NEcron Nom Nom!

Things have been a bit disrupted this weekend [I know it's now Wednesday but fallout still surrounds me]. On Friday I thought I had a game with Ben but it transpired I'd not actually confirmed so he'd got Otty to fill in. Kindly he said I could pop along and watch so I arrived to witness potentially one of the most painful games ever. As you can see from Otty's deployment he was tooled up, with a Barbed Heirodule, two Fleshborer Hived Tyrannofex, two Tervigons and 30 Termagants [28 Devourers and 2 Spike Rifles] with 5 Dev Warriors and a few Zoanthropes to boot. Essentially he had a ton of firepower.

He lined up against Ben's Decurion detachment with Flayed Ones, a couple of units of Wraiths and Spyders and Scarabs. None of his usual Annihilation Barge shenanigans but instead what do we get 4+ Reanimation Protocols

Essentially Otty threw everything he could at these robots and just couldn't kill them. 5 would die and then 5 would reanimate, admittedly that's beating the odds but there were so many dice being rolled just none of it was ultimately productive.

Even playing the Maelstrom missions became pointless because he became bogged down with the highly mobile elements of the Necron force. It some became apparent that there was not a single element of Ben's army that wasn't useful and also durable, zero fat! Wraiths with their speed, invul saves and killing power, not to mention that gun they have that was only prevented from insta-killing Otty's MCs by some handy Paroxysm rolls stopping them shooting straight!

Even the Heirodule was a little ineffective, although that was more from deploying first and Ben then leaving it slightly out of position to actually making any meaningful effect on proceedings.

His 12 high strength low AP shots were still useless in the face of Reanimation protocol.

This was never going to end well, although it did take a few turns for the inevitable.

And I think it's even clearer where this was going

I found myself wondering if I could have done any different and I'm not sure I could. You can't hide from them, they're more mobile - they'll hunt you down. I haven't got as much firepower as Otty has and it aided him nought. Air superiority is an option but you lose out on securing objectives when you're swooping. You can't assault because you get overwatched and even then there are assault units that can be even more devastating than the Tyranids very own 'premiere assault unit'!

I was literally stunned by the one-sided nature of the whole thing. That's not to say Otty was tabled, far from it, it was just that he loads of stuff that worked really hard for no visible gain. Ultimately the game came to a close at 12:30am and I returned home with a bit of a head ache - lat night I thought. I then spent the entire weekend bed-ridden - nauseous, head aches, joint aches and a variety of other symptoms less appealing to discuss. I was dreaming/hallucinating flashes from the game and also Ingress it was truly horrible. Even today my head is still befuddled and stomach is upset. I had to cancel a short notice game with Ben tonight because I can't manage to stay up passed 10:30 without feeling exhausted. I don't know what it was, whether it was an uber migraine or some viral thing but sadly it's stopped me from any hobby progress. Hopefully there'll be something to follow, although my plan for the month is pretty much out the window - I'll be pleased with just completing the Deathwing or even just one of the characters!

Anyway, hope things return to normal soon, till then if you've faced a Decurion then share your pain. If you haven't you can always share the pain for your most recent illness ;)

Dave's 40k @ 40 Bash - 1500pts Tyranids Vs Eldar

Liam, Otty, Ben and myself all rocked up at Ben's for my 40k bash. I went with a list that relied heavily on Manufactorum Genestealers [three broods with Toxin] but uniquely I dropped my Hive Guard for probably the first time since I kitbashed them. Instead I threw in my second Carnifex in my old Spore Pod/Tyrranocyte. I also had the obligatory Flyrant, a Tervigon and accompanying brood of 30 Termagants and then added a Bastion with Quad Gun and a Venomthrope for cover duties.

We were playing Maelstrom games so it'll be a bit difficult to keep track of the score and how and why someone won but I'll do my best.

Psychic Powers Winged Tyrant  Tervigon Plain Tr Psychic Scream Psychic Scream Paroxysm Dominion Dominion

The low down:

• Tactical Escalation - Hammer and Anvil
• Warlord Trait - +1 to Seize the Initiative and re-roll reserves
• Unsure on night fighting , I think it was first turn and who won deployment etc.

