Greg, Dean, Trent, & I had a great game of Epic Armageddon last night. Trent (with Greg assisting) fielded a Tyranid Army from EA UK, which is much more in keeping with the background than the other lists. Lots of hurty-bitey things! Dean & I commanded the Ironclaw Marines, with more infantry & Warhounds but fewer Predators than usual.
While a Predator unit got gobbled by the Tyranids, and there were lots of half-eaten Marines scattered about, the game went to the Ironclaws. BUT, had those tunneler/teleported Lictors gotten first strike in the Marines rear area, it could have been a sad ending indeed for the SM's.
An interesting, fast moving, and very rollercoaster ( I have never seen so many double 1's rolled in a game)battle. Good game , good laughs with good friends. It doesn't get better than that!
Battle forces
The Ironclaw Space Marines Task Force
5 x Warhound Titans,
2 x Predator Annihilator platoons
4 x Tactical Marine platoons.(two with chaplain)
2 x Whirlwind units
1 x scout unit
Tyranids (110929) UK ARMY LIST
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BIG ASSAULT SWARM [500]
4 Tyranid Warrior, 8 Termagant, 8 Hormaguant, 3 Carnifex
NORMAL ASSAULT SWARM [405]
2 Tyranid Warrior, 8 Termagant, 2 Carnifex, 3 Raveners
DOMINATRIX SWARM [1000]
1 Dominatrix, 4 Hierodule
NEST SWARM [605]
8 Termagant, 2 Hormaguant, 4 Biovore, 4 Dactylis
BIG BRUTE SWARM [500]
2 Hive Tyrants, 2 Carnifex, 6 Exocrines
HARASSMENT SWARN [265]
1 Harridan and 0-4 Gargoyles, 2 Gargoyles
LICTOR SWARM [350]
7 Lictor
SUBTERRANEAN SWARM [370]
1 Trygon and 2 Raveners, 4 Ravener
Deployment
Turn one
The iron claws win the initiative and have the Tyranids go first. The Tyranids roll to active the HARASSMENT SWARN and roll a one, so a blast marker is place and the unit moves up to the rock formation to gain cover, but out of range of the artillery. The iron claws move their scouts out to take hold of another objective marker. Then pass the turn back to the Tyranids which moved its BIG BRUTE SWARM up to try and engaged the scouts and was out of range. The Iron Claws the fired a whirlwind unit at the HARASSMENT SWARN and manage to put a blast maker on it for the dice rolling did, ok so it kill just about all the Gargoyles. So they pass the turn back to the Tyranids and they attempted to move the NORMAL ASSAULT SWARM and rolled a one, so it sat in the woods on the left side of the deployment zone. The Iron claws double move up their first titian and shoot the BIG BRUTE SWARM , managing to kill one of the Exocrines. So they pass the turn back to the Tyranids and they move the BIG ASSAULT SWARM up to the building that contain the objective marker. The turn was passed back to the Iron Claws, they move up a tactical unit into the rock formation, and so past the turn back to the tyranids and they activate the NEST SWARM and it rain death on the tactical unit that just moved into the rock formation, to Kill two rhinos. So again it was passed back to the Marines and they moved up another tactical unit and deployed the marines and then shot at the BIG ASSAULT SWARM kill bugs for no result. Then the Tyranids try and move their last unit the DOMINATRIX SWARM and they roll a one and so they use the supreme commander roll and get enough to pass.So they move up and shot, the tactical unit on the road for no result. This left the Iron claws with free ran on the rest of the turn. So on the right flank, they double move the warhound squad up and shoot the BIG BRUTE SWARM, kill move of the creatures and then predator unit double moved up and fired into the BIG BRUTE SWARM, this was enough to break the unit and so it double moved back to the forest flank. The last whirlwind unit fired at the BIG ASSAULT SWARM killing more of the low creatures. Then a tactical unit double moved up and parked behind a rock out crop to gain cover and a blocked los. The Iron claws then double moved the other warhound unit up and fired into the BIG ASSAULT SWARM again kill lots, but have nothing to show for it. Then the iron claws double move a tactical unit up into the rock formation and shot the BIG ASSAULT SWARM. The last unit of Predators was moved to behind the rock formation. So at end of turn the Tyranids didn’t rally the unit that was broken. The marines didn’t remove blast markers off a titian unit, tactical unit. The Tyranids fair little better with the HARASSMENT SWARN, BIG ASSAULT SWARM failing to remove blast markers.
