Game Thirteen - Gribble Gribble Gribble

The thirteenth game in the Damacles campaign was between the Eldar and Tyranids. The set-up was a spearhead and was an annihilation game. The tyranids had gained a vast amount of bio-mass of the past games. Now the big guns/claws came out with both a Hive Tyrant and two Carnifexs on the field!

The game was a bloody affair with Eldar and Gaunt and warriors dying. However, the tide of monstrous creatures was too much and when the dust settled on the sixth turn the nids had won by 10 kills to 6.

Game Eight - Tau sandwich anyone?

Game eight was too siege objectives, and was Tau H'Rus Sept vs Tyranid. The deployment was a spearhead formation and was 1000 points.

A narrative of the battle can be seen here.

' Farseer Lord Varshar looked upon the rune stones on the wraithbone table and shook his head. Turning to Autarch Kelthrae he spoke softly 'It is clear that the Tau children are no match for the Great Devourer. We will have to deal with them both. Awake the Aspect temples and the spirits of our brethrens. The Sword of Varshar goes to WAR!'

Game Five - Last bug wins

Our fifth game in the campaign was a 500 point anniliation game between Eldar and Nids.

The first turn the Brood lord and retinue managed to destroy a wave serpent and 5 guardians. However, the surviving Farseer, Warlock and guardians response was to wipe out five of the Brood lords retinue in shruiken and destructor (Warlock) firepower, and then assault the lord and three genestealers! The ensuing close-combat saw the remaining guardians ripped to pieces. However, the runes saved the Farseer and Warlock, who with swift strokes of their witch blades killed the Brood lord and his remaining three retinue.

The remaining turns saw the nid second squad (comprising genestealers with scything talons) take apart a War Walker as well as the Farseer and Warlock. At end game only the Eldar vyper having its missile launcher destroyed was left and could not kill the remaining genestealer to win the game.

Tyranids won by 3 kill points : 2 kill points for Eldar.

Game Two - The winds of fate

Warlock Alagos approached Farseer Bellthandien and bowed. ' Farseer, we are ready to depart '. Bellthandien looked up and gestured to the runes before him. ' Alagos my loyal friend, like your name sake the runes show a storm approaching. We must be vigilant on this journey '

Our second game involved three armies. The Eldar, Imperial Guard and Genestealers. The scenario was that both the IG and Eldar scouts have spotted a strange object in the centre of an abandoned settlement. Patrols have been sent out to investigate.

This game only had one objective, which was the capillary tower. The imperial guard formed up on the hill with small Last chancer contingents in the tree line to the right. Snipers were situated in the woods as well as the ruined building on the left.

The Eldar deployed onto the hill opposite with the Falcon in support.

The first and second turn were a bloody affair with heavy casualties for both the Eldar and IG. This was further compounded when the Tyranids appeared from the capillary tower in the centre and woods to the right of the Eldar deployment. The ensuing Nid turn was the decimation of a IG platoon and the Falcon becoming immobilised.

The imposing threat from the nids resulted in both the Eldar and IG to redirect their firepower! The ensuing shuriken and bolter fire decimated the Broodlord and genestealers. With the threat of the nids diminished, the shooting between human and Eldar restarted.

By the end of the game no side had gained control of the capillary tower and the game was a draw!

Below are piccies from the game.

Game One - Did you see that?

' Guardsmen Henk, keep an eye on the tree line to your right! Sergeant Khole micro-beaded over the link. Henk looked through his scope and scanned the trees for anything unusual. He had heard that the Tau had stealth suits that made seeing them difficult. However, they wouldn't be able to stop moving leaves and branches. That would give away their position. The deeper wood line looked clear. He was about to bead sergeant Khole that everything was clear when he saw something beyond the trees. Looking harder, he could make out teeth and claws, lots of claws!! Tyranids...Tyranids he shouted over the open-link'

The first game in the H'Rus Reprise was a battle between Imperial Guard and Tyranids. It was a 500 pt Capture and Control mission. The set-up was dawn of war.

The IG set-up its objective on the hill. This was a sentinel that had broken down during the patrol. The nid objective is in the ruins to the left just out of the picture.

The IG deployed first with a HQ squad on the hill. A troop unit pushed up ahead to give cover.

