Special Mission 1

As I promised earlier, I am going to write a post on the special mission I played yesterday. It was fun, it was brutal, and I saw my poor Skitarii get slaughtered by overwhelming Tyranids. Ouch.

Vanguard deployment

It was not a typical Skitarii versus Tyranids game. I was allocated 500 points and assigned a mission - that is, to reclaim the relic up there. You see that weird-looking elf thingy in the picture? According to the narrative forged in the mission, she is an archeotech statue with a flamethrower that throws down a template attack at S6 AP3. As long as I have one guy touching it, I can use it. Originally she couldn't be moved, but the game organizer changed that rule as it was clear I would have no chance of winning if I couldn't run away with it.

My objective was to claim the relic and survive until Turn 5, because Turn 5 was when the reinforcements arrived and so does a transport to pick up my surviving Skitarii and the relic before flying off and condemning the world to Exterminatus.

Rangers deployment

So I deployed my Vanguard to capture the relic while the Rangers took up position in some ruins (well, I deployed them outside, but I could scout them inside because Skitarii have the Scout and Crusader rules). My Sicarian Infiltrators infiltrated, as usual. So 10 men of Vanguard with plasma calivers and Pater Radium, 5 Rangers and 5 Infiltrators with Omniscient Mask, flechetter blasters and taser goads made up my 500 points.

Genestealers!

On the other hand, my opponent played 1,600 points of Tyranids. It was supposed to be 2,000 points but he didn't have enough models for that. What? It's not fair? Well, he handicapped himself by using all melee units. So he only had Genestealers, a couple of Carnifexes, a single Hive Tyrant and 3 Hive Warriors. All with no ranged upgrades, so they must charge and melee. I think he had a couple of Malanthrope to give his Genestealers and Hive Tyrant Stealth and Shrouded.

Carnifex and Warriors

Damn, that's a very scary lineup. I immediately regretted infiltrating my Infiltrators so close to them, but I had no choice because they needed the 12" range to unload their flechette blasters on the Genestealers. Those things look like they can really hurt my army, and they did. Freaking Genestealers struck at an Initiative 6, faster than my poor Infiltrators. Oh, I forgot that they have -1 to neurostatic aura, so they strike at Initiative 5, which is still before my Infiltrators. Argh.

Hive Tyrant and Malanthropes leading the Genestealers

And so the inevitable charge begins. My opponent rolled first, and the firs tturn he just ran. Nobody charged, and none of his Tyranids could shoot. Phew. The Hive Tyrant doesn't have wings, despite the model, by the way. With a 1,600-point army against my 500-point army, my opponent handicapped himself.

I killed about 5 Genestealers with my Infiltrators' flechette blasters, The Vanguard took out a single Carnifex and wounded the 2nd one with their plasma calivers and radium carbines, and the Rangers did nothing against the Hive Tyrant who had a 2+ cover save from the Malanthropes. Or 3+ armor save. I can't remember.

The next turn, the Carnifex charged in and did one hammer of wrath, which fortunately was avoided by my Infiltrator making his 6+ invulerable save. Phew! And since Carnifex strike at Initiative 2, my Infiltrators wiped him in close combat...well, he was already wounded by the radium carbines, so they did just enough woudns to kill it. I think I have First Blood. The Rangers were wiped out by the Hive Tyrant whose 12" move was crazy. Damn it. They never stood a chance. My Vanguard was still safe.

My next turn, I fired everything I had on the Hive Tyrant with my Vanguard after moving them back, but he made all his cover saves and didn't take a single wound. My Infiltrators took out another blob of Genestealers, I think about 3 or 5, with their flechette blasters, and I stupidly charged them. Genestealers attack at Initiative 6 (5 due to neurostatic aura), so I lost a single Infiltrator before I got my turn to swing. Well, I actually lost 2, but I forgot all about my Feel No Pain rolls, and he promptly made them with a 5 and a 6. Phew! Anyway, I took out another 5 or so in combat, if I remember correctly.

On the third turn, combat continued, and it seemed I managed to make my saves against the Genestealers. However, the Hive Tyrant moved over from my Rangers and charged straight at my Infiltrators, only to wipe them all out. And I wasn't able to even wound him! Damn it! The Genestealers continued to move toward my Vanguard, as did the 3 Warriors by the side, flanking them.

My Vanguard then retreated 6" into an abandoned Imperial Bastion and then killed 2 of the Warriors with their plasma calivers and radium carbines. Oh boy. The Imperial Bastion fired and killed about 3 Genestealers with heavy bolters.

Next turn, the last turn where if I survived this turn, I would win, my opponent threw everything he had at the Imperial Bastion. Overwatch with the flamer template killed the last Warrior, but I used up my Overwatch on them. The Genestealers and Hive Tyrant clawed away at AV12, and while they did some damage and killed 3 Vanguard when scoring a 6 or something (after adding AP2 bonus) where building shakes and occupants take D3 hits, they were unable to bring down the Imperial Bastion. Phew. My Skitarii Vanguard had survived with the relic and made it out of the 4th turn. On the other hand, I fired my plasma calivers and radium carbines on my turn and killed the Hive Tyrant as sweet revenge before flying off on the arriving transport. Not going to assault the Genestealers, nope! YAY!

And so it was a victory for the servants of the Omnissiah as they sought to further their quest for knowledge. Maybe this relic will herald the sign of a new Inferno cannon or something!