1850 Dark Eldar vs. Tyranids, Assault on Outer Demeter

First game of the campaign for Viridis Sileo, using the Planetstrike rule set, specifically the Planetfall Scenario.

The lists:
DE 1850, The Prince of Pain's Court

HQ: Zhai Mor, the Prince of Pain (counts as Duke Sliscus) 150

Haemunculus Agaith Dannam, webway portal, 85
Haemunculus Sheeshran Shalreen, scissorhand, liquefier gun 75

Elites:
10x Hekatrix Bloodbrides (the Brides of Khaine) 3 hydra gauntlets, Syren, agonizer, 190
4x Kabalite Trueborn (the Prince's Posse), 2x Shardcarbines, 2x Splintercannons 78
Venom, additional Splintercannon, night shield, 75
6x Incubi of the Shrine of the Jaged Fang, Klaivex, Onslaught 162
4x Grotesques, liquifier gun, Aberration with Scissorhand 175
Raider, night shield, 70
6x Harlequins, all with Kisses, shadow seer 158

Troops:
10x Kabalite Warriors, splintercannon, Designate "Searing Arrow" 100
Raider, Splinter racks, nightshield 80
10x Kabalite Warriors, splinter cannon, Designate "Hornet's Sting" 100
Raider, Splinter racks, nightshield, 80
9x Wracks, liquifier gun 100
Raider, night shield 80

Tyranids 1850

HQ:
The Horror of Demeter (Hive Tyrant, 2x TL Devourer with Brainleech worms, winges, Hive Commander
Elites:
9x Ymgarl Genestealers
9x Ymgarl Genestealers
Troops:
20 Termagants with Devourers
20 Termagants with Devourers
Fast Attack:
4x Shrikes
Heavy Support:
3x Trygon

Both armies are held completely in reserve, with the exception of the two termagant units, hiding in their captured bastions, while Haemunuculus Dannam, with the 4 grotesque unit in the raider, deployed in my table edge.

Pre-turn 1 firestorm failed to harm anything other than successfully immobilizing the bastions, as well as stopping them from shooting for a turn. Attacker gets turn one, and with reserves coming in on turn 1, with a reserve roll of a 3+. Thanks to that, my entire army comes in turn one, which actually worked against me, as my Webway Portal was rendered useless and several fragile units had to hoof it across the board.
Heres the board after my turn one, after Haemunuclus Dannam disembarked and dropped the portal, and everyone moved/ran. with the harlequins hiding from the red bunker's firing points.


Turn 1: Nids.
The entire tyranid army comes in, deep striking near almost all my units, with two trygons bursting from the ground just inches from my line of raiders, while another trygon appears in front of the Prince's ride. Two hidden broods of Ymgarl genestealers appear from their hiding places and run towards my Grotesques.

A burst of Devourer fire from a the bug-bastion mounted Termagants wipe out the Harlequins before they can do much of anything, while bursts of electricity from the clustered trygons blows up the Searing Arrow's raider, and kills four of them.

Turn 2: DE
The Prince's ride drives forward, and with the combined fire of all the Prince's posse and his custom venom, the trygon lumbering in front of him is reduced to a single wound, while combined fire from the Hornet's Sting and the Searing Arrow inflicts several wounds on trygon rumber1.
Turn 2:Nids
Trygon number one launches another bio-electric pulse, blowing the Hornet's Sting's raider to smithereens, killing 4 of the Dark Kin in the explosion. The Hive Tryant opens fire on the Incubi hiding behind a hill, killing all but one.

The a Ymgarl genestealer brood assaults Dannam's Grotesques, but they fail to get the first strike, and the Grotesques kill 4 of them, while the 'stealers inflict 2 wound on the unit, which are absorbed the the hulking physiques of the Grotesques. Across the board, trygon number 3 slice's the Prince's ride in two, leaving a smoking crater and five very angry dark eldar.



