2000pts battle report - Tyranids v Necrons - Game 3 - North West Open

The North West Open Tournament @ Wargames is an ITC format competition using the following rules pack: ITC 8th ed Combined Arms Missions. Each mission was rolled for randomly before the game and we were then all told which one to play.

Game 3 low down:

• Scenario 1 - Retrieval [check the rules pack linked above for all the details]
• Dawn of War deployment
• 1 Eternal War objective and 1 Maelstrom objective

Moving down from table 22 to table 24 I was matched with David Woods and his Necrons. Unfortunately I didn't take too many pictures so it's a bit difficult to work out what went on. Additionaly I think this was David's first ever tournament and third game of 8th edition so we spent a lot of time trying to get things right. I believe I won first turn but importantly you should note I totally messed up deployment. My big mistake was putting the bastion between those two ruins. In particular the two storey building meant none of my Monstrous creatures could be deployed inside as they had to climb up one side and down the other to get out as you can no longer 'pass through walls' by barging through with a difficult terrain test! Insead my Tervigon was forced into the single storey ruin on the left. Anyway, I drew Maelstrom objectives 1 and 2, which was possibly by my Bastion and where I brought the Trygon and Genestealers in, hoping to live to my turn 2. I was sure I killed something in turn 1 but it may have just been weight of fire into the Doomsday Ark to strip away all but 5 of it's wounds, at least it degraded a bit.

In return the Genestealers and Trygon were wiped off the board! This would deny me securing both objectives in my turn. The Flyrant was also wounded enough to reduce it at least one, if not two tiers of damage [they're really not that good, or I'm not using then correctly].

I scored my 1VP and drew Objective one and kill a unit. The Doomsday Ark was my best chance [even though it's Living Metal had repaired one of it's wounds]. The Flyrant swooped forward and I was able to take it down. Additional damage was wrought on the Warriors and Immortals.

But most of them got back up again in their turn leaving me back where I started.

Unbelievably, considering my results, throughout most of the day my dace rolling had been obscenely good. Quite often statistically improbable, which made me wonder just how bad a results I could have had. This I think was a series of saves, FnP and Tenacious Survivor results for my Flyrant leaving him still on the board.

This gave the Flyrant the opportunity to assault one of the Doom Scythes, whose Death Ray was laying down all sorts of hurt with abandon. Unfortunately without any melee weapons I could only take it to 5 wounds left [which it would repair one - Living Metal]. Meanwhile the Carnifex and Malanthrope mad eit into combat but I couldn't kill a unit

Flying off left the Flyrant exposed and ultimately it was plucked from the sky. I think my conga lined Termagants managed to secure me the Eternal War mission and I got Line Breaker by deploying the Rippers in that Ruin in the back of the board where they couldn't be seen [which is why I left them in there overnight!] I ended with 9 points but David got 11 with Line Breaker, Slay the Warlord and Big Game Hunter and the Maelstrom Mission win. Surprisingly my unit with the highest Power Level for Big Game Hunter was not the Flyrant, Trygon or even the two Carnifex but my Genestealers!

Three games, three losses but again a really good game and David and I had a lot of fun. I totally screwed up my deployment, which highlighted another problem with the way 8th works now. LoS blocking buildings/ruins are so important nowadays to actually offer some protection for larger creatures/vehicles, but those pictured above serve up a massive nightmare for movement. Granted creatures/vehicles have so many more wounds now that the idea of protecting them further seems greedy but they're still dieing in droves because heavy weapons are more destructive and small arms have chances to damage even when there used to be none.

Anyway, it was a great game and I was ready for day 2, perhaps that wooden spoon could be mine...?

2000pts battle report - Tyranids v Blood Angels - Game 2 - North West Open

The North West Open Tournament @ Wargames is an ITC format competition using the following rules pack: ITC 8th ed Combined Arms Missions. Each mission was rolled for randomly before the game and we were then all told which one to play.

