Blog Wars 6 1850pt battle report - nids vs Dark Eldar/Eldar allies - game 3

With a high percentage of nid players, 6 out of 34, it was no surprise for me to face at least one of our mast hated foe, Dark Eldar or Eldar. Daniel Russel brought both with a scary mix of Reaver jetbikes, ]OK not much poison but you know I hate cluster caltrops] Eldar Shadow Spinner and 4 flyers - a Crimson Hunter, a Void Raven and 2 Razorwings. My son took a lot of the pictures so bare with some of the more eclectic shots he takes, not necessarily of the action but they're usually quite cool pictures though.

Psychic Powers Winged Tyrant HQ Winged Tyrant Tervigon CC TR Tervigon Plain Tr Enfeeble Enfeeble Smite Endurance Life Leech Warp Speed Life Leech Smite Doom of Malan'tai  Psychic Shriek

The low down:

• Crusade
• Dawn of War
• I think I lost deployment and went second.
• Warlord Trait - Tenactiy - FnP with 3" of an objective

The tournament was running late at this stage so the game time was reduced by 15 minutes, so no pressure then. Daniel set up with his Reavers next to his objective and his Shadow Weavers occupying three storeys of the nearby ruins.

I swooped the Flyrant forwards but still within cover from the ruins.

My Tervigon remained in the ruins, he's actually on the ground floor so he could not be barraged by the Shadow Weavers who'd put 2 wounds on the Mawloc because of this. I'm trying to think now should he be able to claim being on the ground floor if he can't physically fit. Obviously MCs can just barge through any ruins and leave it standing but something makes me second guess this now and I can't find the rules to say whether I can/can't. Anyway, he's got the objective and spawns 13, which head toward my other objective. 

The Flyrant swooping through the ruins.

Hive Guard and Biovores hunker down next to the Tervigon in the ruins out of Barrage from the Shadow Weavers..

On comes the Crimson Hunter with the Reavers moving forwards in the background. 

I think this is the Void Raven and everything put the hurt on the Flyrant in the ruins - so I'd played him conservatively game 1 and this is what happens when I play him aggressive and he's giving me the +1 to reserves!

He takes a hit, then falls out of the sky, he's taken either 1 or 2 wounds at this point and then he's swept by these Reavers who cheekily revel in the gore-soaked battlements of my own Bastion.

As they pass the Flyrant they slash him with their blades and caltrops killing him outright - First Blood and Slay the Warlord.

My 13 gaunts are heading for my 2nd objective [a Skyfire Nexus]

But their advance is obliterated by a Shadow Weaver barrage!

I move the Biovores towards the Bastion.

The Reavers continue to posture atop my own Fortification

One of the Devgaunt pods arrive in Daniels backfield to face the three Wracks holding his objective. 

The Wracks did not survive the Devourer fire, even going to ground.

My other Flyrant Deep Strike Swooped behind the Void Raven... 

and shredded it with Devourer fire. 

The Doom arrived in the background and was able to take some life from the Haemonculous and the Shadow Weaver gunners.

The Doom now had the objective. Apparently Duke Silacus tried to engage him in combat at some point but failed abysmally which I think eventually meant he was killed by the Doom's Spirit Leech.

I though the Flyrant was safe but didn't realise the Crimson Hunter had Vector Dancer which meant it was suddenly facing down the king of the skies.

Unsurprisingly the Flyrant did not survive the encounter.

More Reavers arrived but positioned to shoot the Doom without having their life leeched from their bodies. He suffered a few wounds, he may even have been reduced down to 1 under the intense shooting but he managed to survive another turn.

With my Hive Commander Tyrant gone my vanilla Tervigon could no longer outflank which ended up handy as it meant this turn it could move to secure my objective alongside the 13 gaunts my CC Tervigon had spawned out on this turn

Biovores head for the Bastion which is now free of Reavers.

The Reavers had been shot by everything nearby and fled. Daniel pointed out an FAQ anomaly that they can still turbo-boost in their turn and as such are never likely to move off the table. I didn't quite follow but time was running out so I went with it and I'll return the debate at the end of the report. Whatever shooting I had done at this stage was being marred by my inability to process my roll-to-hit and then roll-to-wound routines. My earlier clumsiness was being replaced by senior moments of having in my head the four 'to-hit' rolls from my Stinger Salvo where in fact the 'to wound' rolls from some blast weapon. Luckily Daniel kept me on track. You'll also notice a lack of Devgaunts controlling the objective there, not sure what got them, but I think 2 or 3 survived but bolted and where heading for my table edge.

My Mawloc popped up to little or no effect.

The 2 Razorwings arrived.

And some more Reavers.

Razorwings moved to engage my vanilla Tervigon.

Reavers screamed across the backfield.

The Doom was now on 9 wounds having sucked the life from some more Dark Eldar and presumably the Haemonculous and the Duke but he was now in the sights of the Crimson Hunter.

