Throne of Skulls Oct '12 - Battle 3, Tyranids Vs Blood Angels pt1.

Third game was The Scouring [5 objectives], Dawn of War deployment on table 45. My Warlord Trait was Co-ordinated Assault, +1" to charge range again.

Psychic Powers Tervigon HQ Tervigon Troop Broodlord [Adrenal] Broodlord [Toxin] Enfeeble Enfeeble Iron Arm Enfeeble Warp Speed Life Leech NA Witchfire Warp Speed

At this stage I was getting a bit frustrated I could never sort these psychic powers out before the 2hr30min game time had begun. Quite often it was 15 minutes before the first turn even started. Saying that in all the games I played it never went to the time limit so despite taking 5 hours for most games at home these were flowing really fast. Anyway by now I knew what sort of Biomancy mix I was after and that lack of Endurance and abundance of Enfeeble wasn't going to help me much with the list I was facing...

Phil Ellitott from the bright orange T-shirt wearing www.4tk.co.uk team that was pretty much everywhere at Warhammer Warlord brought:

• Librarian
• 5 assault marines, meltagun, heavy bolter razorback
• 5 assault marines, meltagun, heavy bolter razorback
• 5 assault marines, meltagun, heavy bolter razorback
• 5 assault marines, meltagun, land raider
• Baal Predator with twin-linked assault cannon
• Baal Predator with twin-linked assault cannon
• Baal Predator with twin-linked assault cannon
• Predator, Autocannon, sponson heavy bolters
• Predator, Autocannon, sponson lascannons
• Whirlwind

which I know courtesy of Admetus over on Bolter and Chainsword who also fought Phil, and Jim Klapkowski's Ravenguard and Liam's Eldar so go check out his battle reports too. Did you notice that's 10 tanks! Yep 10 tanks and I hate tanks! I may have a sensible but currently unproven fear of flyers but mech has always been a horror for me and if you remember the last time I faced Blood Angels that didn't end well.
We randomly placed the six numbered objectives [I'll be putting those online soon] and I narrowly gained and advantage by 1VP. Phil got the 4, 2 and 1VP objectives and I got two 3's and a 2VP. I positioned the ADL as you see against the ruin for extra defence and with hindsight should have gone onto the crest of the hill for extra cove instead of below it but nevermind. My three objectives were lined up behind and Phil positioned his diagonally opposite with the four in the far right corner.

My only real plan was to do what I was forced to do last time I fought Blood Angels, essentially the original Dawn of War rules. Reserve half may army, that way they could potentially survive longer and allow me have them in place in turn 5 to secure the objective. Of course that totally failed last time the fact I would only have half my army on the board meaning less target priority for the Blood Angels and more opportunity to concentrate fire seemed to escape me. Still the monsters took cover behind the ruins and the Devgaunts well out of Synapse on the right were hidden behind the ADL and crest of the hill.

The Blood Angel centre 'castled' up I believe it's called.

Meanwhile two Baal Predator's prepared to flank me...

...with a scouting move!!! So I was already being outplayed, lets hope I could survive.

The centre advanced and I was really in it and about to be swamped by tanks. They targeted the Troop Tervigon and managed to put 3 wounds on her.

My turn and I moved the Trygon and Hive Guard up, the Tervigon retreated to gain more cover. I think I made another mistake here forgetting to spawn. The Hive Guard tried to secure First Blood and fired at the Razorback behind the ruined arch in his DZ. 2 hits, one of which penned and immobilized the transport but no FB.

His tanks fire on the Devgaunts for FB, I lost five and then thought too late to go to ground. The next lot of firing and they dropped only losing two. I roll for morale thanks to lack of synapse and they get snake eyes - these gaunts know their task. The tanks then turn their attentions on the Troop Tervigon and manage to kill it without a single spawn and gain First Blood.

My turn and the Hormagaunts, Warriors and Doom come on. Warriors target the nearest Predator and do some damage, shaking or stunning it but thanks to being behind the ADL uses my cover against me and manages to shrug off being wrecked otherwise.

The Doom can't suck life out of anything while they're in the tanks but the already damaged razorback is wrecked thanks to the Hive Guard or Spore Pod. I think better of firing Cataclysm given the failure in previous games and how close the marines are. It'd be just my luck if it deviated on top of me. The Trygon takes a wound, probably from the Predator.