Turn 3 (lots of stuff happened this turn, so Its all being written like it happened at once)

The Prince's posse open fire on Trygon 3 wounding it, as the Prince hurls himself into combat with the towering creature, stabbing it in its armored chest, the potent venom on his blades eating through flesh and chitin, killing the Trygon. Combined fire from the Searing Arrow and the Hornet's sting kills Trygon One. The Bloodbrides assault Trygon Two, killing it in a flurry of stabbing blades and poisoned whips, in it;s death throws it pulverizes three Bloodbrides, the remaining ones attempt to move into cover.
The Shrikes fly on top of a hill, and open fire on Haemunculus Shalreen and his wrack's, killing several. The Hive Tryant moves into combat with Dannam's Grotesques, who lose all but one of their number.

Turn 4:
The Prince runs forward, confident in his shadwofield's power to protect him. The remnants of the Searing Arrow and the Hornet's sting wipe out the second brood of Ymgarls, before the Hornet's sting is shot to death by Termagant fire. The Prince and his squad come under fire from over 60 devourer shots, and the Prince is lost in a hail of fire.The Hive Tyrant kills the last Grotesque, and Haemunculus Shalreen flees the battle, while Haemunculus Dannam is torn to shreds, along with his Wracks, by the Shrikes.

Due to time constraints, we called it here, with the Dark Eldar's raid on the burning city thwarted by it's new, hungry defenders. Its a bad planet, it's a bug planet.

Mini-campaign, the Battle for Viridis Sileo

Going to be starting a mini-campaign (of about 4-5 games) with Mike Monigan from Disposable Income (see link on the side bar), taking place on the agri-world of Viridis Sileo. Basic plan:

Opening Game: Planet Strike

Games 2-4: Using Astrnomi-con scenarios (found here)
Game 5: ????

Anyway, I have taken it upon myself to write up a bit of fluff for our campaign.

The Fall of Viridis Sileo, Part One

CASE FILE: 114:87G:YY6:Seg
Ordo Xenos Tempestus
Authority Code: *********************

Account of the Tyranid xenos breed siege of [GE class agri-world Viridis Sileo, Tempestus Segmentum]as told by Confessor Varro Oridiaus (of the Church of the Emperor Beneficent, in Demeter, planetary capitol [estimated population of 6.9 million]

6113978.M41

It was a warm day, it was always a warm day in Demeter. I rose early, before the sun, to ready the chapel for the morning sermon. Let it be known that the men and women of Demeter where a pious people, I regularly had a congregation of 50 or so in my small chapel, and many of my brothers in the Ecclesiarchey told me of the large numbers of the faithful that would great each dawn with a prayer to the Emperor on their lips, and His light in their hearts.

Opening the slates covering the only window in my modest cell, I was greeted by a storm wracked sky. The sky lacked the yellow tint it would acquire before a storm, and i felt that there was something altogether wrong with what I was seeing.

Then it began. The very air of our home was screaming. The awful noise, by the Throne you cannot imagine the noise.

Or the screams. The screams of the dying, of women, of children, of men, torn asunder by the foul daemons, for what else could these creatures be? Had we displeased the Emperor, had we not shown the proper piety? I do not know. What I do know is that our brave soldiers, the fiercest, toughest men our home could offer, where unable to stop the creatures from destroying our homes, our farms, our lives.

I was with a group of seventy or so of women, children, and men too old or sick to fight, in my chapel, which now served as a makeshift fortress. 20 Judges of the Arbites had barricaded the doors and windows, and had stationed patrols around the area. Here we waited, waited for help. But none arrived, only more of the beasts.

I had my first true look at one the daemons when they burst through the wood and steal barricade blocking the door to the chapel proper. It was a vile thing, pale, sickly skin, with a chitinous shell of a warped, unnatural purple. What it lacked for hands or paws it made up for in a pair of scything talons, large, vicious looking blades bursting from the ends of it's thin arms.

With a screech, it tore into the Arbites blocking the door, its claws cutting through armor and bone and flesh. But there wasn't just one, by the throne there where more than I could count. the numbers, you cannot imagine the numbers.

