Kill Team Battle Report - Dark Angels v Necrons v Ravenguard

PeteB, Ben and myself were lookign to have a boardgame night butBen suggested a trip to Wargames, have a Kill Team battle and check out what's in store and how the Birthday Bash tickets were doing [8 confirmed so far!]. We set up the three way Kill Team on this urban motorway overpass table that Martin subsequently used in his first battle report.

Ben had a mix of Flayed Ones, Necron Immortals and Scarabs
PeteB went with the Ravenguard formation that comes with the Kill Team box [they were unpainted and unfinished but to hand so he'd picked them for convenience]
For simplicity I just proxied my Ravenwing bikes as Black Knights, five of them, done!

Ben managed to Infiltrate his Flayed Ones so that he was deployed in both corners to my right, while PeteB was deployed in front of me on the left.

My inital Scout move put me inside my 'biker club house' a place where all my kills would subsequently congregate.

Ben got off to a good start, killing one of Pete's Marines, which is more than can be said for the Ravenguard, whose shooting included five 1's, one after another! I did point out Pete had brought figures with no arms so it was 'cinematic and fluffy' at least.

I split my Knights in two groups, two went for the middle and the other three headed for the Ravenguard. i did kill something first turn, but I can't remember what it was.

Ranguard continued to hold the high ground on the overpass.

This gave them a perfect vantage point on the Knights [or at least someone got a good shot] and I foolishly decided not to Jink and lost one of the bikes [I think it was also the one that ignores cover on shooting]!

The second bike was overrun by Flayed Ones and Scarabs, suddenly I was down 40% of my Kill Team.

My remaining bikes whittled down the Marine numbers in the corner.

With the last Ravenguard ending up locked in Assault with my Black Knight.

The unengaged bikes headed for the on-ramp, turbo boosting to the top.

The Assault ended with the last of my bikers gaining the ramp, I think he also shot the Scarabs to pieces. He'd later jump off that wrecked section to the left [much like in Tron Legacy] and head to the objective in the crater.

Meanwhile the other Knights managed to shoot and assault almost all the opposition on top of the overpass, with just a Scarab and Marine left, which were overcome. The

The only objective left was the one enarest my biker club house and a furiously ineffective round of shooting meant that the last Ravenguard missed again on a 1 and the Immortal failed to wound or was saved. 

End result was me holding two objectives and a full house of dead 'party goers' in my bike club house with Pete and Ben contesting the last objective. I'd heard Ravenwing Knights were effective but their twin-linked Plasma Talons, BS2 overwatch, skilled rider and Jink re-roll is a great combination. If I hadn't been stupid with my first saving throw it would have been an even more one-sided affair. That said the Flayed Ones were pretty brutal too and as usual the extra shots from 6s on the Tesla are even more telling in a Kill Team situation. As for Pete's dice, they were appalling and probably should be consigned to the bin! We had a laugh though.

I'd like to swap in a Land Speeder into this force, five Knights seem a little OP but I think the Land Speeder will make play different and more of a gamble. However, I wouldn't be able to take a Typhoon without failing to meet the 4 non vehicle model KT requirement as I'd have to drop two Knights. Unfortunately the other option is replace the Ravenwing Command Squad for standard bikes which are cheaper, but then that takes up my Fast Attack slot. Maybe the guys will let me try 3 Knights and the Land Speeder anyways...

1500pts battle report - Caledonian Highlander 1 - Tyranids v Necrons

Table draws had put me up against Anthony Chew and his 15 bikers, something Ben had suggested was a good draw for me [how little he knew]. Unfortunately traffic had been horrendous on the Saturday, we'd only just made it because they'd closed junction 25 of the M6 because someone had skidded in the random slushy conditions that morning. The end result being Anthony hadn't arrived so I was switched to play against Mike Bolton and his Necrons. Anyway, the ETC format is full of scoring elements so I'm not sure how my report will reflect what went on but I'll do my best.

Psychic Powers Winged Tyrant HQ Tervigon CC TR Broodlord Warp Blast Dominion Dominion Paroxysm Onslaught The Horror Dominion

The low down:

• Eternal War missions  
• Maelstrom missions
• Hammer and Anvil
• I think I lost deployment!
• Warlord Trait - -1 to opponents reserve roll
• Not sure about night fighting. 

Mike started with his line of Wraiths, warriors and Destroyers, with nine Tomb Blades behind that pale building.

I fortified the Hive in my usual deployment [don't worry I'm going to start doing different things in future, it's about time for a change]

The Destroyers got off to a good start, getting three wounds on the Tyrannofex, that really stung.

Obligatory first turn move forward.

In retaliation I managed to take out just two Wraiths with the Flyrant, while Mike had positioned them just out of range from the Carnifex [being lazy] and even the T-fex.

Turn 2 and despite the -1 reserve role all Mike's reserves arrived. The Deathmarks appeared and went for the biggest beast in their sniper scopes.

Killing the T-fex for first blood.

Tomb Blades screamed forwards, blasting the Genestealer to pieces with their 'ignore cover' weapons.

