Victory Pointless

+++Personal Comms Log Magos Biologis 8N-Burr-0+++
+++Xenology Research Mission Oghram/Delta-47/B: Target Designation: Hive Fleet Paracheirodon+++

+ Ranger D-86, Report in.

- I am here, Magos. I am approaching the swarm of Tyranid bioforms now.

+ Commence pheromone dispersal.  You are reminded that your mission is observation only.  Under no circumstances are you to engage the Xenos.

- Compliance, Magos.

+ Optical feed transmission is at 76% optimal.  You will supplement with your own observations.

- Compliance, Magos.  I have visual on the swarm now.  There is a mass of smaller creatures and some larger ones.  Woah!  That one’s enormous-

+ I am detecting elevated stress levels consistent with a panic response.  Control your biological components, D-86, or I shall have them removed.

- Gratitude, Magos.  The pheromone appears to be working, they have not yet detected my presence.  Wait… something is happening… the swarm seems… agitated… there’s something in the sky… drop pods!  Astartes drop pods incoming!

+ Unfortunate.  Further Imperial presence will complicate our research.

- Another bioform is approaching.  A leader-beast of some kind… some kind of huge brain, floating by itself… no visible eyes, but… it’s looking at me!  It sees me!  It sees e v e r y t h i -

+++Massive cranial rupture detected.  Transmission terminated.+++

+ Research note: This latest batch of the masking pheromone shows some improvement.  Ranger D-86 evaded detection for 7.8 seconds longer than previous test subject.  Prep Ranger D-87 for immediate deployment.  We will make the most of the Astartes interruption and observe the swarm under combat conditions.

+++Thought For The Day: The Xenos can never know the blessings of the Omnissiah.+++

I’m playing in a new 40k Crusade that kicked off this week, playing as Tyranids (not AdMech as the above narrative might suggest – it’s just more difficult to write from the PoV of an unknowable alien bug-squid.)

The campaign started with a big kick-off event during which I teamed up with another Tyranid player (Thomas, also the organiser of the whole campaign) in a 2 vs 2 game against an Imperial alliance of Space Marines and Imperial Agents.

+++Research Log of Magos Biologis 8N-Burr-0+++
+++Analysis of first combat encounter between Tyranid and Imperial forces on the planet of Oghram.  Based on data and witness testimony provided by Skitarii Ranger D-87 (Deceased)+++

This battle saw the conjunction of two separate Tyranid forces in order to combat a combined Imperial assault of Space Marine and Imperial Agent forces.

Ranger D-87 was dispatched to observe the confrontation.

+++Disposition of Forces+++

Tyranids (of genus identified as Hive Fleet Paracheirodon):  Neurotyrant + 3 Zoanthropes, Norn Emissary, Tyrannofex, Exocrine, 10 Hormagaunts, 10 Gargoyles, Lictor.

Tyranids (of separate genus, believed to be of Hive Fleet Hydra): Winged Hive Tyrant, Tyrannofex, Haruspex, Screamer Killer, Maleceptor, Psychophage.

Space Marines: Lieutenant + 5 Assault Intercessors, Lieutenant w. Combi Weapon, 10 Intercessors, 10 Heavy Intercessors, 10 Scouts, 5 Terminators, 5 Infernus Marines

Imperial Agents: Inquisitor + 5 Grey Knight Terminators, Rogue Trader + 10 Voidsmen (and dog), Cadillus Assassin, 3 Armiger Knights, 10 Battle Sisters

+++Battle Event Log+++

Based on interception of Imperial vox transmissions the aim of the attacking forces was to eliminate three of the largest Tyranid bioforms - the Norn Emissary, Hive Tyrant and one of the Tyrannofexes.  Meanwhile the Tyranids seemed to act in a defensive manner, seeking to survive and maintain control of this area of the planet.

Imperial forces deployed aggressively with a considerable force of scouts, the assassin and a marine lieutenant in forward positions.  The xenos forces adopted a defensive line formation with a Tyrannofex on each flank and a single Lictor acting as sentry in No Man’s Land.

The Astartes and Knights (Both Grey and Imperial) pushed forwards.  The Norn Emissary was identified as a priority target and suffered minor injury from Armiger and Intercessor shooting.  The Lictor weathered fire from the Grey Knights, Marine Lieutenant and Assassin but survived.  The scouts moved forward but were severely depleted by intercepting psychic fire from the Neurotyrant and Zoanthropes.

The Tyranids surged forwards in response.  On each flank the Tyrannofexes severely damaged but did not destroy their opposing Armigers. The Hormagaunts finished off the scouts.  The Hive Tyrant, Maleceptor and Lictor surrounded the Inquisitor and her Terminator entourage and cut down several marines but the squad as a whole held firm, with the Inquisitor cutting down the Lictor.

The Astartes Terminators teleported in behind the Tyranid lines, but several were lost to a psychic barrage from the Maleceptor and Zoanthropes.  Marine shooting took out most of the Hormagaunts and a charge from the Assault Intercessors wiped the rest of them but allowed the nearby Haruspex to intervene and destroy the unit in retaliation.

One of the Armigers was cut down by a Tyrannofex but this success was not repeated on the other flank where the living artillery failed to do any damage.  The Hive Tyrant was killed by the Inquisitor, marking the first complete objective for the Imperial side.  Imperial fire also caused further injury to the Norn Emissary but it still lived, defiantly claiming key ground and, appearing bolstered by this, slew all but one of the Infernus Marines.  The skies darkened as a mass of Gargoyles descended, forming a living barrier between the remaining Terminators and the Neurotyrant.

The Maleceptor pushed forwards, seeking to overrun the Imperial staging area, however it met fierce resistance from the Heavy Intercessors and the third Armiger Knight and was unable to secure the area.  Elsewhere, however, the Tyranid infestation was more dominant.  Despite a valiant effort from the one surviving Terminator to thin the herd of Gargoyles yet more of the creatures flapped down from the skies and the swarm flew away to bolster the southern end of the Tyranid lines, leaving the bold veteran Astartes to have his head exploded by the Neurotyrant.

Bolt after bolt struck the Norn Emissary but this seemingly only served to anger the beast and it went on a rampage; its vicious claws scything through the Space Marine Lieutenant, the surviving Infernus Marine and the remains of the Intercessor squad while a bright lance of psychic might from its overdeveloped cranium blew apart an Armiger.

Fighting continued on the southern extent of the battlefield, the Rogue Trader and their retinue finally emerging to join the battle alongside the Grey Knights and Inquisitor.  Despite a valiant effort they were outnumbered by the Xenos and the Imperial forces were obliged to retreat, having slain only one of their three priority targets while leaving the monsters in control of the majority of the field.

+++Calculating quantified battle success metric...

...Complete:

Imperium: 20
Tyranids: 60

+++Tactical Analysis+++

+ Key factor in Imperial defeat was insufficient anti-tank capability.  Lacking this the key monstrous targets proved difficult to overcome.  Reccommendation dispatched to Magos Gavarnos to increase Lascannon production rates.

+ Norn Emissary behaviour was consistent with previous performance.  The high durability of this bioform made it perfectly adapted for this mission.

+ Gargoyle swarms have not previously been observed in this sector.  Their offensive capabilities seem minimal but their high manoeuvrability translates to exceptional battlefield control abilities.

+ The Tyrannofex and Exocrine displayed minimal utility in this battle, in contrast to their previously observed performance.  Ancient cultures may attribute this to primitive concepts such as ‘Karma’ or ‘Regression To The Mean’ but as an enlightened Tech Priest of the Mechanicus I recognise that the Omninssiah giveth and the Omnissiah taketh away.