Try-Hardernids

Battalion Detachment

Hive Tyrant (HQ)

Massive Scything Talons, twin Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Warlord with the Instinctive Killer trait, Onslaught and The Horror powers

(HQ) Massive Scything Talons, twin Devourers with Brainleech Worms, Warlord with the Instinctive Killer trait, Onslaught and The Horror powers Tervigon (HQ) Crushing Claws, Stinger Salvo, The Ymgarl Factor and Catalyst

Crushing Claws, Stinger Salvo, The Ymgarl Factor and Catalyst 18 x Genestealers (Troops)

4 x acid maws

(Troops) 4 x acid maws 18 x Genestealers (Troops)

4 x acid maws

(Troops) 4 x acid maws 30 x Termagants ( Troops )

12 x Devourers, 18 x Fleshborers

( 12 x Devourers, 18 x Fleshborers 3 x Hive Guard (Elite)

Shock Cannons

(Elite) Shock Cannons 3 x Venomthropes (Elites)

(Elites) Tyrannofex (Heavy)

Acid Spray and Stinger Salvos

Fortification Detachment

Sporocyst

5 x Barbed Stranglers and a bonus three command points!

Imperial Assault

After two previous missions of single faction, I'm back to Imperium United once again (although no more Assassins ... I would just feel bad about it).





I haven't used Inceptors and Reivers yet, and their deepstrike ability will be useful to get upfield in a hurry. To maximise my deepstrike, I'm also taking three Tempestor squads to grav-chute in (minimum-size, ignore the picture below - they're just photobombing the group shot).





The only other part of the Imperium - other than the ubiquitous pals Badger and Bleeth - are a trio of Bullgryns. They shone against the Hive Tyrant last time , so I'm hoping for them to do some bug-stomping again. So they can get into combat quick, I gave them a Taurox (a common one, so I lose my Tempestus keyword to do it).





For the Space Marines, the standard Captain and Lieutenant, with three squads of Intercessors and trio of flamer Aggressors (I'd take more, but that's all the models they are).





I also technically gave my Captain the warlord trait and relic, but forgot about applying them.





Crypt Angels: Adeptus Astartes - Salamanders

Captain Corleandro - Captain in Gravis Armour (HQ)

Boltstorm gauntlet, Master-crafted power sword

Warlord: Anvil of Strength

Relic: The Salamander's Mantle

(HQ) Boltstorm gauntlet, Master-crafted power sword Warlord: Relic: Lieutenant Segrasso - Primaris Lieutenant (HQ)

Master-crafted auto bolt rifle

(HQ) Master-crafted auto bolt rifle Squad Tredecim - 5 x Intercessor Squad (Troop)

Auto Bolt Rifle, Auxiliary Grenade Launcher, Sgt with Power Fist

(Troop) Auto Bolt Rifle, Auxiliary Grenade Launcher, Sgt with Power Fist Squad Fortuna - 5 x Intercessor Squad (Troop)

Auto Bolt Rifle, Auxiliary Grenade Launcher, Sgt with Power Fist

Battle Honour: Sharpshooters

(Troop) Auto Bolt Rifle, Auxiliary Grenade Launcher, Sgt with Power Fist Battle Honour: Squad Hudde - 5 x Intercessor Squad (Troop)

Auto Bolt Rifle, Auxiliary Grenade Launcher, Sgt with Power Fist

(Troop) Auto Bolt Rifle, Auxiliary Grenade Launcher, Sgt with Power Fist Squad Exustio - 3 x Aggressor Squad (Elite)

Flamestorm Gauntlets

(Elite) Flamestorm Gauntlets Squad Quimetit - 5 x Reiver Squad (Elite)

Bolt Carbines, Heavy Bolt Pistols, Grapnel Launcher, Grav Chutes

(Elite) Bolt Carbines, Heavy Bolt Pistols, Grapnel Launcher, Grav Chutes Squad Nix - 3 x Inceptor Squad (Fast)

2 x Assault Bolter

(Fast) 2 x Assault Bolter Squad Siccatus - 3 x Inceptor Squad (Fast)

2 x Plasma Exterminator

9th Hagan Lampreys: Militarum Tempestus

Colonel Bunny 'Badger' Crossley-Blythe - Tempestor Prime (HQ)

