The Blood Angels had landed on Angelis IV to quell the rebellion in the northern states. Those nations had been fighting for independence from the Imperium for years and now it was time for the righteous fury of the Angels to be unleashed upon them. The Astartes had expected a fight against dug-in infantry with stubbers and artillery - what they hadn't counted on was the rebellion to be over already.
In fact two weeks prior to the Angel's landings, Angelis IV had been assaulted by a far more dangerous foe. It was during their breakout from the drop zone near the Mondi estuary that they first encountered the Tyranids...


Blood Angels

Tactical Det

Terminator Det

Vindicator Det

Vindicator Det

Whirlwind Det

Whirlwind Det

Warhound Titan

2x Marauder Bombers

Tyranids

Dominatrix
Exocrines x2
Malefactors x2

Tyranid Warriors
Raveners
Termagaunts x3
Hormagaunts

Tyranid Warriors
Raveners
Termagaunts x3
Hormagaunts

Lictor Swarm
Lictor Swarm

DEPLOYMENT


We had two objectives: a disabled Rhino near Wilkinson's Hill and a BioTitan weapon within the factory complex. The blitz objectives were to the rear of the Hive Group and to the rear of Vinidcator Det Bellum.

Blood Angels
On the left flank the Tactical Det were deployed on the road, ready to speed forward. To their left, just behind Hilly Hill was Whirlwind Det Ignis with the Warhound titan Gladius Venator supporting. In the centre were the Vinicators and Whirlwind detachments Durus and Telum. On the right flank was Vindicator Det Bellum.




Tyranids
On the left flank, the ruins partially concealed Attack Swarm Alpha. In the centre was Attack Swarm Beta and in the shadow of the Dackling Beacon was the Dominatrix leading her Hive Group.

Turn One
Marines win the initiative - as they continue to do for the rest of the game!



Revving their engines, the Tactical Detachment sped forwards, eager to capture the disabled Rhino before it was soiled by the Tyranid filth. In response to this Attack Group Alpha charged up Wilkinson's Hill, taking the high-ground that dominated the objective.

Whirlwind Det Tellum moved forward to the main road and fired at Wilkinson's Hill over open sights but did no damage.

Attack Group Beta now charged fowards and sheltered amongst the ruins near Inferno Hill. Here they came under sustained fire from Whirlwind Det Ignis and the Marauder bombers, taking remarkably little casualties.


Imperial bombs burst amongst the alien swarm but do little to halt their advance

The Dominatrix roared a bestial and utterly alien battle cry amongst the din of high-explosives and jet engines. With this the Hive Group moved forwards and captured the lost BioTitan weapon.

With the massive war-engine-sized Dominatrix on the move, the Princeps of Gladius Venator set the titan moving onto the main road to lend support to the Tactical Det. Finally the Vindicators of Det Bellum moved behind the Whirlwinds of Det Tellum.

End phase - the Nids managed to spawn back pretty much most of their casualties; these reinforced Attack Group Beta in the centre.


The Tyranids move in a tidal wave of tooth and claw

Looking forward to the rest of this report!

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

Turn Two
Initiative goes to the Astartes again!



With Attack Swarm Alpha on Wilkinson's Hill they posed a serious threat to any Marine movements near their objective. With this in mind, the Blood Angel commander ordered the Terminators in with a teleport assault. As luck would have it, the Tyranids had a Lictor Swarm nearby to counter the Termies.

The Terminators appeared in a flash of light and immediately set about Attack Swarm Alpha. Charging the hill and hopelessly out-numbered they were cut down to a man - not even their tactical dreadnought armour could save them from the vile alien toxins. Attack Swarm Alpha lost a few of stands in this ferocious assault, including a precious Warrior stand. The Blood Angels retained their initiative and pulled back the Tactical Detachment.


The Terminators teleport into combat with righteous fury!

The Hive Group now doubled forwards, firing their massive bio-weapons at the Whirlwinds of Det Tellum; knocking out one vehicle.

The Whirlwinds of Ignis opened up with a furious barrage that destroyed much of the front line of Attack Swarm Alpha - Wilkinson's Hill was covered in smoke and alien blood. Perfect vengeance for the loss of their battle-brothers. With the Dominatrix vacating the objective the Lictors marched towards it.

The Bombers returned with fresh bombs and unloaded them onto Wilkinson's Hill, blasting more of Alpha to hell. With much of the swarm destroyed, the HiveMind attempted to marched it into the cover of the ruins to the rear of the hill - they failed their initiative and were left stranded in open ground.


With the Nids having no AA defence the Imperial Navy owns the skies.

Gladius Venator and the Vindicators of Det Durus went on overwatch; waiting for a Tyranid move on their objective.

Attack Swarm Beta now marched up Inferno Hill, taking up positions in amongst the ruins beside their beloved Dominatrix.

The rattled Whirlwinds of Tellum reversed away from the advancing aliens and fired a barrage over open-sights taking out a Malefactor and a couple of Hormagaunt stands. The Blood Angel commander was worried about more hidden Lictors and decided to tighten up his battle line by moving the Vindicators of Bellum back.


