Armies on Parade board - The finished article [near enough]

The board is done, not that you can see much of it once I put all the figures on it. Unfortunately I wasn't able to fit the digestion pit on too but most of everything I'll be showing is on there or at least an indication of where they might go [Gargoyles in the background I'm looking at you].

I've got the Ymgarls up front coming out of the smashed Aquila. They're some of the more recently painted nids and are quite varied in their mutations so I think it was appropriate them being the vanguard of the force.

The second Flyrant will have his wings replaced with the Swarmlord's Bonesabres. The wings are a bit too big at the front distracting from what's behind but there was nowhere else to put him really. I even got my Rippers on the board on the right. The blades are black with Turquoise, I have to still photograph them in natural light.

CC Tervigon is the 'mother hen' that is back at the hive [Bastion] which is surrounded by it's defensive walls [and Quad Gun ;) ] and it's aptly named 'Hive Guard' who are defending the Hive from anyone foolish enough to approach. I think this accurately depicts my belief that Tyranids are not just a roaming force that don't have structures or things to defend. When you see it like this it makes sense, sadly with so little Tyranid terrain and buildings you don't often see it like this, hence the misconceptions.

Even the Trygon had to take a back seat due to the amount of stuff on the board and when I display it for real I will probably add even more gaunts wherever I can fit them! The Biovore is hiding in the background too.

Hive Guard and Quad Gun defend the Hive. I was quite surprised how well the defence line managed to fit the hilltop that was cut at a completely random shape. I guess it's just very versatile.

My rarely seen Gargoyles will be in the background. I dislike them so much I couldn't even be bothered to put more than 4 in these shots, just treating them as 'placeholders' for where I'll put them today.

Lastly, plenty of node points will be scattered among the battlefield debris.

I'll be dragging all this stuff to Southport and it also happens to be day one of the Southport Airshow. The Red Arrows should be there [weather permitting] and indeed tomorrow there was supposed to be a fleeting visit by Avro Vulcan, no, not Avro Vulcan but the only remaining flying Avro Vulcan, unfortunately I've been told it's suffered a mechanical problem so will be unlikely to attend. Maybe the Free Radical Collective have go to it! However, it does mean Southport will be an absolute nightmare tomorrow for traffic/parking so hopefully I'll find a way to avoid all of that.

Meanwhile, having finished my board a few weeks back and coming down after the 'gluttony' of the Scythe and Teacup tournament my hobby Mojo is at an all time low. Even painting the Swarmlord's Bonesabres left me on some occasions unable to paint for more than 20-30 minutes at a stretch [bodes well for my Dark Angels!]. The situation has not been helped by a renewed interest in Dawn of War II and more recently Saints Row 3rd [I know IV  has just come out but 3rd is what I've got].

Not to mention my kids started back at school this week and I discovered now my eldest is in secondary school and has much further to walk he gets up 20-30 minutes after me and will be under my feet while I get my morning routine done. On the plus side it may force me to abandon my late night stupidity so I can get up on time and get my stuff done before the kids descend on me. And my 93 year old Aunt has also been in hospital this week which is emotionally and physically draining too.

Sadly this means my blog schedule is running dry which may force a short hiatus, but usually when I suggest that, my mojo returns and nothing changes. Although give me a glut of GW today and I may just keep feeling sated like an overfed snake for weeks again. However, even if a short break transpires there may well be something wonderful that will happen before then, it's Saturday though and it seems no one reads the blog on the weekend [according to my stats] so who knows if anyone will pick up the teaser tomorrow...

 

1250pt battle report - nids Vs Dark Angels

Psychic Powers Tervigon HQ Tervigon Troop Broodlord [Adrenal] Enfeeble Life leech NA Life Leech Iron Arm Iron Arm Iron Arm

Here's the low down:

• Crusade (5 objectives - at the base of the defence cannon tower and between the two rock formations in the first pic, in the second pic in the middle rock formation, behind the tower and in the ruins in Gonders Deployment Zone ).
• Hammer and Anvil
• I lost deployment, but eventually stole the initiative
• Once again I put the Stealers out on a limb and infiltrated them out of sight behind the rock formation, although scouting Ravenwing decided to take an interest in them

With the initiative mine I Iron Armed up on all the psykers spawned out 17 Termagants from the Troop Tervigon at the top and spawned out 10 from the HQ at the bottom. Everything moved up and ran as there was no one within range of any weapons.

The Stealers took cover in the rock formation. Given how these guys quite often get slaughtered early on I was happily reigned to that situation given that they were a very immediate threat to Gonders marines and would potentially draw a lot of fire compared to the rest of the force advancing across the board.

