This time we decide to play a BAO mission from their 2014 mission pack. We roll to determine a mission getting a 2, meaning it's Purge the Alien for Primary (4 pts), Modified Maelstrom for Secondary (3 pts), and First Blood, Slay the Warlord, and Line Breaker as Tertiary objectives (1 pt each).

Deployment is Vanguard Strike.

There are 3 Malestrom objectives, numbered 1, 2, and 3. 1 is placed in the center of the board, 2 is placed in the CentStar deployment zone, and 3 is placed in the DaemoNids deplyment zone.

Modified Malestrom Table:
1. Hold Objective 1
2. Hold Objective 2
3. Hold Objective 3
4. Have more scoring units at least partially in No Man's Land than your opponent.
5. Have a scoring unit at least partially within 12” of your opponent's table edge.
6. Have at least 3 of your own scoring units and no enemy scoring units at least partially within 12” of your table edge.

Fateweaver: Invisibilty, Life Leech, Sacrifice; Misfortune, Flame Breath, Summoning
Tz'erald (w/ Grimore): Sacrifice, Incursion, Summoning, Flickering Fire
Tz'erald: Cursed Earth, Possession, Summoning
(whew, really glad to have Cursed Earth nestled in the Screamer Star this time around)

Draigo: Gate of Infinity, Sactuary
GK Libby: Prescience, Forewarning, Foreboding, Scrier's Gaze
Tiggy: Invisibility, Psychic Shriek, Prescience

The Table:

I win the roll to choose deployment zones. I choose the bottom-left corner of the picture as my deployment zone, as the opposite corner grants my opponent the sparsest cover. CentStar wins the roll for first turn and deploy first.


CentStar deployment with one unit of Scouts infiltrating to hold off the Hounds. 5 man Strike Squad is in Deep Strike Reserve, 5 more Scouts in the LSS will Outflank, and StormRaven with 10 man combat squadded Strikes are in Reserve.


DaemoNids deployment after the Hounds Scout move.

I try and fail to seize, so we get on with it.

Maelstrom:

CentStar
2.) Hold Objective 2
4. ) Have more Scoring units at least partially in No Man's Land than your opponent.

DaemoNids
2.) Hold Objective 2
6.) Have 3 of your own and no enemy scoring units at least partially within 12” of your Deplyment edge.

Movement Phase:The CentStar itself advances. DreadKnight shunts forward, to the right of my ScreamerStar. Scouts move back towards the Maelstrom objective in the CentStar deployment Zone. 5 man Strike Squad arrives from Deep Strike.

Psychic Phase: He casts Invis first. I let him have it because I'm more concerned about containing the CentStar than killing it. He next casts Gate with 3 successes. I throw all my dice against it and manage to deny! Whew! He continues to successfully cast Prescience on the Cents and Sanctuary and Force on the DK.

Shooting Phase:

Shooting from the Strike Squad would kill 2 Horrors.


Between the Incinerator and the Psilencer with Force, 3 Screamers go down.

Maelstrom:
2.) Hold Objective 2
6.) Have 3 of your own and no enemy scoring units at least partially within 12” of your deployment edge
Movement Phase: First thing's first, and I roll for the Grimoire on the Screamers: It fails on a 2! I invoke Fatey's re-roll: Another 2!! NoooOOoo! It's not looking good so I move away from his DK and CentStar with the Screamers. I made a mistake by Scouting the Hounds during my deployment. I would like to assault either his DK or the Strike Squad that just DS'd, but I cannot because of the Scout move, so I move away from the DK. Both Flyrants Swoop over the Strike Squad and I elect to Vector Strike (bad idea). I roll a 5 and a 1, killing only 1, and cutting out half of their shooting.

Psychic Phase:I summon a unit of Screamers on 6 dice. A.) I want to bait him into trying to deny, B.) A couple insurance Screamers would be nice if things go badly next turn. He does not deny, however, so I summon 3. I cast Cursed Earth on a few dice hoping that he bites on this. He does, but only commits a few dice to deny and it goes off. Realizing my folly and still wanting a chance at First Blood, I cast Warp Blast from one of the Tyrants on to the Strike Squad. He denies on a few dice. I throw my remaining 7 dice to cast Invisibility on the Screamers. I only get 2 successes and he manages to deny with 6 dice!! NOOoOooOO! This is not looking good.

Shooting Phase:
The Tyrants both turn one set of TL Devs toward the Strike Squad they vector struck. A good round of saves sees only 1 Strike go down. Damn, I really wanted First Blood. Hounds run and Screamers turboboost away from the DK and CentStar At this point, the Screamers are completely out of range of the DK.

