The Roost of Turkadactyl

Darrell from GW West Edmonton has organized an escalation campaign.  The first game starts at 750 points and will progress from there for a total of six games.  Before each game we will have to submit our list to Darrell and he will randomly draw our opponents.  Nine people signed up for the campaign.

Here are the generals:

• Sebastian (Adeptus Mechanicus)
• James (Space Wolves)
• Devon (Space Marines- Ultramarines)
• Dave (Chaos Space Marines- Word Bearers)
• Darrell (Harlequins)
• Daniel (Blood Angels)
• Jerrod (Tau)
• Jace (Orks)
• Me (Tyranids)

I chose Tyranids as it seems Tyranids need some more love and press these days.  I commented that there was only one Tyranid player at the Out Of The Basement event.  Well, here is a chance for me to put my money where the mouth is.

We have to use the same warlord for each battle.  My warlord will be called The Overmind.  I chose a walking Tyrant since I can give it bodyguards.  Everyone is expecting a Flyrant to be my warlord so surprise.  The warlord’s wargear has to stay the same throughout and we are limited to one relic.  Special characters are not allowed.

A narrative may evolve out of this.  As of now there is no planetary system or background as to why eight factions are involved.  That may or may not happen.  I will attempt to write these battle reports as a story.  I am going to ask the others to take pictures of their games and write a synopsis of their games.  I didn’t think about it until the other games were played.

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Update March 17- Darrell had written a tiny background piece of why the factions have come together.  Here it is:

The planet Kaaltok hangs alone with a dim star it’s only company in the Eastern Fringe, on the edge of Tau space. Isolated by strange grav-metric phenomenon it remained untouched for untold millennia until without warning the grav storms ceased and the planet was left open to the rest of the cosmos. Soon several powers began to make planet fall on the barren wastes, each with it’s own agenda. The blood of many will soon soak the ground of this isolated place, and each faction demanding a penance in blood for those that challenge their claim to this forgotten place.

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I had my fingers crossed that I would play Jerrod first.  The lower the points the less big guns I will most likely be facing.  The Hive Mind is strong and Jerrod and his Tau are my first meal.  It’s sushi time.

Tyranids- Hive Fleet Kodiak

HQ

• Hive Tyrant (The Overmind)- Old Adversary (re-roll 1’s in combat), bonesword and lashwhip, twin-linked devourer with brainleech worms, adrenal glands, warlord trait- Fearless and It Will Not Die, psychic powers- dominion (+6″ synapse), onslaught (unit can run then shoot), psychic scream (6″ nova vs leadership)
• Tyrant Guard (2 models)- scything talons, rending claws, adrenal glands
• Flying Hive Tyrant- two pairs of twin-linked devourers with brainleech worms, wings, psychic powers, dominion, psychic scream, warp blast

Troops

• Hormagaunts (20 models)
• Termagants (20 models)

Tau

HQ

• Commander- 2 fusion blasters, iridium armour, stimulant injector, gun drone, shield drone, warlord trait- troops who have gone to ground can get back up, one use only

Troops

• Breachers Alpha (10 models)- Shas’ui, EMP grenades, Devilfish transport (smart missile system, disruption pods)
• Breachers Bravo (10 models)- Shas’ui, Devilfish transport (smart missile system, disruption pods)

Heavy Support

• Hammerhead Charlie- smart missile system, submunition rounds

The mission designated is Crusade.  We both place an objective in our deployment zones and one each on the centre line.  Each objective is worth three victory points and first blood, slay the warlord and linebreaker worth one point each.  We will be playing night fight in the first round.  Staff has set up terrain.  They have enjoyed loading the table up with terrain lately and today is no different.  There is a statue in the middle surrounded by woods and surrounded by buildings.  There is a lot of cover to move through.  Jerrod wins deployment zone and I win first turn.

Turn 1

Shas’ui Bravo: “Commander, we have movement.”

Commander: “Maintain your positions.  We will see if they are drawn to those relics.  They must feed but it will not be us they feed upon.”

Shas’ui Alpha: “Commander, new sighting.  The threat is imminent.  They have wings!”

Commander: “Hold your line.  Your training has prepared you for this.  Your guns will serve you well.  For the greater good.”

