Battle Report 1:
Thyrrus Codex
This battle was performed to test out my thyrrus codex. This was the first trial using a typical army size force of 1200 points. I played both sides.
Forces:
Thyruss:
2 propmasters one with a banner and the other with a directing staff
1 Tragic figure
3 units of 10 thyrrus warriors with 1 pyro-launcher
1 unit of 10 channelers
1 unit of 3 thespians
1 unit of 3 stagehands (1 gas canister, 2 light casters)
1 crescendo tank with banner
1 unit of 5 trumpeters with 4 spikers
2 water features
Eldar:
Farseer on jetbike with doom and fortune
1 unit of storm guardians in wave serpent with warlock
1 unit of defenders with missile launcher with warlock
1 unit of 6 rangers
1 unit of 6 scorpions
1 Falcon
1 unit of 2 warwalkers
1 unit of 7 jetbikers with warlock
Mission:
The Seize Ground mission was rolled and four objectives were placed throughout the battlefield (red counters). The spearhead deployment was selected randomly. The eldar won the die off and picked their deployment zone. The thyrruss’ water features were then placed on the both sides of the eldar’s deployment zone.
Deployment:
The eldar placed all their units on the board with the scorpions mounted in the falcon, the storm guardians within their wave serpent, and the farseer joined to the jetbike unit. The tragic figure joined to the channelers and was place in reserve along with the trumpeters. The propmasters and stagehands were distributed within the three thyrrus warrior units. The crescendo tank and thespians were placed behind the warriors. Both armies were set up toeing their deployment lines, eager to move on the objectives. The rangers were then placed in an outcrop of trees near an objective using the infiltration rule.
Turn 1:
Eldar:
Jetbikers are fortuned and then turbo to close on an objective near some woods. Every eldar unit moves, save the rangers who are comfortable hanging out in the trees. The falcon, wave serpent, guardian defenders; position themselves to target the crescendo tank. The warwalkers move to support the rangers. The two skimmers both hit the luminous tank, but rolled low for damage leaving the vehicle unharmed. The guardians’ missile launcher fared better and destroyed the tank’s namesake weapon. The two warwalkers shot through a patch of trees to hit a unit of thyrrus warriors with an attached stagehand artillery piece. Thyrrus units do not benefit from terrain based cover saves so the trees offered no protection to them, but they managed to make four feel no pain saves and only lose one model to the shuriken cannons. The rangers show up the warwalkers’ performance and gun down three of the squids pinning the unit.
Thyrrus:
The performance roll was a one, causing every unit to fall under its effects, which was every thyrrus unit on the table, fearless - the pinned unit of warriors immediately regained their composure. Two of the warrior units rolled sixes for their slow and purposeful moment range, one going up the center of the table and the other group moving around some woods to confront the jetbikes. The formerly pinned unit rolled low for movement and only moved a few inches towards the objective near the rangers. The stagehands did not follow their respective warrior units they previously joined, but stayed behind so that they could fire upon the eldar.
The crescendo tank moved to support the warriors and fired a pyro-launcher at the rangers scoring a direct hit with a blast template. Two of the rangers died and their unit became pinned. A thyrrus warrior unit fired at the war walker squadron scoring a single glancing hit. The walkers had a cover save which was made, but because some thyrruss’ weapons have a rule that requires opponents to reroll successful cover saves, the walker ended up becoming shaken. The two stagehands with light casters had a clear line of sight to the wave serpent. One of the artillery pieces rolled very well and blasted the skimmer out of the sky, the storm guardians spill out of the destroyed transport mince three of their members. The other light caster fired upon the guardians, but failed to hit any of the eldar. The thyrrus warriors moving toward the center and the thespians both run, advancing to the middle of the board. The stagehands with the gas canister lob their payload right into the cluster of guardian defenders. The gas kills four of the eldar and the unit broke and fell back. The warriors that moved to challenge the bikers firing upon them, but due to the protection granted by fortune there were no casualties.
Turn 2:
Eldar:
Bikes have their fortuned renewed by the farseer; the broken defenders regrouped; and the falcon moves towards the object and dropped off the scorpions. The storm guardians move towards the thyrrus warriors occupying the center of the table. The farseer casts doom on the unit of thyrrus that stood before his unit. The jetbike unit fired upon the doomed thyrrus killing five of them. The functioning warwalker shoots over the unit of warriors targeting the stagehands with the gas canister. The 4+ save cover save receive from shooting through another unit did not save the crew who died around their weapon. The storm guardians fleeted towards the thyrrus warriors and assaulted the unit while the jetbike unit dived into the reduced unit of warriors hoping to crush the doomed unit in combat. The storm guardians killed two of the thyrrus who manage to pull down one of the agile warriors in return. The fearless thyrrus lose another of their number due to no retreat. The jetbikes killed four of the thyrrus losing none of their number dropping the thyrrus unit down to a single thyrrus warrior and a propmaster.
