Everyone knows I love playing Epic and doing battle reports.. it's fortunate my gaming group puts up with it as well!

To get a different perspective on things, I asked one of my regular opponents to put together a 3000 point army from one of the lists I'm testing now, either Tyranids or a "Pylon-focused" Necron force, without informing me of the choice until we got down to playing.  

I put together an "all comers" Ork list to see how I could do and my opponent brought a War Engine heavy Tyranid list, since he loves using Titan Legions when he's got completely free choice.

(When I asked him what army he'd brought he said, "Titans..."  I said, "Wha?!"  And he smirked, "*BIO*-Titans..."  Yeah, he got me good!  *laugh*)

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"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

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Rules Used

Epic Update 2008
NetEA Recommendations
Tyranids 9.1

Armies Used

Big Momma and Her Girls – 3000 points

BTS Goal – 9 Synapse Creatures

Hive Swarm
1 Dominatrix
2 Scythed Heirodules
2 Trygons
8 Hormagaunts
4 Termagants
4 Gargoyles

Strike Swarm
1 Vituperaptor
8 Gargoyles

Harrassment Swarm
1 Harridan
4 Gargoyles

Lictor Swarm 1
3 Lictors

Lictor Swarm 3
3 Lictors

Genestealer Swarm 1
6 Genestealers

Genestealer Swarm 2
6 Genestealers

Bio-Titan Swarm
1 Hydraphant


Warlord Kroma’s Bad Moon Bad-Asses – 2995 points

Big Warband
1 Warboss
4 Nobz
12 Boyz
4 Grotz
1 Boyz
1 Grot

Big Stompamob - (BTS Goal)
6 Stompas

Big Mekboy Gunzmob
10 Big Gunz
2 Nobz
2 Oddboyz
2 Soopa Gunz

Stormboyz Warhorde
6 Stormboyz
5 Deth Koptas
2 Stormboyz

Big Kult of Speed
2 Skorchas
6 Buggies
8 Warbikes

Big Blitz Brigade 1
7 Gunwagonz
1 Flakwagon
2 Oddboyz
2 Soopa Gunz

Blitz Brigade 2
7 Gunwagonz
1 Flakwagon
2 Oddboyz
2 Supazapp Gunz

Fighta-Bommerz 1
4 Fighta-Bommerz

Fighta-Bommerz 2
4 Fighta-Bommerz

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Battlefield:

4x6; Orks chose edge deployment

Deployment:

Tyranids keep both Lictor Swarms in reserve.

Orks garrison the Big Gunzmob and the Stompas forward and on overwatch.

Tyranids garrison both Genestealer Swarms forward and in cover.

Orks deploy Stormboyz in a wide “anti-teleportâ€Â

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"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

Orks and 'Nids! This should be good.  

-Malakai

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-Malakai

"You'll never understand how much watching other people's pain gets me off, hearing their screams and knowing that I have the power of a god." -Velvet Acid Christ

Turn 1

No teleports…

Strategy Roll: Orks, who hand “firstâ€Â

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"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

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Turn 2

Lictor Swarm 1 shows up in the building recently vacated by the Genestealers.



Strategy Roll: Orks

Blitz Brigade 2 is ordered to advance… but they don’t want to go slow, the Warlord yells at them… but they don’t listen, and decide to shoot instead… targeting the recently arrived Lictors and taking one out, breaking the tiny formation.  (Man, failing that activation hurt…)

Like a hungry, hungry hippo, the Dominatrix urges Her swarm to engage the Kult of Speed.



Overwatch fire from the Big Gunz on the hill take out 3 Hormagaunts, 1 Gargoyle, 1 Termagant, and do 1DC to a Trygon.



The Kult of Speed manages to kill 3 more Gargoyles, 2 Hormagaunts, and 1 Termagant, but it’s not even close to being enough as they are completely overwhelmed and wiped out.



Seeing that the prey has dropped their guard, Genestealer Swarm 1 surges up to engage the Gunzmob… and gets a mouthful!  Despite shredding 4 Big Gunz and a Nob, the Genestealers are all cut down by crazy Orky weapons.



Fighta-Bommer 2 strafes Genestealer Swarm 2, killing two and breaking them again.

Blitz Brigade 1 then attempts to double on the retain… AND FAILS!  The sheepishly move forward. (And failing that activation *REALLY* hurt…)

The Strike Swarm, its Vituperaptor looking suspiciously like a Thunderhawk, then flaps forward to engage the Gunzmob, losing a Gargoyle, but wiping out the remaining Ork weapon crews and leaders.



Fighter-Bommer Sqwadron 1 does a leisurely circuit of the battlefield to attack the Harridan from the rear (Hey now!), avoiding the Gargoyles and doing 1DC damage.

The Stormboyz then try to get the jump on the Harridan, engaging it in a battle that lasts for three rounds… killing 2 Gargoyles and losing 2 Stormboyz and 2 Koptas and losing one more Stormboy as the Tyranids hold steady.  (DANGIT!  I hate cover saves… for the enemy…)



The Hydraphant requires the gentle psychic nudging of the Hive Mind to advance and fire on Blitz Brigade 2… the Bio-plasma roasts 3 Gunwagons and a Flakwagon, easily breaking the Orks, who race off to the Tyranid Blitz.

