Migratory Arthropods Encountered
logged by
Enclave News Service
(ENS) Yesterday, the Enclave Frontier Youth Camp encounted a large swarm of migratory
arthropods during their 27th Annual Wildlands Pacification Exercise.
Also participating in the festival for the first time, were several clans from the
recently licensed Feral Dog Clan Confederation led by their charismatic new leader,
Ricggnar the Bold.
Erik Bloodeye, spokesperson for Ricgnnar stated, "The Confederation has serious concerns
over this pacification, and dare I say eradication, exercise. As it stands, the Enclave
participants have not guaranteed the safe entry and exit of the migratory arthropods as
they struggle to reach their nesting grounds and continue their self preservation crusade".
Mr. Bloodeye continued, "Several Confederation Environmental engineers have observed
pre-cognitive behavior among the arthropods during the breeding season. It is the
Confederations' position that the arthropods have found themselves in a struggle with a
firmly entrenched bureaucracy that would deny them the most basic of rights guaranteed to
all Enclave inhabitants".
An Enclave spokesperson was quoted, "We are talking about large carniverous arthropods are we not? Must I really speak further on this matter?"
Legal teams for both sides have sequestered themselves at a local resort to negotiate
the final disposition of the arthropods.
Funding for the exercise is estimated to reach 672 Billion creds.
This is B'll O'Rei'Li reporting for F'x N'Uze
------------------------------------------------
So Ric and I gathered for a nice safe 2700 point battle between his Space Wolves and my Tau,
when in the door sauntered Mr. Bug himself, Gar. So after some quick negotiations, it was
determined that the bipeds would take on the hexapeds at 3000 points.
BIPED FORCE:
Fal'shia Commerce Safety Unit (v4.2.7)
-------------------------------
1 x Armored Cadre w/Hammerhead upgrade (8 RG-HH)
1 x Stingray contingent, w/Stingray upgrade (6 vehicles)
1 x Moray contingent (2 Morays with RC)
1 x Markerlight Sentry turrets (d3+3 x turrets)
Ricgnnars's Ragged Dog Pelt Clan
-------------------------------
1 x Commander
2 x Tacticals
1 x Devastators (w/4 Razorbacks)
2 x Landspeeders
1 x Terminators
Bio-Expeditionary Force (BEF) (Latest Tyranid list):
1 x Brown Hiero-something or another-pants (DC 8) w/really bad breath
1 x Green Hiero-something or another-pants (DC 8) w/really bad breath
1 x Dominatrix looking bug with no pants (DC 8) Brood Alpha (BBA)
?attached brood -> 3 or so Carnipants, 4 x Exopants, 6 or so smaller pants
1 x Hive Tyrant (Big Pants) aka Big Brood Beta (BBB)
?attached brood -> 3 x Carnipants, 2 x Hairipants, 4 or so Tieupyourpants, and
?about 10 smaller pants (could have been more or less)
So, while Gar got excited explaining the new list and what he liked about it (he smiled
when he remarked that he thought the Big bugs might be a little too strong), Ric and
I merely felt like we'd sat through a rather lengthy Biology lecture.
We decided to play with the new pop-up skimmer rules which delighted the
Arthropods once they understood the implications to all the flying metal boxes.
***
Ricgnnar quickly noticed that the Fal'Shia commander did not show up, nor did any Tau
infantry. In questioning the rather harried Shas'ui, Ricgnnar learned that the Tau
decided not to bring any as during the last arthropod incursion, all the infantry
were eaten.
Looking back at his mostly foot bound infantry, Ricgnnar immediately began negotiating
for an exit strategy.
***
So my first thought was, "Thank goodness, there's only two titans this time". That's when
Gar casually mentioned that they were bigger and faster than last time...and here I was,
afraid that we'd be grabbing an easy victory.
So Ric and I grabbed what we thought would be a solid combination of units. We figured,
Ok, Space Wolves have good infantry, the Tau have tanks, this is a deal made in heaven.
More on that later.
I put my Hammerheads and Morays on the left, supported Ricgnnar's Landspeeders on the
right with my Stingrays, and all the juicy infantry took cover in the middle somewhere.
The bugs consolidated on the left two thirds of the board and used the titans to
anchor their flanks. I was expecting to see everything scream down at us while we
held out as best we could.
Oh, I should probably mention that Gar is a Napoleonics player from way back, which
probably explains his "fascination" with the Necrons in 40K. What he's doing with
bugs, I can't explain.
