The Roost of Turkadactyl

Keith plays Fantasy/AoS.  I play 40K.  Keith’s goal is to beat me in a game of 40K.  Does he succeed this time?

Keith used to play 40K but dropped out at 4th edition and traded his models for Fantasy.  He has remained exclusively with Fantasy since.  I have more than enough models to go around so he borrows my models to play a game.  Keith likes the Grey Knights, Tyranids and Space Wolves so lucky for him I own two of those armies.  We ended up playing the Eternal War: Crusade mission.

A lot of times when I write lists I usually put models in that I haven’t played with for a while or really want to play with.  With fun games synergy doesn’t matter as much.  Since I have almost all of my painted Grey Knights on display at GW West Edmonton I was limited with what I could put in my list.  With Tyranids I haven;t played with the Swarmlord for a long time and I have wanted to see the Skytyrant Swarm unleashed.  My Flyrant and Gargoyles are a pain to transport so it’s time to let them fly.  Here are the lists.

Grey Knights

HQ

Librarian

• Force halberd, digital weapon
• Pyromancy- Fiery Form, Flame breath, Molten Beam
• Warlord trait- furious charge

Troops

Terminator Squad (5 models)

• Psycannon, force halberd x2, force sword x2, force daemonhammer

Terminator squad (5 models)

• Incinerator, force halberd x2, force sword x2, force daemonhammer

Elites

Purifiers (10 models)

• Incinerator x2, force halberd x7, force daemonhammer

Fast Attack

Interceptors (8 models)

• Incinerator x2, force halberd x4, force daemonhammer

Heavy Support

Nemesis Dreadknight

• Heavy incinerator, heavy psycannon, Nemesis greatsword, personal teleporter

Tyranids- Hive Fleet Kodiak

HQ

Swarmlord

• Tyranid Powers- Dominion, The Horror,  Onslaught, Paroxysm
• Warlord trait- 18″ synapse range
• Tyrant Guard x1

Troops

Tervigon

• Tyranid powers- Dominion, Catalyst

Termagaunts with fleshborers (30 models)

Elites

Zoanthropes (3 models)

• Neurothrope/Doom x1
• Tyranid powers- dominion, Catalyst, Warp Blast, Spirit Leech

Heavy Support

Mawloc

Biovore (1 model)

Formation

Skytyrant Swarm

• Hive Tyrant with wings, twin-linked devourers with brainleech worms, Tyranid Powers- Dominion, Onslaught, Psychic Scream
• Gargoyles (10 models)
• Gargoyles (10 models)

I let Keith chose the army he wanted to play with and he chose Tyranids.  I’m glad he did because going over the list now that I am typing it I forgot to write 175 for the Zoanthropes and only wrote 75.  Turns out the game was 1350 Tyranids vs 1250 grey Knights.

We roll for deployment and I win the honour.  Purifiers and a squad of Terminators hold my right flanks.  The Librarian with the other Terminator squad take the center with the Dreadknight holding the left and the Interceptors claiming the building behind the Librarian.

Keith has the Swarmlord and guard on his far left.  The Tervigon hold the objective, which is to the right of the Swarmlord.  The Zoanthropes takes the centre to take advantage of its powers on multiple targets.  The Biovore marks its territory in the ruins behind the Zoanthropes.  The Skytyrant Swarm uses the open street to the right of the Zoanthropes to congregate.  The pack of Termagaunts are chattering amongst themselves on the right flank.

Grey Knights Turn 1

Grey Knights advance and achieve a very successful turn for psychic powers.  Every unit achieves force.  Shooting doesn’t settle too much.  The Librarian with Terminators shoot the Zoanthropes with no success.  At set-up I wanted the Dreadknight to flame the Termagaunts and had a last second change of heart.  The Dreadknight targets the Skytyrant Swarm and cooks a few gargoyles, however, I rolled three one’s.  The heavy pyscannon scatters off target.  The Interceptors shoot the Termagaunts and remove a few.  Keith made some cover saves.  I was expecting a better start to the game.

