In an unlikely alliance, the Tyranids and blood angels team up to take
out the elder and imperial guard. Let’s ignore the fluff impossibility here and
just run with it. 1250 points a race, so it’s a 2v2, 2500 points, spearhead,
annihilation (again).
To mix it up a bit I decided to get a group of us together so we can
do a 2v2. Most people when doing this like to know who they are playing with
and make a gimmick army together. Instead we make our armies up and then roll
to see who we are paired with, this can lead to more balanced armies fighting
each other as players have to try to cover all bases with their list. Now this
doesn’t always work as they lists might clash and make it an uphill struggle
for one team, but that’s just the sacrifice we have to make. Another thing to
mention is that we never take these group games seriously; it’s not really
competitive it’s just for fun. Onto the armies, firs up my team, my elder
paired with imperial guard.
Eldar
Farseer
Doom, Fortune, Jet bike, Singing spear, Spirit stones
5 Warlocks
Bikes, (spear, enhance), (spear), 2x (witch blade), (witch blade,
embolden)
5 rangers
5 rangers
6 Fire dragons
Wave serpent
Spirit stones, shuriken cannon
6 Fire dragons
Wave serpent
Spirit stones, shuriken cannon
5 shining spears
Exarch, star lance, skilled rider, withdraw
Imperial guard
Company command
Master of ordiance, camo cloaks
5 storm troopers
2x melta gun
Veterans
3 grenade launcher, auto cannon
Chimera
Heavy stubber
Veterans
3 grenade launcher, auto cannon
Chimera
Heavy stubber
Platoon command
4x flamer
Infantry squad (all blobbed)
Auto cannon, power weapon, commissar
Infantry squad
Auto cannon, power weapon, commissar
Infantry squad
Auto cannon, power weapon, commissar
Hydra
Hydra
Hell hound
Heavy stubber
Leaman russ
Heavy stubber
So that was the force on my side of the game, a lot of bodies, a lot
of guns, and a fair amount of mobility. Provided we play this right I see no
reason why we can’t win this. And our opposition for the game:
Tyranids
Hive tyrant
Shell
2x Tyrant guard
25 Hormaguants
Toxin sacks
4 Tyranid warriors
Barbed stranger
Trygon prime
Carnifex
Carnifex
Blood angels
Reclusiarch
5 Honour guard
Power weapon, chapter banner
Razorback
10 assault marines
Melta gun
Rhino
9 assault marines
Rhino
Land speeder
2x heavy bolter
Dreadnaught
2x twin linked autocannon
Devastator squad
2x lascannon, 2x missile launcher
Devastator squad
2x lascannon, 2x missile launcher
So there are the armies. The blood angels and tyranids have an
interesting mix of units, 3 monstrous creatures, a lot of heavy weapons and a
reasonably powerful close combat ability. We are going to have to use our
firebase and manoeuvrability to win.
We roll for mission and get annihilation with spearhead deployment.
Now I wish It wasn’t this as its all that I ever seem to write up on this blog,
bloody spearhead annihilation. But we stick with it never the less. We roll to
see who sets up first and we win the roll, and deciding first turn would be very
useful, pick our deployment zone and set up. The guard go up front taking the
best fire lanes while the elder hide where they are needed (on the flank). I
reserve my shining spears so they can act as a counter attacking unit later in
the game to save us when the bugs get closer. I keep off my rangers as well
intending to infiltrate them. I forget to deploy them later so they go into
reserve... well done me. The hydras and
storm troopers are in reserve.
The blood angels take up firing positions on the hill in their zone
and place the transports up front to protect the tyranids. The monstrous
creatures hide behind woods to reduce the incoming fire power. They try to
steal the initiative but thankfully roll a 1. Onto the first turn.
 |
| Eldar and Guard deployment |
 |
| blood angels and tyranid deployment |
To start the farseer casts fortune on the seer council, in
anticipation of taking a lot of shooting from the enemy. The council then move
12 inches away up the left flank followed by turbo boosting grav tanks. The
Hell hound then follows the elder up the left flank, attempting to aid the
elder attack.