Shas’ui Alpha: “For the greater good. Oh no.  The flying one has some energy radiating from its head… false alarm.  The glow faded.  Something stopped it.  Commander, the flying alien is firing.”

Commander: “Damage report”

Devilfish Alpha: “We used cover.  One shot glanced us, minimal damage.  Targeting is disrupted.  Bringing it back online now.

Commander: “Team Charlie, maintain your position and open fire on the small ones.  They are the immediate threat.  They will not be able to hide from your rounds.  Team Beta, advance your Devilfish and open fire on the gun bearing bugs.  Team Alpha, hold your line and drop that beast from the skies.  Report your kills.”

Alpha: “Missed.”

Bravo: “Five killed.  They’re still advancing.”

Charlie: “The blast scattered slightly.  Four killed.”

Turn 2

Shas’ui Bravo: “Commander.  The winged beast has flown over top of us.  We’ve lost sight.”

Commander: “Initiate evasive maneuvers now.  I want all movement tracked and reported to me.”

Shas’ui Bravo: “The small ones are advancing.  They are at the edge of the trees now.  I cannot confirm the beast designated The Overmind.  There are trees being displaced in the woods.  There is something large moving to the relics.”

Team Charlie: “Confirmation on The Overmind.  It seems to be ignoring the relic right now and moving straight to our line.  It’s movement is gaining momentum.  The bugs designated Hormagaunts are cutting a sharp left into a building.

Shas’ui Alpha: “We have a bearing on them.  They’ve stopped all of a sudden at the edge of the ruins.”

Commander: “Team Alpha, stay in your transport.  Wait for the time to strike.”

Shas’ui: “As you command.”

Team Charlie: “Commander.  The flying tyrant is charging up again.  It’s head is glowing.”

Commander: “JINK NOW!”

Team Charlie: “…”

Commander: “Team Charlie.  Report now.”

Team Charlie: “No damage.  A burst of energy came for us.   The building didn’t allow us to maneuver out-of-the-way in time.  The beam bounced off the hull.  It appears it wasn’t charged fully.”

Shas’ui Alpha: “Commander, we have the flying tyrant on our trackers now.  It’s opening fire.  Initiating disruption protocol.  Commander, damage report.  We jinked to safety, no damage sustained.”

Commander: “Team Charlie.  Focus your fire on the flying beast.  Team Alpha, advance and shoot those Hormagaunts.  Stay in your transport.  Team Beta, you’re with me.  Shoot anything that moves on that tree line.”

Commander: “Report to me.”

Shas’ui Alpha: “Two kills.”

Shas’ui Bravo: “Six kills”

Team Charlie: “We were unable to track the flying tyrant.”

Turn 3

Commander: “Make your shots counts.  They come to feed.  It appears we did not calibrate the relics properly.  They have no interest in the devices.  Report the enemy movement.”

Shas’ui Alpha: “The Hormagaunts still remain in the ruins.  The Overmind must have some sort of control over them.  Commander, we have more movement.  The Overmind is lumbering towards us.”

Commander: “Stay in your transport.”

Shas’ui Bravo: “Commander, we have movement.  The Termagants are moving directly for you.”

Commander: “I see them.  Gun drone down.  They are advancing… one Termagant killed.  They are running.  I am unable to pursue.  It appears the reports are true.  The big ones have some sort of ability to control the little ones within a particular range.”

Team Charlie: “Commander, the flying beast has landed in the ruins.  There’s a dome growing.  It’s passed through us harmlessly.”

Commander:  “I see the dome.  Interesting.  Some of those Termagants have been covered by the dome.  It seems the big ones can temporarily  increase their sphere of influence and gain control over the little ones.  Continue.”

Team Charlie: “It’s head is glowing again.  Beginning jinking procedure…the energy has faded.  Our maneuver is for not.”

Shas’ui Alpha: “Commander, we will begin evasive maneuvers again.  The Overmind is preparing to fire.  Evasive maneuvers successful.  The Hormagaunts have remained in the ruins.”

Commander: “Shas’uis, prepare to disembark.  It is time to show this unreasonable race the might of the greater good.”

Shas’ui Alpha: “Seven Hormagaunts killed.  Commander, there are enough beasts to counterattack.”

