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

2000/1500pts battle report - Tyranids v Astra Militarum - The Meat Grinder

What the flip?! Narrative play?! GW is like some insidious infection convincing us of 'new ways to play'. Well we will do a narrative game but we'll do it with good old fashioned matched play points values thank you very much! Ben had suggested the Mwat Grinder mission, he had 1,500pts of Astra Millitarum and Otty and I had 1,000pts of nids each to set up on Ben's new Winter terrain board. First up my Carnifex went down in the stream bed - why not, it's not like it hampers movement anymore.

Ben countered with his rather well-endowed Basilisk provocatively placed in the woods, ooh,er.

Tervigon next, followed by Hellhound.

Termagants and Wyverns.

Otty laid down the three Hive Guard.

Snipers in the tree line.

And this is the way you deploy in 8th - everyone in the foxhole - BUNDLE!

Otty deploys Genestealers, Tyrannofex and Broodlord in the centre.

Valkyrie holds the guard centre.

Tfex and Broodlord ready to kick off, bear with me I started to enjoy taking pics as they looked pretty cool.

Ratlings in the trees. I realised pretty quickly Ben's trees are probably the best way to represent woods in 8th. A big base to show the area, tall trunks so you have plenty of scope to arrange miniatures underneath and full foliage at the top to give the 'tree' structure. I was super impressed.

Ben is going first but I roll to seize, fail and we rashly expend a command point to re-roll and we snatch the initiative back!

Everything bundles forward, with most of the terrain in our DZ offering no impediment - although watch out for all that tanglewire in front of the guard line later in the game.

My Hive Guard try to take out one of the Wyverns, I do a few damage but not enough to impact it's performance.

The Biovore also tries, hitting on 5s because it moved.

But I got a 1 for it's Mortal Wound roll...

As the narrative mission rules allow for any of our number to come back on if they die - what is our disadvantage in this game? I throw caution to the wind and deploy the Trygon and Genestealers.

Otty's Hive Guard take 9 wounds off the Valkyrie!

Given how far forward the Hellhound deployed it then paid the price.

It was swamped with Stealers - illustrating that the streamlined play gets extremely finickity  - Genestealers tipping over or their claws holding each other at bay and preventing you positioning them as close you can so not all the brood get within that 1"+1" of a model. It's far from streamlined and then you'll have your opponents saying some aren't in because those stealers will just wreck pretty much anything with weight of numbers...

Which they did! End of turn 1, one hour of play done!

Ben's turn the Valkyrie moves up and deploys his Vets, they take a few wounds off the Tfex[?].

My Tervigon became a prime target, taking 10 wounds. An artllery bombardment did some serious damage in this respect. So much for it's armour save and Tenacious Survivor - I need Venomthropes/Malanthrope. Another hour to fit in Ben's turn 1 and he only moved the Valkyrie and vets!

 The Tfex moves to take out the vets.

The Trygon slithered through the woods but out of Synapse it would shoot/charge the Ratlings without intervention. The Genestleaers also were going to have to negotiate the tangle wire, halving their charge...

I don't know whether this was a good idea or not but the Termagants with their re-roll 1's to hit and wound took the Ratlings down to their last [half]man, the Carnifex blasted him to pieces with Bio-plasma.

This allowed the Trygon to focus on the snipers but left the Genestealers witout a target in range. Meanwhile the Biovore hit and rolled 1 for Mortal Wounds AGAIN!

Tfex and Warriors removed all but one of the Vets from the battlefield, thr Valkyrie suffered some more wounds but was still flying by the end of the turn.

My Hive Guard were out of Synapse so they had to fire on the squad in the right hand fox hole - killing five! Otty's Genestealers meanwhile slaughtered everything in the remaining foxholes, Ben's Warlord,  and Commisar, then consolidated forwards.

The Trygon managed to scythe through the Snipers with ease and moved up towards the Basilisk.

The Valkyrie snuck up behind my Hive Guard and Biovore.

He took half the wounds off the Biovore.

But it was the Tervigon on only 4 wounds he could secure a pyrrhic victory with.

While the Trygon and Genestealers were about to inflict horrible damage on his artillery.

The Tervigon had to go.

And perhaps the Stealers [OK I was just taking pics now, not even relevant to the order of play]

The Tfex and Warriors surrounded the last Veteran.

The Left flank was about to be over-run

So finally the Tervigon was targeted

And I had to make 3 saves!

She could not survive.

He popped, taking six Termagants with her.

And at 12:30am we called it. Ben had wanted to stop earlier but with the Tervigon so close to popping I wante dsome satisfaction for him. Ultimately he was outnumbered from the off, we also got an orbital bombardment which wounded a few at the start of the game and although we never returned any models we had that advantage too.

But we still had a good game, it was Otty's first and we're still discovering how certain things make little sense or contradict the 'streamlined' headline we're being beaten about the face with - see the difficulties regarding assault mentioned above. I'm definitely beginning to get a better feel for my nids - replacing my choice of a Trygon with a Trygon Prime seems sensible - that synapse will really important.

I'm also looking forward to playing against a more mobile force instead of a static gun-line. I know it's pretty much the narrative mission but even with our enhance movement there were still a lot of models who did very little during the game because they never got into range. Even so how would that have impacted the length of the game... So much for quicker games too. Maybe it's still early days and we're referencing the rule book quite a lot to try and get it right but things are really slow, even if a lot is actually happening.

Anyway, bring on game 3