Game 2 low down:

• Scenario 5 - Big Guns Never Tire [check the rules pack linked above for all the details]
• Front Line assault deployment
• 2 Eternal war and Maelstrom objectives

Despite the loss I remained on table 22, which was actually rather convenient and I was up against Max's mate Steve Tiencken [the only Welshman in the tournament according to him ;) ]. Max had some Assault Cannon Razorbacks, Baal Predators, a Sicaran Battle Tank, a Fire Raptor :(, Storm Raven, various Tactical Marines and three Assault Cannon Tarantulas holding his centre [in cover] buffed by a Primaris Captain and Lieutenant [re-rolls of some kind for hits and wounds]. I won first turn and surged forward.

Tyrgon also turned up to draw some fire from the Flyrant. My target priority were the Tarantulas for First Blood and because I thought they would be relatively simple to kill while their survival would put out disproportionately high shooting thanks to the buffs around them. I succeeded but then found out First Blood/Strike was not a bonus mission in this scenario! Meanwhile I had to hold onto my two objectives in my deployment until turn 2.

The Genestealers and Trygon did their job too well in Steve's turn suffring 19 Stealer casualties and 7 wounds off the Trygon.

Then the Trygon took even more fire and was killed while the Flyrant was reduced to 8 wounds.

It took a further four wounds and then I think the Tactical squad got some shots on it and my failed saves, Catalyst and Tenacious Survivor failed to stop the remaining damage.

The Flyrant was dead for Slay the Warlord.

The lone Genestealer was then set upon by the Tactical Squad that disembarked from the Razorback.

Teh Marines attacking first on the charge meant he could not survive the five to one odds.

Not sure what I did this turn, clearly the Carnifex barreled forward and charged the Tactical Squad - killing them outrigh. I secured my Maelstrom objectives thankfully and with hold objective 1 and kill a unit I was halfway to scoring another 2 point sin my next turn.

Steve responded by strafing my lines, killing the lead Carnifex.

It also looks like the tervigon was popped.

While the Termagants were whittled in numbers as I aimed to hold objective 1 while still advancing up the board.

I gain my 2 VPs and draw Objective 1 and Kill a Unit again. I move the Devgaunts and Carnifex up and rain fire down on the Tactical squad in the trench - killing them for my next turn VP.

The Storm Raven moves off to the left but targets the Carnifex.

Shooting from the Fire Raptor combines to destroy the Carnifex and subsequently the Termagants.

I gain my 2VPs but draw hold my objective 1 and Steve's objective 1. I bring the Rippers up in the trneches, hoping to sneak that enemy objective 1. All my Bastion, Quad Gun and Hive Guard shooting manages to bring the Storm Raven down [probably using a Command re-roll to do it].

All Steve's shooting went into my Bastion, bringing it down along with one of the Hive Guard in the twisted wreckage.

Steve then killed the remaining Hive Guard and most of the Warriors with the Fire Raptor.

I may be mistaken but I think he subsequently killed everything left on the board - the Rippers, Malanthrope and remaining Warrior leaving me tabled. Not entirely sure but it rings a bell that it went down that way. Ultimately I scored 7 Maelstrom VPs but Steve had been more consistent and took the 8 points for Maelstrom, the 8 Points for Eternal War and potentially the clean sweep of Bonus Points to make it 19:0! Once again defeat and a score line that overlooks what hard won success I did achieve but perhaps reflects more what remained of my army.

Again, no complaints from me. The Flyers were a challenge to contend with [I only managed to deal with one] and those Primaris HQ units were pretty tough but a perfectly decent list and Steve was a great sport and good fun. On to game 3.

2000pts battle report - Tyranids v Harlequins & Ynnari - Game 1 - North West Open

The North West Open Tournament @ Wargames is an ITC format competition using the following rules pack: ITC 8th ed Combined Arms Missions. Each mission was rolled for randomly before the game and we were then all told which one to play.

Game 1 low down:

• Scenario 3 - No Mercy [kill points based on Power Level]
• Vanguard Strike deployment
• Kill points [power levels] and Maelstrom

First game and it was opposite Max Koch and his lovely Harlequins, now I hadn't intended to do a thorough battle report so forgive the fact I didn't get much of Max's first turn but it's clear those Venoms made some ground into the centre of the board and in the trees on the left.

To which I totally got sucked into dealing with. I'm not sure if that was Max's intention but having put 9 wounds on the Tervigon I had to use it to deal with the nearest Venom but in so doing left the Termagants outside of it's range to reinforce and add rerolls to 1s on their shooting! My whole reason for it's inclusion dismissed in the first turn!