Having unloaded some troops in his DZ to secure objectives he moves his rearguard tanks forwards and finally crosses the ADL. 2 Warriors are killed

Being an ex-nid player himself he knows full well the dangers of the Doom and moves his nearest unit out of the 6" leeching range.

Combined fire of the assault squad and Baal Predator kill the Doom.

In return the enraged Trygon, now at 2 wounds left, charges into the Baal and destroys it and claims linebreaker at the same time.

Part two tomorrow...

Throne of Skulls Oct '12 - Battle 2, Tyranids Vs Ravenguard pt2

We left it rather dire on the Hormagaunts side of the central woods but here comes the cavalry in it's Mycetic Spore I remember to roll for the Doom and it arrives, in the Pod, on target, right behind his bike squad straddling his DZ. The Doom pops out and in my shooting phase Jim rolls this on his Leadership! Could it get much worse? 8 wounds with no save - taking out the support bike and 6 other bikes leaving two who stoically stay on target.

The Doom, engorged with 10 wounds and strength turns it's gaze on the Land Speeders and blasts them with Cataclysm causing 3 damage instantly. One crashes outright and another takes a hull point. He receives another 3 wounds back covering any lost in casting the spell.

The Adrenal Stealers had advanced from the forest and together with the Troop Tervigon pounce on the remaining bikes who are destroyed.

Meanwhile the Librarian is killed by Tyranid shooting[Slay the Warlord] and the tactical Squad is reduced to 6 by the Endured Warriors. 

Tyranid Prime does his usual and kills just one out of five attacks.

Another 8 Termagants are spawned at some point and head for the DZ and left hand objective.

Tervigon HQ advances on Tactical squad two with Endurance and Warp Speed +2 coursing through it's veins.

Warriors and Termagant kill another two members of the tactical squad in my DZ.

The brood of 7 Termagants head to the ruin objective to free up the Toxin Stealer's guard duty and allow them to finish the deadlock on the ADL.

Adrenal Stealers move to support the HQ Tervigon. 

Hive Guard advance although I'm sure they've shot somethings this game I can't for the life of me recall what, maybe they were responsible for some of the Tactical squad in my DZ? Or perhaps the Land Speeders as they no longer feature?

Finally the Tactical Squad is overwhelmed and the Warriors consolidate back on the objective.

The Tervigon has suffered a wound, probably from a Sergeant's Power fist. Warp Speed 1 and a +3 Iron Armed Adrenal Stealer [yep that's Strength 9 on the charge folks!] barrel in and kill the squad outright.

Not sure what happened to the Storm Talon, if it was popped by the Hive Guard or even from glancing hits from the Fleshborers. I think the back field play by the Termagants was thwarted by the Tactical Squad holding his one objective in the ruins.The Hive Guard may have took out the remaining Land Speeders too. I think the Doom may have been killed at some point but not sure when. End result is 10 VPs to me and 4 VPs for Jim.

I was really amazed by Endurance this game. It totally kept stuff alive for longer that meant they drew fire and allowed the other parts of the army to do their job. I'm disappointed the Warriors took so long to take out a Tactical Squad but what can you say when the Doom was just so lethal. Sure it was thanks to a crappy dice roll on Jim's part but he totally justified his inclusion in the army list. The ADL again performed as an effective barrier. It's not stopping flamer fire but it's a barrier to getting at my objectives and I'm convinced it was another right decision to take it.

Throne of Skulls Oct '12 - Battle 2, Tyranids Vs Ravenguard pt1

Happy Hallowe'en!

Second game was Crusade, Hammer & Anvil deployment [surprisingly this really does your back in]. My Warlord Trait was Co-ordinated Assault, +1" to charge range.

Psychic Powers Tervigon HQ Tervigon Troop Broodlord [Adrenal] Broodlord [Toxin] Warp Speed Warp Speed Endurance Endurance Life Leech Haemorrage Iron Arm Warp Speed

Jim Klapkowski brought a really nice Ravenguard army to the table with:

• Librarian (Gate, Avenger)
• 3 x 10 man tactical squads in Drop Pods (all had some variant of special and heavy weapon)
• Land speeder Squadron, all with Typhoon missile launchers
• Storm Talon with Lascannon
• Full size bike squad with m-m attack bike, sarge with power sword.

