Battle Report: "To Those About to Die."

2/14/13
Mission Details:  With Guilliman's Fist's Victory in the North, the South is faced with the repercussions. The Tyranid threat invade the Sword of Macragge in the sector from whence they launched their attack. A small garrison force called "Indomitable" stands between the Sword of Macragge and the Jaws of the Hive Mind. Can they hold their ground?

In Game Turn Times: 1 Turn = 1 hour
Fitting Song: Icarus by Michael McCann

(The Outskirts of the Sword of Macragge's Territory) 

Factions: 

The Sword of Macragge: 

Space Marines: Commander William Detterline 

1 Librarian 

4 Vanguard Veterans 

1 Relic Whirlwind 

1 Stormraven

1 Stormtalon 

Imperial Guard: Lord Commissar Sara Goldstien 

1 Company Command Squad

1 Veteran Squad

1 Basilisk Artillery Piece

Frontline Assets Deployed: Void Shield Generators (6) 

The Tyranid Swarm:

3 x (20) Genestealer Broods (represented in some cases by Hormagaunts) 

1 x (2)  Zoanthrope Brood 

2 Carnifex 

2 Trygons Prime

1 (20) Gargoyle Brood

1 Flying Hive Tyrant "Steve" 

1 Hierophant Biotitan 

Battlefield Assets Deployed: Tunnels (3) 

Deployment: 

The Tyranids absorb the space on their side of the battle space. Mean while the Space Marines Garrison a ruined bunker and the Vostroyans guard the outpost.  The Basilisk and Whirlwind deploy far back, hoping to make the most of their range. 

The First Hour:  "Shields Have Been Breached" 

   Within the first hour the tunnels dug by the tyranids become obvious and the ever encroaching Tyranid line approaches the outer boundary of the Void Shields. In order to save the Ordinance, The Relic Whirlwind and Basilsik are moved away from tunnel entrances. The rest of the Battle Group Indomitable prepares for attack while long range Lascannons and mortars are levied into the Tyranid lines, hoping to thin them... unfortunately shaky hands cause this attempt to be ineffective. 

The Tyranid Right Flank Approaches the Shield. 

The Central Shield is breached

Tyranid Losses: 0
Space Marine Losses: 0
Imperial Guard Losses: 0

The Second Hour: "A Rain of Bullets and Blood"
    The second hour rained blood. The Space Marines begin to fall back to defend the bastion, firing all the while. They kill 7 Genestealers. Is this enough? Air Support arrives as Storm Raven and Storm Talon arrive to combat the tyranids breaking through the eastern shield. As the swarms advance on their position the question for the Librarian isn't "can we win?", but rather instead "can we survive?" In order to preserve the artillery, the Librarian orders their immediate retreat. The Basilisk and the Whirlwind leave the battlespace as ordered, leaving behind the men they were to protect. The Air support on the Eastern front has been effective in killing a Carnifex and the Hive Tyrant. These heavy flyers had only begun to do damage when the Hive Mind judged their time over. No sooner did they arrive then did they find themselves under heavy, unforgiving, and lethal fire of the Biotitan.

The Space Marines Fire into the Swarms 

Air Support Arrives 

The Death of the Air Support

Tyranid Losses: 1 Flying Hive Tyrant, 1 Carnifex, 7 Genestealers

Space Marine Losses: 1 Storm Raven Gunship, 1 Storm Tallon Gunship. 

Space Marine Evacuations: 1 Relic Whirlwind 

Imperial Guard Losses: 0 

Imperial Guard Evacuations: 1 Basilisk Artillery Piece 

The Third Hour: "A Choice to be Made" 

      In the third hour, the hard choices had to be made. The Librarian called for an immediate evacuation of the remaining guardsmen. But how could they be evacuated from the outpost? How could the Valkyrie have a secure loading zone? His only option became clear... in order to save the 15 guardsmen in the bastion, in order to prevent the outpost from being overrun too quickly... he and his squad must stay behind. The Tyranids closed in.  The rear guard had been set. 

A Fateful Choice at a Critical Time 

The Imperial Guard Evacuate

Tyranid Losses: 0

Space Marine Losses: 1 Veteran 

Space Marine Evacuations: 0 

Imperial Guard Losse: 0

Imperial Guard Evacuations: 1 Command Squad, 1 Veteran Squad

The Final Hour: "The Last Stand of the Rear Guard" 

    It was the end of the line for those who stayed behind. In one final stand, the rear guard defended their evacuating comrades. They placed the trackers on their targets and perished with honor. In their final stand they killed 18 Gargoyles before falling to the hands of the genestealers. 

The Final Push

The Desperate last kills 

A Hero's Gruesome Death

Final Results: Sweeping Tyranid Victory. Despite some extremely tactical moves by the space marines, the Tyranids painted them into a corner and forced a rear guard scenario. Tyranids, in addition to an overwhelming army, fielded their strategic assets well. The Heroes who attempted to stop the sweeping power of this tyranid invasion will forever be remembered. 

Awards Given: "Outstanding Moral Fiber" to the Space Marine Veterans and their Librarian for their self-sacrifice to protect the guardsmen.