I did manage to get First Strike this turn  - the combined shooting of the Bastion, Hive Guard and Flyrant on the Venom in the top, middle of the board. But with secure Objective 1 [in the centre of the board] and have three Tyranid units and none of my opponents within 12" of my board edge I couldn't quite secure any Maelstrom missions.

Max disembarked some Harlequins who flipped over my Termagants so they could target the Carnifex with their Fusion Pistols - wiping it out.

My Trygon Prime and Genestealers had come on in a hope of removing the Dark Reapers in the ruined bunker. They'd failed their charge, or I didn't even bother with the woods adding 2" to their charge. They then paid the price with the Tygon being shot to pieces, I think from a Soulburst action at some point.

I suddenly remembered I had Command Points so re-rolled a save and he went back in place with just 3 wounds left - foolish?

The Venom on my left got destroyed and it's occupants took revenge on the Tervigon - the one saving grace it was too far from my gaunts to cause any synaptic backlash.

More Harlequins somersaulted through my lines, killing the second Carnifex

And then the Malanthrope.

The other Troupe used their Fusion Pistols to surgically take apart the Bastion, killing a Hive Guard in the process. This left the Aeldari exposed allowing my Warriors to whittle their numbers down a bit.

Teragants suffered some more casualties and with no Synapse battle shock took a further toll.

Genestealers and Trygon assaulted the Dark Reapers

And made them pay the price for their visious long range attacks. Unfortunately their consolidate left them far away from the remaining action and my Rippers were hoping to secure an objective.

However they were shot off the board and thr game came to a close.

Max had secured the most kill points so scored 8VPs for that. He also beat me for Maelstrom Mission points and gained another 8VPs. He secured 2 bonus VPs for King of the Hill [most units in the centre of the board] and Slay the Warlord. He failed to get First Strike [kill a unit in your first turn] but I got it in mine. Final score 18:1

Max was a great player, subsequently I found out he'd previously won the WarhammerFest GT and in his next NWO match tabled Richard Hope from Geeks Wargaming. The fact I still had some units on the board made me feel a little better about the loss, but it was a really relaxed game and any moment where things had gone wrong, he brushed the errors aside with no issue. For instance Max was unaware my Trygon Prime had synapse so hadn't ensured he killed it outright [no doubt thanks to my re-rolled save], when he realised it was anchoring the Genestealers a casual "mistakes were made" and we moved on. To have someone so successful in tournaments and yet play so casually without forcing an issue and so keep the game flowing was a real pleasure, not to mention his army was really nice too. Onto game 2.

Otty's scratchbuilt Tyranid Bastion

You know me, I love Tyranid Fortifications and I obviously have strong views on them particularly those that claim they're not something Tyranids would do - they absorb and mutate other life forms, steal their tactics and evolve to overcome them if you don't think they'd produce fortifications alongside the rest of their bio-constructs then you're not looking at the same faction I am. And to top it all considering GW have no love for creating nid fortifcations then it falls to the hobbyist to make their own and they can be as easy or complex to build as you like, thanks to their organic shapes. Now my old mate Otty has empited his bitz box here on his Bastion, with enough spares that it propably costs more than a standard Imperial variety. Enjoy the pics and his decriptions

Here are some photos of my tyranid bastion. The first is black undercoat, then onto block colours.

the third and fourth washed

then the last 3 are the layers and highlights.

This is the finished article. The hole at the top, isn't quite as large as I would have liked, it did start off larger, taking the inspiration from tyranid box art ,which appear to show bastions or towers in the background. I extensively modified the original, adding more scything talons and numerous tyranid components. Changed the automated weapons for gene stealers holding death spitters.

I love the way those Devourers poke out perfectly from those gaps in the Carnifex carapces that are there to accomodate it's vent stacks - inspired.

Well what do you think? There's got to be a point soon where we look at another Apocalypse game I hoped I'd be able to field more of my army now but Otty keeps banging stuff out of such an awesome level I'll struggle to fit in my stuff ;) Anyway, he's given me some more pics to share with you  so look out for those and I hope this has inspred you to build your own nid structure.