Batrep: Week 6 Wrath of Shelse

Just got back in from Japan yesterday and managed to book in a game with You Cai. He brought his Iron Hands from our previous game and I tweaked my 1,850 list to the following:

Hivefleet Leviathan Detachment

HQ

Flyrant with TL Brain Leech Devourers
Flyrant with TL Brain Leech Devourers
Flyrant with TL Brain Leech Devourers

Elites

Malanthrope

Hive Guard x3

Troops

Mucolid Spore
Mucolid Spore
Mucolid Spore

Heavy
Carnifex with TL Brain Leech Devourers in Tyrannocyte
Carnifex with TL Brain Leech Devourers in Tyrannocyte

Carnifex with TL Brain Leech Devourers in Tyrannocyte

YC brought the following list:

Iron Hands - Clan Raukaan List

Captain with artificer, Axe of Medusa, Gorgon Chain

Tac sqd in Rhino (Captain rides with them)
Tac sqd in Razorback
Tac squad in Drop Pod
Sternguard x5 in drop pod
Mortis pattern contemptor with Kheres assault cannon
Storm talon with Skyhammer
Storm talon with missile launcher
Rapier laser destroyer x2
Culexus assassin
Sicaran Battle Tank
Hunter Tank

The mission is unique. There is a wall of water that is washing everything out. Anything it touches immediately dies. And the objectives are unique because the Tyranids have to consume them (at the start of their turn) while the Imperial player is trying to shepard them to their table end. There are 3 of such units of "villagers" on the table. The Imperials are basically cutting their losses and are trying to pull out. The heroic Space Marines of the Iron Hands are doing their best to stem the Hivemind.

Deployment

I tried to Seize the Initiative but failed. YC had the first turn and took it. 

Turn 1

The wall of water approaches and with it destruction. 

Foam starts bubbling as the lapping waves arrive

The villagers frantically searched for hope. Black armoured Space Marines droped in to herd the innocent

While the Master of the Forge and his FootDread challenged he Flyrants in the face

The Culexus went in deep and managed to do 2 wounds on the Pale Death

The Pale Death was then killed off 

The Flyrants took to the skies to get out of range of the Imperial guns. I went straight for the villagers

Working to the objectives are key to any game. Knowing that I had plenty of time on the villagers closest to the wave, I channeled all my resources to the villagers on the left as they were the most likely ones to run off the table. Having Flyrants helped.

Unfortunately YC's ealier salvo had really decreased my firepower and I was not able to take down any of their tanks

Turn 2

Another Pod drops in and the Sternguard popped out. They went straight for the Malanthrope and dealt one wound

While the Master of the Forge went for my Hive Guard

This is where I think YC made a critical error. Charging my Hive Guard who were within Synapse meant that I would be able to hold this unit up for a couple of turns. While I was unable to shoot, I was able to tie them up, bogging an expensive unit.

21 Gargolyes arrived just in the nick of time

Grateful that the Gargs arrived when they did. This allowed me to contest the villagers sitting on the left side of my table and prevented them from being rescued by the Imperials.

At the end of my turn we rolled for the Wrath of Shelse which gushes forth to further envelop the ruins

The combat in the middle of the table goes on

Turn 3

The Culexus charges into the Fex who magically survived! 

Unfortunately for me the Hive Guard all perished allowing this unit to move up closer to the Sternguard and setting a charge up for the next turn.

I only had 2 Synapse units so had to send the Warlord into the middle of the table. 

One of my Fexes regressed into it's Instinctive Behaviour and was forced to charge the Dread

Which it managed to destroy and then consolidate northwards to try to destroy the unit of 10 guarding the villagers

Surprisingly the Fex managed to slay the Culexus and slinks into the ruins as it was on 1 HP! 

The waves surge forwards again, destroying the Drop Pod

Turn 4

The Sternguard manages to deal with the Malanthrope and frees the unit up

Knowing that I had little in Synapse I casted Dominion and pulled off Onslaught on one of the Fexes, consolidating my army

I wiped out the unit of 5 who disembarked from this Razorback

Meanwhile this mad unit loses it's men when it charged my Tyrannoctye

Rather unfortunately the two units get wiped out including the villagers. 

Turn 5

Things were getting desperate. YC had to gamble shots into my Fex with 3 wounds but failed to kill it! 

Do remember that KP is secondary objectives for this game so each kill point counts! 

YC drives the Sicaran tank and forces my Gargoyles out of the way

In my turn I channeled all firepower on the unit south of this picture. Meanwhile the Gargs kept following the villagers

The Wrath of Shelse follows! We now had about 24" of space left! 

Turn 6 and 7

In a show of tactical acumen, YC actually wanted to pull my Gargs off the villagers tail by charging into the Gargs. He also had little left in his army, effectively only 3 units left.

YC moves his men up to ready for a charge but FAILED the charge

At the end the waves come crashing in but not before the Tyranids destroy almost all traces of Imperial on the planet

Total tally:
Ray: 27 VP from Kill Points and 2 units of villagers dying
YC: 6 Kill Points.

Victory to the Tyranids!

After finishing the game we realised one thing. GW did not mention is the mission what would happen if both players have units that are equidistant to the villagers. This is our way to interpret the missing gap:

1. When the villagers fall back they do so at 2D6. This is in line with the Fall Back rule.
2. If both units are equidistant to the villagers then both players roll a 4+ to determine who is closest to them that turn. An alternative is that the villagers do not move at all as both units are exactly equidistant to them. Players can choose to agree before the game which they prefer to follow.
3. Player cannot deliberately move on the villagers template but the villagers can pass thru the players units unimpeded as per the rules in the mission as per Falling Back rule. Treat the villagers as an impassable piece of terrain.
4. We have also played it such that the Tyranids check to see if they consume the villagers at the start of the turn. Then you bring in Reserves who come in during your Movement phase. 

Let me know if these interpretations make sense to you guys!