Gabe and I ran our second game in an ongoing series fighting over the planet "Viridis Sileo". You can read the battle report on our first game here :
http://irollboxcars.blogspot.com/2011/02/1850-dark-eldar-vs-tyranids-assault-on.html ( I won cause i'm so cool )
We used a fun scenario taken from www.40kradio.com 's site. (
http://www.40kradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Crash-Site-Recovery-Scenario-v5.0.1.52.pdf http://www.40kradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Crash-Site-Recovery-Mission-Special-Rules1.pdf)
To save you from needless reading (cause who does that, seriously?) I'll give you a dumbed down version of the rules here.
Objectives : There are 6 'crates' scattered around the board. A single model, in it's movement phase, can take a crate, which stays 'attached' to the model via base contact. The crates can be picked up by essentially any model as long as they have the 'hands' to do it. The crates can even be placed inside of vehicles. The first time these crates are touched, you roll a D6, if a roll of 1 occurs the crate explodes. This failed to happen once during the game.
In addition to the crates there's also a pilot who's haplessly stuck in the middle of all of this shenanigans. Each turn he will run 6" away from the nearest army (which we forgot to do a few times, no biggy). The pilot grants you +1 at the end of the game if you're holding him. In order to capture and hold him you have to assault him and defeat him in close combat. He's then attached to the unit much like the crates are. The pilot can also be killed if the unit he's attached to is shot at; shooting wounds are allocated as normal, so killing the pilot is an easy task. His stat line : 3 / 4 / 3 / 3 / 1 / 3 / 1 / 8 / 6+
Deployment : A normal 12" deployment. Only troops can be deployed at the beginning of the first turn. The rest of your army come in from reserves starting on turn one (with a roll of 5+). When your other units come in you roll a D6 to see where they come in. A roll of 1 places them on the left board edge. 2-5, they come in from your long board edge as normal. 6 - they come in from the right board edge.
ARMIES!
Hive Tendril Orochi
HQ : Hive Tyrant : 2x TL Brainleech Devourers // Hive Commander : 225
Tyrant Prime : Deathspitter / 2x Boneswords : 95
Elites : 3x Hive Guard : 150
2x Zoanthropes : 120
10x ymgarl genestealers : 230
Troops : Tervigon : AG/TS /Cluster Spines / Catalyst : 195
x10 Termagants : Fleshborers : 50
x5 Warriors : Deathspitters / TS : 200
x15 Hormagaunts : AT/TS : 150
Heavy : Carnifex : 2x TL Brainleech Devourers : 190
Trygon Prime : 240
Total : : 1845
I tried to make a fun list here. I usually don't run warriors, hormagaunts, genestealers, or Fexen. This is actually the first time i've used a Carnifex since I first picked up the hobby. Hahah.
Kabal Of the Howling Gale
HQ: Duke Silicus : Blast Pistol/Shadowfield/P.Nades/Ghostplate armor, Combat drugs : 150
Elites : 7x Incubi -> In raider : Flickerfield, Torment Nade Launcher (75) : 154
4x Trueborns : Blasters -> In venom, Additional splinter cannon, night shields (75) : 100
Troops : 10x Kabalite Warriors : Blaster, Splinter Cannon -> In raider : Night shield, Splinter racks(80) : 115
10x Kabalite Warriors : Blaster ,Splinter Cannon -> In raider : Night shield, Splinter racks (80):115
10x Wyches : 2 Shardnets, Hekatrix, Venom blade, Haywire nades -> In Raider: Flickerfield, Disintegrators (70) :155
Fast Attack : 6x Reavers : 2 Blasters :162
6x Reavers : 2 Blasters :162
Heavy Support : 3x Ravagers : Nightshields :345
Total : :1838
The Board :
Don't ask me why we used so many hedges. It made for a difficult board to traverse with a footslogging army. Dark Eldar trickery. D:
We roll off, I win and choose to deploy/go first.
TURN 1
Nids : I place all of my troops on the board here with the exception of my hormagaunts, who I've chosen to outflank with using my Tyrant's hive commander ability. I fail to roll any 5+ for the first turn reserve roll.
