Post by bigpig on Dec 4, 2012 8:33:36 GMT
Presented in the "Style of Halos" imitation, flattery, et al
This is a battle report from a local map campaign being run at my FLGS. First week of a 12 player campaign. I drew the right to challenge early and decided to take on the blood angel player.
Challenger: Nids
Defender: Blood Angels
Mission: Emporers Will
Outcome: nom nom nom
Game Week: One
Soaring high above the tattered remnants of the human city, the Tyrant surveyed the scene below. A direct conduit for the will of the Hive Mind, from her lofty vantage in the ash scarred skies she could sense the objective, guarded by a handful of armored human forms as the swarm approached to consume it in an unstoppable wave of flesh and chitin. ...but something was amiss. In the rubble below, Tervigons, their distended abdomens straining to contain the beasts within, responded to her edict and ceased their advance forming a wall of living tissue around them. The prey that fights was coming.
The scenario was rolled as Emporers will with a Vanguard Strike deployment, no night fight, 1500 pts. Blood Angels won the roll and chose to go first. The BA army consisted of Dante in a 5 man Sanguinary Guard unit with Chapter Banner, 2 units of 10 assault marines in 2 drop pods with 2 plasma pistols and melta in each, Baal Predator with assault cannon and heavy bolter sponsons, 5 Death Company, and a StormRaven. Only the Predator and unit of Death Company were deployed at game start, the rest of the units in reserve. I placed the nid objective as near the middle of the board as possible. The BA placed theirs in the far corner behind LoS blocking terrain and deployed their Death Company out of sight holding it.
The Tyranids fielded a Flyrant with double brainleach worms, 2 Troop Tervigons, 2 small units of Termagaunts, 13 Gargoyles, 2 units of 2 Hive Guard, a Trygon, and the Doom of Malantai' in a spore pod. The Flyrant and Doom began in reserve. The remaining units were deployed on the objective in my deployment zone with the MCs clustered together surrounded by a wall of Termagaunts of Gargoyles to provide cover and range against the drop podded in melta gun wielding assault troops.
Flames caressed the sides of the Astartes drop pod as it rocketed through the atmosphere to deliver its payload of warriors to the ruined field below. Sgt Phaeto and his men looked to the battle ahead of them in anticipation seasoned with the taste of arrogance that only those who have survived hundreds of wars can experience. As one they blessed their weapons and sang songs of victory and praise, barely able to contain the bloodlust welling within. Retro's fired, Groundfall, explosive hatches tore open. Sure of their victory, the vanguard force of the Blood Angel assault deployed in practiced execution to carry out their surprise attack; Out to the expectant eyes of the waiting alien hunger.
Turn 1
The first blood angel drop pod deployed dead in the face of the Tyranid castle, dropping only 1 inch in front of the lead Termagaunts, while the scouting predator rounded the corner into range. All fire was directed at the Trygon which, through a combination of misses, cover saves, and failures to wound, shrugged off all but one wound of the 2 plasma pistols, 1 melta, autocannon, and 2 heavy bolters. This was the first big mistake of my opponent, choking in the face of overwhelming target priority and delivering 20% of his force into striking range of 80% of mine.
The Tyranids responded by eradicating the 10 assault marines through combined fire and assault from the Trygon, 10 gaunts, and one Tervigon. The second Tervigon charged and destroyed the drop pod. Both units of hive guard managed to destroy the Baal Predator. First Blood to the Tyranids. The Tyranids consolidate back into the castle formation as best they can. The wreckage of the drop pod and terrain forms a bit of shield to the front while the gaunts and gargoyles shield the back and sides. In total, my whole army did not really move anywhere this turn. My battlefield positioning is still designed to prevent a big alpha strike against my MCs by deep striking angels.
Commander Dante descended from the heavens in his golden armor, a formidable relic of a long forgotten age and one of the many which made his chapter so formidable in combat. His personal guard beside him, their red laquered jet packs shrieking like the thunder of heavy horse countless milenia prior. Truly these are the noble knights of this day, riding mounts of ceramite and plasteel, setting forth to slay the Dragon. Without a word they decend to the battlefield; Lances set, the charge begins
Turn 2 BA
All reserves arrive for the Angels. Dante and his retinue drop dead on inches away from Tyranids, in position to fire on the Trygon. The termagaunt shield creates enough buffer, however, that only half the troops can get into the necessary 6" range to fire their Infernus Pistols. The second drop pod veers far to the right and comes down on the other side of the Tryanid defensive line, denying the second unit shots on the same target as Dante. The combined fire of the Dante's unit and the arriving StormRaven drop the Trygon to 2 wounds. The other pod and its cargo kill one of the Hive Guard.
The Hive Mind does not sense emotion. Yet, from her lofty perch the Tyrant could sense the nearest thing to satisfaction the Xenos force could muster; A sense of order, as all the pieces fell into place. The Blood Angels had rushed headlong directly into her trap. There was no escape for the soft human forms from the battle they had arrogantly rushed into. Had they expended every weapon at their disposal they could not hope to slow the advance of innumerable Tyranid forces. The ruined city streets, loose rubble, and scattered debris made it imossible for even the vaunted Sons of Sanguinus to know the size of the foe they faced. The moment their craft struck the earth, their fate had been sealed. Now, only to close the second part of the trap.