Tyranids Turn 1

The Tervigon birth’s eleven Termagaunts and stays fertile for another round.  The Swarmlord gives itself Preferred Enemy this and every subsequent turn.  Everything except the Tervigon and Biovore advance towards the Grey Knights.  The Skytyrant Swarm claim the objective on the Skyshield.  The Neurothrope Spirit Leech’s the Librarian and I manage to Deny the Witch.  The Zoanthropes Warp Blast the Librarian and all saves are made.  The Termagaunts shoot the Dreadknight and remove a wound.  The Biovore targets the Purifiers and two Purifiers are down for the count.

The Termagaunts charge the Dreadknight and one is fried in the process.  The charge is successful and the Dreadknight loses another wound.  The Termagaunts only lose three of their kind.

Grey Knights Turn 2

Getting charged by the Termagaunts was my own fault.  This was the precise reason why I wanted to target them with the Dreadknight’s shooting.  I should of stuck to my guns.  The Purifiers and Terminators move towards the Swarmlord.  The Terminators fail force; the Purifiers are successful.  The two squads shoot the Swarmlord and take off a wound from the Tyrant Guard.  The Terminators are successful with the charge.  Three Terminators are cut down with the two surviving Knights slaying the Tyrant Guard.  The Purifiers are left on the sidelines with an unsuccessful charge.

The Interceptors move towards and target the Zoanthropes and remove one wound.  The Interceptors are not successful with force and fail their charge.  The Librarian and Terminators move to the Termagaunts to get the Dreadknight out of combat.  The Librarian is successful with fiery form but no luck with force.  They get into combat and thin down the Termagaunt ranks.

Tyranids Turn 2

The Tervigon provides fourteen fresh Termagaunts to join the fight and is still motivated to produce more.  The Mawloc stays underground feasting on some voles.  The Librarian feels a sudden breeze, looks up and the sun is blocked out with the descent of the Flyrant and Gargoyles.  The Librarian prepares for the inevitable duel with the Flyrant.  The Zoanthropes back away from the Interceptors while the Termagaunts previously birthed advance towards the Interceptors.

The Biovore targets the Purifiers but their armour saves the day.  The Swarmlord casts the Horror on the Purifiers and it succeeds in pinning the squad.  It wasn’t until turn three that I checked the rules and discovered that Purifiers are fearless.  That is a big mistake on my part.  I really enjoy this edition but it is tough to keep on top of all the special rules, especially with four playable armies.

The Zoanthropes try to Spirit Leech the Interceptors and I pass the Leadership.  Warp Blast scatters and explodes one Interceptor.  The Termagaunts spray their fleshborers onto Interceptor and reduce two to puddles of bile.  The Termgaunts charge the Interceptors and get fried and gutted by the Interceptors.  The Interceptors consolidate towards the Zoanthropes.

The Librarian and Flyrant duel and essentially fist bump each other.  The Dreadknight and Terminators reduce the numbers of Gargoyles and Termagaunts but lose one of their own in the process.

The Swarmlord cleans its sabre blades of the remains on the Terminators.

Grey Knights turn 3

The Purifiers are pinned due to my mistake but we allow them to shoot at full ballistic.  Four brothers can see the fresh Termagaunts and shoot.  Two termagaunts now provide biomass for the hive fleet.  The Interceptors target the Zoanthropes and remove one wound.  The two Zoanthropes are at one wound each with a healthy Neurothrope in the rear.  The Interceptors are the only squad to successfully perform a psychic test and activate their force weapons.  They charge the Zoanthropes and rid the Imperium of the psychic menace.  They consolidate into the ruins that the Biovore has made home.

The Librarian and Flyrant continue their duel and the Librarian suffers a wound.  The Termagaunts are crushed underfoot of the Dreadknight while the Gargoyles and thinned down further.  One Terminator will no longer fight again.

Tyranids Turns 3

The Tervigon pushes out twelve more Termagaunts and decides that it has had enough for one day.  The Tervigon then makes a move to the left flank.  Both squads of Termagaunts move to the ruins occupied by the Interceptors.  They shoot the fleshborers at the Interceptors and four of the five are reduced to porridge.  The one brood charges and consumes the last marine.  One Termagaunt provides biomass for the hive fleet.

