Rematch game today.

Used Handbook 2008 Ulthwe, and Tyranids 9.1 with sniper lictors and +2 to rally mods. Forces were:

Tyranids (same as last time):
Dominatrix, 3 Trygons.
Hydraphant
Hierophant
Hierophant
Synapse Node, 2 Dactylis, 4 Termis
2 Tyrants, 6 Carnis
2 Tyrants, 6 Carnis
3 Warriors, 12 Hormis, 12 Termis
3 Warriors, 8 Hormis, 16 Termis
1 Harridan, 4 Gargoyles
1 Harridan, 4 Gargoyles
6 Genestealers
4 Lictors

Ulthwe:
Phantom, powerfist.
Black Guardians, Platforms.
Guardians, Wraithguard, platforms
Guardians, Wraithguard, platforms
3 Scorpions
2 Cobras
1 Cobra
3 Falcon, 1 Firestorm, 1 Fire Prism
3 Falcon, 1 Firestorm, 1 Fire Prism
3 Jetbikes, 3 Vypers
Phoenix Bombers
Nightwings


Setup below, carnifexes and genestealers garrisoned on the halfway, other stuff back:

_________________
http://hordesofthings.blogspot.co.nz/

Turn 1.

A hierophant is killed. My dominatrix fails it's activation.

The rest of my swarms get up close, including a dozen carnifexes in strike range. All bugs aiming for the Eldar blitz...

Below is the situation at the start of turn 2... Lictors join the carnis, and the Avatar arrives nearby also.

_________________
http://hordesofthings.blogspot.co.nz/

Turn 2:

Eldar win strategy roll. The Cobras sustain fire killing a tyrant, 2 carnis and a lictor. Then the Seer Council orders a combined assault and the Black Guardians firefight with the Phantom wading into close combat.

The Phantoms holofields negate all damage and only 5 carnifexes and a tyrant survive, falling back to cover.

_________________
http://hordesofthings.blogspot.co.nz/

As grav tanks encircle their flanks, the tyranids counterattack.

The genestealers assault the Phantom supported by gaunts. Although the genestealers are all cut down the Phantom's holofields are not so lucky this time and it takes 5 damage. Staunchly it holds it's ground.

_________________
http://hordesofthings.blogspot.co.nz/

Both the dominatrix and the Avatars formation fail initiative again.

End of the turn situation shown below, (due to failing initiative rolls the dominatrix is dawdling behind the tyranid attack out of photo).

_________________
http://hordesofthings.blogspot.co.nz/

The Hydraphant and Phantom clash. The Phantom topples to ruin but manages to take the Hydraphant into oblivion with it.

_________________
http://hordesofthings.blogspot.co.nz/

The tyranids throw the remaining units at the Eldar blitz and manage to take it. The Eldar realise the threat too late. Two Tyranid Harridan swarms in the middle of the table are key (they have a 50cm effective engage range - 35cm move plus 15cm firefight range). One breaks the last Black Guardian defenders at the Eldar blitz (despite being destroyed in the return). The other breaks the eldar jetbikes that have taken the Tyranid blitz objective. The eldar run out of activations, and despite having inflicted more damage they lose their objectives.

Tyranids 2-0 "Break their Spirit" (the Phantom) and "Blitz".

_________________
http://hordesofthings.blogspot.co.nz/

Thanks for posting, haven't played a Tyranid list at all yet, so very interesting for me to see a current battle report... Those harridan swarms look REALLY mobile!

Does the Ulthwe player like super heavy grav tanks or what? Me too!!  

As always a pleasure to read and see your reports. Not to mention they're adding to the Alfakta campaign.

Those hills... Would it be possible to get a DIY on them? They look the part no doubt!

_________________
It would be nice to get lightspeed,
so far we can only reach slight speed.- Erik M
092b85658e746a91d343e53509d357744e56f641

Tyranids 2
Ulthwe 0

Is there going to be a third and final meet of these two forces? It seems to me that the Tyranid invasion should push onto the final city state where they will finally have a chance to break the Ulthwe spirit

It's only fitting that you should storyline this....

_________________
Frogbear is responsible for...
Previous World Eaters
Previous Emperor's Children
Previous Death Guard
Previous Imperial Fists
Previous Chaos Squats

Great report, thanks a bunch for posting it, Markconz!

What are your thoughts on v9.1?

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

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

frogbear ~ There's certainly something like that happening.
Devour launched the attack on Birka II from Lieksak and is one final battle from capturing the planet.
It'll show up as Alfakta has the weekly update shown.

_________________
It would be nice to get lightspeed,
so far we can only reach slight speed.- Erik M
092b85658e746a91d343e53509d357744e56f641

Hey, that is pretty awesome.

A little hard to gauge what is happening and how it works, yet I am starting to work it out...

I take it the circles for BirkaII then are not updated as yet?

_________________
Frogbear is responsible for...
Previous World Eaters
Previous Emperor's Children
Previous Death Guard
Previous Imperial Fists
Previous Chaos Squats

Cheers guys.

Heavy M, yes the Ulthwe player likes his SHT's! In fact he just sent away another order to Dark Realm for more of them!! They are frustrating things for bugs to try and attack. Last turn in this game I ended up engaging in a firefight with a Hierophant and a few Gaunts supporting, against two Cobras and three Scorpions. Kind of desperate, but I destroyed a Cobra and broke that formation in a two round combat, while the Hierophant lost 5 Damage and ran away to be finished off by a Fireprism.

Erik - the Hills, made by the resident terrain genius at our club (in the last week or two!) rather than myself I'm afraid. But yes they are very nice.

Chroma I'll try and post some feedback on 9.1 when I get a chance. My opponent commented he thought the tyranids had lost their 'teeth', and thought the titans were too weak now. Yes he's lost twice to them ...but due to turn 3 desperate tricks by bugs that were really getting massacred in terms of the combats.

And yes there is a climatic third battle for Birka II scheduled for next week! Stay tuned.

_________________
http://hordesofthings.blogspot.co.nz/

frogbear ~ Now it's updated. It's updated each Sunday night as news of the week reach Birka IV.
And yes, one thing takes a bit to grasp. Battles are fought as they are reported. In this case these tyranids might defend Liesak if another three battles between Devour and Alien are lost by Devour before that. But right now it's a battle on Birka II.

Markconz ~ Ah ok! Would it be possible to get him to do an DIY? Or for you to post detailing pictures?
And I'm looking forward to the continued battles by your group.  

_________________
It would be nice to get lightspeed,
so far we can only reach slight speed.- Erik M
092b85658e746a91d343e53509d357744e56f641