So I had two of my buddies over today - Dave with his Tyranids and Sully with his Space Marines! Sully played me in
last week's battle between Crimson Fists and Iron Warriors and has brought his own Marines to the fold - The Rising Einherjar! Joining them are Dave's Tyranids, in all their gribbly glory. We decided to do a 2v1, 3000 points. They shared an
FOC and had to have minimum 1 troop and 1
HQ while I had 1
FOC of my own to play with. I don't have copies of their list but I remember the gist of them! Here goes:
Sully: The Rising Einherjar
- Chapter Master with relic blade
- Tactical squad with flamer and rocket launcher
- Tactical squad with flamer and rocket launcher
- Dreadnought with multimelta
- Dreadnought with multimelta
- 10 Terminators with 2x assault cannon
- 7 Sniper scouts with Telion, heavy bolter
- Godhammer Land Raider
Dave: Hive Fleet YubDub
- Hive Tyrant with stranglethorn cannon, lash whip and bonesword
- 15 termagants with devourers
- 13 Genestealers with scything talons
- 2 Screamer-Killer Carnifexes with bio plasma, scything talons
- Trygon Prime with bio lightning stuff
- 6 Warriors with lash whips, boneswords
- 13 Genestealers with scything talons
Me: The Crimson Fists
- Pedro Kantor
- Lysander (Captain Rynn)
- Command squad with apothecary, champion Ook-Ook, power fist, lascannon razorback
- Tactical squad, melta gun, multimelta, power fist, rhino
- Tactical squad, plasma gun, rocket launcher, power fist, rhino
- Tactical squad, plasma gun, rocket launcher, power fist
- 9 Scouts with shotguns, power fist
- 9 Sternguard with fist, 2x combi melta
- 10 Sternguard with fist, 2x combi plasma
- 10 Terminators with 2x cyclone missile launcher
- Thunderfire Cannon
- 5 Devastators with 4x rocket launchers
- 10 Assault Marines, 2x plasma pistol, power fist
I took a list I've been wanting to try for a long time - lots of Sternguard, Pedro Kantor to make them score and kick ass in close combat, and lots of Marines in rhinos! Maybe this game they'll actually shoot, as up until now I've never really had Sternguard actually fire their weapons! We end up with a pitched battle and seize ground, and roll up three objectives. I won the roll off and gave first turn to them. Deployment looked like this, with the objectives circled in obnoxious Web 1.0 Green:
Pedro was in a rhino with 9 Sternguard, and on the other side of the field they had a chapter master in a land raider with a tactical squad. Here's a better view of my deployment:
++ This is Pedro Kantor, chapter master of the Crimson Fists. The Ordo Xenos have us under orders to seize the Tyranid synapse generator device from The Rising Einherjar, a Space Marine chapter conducting tests in the Bolo sector. If they do not comply, we are under orders to terminate their command and seize the device by force. Secondary objectives task us with taking and holding the landing pad to make way for extraction, and supply caches located in and around a nearby temple to some forgotten gods. I can only hope they surrender the device, but sufficient forces have been deployed if force is required. Kantor out. ++
I fail to seize initiative, and they get first turn.
TURN 1
Everything in their army advances. Most of it seems to converge towards the objective my Terminators are sitting near, while some flanking action with Warriors and a Dreadnought go on. The dreadnought on my left, Dread 1, shoots its multimelta and explodes the razorback, but armor saves and the apothecary's tools save the squad from casualties. Snipers shoot at the thunderfire, but their shots bounce off the armor of the gun. The Tyrant unleashes its stranglethorn cannon on the Terminators, but misses by a longshot. Dread 2 fires its multimelta and stormbolter, downing one Terminator and putting a wound on Captain Rynn (Lysander) while the Trygon Prime kills the sergeant and wounds Rynn AGAIN. The Land Raider causes stuns and shakes on the first Sternguard rhino and the black rhino next to it full of tactical Marines.