The Ravenwing started their attack sweeping across in front of the 'Brides of Caliban' :) [yes we had a lot of fun discussing the 'hen party' that is Gonders be-robed Tactical Squad.

The Ravenwing manage to get in range of the Stealers.

And pick off the two exposed xenos on the cliffs.

Further fire from the Dark Angels took out 3 Hormagaunts.

My turn two and a series of disastrous armour saves removed 5 of the Bridal squad thanks to Hive Guard, Tervigon, Tyranid Warrior and Devgaunt combined shotting

The Trygon tried to charge into combat but couldn't make it, even with Fleet re-rolls. Instead the remaining Stealers were sacrificed to deliver the Broodlord into a challenge with the Ravenwing Sergeant. Five Hormagaunts were left alive through overwatch but killed an Enfeebled Ravenwing.

The Broodlord on St9 thanks to Adrenal Glands and Iron Arm slaughters the Ravenwing Sergeant. The Ravenwing only manage to kill one Hormagaunt in combat!

The razorback deposits the Dark Angel Command Squad right into the thick of things and one of the Tyranid Warriors is killed but not by the Razorback as it's twin-linked Las-Cannons have never killed a single entity in the four months of this campaign, Gonders would want you to know this.

The Hive Guard wreck the Razorback for First Blood, once again preserving it's track record of impotence. The Tervigon makes it into combat with the Dreadnought but failed his Iron Arm roll. The Trygon joins the fight with the Ravenwing and the Warriors make it into combat with the Command Squad, the Prime and the Librarian going toe-to-toe in a challenge.

The Tervigon puts two penetrating hits on the Dreadnought, more importantly he rips the Close Combat weapon off it with it's Crushing Claws. Two of the Warriors have been smashed by the Power Fist sergeant and the Warrior puts a wound on the Librarian who I think passed his Ld test for the Boneswords.

With little choice the Librarian tries to activate one of his Psychic abilities to keep the squad in the fight but shadows in the warp forces him to fail and with double 6s he loses his last wound! Fortune does not favour the first Legion today.

The Ravewing are also slaughtered with the Trygon only managing to despatch the last biker after the Broodlord and Hormagaunts are done. he did take a wound or two in the process and the consolidation put the Hormagaunts in the sights of the Bridal squad who managed to take down one unit at least.

The Tervigon had wrecked the Dreadnought, moved out of cover and wanted the Brides!

The Broodlord takes a couple of wounds from the tactical squad in the ruins and surrounding the wrecked Razorback, one of the squad died from climbing on the vehicle.

The HQ Tervigon joined the combat with the command squad, which thanks to the efforts of their Apothecary [FnP] and the Power Fist Veteran had killed off the Prime for Slay thee Warlord.

The end of the 4th turn and we had to call it a night. The Brides were still in combat, the Command Squad was down to two and the HQ Tervigon had suffered a couple of wounds from the Power Fist. The Broodlord managed to evade all incoming fire which was focused on him to try and bring him down.

With both my spawned Termagants holding objectives a 3VP each and First Blood, Slay the Warlord and Line Breaker I was on 9VP and Gonders had 4VP, for the ruin objective and Slay the Warlord.

Seizing the initiative was the beginning of the Dark Angels doom. It wasn't helped by all the psykers having Iron Arm but Gonders dice rolling was appalling - a lot of 1s for 2+ to wound rolls and Power Armour was equally ineffective. Saying that the Tyranid Prime was his usual ineffective self failing to wound and therefore his armour save ignoring bonesword was useless. I may have to consider Adrenal Glands for him just to buff his strength - even 3+ isn't enough. Saying that for 10 pts I could have had Regeneration on him...

As for Dark Angels, well with my own efforts to do my force this didn't bode well but the early rumours are the Codex relies on 'synergy' [where've we heard that before] getting a mix of Ravenwing, Deathwing and Greenwing so it all fights together. Gonders hasn't really had that opportunity. His 1250pts has been built in 250pt chunks so it's no surprise it's finding things difficult when I've got three monstrous creatures - T6 and W6 with the ability to make them even more durable. That's before you factor in Termagants, Hormagaunts, 12 wounds of Warriors and the 6 wounds of the Hive Guard. A really tough challenge for him.

1250pt battle report - nids Vs Grey Knights

I hope the number of GK battles I'm getting through isn't tiresome for you all but when you have a few people to play you're often going to face the same armies, especially for those building and discovering their new force. This was another pre-Throne of Skulls game that got put back due to the immediacy of the tournament reports and other more interesting posts. In fact this was the game that convinced me to take the Doom to ToS, that should foreshadow his impact on the game...

