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| An extremely beautiful Tyranid army! |
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| And against the hordes of Tyranids, we have the armored might of the Draconian Armored Defenders! Let's see if they can defend against the Tyranid onslaught... |
We rolled off, had Dawn of War deployment, and my opponent finally won the roll to go first after we hilariously tied 3 or 4 times (despite him having a +1 to his roll since he finished deploying first - man, my Imperial Guard actually outnumbers his Tyranids in terms of model and unit count - we are the true horde here!!!!).
Turn 1
My opponent moved and advanced his Genestealers and melee Carnifex, and the Zoanthropes and Neurothropes, but his 2 shooty Carnifexes merely moved. He had placed his Hive Tyrants and Ripper Swarms off the table, presumably to avoid getting them shot down when they arrive or something. The damned Neurothropes and Zoanthropes did Smite and Psychic Scream on my Warlord Leman Russ Punisher and basically brought him down to 1 wound. Damn, I made a terrible mistake in putting him right in front to absorb those shots. Utterly stupid of me. Anyway, he fired with his Hive Guard, Tyranid Warriors and shooty Carnifexes and killed my Warlord and another Leman Russ Executioner tank. He gained 4 victory points, which included Slay the Warlord and First Blood, and achieved 2 Objectives. OUCH. Oh, I think he shot a few Guardsmen with his Tyranid Warriors, but most of them survived since the majority of the firepower was focused on my tanks.
During my turn, I moved my heavy flamer and 3 flamers command squad up to roast the approaching Genestealers, as did my Leman Russ tank with heavy flamers. I also moved and advanced a single infantry squad to grab Objective 4, the objective in the center, as I had drawn Supremacy and needed to control at least 3 Objectives. My mortar squad fired and killed a bunch of Genestealers, as did my flamer command squad and the Leman Russ main battle tank. The remaining Leman Russ Executioner, Leman Russ Annihilator and the lascannon heavy weapon squad fired and killed the melee Carnifex, but failed to kill the other two Carnifexes. I'll say it right here, my dice rolls for this game was just horrible. I kept failing my saves, I rolled 1 or 2 for D6 damage weapons (lascannons) or missed outright, or just couldn't wound. My Armored Sentinels didn't do much, but I think my plasma cannon Armored Sentinel at least did 2 damage to one Tyranid Warrior, but missed his other shot, failing to kill it. Funnily enough, despite my terrible shooting and failure to retaliate, I did manage to get 4 Victory Points, with Supremacy netting me an extray Victory Point since I managed to get 3 Objectives after clearing the Genestealers off Objective 4. There were only 4 of them left.
Turn 2
My opponent continued moving his Genestealers forward (only 4 of them left), and his Tyranid Warriors forward as well. I can't remember what happened, but I think he moved his Carnifexes forward as well. Oh, and his Zoanthropes and Neurothrope also moved forward. At the end of the movement phase, the 2 Flying Hive Tyrants appeared in my right flank, bearing down on an infantry squad or something. The Lictor appeared on my left flank, also looking at another infantry squad. The Rippers jumped onto an Objective to capture it. I think that's it. Hive Tyrant Warlord cast Horror on my Leman Russ Annihilator, but failed Catalyst, or something. I can't remember. I believe this was where he periled and his Warlord Hive Tyrant ate a mortal wound, but I could be mistaken. The Zoanthropes and Neurothropes did some mortal wounds to my tank or infantry squad, but it was the shooting from the Hive Guard, Carnifexes and Tyranid Warriors that killed my Leman Russ Executioner and about 3 Guardsmen on the left flank. The Genestealers and Carnifexes charged into the infantry squad in the center, because my opponent was trying to score an Objective where he has to kill an enemy unit with either a unit of 10 or more models, or with a Monstrous Creature (Crush!). So the Carnifex wiped out my infantry squad, netting him that. The Hive Tyrants failed their charges, as did the Lictor, but funnily enough the Lictor ate 2 lasgun shots in overwatch. I can't remember, but if the Warlord Hive Tyrant didn't get a mortal wound from perils earlier, then he probably took a wound from a lasgun shot. I just knew he had taken a wound by the end of my opponent's turn. Anyway, my opponent moved up to 7 or 8 Victory Points.
