Narrative Campaign: Mission One

It's time for a narrative driven short campaign. For the next six battles it will be the Eldar versus Tyranids. For this little adventure it will closer to a RPG style game as opposed to pure competitive. Mrs. Blackheart will be bringing her Eldar, and I will be running the 'Nids and devising the missions.

I haven't played any RPGs for years now, and I occasionally miss the coherent story aspect of it. But that itch is easily scratched by a branched mini-campaign. It goes a little something like this:

The Eldar are looking for a lost Warp Gate on a planet with a light Human population. A small strike force is sent, with the intent to avoid the Humans as much as possible. They are to find the Warp Gate and determine it's condition. Easy-peasy. or whatever the Eldar saying is for milk run.

Alas, it does not go as such...

Mission One: Recon
One of the Eldar's reconnaissance teams is scouting a small town that had been recently abandoned. The reason for this is made evident when Tyranid vanguard creatures surround the Eldar. The decision is made to fight through and link up with the main Eldar force.

A 1000 point detachment starts near the center of the board. Fast and non-walker vehicles start in reserve.   The Eldar player goes first and receives 1 VP for each unit they get off the far short table edge.

The Tyranids have 1000 points of vanguard units. Litcors, Genestealers, and all three types of 'Guants. Deathleaper is the HQ. They score 1 VP for each Eldar unit destroyed.

We used a couple house rules for this game. Our Lictor rules, and not having any synapse creatures on the table, the 'guants only made a instinctive behavior roll when they needed a morale check. They have been "pre-programmed" for this mission.

Things looked very daunting for the Eldar, but some very good shooting thinned out the swarms of Hormagunts and wiped out a brood of Genestealers hiding in a building.

It got lively on turn two, with the arrival of a pair of Vypers for the Eldar, and Deathleaper and three lictors for me. A War Walker was destroyed by a flesh hook shooting attack from a Lictor. Deathleaper made short work of the very annoying Rangers. Another Lictor charged and killed three Dire Avengers before being killed by the Autarch.

Yes, Deathleaper is painted. I have decided to paint the base green to make him stand out more. 

The next turn was make or break time. Great shooting from the Eldar minced the 'guants and a Lictor despite the 3+ cover save. The remaining 'guants were in charge range so it was go time.

Both the War Walkers went boom, but the Hormaguant charge went poorly. I lost four to overwatch, then lost the combat by one and failed the morale check hard and was wiped out. After the Eldar's next shooting phase I was left with Deatleaper and a half flock of Gargoyles. The recon unit had escaped the trap.

The Eldar play the move and shoot game better than anybody. This would not have gone so nicely for anybody who has to decide between moving or shooting. Playing a small focused mission is always fun and was a good kick off to the campaign.

Kurnous Watches

And helps with shooting