Shooting phase, and the master of ordinance calls down a pie plate on
the blood angel dreadnaught. The hit locks on and the roll is minute, hitting
the dreadnaught, penetrating it and wrecking it. Such a lucky shot to begin
with but it helps. In the explosion 2 warriors are caught in the blast, one of
them dying and a wound is put on a nearby carnifex. The rest of the shooting phase is less eventful
as the blob squad get ordered to target the rhino and do nothing to it. A
chimera aided by the vet squad inside, manage to immobilize and stun the same
rhino. The other chimera shakes the unharmed rhino. The russ then finishes the
shooting phase targeting one of the dev squad... scattering into nowhere. Not
the greatest first turn but not bad in terms of what could have happened.
As a note, I forgot to move the jet bikes in the assault phase, not a
massive mistake, just something I can’t forget in the future.
Blood angels + Tyranids (B+T) turn 1
The rhino able to move towards
the guard line, backed up by the razorback. Both then use their smoke launchers
in a bid to survive the next shooting phase. Disembarking from the immobilized
rhino, the assault squad run towards the guard using the tanks as cover. The
carnifexs move though the woods threatening the elder tanks. The other tyranids
move directly towards the enemy not wishing to waste any time.
With a alien seed being fired from the warriors, the barded strangler
roars into action hitting 11 guardsmen, managing to kill 5. One devastator
squad targets a wave serpent but fails to deal any damage. The other, devs
target a chimera immobilizing it and shaking it, payback for what happened to
their rhino I guess.
E+G turn 2
The long forgotten rangers attempt to arrive from reserve, with one of
them outflanking. They arrive on my right hand side, right behind the
devastator squads. One hydra arrive from reserve and the storm troopers deep
strike behind the devastators as well we are determined to get rid of the heavy
weapons. The farseer fortunes the council and dooms the tyranid warriors. The
hell hound moves towards the warriors about to fry them while the serpents and
seer council move forward as well.
Again the master of ordinance calls in a shot from behind the lines
and scatters a mighty inch, hitting the hive tyrant, 1 gaunt and 2 warriors.
After the smoke clears the tyrant roars unscathed while the warriors and gaunt
are nothing more than smears on the ground. The guard once again shoot at the
transports, attempting to order the blob to ‘bring it down’ on the rhino, the
order fails with a double 6, no more orders this turn. The blob squad manages
to shake the rhino they were shooting at regardless of not having the order to
aid them. The two wave serpents target a carnifex but manage to deal no damage
to it. The council target the remaining warrior and manage to bring him down in
a hail of shuriken fire. One of the vets aided by their chimera manage to stun
a rhino with a penetrating hit. With no tyranid warriors to shoot at the hell
hound targets the gaunts with his heavy bolter and stubber killing one of the
beasts as they manage to get a cover save being such a large unit. On the other
side of the board the storm troopers aim the melta guns and hot shots at the
devastators but thanks to unlucky rolling, only one missile launcher falls. The
rangers, seeing the ‘success’ of the storm troopers and with their pistols,
take down a dev from the other squad. Both the hydra and russ target the
devastators as well but either fail to wound or scatter off target, dealing no
damage.
Assault phase, and the council backs off from the monstrous carnifexs,
while the rangers assault the devastators, attempting to hold them up for as
long as possible. In the combat one marine dies while no elder are slain,
unfortunately the marines hold so the combat continues.
B+T turn 2
A busy movement phase for my opponents this turn, as the assault squad
still in their rhino jump out towards the council hoping to catch them off
guard. The other assault squad follows suit moving towards the enemy battle
lines. Both carnifexs move through the cover of the wood trying to get closer
to the elder lines followed by the tyrant and his guard. The Hormaguants sweep
in front, attempting to get into range of the seer council, provided they get a
good run. The blood angel razorback moves full speed towards the chimera on the
right and park right in front of it, blocking its line of sight. On the far
right side of the board the land speeder move just enough to be able to target
the hydras flank with its two heavy bolters.
The speeder kicks off the shooting phase with its two heavy bolters,
managing to score several penetrating hits, blowing off the hydras weapons and
immobilizing it. I guess that’s what we get for not targeting the speeder with
the hydra. The devastators not in combat attempt to take vengeance on the storm
troopers by unleashing the full fire power on them. But thanks to a few scatters
only one storm trooper goes down to the las cannon. To finish the shooting
phase the Hormaguants manage to get a 6 for their run roll and the assault
squad far from combat manages to roll a 1, very useful for them.
