Herald Deathwolf work in progress

Progress has been slow, works been occupying way too many hours...  Hope to finish this model this weekend. :)

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

Exterminatus Week 1 Summary

Shield of Baal: Exterminatus Week 1 concluded on Sunday. Here are the highlights for the week.

Mephrit Lord Jason sent in his C'Tan shard in while riding his Barge. Supporting the Star God, this Deathstar unfortunately got bogged down by Gant after Gant after Gant. 

Brother Captain YC sent in a strikeforce to attempt to free the city of Asphodex. Preferring close combat to stave away the Hivefleet's bioweapons, the Hivemind focussed on their most powerful heroes while drowning the Dreadknight in Gant after Gant after Gant.

The Beast of Lysios commanded this force of monsters. He managed to squeeze in quite a lot of games this week but only managed to complete the After Action Report for 2 of his games. These are his comments.

With the 2 dreadknights got tarpit by 30 gants unit, 2 terminators units reduced to 1 man each and were in combat with hormagants and gargoyles. I think I'm in good shape, but the moment I think I sealed the game is when the moment stephen got greedy and decide to detach draigo from his paladins unit. By doing so, the paladin unit loses the fearless rule. With all the pinning weaponary unleashed upon the paladin unit, I managed to pin the close to 1000 pts unit down. Shadow of the Warp for the win.

Best unit
It's hard to choose the best tyranid unit for my army, because every units did their job almost perfectly. If I really have to choose one particular unit, it will have to be the malanthropes. It gave shourded special rule to my whole army and allow me to withstand the G.K alpha strike. I lost 6 gants from the initial G.K attack.

Worst unit
Surprisingly, the worst units of the game are the dual Flyrants. Consider the fact that their point cost and had been on the table from turn 1. They killed 4 terminators and cause a wound to the dread knight thoughout the game. The ridiculous psychic dices that G.K had doesn't do those tyrants any favours as well.

Another AAR against space wolves, this time I'm playing against Weijia. 2000 pts

List building & tactic

Weijia is not my regular opponent, but I did played against him once or twice before. I know he like his thunder wolves cavalry deathstorm and his mounted lord. I changed my list for abit, dropped the tyrannocyte and tervigon.. bought 2 dakkafexes instead.


Deployment
Seeing weijia list, I know it's a very aggressive playstyle. I deploy 3 layer of tyranids line. my front line troops deployed all the way till middle and create a massive footprint. Midfield are my support and counter assualt element, the dakkafexs, hive guards, toxicrene, malanthropes. The third layer are my living artillery and swarmlord.The idea is to protect the swarmlord and living artillery who are the most important elements in my army.

Changing point of the game

As expected, the twc deathstar had smashed and punch through my front lines. I send the single dakkafex and toxicrene to intercept the threat. After all the supporting fire, both of the monstrous creatures charge in. The toxicrene strike at i6 with tons of attacks. With preferred enemy given by the swarmie, the toxic manage to dealt 6 wounds. Weijia decide to use his mounted lord to tank the wounds, and fail 4 saves and die. As a result, the twc broke and flee back. This give me breathing space to deal with other threats.

Best unit
There are several unit deserve to be the best unit. Toxicrene which stopped the charging twc and exocrine who unleashing punishing plasma volleys. IMO, The swarmlord still are the best unit.. not only it dish out awesome special rules to critical unit, it also killed 2 special characters on its own. It left me wonder why the swarmlord had always been so effective, is it because I build my whole list around him?

Worst unit
The gargoyles had been tasked to disrupt the wolves back line. Going in the wolves line without support is suicidal. I was busy redeploying my line to deal with my collapsing flank. Leaving them stranded in enemy line.

Patrick vs Fauzi

Pat is quite a rare spawn and managed to get a game in with Fauzi. He managed to get a win. 

Basically this week saw the Tyranids making strong headway into the campaign. This was led in big part by Marshall, the Beast of Lysios. 

Results: 

Imperials: 0

Tyanids: 21

Because the Tyranids took Week 1, they will now get a bonus for Week 2: +1 to Seize the Initiative for all games in Week 2. 

Week 2 starts Monday! Hope you Imperials are gathering by the fire and coming up with some sound strategy with your Necron allies! 

Batrep 1000 Points: Hivefleet Leviathan vs Necrons

Had a game with Ralph who is new to 7th ed so we agreed to play at 1000 points instead of the usual 1850. In hindsight, we should have just played one of the Eternal War missions instead of the Maelstrom due to it being a little more complex. Nonetheless, we both had a good time and I learnt a little more about the Necrons. 

I just have to finish painting those Hormagants.