I can't remember what happened, but I think I had drawn Hold the Line, and an Objective that required me to hold it for 2 consecutive turns (we agreed that for the purpose of Targets of Opportunity, it's not 2 of my turns, but 2 consecutive turns - my turn, my opponent's turn, then I earn it before I discard it at the start of my next turn). And Scour the Skies. So I really, really wanted to kill at least one Flying Hive Tyrant. I failed. Before I get too ahead of myself, let's just say I moved and advanced my Armored Sentinel up to Objective 4 to capture it, and apparently I would gain D3 victory points if I snatched it from my opponent who had been controlling it at the start of my turn. Was it Critical Objective? Anyway, I deep struck my Storm Troopers right in front of the 2 Hive Tyrants so that I could unload my plasma on them. I stupidly put a single Stormtrooper squad (the one with 2 hot-shot volley guns) at the back of my opponent's deployment zone, in hopes of capturing that objective and perhaps sniping the Tyranid Warrior Prime. Again, I failed to do even a wound to that fella. Anyway, I succeeded in killing both Carnifexes with my Leman Russ Annihilator and Leman Russ main battle tank, who also wiped out the remaining 4 Genestealers with his heavy flamer. Or actually, he didn't. He killed maybe 2 or so, and my mortar squad rained down shells to kill the other 2, and thus my Armored Sentinel captured the objective, uncontested. On the other side, despite unloading all my plasma into the non-Warlord Hive Tyrant (because the other Hive Tyrant had a -1 to hit penalty Warlord Trait and would have killed my plasma guys), I only did 10 or so wounds to the bastard. 4++ invulnerable saves are so unfair for a Monster. Ugh. And that's not even a Stratagem or relic! Damn it! And so I didn't get Scour the Skies, but I managed to get another 4 Victory Points to level the game on 8 each (or 7 for my opponent, I can't remember). To add insult to injury, I couldn't even deal a single wound to the Lictor despite shooting it with a flamer and 5 lasguns.
Turn 3
My memory's getting fuzzy. I honestly don't remember what happened here, except that my opponent destroyed my Leman Russ main battle tank and 1 of my Sentinels. He thought he could table me, so he abandoned his Objectives and moved his Tyranid Hive Guard forward. I think he killed my Stormtrooper squad in the back with his Tyranid Warriors and Prime. His Zoanthropes and Neurothrope moved forward to put mortal wounds on either my lascannon squad or the Sentinel in the center, while his Lictor charged into my Guardsmen, and saved all his wounds against the flamer. The Flying Hive Tyrant cast Catalyst and Horror again, successfully. Oh, and his Tyranid Warriors put 2 wounds on my plasma cannon Armored Sentinel in the left. Or something. His Flying Hive Tyrant failed to kill any of my Storm Troopers in their carapace armor with their AP 0 guns, I can't believe I made all those saves! But anyway, it was melee that did them in. Or something. Uh...he decimated one plasma squad, took out 3 guys from another normal squad, and that's about it, I believe? I can't remember. He didn't get any victory points this turn. Funnily enough, even though the Lictor charged into my Guardsmen on the left flank, my Sergeant, one more dude and flamer guy - the only survivors of that squad - killed it. Yeah, my Guardmen killed a Lictor with a chainsword. A frakking chainsword. After all that shooting that failed to kill it, it was a chainsword - not a lasgun, not a flamer, but a bloody chainsword that slew the frakking beast. I can't believe it. Funnily enough, the other dude ran away because of morale, leaving just the Sergeant and the flamer guy there.
As for me, I spent 2 Command Points to keep Scour the Skies, and drew another 3 Objectives. I managed to get something but I can't remember, but I did kill the wounded Flying Hive Tyrant. At last! I tried to shoot the Zoanthropes, but the bloody things just won't die because of their annoying 3++ invulnerable saves. Ugh. I think that was all I could do, sadly. But I succeeded in defending my Objective and I managed to get 3 victory points, which brought me to 11 or something. I can't remember.
Turn 4
Nothing much to say, except that the Warlord Hive Tyrant charged into my infantry squad in the right. The Tyranid Warriors flushed out the Sergeant and flamer guy on the left, and destroyed the wounded Armored Sentinel. The Zoanthropes and Neurothropes piled more mortal wounds on my lascannon heavy weapon squad, then charged as well, but did nothing. Funnily enough, between my lascannon Armored Sentinel, the lascannon heavy weapon squad (only one guy was left) and Leman Russ Annihilator, we managed to put 1 or 2 wounds on the Zoanthropes in melee despite them failing to wound any of my guys. Huh. My opponent, thanks to him trying to table me, was still stuck on 8 or so victory points, I believe, having abandoned the Objectives, or perhaps he couldn't take them. I can't remember. The Flying Hive Tyrant killed another plasma command squad, taking revenge for its fallen brother that they killed last turn, and further reducing my firepower. I think it succeeded in casting Catalyst and Horror again. It did roll a double 6 on perils and took a few mortal wounds, though. Heh. But other than that, he probably earned a Command Point or zero, so maybe either 9 or 8. I can't remember.