The Tyrant folded her wings around her and plummetted towards the ground following the golden warriors and the metal craft which flanked them.
Turn 2 'nid
Charge! The Tyrant swoops in to blast the StormRaven in the face with Brainleach worms knocking off a hull point. The remaining Hive Guard knock off another point, leaving the craft with just one remaining. On the right flank, the Doom drops dead on in the midst of the assault marines from the new drop pod consuming the soul of one man from each 5 man combat squad. Termagaunts fire into one unit, then charge it, dropping it to the last man. A Tervigon charges and crushes the drop pod while the second Tervigon shoots and kill two marines from the other squad leaving it at two. In the center, Dante and his unit are Enfeebled by 'nid psykers, then surrounded by the lesser minions of the Hive. Three units of Termagaunts (a unit of 9 spawned by one of the Tervigons who then chose to go into early menopause with a 4,4,1) and Gargoyles, enhanced by the Preferred Enemy ability of the nearby Tyrant, fire a total of 36 fleshborers into the the unit, killing 2 despite the 2+ artificer save. They then engulf the unit in the ensuing assault phase, killing another and losing 5 or 6 gargoyles in return.
Fighting back to back with his standard bearer, Chapter blood mingling on the dusty field with the ichor of the countless Tyranids dieing around him, another gaunt skull is crushed beneath his armored boot only to have two more take it's place and one by one battle brothers are falling. A trap! Could it be?! But how could these mindless creatures...., This day Commander Dante would pay a price for his arrogance.
Turn 3
The Blood Angels had very little left. Dante was locked in a battle of attrition he could not hope to get out of even if he never failed a 2+ save. The remaining assault squad charged the Doom and the two traded ineffective blows. The StormRaven, engines tortured and smoking, hovered and turned to fire at the Trygon in nothing more than a last act of defiance, only to have its missiles go wide and miss the beast. It had little other choice but to do this or fly off the board. Either way, it couldn't make any difference.
At this point my opponent conceded knowing there was no way for him to pull out a tie, much less a victory. He had suffered through a series of bad die rolls and a tough match up but we managed to laugh and have a good time through the whole thing. I had first blood, and would soon have his Warlord. I had no need to go after his objective, but honestly could have taken it had I slogged across the board to get it.
Commander Dante triggered the igniters on his jet pack and soared clear of the melee below. His battle brothers fallen, fated to be consumed and digested, their gene-seed lost. Dante had lived to fight another day, but had lost more than just the field.
This is a battle report from a local map campaign being run at my FLGS. First week of a 12 player campaign. I drew the right to challenge early and decided to take on the blood angel player.
Challenger: Nids
Defender: Blood Angels
Mission: Emporers Will
Outcome: nom nom nom
Game Week: One
Soaring high above the tattered remnants of the human city, the Tyrant surveyed the scene below. A direct conduit for the will of the Hive Mind, from her lofty vantage in the ash scarred skies she could sense the objective, guarded by a handful of armored human forms as the swarm approached to consume it in an unstoppable wave of flesh and chitin. ...but something was amiss. In the rubble below, Tervigons, their distended abdomens straining to contain the beasts within, responded to her edict and ceased their advance forming a wall of living tissue around them. The prey that fights was coming.
The scenario was rolled as Emporers will with a Vanguard Strike deployment, no night fight, 1500 pts. Blood Angels won the roll and chose to go first. The BA army consisted of Dante in a 5 man Sanguinary Guard unit with Chapter Banner, 2 units of 10 assault marines in 2 drop pods with 2 plasma pistols and melta in each, Baal Predator with assault cannon and heavy bolter sponsons, 5 Death Company, and a StormRaven. Only the Predator and unit of Death Company were deployed at game start, the rest of the units in reserve. I placed the nid objective as near the middle of the board as possible. The BA placed theirs in the far corner behind LoS blocking terrain and deployed their Death Company out of sight holding it.
The Tyranids fielded a Flyrant with double brainleach worms, 2 Troop Tervigons, 2 small units of Termagaunts, 13 Gargoyles, 2 units of 2 Hive Guard, a Trygon, and the Doom of Malantai' in a spore pod. The Flyrant and Doom began in reserve. The remaining units were deployed on the objective in my deployment zone with the MCs clustered together surrounded by a wall of Termagaunts of Gargoyles to provide cover and range against the drop podded in melta gun wielding assault troops.
Flames caressed the sides of the Astartes drop pod as it rocketed through the atmosphere to deliver its payload of warriors to the ruined field below. Sgt Phaeto and his men looked to the battle ahead of them in anticipation seasoned with the taste of arrogance that only those who have survived hundreds of wars can experience. As one they blessed their weapons and sang songs of victory and praise, barely able to contain the bloodlust welling within. Retro's fired, Groundfall, explosive hatches tore open. Sure of their victory, the vanguard force of the Blood Angel assault deployed in practiced execution to carry out their surprise attack; Out to the expectant eyes of the waiting alien hunger.