Turn two
Before the initiative is rolled the Tyranids teleport in the LICTOR SWARM and SUBTERRANEAN SWARM. The SUBTERRANEAN SWARM in the rock formation on the right flank, about a normal move from the marines. The LICTOR SWARM was placed in the forest behind the whirlwind unit and tactical unit.
The dice for the initiative was rolled the Iron claws getting a one and so the Tyranids needed to get a 5 or 6 and they would go first, no joy they roll a one. So Iron claws first, so they fire fight on the left flank against the SUBTERRANEAN SWARM and the dice were rolled. The marines won the first run and the second wiping the unit off the board, for the lost of two rhinos. So the iron claw go for a second initiative and they make the roll and so fire fight the lictors and the Tyranids commander states the two units are intermingled and so both the marine units have to fight. In the end the Lictors do no wounds and killed to a creature. So not a good start to the turn for the Tyranids. So the Tyranids do a marshalling move on the HARASSMENT SWARN and manage to remove all but one blast marker. So the turns back to the iron claws, who double move the warhound unit up on the right flank to shoot at the broken BIG BRUTE SWARM and manage to do no hits at all. The turn passes back to the Tyranids and so they activate the NEST SWARM and they fire at the warhound unit, using indirect fire, taking a shield down. So the marines fire the whirlwind unit at the BIG ASSAULT SWARM and kill more creatures and the results are starting to be felt buy the unit. The tyranids pass the initiative, by doing a marshal move on the BIG ASSAULT SWARM and move it closer to the building. The marines use the tactical unit on the road to shoot the BIG ASSAULT SWARM, kill more of the unit and adding blast markers. The Tyranids try and active the DOMINATRIX SWARM and they roll a one and so they use the supreme commander roll and so roll again and get a one.So they shot, the tactical unit on the road and kill two space marine stands. The marines need 4+ to save and they roll two one’s(there a pattern happening here). So the marines move the predator unit on the right flank and shoot the broken BIG BRUTE SWARM, killing it to a creature. The maries pass the turn back to the Tyranids, who active the NORMAL ASSAULT SWARM and assault the predator unit, which is given support from the warhounds. The only sound heard was the tearing of metal as they cut open with ease. The combat was won by the NORMAL ASSAULT SWARM and the titian had to retreat back 30cms and received a blast marker. Then the marines moved their tactical unit behind the rock out crop to the front and did a fire fight with the NORMAL ASSAULT SWARM, wiping the swarm off the board. So at this point the Marine have free move again since they have more units. So they move to a Titian unit, which had blast markers and so rolled a one. The unit shot the BIG ASSAULT SWARM kill and adding blast markers. They the move to the tactical unit on the road and they rolled a one again. So the unit shot the BIG ASSAULT SWARM and adding more blast markers, but not enough to break it. So marine moved to the tactical unit in the rock formation and fired at the BIG ASSAULT SWARM and it enough to break the unit and make it flee. So the Predator unit was move up so that it could shoot at the DOMINATRIX SWARM, putting a blast marker on it. At this point gave the game to the marines they were 3-0.
Fun game, the tyranids list was done by my second youngest and I think he has learned to add more activations to the list he is using, but for his first try at building a list, he did O.K.. The dice rolls didn’t help him, but that’s part of the game. Turn two could have been different if he had mange to win the initiative. OH well maybe next time :-).
May the dice roll high for you.
Regards
Greg