And with time running out I had about 3 minutes to do my turn, not enough to do everything I needed but in the far right another trio of Wracks had turned up but my last Devgaunt Brood also arrived and would have mown them down in the same fashion as their retreating siblings and captured the objective so we called that one mine. The Doom still had the objective above and linebreaker, the other objective to the right of those ruins could have been unclaimed unless a bike squad had it.. My CC Tervigon was still holding the objective next to the ruins having never moved all game. The only problem was a unit of Reavers who had contested the Skyfire Nexus next to the Bastion and trees. With time called I quickly threw four dice for the Tervigon's assault on them but it was just 1s and 2s so it wouldn't have killed the 2 or 3 remaining bikers. I still had some Termagants to Assault and there were probably shooting that could have taken them beforehand but we called it contested and I had 

Therefore I had 3 objectives for 15VPs, plus the 2 secondary VPs. Daniel may have been without any objectives, unless he had the one on the other side of the ruins from the Doom but I think he had all three secondary VPs so it could have ended up 17-3 or 17-8 I'm not sure, either way a win for me. We had quite a nice analysis afterwards about what could have been. Daniel had a lot still on the board I couldn't deal with - Razorwings and Reavers zipping about with impunity. Another turn - those 15 lost minutes and it could have been very different with most all of the objectives being contested/secured by Daniel but the last turn went by so fast I couldn't believe I was left with just 3 minutes when I was sure when I looked and saw Daniel start his turn with 17 minutes to go that 14 minutes hadn't gone by. It's funny how time plays tricks on you.

OK, so two rules issues that came up during play that I didn't have time to deal with given the shortened game:

Shooting on fall back: Daniel was of the belief that you shoot at full BS during fall back moves. This was my gaunts falling back and I was convinced they shoot as snap fires but he insisted. It is in fact only as snap shot fire. [pg 30 BRB]

Turbo boost on fall back: Like I said above I'm not sure what this rule was but Daniel mentioned it to Alex, the event organiser who seemed to be in agreement. I think the gist of it is that units on fall back can choose to run instead of shooting [though why you would do this...] but Jet Bikes get to turbo boost 24" and Eldar/Dark Eldar Jet Bikes get to turbo boost 36". Now he mentioned it hadn't been FAQ'd that somehow even if it was falling back you could then Turbo Boost in the opposite direction to remain on the board. If this is the case and anyone knows what this issue is please explain as I can't find the usual hotly contest RAW Vs RAI debate on the usual forums. 

My look at the rules suggests that [in bold] on page 30 'the only moves they can make in subsequent phases are Fall Back moves until they regroup' and subsequently a Fall Back move is described as each model in the unit moves directly towards their own table edge by the shortest possible route. So I would understand it to be that the movement in the shooting phase [should you be foolish enough to make one] is still a 'fall back' move, because that's the only type of move you can make when you're falling back, and therefore it should be in the direction of your own table edge and with a 36" turbo boost that's likely to be off the table. I don't see how that allows you to boost in the opposite direction but if anyone knows the issue please let me know.

Regardless of this and the ramifications on what would/could have been it makes no difference to me, I'm putting it down to an aberration of the warp :) . Daniel was an absolute gent and together with Phil and Adam capped a great day. 3 competitive but more importantly fun games. I had some challenges and even the horror of facing Dark Eldar, usually my nemesis was replaced with an extremely civilized and equal match up. So thanks to all I played against, see you next Blog Wars

Incidentally, this didn't come up in the game but I was reading about Barrages and how they affect levels on page 100. The assumption I always had was that if you targeted the 1st story of a ruin and a barrage deviates off the ruin and there are models on the ground but none on level 1 then the ground floor figures are unharmed - NOT SO. It says:

"If a blast of large blast weapon scatters, it can still only hit models on the level targeted, though this may be the corresponding level of a nearby ruin. If there is no corresponding level, it instead hits the highest level under the template and can only wound models on that level. If the blast marker scatter to non-ruin, or open terrain, resolve as normal."

So, resolve as normal. No dodging the barrages, when it's raining death from above, just because it missed the first floor window originally targeted!

Daniel's army list

Courtesy of 40k War Zone: Tyranid Rumour Watch: Tyranid Pictures Emerge!!!

40k War Zone: Tyranid Rumour Watch: Tyranid Pictures Emerge!!!: Check out these beauties!!!

Not so sure the scaling down of their head crest works but I like the posability and those funny little two fingered front arms - very alien, even if they're less practical for supporting the 'gun beast' than the metal/finecast originals.

Of course the big deal is the alternate weapon choice which looks suitably weird, again not convinced of those 'butt stocks' on the back of the Impaler Cannons, why?

Blog Wars 6 1850pt battle report - nids vs nids - game 2

With a high percentage of nid players, 6 out of 34, it was no surprise for me to face at least one and probably no surprise to face a second. Phil Waghorn from Armoured Sentinel brought a slightly more original list than almost everyone else. Foot slogging Hive Tyrants and Dakka-fexes, only one Tervigon and a Mawloc and a couple of Hive Guard.

