St. Nic's Return

Instead of attending the Christmas event this year at my local games shop (As it was another apocalypse game) I decided to just deploy St. Nic in a normal game of 40k later that week. Daemons and a handful of Marines vs Jack's Tyranids.  Two games in a week, both of which were great fun. The first wolves and T'au vs tyranids and the second Chaos vs Tyranids.

In both games Jack generated plenty of tyranids without paying reinforcement points (an honest mistake made by us all), both with the stratagems and the tervigon, adding up to at least an extra 50 bodies (200+ pts a game). Therefore we decided to void the results of both games.

Regardless they were amazing games and much fun was had.

Here is my silly poem for the holiday season.

St. Nic's Return

The alliance with the T'au,
Had been awfully strong,
But Jostien did not prevail,
The tyranid too stong.

They fell back to the skies,
Greater good, not today,
Asger roared in defeat,
The Aureus way.

A day or two later,
The bells could be heard,
Of the wolves and the deer,
Tyranids knew not a word.

St. Nic came to the aid,
Summoning allies in his wake,
The two great daemons came,
Much trouble to make.

Throwing down his axe,
Rognavaldr knew,
Cleaving the broodlord in half,
Ended his life, synapse too.

Pa Veg and Med Leen, 
Prefered human prey,
But on St. Nic's call, 
Dived into the fray.

The twin-headed bird,
Released a psychic force,
Decimating all in their way,
Except St. Nic of course!

For the Saint had much power,
Innocence long lost,
Neither chaos nor Imperial,
He mastered the frost.

The objective, a bomb,
The termegants overran,
The timer couldn't be set,
Not part of the plan.

Over seconds,
Many tyranids birthed,
St. Nic aimed,
Empty of mirth.

As the warriors cut deep,
His body in two,
A shot rang out,
It's aim so true.

Impacting on the bomb,
It sent the ground asunder,
Everything evaporated,
In a cloud much thunder.

Greater daemons and their kin,
Were sent back to their mother,
St. Nic reformed,
His plane as another.

The battle was over,
A war neither lost nor won,
St. Nic would return,
With a much bigger gun.

A Legend and a Heroine

These beauties came in the post today.  Abaddon and Cypher proxy models from Wargame Exclusive.  I am going to use the Abaddon model as a proxy for him in game, but paint him in my standard colour scheme and make him more wolfy.  He is going to be an ancient Jackal hero, thought dead but has now returned with more chaos renegades under the Aureus banner.

As for Cypher she is going to be Eira.  She is the folk hero who kept the few survivors alive on the Aureus home world as the tyranids turned it into a dead world. The hard labour, conflict and disease cost her the use of her legs and took a large toll on her lifespan. Using grafts from xenos, geneseed and bionic enhancements, Grendel has turned Eira into a perfect tool of destruction, now fighting for revenge and the expansion of her new homeland.

I can't wait to paint these but I have so much on the table right now that it may take a while.

My First Game of 8th

Over the course of my visit to Warhammer Fest I managed to play 8th Edition. Since I have played three smaller games using the rules leak and data profiles.  Now with the core rules and indexes myself and Ed managed to play a 50 Power level game of Tyranids vs Chaos Marines. My first proper game!

The combatants approach

Cracking my new mat out for another game my Aureus fought for the first time in a while.  

With the new movement rules the tyranid fleet came in rapidly and by turn two I had suffered heavy casualties.  My sorcerer held his own against a Hive tyrant though and beat away the genestealers thanks to his new 4 wounds!

The tunnel also opened behind my lines...

The Maulerfiend did exceptionally well. No longer a vehicle he was not hindered by the onslaught of attacks by the tyranids, taking out a carnifex, a character and a horde of termagants before the Hive Tyrant came to finish him off.

Locked in eternal combat, the maulerfiend wrestles the hive fleets finest!

Overall the game finished 7-3 in the tyranids favour.  I managed to sneak out of combat to claim some objectives even though I was rendered almost extinct early on.  The game ended on turn  due to my forces being wiped out.  Even so at no point did the game seem like a dead certain victory, with only the weakened hive tyrant and three warriors on the board it was a close game.

I look forward to many more games this weekend!

Facing a Tyranid Hierophant Bio-titan

Last Wednesday at Marquee Models Veterans Night, myself and Adam faced off against Ed.  Two 1000pt armies (Wolves and Salamanders) vs 2000pts of Tyranids.  I thought we would lose, as I have nothing high end in my army at all.  Deciding to leave the heavy gunning and defence up to the Salamanders I went for light and fast... It was the wrong option.

We got dominated.  The Aureus were pretty much tabled two turns in and my Culexus Assassin was one-shot in the first round... 140 points straight down the drain.  Somehow my psykers managed to survive until turn three and one until the game was called to an end at the end of the third round.

Scoring 8-0 Ed won a mighty victory.  I have never faced off against something so hideously powerful. We were swamped by the Bio-titan on our 6x4 board and there was no hiding or escape.  

As per usual, I was unprepared for what faced me.  A few weeks ago My Aureus managed to take down a Storm Surge with standard firepower and have also once felled the Primarch Vulkan, also with standard fire. Dumb luck is my friend,  however, as with most of my battles, I tend not to go stat hunting to understand my enemy.  In the words of Sun Tzu: "If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles."

Perhaps if I did more research I would win more battles.

Regardless it was a punishing experience as it is never nice to see your loved figures perish under the might of another so rapidly and pathetically. The game itself though was still a good game and certainly one for the history books of the Aureus. They sure do hate the Tyranids!  The Salamanders tried their best to kick up a Storm but nothing could quell the overwhelming power of the Tyranid invasion force.

To check out Eds Bio Titan progress head on over to his blog by clicking here.

Twas the Night of Festivities

For my brithday this year Ed over at BERSERKBLADE arranged a large scale game of kill team.  It was my Canis Aureus (led by St. Nic pictured below), Tau, Marines, more Marines and some Raging Heroes Imperial Guard vs 1000pts of Eds Tyranids.

It was an amazing game that was touch and go throughout. So much so I thought I would turn it into something silly.

Twas the Night of Festivities

Twas the night of festivities, when the Tyranids came, Attempting to engulf the planet, the hive mind to blame, War between rivals stopped, sudden and quick, The Warlord had come, the mighty St. Nic.

At first the Sisters of Silence made their advance, Spewing forth flamers and rituals to lance, Around the flank came Tau regimented and keen, To spread goodwill, wherever they've been.

From the hills to the right, arose such a clatter, A rhino, some scouts and marines to assist in the matter, Their bolters and plasma, spat forth hellfire, To cleanse the Xenos threat their desire.

Buxom lasses, veterans each one, Emerged from the trenches to join in the fun, Quickly torn apart by hormagaunts aplenty, Their limbs hit the floor ever so gently.

The Sisters held firm under St. Nic's gaze, Their spirits afire, their guns ablaze, Zonethropes advanced to bring mental rupture, While deathspitters hit home, armour they did puncture.

Tau and Marines did clean up the threat, Sisters and vixens were not quite dead yet, Marines unloaded until St. Nic was safe, Out came the final volly, the warlord it strafed.

Down it fell, thrashing with a groan, Victory within their hearts, a change of tone, Aureus, Angels, Agents and Tau, Left with few parting words and a bow,

For that was the day a planet was saved, For peace and goodwill, rivals behaved, Today enjoyment can be found, But tomorrow brings plenty of war abound.

Back to Victory

Over the past few months I have been playing a fair amount of 40k.  I was on a crazy loss streak of 13 games and now I have gradually started pulling a few wins out.  I also took part in two tournaments, but I shall write up about them another time.

Currently I am playing a lot of Kill Team. After playing four games of it I decided I needed to get it.  It is essentially a shorter, sweeter and more cinematic 40k experience.  Don't get me wrong a big game is still good, but why not squeeze in a few smaller games too.  There is always more time for 40k right? 

Now that other things have died down, I finally got around to painting up some scouts I found on ebay too.  I decided to give them a cyberpunk/anime 80s feel. My girlfriend finished four of them for me just in time for a game for my pal Ed's birthday.

Below is a fluff sum up of everything that has happened in the last 17 40k games that I have had.  

Back to Victory

The chapter had started to carve a new legend over the recent months. After having lost their last 13 conflicts , Gunnvor took off on his own. He began by launching small recon missions against the known surrounding forces.

Their first great success was the battle against an unknown space marine chapter. Gunnvor managed to claim victory and locate intel of an incoming tyranid invasion.

In the darkest and most dangerous jungle on the planet they waited. Siegfried was lost to the giant apes and Hauf fell to the hell snakes of Feng. The brothers were not mourned, they were made an example out of. Gunnvor only celebrated success. He managed to leave with a small force of twenty men and he intended to return with at least half.

Finally the night arrived. The tyranids came from the skies, they claimed ground quickly as the marine faction secured the northern sector. Gunnvor's losses were heavy, a unit of scouts was torn apart by a Brood Lord and four of his marines were defeated in the northern sector.  The decoy had worked. He had both sides where he wanted them. From the ruins in the long dead city his heavy weapons team opened fire. Bolter rounds decimated the opposing forces as they converged. Assault marines fell from the sky, as tyranids burst in sickly greens on the torn earth below.

As the Brood Lord advanced, Colite braced his team for the assault. His five men fell to the initial blows. Limbs being torn and acid melting their flesh. They fought until their last breath. Letting out a furious roar, Colite launched forward. The Wolf Mother had blessed him with his fusion of flesh, bone and metal. His arm had ascended into that which was more than human. A claw with the power of the Wolf Mother's jaw. Bringing it down into the monstrosity before him he cited the prayer of their mother. Screeching and thrashing the xenos scum collapsed to the ground. From above he heard the cry of victory from his fellow brothers. The battle was over.

Claiming the rival marines predator and razorback. They voxed in for pickup. Gunnvor knew his efforts would be celebrated and hoped that it would lead to further freedom of him and his pack.

The New Threat!

A few days ago, Mia’s flying hive tyrant took to the battlefield and hammered my forces badly.  All but my Warlord was wiped out by the end fifth turn.  I managed to take out her zoanthrope in my final attack (the only unit to be defeated on her side of the battlefield).  The score was still quite close though at a 4-2.

Some of the games events.

Below is my account of the events.

The New  Threat

Their unit had emerged from the Warp battered and torn. They had spent decades deep in enemy territory with no ally in sight. The corrupted and twisted wastelands were far from hospitable. What was left of the Swift Claws had developed blistered lungs and external boils. Their spirit and their questionable rituals were the only thing that saved them. Across their time in the belly of Chaos they had developed strange customs and their methods had changed. No longer did they hold the Imperium in high regard but neither did they succumb to the enemy’s will. The corruption had affected some more than others. Brother had turned against brother on many occasions, but what was left of them had remained loyal and strong.

A month ago the unit had managed to exit the perils of the Warp in an ancient vessel. It hadn't taken them long to regroup with their comrades. Unlike the other Chapters of the Imperium they were accepted by their brothers despite the changes they had gone through. The Swift Claws were not surprised that their numbers had dwindled, what used to be a Chapter ten-thousand strong now consisted of a mere five-hundred or so warriors.

Having found that Honodrios had lost his mind, Gustave had decided it should be him to lead the pack. Their new methods of survival and dubious tactics had managed to turn the tide against the forces of Chaos many times, so he was sure it would work for the chapter in less hostile environments.  Knowing that the time ahead of his chapter was going to be the toughest they had ever faced, he presented his case.  After the council of twenty was over they agreed to his promotion within their ranks.  The verdict was sound and absolute.

During the council, the leaders of his chapter had informed him with a heavy heart about the Aureus heavy losses against the Dark Angels and the destruction of their homeworld.  With no time to waste Gustave began drawing up battle plans.  They would strike the new xenos threat in their system and they would hit it hard.  If they could achieve this then the Aureus may be respected again, perhaps even feared.  Their origin was unknown but the reaction of certain extremist bewildered him. Heretics had begun worshipping the xenos threat. Some called them Angels of Death, others called them Sprites of the Warp but the most common name they were referred to was: Tyracorns.  Reports were coming in from across the system that these Tyracorns were harvesting planet after planet.  Unlike tyranid threats the Imperium had faced before they seemed to coat planets in a form of plant life, a form of organic grass linked to the hives core.  This seemed to be used to harvest the solar energy of the sun once the planet was eradicated of all other life.

Of course all of this was nothing but theory.  Gustave didn’t have time for theory and philosophy of xenos races.  He was a man of action, preferring the sound of his storm bolter and the cries of his foes under his mighty hammer.

Nominating Gudbrand leader of the Swift Claws, he took his position as the chapter's Jackal Lord.  His ceremony was brief.  He took Honodrios’ time-worn storm bolter and sacred thunder hammer with the greatest pride a marine could have. Scarred, blistered and full of Rage, his first command to the chapter was to launch an assault.  The xenos that had destroyed his homeworld had long departed but the new threat was an even greater bounty.

Leaving the Swift Claws to recover from their many decades of suffering he approached the assault teams that were ready and waiting to be deployed. Gustave knew he was ready for conflict. Despite the weeping and crusted wounds beneath his armour it felt good to be back.  Back in the familiar space he knew. So much had changed yet so much of it remained the same. They were the underdogs, everyone was still at war and there were now even more threats to humanity than before.

Giving the order to descend onto the planet below, the Jackal Lord was confident.  Ages’ unit had fared well against the xenos threat when saving the last survivors from their homeworld.  Confident in his ability and that of his chapter Gustave was eager to crush the xenos threat that awaited them.

Stepping out into the smog Gustave could feel the familiar burning deep down in his lungs. His torso rattled as he coughed up the thick ball of grit, blood and puss.  Being a stubborn old fool, he kept telling himself that it would all be okay. Whatever was happening within his body hadn't killed him yet. He was quite sure all the internal throbbing and bubbling sensations could wait a day longer.

Before them the battle had already been lost.  His sensors revealed no life but xenos existed in the blasted compound before them.  Above the chapter a huge gleaming figure came from the sky.  Bursts of needles came from it's impressive cannon as its mental powers blasted through the Dreadnoughts' hardy exterior.  The two ancient marines fell to the ground instantly, their thick external armour sparking and spitting a mixture of oil and blood into the war torn battleground.

Gustave cursed as all of the men around him were obliterated. The glowing genestealers had overrun the compound while the termagants were covering the relay signals, cackling with glee. He thought he had the drop on them but they had predicted their assault.

Towering over the battlefield a hive Lord came towards his unit firing brain leeches into the fray.  The marines beside him clawed at their armour in vain as the worms tunnelled deep within their skin and burrowed up into their brain.  Boiling with rage, Gustave stormed ahead leaving his dying brothers behind. Launching his body upwards with Honodrious' ancient hammer in hand, he connected with the Zoanthrope’s giant jaw. Flailing, it's mental barrier decimated it collapsed to the ground, letting out a shrill shriek as the Jackal Lord brought his hammer downward pulping the monstrosity into a sparkly green mess beneath him.

Above him he could see the winged Tyrant flying on to battle other forces elsewhere on the planet.  Gustave was certain that the winged beast was in charge of this planetary assault and he fully intended to bring it to the ground.