End of the turn looked like this:
++The first shots had been fired! Driver, take us to those Hive-beasts! Strike from the sky, brothers!++
A fairly ineffective shooting phase sees my army unhindered. My two Sternguard squads do what I've always dreamt of, and roll up to the Carnifex brood, unloading all 20 men. They rapid fire with Hellfire rounds and bring the big lugs down, with two wounds being Pedro's! The assault Marines, led by sergeant Mendoza (MENDOZAAAA!) jump up onto the skyshield landing pad, and cause one wound to the warriors with their pistols. The Terminators open up and cause 4 wounds to the Trygon, its armor shrugging off a disquieting number of wounds considering how well I rolled with bolters. The Thunderfire cannon unloads on a squad of Marines in the open, dropping 7 of them and hitting one gaunt in the process. Finally, the assault Marines charge in. 6 are killed before they can strike thanks to the lash whips, while Tyranid carapace deflects chainsword swings. However, sergeant Mendoza (MENDOZAAA!) punches like a madman and drops two of them, tying the combat. Here's some pictures of the action:
And the end of the turn looked like this:
++Purge the beasts!++
TURN 2
The Genestealers do not come in. However, the Terminators do, utilizing the scouts' teleport homer:
A torrent of fire comes at my Terminators. The Hive Tyrant, Dread 2, sniper scouts, and Land Raider kill 1 man. However, the Termagants lurking in the temple nearby spring their trap and unleash 45 shots, wounding Rynn and downing two Terminators!
One thing I did not account for was the chapter master's orbital bombardment - I absentmindedly left about 20 Sternguard out in the open! It drops down and scatters madly, immobilzing one rhino and killing a single veteran. The Trygon and dreadnought charge in towards my Terminators, felling three of them. Lysander swings next, smashing the Trygon into the ground while his squadmates ineffectively pummel the dreadnought's ceramite shell. I fail morale (even with stubborn!) and take No Retreat! wounds, but pass the saves. Finally, Mendoza, in no small thanks to being in Pedro's 12" bubble of awesomeness (+1 attack) fights the Warriors. Three of his brothers are cut down, when he kills two Warriors single (power) handedly, and a third dies from No Retreat wounds!
++Mendoza! You will be judged for your showboating behavior! MENDOZAAA!++
End of the turn looked like this:
++The orbital bombardment being rained down on us must mean our ships in the stratosphere are engaging. The Inquisition will be notified of this escalation.++
My Sternguard reembark in their rhino, and roll on out of there, in an effort to expand a bit in the East. My tactical squad in the black rhino disembark and gun down 12 Gaunts. I decided to reply with a little orbital bombardment of my own on the enemy Terminators! Shame it missed also. The Thunderfire cannon fires the rounds that ignore cover, and drops two of Telion's boys. Rynn fails the fourth save he's had to make this game, and falls to the dreadnought. The Terminators avenge him shortly afterward. Finally, we're down to the fight that matters - Mendoza vs. the last Warrior. The Warrior attacks three times, getting one hit and fails to wound! Mendoza (MENDOZAAA!) swings thrice, missing once, but finally crushing the monster in his fist and throwing its limp body like a ragdoll over the edge.
End of the turn looked like this:
++Men! Form a defensive line around my position! Chavez! Take your squad forward and block their command vehicle! Terminators of squad Alvez, reform on me! We must hold the line!++
TURN 3
Again, the Stealers don't come in. The Land Raider blows up the green tactical squad rhino, killing three men. The Tyrant shoots and misses again at my Sternguard rhino up front, which is summarily wrecked by Dread 2. Shots from the Gaunts are stopped as the apothecary in my command squad saves two more Marines with Feel No Pain! Snipers kill one of the tactical Marines near the black rhino, and four more Marines fall to assault cannon fire from the Terminators. Finally, the Tyrant unleashes a psychic scream!
++Did anyone else hear that? No? Okay then.++
It didn't do much.
End of the turn looked like this:
My scouts come in, and they outflank onto the landing pad. Command moves towards the temple, firing off their pistols and killing a single gaunt. Combined fire from the Sternguard, tactical squads, and Terminators kill the Hive Tyrant. I finally penetrate with my rockets on Dread 1, but cover stops both shots. Finally, I shoot my thunderfire cannon at the Terminators, dropping one. End of the turn looked like this:
TURN 4
Hey scouts, what's that behind y-
The Genestealers come in behind my scouts! Yipe! The three tactical Marines join the gaunts up in the temple and rain fire on my command squad - once again, the Apothecary saves the day! Rolling awful armor saves, but great
FNP rolls with these guys. Snipers drop one Sternguard from Pedro's squad, but I pass my pinning test. Meanwhile, Terminators kill four from my other Sternguard squad, and force them to fall back around the dreadnought. Finally, we see assault where the Genestealers win in a disappointing 4-3. End of the turn looks like this:
++Crimson Fists! Make haste to reinforce your brothers!++
This turn sees me pushing my forces out to secure the temple and hold onto the landing pad. I consolidate Pedro's squad and tactical squad Rico out of their house to charge and clear off the objective. I roll bad for difficult terrain and can't get up there yet. My tactical squad with a meltagun charges after the Land Raider, missing with its meltagun for the third turn in a row. My command squad clears out the temple while the Sternguard move in to support them and hold it once they're done. Unfortunately my scouts are getting ripped to pieces by Genestealers...
