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Eldar vs Tyranids II [RECODING NEEDED]

Submitted By: Date: August 25, 2004, 12:07:07 AM Views: 1937

Eldar summary: This being my first battle against Tyranids, I was not confident. Eldar physiology being what it is, an army comprised solely of Close Combat specialists could easily fall under the â€œworst nightmareâ€ category. The mission didnâ€™t help-Take and Hold! This meant I would be robbed of one of the Eldarâ€™s greatest assets-mobility. If I was forced to stand while an entire Tyranid swarm advanced, I would soon be overrun, and cornered. To prevent this, I would form an â€œaggressive defensiveâ€, and eliminate any potential threats before they threatened me.
Farseer Mirehn walked towards the ruined shrine. He ignored the scorched floor and acrid smell of the so-recent warzone, fixating instead on his goal. Two War Walkers sidled past, part of his honour guard. He ignored them, lost in awe betraying his relative youth, in Eldar terms, of their goal. Breaking his reverie, a message flashed across the inside of his ornate Ghosthelm â€“apparently the war had not completely succeeded in its goals-for the Tyranids were back! The guardian squadâ€™s protector Warlock, receiving the same message, swept over to Mirehn. â€œMaster, should we not flee the field?â€ he asked, looking fearfully toward the distant swarm. â€œWe cannotâ€, Mirehn replied â€œenshrined within that tomb is an artefact of great import to all our kin, one the Tyranids cannot be allowed to absorb. Though it cost all our souls, we must keep that shrine from the claws of the Devourer!â€
 
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<H2 style="MARGIN-LEFT: 10px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 10px">Tyranids Turn 1</H2>
With the Lictor already in camouflage somewhere ahead on the battlefield, the whole swarm moved as one to join it, the Hormagaunts and Termagaunts fleeting ahead of the rest, their chitinous claws clicking in unison. With most of the Eldar force out of range, only a single ranger was killed, blown backwards from his position by the high-velocity, man-sized blob of venom from the Hive Tyrant.
 
<H2 style="MARGIN-LEFT: 10px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 10px">Eldar Turn 1</H2>
Fearing for the Rangerâ€™s safety, Farseer Mirehn cast Fortune on their fate. Wary of a surprise attack, the Warlock directed the Guardian squad to move towards the left flank, to better see behind the bunker complex. The Wraithlord emerged from behind the War Walker, and moved beside it, squarely facing the approaching horde. In retribution for their loss, the Rangers sighted carefully, and managed to place a shot square into the Hive Tyrant, but the massive creature merely reared and bellowed and kept on coming. The Guardians, spying clicking and glowing eyes in the bunker shadows, opened fire, killing 5 Genestealers. The War Walker on the left of the shrine attempted to eliminate the 3-strong Tyranid Warrior brood, but just fell short of its goal, the Bright Lance killing one, and the scatter laser accounting for another. The second War Walker had less audacious goals, killing 3 of the approaching Hormagaunts.
 
<H2 style="MARGIN-LEFT: 10px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 10px">Tyranid Turn 2</H2>
The mass of creatures surged forwards with a new momentum, as the Eldar position had been revealed. The Termagaunts and Hormagaunts surged towards the objective with the lone Ravener on the right, while the other two slithered through the forest down the left flank. The Carnifex, shadowed by its genetic twin Old One Eye, charged behind the bunkers towards the centre. The Genestealers also reacted to the Guardianâ€™s fire, emerging from their cover and scuttling forward. As the Hive Tyrant aimed itâ€™s venom cannon at the Rangers, they seemed to disappear, their camoline cloaks blending them into the ruins, and itâ€™s shot missed then completely, but hit the War Walker behind, ripping the canopy clear off the mounts of the legs. The sole Tyranid Warrior, with the remaining War Walkerâ€™s image imprinted on its mind, fired, its shots hitting and melting the knee joint, immobilising the walker permanently. A single Ranger peered out from his concealment in the rubble, and was dissolved by a shot from the Carnifexâ€™ venom cannon.
 
