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Sorry I have not been playing my Deathwatch consistently enough to be doing as many batreps, but I did have an opportunity to play against the new Genestealer Cult and according to GW... this is what we do best! This might be one of the most ridiculous twists of fate I've seen in a final turn of game. There were so many appropriate titles for this Batrep: "The Hills are Alive!", "Run for your Lives", "Mom's a Genestealer!", but I think we'll just stick with... 'I Have a Bad Feeling About this..." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Strap yourself in, this is going to get hairy, but first let me do my old setup of showing a pivotal moment. In this case we visit our heroic Deathwatch team deep in the pits of an abandoned mining town. +++ A drone recorder snaps a pic feed: A rainy day on the grey bleak town of Intex. Thought to be abandoned but the Deathwatch knew better. The streets are alive with the stench of alien filth, and the Deathwatch have arrived to cleanse the streets of Intex. The Geneastealer Cult will have none of it, and see the Deathwatch as a means off the planet. The only thing for certain is outright carnage. +++ Maelstrom 1850: (3 cards a piece, per turn. One free Discard on impossible game cards (House Rule)) The Deathwatch: CAD: Watch Captain Varentoz (Imperial Fists Secondment) Beacon Angelis, Terminator Armour, Relic Blade, Auspex. 5 Vets, Razorback (twin Assault Cannon), Frag Cannons, Shield 5 Vets, Frag, Combi Melta, Drop Pod. Terminators x 2 - assault cannons, 1 meltafist Bikers x3, Maul, PWeapon, Beacon Vanguard Vets x 4 (go in Corvus) Heavy Hammer, Twin Claws, Shield, Peon. Skyshield Landing Pad BLACK SPEAR: Artemis Aquila: Vets, Frag Cannons, Storm Shield, Drop Pod: Librarian ML 2: Tome of Ectolcades Drop Ship: Corvus Ordo Inquisitor in Termie Armour, ML1, 3 Servo Skulls, Psycannon. Geneastealer Cult - Broodlord + approximately 4,000 genestealers - Abhorrents. - 3 large infiltrating squads - Astra Autocannon Walkers x 3 - Astra Russ Eradicator - Dude with an Icon that gave FnP (psychic dude too I think) -2 squads in a Chimeras Other stuff that looks like slimy meat. (sorry can't remember it all.... plus it was similar stuff.) The Game: I win the roll off to go first, and set up the zone accordingly: +++ The Corvus picks up the Vanguard and awaits orders. In the distance, some Nids have infiltrated the Ruins, but Servo Skulls keep them somewhat in the distance. +++ +++ Razorback squad is ready for the rocky ride provided by the Beacon Angelis +++ - I set up with speedier units in my zone, except I needed something back... with a bit of range that duty fell to the Terminators + Inquisitor and 3 Bikers. - To the right of the terminators (off camera) the Razorback squad has set up for a 'slingshot' move if I need it. The pesky Nids infiltrate a squad behind them, deep in my zone, out of LoS. Turn 1: - I draw 3 cards, nothing is easy in this post apocalyptic world and I need objectives in the other zone, and shoot something... anything dead. - I really don't know what to lay the Alpha down on... I KNOW that potentially the most damaging thing is the Leman Russ and Walkers, huddled up in the Nid Zone with a squad in Chimera backing them up. (Off camera). I know the Eradicator/Heavy Bolters isn't instant death, but I can't lose any models and I don't actually want to be in close combat with him. - I let the cards decide... I need an objective deep in his zone. Captain Ventius strikes deep in the heart of the infested town, and sling shots the Razorback squad for back up. +++ The Captain pods in a precarious position, but expert guidance sticks the landing. The Razorback materializes in front of what seems to be some sort of 'smart bug'. He's waiving a stick, uttering jibberish, and he smells like poo. +++ - The Librarian here rolled Librarius and really needed the re-roll saves but didn't get it, so instead tries to get the primaris shot off. It would be my only successful Psychic test for the game, as the Shadow in the Warp has this town in its grasp.... - The Deathwatch take an early lead; they grab the objective (Command Aquila is sitting right on it). The Command blows up the Chimera, and the Razorkback starts firing off on the cultist types surrounding the brain bug. But all is not