Chainsword, Tempestus Command Rod

Warlord Trait: Faithful Servant of the Throne Additional Ability: Hard to Kill

Relic: Kurov's Aquila

(HQ) Chainsword, Tempestus Command Rod Warlord Trait: Additional Ability: Relic: Commissar Bleeth - Lord Commissar (HQ)

Plasma pistol, Power fist

(HQ) Plasma pistol, Power fist Z.I.S.S. - 5 x Militarum Tempestus Scions (Troop)

1 x Hot-Shot Lasguns, 2 x Hot-Shot Volley Guns, Vox-Caster, Sgt with Chainsword and Plasma Pistol

(Troop) 1 x Hot-Shot Lasguns, 2 x Hot-Shot Volley Guns, Vox-Caster, Sgt with Chainsword and Plasma Pistol Squad Rogers - 5 x Militarum Tempestus Scions (Troop)

1 x Hot-Shot Lasguns, 2 x Meltaguns, Vox-Caster, Sgt with Chainsword and Plasma Pistol

(Troop) 1 x Hot-Shot Lasguns, 2 x Meltaguns, Vox-Caster, Sgt with Chainsword and Plasma Pistol Squad Tyneberry - 5 x Militarum Tempestus Scions (Troop)

1 x Hot-Shot Lasguns, 2 x Plasma guns, Vox-Caster, Sgt with Chainsword and Plasma Pistol

(Troop) 1 x Hot-Shot Lasguns, 2 x Plasma guns, Vox-Caster, Sgt with Chainsword and Plasma Pistol Beef Sandwich - 3 x Bullgryns (Elite)

Bullgryn Maul, Slabshield; Grenadier Gauntlet, Brute Shield; Bullgryn Maul, Brute Shield

(Elite) Bullgryn Maul, Slabshield; Grenadier Gauntlet, Brute Shield; Bullgryn Maul, Brute Shield Doris - 1 x Taurox (Transport)

2 x Autocannons, Heavy Stubber

Mission and Deployment

Storm the Lines has some interesting things going on. What seems on first glance like a standard 'can you battle past a tough defender' mission has a couple of twists that make it pretty tough on said defender.





So the Attacker wins if, at the end of a 5+ turn game, they have even a single model in the Defender's back deployment zone. That's already a tough one for the Defender! But they get to set the battlefield up as a consolation.





Maybe I could have been even more fiendish, but an impenetrable fortress wall with only a single door seemed good enough defenses for me. It represents the side of the mountain the Zamaroon Deep Research base is built into, and nothing can shoot or move across it (even if they might otherwise be able to do that).





Here's the field with the zones marked on





The bulk of the Defender's forces set up here, but there's a secondary defense line in the middle. Here, I can set up a maximum of one third of my power value, but don't let the word 'secondary' fool you. If there aren't any Attackers in the main base when the game ends, instead we compare deployed power value in this secondary zone. Whoever has the most wins!





I feel terrible putting unpainted terrain out, but needs must sometimes, and at least it's decent looking stuff even without a lick of slap. The Iron Labyrinth from TTCombat is made for Necromunda, but can build upwards as well as sideways, so you can make nice castles and gates with it, as seen above. You won't see it again until it's all painted, which will be a while. This is about a third of the full set!





I end the deployment phase by spending 2 CP on a mission-specific stratagem: Dawn Assault (essentially applies the Dawn Raid rules - everyone on -1 to shoot in the first turn).





Then it's a simple dice roll to see who goes first. 1-3 is me, and that's what we get!





Hive Fleet Afanc - Turn 1









Imperial Assault - Turn 1





-- Captain Corleandro to all units. I want this tight and by the numbers. All units advance with me in battle order and ... what is that Taurox doing? --





++ Commissar Bleeth to Crypt Angel support teams! The Bullgryns have taken over the wheel...++





++ FLOOR IT YOUSE MAGGOTS! ++





Hive Fleet Afanc - Turn 2





"There!" Bleeth shouted, gesturing with his pistol.





Over the roof of the outer observation station clambered a trio of monstrosities. Their forelimbs were festooned with ganglia and twitching, entrail-like pipes. Living guns of a form, he knew even before they unleashed a crackling barrage of spines at the Taurox.