Obviously there are six objectives, one is to the left of my Bastion, one is in the trees to my right, one is in the tower in the middle of the board [with my Genestealers], one is beside the Plasma Generator top left, another is in the woods top middle and the last one is in the ruins [again with my Genestealers] top right. I had another unit of Stealers outflanking. Otty had three Wave Serpents, some Wraithguard and Fire dragons mounted inside, a Wraith Knight, Fire Prism and a couple of units of Jet Bikes.

I actually think this was a balanced list, not too spammy on the Serpents and aside from my own cheese - Stealers setting up within 6" of you this was the closest to an even match-up all day. As Otty is moving I think he may have gone first, unless I did a really quick move...

Meanwhile over on the other table Liam had 5 Riptides, including that crazy Forgeworld one that flies. He also had some Pathfinders or Warriors and a couple of Piranhas/Tetras on his Skyshield.

And Ben decided to be equally friendly with his Stompa that had a Mekkboy inside with a Mega Kustom Force Field [4+ invul save, I think] and a load of Grot riggers that could repair a hull point each turn on a 5+. So I could see where this game was going...

So Otty decided to target the Genestealers, naturally. Of course this works as a diversionary tactic to save the rest of my army but given there wasn't much else to see it probably didn't work as these were the only viable targets anyway.

Jetbikes moved round and riddled the Stealers with Shurikens

The Bastion got targeted but the Fire Prism could only manage a glancing hit so it was safe.

The Hive was safe, for now...

Two units of Stealers were destroyed thanks to all the combined fire from the Wave Serpents and Jet Bikes. First Blood to Otty

The Wraith Knight finally settled on target priority...

The Carnifex taking cover behind some Ferron Fire Firs, luckily these flammable trees proved adequate cover to avoid the Eldar construct.

Nids moved forwards en masse.

The Tervigon spawned 8 Termagants which headed for an objective, my plan being to camp on as many objectives as I could and hope they would come up in my Maelstrom deck. meanwhile the Tervigon tried to keep up  with his big brood.

I've missed out Otty's turn 2 but on my turn the Tyrannocyte arrives. Combined Deathspitter and Brainleach fire for the Flyrant and Dakkafex leaves just one jetbike left on the right.

Termagants are getting close to the Eldar DZ and the last brood of Genestealer arrive on the left flank.

The last 3 of the Stealers from the ruins assault the last -1 Paroxysmed Jet bike. 40k's premier cloase assault unit has 9 attacks, scoring 6 hits [the average] and causing 3 wounds [once again the average] but no rends. The Eldar makes all his saves...! What a farce!

Meanwhile over on the other table Riptides and Stompas were going at it like hyenas circling a wounded bull elephant

It soon became apparent that the Stompa was ridiculously powerful thanks to the Mekkboy and Grots, although Liam had failed to head my suggestion of ignoring it completely. Then again the riptides could potentially damage it were I know I'd have no chance.

Back on Ferron Proxima the Fire Dragons disembarked.

They tried to shoot down the Flyrant but couldn't draw a bead on him.

However their Aspect Warrior cousins - the Dire Avengers pulled the same manoeuvre targeting the Outflanked Stealers.

Once again the premier CC unit of 40k was reduced shredded meat by shuriken fire.

Wave Serpents fired at their biggest threat - my Dakkafex.

And wiped him out, looks like he didn't even get halfway across the board.

The Stealers continued to molest the Jetbike.

But this time succeeded in taking him down and consolidated back towards the ruins.

Which gave the Wraith Knight a clear charge to the recently arrived Dakkafex it had shot at and wounded earlier. So he jumps over...

...abd drop kicks it off the board and consolidates back. I think I had a card for this objective but the Fire Dragons were in range so I couldn't quite secure it.

I marshal my forces, the Stealers in the centre building sally forth to assault the Fire Dragons.

While the Tervigon and more spawned gaunts ensure that my objectives are secured. I recall at one stage I managed to complete 3 of my Maelstrom objectives in one turn

9 Termagants replace the Stealers in the building.

Somehow I've completely forgotten the success of theis Brood of Stealers. Clearly the Fire dragons had fallen victim to Paroxysm. I won the combat, though probably not as convicingly as I should, perhaps by 4, thanks to their inability to hit back. Then I think they failed their morale check and were overrun. I think because it happened so fast I forgot, but they took cover in the Ruins. You may also spot the last of the Brood of 3 Stealers that took out the Jetbike hiding underneath the staircase next to them.

