1500pt battle report - nids vs Orks - Escalation!

Bother, I went and lost my sheet with my Psychic Powers on, so much for a fully featured Battle Report. Still, I'll try and make do. I think it was Kill Points with Vanguard Strike as the setup. I got and Escalation Warlord Trait to Deep Strike on target within 6" of the Stompa.

Ben had a Stompa [and I had nothing to harm it! ;) ] and Ghazkull in a trukk with a bunch of Nobz.

I had both Flyrants Deep Striking and in reading the rules there no longer seems to be a caveat that for Hive Commander to work the unit must be on the table. It just states "for each Hive Tyrant with this upgrade, choose a single troops selection from the same detachment [what other detachment would we have...? We have no allies GW!]. All models in the selected unit gain the Outflank special rule'. So by my understanding as soon as you add the upgrade you can then apply it to a unit, as if you were specifying they were arriving from reserve either by Deep Strike or walking on, you have to specify and then follow through with that decision. Anyway, 30 Termagants and the CC Tervigon were coming on from Outflank thanks to this and the Flyrants were going to Deep Strike behind the Stompa and hopefully 24 Devourer shots would glance it bad...  

OK, what?! That Stompa can move 12"! Good lord, it's like Usain Bolt! Thankfully I've got my Bastion between it and my frail little gribblies.

Well, except my Quad Gun, which was out in the open where it would have decent field of fire when I got to it. And thuse was pretty much the only thing that could be shot, so it was, and it was destroyed. A couple of other gaunts were targeted, with blast weapons, that conveniently deviated, clipping the bastion and I think removed 2 Armour Points and destroyed the right Heavy Bolter. The Tervigon that was also clipped saved thanks to the 3+ cover save from the Fortification.

   

In retaliation I took down the Trukk, taking a couple of Nobz with it. 

Ghazkull just jumped out of the wreckage eager for a scrap.

I decided to bog down the Stompa with my Termagants, managing to assault it! Insane little critters, that's the Hive Mind for you. I also spawned some Termagants - 5 and spawned out, that's 'over-powered' Tervigons for you, something should do something about them ;)

Ha, ha, David's and Goliath!

S, that didn't go down to well, 6 or 7 dead.

   

And then the Nobz come in and chop them to pieces.

The only thing saving me now is that Bastion, stopping the Stompa from getting to my Tervigon, Hive Guard and Biovores. Luckily he can't attack it because it's unoccupied [although the Ben was particularly pleased to discover that Stronghold does in fact now allow non-occupied buildings to be targeted, since as you purchase it it is considered 'claimed' and all 'claimed' buildings can be shot or assaulted. Of course, Aegis Defence Lines and Skyshield Landing Pads do not have Armour Values so can't be targeted, it's a full on weapons race this!]. So we're reduced to skulking and hope the Flyrants can break the deadlock.

The Tervigon arrives, on the wrong flank!

Warlord comes in on target, thanks to Warlord Trait, second Tyrant also arrives. Spore Mines also arrived and I think I totally misinterpreted the rules and thought they could blow up on arrival, but I don't think the four mines even glanced the back of the Stompa but did kill an Ork or two.

Tervigon spawned, not sure how many, looks about 8 and I think the Biovores may have got lucky against the Big Shootas in the wrecked Aquila Lander.

Whereas the Flyrants were appalling against the Stompa, I think only managing one glance on it's rear armour with around 20 hits [ I think one of the Tyrants managed 11 of his 12 shots!].

And the Grots turned up!

I repositioned my back field, managed to get some Biovore shots on the Grots but they stubbornly stayed on the board.

Both Flyrants were shot out of the sky and just riddled with bullets, killing one.

The Tervigon was wounded and it's spawn reduced to two.

The Stompa continued blasting away and killed the Warlord too :(

But the scuttling horde mindlessly continued with the 30 remaining Terrmagants arriving from the right flank

I think this was a saving throw, I think those two ones are probably not good for me!

Looks like somebody is leaving in a mangled mess, I think it's the plain Tervigon

I somehow managed to get my Tervigon into combat with the Stompa. Let's see how these super-charged Armour-Baned Crushing Claws do against it...