That flank was going to roll over, so I had to think about abandoning it with just the Broodlord and a few stealers to try and save. Meanwhile I got the rippers up to the top floor, hopefully out of sight to hold the objective but not be shot/assaulted. Unfortunately I found out my understanding of their Instinctive Behaviour rule was wrong. I was under the assumption Fearless meant you ignored the lower 1-3 role on the table but it appears that's only on specific IB charts and even then if it's a unit of more than one model then they can still turn on each other in 'Feed' - so my brood of 2 Carnifex are now at the same mercies [honestly I thought this Codex was bad, I'm still finding out just how bad it really is].

I moved a unit of spawned gaunts into the centre and the Carnifex still wouldn't break into a run.The Flyrant targetted the Doom Scythe but only put a Hull Point on it.

The Broodlord just couldn;t get away from the Tomb Blades, his retinue falling by the way side and suffering two wounds also.

Which became three!

The Flytant swooped behing the Doom Scythe but the Carnifex tried to bring it down first so he could switch targets to the Wraiths if necessary. Unfortunately the Carnifex managed just the one Hull Point so he had to finish it off leaving the newly arrived Hormagaunts and Spore Pod painfully outnumbered by the nearby Wraiths and Immortals.

The Tervigon's Miasma Cannon tried to damage the Tomb Blades but with little to no success.

Carnifex and Malanthope were only halfway up the board at this stage.

The Tyrannocyte got popped and the the Hormagaunts took cover in the woods.

The Flyrant got down to his last wound, I think he may have been grounded at this point.

Tomb blades advanced on the Skyshield and the Destroyer Lord separated to take out the Rippers who'd started to eat themselves without adult Tyranid supervision!

The flyrant managed to get a rediciulous number of overwatch shots on the Wraiths as they charged in, I think it was as many as 8, but Mike saved every one! He was obviously brought down by them and the game came to and end.

Final score was 16-4, unfortunately this was the only score sheet I remembered to photograph. So you can see what missions we made.

So I kept my record of never winning a first game, but more importantly it was a fun game and Mike was great to play against. I think he eventually came 4th overall, but did get up to the top table by round 4 so losing wasn't that bad really. Luckily I also managed to get a pic with him the next day, everyone was kind enough to conset to selfies, a tall order on the Sunday morning ;) .

1850pts battle report - Tyranids v Necrons

Ben and I haven't had a battle since mid April, so it was about time we did and about time the Hive Fleet Gorgon took on the Necrons once again. We even upped the ante and went 1850pts.

Psychic Powers Winged Tyrant HQ Winged Tyrant Tervigon CC TR Tervigon Plain Tr Onslaught Warp Blast Onslaught Warp Blast Psychic Scream Paroxysm Dominion Dominion Dominion Dominion Magus Tryst Psychic Shriek Dominate INVISIBILITY!!!!!

The low down:

• One of the Maelstrom missions - 3 cards per turn
• Vanguard Strike
• I lost deployment but was asked to deploy first and Ben seized thanks to his +1 to Seize warlord trait
• Warlord Trait - Move through cover and Stealth [Ruins]
• No night fighting.

Ben did give me a sporting chance by not taking the Decurion but other than that there was a lot to be wary of: 6 Wraiths, Triarch Stalker, two units of Immortals, Ghost Ark, Tomb Blades, Annihilation Barge as well as Doom Scythe delivering Lychguard and Warriors into the fray.

I'd used a lot of my Throne of Skulls force, but got three Dakkafex and two Flyrants in as well two Tervigons. The key being I went for two CADs and the Genestealer allies.

Ben Went first and advanced everything, he managed to kill a Termagant in my big brood and the Tomb Blades took my Genestealer hybrids down to 4 and the Magus [on 1 wound] thanks to ignores cover upgrades! He was unable to score any VPs though.

I was extremely lucky with my cards, I pulled hold objectives 1, 5 and 6, which were all closest [or inside] my DZ. Number 6 was in the ruined tower on my left, I spawned out on 9 Termagants to secure it, the big blob got number 1 and the remaining Cultists held number 6 on the right in the wood. Meanwhile the Carnifex and Hive Tyrant took the centre. One Flyrant managed to cast Warp Blast but failed to hit the Stalker, which might have brought his Quantum Shielding down so the Brainleech could glance it.

So instead everything fired at the Wraiths, all the Dakkafex and the Flyrants - 70 shots [plus a few Termagants might have caused a wound] and it was just enough to beat the odds. He failed only enough saving throws and Reanimation Protocols to kill the squad. It was a devastating blow but took all my resources. I ended the turn with 3VPs plus First Blood.

But NEcrons are an implacable foe with a Doom Scythe appearing above

and Flayed ones appearing below. Unfortunately the second unit of Flayed ones mishapped and I deployed them out of harms way in the far corners [although not far from objective 4 so still of use should Ben get the card].

Ben initially brought the Doom Scythe on here, but due to the hull mounted weaponry having little to shoot at moved to the other side of the Chaos Shrine and deplyed the Lychguard onto objective 2.

