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Campaign: DARK OCTOBER 2008

Battle: (06 Jan 2008) Richard Conradi vs. Gordon Benge

Scenario: Seek & Destroy!

Notes & Special Rules: Gamma (Infiltrate, Deep Strike, Dusk & Dawn, Victory Points)

 

Although touted as a ‘campaign game’, this battle was used as a tester for the new Army Selection rules found on the Campaign Rules page. Neither player anteed a territory or won a territory as a result of the battle. They had fun & talked some friendly ‘smack’ about the battle and each other’s forces. Afterwards they reviewed each other’s good or bad luck, mistakes & great tactical decisions from the opposing perspective. Great game!

 

ATTACKER:

Rich’s Tyranid Force: Hive Fleet ‘Devourer’

Category	Type	Name	Description	Points
HQ	Hive Tyrant	Venom Devil	Venom Cannon, Twin-linked Devourer, Enhanced Senses, Toxin Sacs, The Horror, Synapse Creature (x2) Tyrant Guard	239 [90]
ELITES	Tyranid Warriors	Devil Warriors	(x2) Twin-linked Devourers (x2), Enhanced Senses (x1) Venom Cannon, Devourer, Enhanced Senses	88 [36]
TROOPS	Genestealers	Crimson Brood	(x7) Rending Claws	112
TROOPS	Genestealers	Grey Brood	(x7) Rending Claws	112
TROOPS	Gaunts	Spinegaunts	(10x) Spinefists	50
TROOPS	Gaunts	Spinegaunts	(10x) Spinefists	50
TROOPS	Gaunts	Spinegaunts	(10x) Spinefists	50
HEAVY SUPPORT	Carnifex	Sniperfex	Barbed Strangler, Venom Cannon, Enhanced Senses, Adrenal Glands: Initiative, Reinforced Chitin	169
TOTAL	51 models		1x HQ, 1x ELITES, 5x TROOPS, 1x HVY SUPPORT	870

 

DEFENDER:

Gordon’s Eldar Force: Craftworld Alaitoc

Category	Type	Name	Description	Points
HQ	Autarch	?	Reaper Launcher, Shuriken Pistol, Power Weapon, Haywire Grenades, Plasma Grenades, Banshee Mask, Force Shield, Fleet Master Strategist, Independent Character	108
TROOPS	Pathfinders	Rangers	(x5) Ranger Long Rifle (x5), Shuriken Pistol (x5) Fleet, Infiltrate, Move Through Cover, Stealth, Ignore Difficult Terrain Pathfinder Stealth, Scouts, Pathfinders	120
TROOPS	Guardian Jetbike Squadron	?	(x3) Shuriken Cannon (x1), Twin-linked Shuriken Catapult (x2)   Turbo Boosters, Jetbike Infantry (x1) Warlock: Twin-linked Shuriken Catapult   Conceal, Shuriken Pistol, Singing Spear, Rune Armor, Eldar Jetbike	139 [63]
TROOPS	Dire Avengers	?	(x10) Avenger Shuriken Catapult, Fleet (x1) Dire Avenger Exarch: Dire Avenger Exarch Shuriken Pistol & Diresword   Bladestorm, Fleet	169 [49]
TROOPS	Dire Avengers	?	(x7) Avenger Shuriken Catapult, Fleet (x1) Dire Avenger Exarch: Dire Avenger Exarch Shuriken Pistol & Diresword   Bladestorm, Fleet	133 [49]
HEAVY SUPPORT	Support Weapon Battery	Shadow Weavers	(x4) Battery Guardians, Shadow Weaver (x2), Shuriken Catapults (x2) (x1) Warlock: Conceal, Shuriken Pistol, Witchblade, Rune Armor, Fleet	100 [30+30] [40]
HEAVY SUPPORT	Falcon	?	Scatter Laser, Twin-linked Shuriken Catapult, Pulse Laser Spirit Stone, Vectored Engines	160
TOTAL	35 models		1x HQ, 4x TROOPS, 2x HVY SUPPORT	930

 

Setup & Battleboard:

The Battleboards used in this campaign are setup to provide a 4’ x 4’ playing area, getting the action started almost immediately for both players when the battle begins.

 

  This battle’s setup included several hills, one with an impassable cliff face, a wooded hill, a ruined 2 story temple, a couple small 2 story ruined farmhouses a crater & a rocky arch.

  The Eldar won choice of deployment zone & took his table edge, Tyranids setup opposite the Eldar forces & placed the first model (the Sniperfex in a second story ruins window) on the Battleboard. The Tyranids forgot to place the Hive Tyrant’s retinue during setup but a gracious Eldar commander allowed them to be placed before the first turn was over in a showing of great sportsmanship.

 

TURN ONE:

  On the Eldar turn the Pathfinders attempted to strike back at the Carnifex & were themselves ineffective. A highly maneuverable Falcon swept out from behind the woods & fired a salvo at the Hive tyrant but was unable to penetrate the tough chitin plates of the accompanying guards. Shots from a group of Dire Avengers in a large farmhouse dealt some grief to an advancing brood of Spinegaunts while the jetbikes dealt them even more hurt.

 

  The victory point advantage so far was in the capable and steady hands of the Eldar, but the battle had only begun!

 

TURN TWO:

  Please see ‘TURN SIX’ below.

 

TURN THREE:

  Please see ‘TURN SIX’ below.

 

TURN FOUR:

  Please see ‘TURN SIX’ below.

 

TURN FIVE:

  Please see ‘TURN SIX’ below.

 

TURN SIX:

  At some point (which is a bit blurry to me as of this writing) the Eldar picked off with shooting all of the lesser Tyranid creatures but were ineffective at harming the Monstrous Creatures, The Hive Tyrant advanced with Devourers & Venom Cannon blazing, eventually killing through a combination of firing & assault the Pathfinders, Heavy Support Battery a Dire Avengers squad & the remaining Dire Avengers left over from a close combat battle with a unit of Gaunts.

 

  The Falcon & Jetbikes held out valiantly against repeated shooting from the Carnifex and teamed up to nearly kill it off in a single turn of tremendous shooting; it ended play with one wound from five! This kept the Eldar from being able to score a win with an assault phase left to play- the Autarch was in close combat with the full strength Tyrant and his guards… miraculously the Autarch was not slain by the seemingly unstoppable monster, preventing a win on the Tyranid side as well! Whew… what a battle!

 

  I did not take pictures of this battle or good enough turn-by-turn notes to complete the report in that way but I hope you have enjoyed what I was able to present to you.

 

Conclusion & Results:

  At the battle’s end, very few remained to count on either side. A vicious & bloody battle with incredible volleys of shuriken steel & terribly effective slashes of monstrous scythes left the soil stained with blood & ichor almost equally.

 

  The Tyranid forces were reduced to only the Hive Tyrant, his guardian retinue & the severely wounded but still fighting Carnifex. Torn & pierced husks of chitin & leathery flesh lay scattered across the fields and hills where the smaller Tyranids were shot down attempting to rush into battle with the Eldar. Carnage reigned supreme.

  Total Eldar score = 546.5 Victory Points (547).

 

  Eldar dead and wounded were piled in scythed and shredded heaps, mainly near buildings where they valiantly tried to hold off the monstrous Tyranid creatures or protect themselves from terrible living weaponry. The Autarch had only his dependable Falcon & three Jetbikes left to carry him from the fields of death.

  Total Tyranid score = 523 Victory Points.

 

With a points limit in this game of more than 500pts but less than 1000pts, a difference of only 24 Victory Points gives a resounding DRAW result.

 

Well fought on both sides, it will be an interesting rematch to look forward to!

TheRockit

 

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