Turn 1
The first blood angel drop pod deployed dead in the face of the Tyranid castle, dropping only 1 inch in front of the lead Termagaunts, while the scouting predator rounded the corner into range. All fire was directed at the Trygon which, through a combination of misses, cover saves, and failures to wound, shrugged off all but one wound of the 2 plasma pistols, 1 melta, autocannon, and 2 heavy bolters. This was the first big mistake of my opponent, choking in the face of overwhelming target priority and delivering 20% of his force into striking range of 80% of mine.
The Tyranids responded by eradicating the 10 assault marines through combined fire and assault from the Trygon, 10 gaunts, and one Tervigon. The second Tervigon charged and destroyed the drop pod. Both units of hive guard managed to destroy the Baal Predator. First Blood to the Tyranids. The Tyranids consolidate back into the castle formation as best they can. The wreckage of the drop pod and terrain forms a bit of shield to the front while the gaunts and gargoyles shield the back and sides. In total, my whole army did not really move anywhere this turn. My battlefield positioning is still designed to prevent a big alpha strike against my MCs by deep striking angels.
Commander Dante descended from the heavens in his golden armor, a formidable relic of a long forgotten age and one of the many which made his chapter so formidable in combat. His personal guard beside him, their red laquered jet packs shrieking like the thunder of heavy horse countless milenia prior. Truly these are the noble knights of this day, riding mounts of ceramite and plasteel, setting forth to slay the Dragon. Without a word they decend to the battlefield; Lances set, the charge begins
Turn 2 BA
All reserves arrive for the Angels. Dante and his retinue drop dead on inches away from Tyranids, in position to fire on the Trygon. The termagaunt shield creates enough buffer, however, that only half the troops can get into the necessary 6" range to fire their Infernus Pistols. The second drop pod veers far to the right and comes down on the other side of the Tryanid defensive line, denying the second unit shots on the same target as Dante. The combined fire of the Dante's unit and the arriving StormRaven drop the Trygon to 2 wounds. The other pod and its cargo kill one of the Hive Guard.
The Hive Mind does not sense emotion. Yet, from her lofty perch the Tyrant could sense the nearest thing to satisfaction the Xenos force could muster; A sense of order, as all the pieces fell into place. The Blood Angels had rushed headlong directly into her trap. There was no escape for the soft human forms from the battle they had arrogantly rushed into. Had they expended every weapon at their disposal they could not hope to slow the advance of innumerable Tyranid forces. The ruined city streets, loose rubble, and scattered debris made it imossible for even the vaunted Sons of Sanguinus to know the size of the foe they faced. The moment their craft struck the earth, their fate had been sealed. Now, only to close the second part of the trap.
The Tyrant folded her wings around her and plummetted towards the ground following the golden warriors and the metal craft which flanked them.
Turn 2 'nid
Charge! The Tyrant swoops in to blast the StormRaven in the face with Brainleach worms knocking off a hull point. The remaining Hive Guard knock off another point, leaving the craft with just one remaining. On the right flank, the Doom drops dead on in the midst of the assault marines from the new drop pod consuming the soul of one man from each 5 man combat squad. Termagaunts fire into one unit, then charge it, dropping it to the last man. A Tervigon charges and crushes the drop pod while the second Tervigon shoots and kill two marines from the other squad leaving it at two. In the center, Dante and his unit are Enfeebled by 'nid psykers, then surrounded by the lesser minions of the Hive. Three units of Termagaunts (a unit of 9 spawned by one of the Tervigons who then chose to go into early menopause with a 4,4,1) and Gargoyles, enhanced by the Preferred Enemy ability of the nearby Tyrant, fire a total of 36 fleshborers into the the unit, killing 2 despite the 2+ artificer save. They then engulf the unit in the ensuing assault phase, killing another and losing 5 or 6 gargoyles in return.
Fighting back to back with his standard bearer, Chapter blood mingling on the dusty field with the ichor of the countless Tyranids dieing around him, another gaunt skull is crushed beneath his armored boot only to have two more take it's place and one by one battle brothers are falling. A trap! Could it be?! But how could these mindless creatures...., This day Commander Dante would pay a price for his arrogance.
Turn 3
The Blood Angels had very little left. Dante was locked in a battle of attrition he could not hope to get out of even if he never failed a 2+ save. The remaining assault squad charged the Doom and the two traded ineffective blows. The StormRaven, engines tortured and smoking, hovered and turned to fire at the Trygon in nothing more than a last act of defiance, only to have its missiles go wide and miss the beast. It had little other choice but to do this or fly off the board. Either way, it couldn't make any difference.
At this point my opponent conceded knowing there was no way for him to pull out a tie, much less a victory. He had suffered through a series of bad die rolls and a tough match up but we managed to laugh and have a good time through the whole thing. I had first blood, and would soon have his Warlord. I had no need to go after his objective, but honestly could have taken it had I slogged across the board to get it.
Commander Dante triggered the igniters on his jet pack and soared clear of the melee below. His battle brothers fallen, fated to be consumed and digested, their gene-seed lost. Dante had lived to fight another day, but had lost more than just the field.