Yeah... no damage.

And that's what I get for going toe-to-toe with a 'Lord of War'. looks like my Termagants were thinned out a bit too.

That looks like another poor save.

And the Biovore's fate looks sealed too.

I was roundly slaughtered. Apologies, for some of the vagaries, I really should have written this up sooner and having the army list with the result on would have helped. I'm pretty sure I was able to put 3-4 glances on the Stompa gaining me a VP. I'm not sure if I was on 3 or 5 by the end, but Ben was on a stupid amount. With hindsight I should have just ignored the Stompa but when it comes lumbering towards you and you've got four S8 Impaler Cannon shots you feel obliged to have a go given they're pretty much the only thing I have that can damage it. I'd have been better off taking the Boyz down.

Once again I can't categorically state that the new Codex was the reason for my loss, I think the Stompa pretty much took care of that. Ben didn't struggle too much against my 'horde' though but I certainly found the most annoying thing was my Bastion - a massive obstacle to steam rolling my back field. I'm sure his intense scrutiny of the Stronghold Assault rules and discovery he'll be able to target it in the future is evidence of why it was my MVP, practically the only thing that kept my nids alive.

Another learning experience though, we'll add it all to the Hive Mind. Incidentally Otty played him the next day, a couple of Tyrranofex taking the Stompa down with some lucky penetration rolls that did multiple Hull Point damage. So Ben is still going to give the Stompa a new lick of paint but if it continues to be a liability he may well drop it, especially as he's just picked up a KillBlasta tank off ebay for around half price!

What's on my palette?

Nearly six weeks since my last confession...and how've I been doing?

• Capillary towers - painted and complete
• Skyshield Landing Pad - painted and complete [pictures to follow next week!]
• Finished the Epic Reaver Titan
• Started painting 10 Termagants [and added a further 10 last night that will be primed soon]
• I also primed and base-coated 5 Deathwing [well I have to at least pretend I'm interested in them]
• Added a further 4 Spore Mines to my painting list [for giggles]
• Won a Tervigon on ebay and have set about trying to remove it's CC claws and head [only bled once so far]
• Stripped the Land Raider Proteus
• Started the walls to the Skyshield

So there are some pics to follow for most of these. But first up here's the last aborted attempt for the Skyshield walls that resulted in me 'keeping it simple' and familiar with the frame and Milliput process. I tried using Silicone Sealant which I probably would have gone with except for one thing - it's Silicone, nothing sticks to it! I thought a coat of Vernidas might 'set it' hard, but it cracked when I flexed it. Equally Tamiya Clear Red X-27 wouldn't stick to, or harden it. So although I can create a nice organic shape that looks like alien excretions it's not going to solve my problem. I'd just like to point out the ultimate solution would be to create the walls in Milliput, then make a mold and cast clear resin for the ideal effect I imagined. But that's not the simple answer, which, given the time available I need to go with. So that leaves us where we're at - with building the five remaining frames.

I'm going to base the gaunts first and then add the colours after, the advantage being the rough and ready drybrushing is covered up by the neatly applied Termagant colour scheme.

 I thought I may as well start the final 10 at the same time, no point waiting. Three needed paint stripping with Fairy Power Spray and two needed remedial repairs to their base. Had some fun putting adrenal glands on the base of their tails. They're more for identification purposes really than upgrades.

5 more snapfit Termagants with Adrenal Glands on their tail!

The Dark Vengeance Deathwing, again I'll do the bases at the same time as the gaunts. At least they've progressed since my last 'confession'.