This is what the table looked like at the end of my turn (both Tyrants are behind the central LOS-blocking terrain):

CentStar gets one VP for claiming objective 2 (in his deployment zone), but I deny him his other Maelstrom objective. I get one VP for having 3 units near my Deployment edge.

Maelstrom VP's: CentStar -1; DeamoNids - 1

Maelstrom:

CentStar
2.) Hold Objective 2
6.) Have 3 of your own and no enemy scoring units at least partially within 12” of your Deplyment edge.

DaemoNids
3.) Hold Objective 3
4.) Have more scoring units in No Man's land that your opponent

Movement Phase:The Scouts in a LSS arrive as well as the StormRaven with a 10 man Strike Squad.


Scouts go after summoned Screamers


Raven targets Flyrants.

Cents shuffle forwards and DK jumps towards Hounds (~10” away).

Psychic Phase: He casts Invis first on 2 successes. I am tempted by the low success rate and throw 8 dice at denying, but fail to deny. CentStar next successfully casts Prescience. Next Centstar casts Gate and I fail to deny with 9 dice. He Gates to the left of my ScreamerStar. Force goes off successfully on DK and Strike Squad.
SH*T!! I let him get off Gate so he can finish what he started against an unbuffed ScreamerStar.

CentStar targets the ScreamerStar

Shooting Phase:
DK kills a couple hounds, putting it out of charge range. Strike Squad does a wound to the Hounds buffed by Cursed Earth. Heavy Flamer from the LSS kills 1 Summoned Screamer. The StormRaven targets the Flyrant in cover (bad idea) so I opt not to jink. Between the TL MM, the TL AssCan, and 2 StormStrike Missiles, the Raven puts 5 W on the Hive Tyrant. . . and I pass every one of my 4+ Cover Saves! Whew! That went well. He uses PotMS to put another missile into the Flyrant out of cover. I decide not to Jink and take 1 W. He would pass his grounding check. Most importantly, the CentStar takes aim at the ScreamerStar:

(By the way, the old school Tyrant Guard is my proxy Vope)
He does 4W with GravCannons. After 4+ Jink rerolling 1s, I take 1W on a screamer. Next he uses his bolt weaponry which fails to cause any wounds. He shoots 3 krak missiles into the squad causing 3 potentially ID wounds. I fail the first on a wounded Screamer. Up next is my Cursed Earth Herald. I pass my LoS! Rolls, and then proceed to pass both Jink Saves. Net result is that his entire CentStar only kills one Screamer. I feel like a million bucks right now!

Assault Phase:
With nowhere to go, and Force activated, the Strikes decide to take a few hounds out before their demise. They do a wound or two and Hounds wipe them in return. First Blood for the DaemoNids!

Ok I've got the wind back in my sails after what could have been a great first 2 turns for my opponent and devastating to my army.

Movement Phase:
All my Mucolids and the Nurglings arrive from deep strike. Mucolids would deepstrike away from his forces and into his backfield. Nurglings deep strike into the ruin on the left of my deployment zone. Sorry for the lack of pics.


Flyrants swoop forward in order to avoid Storm Raven next turn. Fatey would do the same but towards the other side of the board of the Flyrants. Grimoire successfully goes off on the Screamers. Hounds advance towards the Scouts in his backfield.

Psychic Phase:
Cursed Earth is successfully cast. Fateweaver attempts to cast Invis on Hounds but is denied. Horrors Flickering Fire the LSS, and do 1 HP of damage.

Shooting Phase:
Both Tyrants target the Storm Raven forcing it to jink. I think it takes 1 HP of damage this turn? Not much else happened.

Assault Phase:
Hounds would fail a 9 inch charge against his backfield Scouts. Drat! I could have used that distance to get away from his DK.

Summoned Screamers assault and finish off the LSS. Scouts disembark.


2++ Rerollable ScreamerStar assaults his Invisible CentStar. What happens when the Unstoppable Force meets the Immovable Object? Well, a whole lot of nothing. No wounds are caused.

His scouts continue to hold Objective 2 for 1 Maelstrom VP. My Venomthrope currently holds Maelstrom Objective 3 in my Deployment Zone. CentStar in my backfield denies me the other.

Maelstrom: CentStar – 2; DaemoNids – 2

Maelstrom:

CentStar
1.) Hold Objective 1 (center field)
5.) Have a unit within 12” of your opponent's deployment edge

DaemoNids
3.) Hold Objective 3
5.) Have a unit within 12” of your opponent's deployment edge

Movement Phase:

Storm Raven drops into hover mode to disembark its cargo. 1 Strike Squad lines up to assault the Hounds. The other gets in position to assault my Nurglings.