Before we get into combat we made a little mistake, we forget that if
you fire a heavy weapon you can’t assault. I doubt much would have changed but
such is life. The devastators taking advantage of our slight lapse in judgement
assaulted the storm troopers managing to beat down one guy carrying a melta gun
without taking any loses. Fortunately for my team they hold so the devs are
tied up in combat. The other devastator squad fair the same, managing to kill a
ranger with no losses but are still held in place as the elder refuse to flee. And
the main attraction of the assault phase, the assault marines and Hormaguants
manage to charge the seer council, both just being in range. That was a problem
for me, just bad placement on my part. Anyway, I manage to kill 3 gaunts but
lose 2 warlocks from the apocalyptic number of attacks coming my way. I win the
combat but the marines hold and a gaunt dies to no retreat.
E+G turn 3
Fortune is cast on the seer council in an attempt to reduce the number
of wounds I take in the next combat phase, it’s not looking good. The farseer
then tries to cast doom on the hive tyrant and manages to get it off. I move
the wave serpents back a little as I am very aware they could be in range of a
charge from the carnifexes, not I’m not sure if this was a bad idea, maybe I
should have gone full blown offensive here and lost the sacrificial dragons,
next time I will be very offensive with then and see if that goes any better. The
guard hold still.
Attempting to actually do something this game the serpents manage to
take 2 wounds from a hive guard, killing the beast. The blob squad targeting
one of the rhinos (looking back now, I have no idea why the hell we did this,
nothing is in it, makes no sense!!!) and immobilizes it leaving only the
razorback able to move. The master of ordinance targets the same rhino, hoping
if it moves it can catch either assault marines or some nids in its blast. The
shot scatters 9 inches right towards the guard line but clips the back of the
razorback glancing it blowing off its main weapon. The chimera whose view was
so rudely obstructed by the rhino then blows the tracks off it, leaving all
enemy vehicles stationery. The other chimera tries to help out but does no
damage to the razorback. The hell hound fires its inferno cannon at the tyrant
but fails to do any wounds thanks to its armoured shell. The russ tries to
avenge the hydra but scatters 9 inches into nowhere.
The combat is a lot more interesting this turn, the devastators
fighting the storm troopers manage to gut two of the guard leaving the others
to run and get cut down. The other devs fail to deal any wounds as do the
rangers, another drawn combat. And the big cluster in the middle of the board
between the seer council and everything else in het world ends with one dead
gaunt and one dead warlock. I don’t know how I’m only killing one of the bugs
each turn; I wound of 2+ for god sake...
B+T turn 3
They finally got the reserve we were dreading, the tyrgon prime
appears and deep strikes right at the back of our line. Bugger. The Chaplin
(currently with the honour guard) gets out of the razorback and chases after
the platoon command that are exposed as the honour guard get out. The assault
marines not engaged in combat move towards the guard company command,
attempting to remove as many orders as possible. The big bugs move out of cover
in an attempt to rush the lines now a new threat has appeared on the other side
of the table.
Starting with the new guy, the trygon shoots at the chimera’s rear,
managing to destroy its multi laser and shake it. The assault marines decide to
aid the beast and fire a single melta shot and wreck the chimera. The hive
tyrant tries to use warp scream but thanks to my runes of warding he fails and
takes a wound for his trouble. The devs not on the hill tries to shoot the hell
hound but misses due to the extreme range of the shot. The speeder then targets
the blob squad but only manages to take out 2 of the guard.
Combat and the Chaplin charges the platoon command killing 4 of the
veterans and takes nothing in return. The lone commander runs but gets cut down
by the Astarte. The honour guard charge the company command killing everyone
bar the commander but for all his bravery gets cut down as he attempts to make
a tactical withdrawal. The rangers attempt to hold their own again but the
blood angels give into the red thirst and butcher them, leaving no survivors.
And the seer council once again kill two gaunts and this time take no loses,
every one holds but two extra gaunts die from no retreat.