I hid, I hid beneath a pile of corpses, the corpses of the men, women, and children I was to cowardly to protect. Emperor save me, I hid, thinking the worst was over.

Then the swarms came.

+++++++Continue y/n++++++++
N
Extract file #114:87G:YY7:Seg



And thats the first bit I've got, more as the story develops. Play me off, keyboard cat.

Apocalypse, 20,000 points, The Xenos assault on Fort Walton

Here are the pictures, and highlights, of our 20,000 point Apoc game, the teams where:
( I played using Mike Monigan's Tyranids) XENOS: 5,000 point Tyranids, 5,000 point Orks, 2 Stompas
IMPERIALS: 2,500 point Scout Marines, 1 Warlord-Class Imperator Titan, 1 Warhound-class Scout Titan, 2,500+ points Blood Angels (they where painted green)

The armies and deployment:





some stuff happening, including:
Our entire left flank being wiped out by a Titan fire, the stompas doing jack, and Scoutguy mocking us:





the scene of the bloody battle and the xenos retreat at the end of the game:

Battlereport: The Empire vs. Tyranids

You read that right. After breifly discussing it, Mike and I disided to try mixing the two more poplular GW systems, and running a 40k vs. Fantasy game. He used a 1750 point Tyrannid list, and I used my tourney list:
LORDS:
Arch Lector, AoMI, War Altar, Hammer of Judgment, Van Horstrum's Speculum: 305
Wizard Lord, Lvl4,Armor of Taurnus , Dispell Scroll: 270
HEROES:
Warrior Priest, Heavy Armor, Shield: 96
Warrior Priest, Heavy Armor, Greatweapon, 98
Captain, BSB, Full Plate, Enchanted Shield, Dragon Bow.113
CORE:
30 Swordsmen, Full Command, 205
30 Halberdiers, Full Command, 170
30 Halberdiers, Full Command, 170
30 Flaggalents, Prophet of Doom: 310
SPECIAL:
2x Cannons: 200
2xMortar:150
Rare:
Helblaster, 110
Steam Tank: 300
His list (approximatively)
Swarmlord
Tyranid Prime w/ 2x bone swords
~accompanied by 5 warriors

20 "Devil"gaunts{with devourers)
20 Termagants
20 Hormagaunts
2x Zoanthropes
1x Tervigon w/ Cluster spines, AG,TS
1x Biovore
1x Trygon
Setu/deployment:
We played on a 6by4 standard table, with a fence dividing it in two parts, and several buildings on my side. Mike deploys first, moving his bug horde as close as possible to my lines. I respond by deploying right on the table edge, with my cannons and mortars in buildings.

His deployment, with a trygon and a pack of genestealers in reserve.

Turn 1 (Tyranids)
The gaunt packs rush forward over the fences, along with the Swarmlord and Warriors. The Tervigon launches its cluster spines into my 30 man Swordsmen unit, killing. In one turn, though the Swordsmen hold. The devilgaunts turn their attention to my Middenheim Halberdiers (the blue ones) and kill 3 with shooting.

Turn 1 (Empire)
Having lost a massive chunk of troops, I begin by attempting to cast Pit of Shades on the Tervigon, and fail casting it by one. Having spent all my spell dice on attempting to cast PoS, I begin my shooting phase by unleashing a fusillade of cannon balls at the Tervigon, causing 3 wounds, and blast a pack of Guants with mortars, killing 6.
Here is how things are looking by the end of turn one:

Turn 2 (Tyranids)
The Tervigon spawns more 6 Gaunts, while another pack of the bugs move forward, near my Steam Tank and Swordsmen, while the genestealers outflank into the side of my lines. My middenhiem Halberdiers come under fire again,and all but the Standard Bearer, Champion and attached Warrior Priest and BSB survive. The genestealers charged into the rear of the Talebecland Halberdiers, scything through them, an causing them to flee, but they do not escape, and are consumed by the genestealers, who consolidate near my War Altar.

