Apocalypse WOW! 12,500pts of Armageddon - Turn 2

Turn 2 and the Ymgarls arrive and mug the Veterans completely, they didn't know what hit them. Additionally the Genestealer brood tore through the Terminators but only just enough wounds were failed to take the unit down.

Gargoyles managed to take a Terminator out but lost a few that had survived turn 1s mauling. My Trygon Prime failed to end the Leman Russ.

The Hive Guad managed to snipe one of Lightnings out of the sky. I'd debated whether to go for the Vendetta, of course with hindsight I wish I had, nevermind.

I handled Otty's assault on the Guard Defence Line, the Trygon managed to eat everything on this side of the Quad Gun, nom, nom!

Whilst the Genestealers and Terminators fought in the shade. I think that's NOT Lysander in the red cloak. Round about this point there was all sorts of disbelieving cries from Liam as Otty seemed incapable of failing a saving throw.

However, no amount of favour with the dice G.O.D.s was going to save this Hive Tyrant against a unit full of Captains and Special Characters - Champions and Pedro Kantor. This Tyrant was doomed.

Like I said, that's how you mount a Storm Talon!

And that's EPIC!

With the Tervigon in the Woods smeared all over the trees the Shrikes doubled back to take on some recently arrived assault troops.

2 Devastator squads in the Fortress of Redemption and one in the building behind poured unrelenting fire into the approaching swarm while 3 old skool scratchbuilt Whirlwinds were far less effective with their barrages.

The third Devastator Squad confidently laid down supporting fire while a Storm Talon zoomed in.

The Warhound set it's sights on Nancy.

While the Heirodule managed to get to grips with one of the Land Raiders, I think Otty said it was the first time it had ever done anything!

Gotta love these Whirlwinds, I have two of those scratchbuilt weapons too that will hopefully end up in my Dark Angel army.

The Titan looks on, impassive and immobile as war rages around it's feet.

The Doom eventually succumbs to massed Las-Cannon fire, I'd refused to roll the first potential insta-killing wound but thankfully passed, and then some more but the last two failed both wiping out all 10 wounds. Ben was over the moon and Liam was ecstatic, and he hadn't even faced it! However, the hovering Vendetta was now within charge range of my Adrenal/Toxin Hormagaunts - glance, glance! In the far background you can just make Otty's mishapped pod and the Devgaunts who were struggling to make their way across the board out of Synapse.

With the Trygon out in the open Knight Commande Pask opened up with his Plasma Cannons and missed! Catching the Leman Russ on the left side, penetrating it and blowing it up! The ensuing 5" explosion took out Devgaunts, Gargoyles, Stealers and wounded the Trygon, probably more effective than if he'd been on target!

The Stormlord and Ogryns opened up on anything it could hit, probably responsible for the ending of the Trygon.

The Broodlord in the ruins was nigh indestructible, pulling lesser stealers in front of it from everywhere and saving 10+ wounds with 1 wound remaining.

The Warhound and Super Heavies finally managed to bring down Nancy, her leaking corpses biomass rapidly being reabsorbed my nid micro-organisms.

The remaining guard behind the Defence Line managed to kill the Trygon with Las fire, earning them field promotions on the spot!

Incoming D-weapon fire targeted some Devwarriors attempting a rearguard action on the Combi-Grav Sternguard. As the smoke cleared only one was left alive!

  

And yet more Apocalypse blasts, taking out 11 of my spawned gaunts :( Maybe I should get me some of those blasts, hmm?

Storm Raven continues to rule the skies on Otty's flank.

While the Storm Talon zooms over the monstrous battle taking place on the Skyshield landing pad.

I think the Heirodule managed to take down the Land Raider here but was then beset by its contents and yet more tanks and assault troops ready to bring their weapons to bear.

Some remaining Warriors brought the fight to the Sternguard, hoping to clear them off the objective in Otty's Deployment Zone. However, even if they did what of the Drop Pod?

Shrikes try to end the other Assault Squad.

Meanwhile the green tide continues to swarm round the feet of the Titan.

The elite of the Crimson Fists finally put an end to the Hive Tyrant and secure the Skyshield.

The Parasite of Mortrex manages to implant 5 Ripper embryos in the poor Assault Sergeant it kills in a Challenge. 

Much wailing and gnashing of teeth resound as 15 more wounds are added to the melee.

And then it was tea, and this was just mine! In a feast fit for Bugman's, gammon as thick as your finger, sausages, fried egg and black pudding. Its been a long time since I had black pudding and this was awesome, even if the ingredients should turn your stomach. Still, blood for the blood G.O.D.  Yum, yum!