The Tervigon casts Catalyst on the Swarmlord and gives Feel no Pain.  The Mawloc’s sensors are hazy and scatters.  One Purifier is unfortunate and is consumed as the Mawloc emerges.  The Biovore targets the Purifiers and scatters.  Four brothers are caught under the blast and here is my roll:

Well nuts.

The Flyrant casts Psychic Scream and the Librarian and Dreadknight pass the leadership tests.  The Swarmlord casts the Horror and it is not successful.

The Swarmlord charges the Purifiers and provides some more fuel for the hive fleet.  The Purifiers cause no damage.

The Flyrant kills the Librarian in combat while its entourage of Gargoyles is down to a remaining few.

Grey Knights turn 4

The Tyranids are consuming at a voracious rate, one that the Grey Knights were unprepared for.  The Swarmlord is bearing down on the remaining four brothers.  The Terminators minds are clouded with the Shadow in the Warp and improperly recite the ritual to activate their force weapons.  The Dreadknight, however, is successful.  The Dreadknight challenges the Flyrant to a duel.  The Flyrant roars in defiance and its Gargoyles form a living shield.  The Terminators cut through the leathery shield and provide a path for the Dreadknight.  The Dreadknight slams a Gargoyle to the ground and swings at the Hive Tyrant.  The slice cuts through the Flyrant’s flesh and the greatsword sucks the life out of the Flyrant.

Tyranids Turn 4

The Tervigon makes a run for the end lines.  The Mawloc burrows looking for voles…and Grey Knights.  The brood of Termagaunts close to the middle make a run for the end zone.  The Biovore moves to the objective in the Tyranid zone.  The Swarmlord and third batch of Termagaunts move towards the Grey Knights.

Grey Knights turn 5

The Grey Knights see the strategy of the Tyranids and split forces.  The Terminators run back to their objective to secure and protect it.  The Dreadknight jumps into the ruins in the Tyranids deployment zone and incinerates some Termagaunts.  The Dreadknight activates his force weapon and does his best Bruce Lee impression calling over the Swarmlord with a flick of his wrist.

Tyranids turn 5

The Mawloc emerges from the ground, however, it’s a turn too late.  It emerges from where the Terminators previously stood.  The Tervigon double backs and returns to the Tyranid objective.  The Termagaunts in the middle advance towards the Terminators and shoot to kill.  Here’s how the Terminator’s fared:

The Swarmlord and remaining Termagaunts advance towards the Dreadknight.

Grey Knights turn 6

The game is all but decided but we go for another round.  The Dreadknight jumps to the Skyshield.  I want to see the monstrous creatures assault the building and lay it to rubble.  In the meantime flame on!

Tyranids turn 6

Here’s a picture to tell the story.

The Swarmlord and Mawloc smash the Skyshield Bastion and only remove one hull point.  That’s a shame.

The Biovore is claiming an objective.  A brood of Termagaunts are claiming the objective in my zone.  Keith has first blood, slay the warlord and linebreaker for a grand total of five victory points.  I have one objective.  The Skytyrant Swarm gives three victory points if slain but I am not too sure if it counts in this Eternal War mission.  Regardless Keith wins 5-1 or 5-4.  I really like the Tyranid list but now that I know that it’s 100 over it’s a tough decision on what to get rid of to make it 1250.  I am leaning towards the Mawloc right now and include a second Biovore.

This was my first game with my assembled scenery and first game with the Hawk Urban battle board.  I like having the terrain out there, however, there was way too much grey so I have to get working on painting these kits up.  Congratulations Keith, you finally did it.  It was a fun game.  That’s the nice thing about playing with friends.  The outcome of the game is not as important as who you spend it with.

Next battle report will be my Carcharodons versus Jerrod’s Khorne Daemonkin.  It will be a video battle report.  Remember my bad roll’s in this game?  Well, they continue.