The Sulphur River

 

Feb 18, 42,014: Greg, Trent, & I (Britt) had another 4000 point scenario battle today, based on “Refight 4: The Sulphur River” from the Epic 40K Battles Book. Since my river was black, we renamed it the Tar River, with the combatants getting 1 point for each of 8 locations on the roads & bridges over the Tar. The river flows with a petrochemical sludge that can only be crossed at the bridges except for skimmers and aircraft. Greg commanded the Ulthwe Craftworld “Wardancers”, Trent the Tyranids, and I GMed (watched actually).

The game started off with a bang as the Eldar moved first and used their Wraithgate to deploy onto the Bridge nearest the Tyranids in an attempt to stop their crossing. To everyone’s surprise, that’s exactly what they did though the casualties were horrendous. At the other bridge the Tyranids had moved up and were set to cross, but the heavy firepower of the Falcons, Revenant Titans, and Scorpion kept them at bay. Eventually a group of Falcons were to cross over as did the Revenant Titans. Both were badly shot up and the Titans destroyed although they destroyed some Bio-Titans as well.

At game end, it stood at 5 points for the Eldar, 2 for the Tyranids. While one more turn would probably have seen the Tyranids retake their bridge end and dispute the other side, making the score 4 to 3, there was no way for the Tyranids to actually win, so we called it there. This weeks scenario favoured the Eldar while next weeks (Refight 5 : Breakout) will favour the Tyranids. All in all, an excellent nights gaming with lots of laughs and fun. Thanks guys.

Army List

Hive Fleet Onachus Tyranids (NetEA v10.2 )

NEXUS SWARM [930]
1 Dominatrix, 5 Trygon, 7 Termagants, 7 Hormagants
TYRANID SWARM 1 (M) [375]
Two Tyranid Warriors, 12 Termagants, Hive Tyrant
TYRANID SWARM 2 (M) [375]
Two Tyranid Warriors, 12 Termagants, Hive Tyrant
EXOCRINE SWARM (M) [325]
6 Exocrine
LICTOR SWARM [300]
6 Lictor
TYRANID SWARM 3 (M) [375]
Two Tyranid Warriors, 12 Termagants, Hive Tyrant
HIERODULE BIO-TITAN 1 (745.M41) [350]
HIERODULE BIO-TITAN  2 (745.M41) [350]
TYRANID SWARM 4 (M) [400]
2 Two Tyranid Warriors, 12 Termagants, Zoanthrope (745.M41)
TYRANID SWARM 5 (S) [225]
Two Tyranid Warriors, 6 Termagants, Zoanthrope (745.M41)

Ulthwé Craftworld (NetEA Army Compendium v20120208) 

GUARDIAN WARHOST [200]
4 Guardians, Farseer, 3 Support Weapon Platforms, 3 Heavy Weapon Platform
GUARDIAN WARHOST [200]
4 Guardians, Farseer, 3 Support Weapon Platforms, 3 Heavy Weapon Platform
GUARDIAN WARHOST [200]
4 Guardians, Farseer, 3 Support Weapon Platforms, 3 Heavy Weapon Platform
GUARDIAN WARHOST [150]
7 Guardians, Farseer
WRAITHGATE [50]
AVATAR [25]
Spear of Khaine
SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 1 [315]
5 Falcon, Fire Prism
SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 2 [315]
5 Falcon, Fire Prism
SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 3 [300]
6 Falcon
SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 4 [300]
6 Falcon
SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 5 [300]
6 Falcon
SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 6 [300]
6 Falcon
ENGINE OF VAUL TROUPE [250]
Scorpion
ENGINE OF VAUL TROUPE [250]
Scorpion
REVENANT TITANS [650]
2 Revenant Titans
VAMPIRE RAIDER [200]

Deployment

Turn 1

• Troops that were allotted to the wraith gate and air transported in…

• Eldar go first…
• Eldar first action is to transport a GUARDIAN WARHOST through the WRAITHGATE and target the EXOCRINE SWARM kill one and adding BM’s
• Eldar retain the turn and move another GUARDIAN WARHOST through the WRAITHGATE and deploy it in the forest….
• Onachus Tyranids shoot the EXOCRINE SWARM at the GUARDIAN WARHOST on the bridge and kill three units
• Onachus Tyranids retain the turn and double move a TYRANID SWARM 1 up to close range of the GUARDIAN WARHOST and shoots, doing enough BMs to break the unit…the GUARDIAN WARHOST flees off the bridge back down the road into the forest…
• Eldar move another GUARDIAN WARHOST through the WRAITHGATE and deploy on the bridge and shoot the TYRANID SWARM 1, killing a few of the lower life bugs
• Eldar retain the turn and double move the SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 3 up to shoot the TYRANID SWARM 1, killing more lower life bugs
• Eldar try to retain the turn and roll a one and so move the Scorpion up the road…
• Onachus Tyranids then move the Nexus swam up to the Sulphur River and shoot the GUARDIAN WARHOST on the bridge and manage to kill some units…but not break the formation…
• Onachus Tyranids move TYRANID SWARM 2, up on the hill behind the Nexus swam…
• Eldar double move the SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 1 up to shoot the TYRANID SWARM 1,on the bridge, killing one and enough to break the unit….
• Eldar retain the turn and double move the SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 4 up to shoot the Nexus swam, adding a blast marker..
• Eldar try to retain the turn and roll a one and move the SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 5 to the Sulphur River.
• Onachus Tyranids move TYRANID SWARM 4 up to the forest near the bridge on their right flank…
• Onachus Tyranids double move HIERODULE BIO-TITAN 1 and shoot SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 5, giving it a BM’'
• Eldar do a sustain fire order with  SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 6 and target the HIERODULE BIO-TITAN 1, giving it a few BM’s and causing 2DC damage…
• Eldar retain the turn and do a sustain fire order with Scorpion  on their left flank and target the HIERODULE BIO-TITAN 1 causing another DC and this enough to break the titan..
• Onachus Tyranids double move TYRANID SWARM 5 up the road to support TYRANID SWARM 4.
• Onachus Tyranids double move HIERODULE BIO-TITAN 2 up the road to support the two other swarms…
• Eldar double move the SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 2 up onto the bridge and target HIERODULE BIO-TITAN 2, causing 2DC…
• Eldar retain the turn and double move the REVENANT TITANS and target the HIERODULE BIO-TITAN 2, killing it.
• Onachus Tyranids then put TYRANID SWARM 3 on over watch in the city section in their right flank to cover a objective marker…
• Onachus Tyranids don't rally the HIERODULE BIO-TITAN 1, both side remove blast markers…