Turn 2 (Empire) Taking the initiative, I charge into a pack of gaunts with my * remaining Swordsmen, as well as my Steam Tank. Magic is uneventful, as Pit Of Shades scatters and kills all of one gaunt. I unleash a fusillade of fire from my artillery batteries, blasting apart several gaunts under continued fire from mortars,cannons and my hellblaster, but its not enough. My Steam Tank crushes several Gaunts under its immense bulk, and combined with my few swordsmen, I manage to win the combat with the gaunts, but they do not break, and the fighting continues.


Turn 3 (nids)
The Trygon deep strikes behind my Steam Tank, and the genestealers assault my War Altar, while the Swarmlord engages my Arch Lector in single combat. A pack of Gaunts charge the Middenheim Command group.

and kill the Standard Bearer and Unit Champion, leaving my BSB and Warrior Priest to stem the tide of bugs with their 2+ and 5+ saves, respectively.
The Swarmlord manages to land a hit on my War Altar, causing a wound, while my Arch Lector hits the Swarmlord, but his hammer blow bounces of the beast's carapace. The pack of gaunts attacking my Steam Tank/Swordsmen turn all their attention to the swordsmen, as the T10 +1 Save Tank proves to difficult to kill. The Swordsmen prove a match for the Gaunts and the combat is tied, though both sides take loses.

Turn 3 (Empire)
Magic fails me again, so I switch to shooting. I target the Tervigon with a cannon, and finally bring the huge beats down, while focusing the rest of my shooting on killing gaunts with Mortars. In Combat, my BSB fails a save, and is killed, leaving my Warrior Priest to hold my left flank single handedly.

My Swordsmen fail to hold off the gaunts for long, and almost the whole of them are slain, leaving the Unit Champion to flee the field, and the Steam Tank to endure more blows. I use Van Horstrum's Speculum to swap Stats with the Swamrlord, and my Arch Lector begins to lay down the hurt on the now weakened Swarmlord, while easily ignoring the hits from the swarm of genestealers attacking the War Altar.

Intermission: At this point, the food we ordered earleir arrives, and i deploy my secret weapon: Food. I attempt to lure the nid hordes to the large boxes of chicken lo mien and sesame chicken.

To no avail.


Turn 4 (Tyrnaids)
The tyranid warriors launch a barrage of living bullets into my flagellant horde, killing 18, following after with an assault, and wiping out the remaining flagellants. The Trygon attempts to kill my Stank, but it makes all its saves. My Arch Lector goes first in the Swarmlord/Stealer combat, and kills the Swarmlord, seen here:

And with that we called it, as only my Steam Tank and War Altar remained, along with a few War Machines. This was a pretty odd game. Originally I had though that the cross system balance was fairly good. i was wrong, the sheer fire power available from a 40k army is absurd. Its almost like as was playing against dwarfs.

"The Hive", Guard vs. Tyranid scenario

Inspired by a conversation between myself and Mike(see the link to his site over in the links box, down yonder ==>),which basically established that all our 40k games are like Starship Troopers in table top format. Which leads me to this:
"The Hive", a Tyranid vs. Guard scenario. These are the first test rules I'm going to set up, and they will be modified based on how they play out in test games.

SCENARIO:

Army Compostition:
The Tyranid player fields a 3000 point army, however, they may only field one HQ, and any models with the "Infiltrate" "Scouts" and "Stealth" special rules will be considered to not have them, and units may not deep strike or be held in reserve.

The Guard player fields a 2000 point army. Additionally, one unit of Conscripts may be taken independently of that 2000 point force, using rule "FOR THE HOMELAND" (see under "Scenario special rules, further down.)