Completed the Toxicrene

Finally put the brush to this model. I based coated this fella a couple of months ago when it first came out and was really more of a purchase on the whim. It was raining when I was at Titan and I had an hour to kill to I thought, why not, let's get that new kit. I even magnetized it to form either of the options that came in the box although I reckon I will never use the Maleceptor in this edition. 

Warrgh! 

I actually played with this unit a couple of times but was really let down by it's performance as I was led to believe that this is my alpha creature and would be able to take down anything. I then had a chat with Patrick and Marshall both of whom suggested that I give it another try.

Enter Shield of Baal: Exterminatus.

I now had the a mission where I would need to hold points. Since I would be sending in majority of my units to hold and contest. I thought why not try this fella. He is good enough to be on his own and I don't really have to worry about synapse. So I threw together a 1850 list and boom, he worked.

So I got home and started putting brush to the big fella and am glad it turned out pretty well. Love that dead Terminator on the bottom. I even painted him in the colours of the Blood Angels. LOL!

I used quite a lot of washes on his toxin sacs on his back. The base does look a little sparse so I may add some static grass to liven it up. Green works great against the purple too.

I just have to finish up the Malanthrope, 8 more Hormagants, 3 Biovores and the Exocrine to finish my 1850 Sturdy List which has the Living Artillery formation. Stay tuned for more! 

Shield of Baal: Exterminatus Week 1 - Hive Fleet Leviathan vs Grey Knights 1850 Points Batrep

Managed to get another game for Week 1 and this time against YC. He brought Grey Knights which is actually the first time I am playing against this force. His force is almost WYSIWYG except for the weapon armaments on the Stormravens (both have Twin Linked Autocannons and Heavy Bolters). 

Castellan Crowe and gang

I brought the same list I played Jason yesterday. Felt that it had the staying power and could handle most situations.

Knowing that I would go 2nd, I put everything within the Ruins to get 2+ Cover (Shrouded Malanthrope and 4+ Ruins)

My Warlord Trait was to force 3 units to take Pinning checks the turn they enter which YC promptly failed due to Shadows

Except the Dreadknight which was unpinnable.

I spawned 7 Gants and JAMMED!

 I am going to need to apply some of this on my Tervigons...

A salvo left only 1 Justicar standing

Moved my Hormagants forward to hold the centre ground

Spread them out while keeping the chain close to my Malanthrope

Turn 2

YC moves his unit up to threaten the smaller gribllies 

And charges them

And simultaneously charges the other Hormagant unit

What a beautifully painted mini

His lone Terminator charged in as well

My 2nd turn saw the coming of the squad of 30 Gants

And the Toxicrene (I have begun working on this model)

While separated, the unit of Hormagants did their best to do something

And managed to kill the Terminator. They now consolidated towards the Dreadknight

The heroic last stand

Turn 3

YC's Stormravens has still not turned up leaving him very little to do. He did manage to kill off the White Gant unit earning him First Blood

I then charged my Gants into his 3 strong unit

My Warlord Flyrant came in and I angled him so that he can dart forward in the next turn when YC's Stormravens arrive

Toxicrene charged in

To do only 1 wound and dies in return. I tried to dispel his Force but failed hence my dead Toxicrene

Turn 4
We both imagined that the Flyrants and the two Stormravens were battling elsewhere somewhere high in orbit.

Finally free of the distracting Flyrant, the Stormravens arrived

In typical YC style, he rolled fantastic rolls.

My turn saw the arrival of The Shark which gunned for the Silver Raven

Taking it down and killing 9 of it's passengers. The Exocrine then shoots another 6 shots into the unit and kills off the Warlord netting me Slay the Warlord.

We were currently tied in secondary objectives. It would be the primary objectives that would determine the game for us as YC lacked anti air guns to take my Warlord down.

The combat between the Dreadknight and the Hormagants continue

Table view

Justicar on his own! 

Unfortunately being non-painted they die easily

Combat goes on

 Turn 5

YC moved his Red Raven closer to the objective after dropping its occupants off

In my turn I moved my Hive Guard up and out to attempt to take middle ground

While the two Flyrants concentrated on the unit of Grey knights close to the objective.

And killed off majority of the unit

We rolled the die and a 2 emerged. The game was over!

Leaving YC out of range at the end of Turn 5 

Just out of the 3"

Tyranids captured

Unclaimed

Tyranids captured

Unclaimed

It was a victory to the Tyranids.

Final score:
Tyranids: 6VP + Slay the Warlord = 7VPs
Grey Knights: First Blood = 1VP

Tyranids score another 3 Campaign Points for a total of 10 Points now! Marshall played a 2K game yesterday and won for another 4 Campaign Points. Week 1 seemed to belong to the Nids. Buahahahha *evil laugher*.