My tervigon pumps out some gaunts, rolling a 3, 3 and 1. Totaling 7 gaunts, and having rolled doubles I was to have no more free gaunts this game(Blown tervigon sphincter); baaaad roll. I march forward with my troops. My warriors on the left pick up their first crate.
DE : Gabe deploys his troops in their raiders. The Duke in his Venom come onto the board with a successful reserve roll. The raider containing the wyches swoops forward on my left side, unloading it's wyches. They dash towards my warriors.
Gabe's Venom and three raiders fire at my Tervigon who is in area terrain, but fail to inflict any wounds.
The warriors on board the two raiders are in range to double tap their splinter rifles into my tervigon, inflicting a total of 4 wounds. A rough start for my baby-maker.
In assault the wyches barrel into my waiting warriors. They strike first, inflicting one wound to my warriors. My warriors retaliate and cleave apart 6 wyches, causing them to flee. Gabe's initiate and roll are greater than mine and the wyches are running the hell away.
The board at the end of turn 1
TURN 2
Nids : My Tyrant's hive commander means my reserves are now coming in on a 3+, which they all do with the exception of my hive guard and hormagaunts. I roll for my reserve-units and they all hit 2-5, meaning they're walking in from my board edge.
My Trygon bursts from the ground right in front of one of the raider's filled with soft eldar-flesh. My genestealers pop up from within the area terrain in the center of the board (who would have guessed?). My squad of gaunts on the right side take hold of a crate.
My warriors on the left swing their deathspitters around to take aim at the wyche's raider, unloading on it and causing it to explode. The ensuing explosion sees two more of the fleeing wyches vaporized, bringing their number to just two. My trygon prime let's loose his containment spines, inflicting a lethal blow to the raider just in front of it. It explodes as well, engulfing three kabalite warriors from within and catching two of my own nearby termagants as well.
The angry, wounded tervigon fires it's cluster spines into the reeling kabalite warriors who were just violently disembarked from their ruined transport. The tervigon's aim was good and two kabalite warriors are impaled. They meet a swift, painful end.
The ymgarl genestealers who appeared from within the forest leap forward and onto the other raider filled with kabalite warriors. They very nearly surround the entire vehicle, and the raider explodes as dozens or rending claws tear it asunder. The explosion incinerates one of the genestealers, as well as one of the kabalite warriors. The tervigon's freshly birthed termagant brood runs down and assaults the fleeing pilot, subduing him and taking him prisoner. Don't ask me why nids would ever do this, I leave the fluff explanation to Gabe.
Yep. They're gonna get shot to shit.
DE : Gabe rolls for his reserves, seeing both squads of reavers, the last raider containing his incubi, and two of the three ravagers rip onto the board. They all come in from his table edge.
One of the squads of reavers waste no time and swoop in, grabbing one of the crate's along the right side of the board. The raider approaches my trygon and disembarks it's incubi.
The remaining kabalite warriors take aim at the trygon who had destroyed their transport. They double tap and manage to inflict one wound to the monster. The incubi's raider fires it's dark lance into the trygon, failing to wound it. The two ravagers fire their dark lances into the squad of two zoanthropes, inflicting three wounds but not managing to penetrate their powerful warp fields.
The venom and it's occupants unload on the ymgarl genestealers, attempting to save their brethren from a violent end. Six of the genestealers are cut down in the hail of fire. The kabalite warriors themselves take up aim and finish off the remainder of the genestealer squad. (stupid, squishy genstealers, this is why I don't use you.)
Gabe's incubi charge forward, engaging my trygon. They manage to inflict one wound to the towering beast before it could lash back, slaying three of them. The incubi pass their leadership test and stand strong before the beast. Gabe's reavers use their assault-movement to back up a bit near his table edge.
TURN 3
Nids: I roll for reserves once again. This time bringing in the rest of my army. Both the hive guard and hormagaunts come in from the left table edge. Good for the hive guard, very bad for me and the hormagaunts. The only thing near them a pair of ravagers. At the time I completely forgot that I had given them adrenal glands, meaning on the charge they would have been able to destroy them. Stupid mistake on my part, the hormies continue to hoof it across the board for the remainder of the game.