++What is that screaming in from the sky? A falling star? An avenging angel? Wait, that's... MENDOZAAA!++
MENDOZA JOINS THE FRAY
He and the remaining scout and scout sergeant kill three Genestealers after losing three more scouts to rending claws and scything talons. End of the turn looked like this:
TURN 5
The Land Raider shoots one of my rhinos, blowing off a stormbolter. Oh no please don't. The Terminators move towards my command squad and unload into them, once again making insane
FNP rolls to overcome the fire. That is until the advancing dreadnought atomizes one with his multimelta! Elsewhere, the chapter master of the Einherjar takes his squad out of their Land Raider, and shoots and assaults the tactical squad that's been chasing their tank. The shooting kills one Crimson Fist, and the ensuing melee sees one Einherjar and two more Fists fall. The Terminators overrun the command squad's position, ending my lucky run of
FNP rolls. Finally, with a personal vendetta aimed towards him, the Genestealers take down Mendoza (MENDOZAAA! :() but only before the scout sergeant punches one out in rage.
End of the turn looked like this:
++MENDOZA! NO! MENDOZAAA!++
The Sternguard move up and waste the scouts with kraken rounds, or whatever the AP4 ones are. My
devs blow the power fist arm off the dreadnought and stun/shake it, damaging something for the first time this game. The Genestealers kill two tactical Marines as Pedro's Sternguard and squad Rico charge the landing pad, and wipe it clean of resistance. Elsewhere, the chapter master kills all three tactical Marines remaining and consolidates towards to the pad. End of the turn looked like this:
Sully rolls to see if it goes on to turn 6, and he rolls a 5! Game continues!
TURN 6
The Land Raider moves around and blows up my rhino, but kills nobody. The Terminators drop one of the forcibly disembarked Marines with a rend from their assault cannon. The chapter master and his squad gun down my two remaining Terminators with bolt pistol fire, hilariously.
End of the turn looked like this:
++Man the battlements! Hold this ground, and kill them all!++
Tactical squad Rico, Pedro's Sternguard, and the lone shotgun scout sergeant man the defenses at the landing pad:
The Sternguard on the left finish off the Terminators in the temple, while Pedro and his boys unload on the tactical squad with Vengeance rounds. Only a single round misses, and the squad is wiped down to the chapter master, who at this point I'm pretty sure is on his knees getting perforated like Willem Dafoe at the end of Platoon. One plasma wound gets through on him from Rico's squad, a second wound from the scout sergeant's shotgun, then he's driven to dust by the pounding shells of the thunderfire cannon.
End of the turn looks like this:
With the Tyranids exterminated and the Einherjar down to their weakened armor, the game ends with a victory for the Crimson Fists!
What a game! I had an absolute blast with that fight. Any game where Mendoza (MENDOZAAA!) gets to live up to his airplane-wrecking, tank-punching reputation of [urlhttp://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/385771.page]this game[/url] (and many like it) makes me very happy! Maybe I'll write one in his perspective eventually, but I just think it would be a lot of screaming and cussing. I'm also happy I finally got to use my Sternguard, as every game they've been in they've spend most of their time in assault and only ever fired bolt pistols. Pedro's Bubble of Awesome (
tm) is fantastic too, and makes my army pretty damn choppy for Marines. My buddies had fun too, and there were hoops and hollers when Rynn went down, my rhinos exploded, Mendoza plowed through all sorts of monsters, and at every other great moment of the game. Although it was a clear victory for the Crimson Fists, they left with a bloody nose and a few scars to remember their enemies by! Here's hoping I can have some just as fun games soon!
++After scouring the field, we can not find hide nor hair of assault sergeant Mendoza. No gauntlet, no viscera, nothing but the bodies he left in his wake. This is not the first time he's disappeared, only to appear again without notice. We were pleased to find the Einherjar synapse device in pieces after eradicating their commander and his retinue. I would not be surprised if another device like it was found, however, and I can only assume the Inquisition will have further use of myself and my men. Kantor out.++
2500+pts
But congrats on your win, you should definitely promote MEEEEEEENNNDDDDOOOOOOOOOZZZZZAAAAAAAAA, just for being awesome 
(you can give him another purity seal for fighting like a baws)
Waaaghallans 4000
Kabal of the Bleeding Shadows 1500
Eldar 
-5000 points 