My local friendly neighbourhood gaming club had another Saturday opening, mainly for guys doing a Fantasy campaign. PeteB came off a night shift to paint some figures and pick up a game if I was there, which I was, with my son. He was planning on taking part in a local tournament so wanted 1250pts. I'd took a simple 1000pt list and added 3 Hive Guard [for a change] and the Doom of Malantai [for the giggles]. Dawn of war setup, Purge the Alien [of course]. I got Intimidating Presence on the Prime [again] and I'm pretty sure the Broodlord gained one witchfire spell [useless!] but also Endurance, not so sure what the Tervigon got but I think one was Enfeeble.

Here's my deployment, I think I went first, one thing to note is that the ruined building on the left has two towers either end of the walkway, currently the Broodlord and Stealers are hiding in the tower at the top which has no windows on the other side so PeteB can't see them and hopefully will forget about them until his force advances and they can spill forth to his surprise.

As usual I advance, the Devourers taking the right flank and making cover in the ruins. Everything is a bit pinched at the point but I'm hoping to weather the oncoming storm. Shooting didn't go as well as it could have, the Hive Guard fired on his Razorback, I think five of the six hit but I only got one penetrating shot! So much for that extra Hive Guard. Amusingly however, the tank was immobilised which if you recall the last time we played it was immobilised first turn on a hedge! This Razorback is not for travelling long distances. you can just see the Stealers in the middle left tower who were 'Endured'. No spawning of Termagants for the Tervigon, I was already 10 VP's to PeteB's 9 I didn't want to increase that dis-advantage. 

PeteB's first turn advance, not sure what took place but I survived most of it but think I lost one of the Hive Guard , once again so much for the extra body.

Turn 2 and I continue to surge forwards while my son builds dice towers! No sign of the Doom. The Tervigon elects not to spawn but Enfeebles the Knight squad opposite. The Stealers bide their time and Endure. The Devgaunts move further into the ruins and shoot, alongside the Deathspitters of the Warriors the Enfeebled Knights doing serious damage due to their T3. The Hive Guard target the Razorback again and this time strip away it's remaining hull points. Pete disembarks the ruined Razorback. 

Both Dreadknights and Terminators [just in front of the left tower] Deepstrike. 

In the haste to deploy all three units the sensor arrays must have been well short of acceptable co-ordinate tolerances. The Terminators deviate closer to the tower, the grey NDK into the ruin shruggeing off any ill effects and the black NDK deviates onto my Tervigon and emergency shunts to the very back of his deployment zone facing the wrong way!

Everything advances, some of them teleporting forwards. At this point my son decides to point out I have a brood of Genestealers hiding opposite his guys! Thanks for that son!

The NDK incinerates a vast swathe of Hormagaunts an a couple of wounds are taken by the Tyranid Warriors.

The five Purifiers [?] and their Champion assault the Warriors, the Champion and Tyranid Prime rolling off to see who's special rules - Lash Whip and I10 attacks take place first. Despite my boneswords negating armour save we remain locked in combat but the Warriors lose two while killing two marines and the assault continues.

The Stealers surge from the Tower, the Tervigon Enfeebles the grey NDK and the Devgaunts move further away from the black  NDK who is hurrying to get in the fight and has the 12" range template flamer to shoot. The Tervigon decides to spawn some gants for extra firepower and soak up overwatch. They all shoot, including the Hive Guard at the five man squad in the middle who lose one and teleport jump back to their deployment zone leaving a lot of frustrated Tyranids with no one to assault.

The Devgaunts targeted the front four knights and they routed off the board.

The melee continued with the titanic challenge failing to deliver a victor. The Broodlord and Stealer demolished the Purifiers leaving them and the remaining Warrior to stand and watch the challenge. Meanwhile the Termagants assaulted the Grey Knight Terminators and thanks to the Adrenal Glands and Toxin Sacs managed to kill one knight while taking five losses of their own [an acceptable trade].

The Trygon finally took the fight to the NDK who, being Enfeebled, had little response to it's seven attacks and was mauled to pieces.

PeteB's turn and the Terminators kill the remaining Termagants, the teleport knights jumped back into the fray and went for the big brawl with the Prime finally getting his Bonesword through the Champions might defence and winning the challenge.

And thus came the Doom, smack in the middle of everything. It sucked the life from all four knights in combat and gained four wounds. It may have taken some or all of the terminators too, unless the stealers and Warriors finished them off.

Despite the game turning setback the black NDK arrived and managed to go through both Tervigon and Trygon but the game was flowing so thick and fast at this stage I didn't take pics and my recollections is hazy. He moved out of range of the Doom...

but not far enough as it floated towards it sucking the remaining life force from the NDK leaving the battlefield a slaughterhouse for the Emperor's finest.

