A lone Rhino escaped the vanguard strike of the Tyranids which had burst from the sentient jungles of Severus laying waste to a military encampment and giving a Death Company commander his much desired end. Many miles away, the Rhino skid to a stop at a collection of silos where the sap used by the Imperials to protect their people from the radioactive sun was stored. A warning had to be given to the Blood Angels force operating there but then, Sgt. Slaughter heard a rustling in the trees he did not like. And thus our second game of the campaign was begun. We again started the session with the Kill Team mission Forward Push, but this time we used the deployment rules from the Tyranids Altar of War mission First Contact.
Forward Push
The Blood Angels fielded the exact same list for this Kill Team as the previous one with Sgt. Slaughter getting A Cunning Ruse but choosing not to use the Outflank it provided and taking the same specialists of his Krak Missile Marine with Master-Crafted, Flamer Marine with Poison 4+ and Bolter Marine with Preferred Enemy. Tyranids took a similar list as game 1 with the only differences being 2 less Gargoyles for an additional Genestealer. The Zoanthrope Leader rolled Unshakeable Dedication to Duty giving him the Zealot special rule. I also took the same specialists of 1 Genestealer with Shred and 2 Gargoyles with Pinning and Rending. We set up 4 objectives in the middle of each 2x2" segment and Blood Angels deployed first, rolling for each model to see which of the 4 segments they would deploy on. We decided the Gargoyles could Deep Strike on Turn 1 with the quasi-ambiguous writing in the Altar of War mission and basically all the Tyranids arriving on the board as if they were coming from Reserves (we knew Kill Team doesn’t normally allow Deep Striking, but with the odd deployment we figured we’d give it a shot). We also decided Synapse would be unnecessary for the Tyranids as there was only a single synapse creature in the list and the likelihood of all the Tyranids being able to be deployed in a manner where the 12" range of Synapse would be worthwhile was small. I rolled for each model and deployed them all with every single Gargoyle Deep Striking and the battle began.
I lost a couple of Gargoyles through Dangerous Terrain tests when they Deep Struck into terrain. T-shirt saves left neither of the 2 who failed standing. I sent one of my Genestealers for a nearby objective on my side of the board with a Gargoyle going after another the second objective on my table side. I shot with all the Gargoyles near the Blood Angels in the 2 tiles near my edge but Power Armor repelled Fleshborer shots with ease. I then had my Zoanthrope cast Warp Blast, covering 2 Blood Angels, one of which was the missile launcher specialist which had killed my Leader in the game 1 Kill Team mission. The first Blood Angel went down but the missile launcher got a cover save from his fallen buddy and passed! The Krak Missile Marine shot one off at the Zoanthrope but the creature’s invulnerable hide blocked it from taking out my Leader. The rest of the Blood Angels laid waste to a Genestealer and 2 Gargoyles. We then went on to turn 2 and Tyranid vengeance.
The Tyranids surrounded the Blood Angels Leader as well as two of their specialists and I moved one of my Gargoyles onto a third objective. The Gargoyles then unloaded with every Fleshborer shot they had, killing the flamethrower specialist. I then charged a Gargoyle and Genestealer into the Krak Missile specialist and did the same to Sgt. Slaughter. No Overwatch landed and while I lost a Gargoyle to the Krak Missile Marine, the Gargoyle on the Blood Angel Leader wounded with his Hammer of Wrath and Sgt. Slaughter failed his save, dying ignobly before the fight had even properly begun! On the Blood Angel turn, my opponent knew I’d have to start making Break tests if he just killed 3 more of the Tyranid forces. So he sent his Bolter group near my Zoanthrope to kill 2 Gargoyles and the Blood Angel that wasn’t locked in close combat near the slain Leader’s corpse fired rapidly into the Gargoyle which had brought Sgt. Slaughter low and ended the Tyranid’s miserable life. I got some retribution in close combat as the Genestealer locked with the Krak Missile launcher slashed the Marine’s head off.