The main thrust of the Tyranid advance is through the centre of the battlefield

End Phase - the Tyranids managed to spawn about half of their casualties with a Malefactor being spawned plus Raveners and Hormagaunts being spread between Alpha and Beta.

Turn Three
Blood Angels win the initiative



The other Lictor Swarm appeared in cover by the cooling tower, near the blitz objective.

With the Tyranids so tightly packed on Inferno Hill the Navy boys returned with more high-explosives and napalm taking a big chunk out of Attack Swarm Beta. This was followed up by more carnage from the missile of Whirlwind Det Tellum.


Inferno Hill lives up to it's name as more Tyranids are burnt to a crisp

The Hive Group moved towards Tellum, eager to crushed them. The Dominatrix and Exocrines fired off a fusilade which reduced one of the Marine AFV's to molten slag.

Gladius Venator now moved towards the Blood Angel objective, taking position amongst the rocks nearby. It was followed by the Tactical Det in support.


The Warhound and Tactical Detachment are strong opposition for the Nids

The Lictors in the centre now moved onto the Nid objective, taking cover amongst the factory ruins. In the distance Whirlwind Det Ignis opened up on Inferno Hill, taking down more vile Tyranid creatures.

The remnants of Attack Swarm Alpha now took cover in the ruins they were headed for in the previous turn. The Vindicators of Det Durus moved forward and fired some ineffective shots at Beta. Their brothers in Det Bellum went on overwatch incase of a massive Tyranid breakthrough in the centre.

Attack Swarm Beta, now much depleted moved into the cover of the factory complex behind the Hive Group.


Beta moves into cover behind the Hive Group

End Phase - The Nids managed to spawn half their casualties. These boosted both Alpha and Beta swarms.

Turn Four
Once again a Marine win for initiative



The Tyranids were now getting far too close for the Blood Angels commanders liking, the drop zone was in danger of being overrun. With grim determination the Astartes tried to make sure that every shot count.

Whirlwind Det Tellum fired at the Hive Group over open-sights taking out a Malefactor. With the barrage obscuring the massive Nid Hive Group, the Vindicators of Det Durus moved forward and pumped a few shots into the maelstrom to no effect.

The Dominatrix was wild now, having not made a single kill she now charged into Durus with the Hive Group behind her - the Vindicators were totally wiped out and the Hive Group consolidated towards the disabled Rhino. The Navy returned but this time turned their attention onto the hive Group, destroying an Exocrine.


Finally the Dominatrix and her brood get into combat

Attack Swarm Beta, sensing the Hive Group was in danger, marched to the Dominatrix' side - swarming all over the Marine's objective. Seeing their objctive taken, the Whirlwinds of Det Ignis put down a heavy barrage on Beta causing many casualties.


With a massive susurration the Tyranids swarm all over the Imperial objective

The HiveMind realised that the BioWeapon objective was open to a fast-moving Blood Angel strike and therefore moved Attack Swarm Alpha to cover the approaches. The Whirlwinds of Tellum added their fire to Ignis', killing more of Beta.

The Lictors now charged from the cover of the cooling tower, taking the blitz objective.

Gladius Venator and the Tactical Det opened up on sustained fire but even this weight of firepower wasn't enough to destroyed the Tyranids grip on their objective.


Even the combined might of the Astartes and Titan Legions cannot stop the Tyranids

Results

Tyranid win!! The Nids had their own objective and Blitz as well as denying the Marine's their own.

Fun report!

I just have to ask, why didn't you use the standard Tournament Scenario for it?

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

This was a game of movement with the Blood Angels pretty much always staying out of arms reach right up until the end. The Marine's casualties were staggeringly light considering the weight of Nids. Although the Blood Angels took very little damage other than the Vindicator Det at the end it was also their downfall - their constant movement might have meant their forces were saved but they didn't accomplish anything objectively. The Tyranids were pretty free to move around and take what they wanted leaving the Blood Angels doing a little 'Dunkirk' for most of the game.

I think the Marine's could have exploited their movement and activations far better to have made the Nids really fight for their objectives; especially if the Warhound and Tactical Det moved forward quicker with support from a Vinidcator Det - there was no way I could take that on in close-combat!

Cheers Chroma!

And to think I could have been working on my Cadian pic instead!  

I'm sorry, it's late here and I've had a long day -  could you remind me about the standard tourney scenario?

That was an enjoyable read. Always like watching Nid's over run an enemy. Nice way to show the battles movement too. Thanks for posting.

_________________
My head is full of War...

[img]http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk120/Warhead40k/Tyranid%20Swarm/DSC02262.jpg[/img]

Great report, thanks for an enjoyable read.

_________________
"Stars in my pocket like grains of sand."

www.spartangames.co.uk

Cheers Warhead!

I was trying to overrun the Marines but they kept pulling back. Damn their ceramite hides!!  

No problem, thanks for reading!