Battle Report 27 - Ferrus Wants His Hand Back*
Tyranids vs. Iron Hands
Composed by Michael J. Casavant (Hive Fleet Phage)
* - Ferrus is the mythic founder of the Iron Hands.
Summary
- Date - 06OCT2002
- Points - 1500
- Scenario - Bunker Assault
- Hive Fleet Phage, Tyranid Army List [played
by Michael J. Casavant]
- Iron Hands Space Marines [played by
Luke Schnell]
- Result - Victory for Hive Fleet Phage
- VPs, Hive Fleet Phage 1426 - 150 (bunker occupied) + 1276
[1496 enemy list, killed all but "1-1" Tac Squad
(106), immobilized Razorback (78/2), "Notos" Whirlwind
(75)]
- VPs, Iron Hands 622 - [1496 enemy list, killed all but
Thunder (138), wounded Lightning (189/2), brood of Spinegaunts
(130), wounded brood of Ripper Swarm (30/2), wounded brood
of Lysogaunts (202/2), Biovores (136), Mjolnir (137), Hemagogues
Type 2 (114)]
- Battle Honours
- Hive Fleet Phage - None.
- Iron Hands Space Marines - ?
Report
Intro
Firmus Mutare Campaign, game six. This will be my first game
against Luke's Iron Hands, but definitely not my first game against
Iron Hands. They are a space marine army with some special fluff.
Basically, they hold bionics in very high regard. The most significant
difference between them and other marine armies is that they can
get a Venerable Dreadnought, like the Space Wolves. That is a
very nice and effective model. This is my sixth battle Lars' Firmus
Mutare Warhammer 40,000 Campaign. I have the benefit of some Tyranid
Fortifications in this battle:
- One Reclamation Pool (see below)
- One Spore Chimney (see below)
- Three Bio-Acid Spore Mines
Reclamation Pool [30p, Tyranid only] - Tyranid armies recycle
the captured bio-mass of enemy soldiers in reclamation pools.
The pools are thick pools of protoplasmic, acidic sludge. Small,
but vicious, organisms inhabit the pools symbiotically aiding
the processing. Unfortunately for enemy forces, these organisms
are prone to striking out at units that wander too close to their
pool. Any enemy unit ending its movement during their Movement
phase triggers a protoplasma attack on a 4+. If attacked place
a bio-acid template towards the enemy unit. The template must
be positioned the most enemy models in the unit. Reclamation Pool
is considered Impassable Terrain to all models and cannot be larger
than a 6" diameter base.
Spore Chimney (new) [40pt, Tyranid only] - A Spore Chimney
is a massive tall column that converts the atmosphere of consumed
planets for tyranid habitation and sends spore mines drifting
about to further protect the hive. At the beginning of each of
the tyranid owner's turns, the spore chimney ejects a spore mine.
The spore mine scatters 2d6" from the center of the chimney,
use the small arrow in the instance of a "Hit" result.
In either situation, the Tyranid player can choose the type before
rolling for scatter. In addition, if a territory possesses a spore
chimney, then additional spore mines may be purchased. These are
placed on the board like normal fortifications and do not have
to be close to the Spore Chimney. Spore Mines cost 10pts each
and the type must be specified when purchased. A player may only
purchase three spore mines per level of fortifications, not three
bio-acid and three poison mines. In scenarios that use the Sentries
special rule, spore chimneys do not produce spore mines until
the alarm has been sounded. They are considered in standby mode,
slowly producing spores (1/hr) until the Hive Mind urges otherwise.
Spores that start on the board move randomly as normal and if
they explode, the alarm is sounded on a 4+.
Setup
Naming convention: The food that have faced Hive Fleet Phage
have named the Hive Tyrants that continue to plague them. The
one that trudges forward implacably with an escort of Tyrant Guard
they call "Thunder." The swift winged beast that races
across the battlefield and shatters bodies and vehicles alike
has been dubbed "Lightning." They have also named the
Carnifex engine of destruction, "Mjolnir".
The Battle
Turn 1 - Luke shot me up, I shuffled around. My shooting was
ineffective.
Turn 2 - Luke shot me up. I made a daring assault, taking advantage
of the proximity of the deployment zones in this scenario (18"
apart). I got a few units into hand-to-hand, almost pristine unit
of Lysogaunts and Hormagaunts, and a badly shot up unit of Spinegaunts.
This was a horrible round for die rolling on my part, for example,
the Lysogaunts ripped and tore at six Marine Scout snipers with
39 attacks but only killed a single scout; the scouts turned around
and killed four of the Lysogaunts. The other assaults followed
suit and things started looking grim for the bugs. The bright
spot in this turn was a Typhoon Speeder getting dropped.
Turn 3 - Luke shot me up good and slaughtered guys in close combat.
My Lysogaunts managed to kill only two scouts this turn, but it
was enough to make them fall back. Lightning advances and blows
up an immobilized Rhino, blasting it off the board and leaving
a clear line of site for the squad that has just bailed out with
their shiny guns, all ready to gun down bugs. The Razorback gets
immobilized and the marines pile out to go slap around some gaunts
with their Venerable Dreadnought buddy.
Turn 4 - By the end of this turn, I have lost half my models,
but the tide turns suddenly. Lightning gets into close combat,
ripping the weapons off the Venerable Dreadnought and stunning
it, but it's "Hard to Kill" ability saves it from being
destroyed. Luke makes a bid for the poorly defended bunker with
his Landspeeders and a tactical squad in a Rhino.
Turn 5 - Lightning drops the marine squad attacking him blows
up the Venerable Dreadnought, then leaps a forest to attack the
Vinidcator tank; he flubs his Psychic Test and subsequently takes
a wound from a "perils of the Warp" attack. Two Landspeeders
get dropped.
Turn 6 - Luke pulls the Rhino back behind cover to reduce the
firepower directed at it. Lightning leaps a forest and blasts
a Whirlwind into oblivion. The Bursavores, Thunder and Mjolnir
drop the last Rhino, the second Dreadnought, and the last Landspeeder.
Wrap-up
All right, that's two battles in a row where it felt like I was
losing for more than half the game. My heart can't take this emotional
rollercoaster! :)
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