Commander: “For the greater good Shas’ui.  Let them feel the might of your guns when they charge.”

Shas’ui Alpha: “For the greater good.”

Commander: “Shas’ui Bravo.  On my command we open fire on the Termagants.  Now… well done squad.  Let us prepare ourselves for The Overmind.”

Team Charlie: “Commander.  I have pulled out of the ruins from the flying beast.  We opened fire but we were unable to track it in the ruins.”

Commander: “Pull your team out now.  Abandon the vehicle.”

Turn 4

Team Charlie: “We can’t.  The flying beast is shooting covering fire at the back hatch.  It won’t let us leave.  It’s shooting has caused a couple of hull fractures already.  oh, for the greate….”

Commander: “Team Charlie.  Team Charlie respond.”

*radio static*  The Commander looks up a sees some smoke rise in the air.  “For the greater good.”

Shas’ui Alpha: “Commander.  We’ve been charged.  We’ve lost four already.  We shot some down.  There’s only three left.  Commander, what do we do?”

Commander: “Calm yourself.  What we are doing is for the greater good.”

Shas’ui Alpha: “For the greater good.  Shas’ui out.”

Shas’ui Bravo: “Commander, jet away.  I believe we have drawn the attention of The Overmind.  We will hold it off as long as possible.”

Commander: “For the greater good.”

*Devilfish Bravo explodes under the might of The Overmind.*

Shas’ui Bravo: “Commander, one of your shots wounded a guard of The Overmind.  We have killed the other.”

Commander: “Thank you for your sacrifice Shas’ui.  Your names will never be forgotten.”

Shas’ui Alpha: “Commander.  I think we may prevail.  We lost another but were able to slay one more.  Oh no…”

Turn 5

Commander: “Shas’ui Alpha respond.  Shas’ui.”

Devilfish Alpha: “Commander, they’re gone.  It came from nowhere.  The one with the wings.  It leaped over the building and let out this shriek.  We were protected from the tank walls.  We saw three heads explode.  Then it charged.  There’s no thing left.  They’ve pulled into the ruins towards the relic.”

Shas’ui Bravo: “Commander, I do not think The Overmind knows where we have hidd… oh no…”

Commander: “The brutality…. is there no reasoning with these creatures?”

Devilfish Alpha: “Commander, we have destroyed the last two Hormagaunts.  We will make an attempt to collect a relic.”

Commander: “Let it be so.  I am advancing to another relic.  It will be interesting to see the data that has been accumulated.  We owe it to our fallen.  The alien are holding more relics than us.  Our spilling of first blood and breaking their line is not enough to ensure victory.”

Turn 6

Devilfish Alpha: “Commander.  The flying beast has leaped from the ruins.  I do not have a bearing.  What’s that?  A sound from the port side….

*transmission lost*

Commander: “This is Commander Yippy Skippy to High Command.  I am the sole survivor from the reconnaissance team.  We drew first blood and both sides have broken through each other lines.  I am holding a relic.  It’s recorded data.  It appears The Overmind is drawn to another.  If you extract me now we can consider this a victory for the greater good.”

Turn 7

High Command: “That is not possible Commander Yippy Skippy.  We have a ship inbound but it will not be immediate.  We suggest you fall back to the following coordinates.”

Commander: “Affirmative.  It should be noted that the large beasts are drawn to the relics.  Let us hope the data recorded was transmitted.  Out.”

Conclusion

After five turns I was winning 7-2 by holding two objectives worth three points each and linebreaker.  Jerrod had linebreaker and first blood.  The random dice determined we go for another round.  The Commander jumped onto the objective in my deployment zone and the Devilfish was going to claim the objective by the Shrine.  I had to make some calculated risks.  The Flyrant sat on the objective in Jerrod’s deployment zone. If I wrecked the Devilfish with warp blast or shooting I win.  I didn’t.

I had to charge, explode the Devilfish and hope for a turn seven.  I rolled high for the charge and exploded the Devilfish.  Jerrod is now winning 5-4.  We roll for turn seven and we get it.  The Flyrant moves back to the objective and I win 7-5.  It was a fun game.  I hope you enjoyed and understood the narrative.  Jerrod enjoyed naming his Commander.  There were some collective groans in the room.