Given the deep striking nature I positioned my ADL with one edge taken up by a ruin. With five objectives, one in the ADL with my Devgaunts and Warriors as support and Synapse/Fearless, the other objective in the ruin with the Toxin Stealers. Right about now I moved something under the table and knocked over my pint glass of water that spilled towards Jim's bag and coat, not an auspicious start and certainly no way to introduce yourself to a new opponent, i felt like such an idiot

Anyway Jim was gracious with my clumsiness and played on positioning one objective amongst his bikes in his Deployment Zone [DZ].

The other objective in the Ruin next to his Land Speeders.

I'm guessing from the picture I got first turn. The Troop Tervigon spawned 7 gaunts back into the ADL to add more support in case of drop pods and with two objectives I hoped to free up the Stealers to do more damage elsewhere. The HQ Tervigon spawned 9 but given how crowded the ADL was getting they had to spawn forwards and head for the woods where the final obective is. The Trygon and HQ Tervigon were Endured and both Tervigons were Warp Speeded.

Jim's turn and the Drop Pod with ttactical squad and Librarian pile out.

Flamers, psychic powers and all manner of bolter fire lay waste to 7 Devgaunts.

The Trygon suffers 5 wounds from the combined Land Speeder fire but thanks to Endurance weathers the storm.

The Land Speeder's are becoming a real thorn in my Trygon's hide - they have to go!

My turn two, HQ Tervigon spawns 12, not sure what else I recall the Toxin Stealer getting snake eyes at one point on a psychic roll. Obviously this drop pod arriving is from Jim's turn two which is later on.

I forget to bring the Doom of Malatai on. The Trygon recovers 2 wounds thanks to Endurance [fast becoming my favorite Biomancy power, it's like regeneration but cheaper, better odds and Feel No Pain too! you just have to roll it in the first place].

Storm Talon arrives and the bikes advance.

Bikes target the Hormagaunts in the wood and kills them, maybe receiving First blood for the effort.

The Devgaunts in the ADL had previously moved back behind Tyranid Warriors so as not to lose First Blood. The warriors therefore take the brunt of the shooting from the Tactical squad and eventually two die.

The Storm Talon and Speeders target the Trygon and managed to shoot past his Endurance and he dies. The second Tactical Squad kill 6 of the 12 Termagants nearest to their Drop Pod.

The Tervigon suffers 3 wounds, from something.

The final Hormagaunt is also gunned down, things aren't looking good this side of the woods...

Part two tomorrow...

Throne of Skulls Oct '12 - Battle 1, Tyranids Vs Grey Knights pt2.

And on to part 2...

The Storm Raven arrives and shoots up the HQ Tervigon with all sorts of kooky ammunition and rockets. First Blood and Slay the Warlord to Andrew. The second NDK kills the remaining Toxin Stealers despite Endurance and the Broodlord remains in the mix. I think the Doom was destroyed also, probably by the terminators advancing on the left.

During my turn the Broodlord again Hypnotises the NDK and finally rends it to pieces, denying the Trygon once more. It consolidates back into the woods and the Trygon looks expectantly at the Storm Raven. With just 4 wounds the Doom fires Cataclysm but is denied only to suffer 3 Wounds for the privelege. The Devgaunts advance over the ADL and combined shooting with the Warriors puts down all but one of the Terminators.

The Adrenal Stealers and Hormagaunts scuttle out of the fire arc of the Storm Raven still intent on securing Linebreaker.

Storm Raven deploys terminator and Warlord squad in front of the Trygon and flys backwards to take a bead on the stealers with some Hurricane Bolters [oh yeah I forgot in can move!] and kills two. It unleashes more fire on the Trygon and puts 3 Wounds on it.

The Terminators assault the Trygon and thanks to a special banner doesn't have to roll to activate his force weapons - they're always on and slices the Trygon to death with one cut!

The Grey Knights get ready to take on the next mightiest creature.

It comes round to my turn. and the Hormagaunt heads away to his board edge while the lone Stealer charges the now hovering Storm Raven and puts a glance and a rending hit on it. It's claws sink into an exposed plasma conduit and the resulting explosion vaporises the flyer and Stealer instantly [a VP each!]. In his turn he guns down the Hormagaunt denying Linebreaker and moves the sole surviving terminator back to save a kill point.