The tank rocked. Each spine was still attached to the monster that fired it by a length of living rope, and even as the tank powered towards them, letting the cables go slack, they pulsed with energy. The engine sparked and flared violently, then the bonnet blew open and the Taurox swerved to a halt. The driver staggered out of the doorway, coughing smoke.





Ahead of him, round the side of the same building the monsters were roaring on top of, came an even larger beast. A Tyrant!





It raised a pair of scythed talons, each as long as the Taurox, and anchored itself against the supports of the observation deck that ran along the building's side. A second pair of limbs came up, each ending in a dripping honeycomb of orifices. The Taurox driver perished in a terrible hail of buzzing maggots, and the burning remains of the tank sagged and hissed under the caustic barrage.





Bleeth grimaced, then barked an order into his lapel vox. "Bullgryns, dismount! Charge the foe!"





The back doors of the Taurox banged open, and the heavily-armoured Ogryns stormed out, bellowing. As though in response, almost the entire jungle around the compound doors roared back. Carapaced creatures burst out of holes in the ground, dozens of them. And the shadowy recesses of the research base itself were suddenly alive with movement.





"Stand firm!" Bleeth shouted. They were outnumbered on the ground. But the Lampreys were in the air...





Imperial Assault - Turn 2





-- Well, there goes the element of surprise. All Intercessor units take aim at those artillery bugs, I want them cleared off the roof. Sergeant Exustio, take point with your Aggressors. You'll have an assault to weather once that large xenos has stopped eating our Bullgryn allies.--





-- Lieutenant Segrasso reporting. Both Inceptor squads have hit their drop zone, and cleared out a pack of Genestealers. They brought in one the grav-chute Scions with them, but the other missed their target completely and are between the xenos forces. --





-- May the Emperor protect them --





Hive Fleet Afanc - Turn 3





"Keep holding! Not a step back!" Bleeth snarled. The tide of bugs sped towards him and he snapped off a shot from his pistol, but the target rolled under it with contemptuous ease.









The Tyrant sprayed a final round of scratching beetles into the Intercessors before charging home. The Marines braced, firing at close range even as the monster's deadly talons started swiping. They made it look like a training exercise, moving round it and avoiding its deadly swings, switching to pistols and firing into its armoured legs without breaking their momentum.









Bleeth wished he had their armour. The genestealers were too close now, he could smell their weird, chemical smell and hear the clatter of their claws as they darted towards him.

And only him, he suddenly realised. Rather than fanning out to engage the line, the entire pack was closing in on him. With an oath, he snapped off another fruitless plasma blast, then powered up his sword.





His first blow was a classic opening move, straight from the Hagan Sabre School, designed to either kill the opponent or open it up for a second, killing, strike. Bleeth never made the second blow. The Genestealer flipped sideways, seizing his wrist in an iron grip that shattered his wrist as it spun. The Genestealer behind it dived straight into him, bearing him to the ground, and started ripping with its claws.

Imperial Assault - Turn 3

Hive Fleet Afanc - Turn 4

Imperial Assault - Turn 4





-- Captain, the Tempestus reinforcements are arriving! --





-- Well, let's plough the field for them. Everyone target the swarm. Repeat: the swarm is now a free fire zone. --





++ Bunny here again, Captain. We've been cooking up this large bug with the cannon-thingy, but he's looking a mite peeved. Any chance you could spare us a little plasma? Much obliged. ++





Hive Fleet Afanc - Turn 5





There were still a few drifting groups of spore mines floating out of the complex doors, but the tide of bugs appeared to be dwindling. Whatever was left in there was lying low.





Captain Corleandro murmured a few terse orders into his vox, and the Marines snapped into a firing circle, closing in on the last brood mother. Rearing high on its legs, the Tervigon displayed a hideous, rippling stomach that was already convulsing with the birth throes of a fresh wave of spawn. A tight corona of psychic energy shimmered around its chitinous brow.





Then it thumped home into the turf and charged, a huge pair of snipping claws held aloft.





The Marines stopped instantly in place, bolters blazing. Rounds sparked off the armoured shell of the creature as it cannoned into the nearest squad, snapping one of them up and attempting to tear him in half. The noise of tortured ceramite creaked over the gunfire.