And that's how the Doom of Malantai can turn a game on it's head. Often when it comes in too early it gets slaughtered but there was very little left that wasn't already engaged to counter it's no saving throw life sucking abilities.

1000pt battle report - nids Vs Grey Knights [Again!]

Playing on a Sunday night, what next! Ah well if I hadn't have postponed the family ironing then PeteB would have been without his gaming fix due to four consecutive night shifts - OUCH! So we had quite a cool little game in his cleared out 'man cave' - the garage. Certain advantages to having a newly found dedicated space but maybe we'll think differently come the Winter and not in a Game of Thrones fashion either.

So a 1000pts each, I got first turn, Dawn of War/Relic intimidating presence and PeteB got the overwatch on full BS. Oh, and note the TWO! Nemesis Dread Knights. As if one wasn't bad enough last time. This is after my first move. The Genestealers were able to secure the relic[the tiny yellow tyre valve cap!] thanks to infiltrate. The Hive Guard fired on the black NDK and he saved with ease. Tervigon spawned 8, that's about it.

BOOM! The grey NDK pops a large blast on the Termagants and does some damage. Funnily enough the Razorback fails it's difficult terrain test on the anaemic hedge, something we will be bringing up in many future matches no doubt ;) The black NDK fires it's flamer, I forgot it has a rang of 12" and it incinerates the stealers and a couple of Hormagaunts leaving the Broodlord safe with the relic. First Blood to PeteB!

The Devgaunts take a couple of casualties but the rubble help with saves.

The Tyranids are looking slightly less secure thanks to their dwindling numbers.

My turn two. Another 8 Termagants are spawned and they conga back to my half. The Broodlord heads back to take the Relic further away from the Grey Knights. Hive Guard fire again on the NDK and again it does nothing. Ymgarl Genestealers come from the pillars and my Momstrous Creatures charge forwards.

Devgaunts and Tyranid Prime take cover behind the ruins preparing to trade fire with the five man squad opposite. He takes a casualty. Hormagaunts assault the NDK to tarpit him and prevent anymore flamer shots but suffer 3 dead from wall of flame. In the assault four die but he stays locked. At this point I wish I'd attempted to get the Prime in there too. Rending claws and twin boneswords - one unsaved wound he could be instakilled!

Broodlord offloads the Relic and heads back to the fight.

After much deliberation I decide to assault the NDK with the Trygon alone, no point having challenge shenanigans like last time. The Tervigon assaults the GK squad and shrugs off overwatch fire. The Ymgarls charge in for extra support.

The Trygon smashes the NDK to pieces, it failing four out of the six wounds, it then consolidates 6". The other melee leaves four knights left and they flee.

Everyone consolidates a few inches. The squad in the Razorback comes out at some point and gets eaten but not sure when or by whom but the Ymgarls don't appear after this pic so something went wrong for both of us.

The four man squad facing the Devgaunts 'shunts' into my deployment zone They flame the perfectly aligned Termagants and the Relic is left among the charred remains.

The Tervigon advanced to the back of the Razorback to assault it [which it did] and also keep the GK squad fleeing. I think the Trygon ate the Inquisitor squad following it's destruction of the Ymgarls [I think], Slay the Warlord to me. The Black NDK advanced and I assaulted it with the Prime. I managed to put a wound on it and then he used his force sword  [unnecessarily] failed Shadows of the Warp and took a wound but I also took a wound and being St10 the Prime was Insta-killed. Slay the Warlord to PeteB.

He consolidates, ready to shoot the Devgaunts who had previously killed three of the four GK's in my deployment zone, the last one broke and fled, you can see it next to the ruins. I think the Devgaunts were then flamed.

I failed my Instinctive behaviour for the Hive guard in the previous turn and in my eagerness to do my Tervigon assault forgot to shoot the NDK, not that they'd done anything to it that night. The NDK therefore took advantage and flamed and then sliced them with it's sword. Meanwhile my Trygon tried to race back to help the Broodlord, the Tervigon staying where it was for Linebreaker. The NDK somehow ends up in combat with the Broodlord after this pic is taken putting a wound on it with it's flamer.

But thanks to Iron Arm I hit first, causing two rending wounds and two normal ones and we call it. 

PeteB is hoping for a win next time, I think the first NDK was a lucky kill for me but I think for the first time the advance delivered and I think it was because the Ymgarls, Tervigon and Trygon had a lot of support for each other. He pulled some really neat tricks and the NDKs are still difficult to kill but I think it's early days for his force and given time when he knows exactly how to peal me apart I'm going to suffer. Terminators next time I think.