<H2 style="MARGIN-LEFT: 10px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 10px">Eldar Turn 2 </H2>
Scrying the possible future threads, Farseer Mirehn sensed a danger of the Raveners overrunning either flank, and sent a telepathic signal, summoning the reserved Vyper on the right flank and the Warp Spiders on the left. With the Rangers willing to maintain their exposed forward position to guard the objective, Mirehn cast Fortune on their fate and prayed for their chances. The Vyper pilot, eager to engage the Tyranids flew the maximum 24â€ along the right flank towards the ruins, with the Warp Spiders mirroring his move on the left, materialising within a ruined building. The Guardians, panicked by the Genestealers appearance, opened fire wildly, spraying the approaching monstrosities, slicing them all to shreds. The pilot of the War Walker, unable to move his vehicle, opened fire, vaporising the 5 Hormagaunts that the he could see. Sensing the Wraithlord about to fire its Starcannon, Mirehn tried to Guide the shot, but they still only hit and wounded the Carnifex once. Remembering the Farseerâ€™s fervent warning of the danger the Raveners embodied, the Warp Spider Exarch ordered his squad to make a second jump, which they did, all arriving safely into the cover of another building.
 
<H3 style="MARGIN-LEFT: 10px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 10px">Tyranid Turn 3</H3>
The Termagaunts and Hormagaunts scuttled around and even underneath the Wraithlord, the Hive Mind suppressing their natural instincts to attack in favour of reaching the objective. The sole Ravener broke from the foliage and cleared the forest near the Rangers, with the Hive Tyrant and Tyranid Warrior moving around to support the â€˜gaunt Squads. Frenzied, the Carnifex and Old One Eye broke from the cover of the bunkers and fixated themselves on the Wraithlord. Smelling its prey, the Ravener sped along the ground, writhing through the debris into the ruins. The rangers, crouched behind their covering walls, looked up to find a large snake-like creature coiled and raised like a serpent, eclipsing the sun. Combined, they managed to inflict a wound, but in turn two were slaughtered. These losses were too much even for the world-weary rangers, who broke and fled hysterically toward the warp gate, pursued by the Ravener who, because of its wound, was incapable of its usual turn of speed and just fell short. The Hive Tyrant spied the approaching Vyper, but its shots merely skimmed the wings. The Tyranid Warriorâ€™s mind was suddenly filled with the rage of the Hive Tyrant, and virtually independently, opened fire itself, faring better as the venom dissolved the gun platform, killing the gunner and destroying the bright lance. Mirehn watched, and guessing from the cessation of movement judged the current thrust of the Tyranid attack to be over, when the Lictor virtually melted out of the forest that had so recently housed the Ravener. Even Mirehn, with over 400 years of experience stumbled backwards in shock at its appearance.
 
<H2 style="MARGIN-LEFT: 10px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 10px">Eldar Turn 3</H2>
Despite the Eldarâ€™s best efforts, the Tyranid horde seemed little reduced, and so Mirehn closed his eyes again and called in all Eldar reserves. Both the Falcon carrying the Banshee squad and the Wraithguard arrived from the centre of the table edge. The Wraithguard moved 6â€ forward, while the Falcon took a far more swift approach, blasting 24â€ahead, leaving only a wave of heat-hazed air behind it. The Guardians, realizing that by hunting the Genestealers they had left the shrine unprotected, inverted their course, and headed back. The rangers regrouped, ceasing their frenzied running, and turning, beheld the Ravener slithering up behind them, leaking green fluid. Just as it reared up, its body recoiled three times, and exploded in a shower of ichor. The Vyper then flew past, shuriken cannon still humming, the pilot nodding the remaining rangers before veering off. The Warp Spiders on the other side of the field opened fire on the remaining two Raveners, wounding one. In the centre, the Wraithlord advanced purposely, pausing only to flame three Hormagaunts and a Termagaunts, then charged the Carnifex, wounding it with itâ€™s Starcannon as it ran. The Warp Spiders also Surprise Charged the Raveners, and, following the example of their exarch, cut right through them, and consolidated towards Old One Eye. The Wraithlord, itâ€™s ancient spirit infuriated by the foul, ignoble monstrosities that surrounded it, tore the Carnifex limb from limb, then advanced towards the Hive Tyrant, away from Old One Eye.
 