In his turn 2 Ben managed to complete two missions - capture objective 2 with the Lychguard and Assassinate - killing my second Flyrant [the one with Warp Blast!] with the combined shooting of his Ghost Ark and Immortals. I think the Carnifex I'd given spine banks to was also killed, Ben had managed to recoup the value of his lost Wraiths.

The cards were kind again for me, objective 6 was secured by the remaining Cultists for a second turn and I was able to manifest 3 psychic powers: Tervigon cast Warp Blast, hit the Tomb Blades but they Jinked and survived. Warlord Flyrant cast Psychic Scream but the nearby Immortals survived no problem and something was Onslaughted. Manifesting the powers, even with little effect on the game netted me 2 out of D3 victory points.

Turn 3 and Ben managed to overrun my Cultists with the Tomb Blades.

The Doom Scythe targeted my Dakkafex with little joy, but it [or the Ghost Ark] did deposit a bunch of Warriors in the middle of the board just to ruin my day.

The middle of the board was looking pretty solid and to cap it all those misplaced Flayed Ones did come into their own and secure objective 4 in the top left to score Ben a VP.

Underneath the Skyshield the Flayed ones charged the Termagants. I could only get 16 in pay and managed to bring their number down to 5, but with 25 attacks on the charge they slaughtered the 16 they could reach, leaving them locked with the remaining 13. The Lychguard charged the Dakkafex in the middle, I avoided their Mindshackle Scarabs [I hate them with a passion] and it stomped on one or two but they cut him down with ease.

My turn 3 and I drew objective 4 and 2, [both in Ben's DZ and one held by the Flayed Ones the other by Immortals] and a VP to have three units in my own DZ and none of Ben's. Due to the positioning of the Flyrant I had to turn right instead of left, towards the objectives and give support to the newly arrived Tyrannocyte and Rippers. The Pod had landed almost exactly between obj 2 and 4, the Rippers could claim one as they were ObSec but only with a run which they made. 

The Flyrant took out the Annihilation Barge regardless, while the Tervigon assaulted the remaining Tomb Blades. Underneath the Skyshield the Genestealers broke the deadlock with the Flayed Ones securing me the VP but that is an issue I'll get to at the end...

The Termagants having made a disastrous charge on the Immortals turned tail and were chased by the Immortals, the other spawned gaunts tried to tar pit the Lychguard

Everything else poured fire into the exposed Dakkafex, except for the other broadside of the Ghost Ark which aimed at the Tyrranocyte. The Dakkafex went down to just one wound and then took another 5 that I had to save

Yeah, not on this watch!

The Dakkafex fell.

The Flayed ones wiped out the Rippers to secure objective 4 and a VP.

The Gaunts managed to pull down a few more Lychguard, and I was able to secure objective 5 in the ruined tower for another VP. Meanwhile on my right flank the Flyrant had managed to reach the Tomb Blades locked in combat with the Tervigon. The Flyrant managed to cast Psychic Scream, with Ben looking out on a 12 on the Leadership wiping them out and freeing up the Tervigon.

But they were ultimately slaughtered, leaving the Necron Overlord to hunt larger prey next...

The Flayed ones from objective 4 continued to be useful [considering Ben wasn't going to put them on after the mishap] by wiping out the Tyrranocyte, 

it did kill at least one of them in combat though which is always nice to see :)

The Overlord charged the Tervigon, which was down to 2 wounds so it was not going to survive but as both were Initiative 2 I could achieve mutual destruction with a Smash! attack. One roll of the dice and I hit, and I got a 2 to wound. He failed any save [if he had one] and his Reanimation Protocol but he took out the Tervigon as he went.

This wiped out a number of Termagants in the ruins.

Ben's turn 5 and despite our early start we're pushing 12:30am and Ben manages to secure objective 1 with the remaining Lychguard and 3 to score 2VPs and I think he gets Linebreaker. Given the hour we decide to call it.

For the first time ever Hive Fleet Gorgon has won against the Necrons, with 9 VPs, plus 2 for First Blood and Slay the Warlord I'm on 11 and Ben scores 8 but in writing the report I realise I've cocked up. I'd been thinking how I'd achevved it with some expensive units effectively just holding objectives - the Cultists and Genestealers which I could have done with a 40pt unit of Termagants The Cultists scored 2, for  a cost of 150pts and all the Stealers did was broke the deadlock with the Flayed ones to score 1 VP and they cost 130pts, except when I went to look how much they were I realised when I'd switched from my ToS starting list of 1 CAD plus allies to 2 CADs plus allies I;d had to drop the Stealers to fit the second Tervigon  and small unit of Gaunts in. So in effect I played with the Stealers when I shouldn't have :(

This would make the score more 10-8, I'm pretty sure the Termagants, even with the Venomthrope couldn't have bested the five flayed ones, 13 attacks, plus the 3 poisoned [2+] Venomthrope shots and it's Toxic Miasma. I'd have been lucky to take out three of the five which would have left them in my DZ/table edge. They'd have then been killed by the 20 attacks in return but what would they have done after, and how it would impact the remaining game I can't tell. To say I'm p'ed off is an understatement. My first success ever and I went and screwed it up with a mistake.