Thyruss:
The performance roll produced the fearless result again. The channelers and tragic figure emerged from the murky waters behind the eldar forces. The tragic figure separated from the channellers, and moved towards the scorpions and warwalkers while the channellers moved towards the defenders. The thespian unit moved over the wrecked littering the battlefield to assist the thyrrus warriors in their combat with the storm guardians. The warriors opposing the warwalkers slithered another few inches towards the objective, apparently that unit was in no rush. The crescendo tank fires both its pyro-launchers at the rangers hoping for a repeat of past performance, but the shots scattered wide missing its mark. A bad moment roll kept the channellers from assaulting the squad of defenders while the tragic figure had no problem assaulting both the walkers and scorpions. The scorpions put a wound on the tragic figure, who then cut down three of them. The scorpions fled from the combat leaving the thyrrus hero to combat the warwalkers. The storm guardians put a wound on one of the thespians, who then wiped out the eldar. The thespians and warriors take their consolation move towards the bikes who were still trapped in combat with the what was left of the warrior squad. The combat removed the last warrior and put the propmaster on its last wound, the squid did its job and held the bikers in combat while the thespians closed upon them.
Turn 3
Eldar:
The broken scorpions couldn’t regroup because they were within six inches of the channellers, so they fell back through the water feature. The falcon moved in front of the rangers who then boarded it – hoping to be carried to an uncontested objective they could claim. The defenders attempt to pull the channellers away from the scorpions by confronting them. The channellers weather the eldar squad’s shooting unharmed while the falcon targeted the slow warriors with all its guns slaying three of the thyrrus dropping the unit down to three models. The guardians charged into the channellers and were promptly flash-fried leaving just the warlock who cut down two of the channelers in return, he then looked around to realized he was all alone and bolted away. The channellers use their consolidation movement to close in on the scorpions defeating the purpose of the guardians sacrifice. The tragic figure couldn’t damage the eldar machines, which manage to kick another wound into the thyrrus hero. The jetbike finally cut down the propmaster, but it looked like the thyrrus character managed to stall the bikes to the point where the thespians could pounce on them.
Thyrrus:
The performance roll caused the effected thyrrus to have the rage and fleet special rule. The trumpeter unit climbed out of the water feature and moved through the woods right behind the falcon and shot it out of the sky with their spikers. The warriors and thespians charge into the jetbikes and the channellers charged into the war walker combat. At this point I called the game for the thyrrus.
Conclusion:
There is an element of redemption in this battle report as the thyrrus were able to best an army that slapped them around in their earlier incarnation. Granted the eldar army the misfortune of having 400 points of jetbikers (1/3 total army cost) tied up in a prolong combat. Having the unit dive into combat was actually a somewhat typical response to the thyrrus. Opponents would rather stick themselves into a melee rather then face a short range barrage from the thyrrus; either weather the storm of plasma or risk a tar pit. All in all, it looked like a decent test run for my proposed codex.
Battle Report 2:
A 1200-point game in which a close combat orientated chaos daemon army was pitted against the thyrrus army.
Forces:
Thyruss:
2 propmasters one with a banner and the other with a directing staff
1 Tragic figure
3 units of 10 thyrrus warriors with 1 pyro-launcher
1 unit of 10 channelers
1 unit of 3 thespians
1 unit of 3 stagehands (1 gas canister, 2 light casters)
1 crescendo tank with banner
1 unit of 5 trumpeters with 4 spikers
2 water features
Daemons:
Keeper of secrets
Unit of 12 daemonettes
3 units of 6 daemonettes
10 plaguebarers
1 fiend
1 unit of 3 flamers
daemon prince
Mission:
Annihilation mission with the spearhead deployment was rolled. Thyrrus won the die off and force the daemon army to go first.
Deployment:
The thyrrus deployed in their quarter purposely leaving an open section to their rear in order fall back from the daemon swarms and to tempt the daemon army to risk dropping units behind the thyrrus line where they would be prone to deepstrike mishaps. Even if the daemons managed to safely drop behind the line they would be exposed to every gun on the table and within the short range of the plasma projectors. Thespians were placed ahead of the defensive line, trusting their speed to drop back if necessary. Two units of warriors were placed on the sides of the battle line with channelers taking the center. The propmaster with the banner was placed in a unit of warriors and the propmaster with the directing staff and backpack was placed with the channelers. The stagehands were placed on their own behind the line of thyrrus warriors and channellers. The thyrrus placed their crescendo tank, tragic figure, trumpters, and a unit of warriors in reserve. The water features were placed so that units emerging from them would be behind an enemy force assaulting the thyrrus’s defensive ring, thus being able to strike their backs.
Turn 1:
Daemon:
The daemons drop in the daemon prince, two units of six daemonnettes, and a unit of twelve daemonettes; all on one flank of the thyrrus defense. The daemons fleet to spread out to limit the damage of blast templates and close on the thyrrus.
Thyrrus:
The performance roll was a two, which would have all effected thyrrus give up their movement, but fire twice during the shooting phase; because there was a propmaster with a directing staff on the table there was an option of rerolling the effect, but that option wasn’t taken. Despite doubling their number of shots the shooting phase was not overly impressive. The light casters managed two wounds on the daemon prince, the thespians fired upon the daemonettes but didn’t inflict any casualties, and the gas canister went wide missing the compact group of daemonettes it was aiming for. The warriors were outside their range and the channellers just stood there doing nothing, but waving their crackling staffs. Looked like not attempting a reroll was a big mistake.
