Battle Report 30 - Hunting the Hunter

Tyranids vs. Space Wolves

Composed by Michael J. Casavant (Hive Fleet Phage)

Summary

• Date - 20OCT2002
• Points - 1700
• Scenario - Strongpoint Attack
• Hive Fleet Phage, Tyranid Army List [played by Michael J. Casavant]
• Space Wolves Space Marines [played by Frank Jimenez]
• Result - Victory for Hive Fleet Phage, 1372 VPs
  • VPs, Hive Fleet Phage 2013, 400 (2 bunkers) + 1613 kills (all but Scout squad)
  • VPs, Food 641 kills - (Lightning, Red Terror, 1/2 Lysogaunt brood, 1/2 Spinegaunt brood, 1/2 Mutable Carnifex)
• Battle Honours
  • Lost - Space Wolves lost Bodvar's Pack (Tankhunters) and Mjolnir (Fast)
  • Hive Fleet Phage - Lightning Gamma Type (Hardened Fighter).
  • Food - ?

Report

Intro

Firmus Mutare Campaign, game nine. A battle to take the Studio Caelitus from the Space Wolves. We rolled a Strongpoint Attack mission. This territory is cool because it allows you to equip a single unit (20 models or less) with a nanotech upgrade:

• Nanotech Body Armor: Provides 5+ Invulnerable Save
• Nanoblades: One-handed weapon that gives +1 Strength and behaves like a Heavy Close Combat Weapon (4+ save is best possible).
• Thermal Masking Suit: Unit can Infiltrate and is only spotted by sentries on 4+ (roll once for whole unit).
• Nano-Bio Med Unit: Unit may reroll one failed armor save each turn.

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

Things have been pretty hectic, so this will be brief.

Turn 0 - I did not get a free Preliminary Bombardment because this is a mission with Sentries. We rolled for minor Psychic Powers (special rule from a territory I hold), but I ended up with nothing. Dramatic highlights:

• Lightning managed to have no effect with six hits on the Venerable Dreadnought Ull.
• Lightning was killed off by the explosion of a Rhino it assaulted.
• The scouts popped onto the board on turn 4 and whacked the Red Terror.
• We did not resolve the end of turn 4, i.e. my turn, but we decided to call it.

Wrap-up

My thanks to Frank for a fun game. Strongpoint Attack is a tough mission to defend against the Tyranids, and Frank's 3+ saves were more like 4+ saves with the way his dice were rolling. :)