Thursday Battle Hour – Battle Report 24/11/2022

With no resolution to last week’s conflict the three forces of Space Marines, Imperial Guard Death Korps and Tyranids had withdrawn, regrouped and prepared to re-engage. Although it initially appeared that an alliance would form between the two Imperial forces, in a bid to eradicate the xenos threat of the Tyranids, the sudden register of a beacon soon ended any ideas of comradeship.

Mysteriously, each force identified the signal as one of their own. The Space Marines heard the call of long-lost brother from through the Warp, the Guardsmen heard a distress call from beleaguered Imperium inhabitants, whilst to the Tyranid Hive a distinct pheromone indicated the presence of a Tyrranofex behemoth which would surely spell doom for all their foes.

As the three forces converged on the beacon’s location, the lessons from previous engagements led to a cautious approach from all the players. Victory would be achieved by remaining in control of the beacon at the end of the hour.

The Death Korp (again commanded by Luka Taylor) sent their armoured walker forward towards the central target location whilst the Guardsman and the leviathan Leman Russ tank maintained a cautious defensive position amongst the trenches and barricades of an earlier battle. The Tyranid hormagaunts (guided by Joe Stockley and the Tyranid Hive mind) bounded across the battlefield, no amount of terrain impeding their progress, to engage the now veteran walker leaving the larger bugs to bring up the rear (as the Hive Tyrant was this week without it’s wings preventing it from launching it the great distances it had become accustomed to traversing). The Space Marines (helmed by Collum Parker) moved stealthily en masse through the rugged mountains led by the fearsome Dreanought.

As one group of Hormagaunts flung themselves recklessly at the metal hull of the walker their unsupported collective demise was inevitable. Meanwhile the lumbering Dreadnought of the Space Marines moved alongside the beacon and the combined firepower of the giant machine and the squads supporting it proved overwhelming for the second group of Gaunts. The very final roll of the dice saw the last two Gaunts fall at the feet of the Dreadnought leaving the beacon to be claimed by the Space Marines who had played an outstanding tactical game.

The signal from the beacon faded and in it’s place a wail of tortured screams filtered across the battlefield. The beacon had been a decoy…a lure…bait. All were now at the mercy (though they would be shown none!) of the lighting attacks of the Kabal of Shadow and Flame………

In another world, Cadence Williamson made her debut as commander of a warband of foul orc marauders. Though much larger in stature than the Welly empire troops they were facing, the outcome was a stalemate and both forces have retreated to regroup for the next battle. Cadence used the opportunity learn as much as she could about the flow of gameplay and is looking forward to testing her skills in future skirmishes!  

If you have any battle-ready Warhammer 40K or Fantasy models and want to join the fray, contact Mr Brownbill, Mr Crabbe or myself.

Mr Ashfield