Bug Set Up
Turn 1:
Turn 1a
Turn 1b
Turn 1c
As advertised, the bugs jumped off to a good start and moved close to the terrain near
the center of the board. The Morays fired at Big Green and penetrated. Satisfied with
a large gaping wound in the thorax, the Moray commander looked over his shoulder and
ordered a Terran Chai Tea Latte.
Unfortunately, that was about all the damage that was done. Since the bipeds had more
activations than the hexapeds, we soon found ourselves zipping along the right flank,
with the Landspeeders and Stingrays, looking for some good shots in the next turn and
basically feeling pretty good about the world, the Christmas season and our battle
situations...except for the fact that we didn't kill anything in the turn.
Oh, and the gaping wound in Big Green decided to close up and heal, in a fashion often
times seen in really bad vampire movies. The end result was Big Green spitting out the
rail cannon slug back at the Moray Commander and scratching the paint on the right
fender vane.
For some unfathomable reason, that seemed like it was going to be a problem for the
good guys. One could almost imagine the large arthropod cackling with glee at the
newfound ability (Gar provided the imaginary sound effects).
Turn 2:
Turn 2a
The Tau commander remembered his Sentry towers, pressed the HDTV remote and teleported
them into midfield, left of center to cover a gap in the terrain. Upon further examination
of the hexaped cross country capabilities ("We got legs...and we know how to use them"),
that may not have bought him anything. Still, the Tau were thinking that they might be
able to capitalize on their placement later.
Morays keep in mind that the hexapeds have long pointy gun simulations on top
of their Exopants and decide to slide back to stay out of their range. However, perhaps
as a result of a little too much caffeine in the Chai, the Morays bump their shots and
do not score any hits. Looking over at the available units, the Tau Commander starts to
get an uneasy feeling.
On the other side of the board, Big Green decides to stretch its legs (or Legolas,
depending on what book you are reading) and ends up in bad breath range of the Space
Wolves Landspeeders. Not a good deal. Big Green has really bad breath and asphyxiates
three Landspeeders in one unit and two Landspeeders in the other. Windshields are fogged
up with the most hideous looking stuff imaginable, and Ricgnnar thinks the "O-Club" is
a good place to get new windshield wipers for the speeders. So they move back to the
biped Blitz objective and get a cold one.
Brood Beta gets cozy with a rapidly mutating electric forest and starts enjoying some
of the local flora and fauna, some of whom were just having a family picnic at the local
horticultural preserve. I'm sure there's something Zen in there somewhere if you look
hard enough.
Turning their attentions to Brood Alpha, some damage is done to smaller pants entities,
but in general, the hexapeds continue to move up and consolidate around objectives
located in the center. However, they do seem to detect potential food objects nearby
and in order to flush their game, fire off a few rounds of crawling ammunition which
eventually creates enough of a disturbance, that the Space Wolf tactical detachments
send a few troopers back to the "O-Club" to acquire some more arthropod repellent.
Ricgnnars' infantry detachments get more than a little annoyed at the Tau vehicles
who continue to zip around at 30 feet, sprinkling little ketchup packets near their
positions.
Some decided to dissuade the practice by releasing a few bolter rounds at the rear
steering vanes, however this doesn't seem to faze the automated targetting systems of
the Hammerheads and they place several hits on Big Brown, then hold their breath to
see if the big beast would spit back the rail gun slugs like its sister did. Thankfully,
very few slugs found their way back.
The central infantry detachments figure out what is in store for their clan brothers
on the left flank and decide to fire everything they have at the brood in front of them,
and although they observe smaller pants dropping left and right, the really big pants
are still standing around snacking on picnickers, their baskets, napkins, in fact just
about everything except the rocks, which they are saving for dessert.
Also, while nobody was looking, Big Pants poured some bug juice on the dirt and grew
some more of the smaller pants, which got everyone's attention.
Turn 2b
Turn 2c
Turn 2d
Turn 3:
So, Ricgnnar deploys the ace up his sleeve. Wolf Lord Terminators teleport onto the
hexaped Blitz objective and start composing songs on what kind of soup they're going
to make out of the little (6 m) purple eggs.
Either in anticipation of getting a taste of the soup or desiring to protect future
arthropod generations, Big Green triples back to discuss all the options with the
pelt clad sopranos.
Uh oh
The Morays slide over a little more and fire at Brood Beta and clear off a pair of
pants.
