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Segmentum Pacificus; Agriworld Zealandia; Christos Island; 16/12/42001; 1900 Hours; Thought for the Day: Woe for the fallen - like leaves in autumn they fall!

This game was a 3000 point Ambush scenario with Tyranids ambushing Eldar. James used his Tyranids while I used my Biel-Tan Eldar. Rules were E40k with FP1 amendments and a few houserules as usual. Also trialled was the 'bio-save' experimental rule from Andy Skinners The Titan Project.

DEPLOYMENT

Terrain was fairly cluttered on much of the table in this game, and the Eldar were few in number. The Eldar column was headed by a unit of 8 Jetbike stands (top left in photo), and behind that in some rocky ground a detachment of 10 Swooping Hawk stands, together with the Avatar and his bodyguard of 4 Dreadnoughts. Behind these were 10 Warp Spider stands in another patch of rocky ground, with the 2 Phantom Titans at each end of their formation. Further back in open ground with wide fields of fire were 4 Scorpion Super Heavy Grav Tanks, 8 Nightspinner Disrupt Artillery, and 8 Scout stands.

TURN 1

Turn one is a disaster for the Eldar. 3 detachments at the front of the Eldar column are completely annihilated. My Jetbikes blunder into a huge Tyranid assault swarm. I charge the Swooping Hawks into the swarm with aim of killing as many Assault Spawn as possible while they are still loaded up with lesser Tyranids. Though the Assault Spawn suffer heavy losses, the Swooping Hawks are wiped out. The tyranids counter attack ripping apart all the Jetbikes, the Avatar and Dreadnoughts.

Also this turn, two swarms of Dactylis Bio-artillery emerge from the river - one near each of the bridges. The Eldar Warp Spiders together with a Phantom Titan drive the first swarm back behind some buildings. The second swarm moves behind cover consuming the bodies of the dead Swooping Hawks scattered there.

TURN 2

After a ferocious first turn, the Tyranids retreat behind cover waiting for re-inforcements. A Hierodule and a Hierophant arrive and making use of cover they scuttle towards the rear of the Eldar forces...

TURN 3

As the tyranids move to surround the beleagured Eldar, the Eldar Fleet arrives. 4 Phoenix bombers strafe the second Dactylis swarm reducing them to below half strength.

3 Eldar Vampire Raiders aim for the first Dactylis swarm, but are intercepted by a Harridan and Gargoyles, which are in turn intercepted by 5 Eldar Nightwing Fighters. Though the Eldar Fighters kill many gargoyles, they cannot prevent the Harridan from wrenching a Raider from the sky. Another Raider is driven off damaged by Gargoyles. However the last Raider completes its strafing run against the already weakened Dactylis swarm, dropping them to below half strength.

Another huge assault swarm has arrived and together with the first assault swarm it charges the Eldar positions. From a different direction the two bio-titans also charge into combat. Attacked from two sides the Eldar defend as best they can. Overwatching Pulse Laser fire cuts great swathes through the oncoming tyranids but there are too many of them. Like a wave they roll over the scattered Eldar defenders, wiping out the Warp Spiders and a unit of Night Spinners and Scouts.

TURN 4

The Tyranids continue to swarm over the Eldar positions, and those Eldar that can retreat from the onslaught. Two Eldar Scorpion super heavy tanks, one already badly damaged, don't make it and are shot down by bio-weaponary. The other two Scorpions flee with the Hierophant in pursuit (above).

One of the Phantoms has its escape route blocked by an oncoming Hierodule, and makes a last stand with its pulse lasers at the ready. The charging Hierodule has its razor claw damaged, but still manages to leap upon the Phantom. In the ensuing struggle both Titans are badly damaged. A psychic blast from a Hive Tyrant damages the Phantom further and it is finished off in a firefight with Assault Spawn and the Hierodule. The Phantom explodes killing the Hierodule and a few of the Assault Spawn. The other Phantom Titan is on march orders this turn and escapes (below).

At the end of this turn the scenario ends. The Tyranids have had all their swarms reduced to half strength, and a Hierodule killed. Only the Hierophant and the small Tyranid Flight Swarm are still relatively untouched. The Eldar are even more terribly mauled. Two full detachments of Aspect Warriors, a complete detachment of Jetbikes, the Avatar and his bodyguard, two Scorpion Grav Tanks, 4 night spinners, 7 Scout Stands, a Phantom Titan, and a Raider aircraft have all been destroyed. All that remains of the Eldar ground forces are 4 NightSpinners, 2 Scorpion Grav Tanks, 1 Scout Squad and a Phantom Titan.

The scores are checked and it is discovered that the last remaining Eldar infantry - a Scout stand, is close enough to a Cleanse objective to deny the Tyranids victory. Both sides started with over 60 army morale points, but the scores of both sides end tied on 12 points exactly.

CONCLUSION

Well this is bloodiest Epic battle I have played, and the first draw as well. I have to admit that it seemed like a strategic victory to James. Not only did his Tyranids kill a far greater percentage of my forces, but James was playing with 100 points less than me as well! (Though he did get an extra fate card for having the lower points talley.)

My main mistake was my initital Jetbike and Aspect Warrior assault, where I underestimated the abilities of the Assault Spawn. I should have backed off and used firepower rather than making a pre-emptive close assault. With my Aspect Warriors decimated, I had nothing to stop Tyranids that survived my wall of laser fire from overunning my tanks.

The bio-titans seemed much improved by the bio-save idea. The Hierophant shrugged off several early hits, and only took damage in the very last turn. The Hierodule was killed, but I had to shoot it more than usual before it finally expired.

All in all a good close game, and incentive to paint up more types of Aspect Warriors! Swooping Hawks and Warp Spiders are all very well, but the varieties without jump-packs would be just as useful and more economical for the points cost in games such as this I think.