The Destroyer

My nephew Oliver came to visit for a few days over the summer. He was keen to play some 40k. We played a couple of introductory scenarios adapted from the First Strike set. However, he wanted to play Tyranids and I chose to use my existing standard Space Marines rather than the new Primaris ones.


Image of First Strike by Games Workshop

The first scenario just teaches the rules for movement and basic shooting. The second adds assaulting. The third scenario puts it all together in a simple battle - which my Space Marines lost abysmally.

I gave Oliver a box of Tyranid Warriors as a Christmas present and helped him to assemble them. So, we then decided to play a slightly larger battle that included his new models.

The forces consisted of: a Space Marine Captain, two 5-man tactical squads, a 5-man assault squad and a 5-man terminator squad. Facing them Oliver arrayed a Tyranid Prime, 3 Warriors, 10 Genestealers, 10 Termagants, 10 Hormagaunts and 10 Gargoyles. Oliver named his Tyranid Prime "the Destroyer".

The Marines began with some long range shooting at the lead Termagants. However, the Termagants, Gargoyles and Hormagaunts ignored their minor casualties and obeyed the Hive Mind to advance. This  provided a chitin wall behind which the larger creatures advanced with impunity.

Squad Sinis, on the left, poured fire into the Hormagaunts as they approached, while Squad Dextor, on the right, decimated the Termagants. Squad Brutus, the Terminators in the centre, supported Squad Sinis and all but eradicated the Hormagaunts.

This was all according to the plan of the Hive Mind. While the lead light troops absorbed the fire from the Marines, the Genestealers prepared to strike from behind their shield of Hormagaunts. They charged the Terminators and killed 3 of them for the loss of only a few of their own relatively expendable troops. Meanwhile, on the right, the Gargoyles advanced to support the Termagants and fired on Squad Dextor to little effect.

Sergeant Leapus and his assault squad jumped to the aid of Brutus and in a fit of complete fury killed all the Genestealers. That left them badly exposed and the Tyranid Warriors, supported by the Destroyer, crashed into Squad Leapus and shredded them with their bone swords and scything talons.

The dwindling force of Space Marines countered with a full volley from every direction. On the right, some of the Gargolyes were shot down, but on the left the bolt rounds just bounced off the Tyranid armoured carapaces.

In a moment that will never be recorded in the history books, the Tyranid warrior armed with a venom cannon, aimed it at the remaining Terminators and fired. Miraculously both Terminators were saved by their ancient armour and the blessing of the Emperor (rolling four sixes for armour saves). But, it was not enough. Once again although the Marines fired every weapon they could muster, the Tyranid elite shrugged off the attack. They charged the Terminators and cut them down mercilessly.

The remaining tactical Marines put up a valiant defence, but without their heavy brothers it was a forlorn effort. Captain Futilus charged the Destroyer screaming vengeance for his noble comrades while Squad Sinis fired on the Tyranid Warriors and the remnants of Squad Dextor fought off the Gargoyles. It was to no avail. The might of the Hive Mind prevailed and planet Ascot may now have no hope of standing against the tide of xenos invaders.

For anyone interested, Oliver constructed his Tyranid Prime with bone swords and scything talons and with toxin sacks. He built one warrior with a deathspitter and boneswords, one with a venom cannon and bone swords and one with scything talons, lash whip and bone sword.

Next time...