Psychic Powers Winged Tyrant HQ Winged Tyrant Tervigon CC TR Tervigon Plain Tr Endurance Endurance Endurance Endurance Life Leech Life Leech Warp Speed Iron Arm Doom of Malan'tai  Psychic Shriek

The low down:

• The Emperor's Relic - 3 VPs one in each deployment zone, the other in the board centre, your own worth 5pts and the other two worth 10pts each [you didn't have to pick up the middle one]
• Vanguard Strike
• I think I won deployment but went second, lost the initiative.
• Warlord Trait - No night fighting

My objective is with the Biovores in the wood, the 'Relic' objective is in the centre of the board just the other side of the Bastion.

I set up this time with both Flyrants on the board with plenty of decent LoS blocking terrain.

Hive Tyrant with Stranglethorn Cannon! Phil would come to regret taking that choice a number of times.

Phil had only the one Tervigon but two Dakkafexes and Hive Tyrants with Armored shell - 2+ saves!

Phil's Tervigon was a 'proto-Tervigon' kitbash from a Carnifex like my own vanilla Tervigon. He'd gone down the green stuff egg sac route compared to my own foil balls and PVA'd tissue paper.

If I'm honest I'm not entirely sure what's gone on here. This must be Phil's turn 2 where the Mawloc arrived and killed a bunch of my spawned gaunts who had captured the Relic objective. The Tervigon behind had used Gate of Infinity in it's first turn but had deviated 11" back the way it had come from, much to our amusement. He still got a good 12" away from starting position and I think we decided it could still spawn gaunts on arrival. A contentious point maybe but we're both nid players so why not? Anyway I think that's why my Flyrant is in that position having swooped over the Bastion and shot the Termagants that were later replaced by the burrowing Mawloc

My turn 2 looks like everything came on. The Dakkafex has taken a wound, either thanks to the Mawloc of the Devgaunts. The Doom also gets into range of four units. I do recall at some point Phil's Hive Guard rolled to hit and got two 1's but with Old Adversary they got to re-roll 1's and promptly got two 1's!

My Warlord Flyrant manages to vector strike one of the Hive Guard and shoots up the Devgaunts, my other Flyrant vector strikes the Dakkafex and even with Endurance it's down to just one wound, probably thanks to the Doom too. Meanwhile I bundle as many gaunts as I can onto the Mawloc

They swam all over the beast, not sure if they do any damage but it might have done.

My own Mawlocgets into combat with the other Dakkafex who is also reduced to 1 wound.

As my Warlord Flyrant is no longer in the picture I can only assume he succumbed to Devourer fire from the Devgaunts and Dakkatyrant. The Hive Guard comes down from his cover to escape the Doom who is reduced to 2 wounds.

My gaunts and the Mawloc are locked in combat, although he doesn't appear in any further pictures. I think it may have died, just too many gaunts swarming over it and Phil's rolling was comically bad.

My Flyrant jumped into combat with the Dakka-tyrant but not before I stripped a wound off it and another wound from the Devgaunts. In retaliation the Dakkatyrant managed a wound on me in overwatch. I had 3 wounds left to Phil's 2. They flailed at each other an both ended up on 1 wound, lets face it these two behemoth's were just going to trash each other to death.

Deathleaper had been ineffectively popping up like Fenella the Kettle Witch throughout the game and it now had the chance to win it. Phil had managed to clear a brood of just four gaunts from my wall of flesh protecting the Relic objective. Deathleaper appeared in the ruins beside it and had to run to contest, anything but a 1... yep it was not meant to be.

As expected the Tyrants killed each other in a massive display of monstrous stag like posturing. I think the Hive Guard may well have been killed too, probably the Doom what with the Hive Tyrant no longer able to provide Leadership. Thus I eventually secured the objective which gave me all 3 - 25 VPs and I think I had all 3 secondary objectives. Sadly, Phil only had Slay the Warlord and I think linebreaker for 2VPs

In fairness Phil came with a pretty non-standard tournament list, a huge amount of dakka [and when I'd seen the list beforehand online I had sweated on what to do if we were matched up] but not as mobile as my force. He was also beset by some atrocious dice rolls, usually at he most crucial points in the game. I was laughing hysterically at some points, I hope that didn't come across as poor sportsmanlike but they were so typically bad at just the wrong moment you couldn't help but laugh. Like I said this was a pure joy to play, I hope it was on the other side of the fence for Phil. The scoreline doesn't do the game justice, it seemed like a completely one sided affair, it wasn't it was just a last minute objective steal and secure on my part. I'm not sure if Phil could have recovered if there'd been another turn, what with the Doom still prowling his back field, but he did as well as he could with the dice rolls provided.

Phil's army list