On my turn I had to start making Break tests and I lost all 3 of my objective holders, which I expected with the low-leadership Gargoyles but I rolled an 11 on the test for the Genestealer holding the objective in my corner. I used what was left of my forces to kill the last Blood Angel needed to cause the Imperial forces to also make Break tests. On the Blood Angel’s turn only a single Marine failed his leadership test and ran from the combat. The rest picked off the few remaining Gargoyles and the rest assaulted the Zoanthrope who was caused so many wounds not even his invulnerable hide could repel them all and the Tyranids were wiped from the table with both sides achieving Slay the Leader and Break the Enemy. Since there were no Tyranids left on the table we declared the tie to be a victory for the Blood Angels, allowing the Imperial player to deploy a Quad-gun on a randomly selected 2x2' tile, 3" from any tile edge.
First Contact
This mission’s deployment was identical to the one we used for the Kill Team prelude with the Blood Angels rolling for each unit to see which tile they’d end up on. The majority of the red Space Marines ended up on tile 1, including a unit of Death Company, a Rhino filled with Tactical Marines, 2 units of Jump Marines with one unit having the Blood Angel Warlord and Apothecary and finally a Tactical squad deployed on the objective. A unit of Terminators ended up on tile 3, a Predator on tile 4, a Razorback on tile 5 and the Quad-gun on tile 6. The Tyranids similarly rolled for each unit, but unlike the Space Marines they had to walk onto the board from a table edge on the tile rolled. 1 Lictor was the only Tyranid to end up on tile 1, 2 more Lictors, the Zoanthropes and a Gargoyle brood were deployed on tile 2, my Prime Warlord and his entourage of 3 Warriors, a unit of Genestealers and a single Lictor moved onto tile 3, Spore Mines walked onto tile 4 near where Gargoyles had Deep Struck onto and the remaining Lictor, another group of Spore Mines, 2 units of Genestealers one unit which had Scything Talons and a Broodlord as well as both Venomthropes deployed on tile 5 with the last unit of Spore Mines moving onto tile 6 and the last unit of Gargoyles Deep Striking very near the Quad-gun. Deathleaper was held in Reserves.
On tile 1 I moved the Lictor towards the Tactical Marines holding the objective, but since it could not charge the turn it comes in from Reserves (which considers the Tyranids to have deployed as) he just ran up against the silo they were standing on. I moved the Gargoyles in tile 2 to create a buffer for my Zoanthropes which also advanced with the Lictors staying in the forest as they too could not assault. The Zoanthropes attempted to destroy the Rhino with a Warp Blast Lance but he vehicle made its Deny the Witch roll! My Genestealers and Lictor in tile 3 advanced towards the Terminators, as did the Warriors which unleashed their Deathspitters killing a single heavily-armored Imperial. On tile 4 the Gargoyles and Spore Mines advanced and ran towards the Predator followed close by all the units on tile 5 but for a single group of Genestealers which moved and ran to claim the objective on top of the silo in the middle of the tile. The Gargoyles on tile 6 ran to surround the Quad-gun and deny the Blood Angels its use with the Spore Mines moving and running to engage in a later turn.
The Blood Angels Death Company moved towards the Gargoyles on tile 2 and fired pistols into them killing a few and assaulting the rest causing many casualties and taking none. The Assault Marines with the Warlord advanced with their Jump Packs towards the Lictors, popped a few pistol shots and then did a multi-assault into both. The Lictors killed a few Imperials but the sheer weight of the Marines brought both Tyranid assassins down. The Predator in tile 4 unleashed a volley at the Genestealers killing only 1 and the nearby Terminators then assaulted them, wiping out the squad and taking no casualties. The Marines in the Rhino and Razorback both got out and shot at the Gargoyles around the Quad-gun with the Assault Marines moving closer and also unloading wiped out the entire brood.
The Tyranids responded with the Lictor in tile 1 passing its Synapse check, assaulting and killing a scant few Marines and taking as many wounds for a tied combat. The Zoanthropes moved as far away from the Assault Marines which had killed the 2 Lictors on tile 2 and cast Warp Blasts removing the entire squad but for the Warlord and Apothecary who made their morale check. The Death Company in tile 2 finished off the Gargoyles and consolidated towards the Blood Angels Warlord. The Prime, Warriors and Lictor on tile 3 blasted away at the Terminators but their armor was enough to stop the death which was pit at them. They then assaulted the Terminators but the Prime was not engaged with the Terminator Sergeant and could not challenge. One Blood Angel Terminator was felled but the rest focused their attacks on the Lictor and felled him with a Thunder Hammer. The Gargoyles on tile 4 passed their Synapse check and jumped behind the Predator, unleashing their Fleshborers in the rear armor but only causing a single glance. The Spore Mines advanced but as the Gargoyles were in the way were out of charge distance to affect the Predator. One of the Venomthropes failed its leadership test and moved towards the Predator but was out of charge range. The Genestealers with the Broodlord and Scything Talons advanced and charged the tank but completely whiffed on armor penetration. Deathleaper Deep Struck in and landed exactly where I needed him to, right next to the Quad-gun. He took aim with the weapon at the Razorback, landed a glance and penetrating hit which were negated by cover saves from intervening models.