The Flyrant swooped off into the trees. He'd had little success with Psychic Scream, in fact the psychic phase was typically guff! Termagants finally made it into Otty's DZ

While the other guys continued to play hunt the Stompa, Otty prepared to thin my advancing horde of gaunts.

 

Massed fire took out those Termagants with just a few left. The Fire Dragon killing Stealers were also laid low but my lone Toxin Stealer continued to skuls in the shadows waiting to sneak out and get me Linebreaker should the Flyrant have to move out of the 12" scoring zone.

The Venomthope continued to fire off the Quad Gun, it had got some good hits on the Wave Serpents but not sure if it manage to destroy one of them.

I assaulted the last of the Jetbikes with my Termagants. They got whittled down to one, but so did the Jetbikes. It was not a planned action but this was in fact the best choice I made in the entire game. By tying up the Jetbikes Otty couldn't get his fastest Troop choice over the other side of the board in the last turn. There was objectives he could go for or even Linebreaker but instead he was tied up with a lonely gaunt. Meanwhile the Flyrant landed to try and secure the objective. It was the last turn, we'd already overrun so he was safe to do so. I'm not entirely sure if he got it, or if the Wraithguard were also in range, I may even have assaulted them and killed it  as I'm sure I may have got Slay the Warlord, but ultimately the score was 8:6 to me.

I was quite impressed with this result, it's funny how my tactic to camp on objectives for Eternal War Missions is actually really effective in Maelstrom Missions. Camping in Eternal War has worked because I’ve always felt it’s better to be on an objective and force your opponent to knock you off it, or surround it so he can’t get to it than hold back and take it late in the game. In particular trying knock someone else off an objective is not something I can do, I say I mean my ‘nids. The fact is I killed very little Eldar, the Fire Dragons, some Dire Avengers and about 9 Jetbikes! I may have put wounds on the Wraith Knight and some Hull Points on the Serpents but overall I didn’t kill much.

So camping on objectives works for me. I’m not particularly mobile but with the formations, and the Tyrannocyte I can get good positions in the opponents DZ to score when it’s needed and camp in my own back field and wait until those objectives are drawn from the deck.

Ben managed to secure a win, so next up I would face his Orks

Throne of Skulls March 2016 - Battle 0, Tyranids Vs Tau, Eldar and Orks

For the life of me I can't remember anything about this game and I can;t find my notes either. We'd travelled don on the Friday and arrived to play on the Spyral Prime table, Otty and I using nids, Ben, Scott and Liam with the holy/'unholy' alliance of Tau, Eldar and Orks! 

We were using the City Fight Maelstrom cards I'd got from a couple of White Dwarfs long time back - glad they finally got some use. We also had some sewers we could come out with and the other guys booby trapped a number of buildings. Also, because of the table I didn't take my Skyshield but had Deathleaper instead, a bit more points but he is pants. Ultimately though we never finished the game. Warhammer World closes at 8pm so we had to pack up, which was a shame. Anyway these are just pictures to enjoy mostly, if they sparek any memories I'll drop em in but for the most part just sit back and enjoy the pretty pictures.

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My Genestealer literally got outflanked by these Boyz and slaughtered.

Bring on the big boys!

For the most part the Tau were ignored, Otty concentrating on the Eldar while I dealt with the Orks.

My Purestrains climbed on top of this landing pad, discovered it was booby trapped and then found out it was a dud!

I loaned Otty the Hive Guard as I felt they'd be more effective against the Wave Serpents, which they were. Meanwhile my Purestrains got oblitereated by the Riptides.

'Sons of Anorky'

I think we got beaten in the end, I recall Otty had tried to kill off a Riptide with Devourer gaunts. He had 60 shots and managed to put a few wounds on one. It was the sensible thing to do as anything else wouldn;t have allowed them to utilise they're guns. However, that did mean the Tau held the centre objective for two turns scoring them a VP and ultimately winning the game. At the that stage though we porbably didn't know the game was going to be so short but it was good fun and some nice pictures too