Turn 2:
Daemon:
Every other unit save the six daemonettes showed up. Because the presence of icons on the table the daemons were dropped in ideal locations - this did not bold well for the squiddies. The keeper, plaguebearers, fiend, and flamers were placed within spitting distance of the thyrrus. The flamers were placed right next the thespians with their arm spouts aimed at them.
The flamers torched the thespians and inflicted five wounds upon the elite thyrrus dropping them down to one wounded thespian. The rest of the drop ins fleeted and a squad of daemonettes assaulted the last thespian and another daemonette unit assaulted the unit of thyrrus warriors with the banner propmaster attached. Five warriors fell to the daemonettes while the tentacles of the thyrrus were unable to inflict any damage on the typically frail daemons. Despite taking a beating the stubborn thyrrus stayed in combat. The lone thespian was torn to pieces by the daemonettes before it could even lift a metallic tentacle.
Thyrrus:
The performance roll was fearless which again wasn’t rerolled. The tragic figure and trumpeters were rolled for reserves and both emerged from the dank waters behind the daemon assault. The squiddies slithered into position to repel the daemons. A gas canister was aimed at the plaguebearers and flamers, but shot wide landing amongst the daemonettes who slaughtered the thespians dropping three of the daemonettes and due to its special casualty rule, dropped the other three with no retreat damage. The light casters fired upon the keeper but failed to harm the invulnerable greater daemon. The trumpeters fired at the daemon prince but had the same problem in over coming the daemon’s invulnerable save. The clutch of warriors not in combat gunned downed the fiend; a minor accomplishment, but one the granted a kill point. The channellers charged into the group combat between the warriors and daemonettes subjecting both friend and foe to their weapons. Two daemonnettes were electrocuted, the propmaster was hit but not wounded. The daemonettes killed three of the channellers in response, but were distracted enough for the warriors to pull down another two of the lesser daemons winning the combat.
Turn 3:
Daemon:
The last squad of daemonettes manifested onto the battlefield near the big brawl. The flamers leapt over the close combat to mess with the stagehands. The daemon prince and keeper position themselves to wipe out the thyrrus line. The mob of twelve daemonettes turned in their course to deal with the tragic figure and trumpeters. The flamers sprayed warp stuff all over the stagehands armed with the gas canister removing the nuisance. The daemon prince gestured to the channellers turning one of them into a spawn. The two monstrous creatures then charged into the melee. The current from the channellers flashed through the combat accomplishing nothing other then a light show. The daemon prince killed two channellers and the propmaster with the directing staff. The keeper and daemonettes killed the rest of the warriors and channellers leaving just the lone propmaster proudly and defiantly waving around its banner in front of the keeper of secrets’ face. The performance roll gave the thyrrus the fearless universal rule making the propmaster subject to no retreat wounds – the keeper punted the squid off the battlefield. The daemonettes that moved to intercept the newly arriving thyrrus champion and heavy support rolled well on their fleet and managed to make it into assault with the tragic figure. The daemon in combat range put one wound on the tentacled hero who managed to kill three in response, another dropped due to no retreat.
Thyrrus:
The crescendo tank shows up, as does the warrior squad; the tank emerge safely away from the daemons from the second water feature and the warriors emerge to bolster the trumpeters and tragic figure. The performance roll gave the units a 5+ cover save which only effected the tank thanks to the vehicle’s banner – useless as the only ballistic unit in the daemon army ignores cover saves. The tank vaporized two daemonettes with a shattering pie plate. The warriors by the rock wall gunned down the three flamers. The light casters managed to wound the daemon prince while it was wading through the crushed bodies of the channellers and warriors. The newly arrived warriors killed two plaguebearers, and the trumpeters killed another. The tragic figure suffered two wounds from the daemonettes placing it on its last legs, the thyrrus character crushed down three of the daemonettes with its flailing lashes.
Turn 4:
Daemon:
The survivors of the daemonette units charged the two remaining stagehands. The prince and keeper decide to tag team the warrior squad that struck down the flamers. The daemon prince made another successful spawn/thyrrus conversion and added another pet to its collection. The two monstrous creatures charged the thyrrus squad.
It was at this point that the game was called in the daemons favor. It was an act of mercy.
Conclusion:
Poor luck and bad strategies led the thyrrus army into a squiddie massacre. Leaving all that firepower in reserve was a big mistake; the trumpeters, crescendo tank, and warriors would have been much better used included in the defensive ring where they could have blasted away at the arriving daemons. The performance rolls were also something that hindered the thyrrus throughout the game – of course neglecting to attempt a reroll for the results generated on the first and second turn was as much a tactical error as bad luck. The game was called even though there was a respectable amount of thyrrus units on the board. I didn’t feel like playing out the one-sided combats and then having the surviving eighty percent of the daemon army plus two glowing spawns chase around the trumpeters, tank and warriors.