The Tactical squad on tile 1 took a couple more casualties from the Lictor but robbed it of its last wound and secured their objective. The Death Company with the Warlord and Apothecary fired at the Zoanthropes, burrowing a bolt in one of the creatures’ hides. They then charged and between the Death Company attacks and Blood Angel Warlord’s Power Sword the Synapse creatures were vanquished. On tile 3 the Terminator Sergeant did not issue a challenge but the Tyranid Prime did. A single wound was delivered to the Sergeant but his Lightning Claws caused two wounds to the Prime in return and a Warrior was felled by the same Thunder Hammer which had previously killed a Lictor. The Predator reversed away from the Gargoyles and fired at them killing only 2. The Razorback, Tactical Squad and Assault Marines blasted at Deathleaper but only a single Bolt round landed. They then charged and the wave of Powered Armor Marine brought the elite Tyranid assassin down.
On the next turn the Tyranid Broodlord moved towards the melee the Warriors were locked in and rushed in. The Broodlord challenged the Sergeant and quickly ripped his Lightning Clawed arms off with the rest of the Genestealer brood slashing though the other Clawed Imperial’s helmet. Only the Thunder Hammer Terminator was left and he eliminated the Warriors with devastating swings. The Gargoyles on tile 4 failed their Synapse check but were only too happy to leap behind the Predator again and caused a Penetrating hit which shook the tank. The Spore Mines nearby were aided by the Gargoyles’ wings and impacted into the tank, wrecking it to scrap. The final Lictor on tile 4 passed his Synapse check and moved up to secure a second objective. The other Spore Mines on tile 5 started their slow move towards the Razorback while the Venomthropes failed their Synapse check and grovelled in place. The Spore Mines on tile 6 similarly crawled towards the Assault squad which had brought Deathleaper low, but failed to make a charge.
The Death Company and Blood Angel Warlord advanced and ran towards the melee occurring between the Terminators and Genestealers only to witness the Genestealers decimating the final Terminator and consolidate in the nearby forest. The Razorback and Tactical Marines on the Quad-gun pumped shots into the Gargoyles and removed them from the field. The Assault squad near the Spore Mines on tile 6 fired, killing 2 and then charged resulting in a massive bio-explosion which ended a couple of Marine lives. They then consolidated towards the closest silo with an objective.
Following that, the Tyranid forces were down to the wire with 2 objectives being held and only a single unit of Genestealers and Spore Mines moving about the board as the Venomthropes still could not do anything more than twitch their tendrils. The Genestealers assaulted the Death Company and several of the squad met the end they so craved. The small Genestealer squad took a punishing amount of wounds leaving only a single Genestealer and the Broodlord standing. The Spore Mines continued to sluggishly move towards the Razorback but the distance between the tank and the floating Xenos was still too great for them to successfully assault.
The Blood Angels Warlord took another wound from the Broodlord but responded with his Power Sword, unceremoniously lopping the Tyranid’s head to the ground. The Razorback and Tacticals on the Quad-gun sent death to claim the Lictor holding the objective on tile 4 and the Assault squad on tile 6 jumped to claim the objective there. The game was then called with the Blood Angels scoring Slay the Warlord and 2 objectives and the Tyranids holding only a single objective. The reward for this result is that the Blood Angels will l add 1 to their Table Sides roll in the Apocalypse finale.
Conclusion
This was a brutal match for the Tyranid forces as the deployment shift kept many of my units out of Synapse. Though some tactical moves were made to secure the Quad-gun I was never able to hold onto it long and only managed to fire it once, which did little to change the flow of the Blood Angels massacre. The score of the campaign is now tied and I cannot wait to see how the next session plays!