Turn 2

• Eldar go first
• Eldar sustain fire with  the SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 3 and targets the Nexus swam and does a BM
• Eldar sustain fire with  the SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 1 and targets the Nexus swam and does a BM
• Eldar try and retain the turn and roll a one and so the SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 4, shoots the Nexus swam and does a BM.
• Onachus Tyranids shoot the EXOCRINE SWARM at the GUARDIAN WARHOST on the bridge and kill three units, still not enough to break it..
• Onachus Tyranids do a engage action with TYRANID SWARM 4 and target the REVENANT TITANS, the titans manage to get support from SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 2 on the bridge. So after two rounds of close combat the REVENANT TITANS manage to break the swarm out…
• Eldar double move the SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 2 and target the broken HIERODULE BIO-TITAN 1, but only manage a BM…its still alive just.
• Onachus Tyranids double move TYRANID SWARM 2 and shoot the SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 2, killing two of the AV’s and adding blast markers..
• Onachus Tyranids then move the Nexus swam on to the bridge and shoot the GUARDIAN WARHOST on the bridge and manage to kill some units…and breaks the unit, which flees back down the road into the forest…
• Eldar try and retain the turn and roll a one and so the SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 6, move to cover to objective markers…
• Onachus Tyranids double move TYRANID SWARM 5 into the forest, to cover objective marker…
• Onachus Tyranids do a marshalling action on TYRANID SWARM 1 and bring back more low life bugs…
• Eldar double move the REVENANT TITANS and target the HIERODULE BIO-TITAN 1, killing it.
• Eldar retain the turn and do a double move with Scorpion, move it on the bridge and target the TYRANID SWARM 5, giving it a BM….
• Eldar retain the turn and do a sustain fire order with the GUARDIAN WARHOST in the forest and target the nexus swarm doing 3BM’s….
• Eldar then do a march move with the GUARDIAN WARHOST in the forest and send it back to the objective marker in its deployment zone..….
• Eldar retain the turn and do a sustain fire order with the Scorpion and target the Nexus swarm on the bridge, killing more low life bugs and adding BM
• Onachus Tyranids don't rally the TYRANID SWARM 4, Eldar don't rally GUARDIAN WARHOST, both side remove blast markers…

Turn 3

• First photo is teleports for the Bugs, second photo is AVATAR was deployed.

• Eldar go first….
• Eldar sustain fire with  the REVENANT TITANS and targets the LICTOR SWARM and wipes it out…..
• Eldar try and retain the turn and roll a one and so the SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 2, and so moves forward, to give it some distance from TYRANID SWARM 2
• Onachus Tyranids do a engage action with TYRANID SWARM 2 and target the REVENANT TITANS. The swarm gets support from its mates in the forest behind the REVENANT TITANS. After the smoke clears the REVENANT TITANS, are destroyed…
• Onachus Tyranids then do a marshalling action on the Nexus swam, and so move it back off the bridge and remove all blast markers
• Eldar sustain fire with  the SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 3 and targets the EXOCRINE SWARM, killing two of the AV’s and this breaks the unit…
• Eldar try and retain the turn and roll a one and so the SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 1, shoots the Nexus swam and does a BM.
• Onachus Tyranids do a engage action with TYRANID SWARM 5 and target the Scorpion on the bridge, on their right flank. after the smoke clears the Scorpion is dead…
• Eldar sustain fire with  the SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 5 and targets the TYRANID SWARM 5, killing a pile of bugs…
• Eldar sustain fire with  the SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 6 and targets the TYRANID SWARM 5, and wipe the unit…
• Eldar retain the turn and so the SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE 4 double moves,across the sulphur river and  shoots the Nexus swam and kills low life bugs and adds BM’s.
• Onachus Tyranids do a marshalling action on TYRANID SWARM 1 and bring back more low life bugs…
• Eldar do a double move with Scorpion on their right flank to place it on the bridge….
• Eldar bring in the VAMPIRE RAIDER and the last GUARDIAN WARHOST and take a objective marker on the other side of the bridge, on their left flank..
• Game called…Win to the Eldar…

It was very interesting game, although the terrain advantage was to the elder since they need to have clear arcs of fire. The Tyranids need to be more aggressive I believe and push the advantage they had on their left flank, the nexus swam was a real beast and if it had gotten into the back area on the eldar side it would have been real hard to push back across the bridge….

May the dice roll high for you

Regards

Greg