E+T turn 4
So reserves time and we actually get some this turn, the second hydra
rumbles onto the table, and praying for the shining spears to take on the
trygon... roll a 1. Not great. The farseer again casts fortune on the council even
though the shadow in the warp was attempting to make him fail. Unfortunately
the shadow did stop him from casting doom, a shame but better that way round than
the other.
Movement starts with me blinking first, the wave serpents move towards
the hive tyrant, dropping off the dragons in an attempt to kill the monster
while he was out of cover. The guard hold the line and prepare to shoot.
Attempting to start with a bang the russ fires its battle cannon at
the honour guard and manages to scatter 1 inch hitting 5 honour guard, 4
assault marines and a Hormaguants, not a bad start. Unfortunately from a lot of
intervening stuff cover saves are abundant only 3 honour guard die as well as
the hormaguant. The fire dragons closest hope to god they can take down at
least one monster this turn otherwise they sacrificed themselves for nothing,
the first unit on the hive tyrant, manages to get 3 hits then only 2 wounds...
so one wound on the tyrant, one on the guard. The second dragon squad tries to
deal the killing blow (as I then noticed it’s his only synapse) and again only
gets 3 hits and then two 1’s appear... only 1 wound, onto the tyrant leaving it
practically healthy and still with his mate. Well that went well. The serpents
then try to help out but do nothing... not even going carry on with that
sentence. On a happier note the hydra manages to shake the land speeder (can’t
blame it, I mean, it’s not likes it’s the hydras job to take out fast moving
aircraft or anything). As they don’t really stand a chance of taking out the
trygon the blob squad takes on speeder and manages to immobilise it and take of
a heavy bolter. In a desperate attempt to do something before they die the vets
right In front of the trygon shoot at it doing nothing.
Combat is just as exiting as the council once again kill one gaunt and
loose a warlock. Draw.
B+T turn 4
The wave of monstrous pain moves towards the fire dragons, about to
show them the error of their ways for bothering to hurt them while on the other
side of the board the honour guard move towards the vets not in a chimera. The assault
marines, not in combat, move towards the blob squad, intending to assault them
this turn.
Shooting is just as impressive as my turns, with the devs shooting at
the blob with blasts only managing to kill 2 and the assault marines pistoling
them taking down 3. A awesome turn.
And for the bit that really killed us haha, combat. The trygon charges
the russ in the rear (we didn’t see that one coming, we expected some guardsmen
to get minced) managing to make it explode. The assault marines charge the blob
killing 9 guardsmen and only taking 1 back for their trouble, the guard hold. One
fex charges a fire dragon squad, minces them and moves on. The other fex
charged the wave serpent and that exploded killing a fire dragon in the
process. And finally the tyrant kills 5 dragons but the last guy holds... brave
fool. The honour guard combat ends rather predictably with the marines killing
6 of the guard and cutting the rest down. The council combat ends as a draw
again, killing 1 gaunt and the seer taking a wound for his troubles.
Unfortunately there we have to call the game for time. I doubt it
would have mattered overly much as we were about to be on the business end of a
royal buggering. We counted up the scores and the game ended
B+T – 7 E+G – 2
Win to blood angels and tyranids.
Now looking back what have I learnt, if anything:
·
The seercouncil is good at not dyeing (unless
its getting 20+ attacks thrown at it each turn) so if it does get into combat
make sure its against a small target who will run, or suffer from the always
wound on 2+
·
I feel I should have been more aggressive with
the fire dragons so the tyranids didn’t dictate the place and time I used them.
Or maybe if I hade ignored the monsters and just gone for mopping up marines
with them, it might have been more effective.
·
It’s not the first time reserves have made a
game difficult, but it does help in other games... just stick with it for now.
·
NEVER FORET TO DEPLOY THE RANGERS!!!!
·
Thinking about it now, when the seercouncil got
assaulted, maybe a if the blob squad assaulted in an attempt to help them out
the tide would have changed dramatically, potentially opening the council up
for taking on the carnifexs? Yer, that probably would have been the best
solution, work better as a team next time.
Well that was the game for you, it was interesting enough but I do prefer
the 1 v 1 more. Maybe it would be better if we did an apocalypse game for teams
instead. I don’t know, I’m just rambling now. Next week (hopefully) it should
be back to normal. Sorry I’m a week behind, but family gets in the way sometimes.
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