"Execution protocols," Corleandro said. The Marines advanced.









Imperial Assault - Turn 5





-- The tide is ebbing, Lieutenant. Clear this wave and we've breached the facility. --





-- It's still a powerfully big xenos, Captain. --





-- Not to a son of Nocturne, Segrasso. We eat creatures this size for breakfast. All Crypt Angels - pile in and grab a leg! --





++ Good show, Captain. I'll take it from here. ++





-- Stand down, Colonel! You're not going inside without an escort. --





++ Afraid not, old sock. It's above your pay grade. Takes more than a bolt rifle and a betcher's gland to poke around the Zamaroon Facility, what? Still, I'm sure you'll get a partial report of whatever went on here. Toodle-pip! ++





-- Colonel, acknowledge. COLONEL, ACKNOWLEDGE! --









Everything piles into the Tervigon, but it proves a bit more of a tank than the Hive Tyrant, and I'm not quite able to finish it off.





In return, it fails to get the satisfaction of killing my warlord, as the Iron Halo saves my scaly Salamander hide.





Result: Victory to the Imperium

Aftermath

I, Stylus, am on a bit of of hot streak for the Imperium: we've secured the main compound received resupply , and even survived our slightly-premature declaration of victory . Now comes the hard part: we need to force a path into the Deep Research Access centre and get into the heart of the hive.Points: 1500 | Battle-forged + Battalion + Fortification Bonus: 11 CPsPoints: 1500 | Level: 79 | Battle-forged + Battalion + Battalion + Mission Bonus: 14 CPsI keep it simple: everything thatdeepstrike, goes into deepstrike. Everything else weights the left flank: Bullgryns and Commissar load up in the Taurox, and all the footslogging Primaris surround the vehicle. There's not enough of me to spread out the lines, and for once, I don't really have to worry about Tyranids popping up from behind.I kick off with another mission-specific stratagem:. If you advance with a unit, you gain an extra 6" move (and that's on top of the advance roll). So the Taurox tears forward like a Shokkjump Dragsta, right into the grill of the Tyranid forward positions.The rest of the army jogs forward as best it can. There's very little firepower in effective range, and with the penalties for advancingDawn Raid, it's another surprisingly bloodless first turn.I took the Hive Mind's first hit - now we can get down to business! I drop the Plasma Scions in the middle of the two scoring zones, with limited hopes for their survival. I also put the Volley Gun Scions, Bolter Inceptors and Plasma Inceptors on the edge of the secondary scoring zone, ready to unleash hell on the Genestealers.The main part of my line moves forward, and the Bullgryns hoof it to within an easy charge of the Hive Tyrant.In the shooting phase, the Plasma Scions have a poor run, failing to scratch the Tyrannofex, but blowing up one of their own.The wall of dakka that I've assembled in front of the Genestealers does considerably better, and the whole unit goes down in the face of massed hot-shot, bolt round and plasma fire.On the other side, I put every bolt round and krak grenade my Intercessors have into the Hive Guard, but they're in cover and proving a tough nuts to krak (sic). I eventually manage to reduce the unit to a single model on two wounds ... but find I've run out of guns.I then remember my Commissar, and a situation that is tailor-made for overcharging a plasma pistol. Sure enough, the hero of the hour executes the last Hive Guard on suspicion of being a Filthy Xenos.There's only one charge to make, but it's a big one. The three Bullgryns smash into the Hive Tyrant, ready to wreck face just like old times.Unfortunately, it appears Bullgryns are no good without their little buddy, the Priest, to help them. The three Abhumans whiff hopelessly, knocking a couple of wounds off the big bug before all three of them get promptly eaten.And the bugs just keep coming. But luckily, so do I. Although not this turn, as I fail all the rolls to respawn my dead units.I pull the Aggressor Sergeant (why do I always end up with just an Aggressor Sergeant?) back from the Genestealers, to open them up to gunfire. However, I stay in combat with the Hive Tyrant, because I'm feeling confident enough to take him on.My Inceptors fly over to support the ground effort, and the Volley Gun Scions edge cautiously forward. Rather more boldly, I drop the Melta Scion right on top of their slain plasma comrades, with a squad of Reivers to give them backbone and Col. Badger for moral support.In the shooting phase, it's the same story - near-all the Genestealers are shredded by the massed firepower of the Primaris, although that leaves me none to spare for the oncoming Termagants.Over in the backlines, the Melta Scions have better luck than their predecessors and burn four wounds off the Tyrannofex.In the assault phase, literally everything I have charges the Hive Tyrant and Genestealer remnants: Captain, Lieutenant and two squads of Primaris all make big charge distances to get into the fight. The Genestealers are quickly dispatched, and with the amount of power fist attacks I can bring to bear, added to the HQ re-rolls, and the Salamander rerolls, I actually manage to smush the Hive Tyrant with relative ease.There are some massive bugs left on the board, but that's the first wave pretty much wiped out for relatively little loss.