The Space Wolf infantry detachments excitedly point to the left and exclaim, "Look!
Is that Aun'Shi?"
While the Tau are looking off to the left, the Space Wolves sneak out of the woods
they are holding, and skip over to where all the other infantry are and start directing
their shots at Picnic Eating Pants in the forest. Only one vehicle got a flat from
knocking down a tree.
So, with the Firepower jamboree ongoing, the Tau Stingrays join in and kill off Big
Pants, as well as a few of the other pants, who lament, "Great, he had the bug juice".
Oddly enough, on the left, quite coincidentally where the Tau were looking to find
Aun'Shi, the not-so-Aun Big Brown bursts through the bushes and says, "Boo!". The
Hammerheads are not amused and fire everything they have at Big Brown, who in turn
decides to be unimpressed.
Turn 3a
Back at the Blitz, the Wolf Lords flex their powerfists and charge Big Green with the
intent of punching in it's toenails. Unimpressed, Big Green develops a new condiment
called Space Jam and liberally spreads it over the purple eggs in the hopes that the
introduction of high protein snacks at an early age will produce superior arthropods
in the next generation.
One of the Landspeeder detachments with clean windshields, decides to go scouting to
a remote location and then report back to headquarters after things settle down a
little bit.
Legal representatives quickly step in with Pacification Enforcement authorities and
force an injunction on the bipeds actions, including producing a restraining order
that prevents them from shooting any firearms (registered or not) at the hexapeds.
Turn 3c
We tally up the objectives and the hexapeds eek out a slight win, 1-0.
After Action Report
-------------------
Well, that was very interesting. The new Bug list operated a lot differently than the earlier
SG version, which caught me by surprise a couple of times. Unlike in a tournament situation,
I don't mind not knowing all the details about an opponents' list as I feel that is a
more comparable to Real Life ? situations. However, I did misplay a couple of units
and that cost us Landspeeders and the Terminators, although in hindsight, I don't really
think the Terminators had any good options.
One of the things that didn't work as well for the bipeds the way we thought it was going
to, was the "All Star" approach to the biped list. In taking the best infantry and tanks
we soon discovered that we lacked a kind of synergy that comes from picking one list or
the other.
I noticed this effect when I kept thinking, "Ok, I don't have to kill everything with this
one unit because I have other shooters". In fact, the Tau fire plan was hamstrung because
instead of all these great guns to choose from, I now had really good infantry to rely on,
but those kinds of units don't help me shoot. I'm sure Ric probably had thoughts like, "If
I had another half a dozen tactical units with razorbacks, this would look a lot better".
So where we thought we'd capitalize on each other's strengths, the reality is, we really
degraded the performance of our key units and their capabilities. The sum of the parts
was not greater than the individual pieces.
The new bug list was very interesting. I think it behaved from a "fluff" perspective in
a way that most people would recognize as "Tyranid-ish". The big bugs might be a little
strong, so some points adjustments might be deemed appropriate, however, I don't think this
battle should be the determinant for that change. I'd really need to put a full 3K of Tau
against the list to see if I really couldn't damage them at all vs. what I observed.
What was interesting to observe is some of the decision making that the Tyranid player
had to go through. Since he only had four activations in an army this size, he was extremely
difficult to influence one way or another. The bugs pretty much went where ever they wanted,
unfortunately, with those large broods, he could only be in so many places at once.
So then he was forced to decide, "Do I attack, grab an objective, or hold the one I have?"
I think this is a good feature of the list as it now forces the bug player to moderate the
size of his broods to see whether or not he is the all powerful attacker or land grabber or
somewhere in between.
Although, I am not a big fan of Titans (I'm in this for the tanks and infantry...well, and
the aircraft), I think the inclusion of bio-titans is what really adds flavor to the bugs.
I think people ought to be dreading everytime they play the Tyranids because of all the
scary stuff they bring. Not to make the list unbalanced to play against, just realize that
you'd better be bringing your "A" game to the table because you have a real fight ahead of
you.
Now with that being said, I see this list as having a bit of a problem with the standard
IG list, given their plethora of firepower and artillery. However, the bugs are a
little faster now, so I think the IG will still have a fight on their hands.
So, good Bug list so far, given that we really haven't tried to break it, but then, Gar
is one of the guys that you want testing it. Not that he's a "gamey" sort of guy, just
that he's going to give the list a critical eye and see where it's broken.
We all enjoyed our game and it was a great way to jump into the holiday season.
Great game Ric and Gar!
