Here is my first attempt at a full-length battle report. Hope it
reads well, if not say so and I will try to do a better job next time.
We didn't make up a background to this battle. It was the first E40K
game my opponent has played, although he played 2nd ed. Regularly back
in the good 'ol days. He decided to use Tyranids, whilst I brought
out my trusty Imperial Guard. Originally, the game was planned to be
2000 points, but we increased it to 2500 to include more war engines.
We decided to play a simple meeting engagement, with me opting to
place 5 take and hold objectives. The terrain consisted basically of
3 towns and one area of woodlands evenly placed around the
battlefield, with the IG opting to enter the table edge with the two
closest towns. This forced the Tyranids to advance through the woods
on the Imperial right flank or risk crossing the open ground to the
Imperial left or centre.
The forces were as follows:
Tyranids:
One Tyranid swarm consisting of: 2 Hive Tyrants, 5 Tyranid Warrior
units, 6 Biovores, 6 Exorcrines, 9 Dactyli, 6 Assault Spawn.
Total cost = 905 points
One Tyranid swarm consisting of: 2 Hive Tyrants, 5 Tyranis Warrior
units, 6 Carnafaeces, 3 Zoanthropes, 6 Genestealer units, 6 Assault
Spawn, 3 Lictors, 5 Hormagaunt units.
Total = 676 points
One Hierophant armed with Cluster Spines and a Razor Claw (480 points)
One Dominatrix (490 points)
Total points value = 2551 points
Imperial Guard:
One Imperial Guard Infantry Detachment consisting of: 3 Command
Squads, one with a psyker and captain, 8 Imperial Guard Squads, 1
Imperial Guard Heavy Squad, 3 Leman Russ tanks, 1 Hellhound, One
Griffon, 2 sentinels.
Total = 330 points
One Imperial Guard Infantry Detachment consisting of: 3 Command
Squads, one with a psyker and captain, 9 Imperial Guard Heavy Squads,
4 Leman Russ tanks, 2 Griffons.
Total = 353 points
One Imperial Guard Infantry Detachment consisting of: 1 Command
Squad with a psyker and captain, 3 Imperial Guard Squads (one with a
Commissar), 3 Leman Russ tanks.
Total = 191 points
One Imperial Guard Artillery Detachment consisting of: 1
Deathstrike Missile Launcher, 3 Manticore Rocket Launchers (siege
artillery), 3 Basilisks (heavy artillery).
Total = 363 points
One Imperial Guard Super Heavy Tank Company consisting of: 2
Stormblades (Shadowswords), 1 Storm Hammer (Baneblade).
Total = 330 points
One Supreme Commander Detachment consisting of: 1 Imperial Guard
Colonel + Chimera, 1 Imperial Guard Squad + Chimera, 1 Ogryn Squad.
Total = 92 points
One Leviathan (330 points)
One Warlord Titan armed with 2 close combat weapons (chainfist +
las-burner), 1 Heavy Weapons Battery and a Death Ray (555 points)
Total Points Value = 2544 points
Starting Morale: Tyranids 53, Iperial Guard 55
First Turn:
The Imperial Guard won the initiative and forced the Tyranids to move
first. The large 'Nid infantry swarm moved into the cover of the
woods to the right of the Guard, with the Lictors bouncing well into
the Imperial half of the table. Meanwhile, the large Tyranid
artillery swarm took up positions in the cover of the town to the
Imperial left, with the assault spawn slithering ahead across the open
ground. Up the centre strode the Dominatrix and Hierophant, acting as
a "hinge" for the Tyranid battleline.
Meanwhile, the Guard commander secured the Imperial left flank, moving
into good positions in the rubble around one of the small towns along
with the small infantry detachment. To their immediate right advanced
the Emperor's Sons, the Alsief Super Heavy tank company, accompanied
by the Leviathan and the Warlord Titan Destructor. The Imperial right
flank consisted of the two large infantry companies, supported by
numerous armoured units and supported by the artillery company
directly behind them.
The Tyranids fired first in the shooting phase, bringing an "orbital
barrage" down upon the Guard supreme commander detachment, killing the
Colonel - Goop! And so the Imperial Guard commander was killed with
the first shot of the battle!...
The Imperial artillery then opened up, raining death down upon the
enemy infantry detchment advancing through the woods, destroying 10
Tyranid units. The Stormblades advancing up the left flank then
vaporised the two assault spawn in range, whilst the Warlord picked
off another with it's Death Ray.
Scuttling up the centre, the Hierophant fired upon the nearest enemy
detachment, the Heavy Company, destroying one squad with its Cluster
Spines.