(Useless because I'm an idiot)
My warriors take aim at one of the ravagers perched on the rocks nearby. Managing to inflict a penetrating shot but only immobilizing the vehicle. My hive guard fire a salvo into the other ravager, immobilizing it and destroying one of it's dark lances. Zoanthropes fire a warp blast into the group of kabalite warriors who so narrowly avoided being torn apart by my genestealers, killing 3 of them.
My squad of gaunts on the right side of the board unload into the nearest squad of reavers, failing to kill any of them. My other squad of gaunts now holding the pilot fire at the kabalite squad as well, killing none. The tervigon fires it's cluster spines at the reavers, it deviates a bit; striking one reaver and the nearby raider, Failing to do anything to either. Uneventful shooting is uneventful.
In assault the incubi take another round of swings at my trygon, this time inflicting two wounds. Trygon swings back and wipes out the remainder of the incubi, consolidating into a nearby crate, hoping to capture it in the following turn.
DE : Gabe's final ravager still fails to come onto the board.
The Squad of kabalites in front of the trygon double tap into it. Failing to inflict any wounds.
The incubi's raider fires it's dark lance into the trygon, avenging it's fallen squad and removing the monster's final wound.
The venom, it's occupants, and the other squad of kabalite warriors unload their fire into the squad of gaunts holding the pilot. This killed 5 gaunts total, not harming the pilot.
Gabe's ravagers unload their salvo of dark lances into my weakened tervigon, finishing it off. The ensuing psychic backlash hammers both nearby gaunt squads. Wiping out what's left of the squad with the pilot and scrambling the brains of 8 gaunts in the other squad, leaving only 2. Oof.
He wears it everywhere he goes.
TURN 4
Nids : Some general repositioning. Fex moves up, Zoeys move up, Warriors move towards the middle of the board to get into the action. My Tyrant trudges forward and claims another crate.
My hive guard unload on one of the ravagers again, and thanks to some amazing rolls they manage to do nothing. I NEED 3's TO GLANCE FFS! :(
My dakkafex unload into the small squad of kabalite warriors on the left near a crate, wiping them out.
My zoanthropes fire their warp blasts at the remaining squad of warriors, they go to ground, this does not save them. They're also wiped out. My tyrant unloads his devourers into the nearest unit of reavers, killing all but one.
DE : Gabe's final ravager finally comes in. His other squad of 6 reavers swooped into the center of the board, landing in front of the pilot. (fails one dangerous terrain test, killing one) His other remaining reaver boosts over towards the middle of the board to grab another crate. (per scenario rules a single model can only carry one crate but we let it fly because we forgot! :D ) This brings us to Nids - 3, DE - 2 with one free crate on the right side of the board near my tyrant.
Two of his ravagers unload into my dakkafex, inflicting one wound. The third ravager fires at the hive guard, inflicting one wound.
In the assault phase the reavers pounce on the pilot, and he's taken prisoner once more.
(At this point I forgot to take pictures. So instead here's a delicious morsel. It's rumored that squats are returning to 40k in the coming Tau dex as a troop choice.)
TURN 5
Nids: More repositioning. My tyranid prime FINALLY reaches my squad of warriors and joins them.
Dakkafex unloads into the duke's venom. Causing it to explode and killing one of it's trueborn occupants.
The Tyrant unloads on the duke and his remaining retinue, killing the remaining three trueborn, leaving the Duke alone with his crate.
Hive guard fires into a ravager, finally managing to blow one up. (Bout time, guys)
My prime and warriors unload into the single reaver now holding two crates, killing him and freeing up the two crates.
My zoanthropes fire their warp blasts into the squad of reavers holding the pilot, both hitting their mark. This only manages to kill one reaver but (luckily) Gabe fails the pilot's cover save, killing him.
DE : At the last moment, Gabe's reavers fly over the treetops to land and take hold of the two free crates, giving this one squad three crates and tieing up the game!
Remaining ravagers fire into the dakkafex, failing to inflict any wounds.
The duke fires into the tyrant, inflicting one wound.
I roll at the end of 5 and hit a 1 : ending the game 3 to 3. Unknowingly - Gabe's Wych squad (still fleeing and having only 2 models left) was his largest capturing unit. Mine were my warriors. Neither of these were killed which gave us no score modifiers. We both had commanders still up, which meant the game ended in a draw.
It was a fun game overall and it really came down to the wire. GG!
