Our second game was Crusade with 4 objectives with Vanguard Strike deployment. Our opponents turned out to be Chaos Space Marines and Tau.
Chaos Space Marines
Chaos Sorceror
10 Cultists
10 Cultists
Heldrake w/ Baleflamer
Heldrake w/ Baleflamer
2 Obliterators
2 Obliterators
2 Obliterators
Tau
Commander w/ Iridium armor, thing that twin-links his squad, puretide engram chip
10 Kroot
10 Kroot
6 Fire Warriors
Tetra
3 Broadsides w/ interceptor, drones
Riptide w/ Ion Accelerator, Interceptor, Skyfire
Skyshield Landing Pad
The game was on a densely packed city ruin board, and we got to deploy first. With all the ruins, I didn’t need the Aegis Defense Line, so I put it as far forward in our table half as possible in order to cover the Tyranid advance. My Techmarine fortified a ruin in the center of our deployment zone, where my Devastators, Scouts and Thunderfire deployed. One of our objectives was here, so my Scouts held that. My Tacticals and Librarian deployed in their Rhino behind the next building to the left, where another objective was located. The Biovores, Tyrants, and Zoanthropes also deployed in this are. The Termagants moved up the center while the Genestealers infiltrated on our left.
Our opponents deployed their Skyshield far forward as well, with their Commander, Tetra, and Broadsides on top and a squad of Kroot clustered on either side and two Obliterators behind it. One objective was centered on their Skyshield, while the other was in a ruin at the rear of their deployment zone, guarded by the Sorcerer and Cultists. The ruin to the right of the Skyshield was filled with a squad of Cultists, 2 Obliterators, Fire Warriors, and the Riptide. Finally, the last two Obliterators deployed next to a ruin in front of the Genestealers.
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| That's a lot of firepower. |
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| Genestealers try and sneak up on the Obliterators. |
Our opponents didn’t steal the initiative, so we moved very aggressively. The Tyrants flew forward onto the Skyshield while the Genestealers advanced on the Obliterators and used The Horror to pin the Broadsides and Commander. My Devastators killed one of the Broadsides while the Thunderfire missed the Cultists and Sorcerer by a mile. The Hive Tyrants scythed down seven Kroot and destroyed the Tetra, while the Biovores blasted a few Cultists. My Rhino advanced a bit around the ruin it was hiding behind.
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| No time for subtlety. |
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| The Hive Tyrants rush the Tau, and enjoy the benefits of a Skyshield. |
Our opponents were in a rough position, but they still had a lot of firepower. The Obliterators on the left moved into the ruins and immobilized my Rhino, while those under the Skyshield climbed onto it. Everything that could opened fire on the Hive Tyrants, killing one.
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| The Obliterators immobilize the Rhino with lascannons. |
My Stormtalon came on and took interceptor fire from the Riptide, but managed to jink out danger, avoiding two penetrating hits. My Tactical squad and Librarian disembarked from their Rhino to hold the objective in the ruins. The Librarian used Puppet Master to take control of one of the Obliterators on the Skyshield, using his twin-linked plasma gun to blast two drones from the Broadside squad. My lascannon Devastators shot at the Obliterators on the Skyshield but bounced of their invulnerable saves, while the missile launcher Devastators and Scouts wiped out the remaining Kroot squad. My Thunderfire shot at the Cultists and Sorcerer in the back corner of the enemy deployment zone, wiping out Cultists and pinning the Sorcerer. The Biovores killed off the Fire Warriors.
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| One lucky Stormtalon. |
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| This is what happens to your Cultists when a Thunderfire rolls 4 hits. |
This turned out to be the Tyranids’ assault phase, as the Genestealers charged the Obliterators in front of them and wiped them out. The Hive Tyrant charged into the Broadsides, but most of its attacks went to killing Drones. The combat continued, much to Chris’ relief.
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| The Genestealers feast on the remains of the Obliterators. |
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| The Hive Tyrant wades into the Tau, but spends most of his time killing drones. |
The Chaos big guns came on this turn, with both Heldrakes arriving on the table. My quadgun was able to stun one so it couldn’t fire, but the other Heldrake torched eight of my Tactical Marines. Most of the remaining enemy firepower poured into our advancing Termagants, killing half of them. The Hive Tyrant decimated the Broadsides, breaking them and wiping them out in a sweeping advance.
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| There goes my Tactical squad. |
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| The Hive Tyrant sweeps the Broadsides and Tau Commander. |
Our third turn concentrated on consolidating our early gains. The remaining Genestealers assaulted the Obliterators on the Skyshield, losing all but the Broodlord but killing one of the Obliterators. The Hive Tyrant took to the sky again, killing the damaged Heldrake. I poured all of my firepower into the remaining Heldrake, but only managed to lock its velocity. However, since it moved 36” last turn, it would have to overshoot my army next turn. The Thunderfire and Biovores concentrated on the few surviving Cultists, taking them out. The Termagants fired on the Obliterators in front of them but couldn’t pierce their armor.
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| The Hive Tyrant destroys a Heldrake, protecting my Marines from fiery deaths. |
Our opponents did what they could, but their forces were thinning. The Heldrake flew off, while the Riptide tried to kill my last Tactical Marine but missed and killed two Biovores instead. The Obliterators flamed some more Termagants.
Unfortunately, that was as far as our game got before running out of time. However, it was a pretty sound victory for us, 9-1.
Lessons Learned
1) This game provided us with lots of infantry targets, and our lists really worked as designed. We put a lot of pressure on the enemy early on, killed their scoring units, and disrupted their plans.
2) Always be careful of placing your fortifications outside of your deployment zone. My Aegis Defense Line was some help to the advancing Termagants, but our opponents put their Skyshield too far forward and the Hive Tyrants were able to use it against them.