Howling in frustration, the Dominatrix lashed out at the only worthy
target in range, a Leman Russ tank, detroying it with a single burst
of energy from its dorsal cannon.
It was at this point that I realised that the 'Nid artillery was in
striking distance of my front line, whilst it was still out of range
of almost all of the IG weapons, including the artillery detachment!
I could see that heavy casualties were going to be recorded on my left
flank due to this error.
All blast markers were removed in the rally phase, except for the
large Tyranid infantry detachment which was left with 6 blast markers
which began to eat into the Tyranid army morale.
Morale after first turn: Tyranids 47, Imperial Guard 51
Second Turn:
Again, the Imperial forces gained the initiative, forcing the Tyranids
to move first for the second time in a row. The large 'Nid infantry
detachment moved towards the tactical company, preparing to assault
the mass of Guardsmen waiting in the town.
The Tyranid Hierophant and Dominatrix also continued to advance up the
centre, bearing down on Destructor, who in turn prepared for the
inevitable combat.
The IG Tactical company on the Imperial right flank fired on overwatch
orders at the approaching 'Nid detachment, destroying 8 more units,
whilst the entire Heavy Company plus support managed to barely attract
the attention of the Hierophant, causing just one wound!
Meanwhile, the Tyranid artillery swarm fired it's Dactili at the
Emperor's Sons, scoring 5 hits from 5 dice! These, combined with the
Exorcrines which were also in range as well as the combined firepower
of the Dominatrix and Hierophant, destroyed 2 of the Super Heavy
tanks, leaving the remaining Stormblade with just 1 damage point.
The Imperial artillery again fired upon the assaulting Tyranids
detachment, this time destroying only 5 enemy units with its reduced
firepower. The Deathstrike missile sped towards the Hierophant,
inflicting just one hit, which inflicted a further 4 wounds from the
resultant critical hit. The Destructor then fired at the same target,
causing a further 7 wounds with its combined firepower and Death Ray.
The Hierophant was now down to 7 wounds, and had amassed 4 blast
markers, which would count dearly in the following assault phase.
The Tyranids won the initiative for the assault phase, charging into
combat the assaulting infantry detachment against the IG tactical
company, as well as charging both the Hierophant and Dominatrix into
the Destructor.
We counted the Warlords two close combat weapons as follows: The
first was grabbed by the Hierophant's ripper tentacles, whilst the
second one (the las-burner) was assumed to be "cancelled-out" by the
Hierophant's razor claw. Therefore, combat bonuses were as follows:
Tyranids; +1 for higher assault value, +1 for more psykers, Imperial;
+1 for less blast markers. Despite the Tyranids' slight advantage,
the Destructor won the combat and proceeded to kill both the
Dominatrix and the Hierophant assaulting it (due to its CC weapons).
Meanwhile, The Tyranid infantry detachment assaulting the Tactical
Company was unable to gain an advantage in the combat due to the large
number of supporting IG units, however, they emerged victorious and in
addition to destroying 6 IG units, the tactical company was forced to
fall back, vacating the town.
In the Imperial assault phase, the Destructor and the Leviathan both
charged a Hive Tyrant from the Tyranid Infantry detachment who was
within range, and subsequently destroyed it, forcing the detachment to
retreat and take another 5 blast markers.
And so the battle was concluded, and although I have only described
two turns of battle, I am pretty sure the game lasted for three,
although the action was still as described.
Final morale levels: Tyranids -11, Imperial Guard 28
Although it appears that the Tyranids were thrashed, it must be noted
that at the end of turn 2 (3?), the IG tactical company was broken and
only 15 cm from my table edge, the Imperial left flank had collapsed,
and the only Super Heavy tank left was on its last damage point,
whilst the large Tyranid artillery swarm was practically untouched
except for the assault spawn it sent across the open ground. The
Destructor was lucky to win its combat and kill BOTH Tyranid W.E.'s;
it he had lost I would have been close to losing the game�.
Morale of the story: Tyranids fight well in VERY large
detachments! Despite piling up BM's relatively easily, it took a LOT
of firpower to reduce the large 'Nid detachment to half strength, and
even then it was still a formidable force�
Anyway, I am pleased to announce my progressive Epic 40K win to loss
ratio - 2 : 0
Maybe I'll use Marines next time�..
Christian
===
"90cm is short ranged?!? ...you must be an IG player."
Scott Shupe, 25/7/97
Visit my Epic homepage at
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Castle/4109
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Received on Wed Sep 17 1997 - 07:06:19 UTC