---Reinforcements have arrived! Plasma Scions, Bullgryns and the Taurox all return - probably too late to influence the battle, but I might be able to race them into the secondary scoring zone and weight the power level in my favour.More crucially, I get my Bolter Inceptors back immediately! I spend two CP on my third mission stratagem:, meaning my reserves can come in from any board edge, not just the back one. I pop them in between the scoring zones, and since they can deploy up to 6" in, their guns are still in range of the Termagant swarm.Speaking of which, all my surviving Primaris also move to gang up on the swarm, including the lone Aggressor, who gets thestratagem to race into flamer range.Also in the backfield, my Reivers go to ground, while my two remaining Melta Scions show considerably more bravery and move towards the Tyrannofex.My initial shots are aimed at the Venomthropes, to make the rest of my shooting more effective. Although they prove to be hard to hit (duh!) and it takes quite a lot of my guns to get rid of them.When there's only one left, I give up and start shooting the Termagants (at least it can't screen the Tyannofex any more). But I only have enough small arms to wipe out half the Termagants - so I'll have to brave the Overwatch if I want to get rid of them (and I do - or else all my hard work will just get respawned by the Tervigon). In better news, the two Melta Scions rip into the Tyrannofex, leaving my Plasma Inceptor Sergeant to overcharge (and not die!) and kill it.Charging in with everything, I lose two Primaris to the Devourer overwatch, but everyone else makes it in, and stomps the little bugs into paste. Do your part!The job has become very straightforward: everything gathers around the Tevigon and gets ready to clobber it.The reinforcements race to join me but, even riding in the Taurox, aren't going to get there in time (a common problem with Sustained Assault).What little shooting I do have is enough to remove the last Venomthrope, and the spore mines, who have finally floated into a position where they can threaten me.The beast is still alive, but pretty much done for. And to top if off, Col Badger is able to walk through the doors of the Deep Research Base unimpeded. With just a Sporocyst to stop me, and heavily outnumbered in the secondary scoring zone, Kraken concedes the fight.Ach, that was brutal. I'm more convinced than ever that Scions and Primaris are very good compliments for each other. I'm also increasingly enjoying playing all-infantry Primaris - the vehicles don't do much for me, but the squads can really kick out some damage. It's a small tweak, but I think allowing power fists for the sergeants has helped a lot - giving them a real close-combat threat to go with their durability and firepower.It was a tough scenario for Kraken to face - defensive doesn't really play to Tyranid's strength (mind you, neither does footslogging across the breadth of a field for Primaris - we deliberately inverted the scenario). But I had more ways to get upfield (love that turbo boosting stratagem!) and there just wasn't enough firepower to bring me down. Once I'd survived the first turn without a scratch, I knew I was in a good place.And it's strange for Nids to be short on bodies, but there just weren't enough units to push back at mecreate a deepstrike bubble. That, combined with the endless reinforcements rule (although it only affected the Inceptors - and very hand too) meant that I had no trouble getting into the scoring zones.Still, it's always fun against the bugs - masses of dakka and plenty of carnage. I think my most feared unit is the humble Termagant. As long as the Tervigon lives (and it's hard to remove), it's pointless even trying to whittle them away until you're sure you can do significant damage. And their return fire can be devastating. I was less impressed with the fearsome Genestealers, but then I did do everything in my power to remove them before they could have an impact.Onwards to victory!