DK gets in position to assault Hounds.

Scouts in his backfield move deeper in to their ruin.

Psychic Phase:
CentStar gets off Invis, Prescience, and Force, but I manage to deny Gate! Whew. DK gets Sanctuary.

Shooting Phase:
Sorry for the lack of pics again. First time doing a BatRep with pics and we kinda trailed off in the heat of things. DK kills a couple Hounds. One Strike Squad kills another. Scouts hope for a lucky shot at a Flyrant but nothing happens. Scout Squad that was in the Speeder kills one Screamer.


Storm Raven turboboosts and pivots to get better position against my FMC next turn.

Assault Phase:
The Strike Squad going after the Hounds fails their charge because of the Hound they shot. Ouch.
The DK makes its charge, however.


Strike Squad successfully charges Nurglings. (Those are Nurglings, mmmk?) They would kill all but 1. Nurglings plink off one Strike in return.

DK would go on to kill three hounds. I inflict 1 W against the DK, then roll high for Daemonic Instability killing 3 more hounds. I'm down to 1 Hound and the Herald.

Movement Phase:
I land the unwounded Flyrant to achieve my Maelstrom objective this turn. I also want to finish off the Scouts in his backfield. Fatey continues to swoop around. The other Flyrant turns back to target his Strike Squad. Pink Horrors and Venomthrope sit where they are in my backfield.

Psychic Phase:
Cursed Earth manages to go off again. Horrors try to Flickering Fire the Scouts in my backfield but fail to do any wounds.

Shooting Phase:

There used to be Scouts there.

The other Flyrant targets the unengaged Strike Squad killing 2.

Assault Phase:

O.O There used to be a DK there. . . but the Herald rolled two 6's to wound and it failed one 4++! That's a 3 point swing in KP's right there.


In the slap fight of the century something finally happens! I fail a 2++ rerollable and a Screamer pops due to force. I have to roll Daemonic Instablility and. . .


Reality blinks! Nothing happens after all!

In other news the lone Screamer assaults the scouts killing 2 and taking a wound. Strike Squad finishes the Nurglings.

I get both of my Maelstrom VP's this turn (Vope on objective 3, Flyrant in his deployment zone). CentStar gets a point for being in my deployment zone.

Malestrom: CentStar – 3; DaemoNids – 4

Maelstrom:

CentStar
4.) Have more scoring units in No Man's land than your opponent
5.) Have a unit within 12” of your opponent's deployment edge

DaemoNids
5.) Have a unit within 12” of your opponent's deployment edge
6.) Have 3 scoring units and no enemy scoring units at least partially within 12” of your deployment zone.

Movement Phase:

1 Strike Squad goes after the lone Screamer, the other goes after the Horrors on my table edge. Storm Raven begins to Zoom again and heads toward the CentStar table edge pointed at my Flyrant and a Mucolid.

Psychic Phase:

Sorry, but all I really remember is that Gate is denied again, much to the CentStar's shagrin.

Shooting Phase:

The Storm Raven targets the Mucolid hoping for an easy KP, but the little bugger survives! He put 3 wounds on it, but it makes all of its 3+ cover saves. Strike Squad neglects to shoot as it doesn't want to put itself out of charge range.

Assault Phase:

One Strike Squad makes the charge on the Horrors and proceeds to finish them off between casualties and Daemonic Instability. The other Strike Squad fails its charge and is left hanging out in a ruin in my left backfield. Scouts finish off the lone Screamer, but not before it takes one with it. The slap fight of the century continues between our deathstars with no wounds inflicted.

Movement Phase:

Both Flyrants and Fateweaver swoop towards my left-backfield. Flyrants are looking to take out the last scouts and the Strike Squad that finished off the Pink Horrors. Hounds double back to assault the Strike Squad if the Flyrants fails to finish them. Grimoire goes off on the Screamers again.

Psychic Phase:

Cursed Earth goes off successfully. Hounds are Invis'd.

Shooting Phase:

Flyrants manage to kill both Scouts and 1 Strike Squad.

Assault Phase:
Slap fight continues, and no wounds are dealt.

I get neither of my Maelstrom objectives this turn and the CentStar manages to grab both, bringing us to a 4-4 tie in the Secondary.


We have to call the game here due to the store closing and add up the points. Maelstrom is a tie, I have First Blood, he has Line Breaker, and neither grab Warlord. Kill Points are tallied and I have 2 Strikes, 2 Scouts, Land Speeder, and DreadKnight. He has Screamers, Nurglings, and Pink Horrors.

Daemons take it 5-1!!