this and the Dessicator Larvae had done their grisly work, only three stunned survivors remained. The Hive Guard cut down half of the Stormtroopers, and the Devourer Gaunts wiped out another group of Guardsmen. The Zoanthropes inflicted some casualties with their Warp Blasts, and the Carnifexes continued to work on the tower across from them to little effect.
The Hormagaunts launched another charge, ripping into the Grenade Launcher specialists nearby and cutting them down in a flurry of blades. The Stormtroopers tactically withdrew, leaving the Hormagaunts with nothing to charge. Finally the Tervigon barreled into the nearby survivors, cutting down one of them. With the mission allowing re-rolls on Leadership tests, the survivors all held their ground, determined to exact a measure of blood.
One of the last two Lieutenants moved into the Bastion near the lone surviving Gaunt, cutting him down for a Victory Point. Straken led the flank in firing on the Hormagaunts, slaying the last of those who had assaulted the Special Weapons Team. The opposite flank started working on the Devourer Gaunts, but the Venomthropes made certain that this firepower had very little effect.
Lastly the Stormtroopers launched an assault against the Hormagaunts, killing one and taking no damage in return. (Yes, we know you cannot charge after regrouping. No, we did not remember at the time!)
The Tervigon killed another Guardsman; the last survivor bravely held his ground.
Kill Points: Imperial Guard 9, Tyranids 16
Additional Imperial Guard Points: None
Additional Tyranid Points: First Blood, Slay the Warlord, Linebreaker, one unit Breached
Turn Four Score: Imperial Guard 9, Tyranids 24
Turn Five
The Prime joined with the nearest group of Venomthropes, and together they closed on the Stormtroopers. The Devourer Gaunts continued to advance, and successfully cut down another group of soldiers. The Zoanthropes cut some other infantry down with targeted Warp Blasts, and the Hive Guard cut down half of the Command Squad in the center.
The Tervigon finally finished the last Guardsman and consolidated towards the nearest blob. The Prime led the Venomthropes into the Stormtroopers, brandishing his Bonesword at the Sergeant. The veteran knew the odds, but still he leapt forward. A moment later he was opened from shoulder to hip, bleeding to death on the ground. The Venomthropes and the Hormagaunts made short work of the other survivors, and they all turned to continue the advance.
The Imperial Guard forces were dwindling away to nothing, but my opponent was determined to see this one to the very end of the bitter struggle. His firepower was aimed at slaying the Prime, since he was Warlord and therefore worth three Victory Points in addition to the point for Slay the Warlord. However, the Venomthropes had consolidated back into the trench system, and the combined firepower only managed to cut two of them down. Another handful of Devourer Gaunts were also slain, but the Guard’s firepower had been reduced to a trickle of fire amidst a sea of slain corpses.
Kill Points: Imperial Guard 8, Tyranids 19
Additional Imperial Guard Points: None
Additional Tyranid Points: First Blood, Slay the Warlord, Linebreaker, three units Breached
Turn Five Score: Imperial Guard 8, Tyranids 31
Turn Six
The Tyranid Prime joined back with the Devourer Gaunts and continued the advance, pushing up the hill into the last knot of survivors. Their withering firepower quickly cut down another blob of soldiers, and the Hive Guard impaled the Major to his trench, the bloody banner falling from his adjutant’s hand. The Tervigon slaughtered most of the large blob near its position, and the survivors fell back.
The Venomthropes and Hormagaunts were able to cut apart most of another squad, but the last of their survivors held on tenaciously. The Tervigon declared a charge against the soldiers who were broken and running; they failed to Regroup and were cut down.
The Prime, busily overseeing the last of the butchery.
The Imperial Guard were ready to give their last breaths; the line was broken, and there was no extraction team coming to save them. Volley after volley punched into the Tyranid Prime, knocking the Gaunts apart that surrounded him, until eventually the craters and burns in his carapace became too much for even the leader beast. With one last screech of defiance, the Prime collapsed and was still.
The Imperial Guard did not have time to celebrate their victory; there would be a Turn Seven.
Kill Points: Imperial Guard 11, Tyranids 22
Additional Imperial Guard Points: Slay the Warlord
Additional Tyranid Points: First Blood, Slay the Warlord, Linebreaker, three units Breached
Turn Six Score: Imperial Guard 12, Tyranids 34
Turn Seven
The Sergeant staggered aimlessly through the smoke and fire of the destroyed Redoubt. His weapon and his helmet were gone; absent-mindedly, he remembered dropping them. The flames threw stark patterns on the thick smoke banks around him, showing silhouettes of hunting monsters running rampant through the pollution. He didn’t notice any of it.
His boots were melting to his feet, and he distractedly realized that the clumps of molten flesh that clung to them had been his squad a few minutes ago. The violence of the attack had broken his mind, and he staggered aimlessly onward.
He never saw the Impaler organisms that blew him apart in a spray of gore, homing in unerringly on him through the banks of smoke.
The Hive Guard quickly killed the survivor from the Crone’s Drool Cannon run. The Devourers picked up a final squad, leaving the survivors entangled with the Venomthropes, and one Lieutenant squad. The Lieutenant and Major on the opposite side of the battlefield were desperately calling for evac, but there was no answer.
The last of the Hormagaunts fell in the morass of close combat, but the Venomthropes finished one of the squads off. The exhausted survivors did all in their power to remain on their feet.
The Guard officers fired in a dismal show of support for the last of their companies, then the Lieutenant ordered his men to fix bayonets. With a nod of respect, the last of the Guardsmen rushed into the melee. A handful of Guardsmen survived, and one of the Venomthropes still lived as the game came to a close.
Kill Points: Imperial Guard 12, Tyranids 24
Additional Imperial Guard Points: Slay the Warlord,
Additional Tyranid Points: First Blood, Slay the Warlord, Linebreaker, three units Breached
Turn Seven Score: Imperial Guard 13, Tyranids 36
Tyranids Victory
Post-Game Thoughts:
Casualties: Left. Survivors: Right.
Man, what a bloodbath. The Imperial Guard were tenacious, but once the line started coming apart the Guardsmen died very, very quickly. Props to my opponent for maintaining his game face as his Guard were consumed before his very eyes!
This mission was a lot of fun, because it showed a very classic match-up of the dark side of 40k fluff. I’ve always been intrigued by the bravery the individual human shows in the face of the galaxy’s horrors, and this mission definitely showcased that aspect of being a human in the 41st Millennium.
I’m glad Brandon talked me into playing 3,000 points. I got to try out several approaches and units I normally have trouble fitting into my usual list; I just wish I could have made Swarmlord fit to counteract that blasted Officer of the Fleet. At any rate, the army performed well, and almost every unit performed the task I needed it to accomplish.
It was interesting to see a Guard army made of nothing but infantry; I personally think he should have at least had some artillery, but his forces definitely fit the bill for an overstretched garrison duty. The Tyranids are full, and the line is breached. The Hive Mind is satisfied, until next time…
+Exorcists+Shoulder+Pad.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment