1850 Tournament

I'm entering an 1850 tournament this weekend.  I'm pretty excited to play again.  Stayed up tonight and got my list ready.  Pretty cool stuff, I'll have a Master of The Forge riding around in a Rhino with some Heavy Bolter Devastators hopefully we can use them at relatively short range.  I think a twin-lined Plasma Cutter at BS5 is pretty cool after the three heavy bolters get all the meat shields out of the way.  Also, four dreadnaughts- one of them Venerable and taken as a Heavy Support Choice because of that Master of the Forge so he can score during Big Guns Never Tire.

Here's the list.  I don't care if anyone coming to the tournament sees this, they shouldn't really have a problem with anything in it.  I know dreads are the new dummies on the block, but I always wanted to field an 1850 list like this one.  Simple, heavy on the lascannons (eight of them) so I can use them during the turn when an opponent brings on flyers.  I'll open up with the lascannons and two flakk missile launchers up there after declaring Devastator doctrine.  It might be worth a try.

Comments and criticisms are welcome.  I'm fielding what I wanna see out there, not necessarily a competitive list, still I'm hoping for the best.


HQ SECTION.

Master of the Forge, M. Hibiscus, armed with Servo Harness.                        90p
    Notes:  Repairs in shooting phase on a 4+.  Extra Servo Arm grants +1 attack for a base of A3.  Plasma
    cutter (12"S7A2 Ass1 Gets Hot Twin Linked) and Flamer can both be fired in same turn.

TROOPS SECTION.

Tactical Squad: Red Division.  Led by Sergeant Thad Allen.  AKA "Thad Allen's Reactionary Squad"        190p
    +Powerfist (25), Melta Gun (10), Plasma Cannon (15)
    Dedicated Transport  Rhino, Model "G3"                          45p           235p
    +Hunter Killer Missile (10)                    

Tactical Squad: Orange Division.  Led by Sgt. Klonn.                           190p
    +Powerfist (25), Melta Gun (10), Plasma Cannon (15)
    Dedicated Tranport Razorback                             75p          265p
    +Twin Lascannon Turret

Tactical Squad: Yellow Division.  Led by Sgt. Clonn.                          200p              
    +Powerfist (25), Melta Gun (10), Missile Launcher (15), Flakk Missiles (10)
                Dedicated Tranport Razorback                                               75p               275p
    +Twin Lascannon Turret

Tactical Combat (5-Man) Squad: Blue Division.  Led by Sgt. Schama.                 105p
    +Power Weapon(10), Melta Bombs (5), Lascannon 20


ELITES SECTION.

Dreadnaught.                                             125p
    +Twin Lascannon (25).

Dreadnaught.                                              125p
    +Twin Lascannon (25).

Dreadnaught.                                             105p
    +Twin Autocannon (5).


HEAVY SUPPORT SECTION.

Venerable Dreadnaught.                                         125p.    Notes: Multi Melta, Stock. WS & BS 5,  Venerable: May re-roll penetrating result.                                                                                           
   
Predator Annihilator.                                    140p
    +Tank Command: Sgt. Chronos, (50).                            190p
    Notes: It Will Not Die, BS5 and Immune to Stunned and Shaken granted to tank.  Escapes on a destroyed result,
    See Page 110 of codex.

Devastator Squad: Six Man Squad.  Led by Sgt. Boughy. (84p)
    +Power Weapon (15), 3 Heavy Bolters (30), Missile Launcher (15), Flakk Missiles (10)     154p
    Dedicated Transport  Rhino, Model "Science Survey Rhino"  SSR-3                      45p            204p
    +Hunter Killer Missile (10)                                                              

TOTAL POINTS: 1,844.   

Chapter Two of the Query Into Mr. Quasar

The Dale-Con Battle Reports

It is recommended that the reader also references my opponent's report found here:

http://apostlesofcontagion.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-battle-of-bastion-451-on-planet-of.html

It contains much more detail of the battle, and is a nice companion to this one, which is decidedly one-sided and fragmentary.

++Excerpts taken from the log of Epistolary Lidicker follow.

++Our mission was simple enough.  The images included in this report have been uploaded from vid-serv skulls hovering above the conflict zone.  We arrived before dawn (ref. 4579.4b) at Bastion 451, which had been previously abandoned by Imperial Guard forces two weeks earlier in an effort to support a front against an Ork Waaagh conducted on another hemisphere of the planet.  It has been noted to the proper authorities that this bastion was abandoned under direct orders from the Senior Officers in the Waaagh zone.

Company Commander Creed and his cohort of Sergeant Kell and several bodyguards carrying an autocannon tripod arrived at the bastion and found that the comms array was still in perfect working order.  This would allow the command to communicate effectively with all guardsmen on the field (ed- apoc formation allowed Creed to give commands to any unit on the table.  Combined with Kell and Vox Casters, this made orders succeed on a re-rollable Ld10, as well the Warlord trait for Kell gave units within 12" of him Relentless). 

Chimeras flanked to the left and right.  To the left were multiple squads of guardsmen carrying special weapons.   To the right, Marneus Guardgar's Platoon Command Squad would follow a team of Veterans and Miguel Quasar's Platoon Command Squad.  All were mounted in transports, and advanced quickly on the Right flank.  To the center, a Lascannon Heavy Weapons Team took stance at the base of the bastion to await the inevitable thrust of the enemy tanks toward the bastion.  These were the Iron Warriors, after all.

I, and several Marines Errant, accompanied a Leman Russ Battle Tank to the center support position, directly behind the bastion (shown in the above photo.)  Advancing on the Left Flank, yet not yet arriving and held in reserve were Thad Allen's Reactionary Marine Team, also accompanying a Leman Russ Battle Tank, this one the reliably unreliable Punisher variant, piloted by Tank Ace Pask.

It was to the loyalist's surpise that there were tunnels that had been dug, apparently hastily, in a cobweb of patterns underneath this battlefield!  Surely the enemy were sending in teams covertly but had pulled back.  Two squads of guardsmen entered of the discovered tunnels beneath the bastion in order to secure them.  Upon exiting, found themselves directly in front of the enemy, and quickly took the front lines of the traitorous rebels by unawares.

Guardsmen break from the tunnels at dawn, taking the advancing rebels by surprise.

First Rank, Second Rank, Fire!  Scores of mutant zombies perish to the fusillade of lasgun fire.

Chimeras peel around the left flank, heading for the far objective waypoint.

++Immediately after the Chimeras crossed the Left Flank, Veteran Sergeant Thad Allen arrived from Reserves.  Behind him, a rumbling sound tolled the arrival of the Punisher Battle Tank.  Veteran Allen stepped up to a ruined bunker, and spotted a Chaos Champion- a plague-weeping monstrosity named Necrosius-  leading a large hoard of abominations to mankind across the battlefield.  While the Guardsmen cut the zombies down with fusillades of lasgun fire, Allen issued his challenge in a bellowing howl: "Fiend, you shall not breach these lines, with the Emperor's righteousness at my side I shall smite thee down!"  With that, he began to advance across the field.

Veteran Sergeant Thad Allen issues a challenge.

In the center of the field, three Chaos Vindicator Siege tanks advanced toward a firing position, a threat to the Bastion.  On the Right Flank, Hounds of Xaphan advanced through the ruins straight toward Marneus Guardgar.  On the far right, Veterans had disembarked from their Chimera, and started destroying advancing Chaos Rhino transports.  On the left, one can see Veteran Sergeant Thad Allen charging forth from the bunker.  Almost all the guardsmen and the zombies from the initial engagement (turn one) were lost.  The tunnel warfare made for a truly bloody engagement in midfield.

An overhead shot of the next few moments (turn two). 

Imperial Guard Veterans advanced into oncoming Chaos Rhinos on the Right Flank.  Behind them, Miguel Quasar's Platoon Command Squad offered fire support with an autocannon team.  Melta Guns flared as two Chaos Rhinos were destroyed, and about 16 Chaos Marines emerge, some Chosen among them, led by a mighty Warpsmith.

To the left of those veterans and Miguel Quasar hid the Platoon Commander Marneus Guardgar, his autocannon team, his trusty vox-caster expert, and a Ministorium Priest named Tallyard, wielding an enormous eviscerator.  If they had not been torn to pieces by the Hounds of Xaphan, they would be charged with heresy for their cowardice.

Meanwhile, on the Left Flank...

Treachery is afoot.  Eldar support forces, reacting to the battle at the plateau, had made their way to this flank.  Sneaking through Chaos defenders, they swarmed in a sneak attack and assaulted the Left Flank Waypoint.  A mighty firefight broke out, and guardsmen did their best possible to defend against oncoming waves of Dire Avengers, Howling Banshees, and Harlequins.

As the Eldar Ambush turns into a firefight, the Punisher enters into "weapons free" mode and begins leveling combatant and plant-life alike.

Thad Allen's Reactionary Team ignores the Eldar to their left, and advances to engage Necrosius.

The Imperial Guard have their own surprises as well.  Two Bane Wolf tanks and a Hellhound arrive on the same flank as the Eldar.  They tank-shock their way to the objective and wipe out an entire autocannon Havoc squad on the hill.  They wouldn't last long in the enemy back-field, but they did a good job of shaking things up back there.  Here we can see their Chem-Cannons in full effect.

The Eldar surround the Left Flank Waypoint Objective.  All is lost on this side.

In the center of the field,

the fury of the Chaos Vindicators was unleashed upon the Bastion.

Yet the Bastion held.  Fared much better than the Leman Russ Battle Tank nearby, destroyed by the scattering shell fragements.

Meanwhile on the Right Flank, the veterans had engaged and put a good dent in  all of the Chosen Chaos Space Marines except for one:  The Warpsmith.  Miguel Quasar advances, and a brave guardsman sprays a gout of flame across the Warpsmith in vain.  In the background, we can see a Chaos Exterminator Battle Tank.

The hounds of Xaphan run past and into the building.  Miguel Quasar probably never heard the screams coming from inside.

After a  grueling combat, the Necrosius finally defeats Thad Allen.  The rest of his Marines would still follow suit.  However, their sacrifice kept the Champion of Chaos at bay, preventing him from diving into Imperial Guard back lines.

The Warpsmith opens up with the Firebrand of Skalathrax.  Miguel's team is burnt to ashes, and the Platoon Commander is last seen writhing upon the ground, flames licking at his sides. 

These final two events spell the end for the left and right flanks for the Imperial Guard.  While the center bastion was held, both flanks folded upon the Eldar flank and the Warpsmith's impenetrable armor.  Reinforcements of Marines Errant arrived, but not soon enough to win the day. 

The battle is declared a loss for the Imperium.  However, the secondary mission- to keep the Bastion and the escape route for the Marines Errant viable- was a success.  The details of the Marines Errant mission, which happened simultaneously to this one, follows in the next post.

The Query Into Mr. Quasar, Chapter Two.

ATTENTION READER:  Many appy-polly-logies.  I'm posting these pictures without the text because I wish a friend of mine to complete his battle report.  Easiest way?  Post these now and add the text later.  Please be patient and check back for the battle reports that follow these very exciting pictures.

Kiss kiss.

-Mark

The Query into Mr. Quasar

This is the intro to a battle report for a battle that has yet to happen.  The following transcript is to be found after the battle.


++Transmission begins++
Among the detritus of the planet's surface were found several datafile cartridges.  While most of them had been damaged beyond recover from repeated exposure to plasma radiation and virus-bomb corrosive compounds, one particular cartridge had been found beneath a large slab of ceramite left over from the detonation of what looks like a melta-bomb upon a blast-door.  The information has been mostly recovered, filtered for heresy, and released to the proper authorities.  An example of the information is presented below, for your perusal.
Excerpt from the transcriptions of the Vox Journal of Imperial Guardsman Private Weil Stryker, stationed in Quad 33 in Beltos, JLYN-55:

ORIGINAL ENTRY. +00136747

++The bug infestation landed three weeks ago.  Our platoon was assigned to the 731st and deployed along the southern banks of the Velta district, just east of the Jordaan slums.  The result was a massacre, but we held them to some degree, wiping out most of the smaller creatures both with wings and on clawed feet, leaving behind several larger beasts.  Our brothers died admirably, only a few in the beginning of the battle took flight and ran; our Veterans scored large prizes of monster bugs.  In the end, our deployment zone was a wasteland, littered with alien gore covering smoldering hulks of our destroyed transports.


++See Ref. 1.1.0.  File: http://excursionsbeyondthecall.blogspot.com/2013/08/tyranid-thumper-battle-report.html

++A meeting has been arranged.  After being dragged from the battlefield rather badly wounded, it was discovered that one of our Junior officers was none other than the former Rogue Trader that went by the name Miguel Quasar.  After this information was revealed to the Inquisitorial panels aboard the orbiting Entract, an entire shuttle full of power-armored advisors were sent to the surface.  As it turns out, Mr. Quasar was not to be removed from his post for failures in the battle, but rather would be reinstated.  I was most likely derelict in my duty by doing so, but I remained in the WC and eventually hid within the holding tank in order to hear the following details of our upcoming mission.

++Mr. Quasar, now Sergeant Quasar, has had repeated contact with the Eldar in outer regions in the past.  He had eventually helped Eldar forces to some degree during the Corriba Incident a mere 12 years ago.  For this, he was given access to certain information that led, in a confusing circle, to the recovery of the Threshold Pearl.  The Threshold Pearl could hold the forces of Slaneesh at bay, and it allowed decadent Eldar to venture beyond the confines of Commoragh enclaves and with him into deep space.  It was this way that Mr. Quasar became a Rogue Trader backed up by a gang of some of the most sinister of corrupted Eldar: the feared Death Seer Yog Sothoth, the Bounty Hunter Hiro Protagonist, and others named Ver Dante, Shub-Iftael, Jess Las, possibly others.  At some point on Cassius they had met their match fighting some renegades led by a retired Guardsman named Sergeant Hulka.  He was captured by them during an incident with a crashed alien vessel and was sold in slavery to the militia forces of JYLN-55.  

++See Ref. 92.7. File: http://excursionsbeyondthecall.blogspot.com/2012/04/cassius-chapter-three.html

++File: http://apostlesofcontagion.blogspot.com/2011/12/campaign-game-4-battle-report.html 

Since then, using cunning and bravery, Quasar has worked his way into a semi-leadership role within the Guard of JYLN-55, and this is how he was discovered after the horrible battle against the bug-bomb sent to us by Orkish sabotage.

++See Ref. 97.5. File: http://excursionsbeyondthecall.blogspot.com/2013/06/ork-insurgency-on-jyln-55.html

++Mr. Quasar has been sent to the Entract, and there he has communicated with some of the most powerful Eldar Farseers in the sector.  He has fooled them into thinking that he is behind the meeting on EnFuego, where the Eldar are preparing to retrieve the Infinity Relic, which by my guess is a sort-of warp enhancement crystal.  With it, it is rumored, our forces may be able to draw away the bugs plaguing our planet much in the same way the Orks have attracted them here.  However foolish this may seem, it is even more foolhardy that in stead of Mr. Quasar  the Warlord and Chapter Master of the Marines Errant will be the one that arrives at the meeting.  Surely, knowing the temperament of Chapter Master Malgar, this meeting is doomed from the start. 

++We are to fly tomorrow.  In 48 hours or less we will be arriving upon the surface of EnFuego, in a secure landing zone.  It has been noticed that in the Great Uprising, an abandoned Imperial Bastion known only as Bastion #451 has been left unguarded.  If we move swiftly we will capture the outpost ahead of the advancing Chaos forces, a group of traitorous renegades led by the Iron Warriors that has been regrouping after a vicious planetary Rokk Bombardment.  Company A will advance north to knock out their weakest flank, while our Company will drive north behind them and secure the Outpost and Bastion #451.  Here we will hold the line while the Marines Errant will perform a quick advance down the canyon to our east- this will lead them to the plateau where the Eldar-held landing zone, the Relic, and the Eldar host themselves lie in wait.  I will update when we arrive upon the surface of the planet.  I have illustrated this manuver using the crude tools of my datapack and recorder-screen applications. -+-


  

ADDENDUM. +00156748

++We have been quickly assembled and have secured Bastion 451.  Company A has sent good news, they have found the north flank to be disorganized and may be able to send reinforcements.   The Marines Errant have passed behind us silently in the night, and have made it to the plateau.  The Iron Warriors have detected our presence, and are flooding our vox channels with threats, taunts and promises of treasure upon our surrender.  Fear has gripped all of us, but we stand ready to resist their advance.  We have just heard word that talks with the Eldar have quickly fallen apart.  We are bracing for the worst.  Sensors in the Bastion have detected Eldar moving in from the northwest.  Company A has promised to send any remaining reinforcements from their Chem Squadrons and with heavy ordinance support.

++I can see the lights of the renegades shining in the distance as dusk falls.  Our las-packs are charged and we are advancing into position.  The ground shakes as their machines advance, and acrid smoke has begun to drift across the charred remains of this outpost.  Emperor have mercy upon our souls. -+-

END OF ENTRY.

++Transmission ended.++
++Whereabouts of Subject Miguel Quasar unknown.  If found please report to Inquisitorial Officer 697.89.++

Bane Wolf Conversions pt. 2

how these things started:
 http://excursionsbeyondthecall.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-bane-wolf-conversions.html

A bit more forward progress on my Bane Wolf conversions.  They might be closer to scratch-builds than conversions, or lying somewhere in the greyed lines of assemblage. 

The chem-cannon needs a "tank" of sorts to hold the chemicals.  Here is a closeup of the tank.

The chem cannon tanks are assembled from used grinder bits that I trash-pick from work.  Then I've glued on a few washers, and a slice of "plastic card" tubing.  Whatever that stuff is called.  Each tank I've tried to have a "hatch," where the tank could conceivably be opened for the actual insertion of the chemical tank.  It would lock into place, and only open when the hatch is closed for safety.  A bit like  a tapper on a keg.

The chem cannon hatch.  A rubber washer from Hillman bag wire, two "hitches" from sprues.  On the turret you can see a bit from BFG- a big cannon from a Killkrooza or some such nonsense.

 The tracks needed some sort of guard.  I built these from Baneblade treads, chimera track guards, some of those "flappy plates" one finds on the sprues, and a Rhino back hatch.

Note the Baneblade peepholes, and the BFG junk on the turret.

 The second bane wolf, the hatch on the chem canister, the Baneblade peephole, and mkII track guards.  These track guards are "loose fitting," and can adjust to the suspension of the Bane Wolf when it drives over difficult terrain.  At least that's my story.

The chemical canisters are mounted on Forge World Grot "Smart Missile" mounts.  Never used those dumb things.

To the hellhound I completed hoses running from the flame canister.  It had to be more impressive looking since it has to actually "throw" the flame, rather than just shoot out chemicals in a spray.  So I used a larger grinder bit, and put more hoses running all over the place.   I added flexible wire scavenged  from headphones to run from the back of the canister to the turret.  It bends really easily so there shouldn't be any game-play interference.

Here are all three completed and ready for priming.

As a side note, I purchased a bastion on consignment.  It was two-stories tall for some reason.  I  tore it apart and will glue it back together before Dale Con.  Hopefully.

Tyranid Thumper: A Battle Report.

References to orks invading are from the preceding battlereport:  http://excursionsbeyondthecall.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2013-07-28T18:58:00-07:00&max-results=7

Warboss Punchy smiled at his creation.  Upon entering the almost abandoned sector, he had his meks design him a device of the most devious intent.  It would be a signaling device that would attract the Tyranid waves on the outermost reaches of space, trap them in stasis, and be able to be used as a bomb upon his hapless victims. 

It was decided that JYLN-55 would be an easy place to test such a weapon.  A small pod of Tyranids were secured in the stasis pod.  The stasis pod was loaded by grots aboard a "Smart-Bomm," a pulsa-rokkit manned by a grot pilot.  After much waiting, the citizens and defense forces of JYLN-55 were taken by surprise by this terrible new weapon.  It exploded in the atmosphere, and the bugs arrived soon after.

This is the report from their first encounter.

Defense Forces (Imperial Guard Codex)

Warlord HQ (Warlord Trait Coordinated Assault, +1 to assault range)
Kell, Creed,  Heavy Flamer, Veteran Autocannon and Astropath

TROOPS
Platoon Command Squad led by Miguel Quasar with Plasma Pistol.
Flamer, Vox, Autocannon.

Platoon Command Squad led by Marneus Guardgar with Power Fist.
Vox, Flamer, Autocannon.

7 Infantry Squads, variously armed with Grenade Launchers,
Missile Launcher, some plasma.

1 Special Weapons Squad, three Flamers.

1 Heavy Weapons Squad with 3 Lascannons

1 Heavy Weapons Squad with 3 Mortars

1 Veteran Squad with 2 Plasma guns, 1 plasma pistol and a grenade launcher

1 Veteran Squad with 3 Melta guns, 1 bolt pistol

5 Chimeras as dedicated transports that carried the command squads and veteran squads.

FAST ATTACK
3 Hellounds, 2 of them were Bane Wolf variants.

HEAVY SUPPORT
1 Leman Russ Punisher, double heavy bolter sponsons, heavy bolter hull, heavy stubber pintle.  Commander Pask riding on board.


Game Mission:  Emperor's Will (one objective each side).  Dan's Warlord trait was Conqueror of Cities.

I thought Dan was going to leave me his list, but I can't find it now.  I guess I'll grab it from his report when that comes out and post it here.  Some of the Tyranids look the same to me, so I might have some names of those critters wrong.  My apologies.

Initial Deployment.  I deployed the chimera transports on the right flank, then the lascannon heavy weapons team.  A few squads of infantry then the Punisher Leman Russ.  To the left of the tank is a special weapons team with flamers, in front of them some infantry.  On the left flank, two squads of infantry and the mortars.

Dan had deployed some Spore Mines in my backfield, one group I surrounded with the Chimeras.  They detonated to little effect.  The spore mines to the right of the Punisher however succeeded in breaking a squad of Guardsmen that I tried very hard to save, Go to Ground didn't work at all.  4 of them perished and they ran off the board, gaining Dan the First Blood objective.

Guard left flank at deployment.  Infantry squad is hiding in building with lascannon poised for firing.  My objective is seen just past the building.

Imperial Guard Infantry Platoon Squad in the center building.

The left flank advances ahead of the mortars, seen in the background.

Across from the left flank, the Tyranid gargoyles.  These guys would, with the help of the Parasite, wrap up the whole left flank.

The bugs across from my Chimeras and lascannon right flank.  The termagaunts and hive guard.  Swarmlord behind them.

My lascannon heavy weapons team points out the objective.

 

 

It turns out that Dan's objective, directly behind the building in his center, when combined with his Warlord Trait (Conqueror of Cities) and the shield objective give his models a 2+ cover save.  Therefore, every gargoyle flies into it.  Ones that don't make a dangerous terrain test are saved by their feel no pain roll.   My Punisher opens up on the building, scores 22 wounds on the gargoyles.  Only one gargoyle perishes.  Night fight is going on, so nothing else seems to work that well either in my first shooting phase.  

The Gargoyles in their 2+ cover in the center of the board.

Chimeras on the Right flank advance.

Guardsmen in the center advance, as well as on the left flank.  Mortars fire at the center building but do nothing.

Guardsmen approach the center with the knowledge that they will be charged by something soon enough.

Here is what they face.  The 'Nid objective is seen behind the building.

 A lucky break for the Guard was when pods deepstrike down into the building where the Chimeras were deployed on the right flank.  A Trygon Prime, a Carnifex, and a Malwoc drop into the building.  The Malwoc tries to deepstrike onto a vehicle, but scatters off the board.  Unfortunately for the bugs, he gets to be placed by me... and he is placed onto the Hive Guard, killing off two of them after I had scored wounds on each one from shooting.  A lucky break exploiting Tyranid rules that allow a creature to be placed on top of another model.  Funny stuff.

A lucky break for the Guard.  

Here the pod carrying the carnifex and the Trygon Prime are seen deepstriking into the building.  A tight fit, but I guess they make it!  Only the Malwoc didn't fare so well.  The Trygon Prime will end up shooting at and killing almost all of the squad to the left of it except for the grenade launcher in the squad (remember him).  The Carnifex destroys the forward-most Veteran Chimera.

The remaining Hive Guard retaliates and destroys Miguel Quasar's Platoon Command Chimera.  They hit the ground with their Autocannon and begin firing.

 

 

The Veteran Infantry Open fire at the Carnifex that just destroyed their Chimera!  Plasma Guns rain fire upon the hapless 'Fex, which disappears in a bright flash of white-hot death.

The lone grenade launcher after the Trygon Prime attack.  "Sarge, I can see them now... Sarge?"

The swarm moves out from their hiding positions and begins to swoop toward the objective.

Veterans pile out from their transport, and begin to clean out the building using every special weapon they got.  Kell and Creed are in the Chimera on the left, helping out with "hatch fire" and orders.  The orders work well on the monstrous creatures, making the vets shots twin-linked.

CREEEED!  Help arrives.  Two bane-wolves tailed by a Hellhound arrive, and start spitting template death across the Tyranid left flank.  They take out the last Hive Guard and start putting wounds on the Malwoc.

The guard advancing on the left flank.  They hear an unholy scream and look to the skies...

The Parasite has changed direction and is now leading the gargoyles straight their way! 

Meanwhile, back at the objective (which is a booby-trapped exploding objective just to make things more difficult for me) another pod has dropped and Hormagaunts have flooded the field.  Things are getting kinda crowded around here.

Miguel Quasar hold their ground as the gaunts swarm out from the pod.

The Swarmlord tries desperately to destroy the Bane Wolf...

...but instead only removes its chem cannon.  That's okay, it still has a heavy flamer.

Clearing the objective.  Marneus Guardgar's Platoon Command Squad opens up with the flamer on the gaunts surrounding the objective.  He then charges into the fray, but does little before becoming lunch for the termagaunts.

The Command Squads: Marneus Guardgar and Miguel Quasar's flamer sidekicks open up on the Hormagaunts.  The Bane Wolves and the Hellhound round the corner and add more fire to the equation.  The objective gets cleared of a swarm of gaunts in no-time flat.  A great comeback for the guard.  But can they hold?

The Chimera meets up with the Hellhound squadron before unloading on the gaunts ahead of them.

On the other side of the battlefield, the Parasite of Mordax is planting swarms into guardsmen, which burst out and kill more guard.  It is a total loss (the swarms are the black bases, because Dan forgot his :)).  Here, the Parasite and gargoyles chase down fleeing infantry while the special weapons flamer team begins its assault.  It didn't work.  The gargoyles and parasite mop up the guard left flank and begin to round the corner.

Meanwhile- on the part of the board that matters:  Miguel Quasar watches in terror as the last of Marneus Guardgar's Command Squad is torn to pieces.  However, he's bolstered by the Hellhounds and Bane Wolves coming around the bend, avoiding the Swarmlord.  He waves over to the Punisher tank to his left, "come and help out."  The veterans on the right flank begin to sprint to the objective, along with the grenade launcher guardsman (mentioned earlier!) and the lascannon heavy weapons team.  Creed and Kell are still in the Chimera which immobilized itself where it sits on turn one.

 

The Punisher cannon begins to shine.  18 gaunts fall.  Even more the next time.  I'm not sure if it "paid for itself," but the Punisher cannon with Pask on board starts clearing gaunts by the score.

Roadblock!  The Guard drive their vehicles across the Tyranid front line, blocking off their advance!

Pask opens up on the Parasite, and finally slays him.

Pask turns again and opens up on more gaunts, clearing the objective from Dan's reach.  Here we see Dan's tired hands removing even more gaunts.

At some point here... at the end of turn 6.  If the game had ended after I cleared this objective, I would have run some troops over to it and actually won this game.  Unfortunately for me, it went to turn 7.  Alas, the misfortune of dice will not spare me either!

Bane Wolf Assault!  The Bane Wolves and Hellhound get destroyed down to one Bane Wolf in the process, but tank-shock and Chem-Cannon their way to clearing the Tyranid Objective of scoring units.

THE FINAL TALLY:  'Nids 2, Guard 1.  Neither of us claimed an objective, both of us earned linebreaker, but First Blood edged the 'Nids up to a win.  It was a bloody, and very long battle, to be sure.  We both sustained massive casualties, and if it wasn't for those Tyranid beasties that reproduce models the guard would have maybe fared better.

Good game Dan!