Dark Vengeance Deathwing

 Another Tervigon... I don't know why either? It was £24 and it was one of those ebay auctions that you bid on and suddenly find you're winning and then hope someone else will snipe it before the auction ends. Still, for Throne of Skulls we're not supposed to have proxy models, so I'm not sure whether I can still justify my Carnifex/Tervigon conversion any more. It's new rules so maybe a new regime. Either way I'm going to try and magnetize it so I can maybe use it also as a Tyrannofex. I've applied Fairy Power Spray to all the joints. It does help to break down the Poly Cement weld a bit, sufficient to remove the head so far. I'm replacing the Tervigon head [which I've already used on my other Tervigon] with my spare Tyrannofex head, but, I'm removing it's lower jaw and adding the spare Mawloc mandibles. The T-fex jaw has a blade underneath that obstructs the Termagant spawning sack. The Mawloc mandibles will frame it instead, although those 'bamboo' crests may have to go. Either way the opening may make a decent representation for a mouth mounted Miasma Cannon - given it makes a Miasmic 'Spit' attack and it'll look cool and different too!

New Tervigon, for £24!

Four new Spore Mines

I had plans to make a couple of Tyranid Void Shield Generators for Throne of Skulls too. This was the final epiphany from my last 'What's on my palette'. I'd thought to create a couple of them, based on the following  concept but I can't take them AND my Imperial Strongpoint so they're hanging fire and I may well reconsider the design. I actually added the 'battlements' with suitable room for 10 gaunts to 'man' them, but then noticed they're 'impassable' buildings so didn't need to add space. Anyway, they may or may not get done, we'll see. I also took out the bits for my Tyranid Icarus Las-cannon emplacement but have decided not to pursue that just yet as it uses the T-fex Rupture Cannon I may need to magnetize to create my Tyrannofex.

I also picked up 3 more Tyranid Warriors and a Carnifex on ebay. I intend to make 2 of the Warriors into Hive Guard and have the remaining one either with a Venom Cannon or Deathspitter. The Carnifex was also a bargain, I think in total I may have made something like a 65-75% saving and this came fitted with a Fleshborer Hive to make it a Dakkafex, which was my intention anyway, bonus! I also plan to pick up a Venomthrope, two more Zonathropes and one or two Biovores, depending on availability. To cap it all I may go insane and look at something from Forgeworld too! I might be able to get a good deal on something so we'll see. So much for my Winged Tyrant being the 'treat to myself to celebrate finishing the Tyranids'.

And THIS is why the Dark Angels are languishing! So I've still got to get the following done:

1. 20 termagants
2. Skyshield Walls
3. New Tervigon
4. 4 Spore Mines
5. Deathwing

That's the priority order. Everything except the Termagants would be nice to have, the gaunts are essential.

PS, I also broke the 200 follower barrier and had an increase in the amount of hits this month by 25%! High Score again - you guys rock!

'nids part 124 - PROJECT Y Scratchbuilt Tyranid Skyshield Landing Pad pt6.

When last we left the Landing Pad I'd been quite content to have masking tape as the base for the detachable walls. It had texture and was flat enough so that where the walls join would not look all goofy - change of plan! Having primed the pad with Red Oxide car primer I was particularly underwhelmed by the result on the masking tape as it just looked like sprayed masking tape. So I quickly whipped up some PVA and plaster and coated the edges. I think I'd even added the first set of washes so to back track like this was quite a step. I hoped I could just spray the edges without losing too much of the wash already done. I don't usually rewind like this so if I did, trust me, it must have been sub-par.

I stupidly did not mix some water with the plaster first so the end result was a mix of PVA and plaster but it had quite a few clumps of plaster did did not mix properly [face palm]. Thus the end surface was all over the shop, my lovely flat join was gone and when I came to try and sand it the stuff was just armour plated. I was forced to using my Dremel to get through the stuff, with the end result cracked and pitted but at least somewhat level compared to when I began.

Now I'm hoping whatever sculpting I do on the walls will hide some of the mess on the join but the resultant texture and cracks on the edges are considerably better than the masking tape alone. The flatness is a compromise but I think I've done enough that it will only be something I'll notice and if I can live with it then others will overlook it.

With the usual quick progress when it comes to painting my flesh colours, it's mainly based on the same Vermilion craft acrylic I do my Red Planet Basing and there's just so much I have to paint I use a big brush and this means it's painted so much quicker. The Vermilion was highlighted twice with white and I cut in some Bonewhite for the Sphincter ring, I'm not sure biologically speaking if that makes sense but I wanted to break up the expanse a little bit and it gives the Capillary support something to hold onto.

I introduced some blue and purple into additional thinned paint washes. I wanted the sphincter to be subtly different, like the roof of the Bastion. I then did a quick dry/moist brush with Vermilion over the blue/purple to smooth the transition. The washes were all in the stretched bits to highlight the Capillary supports and lift them from the surrounding flesh colour. 

Here's my test fit of my first wall. I added extra pieces of plasticard at the end, using sprue as additional support. Then I had a piece of clear plastic sheet that came wrapping my son's birthday cake. I've cut it to fit and will add Milliput flesh strands across the divide. I think I went a little short on this one. I was aiming to be Termagant head height but the Imperial one is much taller and I think I should probably add around 8mm to the others. If I'm clever I think I can add some extra height on these with the Milliput strands.

I'm obviously less concerned with the walls as a priority as it's playable without, only I'm sure if I don't push on with it I won't bother. Building the wall supports are quite fussy and making the strands will probably take about a nights work each, as I'll have to do both sides. I've also got to make sure I don't leave too much of the Milliput exposed on the rear view when I won't be able to paint it - I'll see the Terracotta. I'm hoping Tamiya Clear Red X-27 will solve the problem. 

And lastly I utilised the cracked PVA/Plaster to create some veins around the edges. 

Just thinned blue paint just to add some more dimension to it.

Next step - matt varnish, then gloss varnish and then Tamiya Clear Red X-27

Tyranid Capillary Towers | part 1. | part 2. | part 3. | part 4. | part 5. | part 6. | part 7. | part 8. | part 9. |

part 10. | part 11. | 

Tyranid Skyshield Landing Pad | part 1. | part 2. | part 3. | part 4. | part 5. | part 6. | part 7. | part 8. |

1000pt battle report[ish] - nids vs Eldar - The first run out with the new Codex

I got to open my 2014 account with PeteB the other week. New Year, New [OLD] Codex. This isn't a battle report as such, I wasn't paying too much attention to keeping track, really it's an observation of how things are different and how they may be very much the same. PeteB took the photos, I was too flustered moving bodies, and OH how many need moving now! Due to the opposite view that PeteB had it's another reason I'll struggle to describe the action as it unfolded, but I'm extremely grateful for his impression of David Bailey ;)

We set up the terrain as a sort of Xenos-henge, with my Capillary Towers surrounding a reclamation pit and various craters and redundant Spore Pods for added LoS blocking terrain. It was Vanguard strike and I think there were 3 objectives, I had one and PeteB had the other. I may have stolen the initiative which allowed me [thanks to Catalyst] to run my Termagants over to the Infiltrated Striking Scorpions on my left.

Thanks to the mixed load out of Devourers and Fleshborers [+1 to the new Codex] I was able to bring 34 shots to bare on the Striking Scorpions. I think this translated as 2 or possibly 3 dead. The real concern was that my Tervigon was now only just in Synapse range even with a conga line and where as in the past I'd have spawned some more gaunts to man my Quad Gun and then moved off to support now I had to move and then spawn. It was a very fine balance, very difficult to reverse the previous order of action and having to think ahead of where the Tervigon will be and not where it begins was extremely hard.

The real issue that presented itself was just how damaging Instictive Behaviour can be. It was at this point that I realised should my 30 Termagants fail IB they could potentially fall back. As you can see, it's a big brood and in heading left along my board edge I was only 7" from potentially fleeing. It's here that I realised how detrimental IB could be [-1 New Codex]. In the old days that would never have been a worry. With such a potential failing I wondered why it was a 50% to run off the board? Surely a 1-2 is fall back 3-5 is Seek Cover and 6 is the lucky bonus one where you Seek Cover and get Stealth. Think about Grounded results and reserves, they're on 1-2 - the bad things happen on the lower rolls. I'm sure if the odds on something bad happening had been reduced the IB chart would be less contentious.

