Special Batrep: Hivefleets Collide - Leviathan vs Kraken

Have you guys ever wondered what would have happened if the Eldar never activated the Fireheart and destroyed Valedor? What if the two Hivefleets converged and met. Would they have fought or just allowed each others' fleets to assimilate? I wondered the same thing and Marshall was itching for a fight between the two. 

The scene was set. 1850 aside, I brought my TAC list which included 2 Flyrants, Toxicrene, Carnifex, Hive Guard, Hormagants, Termangants, Tervigon, Malanthropes and the Living Artillery.

Marshall brought his Swarmlord who was leading two massive units of Termagants, Hormagants, Malanthropes, Carnifexes and of course the Living Artillery. 

We initially wanted to play BeerHammer but Marshall was driving so we opted for a Maelstrom instead. Rolled and got Mission 1: Cleanse and Capture. 

I got initiative and deployed first. 

I had to borrow a few models for this game. Just got my Exocrine today.

True swarm

Hiding behind some ruins

I sent forward my Flyrants and the rest of my army moved up to support.

I was gunning for his Malanthrope (the ballsack)

And managed to kill it off for First Blood

I also managed to score 2 other objectives which I forgot to take pictures of.

And in return the Swarmlord swarmed forward

Marshall scores this

The swarn

  Turn 2

My Toxicrene arrives and I sent him into the ruins for cover

What all 40k should look like. Painted! 

I jammed my Tervigon on the 2nd turn. 1 spawning! 

I moved forward to gun a few down and set up for the charge.

Here is a classic of a misinterpretation of the rules. Last week when I played, one my opponents (either Jason or YC) told me that if you charge out of terrain and you were not still in terrain then you do not fight at Initiative 1. With this misunderstanding of the rule I thought it best to charge Marshall's Hormagants rather than take an extra attack each. 

What a mess! 

Surely like cockroaches swarming a pie

Scored another objective for 4 points

This combat just grounded on

While Marshall scored another for 2. He had also managed to take down my Warlord for Slay the Warlord

 Turn 3

With the centre busy, we both circumnavigated the mass

While Swarmy threw some curses on my Termagants last turn making it harder for me to kill those Hormagants

Toxicrene made his charge

And I lost massive amount of Gants

And failed to score 

The Gargs moved up

Finally Marshall managed to kill off my Termagants

But managed to score none

Turn 4

In my turn I moved my Hormagants closer to his Hormagants

In shooting did quite a bit to take down the Gargs

Toxicrene still could not kill off the Exocrine! My 4+'s just didn't come making it hard to hit

I managed to squeeze in 1 Objective for 5 VPs

I had also charged my Hormagants in my Turn 4 but would strike last

The Carnifex eyeballs the Flyrant and shoots but managed to roll less like a God this turn. Unfortunately I lost my Flyrant to shooting my the Gants. 

Toxicrene finally killed off the Exocrine and moved mid field

Marsahall scored 2VPs

Turn 5

My objective card draws were pretty unlucky forcing me to drop them each turn. I was required to kill his Warlord and had to kill the only Psychic creature in his list, also the Swarmlord. The objective that I had to capture was also sitting on his side of the table surrounded by Gants. So I had to focus on killing.

My army pushed midground 

Shooting off most of the Gants, I tried to charge Swarmy with my Toxicrene but failed the long bomb charge. I also realised that I forgot to my Toxicrene. 

Failed to score anything

Amazing view.

My Hormagants killed off his Hormagants

Marshall scored 2 more objectives

Turn 6

I needed to focus down Swarmy

My army was getting smaller and so was his! 

Failed to score

Swarmy charges in

Turn 7

I focussed everything I had at Swarmy

If I had managed to kill Swarmy off, that would have been a massive point swing with Slay the Warlord, Assassinate, Kill the Psyker! Add to the fact that his entire army would start going crazy without the Synapse to hold it in place (barring the Malanthrope).

Marshall scored another

End game. Swarmy lived on 1 wound. 

Last 2 objectives by Marshall

Great game. Marshall knew his army well and knew it's full potential. He was able to shoot the right guns at the right targets (e.g. Hive Guard with AP4 weapons on my Biovores which gave them no cover saves!) I had totally forgotten this. Just goes to show that your knowledge of your own army is very important!

I also made a number of critical errors. Moving my Flyrant and Warlord up like that was inviting disaster. Granted, Marshall did manage to roll Godlike on his Snap Fire, I still should not go out balls to the walls.

The Hiveminds now munch on each others remains!