The Stompas double out of the ruins to fire on the Hydraphant, scoring five hits, but doing no damage.

The Harridan marshals, moving and regrouping for future attacks.

The Warboss’ Warband doubles forward to fire on the Strike Swarm and takes out three Gargoyles…

End of Turn:

The Stormboyz stay broken and the Dominatrix fails to rally, keeping Her single Blast marker.

The Harridan spawns back 2 Gargoyles.

The Vituperaptor spawns back 1 Gargoyle.

And the Dominatrix produces 4 Hormagaunts.

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Turn 3

Lictor Swarm 2 now shows up to harass the Ork backfield and they get a Blast marker.



Strategy Roll: Orks

In the true spirit of WAAAAGH!!! the Stompamob engages the Hydraphant… and, over the course of two round of fighting, does 1DC of damage… and are wiped out…. *SIGH*



Blitz Brigade 1 doubles away from the Lictors to fire on the Harridan… foolishly targeted attacks taking out 2 Gargoyles before the Soopa-Gunz take out 1DC on the Synapse creature.  (I just wasn’t thinking when I used AP instead of AT when firing at the formation… could’ve probably taken down the Harridan here… was a big mistake not to do it that way.)

Still a little peckish, the Hive Swarm barges into the Boyz, who counter-charge right back!  *Everything* is in close-combat!



The Tyranids score and incredible 21 regular hits as all MW/TK weapons miss. The Orks score a respectable 13 regular hits and 1 MW hit from the Warboss.  And then things go south for the Orks… as all the Bug war engines proceed to make their saves meaning a *single* Hormagaunt dies.  The Orks are then devoured, leaving no survivors.  BRUTAL.

Blitz Brigade 2 doubles away from the Tyranid Blitz to fire on the Vituperator… doing 1DC damage.

The Vituperaptor turns around and engages Blitz Brigade 2, crushing them flat.



Fighta-Bommer Sqwadron 1 takes on the Harridan, dropping it to the ground and breaking the surviving Gargoyles.

Preferring to go snack on something, Lictor Swarm 2 is convinced by the Dominatrix that there will be leftovers for them as they double out to snag the Ork Blitz.

Fighta-Bommer Sqwadron 2 does another big circle to fire on the Vituperaptor… doing 1DC damage and a crit… that does 1DC damage… not quite enough.

The lone surviving Genestealer tries to propagate by engaging the broken Stormboyz but is hacked apart.



The Hydraphant doubles to blast Blitz Brigade 1, destroying one of the Soopagun Gunwagonz…

End of Turn:

Fighta-bommer Squadron 2 loses a plane to the Strike Swarm’s Gargoyles.

The Stormboyz fail to rally, stuck deep in Tyranid territory.

The Dominatrix also fails to rally… but She doesn’t care!

Score:

Orks 0 (none) vs Tyranids 3 (Blitz, BTS, TSNP)

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"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

Now this situation brought up an interesting rules question:

The lone surviving Genestealer tries to propagate by engaging the broken Stormboyz but is hacked apart.



If the Deth Kopta counter-charges into the Genestealer, which is basing a Stormboy, is it *prevented* from using its Close Combat attacks or not?

We allowed the attacks, but the skimmer rules are unclear:

Skimmers may always choose to use their firefight value in
an assault, even if there are enemy units in base contact
with the skimmer. If they do this then the enemy must use
their firefight value also. (Emphasis mine)

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"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

Common sense says that the ´stealer will tear into the Stormboyz in that situation.

If you tried talking me into forcing FF when there is a ground target in BtB I´d be ... slightly amused...


Edit: Btw, nice plastic aquarium plants, love the Venus mantrap-leafy type, must get some myself!

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You always do really nice battle reports Chroma. The only thing that bugs me (no pun intended) is that you leave out one of the best parts of a reports... A nice big army shot of the forces! It looks like you play with very well painted models so why don't you show them off?

-Malakai

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-Malakai

"You'll never understand how much watching other people's pain gets me off, hearing their screams and knowing that I have the power of a god." -Velvet Acid Christ

I agree with Malakai, love your stuff, but would be even better if you got some shots of the armies in to show off your talent!

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"We are the sword of fire with which the Traitors shall be cut down."

I just like the purty pictures so the more the merrier. I also like to see/read the slaughter as it unfolds... BLOOD FOR THE... er... *cough* yeah, purty pictures = good.

Better luck next time for duh ladz!

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My head is full of War...

[img]http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk120/Warhead40k/Tyranid%20Swarm/DSC02262.jpg[/img]

Thanks gents (and any ladies as well)!

When we play, we usually pull the models out of storage as we deploy, so there's rarely a time when the "whole army" is sitting around on the parade field, but I'll see what I can do next time.

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"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

I fail to see the problem actually. That word "always", what's unclear about it? Common sense has nothing there to do, it's a clear and concise rule. (It's not even a broken one, as skimmers can skittle about a fair bit, and they probably prefer to "dogfight" each other anyhow. Oops, I used common sense, dang.)

Very nice report. Thanks!  

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It would be nice to get lightspeed,
so far we can only reach slight speed.- Erik M
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