The Brood Lord and retinue of genestealers infiltrated into the IG's half of the table.
TURN ONE

Colonel Schaeffer and his squad moved onto the table a safe distance from the Brood Lord. The second guard squad covered the HQ units. Hoping that weight of fire would stop the nids in the their tracks before they made contact with the unit. The guard squad that had pushed ahead during the deployment doubled back on themselves to try and assist their comrades. The shots from the IG was ineffective and short ranged, with non of the nids being brought down.

The nids chittering reply was to rush forward and assault the closest unit of guardsmen. The battle was short with all the guardsmen being cut down with scything talons. The nids consolidated into the woods to pick the flesh from their talons and prepare for the next assault.

TURN TWO

Recovering from the seeing the slaughter of their comrades. The second squad of guardsmen moved closer to the woods with the flamer and lasguns in hand. Schaeffer and Kage ordered the last chancers to open fire in the Emperors name. When the smoke had cleared from the flamer, heavy bolter and lasfire, the brood Lord and only two of his retinue had survived.

The Brood Lord used his synapse mind to call forth his reserves of genestealers, who appeared on the left side of the table, and moved towards the objective in the ruined buildings. The Brood Lord and retinue then moved out of the shelter of the woods, and made short work of the guard squad that had just previously torched the wood. Those that survived were scattered or cut down as they tried to run. Chittering loudly the Brood Lord and retinue moved towards the Last Chancers on the hill.

TURN THREE

Schaeffer and his squad moved towards the Brood Lord whilst Kage ordered his squad to stand fast and take aim. The fire was short and precise, wounding the Brood Lord and wiping his retinue.






In response, the Brood Lord sensing that there was something about one of the humans upon the hill (Lieutenant Kage) ran straight at them. The ensuing battle was one sided with even Kage being knocked down by the sheer force of the Brood Lords attacks.
The genestealers that had entered the table on the previous turn reached the ruins, and the their objective.

TURN FOUR

Schaeffer and his squad fired at the Brood Lord with all their weapons, but the shots just bounched off its chitinous skin. Schaeffer was cut down with his squad in the ensuing reply from the four limbed beast with a blur of claws and teeth.

All of the Imperial Guard had been wiped out. A win for the Nids!

'Sergeant Khole and Guardsmen Henk slid behind the fallen tree in the woodline. Looking carefully over the tree they saw the four limbed monster was sniffing the stricken sentinal. It sneered and then slowly moved down the hill, surveying the corpses. It passed them by only a few meters as it headed towards the ruins in the north. Once it was clearly not going to come back Sergeant Khole headed towards the hill dragging the frightened Henk with him.

They checked the bodies as they gathered ammo and rations. and were surprised to find that the Kage was only concussed. Colonel Schaeffers was alive as well, but in a worse state. His breathing was shallow and quick, and he was bleeding from multiple lacerations. Rigging together a stretcher they quickly placed Schaeffer upon it and headed towards the emergency extraction point with Henk holding up Lieutenant kage'

Damacles Campaign Two - H'Rus Reprise

Our previous campaign on the planet H'Rus had seen Inquisitor Mateus try to smuggle a relic away from a Tau/Eldar home world. This was foreseen by the Eldar Farseers of the Exodite home world, and with the help of Craftworld Biel-Tan the Inquisitor Mateus was prevented from leaving with the relic.

However, nothing can be that simple on the planet H'Rus:

Inquisitor Mateus has left a small company of Imperial Guard in the outlands of the planet to search for further relics that he believes maybe on the planet.

Eldar and Tau are now fighting over the planet H'Rus. After expelling Inquisitor Mateus, Lord Farseer Varshar has decided that this home world must be expunged of all Tau to prevent any further artifacts from the fall being discovered.

Mean, while a splinter from hive fleet Behemoth has landed in the vast eastern plains of H'Rus.

The forces involved in the campaign are:

• Eldar - Craft world Biel-Tan - Sword of Varshar.
• Tau - Water Caste & Air Caste.
  
• Imperial Guard - Last Chancers.
  
• Tyranids - Splinter from Hive fleet Behemoth - Germanicus Node.

Initial games in the new campaign would start small (500 points). This was to take into account the nids starting in small breeding/gestation pools, as well as skirmishes between the armies. Nid victories in battle would mean they would gather biomass that could be added to the pools to help in bringing bigger and nastier nids into the game. Other armies who gained victories would acquire resource points as they gained more favour with their superiors.

Let the battles commence!