Fluff:A tyranid Hive-Ship has been shot down over the skies of your homeworld. The Imperial Navy refuses to waist ammunition on destroying it for good, and the nearest Ordo Xenos Deathwatch marines are engaged in boarding actions in the space battle in the heaven above your world. It is up you and your fellow PDF troopers to finish off any Xenos that remain.
Game length is covered in the Special deployment and rules section
Deployment and terrain:
The scenario is played om the Standard 6x4 table. The tyranid player deploys in a 4x3 area on the short table edge. All terrain inside the Tyranid difficult terrain. All non-Tyranid infantry in this deployment must also take Dangerous Terrain test, to represent the jagged rock, molten stone and pools of acidic ichor left by the Bio-ship (Note: Monstrous Creatures and Walkers MUST take Dangerous Terrain test in this area. One slip one a boulder or a fall into an acid pit will harm even them. Tanks treat it as Difficult Terrain, their massive bulk and grinding treads crush over any small hazards like rocks, bone and the stray Ripper Swarm. Flyers and Skimmers treat it as open terrain, but Skimmers cannot end their movement phase inside the Tyranid deployment, as no pilot will risk leaving their ship on the ground in that area. The Guard player deploys anywhere else on the board. However, the Guardsmen deploy first, to represent their entrenchment around the crater, as well as receiving the first turn.

Scenario special deployment and rules:
"THE HORROR OUT OF SPACE": The Tyranid player does not deploy his whole army at first. Instead, he follows the following deployment chart (note, the Tyranid player MUST have two units of troops deployed by turn one:
Turn 1|He may deploy up to two(2) units of Troops and any number of Fast Attack units
Turn 2|He may deploy up to 2 more units of Troops, any number of Fast Attack and up to 2(two) units of Elites
Turn 3| He may deploy up to 2 more units of Troops, any number of Fast Attack, up to 2(two) units of Elites and one unit of Heavy Support
Turn 4| He may deploy up to 2 more units of Troops, any number of Fast Attack, up to 2(two) units of Elites up to 2(two) units of Heavy Support, as well as his HQ choice
"THE LEVIATHAN IS DYING": At the end of turn 4, roll a D6. on a 4+, the living ship lets out a massive death cry as its final massive organs die. All non-Tyranid infantry models take a Str2 hit, with no save allowed (that helmet won't stop your eardrums from bursting or your teeth shattering from the noise)
"FOR THE HOMELAND": Starting from turn 2, the Guard player may deploy his unit of Conscripts. They are treated in the same manner as units coming in form Reserve. At the end of each following turn, that Unit can be destroyed in its entirety to be re-deployed from the chosen table edge the following turn, during the beginning of the Guard's movement phase.
"THIS IS OUR LAND" All Guard units count as Stubborn and Relentless. However, a unit loses these rules if they break from an assault, or are reduced to 25% of the unit size at the beginning of that turn.
"ORBITAL BOMBARDMENT INCOMING"/"THE ENDLESS HUNGER": At the end of Turn 5, roll a D6. On a 5+ the game ends. At the end of Turn 6, roll a D6. On a 3+ the game ends. The game ends at the end of Turn 7 at the latest. If the Guardsmen met the victory conditions (See below) then it is considered that the hordes of vile Xenos have been delayed till a bombardment from a Imperial Navy ship bombs the Bio-ship and its deadly inhabitants to oblivion. If the Tyranid player meets the victory conditions, then it is considered that the Tyranids devour all the men before them, and spread throughout the countryside, claiming a foothold on the verdant, tasty world.

Victory Conditions:
HOLD THE LINE (Guard victory conditions):
Self explanatory, the Guardsmen must survive until the game ends. Even if a single Guard unit survives,it is considered a win. Fleeing and off table units do not contribute and are considered destroyed for all intents and purposes. If all of the Tyranid army are destroyed then the Guardsmen have won a crushing victory, and instantly win, no matter the turn.
THE DOOM OF THIS WORLD (Tyranid Victory Condition)
The Tyranids must annihilate every single unit in the Guard army in table to gain a victory (they are gonna need a lot of bio-mass to spearhead a planetary invasion.)

Comments, suggestions, criticisms are welcome and encouraged.