OTT 2012 - Round 3, 1011011010101 (smash the alien)

Round 3

Opponent: Daniel Heyden – Tyranids

Mission: 5 objectives worth 0, each time a unit dies that objective gains 1 point of value. Dawn of War deployment.

Points Value: 1500

Daniel had:

2 Tyranid primes with some random close combat weapons that didn’t really come up so I didn’t pay much attention, 2 x 2 Hive Guard, 10 Ymgarl Genestealers, 2xTervigons, 2x10 Gaunts, and a unit of 2 carnifex with quad devourers.

I had:

2 Lords with Mind Shackle Scarabs and Warscythes on command barges, 2x4 heralds of destruction each unit with a solar pulse, 4x5 Necron Warriors, 5 Wraiths with 1 whipcoil, 5 Scarabs, 3 Annihilation Barges.

The table we got was… interesting to say the least. I won the roll for first turn and set up 2 warrior squads in such a way that I could completely fill the only 2 pieces of area terrain on the table in my first turn. I then announced that the rest of my stuff would walk on turn 1. This forced Daniel to not hibernate his Ymgarls, and walk them on like normal.

At this point, we then had a discussion about how mind numbingly stupid this mission was. If Daniel was to just run across the table to come get me, I could sit there softening units until they got close, then finish them to make the objectives close to me have value, and comfortably win. If he sat on his deployment zone, I could not afford to come to him and claim those objectives, so if I killed ANYTHING, I lose. This meant that the best result Daniel was likely to get would be a draw, by not moving.

At the same time, we worked out that one of my objectives was in terrain. As such, I could turbo boost my 2 lords in their barges in and out of terrain next to that objective all game long. If he sat there holding out for a draw, I would have a minimum of 10, and a maximum of 14 chances to roll a single 1. If I did, that objective would be worth 2 points, and I would win the game.

That’s right… by telling my lord to fly his plane into a building, I would win the game.

WHO WROTE THIS FUCKING MISSION, OSAMA BIN LADEN?!

It was at this point Daniel and I discussed how retarded that sounded, and instead had a good ole bash up in the middle of the table. This was far more entertaining, and nowhere near as douchey.

In my turn 1, everything moved on fairly centrally, and pushed up to a position where I could get ready to leap on targets as they came into the middle, while the warriors I had deployed front and centre moved backwards.

In Dans turn 1, not much happened, he had moved on with a fairly refused flank, keeping things together as a massive blob progressing forward. During this game not many termagants were born before pooping out, but I have no recollection as to when this happened : (

In my turn 2 I pushed both lords up and out to my right, to get ready to try drag a gaunt unit into a far corner objective, hopefully leading to Dan trying to split his army. The wraiths remained with the bulk of the army ready to perform a counter attack role, and the great softening of the super unit that was the 2 primes and carnifex began, killing 1 carnifex and stripping 2 wounds off each prime. A tyrant guard was killed, but the other was left so as to not give a point to one of the objectives down his end yet.

In Dan’s turn 2 I made it nightfight. His army pushed up a little further however, getting ready for an action position, and his shooting actually did okay. The intact unit of hive guard fired at the wraiths, but they passed their invulnerable saves. The lone hive guard shot my command barge out of the sky, while the carnifex shot dead all but the crypteks from a warrior squad, only 1 of which got back up. Both Dan’s tervigons tried to give feel no pain to his supersquad, and both rolled double 6 perils!

In my turn 3 the lord who fell out of the sky partnered up with a warrior squad that had advanced up a flank, and I pulled these back so they could only just reach a gaunt squad in assault, thus the gaunts counter charge move would tractor beam them much closer to the objective I wanted them to die at.

2 annihilation barges fired up big time and elimited 9/10 ymgarl, which was perfect as I didn’t want to wipe the unit out. Meanwhile the wraiths jumped forward to assault what would be left of the super unit, which after the dust cleared was just a carnifex on 2 wounds – they promptly ate him and their positioning put these points on the centre objective. The lightning arcs had also inadvertently taken 2 more wounds off one of the tervigons, meaning one that I had not yet shot at was only on 3 wounds left! My lord had pushed up to start making inroads here, but was still one more turn away.

My scarabs had moved up to form somewhat of a block so that if anything wanted to get past, they had to form a roadblock in the middle of the table and generate more points there.

In Dans turn 3 I made it nightfight again. Everything moved to fight the wraiths, and my last annihilation barge was killed. BOOO! The wraiths did amicably and gave as good as they got, tying combat and forming a tar pit. They were also close enough to contest the objective by Dans deployment zone that was now worth a couple of points with the wraiths killing the last stealer, along with one of the supersquad primes having been closer here previously.

A squad of gaunts went and engaged my scarabs to have a war of tying each other up.

In my turn 4 my lord went and charged the wounded tervigon, who promptly freaked out and scratched her own head off to get the mindshackle scarabs out, dealing 3 wounds to herself. With that the gaunt unit I had tractored earlier was released and they moved forward with their consolidate closer to the wraith tarpit fight.

The wraith tarpit fight itself had little damage on either side, causing 1 or 2 to the tervigon, and killing 1 hiveguard but suffering little back in return. Another squad of warriors went and helped the scarabs out of a jam, whittling the gaunts they were engaged with to just a few, while by now any other gaunt squads had politely been electrocuted to death.

In Dans turn 4 his gaunts were wiped out, and the wraith tarpit continued to grind away.

In my turn 5 one lord went and assaulted the remaining tervigon, while the other assaulted one of the hive guard units. This combat finished up with tabling Dan, but not before my lord helped another tervigon scratch herself to death doing 2 of her remaining 3 wounds…. MINDSHACKLEEEEEEEE!

This game finished up 20-1, but could have been a lot closer without a few ridiculous aspects, such as virtually no area terrain for the Ymgarls to hide in, the double double6 perils (lololol 1 in 1296 chance!) and the stealers being stripped out so efficiently. Either way, I think we can both say we decided to make a game out of it and have a biffo in the middle of the table rather than cowering in our respective corners while he tries to perils 6 times in a row with both MC’s while I try to roll a 1 on any of 14 dice. Dan is always a great guy to play and afterwards I offered him half my footlong.

Game 4 to come later on tonight hopefully!