1000pt game: Tyranids vs Space Marines

I never know how these battles are going to pan out. My younger son can play a very canny & cunning game indeed... or he can bunch up his army and charge down a kill zone. With predictable results.

We rolled for mission type and deployment and ended up with seize ground & spearhead. Gabe had set up a fair amount of terrain (which suits him). His army consisted of a couple of zoanthropes, a shooty Carnifex, a broodlord with genestealers... and a fair number of gaunts/hgaunts.

I brought along 2 ten man tacticals with rhinos, a bike squad (with MM attack bike), a whirlwind (first time I have used one), a dev squad and a captain.

The objectives were placed with one being on top of a large hill more or less central on the board. I thought this would be the critical point to fight over. The other two objectives were close to the deployment areas and we would capture these on the first turn.

I swept the bikers around his left flank, hoping to take out the zoanthrope there, and then beat up the broodlord. My dev squad had a nice line of fire on the carnifex and started up a dual with that beast.

One tactical squad captured the right most objective and my other tactical unit, with rhino, captured the central objective. The capt rode with this squad.

Gabe wrecked this rhino and I lost two of my dev squad. In fact I started to lose causulties all over the place from his shooting. But my dev squad ultimately won the dual with the carnifex and the Bike squad took care of the zoanthrope. But although I had damaged his advancing troops & broodlord, he was still able to assault the central objective.

Predictably, the broodlord & genestealers finished off the captain and the remaining squad members - capturing the central objective.

This meant that he could benefit from the full fury of my other units, including the whirlwind. In one turn of heavy firing, the hill was cleared. But I couldnt capture the hill - I only had one troop left.

Gabe though decided to call it a day. He believed that he couldnt win. I tried to explain my problem but he was convinced. I think he was wrong. He had three surviving troops and he could have gotten within 3" of the central objective forcing me to move to get LOS. Arguably my bikes might have been able to clear the troops or at least contest the objective. It would have been hard for him, but he did have one surviving zoanthrope which could have done some serious damage to my bike squad.

In all I don't think he should have given up.

As for myself. I was wishing I had split one of the squads into combat squads. Oh well.

It was a good game. And its been a while.

The Three Wolves Chapter

Since it has been rather quiet round here of late I thought it a good idea to document some aspects of my home-grown Space Marines chapter.

The name is derived from what is supposed to be our family coat of arms which features three wolves (black wolves on a white background).

The chapter is from the second founding, from the Ultramarines. They are known (surprise, surprise) as the Wolves of Guilliman.

I wanted to give this chapter some unusual characteristics for Apocalypse play to entertain my own wee wolves - da boys.

So here are the colour schemes, courtesy of the excellent B&C.

First up the 1st Company & First Company Assault specialists, the Red Wolves (respectively):

The Second & Third companies (left to right):

The Fourth & Fifth companies (left to right):

The Sixth & Seventh companies (left to right):

The Eighth & Ninth companies (left to right):

More on the chapter's history, tactics and such later...

Bah!

We managed to miss the last couple of weeks events at the GW Metro Centre. Nick and I even painted up some figures for the painting competition... and then missed it!

We missed out on the Kill Team event during half term and the Orc Apocalypse event this Saturday.

On the other hand preparations for Nick's 13th birthday party - an Apocalypse game at the GW Metro Centre - are now in hand. I had intended to get some thick plastic modelling sheets to make a pyramid. Since I will not have time to get those, I have resorted to using foam. I have cut the basic shapes and prepared the base. I will post up some pictures once I have the means (no decent PC at the moment).

So watch this space - some project logs to follow!

The battle will feature the Necrons controlling the 'nids through some arcane scary technology. Worse - some Tau have joined up with the Necrons - the promise of advanced forbidden tech was just too much to resist! Can the SM & Tau scratch alliance destroy the the Necron device and renegade Tau? Will the Imperial Inquisitor manage to hold together the fragile alliance? Will the battle degenerate into a three way blood bath?

Only time will tell...

The battle is planned for March 15th.

Games Workshop Customer Service

Yeah the GW is expensive but there are some good reasons for that.

First of all you have the retail outlets with their very helpful staff. The enjoyment we have had in the game is in no small part due to the efforts of Mal & team at the Metro Centre.

Then there is the remarkable replacements policy.

For Xmas I got Gabe (The Evolved here on WWE40K) the Hive Mind Brood. This include a bunch of Zoanthropes and Tyrant Guard. We didn't look at these models until the last few weeks when I got down to assembling them. I turned to the Zoanthropes first.

All four of these models had two tail sections and no spine sections. All of them. We have made a lot of models since August 2007 and we have only found two problems. Now I find four at once.

So I ring up GW. The guy on the phone (more about him in a mo') sends out four replacements without any argument or dissembling. I was quite surprised. Considering the hassle we have had in recent times from other retailers this was a blast of fresh air. Wonderful.

So I put aside the Zoanthropes (pending the arrival of the new ones) and set to on the Guard. Only to find they are the Classic model. You know, the one with the shield and whip. Well they are interesting but Gabe was clearly disappointed. I mentioned this to Mal who advised me to ring GW again. Now there is nothing functionally wrong with these models. They just are not the new versions.

On the phone to GW I end up speaking with the same guy. We end up chatting and it turns out he also from Blackhill in Consett. He duly sends replacements. To compensate Gabe for his troubles, he sends no less than six of the new Guards plus two of the Classic Carnifexes. I was rather surprised again... and will confess that I didnt believe it!

Well shame on me because lo and behold the parcel arrives with all present and correct. Gabe was (and is) absolutely delighted.

I am now onto the fifth of the Tyrant Guard. He will have enough Guards to escort both of his Hive Tyrants. Methinks my Space Marines need some reinforcements!