At this stage I think I've lost. He's taken so many VP's already and I realise the 'always on Force Weapons' are MC killers so I have a choice - skulk away or try to go all out... So the Troop Tervigon, Devgaunts and last Broodlord assault the Terminators [not before killing one through shooting, it may even have been the Hive Guard who did that]. I think they fail to do the business. Rad grenades make the Broodlord initiative 1 and the Terminators kill most everything

Meanwhile the Warriors advance on the rapidly retreating last Terminator from the right hand squad [chicken ;) ] The Barbed Strangler shoots wild and the Deathspitters wound five times but he makes every save. With nothing left I think the game ended with a final score of 10Vps to 3 :(

I'm not sure where I went wrong here. perhaps being too aggressive. Maybe if I'd have forced him to come to me and then picked when I wanted to assault would have been better. Certainly the Biomancy helped keep me alive. The ADL was only marginally useful just saving the lives of a few Devgaunts that I recall. Don;t remember much about what the Hive Guard did but certainly the deciding factor was plenty of rerolls to hit and wound for the Grey Knights and their Force Swords were the marked differences between fighting PeteB, although that's a smaller table and smaller force. Certainly plenty to share with him though about what worked. 

Not a good start to the day but not something I was disappointed with, except for the Doom fail! Ha, ha.

Throne of Skulls Oct '12 - Battle 1, Tyranids Vs Grey Knights pt1

I'll split these into two parts as they're a bit long winded otherwise, although I'll post them on consecutive days so you don't have to wait too long for the conclusion :)

First game was Purge the Alien, Vanguard deployment [slightly amusing to see table after table split diagonally by everyone's tape measures]. My Warlord Trait was Inspiring Presence [meh]

Psychic Powers Tervigon HQ Tervigon Troop Broodlord [Adrenal] Broodlord [Toxin] Haemorrage Life Leech Warp Speed Hypnotise Endurance Warp Speed NA Witchfire Aura of Despair

Andrew Bruce brought a Grey Knight force to the table very similar to my mate PeteB's. I was quite confident despite the fact his deployment took less than about 2 minutes and the max VPs I could take were 5 plus Slay the Warlord, Line Breaker and First Blood [8 in total], whereas I was fielding 11 VP's without the bonuses!

He had twin Nemesis Dread Knights [NDKs] with Psycannons and Heavy Flamers, 2 Terminator Squads and a Storm Raven. I deployed second with the Aegis Defence Line mid way across the board - somewhere to take cover from [what? With those Flamers?]. The Adrenal Stealers infiltrated behind the Chaos Mound out of sight and hopefully out of range. No Tervigon was going to spawn as I didn't want to add to my uphill struggle on VP's. The MCs took cover behind the ruin and both Hive Guard were stationed on the second floor and out of sight.

Andrew advances all his figures and took some shots, not sure if he did any damage due to range but it doesn't look like it.

My turn and Hormagaunts and Warp Speed Adrenal Stealers charge for the NDK, backed up by the Trygon and Troop Tervigon.

Devgaunts advance to cover behind the ADL, HQ Tervigon and Warriors advance in support of the Toxin Stealers. HQ Tervigon Endures the Stealers.

Hive Guard failed to do any damage to the NDK. Going second allowed the Toxin Stealers to assault the NDK. They survive overwatch thanks to Endurance, the Broodlord Hypnotises the NDK and manages to put one wound on it.

Devgaunts wait for their first victim.

The NDK tries to win First Blood by killing the Hormagaunts but four survive, and I realise this will be significant in my turn.

The other NDK pounds on the Stealers and kills one.

The Spore Pod arrives with the Doom and despite usually being bang on target is dropped 11" away from where I wanted it and next to my ADL :( I realise that the max overwatch fire an NDK can do is D3, so if the Hormagaunts charge I can lose 3 and still not lose First Blood and get the Adrenal Stealers into combat unscathed. I also manage to reach with the Trygon for a full on Battle Royale. The Broodlord on Warp Speed puts 2 wounds on the NDK who in return smashes him into the ground.

The Stealers then rip him to pieces before the Trygon gets a chance. All of the nids consolidate to the left and head for Line breaker [wishful thinking at this stage] with the Trygon going over the Chaos Mound in seach of the second NDK.

Game 1 concludes tomorrow.