As for me, I continued to play for Objectives despite my dwindling Guardsmen, who were getting beaten up. As in the previous turn, I had my Stormtroopers who were locked in combat fall back so that I could shoot the damned Flying Hive Tyrant. I managed to bring it down to 4 wounds, but it was otherwise making all its saves. Ugh!!!! I left my Armored Sentinel, lascannon team and Leman Russ tank locked in combat with the Zoanthropes, but this time we didn't do any damage to each other. Unfortunately I couldn't achieve any of the Objectives, and one of them was Defend Objective I, which was the Objective my infantry squad on the right - the sole, last, remaining infantry squad - was securing.
Turn 5
The battle was growing more intense. My opponent had his Zoanthropes fall back so that he could shoot my tank with his Hive Guard, but his Tyranid Warriors remained out of range, sadly. He put about 2 wounds on my Leman Russ Annihilator, but that's all he could do. I think he wiped out my lascannon team with Smite, and put a few mortal wounds on my Armored Sentinel, but didn't kill him. His Flying Hive Tyrant then charged into my infantry squad that was securing Objective I to deny me that Objective. Unfortunately, he was on his last bracket, so he failed to massacre the Guardsmen, and he even ended up taking a wound from one of my brave Guardsmen with bayonets! Heh! That left him on 3 wounds! The Zoanthropes charged my Company Commander and put a mortal wound on him, but otherwise failed to wound him in combat. I think. I struck back with my Company Commander and my Leman Russ Annihilator and Armored Sentinel, but this time I didn't do any damage to them either. My opponent managed to get another Victory Point with his Hive Guard securing an Objective, bringing him up to 10.
I spent 2 Command Points (I still had a lot of Command Points - 8 at this point, maybe 6 after I spent those 2) to auto-pass Morale for my Guardsmen and held Objective I for 2 precious Victory Points. Unfortunately, I drew No Prisoners and Kingslayer, so I pathetically tried to lock the Hive Tyrant Warlord in combat with my Tempestors Prime, Guardsmen, etc. and had them Fix Bayonets. I couldn't even do a single wound - not 1. That really sucks. The Flying Hive Tyrant retaliated in combat and killed one Tempestor Prime. Ouch. Oh well, I tried. So in the end I only got those 2 Victory Points that took me to 13.
My opponent then rolled to see if the game continued, and he rolled a 2. Nope, the game ended there and then. With Linebreaker, First Blood and Slay the Warlord, my opponent had a total of 11 Victory Points. I had 13, and just managed to edge him out, barely. Final score: Tyranids 11 Astra Militarum 13.
Yeah...I was absolutely stunned. I was dying. I had not much left, except a decimated infantry squad, a Tempestor Prime. I think all my Tempestus command squads were dead. My Leman Russ Annihilator still had 9 wounds left, but it was stuck in combat and couldn't do much. My Company Commander was locked in combat, as was my Armored Sentinel. Only the mortar squad hidden at the back remained unscathed, but that was all I had. In contrast, my opponent still had 9 Tyranid Warriors, a Tyranid Warrior Prime, all his Zoanthropes, his Neurothrope, his full squad of Hive Guard, and a Flying Hive Tyrant with 3 wounds left. He was winning. He was utterly crushing and destroying me. Yet I somehow managed to inch away with a victory. That was...just impossible. As they say, the Emperor protects. I was rolling so horribly, failing my armor saves, failing many of my hit and wound rolls, screwing up my D6 damage rolls, and my opponent was making most of his invulnerable saves while utterly destroying my units...and it came down to just that one roll. Just that single roll to continue the game...and he lost because of that one single roll. Holy Terra! How in the warp did that happen!?
If my opponent had gone for Objectives instead of trying to table me, he might have won or at least tied the game. If the game had gone on, my opponent might have won. If...if...if...there were a lot of possibilities, but what mattered was that despite suffering horrendous casualties and being on the verge of annihilation, the Imperial Guard determinedly hung on and secured their objectives, thus earning them a valuable and hard-fought victory.
The game was so close and drawn right down to the wire that it clearly could have gone either way. No, actually, it would most likely have been a Tyranid victory in most other scenarios, but...I guess the Emperor was watching over his brave Guardsmen today. Wow. Just...wow.
Hopefully I'll have more stuff up next week, but since I have a conference next Saturday in St. Paul, I doubt it. It's the Midwest Asian Studies conference thing, so I've to go for that. Most likely I won't be able to have a game next week, but we'll see.
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