Apocalypse WOW! 12,500pts of Armageddon - Turn 1

Having previous Apocalypse battles that turned into a turkey shoot for the nids a number of concessions had been put in place. We would get to go first, I'm not sure if some of the others are Apocalypse rules but ALL Deep Strikes could come in first turn, we ruled Ymgarls and Lictors could roll as normal for arrival on 3+ from turn 2. Taking int account how sketchy my report will be given the scale and my lack of knowledge of what was going on in Otty's 2/3rd of the board there's little benefit to detailing by psychic powers, although I was stuffed, with no Iron Arm for my Hive Tyrants and an unhealthy dose of Witchfire rubbish!

Anyway here's most of my setup. 21 fully loaded Hormagaunts on the right, Otty's Swarmlord, Tyrnat Guard and my Tyranid Prime deathstar hiding in the woods with +2 to their cover save thanks to the spore chimney. Flyrant next to them, 2 Biovores and my CC Tervigon. Where possible they were all biomorphed up and Regeneration sprinkled liberally.

Here's where my fully loaded Genestealers Infiltrated. Once again going bold instead of safe to secure the Broodlord's psychic powers. Ymgarls are in the far crater but will not arrive this turn.

BOOM! everything arrives via deepstrike. Doom in a pod, twin Spore Pods and Devgaunts, Trygon Prime and Flyrant next to the Stormlord. Other Flyrant swooped up to the ruins, still just in range of the Spore Chimney. Almost all of my Deepstrikes were on target or even if they deviated ended up good for ne. While on the other side the cries of frustration and despair indicated Otty was have less joy and as his Spore Pod mis-happed Ben graciously allowed it not to die ignominiously but instead positioned it in my corner, miles from nowhere.

I was able to root out the missile squad in the top floor of the ruins, either by Spirit Leech from the Doom or other sources, I mean the Sky Slasher Swarm had spinefists! Plenty of options for the culprit. We need to sweep the ruins so we could secure the green pod objective, a tough task but the Doom could surely do it.

I also got to destroy both Manticores, my biggest fear, before they could do damage.

Everything else moved forwards except the Swarmlord and my CC Tervigon which spawned out on 15

While my Plain Tervigon spawned out on 5! My Hive Guard advance for the Trees and to hold the Shrine objective, safe in the Spore Chimney shroud. Otty advance but with the Power Field Generator shielding the Warhound and super-heavies his BioTitan's targets were limited.

I think he ended up aiming for the Land raiders but the rest of his force swept onto the Titan's feet objectives.

While the far left flank occupied the woods and our objective.

I still think the Titan should have been turned to face us!

The Emperor's turn and Storm Raven arrives

Liam CAN paint!

Otty's Devourer Flyrant, sorry didn't mean to do a selfie.

Can you work out the 'dive bombing pose'?

The green tide swarms the Titan's feet.

The Bio Titan is the linch pin of our assault with a Venomthrope nestled underneath to offer roaming cover and backed up by a Tervigon.

A drop pod full of Grav Gun wielding Sternguard arrives, just in range of the Bio Titan, what followed wasn't pretty.

Now that's how you mount a Storm Talon and it's twin.

The Imperial Navy arrives on my flank and suddenly I've lost air superiority as 7 fliers turn up against my 2 Flyrants. That's right it was me that was 'power gaming' I forgot ;)

2 squads of Terminators deep struck in to try and blunt my alpha strike, alongside Guard Veterans dropped off behind the Vendetta. Additionally the Legion of the Damned appeared through some ethereal portal amidst the smell of brimstone.

The Flyrant eventually gets hit but manages to avoid being wounded but may have eventually been grounded.

Superheavy squad just shoots stuff up.

With my Flyrant on the ground [possibly, even without it was some stupid amount of shots that couldn't fail to damage given the weight of fire] the Ogryns and Vulcan Mega Bolter on the Stormlord tear into him.

And these were his 5 saves!

Bye, bye Flyrant.

My Sky Slasher Swarm gets blasted to smithereens.

A good portion of green has been wiped from the board 

The Sternguard in the pod on the left have taken down the Tervigon holding the objective in the wood.

1000-1500pts of Space marine Captains arrive on the Skyshield and combined fire removes one of Otty's Trygons. It seems one of their strategic assets gave them perfect deep strikes, no mishaps. 

Apparently they also had some dude giving them 5 assets, orbital bombardment hadn't done too well against us, thankfully.

But well enough, although this may have been the combined super heavy barrage that culled 3 Carnifex and a Zoanthrope despite the Spore Chimney save.

Meanwhile those Grav Guns, amongst others, had really taken a toll on Nancy - 8 wounds in one turn!

Things were not going so well, we'd been gaming for 2.5- 3 hours and only finished turn 1 and although the usual suspect in Ben's Imperial Guard had taken a beating his reinforcements had begun to smash great big dents in my alpha strike. With only my Ymgarls as reinforcements can I sweep that right flank...?