Tyranid Turn 4
The last Tyranid Warrior ignored the Wraithlord, and instead moved forward. The remnants of the Hormagaunts moved toward the Guardians, while the Termagaunts ran to the walls of the ruins. The Lictor also ran forward, spying the Farseer hiding in the ruins, and smelling his fear. The Tyranid Warrior fired at the guardians, hoping to reduce the squad and the weapons that were so lethal to the small broods, but the hissing pile of venom fell short, steaming into the floor. The Termagaunts fleeted into the shrine. Old One Eye charged the Wraithlord, but fumbled its attacks, while the Wraithlord, still incandescent with rage, turned and clawed a chunk of flesh out of its hide, wounding it. The few remaining Hormagaunts charged the guardians with two deaths either side-the combat was drawn. A single Hormagaunts remained, tying up the squad as they surrounded itâ€¦
 
Eldar Turn 4
With the Guardians tied up in combat, the Vyper opened fire on the Lictor, reducing it to a single wound. The Farseer, realizing the danger the Lictor presented so close to the objective, moved to prevent it, but was unable to face the creature, instead throwing his singing spear, killing it with a lucky shot. The Guardians easily dispatched the last Hormaguant from their ranks. The Warp Spiders, seeing Old One Eye concentrating on the Wraithlord, Surprise Assaulted it wounding him easily, and the Wraithlord finished it off. Even as the corpse fell, the Wraithlord turned and consolidated 3â€ into the Hive Tyrant, shoving its glowing power fist right through its armored chest, robbing it of its one remaining wound and then consolidated towards the Tyranid Warrior, determined to rid the field of these creatures, but falling Â½â€ short. (In the heat of the moment, we saw no problem in this. However, after the battle, we realized that the rule is any victor can consolidate into another melee, but the actual combat is held off until the next assault phase, but retaining all the bonusâ€™ for charging)
 
Tyranid Turn 5
The Tyranid Warrior, the last remaining monstrous creature, moved towards the ruins wall, determined to get to the objective, and shot at the Falcon, but missed. The Termagaunts, peering out of the ruins, felled a single ranger, leaving only one standing. On the other side of the field, the Warp Spiders relaxed. With nothing left alive near them, and all the action taking place so far across the field they could never reach it in time, the settled down to watch the events in the ruins. As they stood, the corpse of Old One Eye, twitching behind them, slowly lumbered to its feet, and silently charged. It was only the quick reactions of the Exarch and his powerblades that saved them-felling the creature again. 
 
Eldar Turn 5
All the units near the ruins moved in to surround it. The Wraithlord short the Tyranid Warrior in the back as it finally neared the ruins, vaporizing it, while the Wraithguard, single ranger passing his Last Man Standing test, War Walker and Guardians riddled the ruins with shots, killing off all Termagaunts in the objective, and the last Tyranids on the field.
 
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When the last of the shots had died away, Mirehn stood slowly from his crouching position behind the ruined wall. He moved into the remnants of the shrine, trying to ignore the foul twitching limbs around him, and the crunching beneath his boots. As all his kin around collapsed to the floor, exhausted, he walked to a small metallic casket on an alter in the shrine. Sighing, he opened it. The gasps of those closest betrayed their shock at its contents. Turning, he shouted â€œThis is not the end! We have prevented the assimilation of this by the Hive Mind, and have saved thousands of lives! Who knows what foul creatures might have been spawned if it had been harvested? But now ours is returned to us, and it is not the end. One will be found who can continue the line! You WILL see her like again!â€ Amidst the ragged cheers, the Banshee squad walked to the casket, hoisted it, and walked back towards the nearby warp gate. Soon nothing remained in the shrine, nor any living creature nearby, save for two Eldar runes burned into the walls. The symbol for resurrection next to the personal symbol of Jain Zarâ€¦

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