well.... the Vanguard advance in the Corvus, get out, start to shoot another squad in the ruins but they are too resilient with FnP and ruin cover.... BUT the Vanguard decide to assault needing 10"... however the crafty bugs shoot a vanguard with a pistol or rock or something... and it kills a charging vanguard, making the distance 11" but they Vanguard fail, while losing one of their number. - The Nids retalilate, but only the bikes take a true beating. The Eradicator plays the part, and some bikes roll '2's, and quickly the squad is in trouble. TURN 2: - Remember when there was only a few bugs? How I miss that turn, it was a nice turn..... +++ The sudden screams of, "Start the Pod! Start the Pod!" could be heard from the wreckage surrounding the Chimera. "It doesn't work that way." The Captain reminded them.... there would be no escape here. The Deathwatch would hold their ground here, or die trying. +++ - The Genestealers push back hard. They advance to the centre, I have a decent lead points wise, but he has +1 to his reserves, and I had -1 which could have been ugly... I did not realize this until turn 2 which would have changed my deployment but wouldn't have made a difference.... +++ The Bikes are disapearing and by T2 are down to one. The humanoids don't waiver, and even though they are riddled with assault cannon fire, they advance to the ruins to claim an objective. The last remaining biker is reluctant to advance into the squad. He does not know fear, but he does know the smell of defecation, and he'd rather avoid it. +++ My second Drop Pod has a horrible deviation. The Deathwatch know they have to take down some of the armoured might . It's corrupt, and it's causing some expensive deaths in the Deathwatch back lines.... but the Pod with the Melta and Frag Cannon would deviate 11". They do stay on the table but are in such a horrible position, the melta will not be within 6". +++ This drop pod (out of picture) squad deviated too far to be in their effective range, and would only manage one glanced hull point off the Leman Russ.+++ - The Bugs continue to spam powers, and while my terminators would fire off into the ruins, the Inquisitor would fail to cast Prescience all game. - The Vanguard charge into the squad with the Icon bearer (the brain bug). It smelled disgusting, and the Vanguard managed to slay them before they fired a shot, finally removing FnP from the area. - The Genestealers weren't alone. Behind my HQ in the pod there was a squad of Abbhorrents that snuck in. The Captain had his weak orbital strike warlord trait. Although I could not see the Abhorrents, I re-read Orbital strike and it does not need LoS that I could see... that being said, the Captain could smell the Abhorrents.... they wreaked of month old cabbage and rotten potatoes. He rolled a 1 for his strike anyway... +++ The Terminators Finally kill everything in ruins, and the lone biker would rush into the Chimera with his power maul and completely miss. But the Terminator with Melta shot would take down the Chimera with his final shot... +++ - Above, the final biker dies to the Chimera's occupant's shot's unceremoniously. - Above the Corvus had turned around, hit the skies and zoomed over the Chimera squad and spanked them with a bomb killing about half the squad. (Perhaps the best bomb run I've ever had with it.) - Something interesting... the Corvus at the end of this run pumps its Assault cannon into a squad hiding in the ruins (above- far upper right). The squad would break, then run just outside of 6" allowing the squad to 'Hide Like Cowards in the Shadows"! They would come back the next turn at full strength, with their weapons upgrades. Sure wish I could get my hands on some 'free' for this Deathwatch... as things are looking ugly... - I get some more points and have a bit of a lead, the Genestealers are coming though! One squad assaults my 'melta' pod squad (futile earlier in the game). I win the combat by one somehow, and he runs off the table. - I still feel outnumbered by a ton... my last guy from that squad has a Frag cannon and he rushes and fires at the back of the Leman Russ and fails again to do more than stun it. - The Stunned Russ, kills some of my HQ squad with snap fires (I rolled a LOT of 2's this game which also severely hurt my Mission Tactics ). A lot of bikes, and marines went down on two's. - Finally I give everything I've got to that giant Stealer Squad with the Broodlord in it.... +++ And we're back to this key, pivotal moment. There would be MASSIVE destruction here, but you'd never in a million years guess how it happened. +++ - The Genestealers are coming in their turn. (I forgot to mention that they had some ability from Turn 1 I think.. it was their armour save turned to a 4+ and that combined with FnP and Ruins saves made this extremely difficult)...so I turn my Razorback around to reinforce the HQ squad: + The Razorback Snapfires, and gets nothing. + Artemis and squad unload 2 Frag Cannons for several hits and I even (with Artemis Flamer) manage to hit a few from an adjacent squad. Lots die, but more take their place. Seemingly the unending horde is fighting beyond their limits... + The Librarian fails his Primaris shot test. + The Command squad fires off 2 Frag Cannons as well eliminating more bugs. Burning debris is everywhere, but again, I'm not scoring Rends, and without an AP, the flamer isn't getting through the 4+ saves nearly enough. - The Genestealers are enraged. The Broodlord steps forward, and it's is their turn to retaliate: + The Broodlord unleashes a heinous power.... he passes a Psychic test to SHOOT my dual Frag Cannon squad at my HQ SQUAD! + The Deathwatch Librarian rolls all denial dice to block this, but he is weak in the force, and utterly fails to stop this atrocity. + The Deathwatch Razorback squad with Artemis and Frag Cannons kill the entire command squad, the Frag cannons, the sarge (only made one Storm Shield Save), the Librarian in Termia armour (instant death), and put the Captain down 2 wounds!!! Once again proving my point Deathwatch are far better at killing marines than Xenos! +++ The Deathwatch have learned a new trick today: Why shoot your opponent when it's easier to shoot yourself? The Assault continues to add shame to the horror. +++ - The Broodlord (not in picture) advances his squad and performs a multi assault. The captain down to one wound will not accept the Challenge. Instead Artemis will, and we screw this up because he wanted to use his ability to Look out Sir all attacks at the Broodlord made by Artemis. I said as far as I knew he couldn't and this would have to be some special rule. (Later on he confirmed it IS an actual Broodlord rule that he can auto look out sir in challenges!) - So ironically getting this rule wrong would be to Artemis' detriment. Because as a result of the challenge he would forgo all of his normal attacks to throw the D-bomb! (I'm 0-7 as of this fight, but luck's with me on this, I can feel it!) - Artemis gets to go first because the Genestealers don't have Frags and they charge out of ruins.... I am playing this as the Elite's Mission Tactic because the Broodlord is part of the squad of Genestealers (Elites battlefield role). SO Artemis gets to re-roll 1's, and hits on 4's.... Would you do this? I know Arty would!!! - Artemis rolls a 2. It appears he did not feel luck, but impending pain.... the Broodlord sees Artemis' slow attack coming, and crunches his fist around the D-bomb and smashes it into Artemis' skull. A 6 is rolled and Artemis is removed from play. (0-8) - The close combat is over... With my one squad decimating my command squad, and Artemis killing himself again, the fat lady is warming up in the background. - I can, at this point, play the points. I knew things were going badly in T2. I had too few units and they weren't killing enough as usual. The re-appearing squads and psychic powers were getting the best of the Deathwatch, and the Russ was eating away at the Deathwatch bit by bit. - I decided to call it as I turned into the Genestealer cult because I knew I was dead, and tried to make a game of it. It all went even worse than I imagined after I shot myself to death. Once again, a true lack of Deathwatch Psychic character or Psychic defense really hurts this army. So I could have skirted the edges and tried to ride my lead into T6-7 but it felt sheepish to do so and I thought my opponent deserved the win. I hope you enjoyed this read, and remember, when you see a pair of yellowed eyes staring at you in the dark, and you smell that rotten cabbage, and can hear the heavy breathing... run... run for a different codex as fast as you can!