Spore Mines were the other anomaly I discovered. Considering how there is nearly half a page discussing the various rules relating to their use it seems lacking in how they actually function. There seems to be no proximity detonation anymore so PeteB's Eldar were free to dance around them like they weren't there. There's also no clarification of what happens when they are shot at, do they explode as per their rules or just get shot. This was in the old Codex I'm sure, so why not cover the situation here? The last thing is can a cluster explode from deep strike? Presumably not as the explode in the assault phase, and Deep Strikers can't assault.Although it does not say they are assaulting, just explode at the initiative 10 step. Otherwise you're paying for a unit that sits there and gets shot to pieces, which in fairness is what most every other Deep Striker does but these are T1, their sole purpose is to drop in and explode, if they have to wait a turn there's just no point and for me would move from an auto-include: potential S9 large blast Deep Stike for 30pts! So, I'll probably not bother.

In fairness to the new Codex the end result was not really due to a change in rules, despite the lowered BS my Hive Guard are still ineffective against high armour saves. Strength 8 will wound a Wraithlord, it just won't damage it! :(

So with my major concern over Synapse it suddenly became imperative the Termagants were shot again, that way I could 'go to ground' thus making me immune to IB. All I then needed to do was get my Synapse within range and they would automatically recover. This Duck and Cover approach will become a nid players friend I think. Everyone needs to get with Bert:

My Flyrant came in no problems, I was hoping I could force a Morale check on the Dire Avengers and being close to the board edge hopefully they'd flee off. The planned worked, insomuch that I killed sufficient to force the check but they passed with ease. Which left the Flyrant very exposed which resulted in him being dead the next turn

Incidentally I did get another round of fire on the Scorpions, after they fled back up field but rallied in their turn. Another 34 shots but I think only 1 kill!

With my Termagants instantly recovering with the Tervigon getting into range I headed for the little objective on the bottom of the pic. I was hoping Catalyst might put me in a position the Wraithlord couldn't reach but sadly it wasn't the case. In the end the Termagants were tied up in combat and PeteB was hard pressed to get rid of them, he even claimed they were worse to deal with than what I used to field. I suppose max brood size does have it's benefits.

There have been plenty of reviews on the internet of the new Codex, many I agree with so I'm not about to repeat what's been said, particularly when they've often been comprehensive of their unit by unit analysis. What I am going to say is I am one of the disappointed Tyranid players. Apparently that means I'm a whinger and WAAC player as all those who have found light in the new Codex.

I really think it depends on your view point and the route you've come to it. Having not played the 4th Edition Codex I was not hit hard by the 5th rules but I could understand the implications. Maybe that's what's going on here, new 6th Codex players are wondering what the fuss is about... the Codex is a disappointment because the pluses are far outweighed by the minuses. The things we've lost and the new things that have been implemented are not mitigated by the good stuff. The Flyers are a high point but even so they're lower price and higher wounds than a Flyrant are counterbalanced by the lower toughness which means they'll die just as quick, if not quicker. The Exocrine and Haruspex are still only slightly above interesting but with the resurgence of the Carnifex and it's real world cost - I picked one up with Fleshborer Hives as twin-linked Devourer [what I was going to do anyway] for around £13! What's the real incentive to go for the new model?

Anyway, I'll plug along regardless. This is only a slightly worse position than we were in 2010 and I was quite happy to continue sending the bugs out. I'm convinced I'll spend more time skulking again, hiding from fire and hoping to weather the storm. When you had durability you could be aggressive, without it you need speed and I really think we failed to get that. The only speed we had were Deep Strike capabilities and they've gone, if a way to replace that had been found it might also have solved the loss of Iron Arm.

Still it was an interesting dip into the new Codex, but very slow, it was 1am by the time we'd packed up! Hopefully everything will speed up but plenty to think about moving forwards and what to take for Throne of Skulls.

P.S. One other thing, anyone else find the positioning of the Weapons and Biomorphs section and the Colours of the Hive Fleets just a bit awkward. I'm constantly going backwards and forwards between weapons and biomorphs and the Army List section but to do so I keep having to flick past 22 pages of models. So much easier if the Hive Fleet had come before the weapons.