~The Purging of Tarsis~
Schism Sector Crusade v.
Hivefleet Calavera
Well it seems from our feedback entry that many people would like to see battle reports, so I am going to try and put up and least one every two weeks, as well as things like tournament reports. I finally got one thousand points of Tyranids painted up so I decided to pull them out for a little battle. The list isn’t competative and I have never played Tyranids, so I wasn’t expecting to win. But I digress.
So a 1,000 point game versus Nick’s Black Templars with Witch Hunter allies. The mission was Take and Hold.
Deployment- Seeing the Land Raider in front of me I honestly felt even less chance of winning, but if anyone would do it it would be the Carnifex. Following this line of thinking I deployed most of my forces in a ruin in the center of my deployment zone within a short walk of the objective. I wouldn’t let these humans destroy my precious Hive Node…
“Xenos”, Canoness Jessika said. Was there anything in this universe so foul as the Tyranid? Her order had been fighting them, trying to push them from her world for weeks on end. Now, finally, amidst the ruin of their convent, they felt that there was a dim hope, a hope getting brighter every day. The shadow in the warp had engulfed Tarsis and she had been sure that no reinforcements would arrive. It was only by dumb luck that the Schism Crusade had encountered the planet. If they were able to claim and destroy this Node it would be just one more vital step towards ridding her planet of this plague.
Black Templar Turn 1
Techmarine Logan revved his bike and turbo-boosted behind area-terrain on the left flank. Meanwhile the Land Raider Crusader slowly rolled forward as the Seraphim boost behind its armoured bulk, awaiting the xenos.
Tyranid Turn 1
As the dry wind blew the chitinous hordes of Tyranids advanced on the prey species. The Hive Tyrant plodded into the skeletal copse of tress in front of him as the Carnifex spewed out gobbets of venom, though they went wide of the Land Raider. With an impulse of his mind the Tyrant sent hundreds of flesh-eating worms from his devourer. Three Seraphim plunged from the sky, their flesh chewed from their bones.
Black Templar Turn 2
The Land Raider rolled forward as fast as it could, its assault ramp opening as the Crusaders under Emperor’s Champion Liam disembarked. The Techmarine advanced upon the Tyranid center. Powered by the Machine Spirit the Land Raider’s assault cannon whirred into action, the hail of bullets finding a couple of weak spots in the rock hard chitin of the Tyrant and felling his Guard. Singing a hymnal to the Emperor the Champion charged the Tyrant, toppling the abomination. He and the Crusaders consolidate into the Hormagaunts.
Tyranid Turn 2
The Genestealers advenced towards the combat. The Ravenor tunnelled up underneath the Carnifex and was crushed underfoot. Once again the Carnifex’s bio-weapons are no match for the armoured hull of the Land Raider. The Hormagaunt’s scything talons found a chink in Liam’s armour and the Champion was gravely wounded.
Black Templar Turn 3
The Land Raider’s assault cannon blazed, breaking through the Zoanthropes psychic shield, and tearing through its fleshy brain matter. Techmarine Logan, steeling his nerves, charged into the Carnifex, plasma pistols blazing. The Crusaders cut down many Hormagaunts who, now out of synapse, flee towards the Tyranid center.
Tyranid Turn 3
The Lictor appeared from the ruins, pouncing into Techmarine Logan. The Genestealers charged into the Crusaders killing the Emperor’s Champion and two of the Emperor’s chosen ones. The Techmarine is unable to wound the Carnifex. In retaliation the behemoth crushed Logan under his chitinous hooves.
Black Templar Turn 4
The Seraphims bolt shells were divinely guided into the Tyranid Warriors, killing two. The Landraider left smoking holes in the Carnifex and it crumpled to the ground. Meanwhile the Crusaders finished off the Genestealers.
Tyranid Turn 4
The Tyranids surge out of the rubble into the remaining enemies as their survival instincts are discarded in favor of their imperative to kill. The Lictor hopped onto the hull of the Land Raider, his claws catching some vital system, setting off a chain reaction which left it a flaming hulk. The Hormagaunts and Warriors manage to bring down half the Seraphim squad and wound the Canoness but are killed in return.
Black Templar Turn 5
The remaining Seraphim charged the Lictor but were unable to bring him down. Both the Lictor and the Seraphim ran out of the combat.
Tyranid Turn 5
The remaining Tyranids survival imperative returned and they went to ground.
Final Results
A Crushing Victory for the Black Templars.
Blood bumbled from underneath the Canoness’ armour, her breath heavy. Dirt obscured the otherwise delicate features of her face. They were almost all dead but they had done it. With the Node destroyed synapse in the area would soon crumble. Though she almost wondered why she bothered. The populace, which she had sworn to protect, were dead, her family was dead, almost everyone but her was dead. This one victory gave her little solace when put in perspective.
