Attention moves to the surface after a Deathwatch fleet has successfully punched through to Amish Prime in the Cophichi sector. The moon is surrounded and swarmed by Tyranids, leaving it impossible for the Deathwatch to make landfall beside their target, the Haxel Bunker. They must set down some distance from the bunker and attempt to move on the surface to their destination. They have a secret artefact in tow, so this mission focuses on them attempting to bring it towards the bunker (we used the Vigilus Defiant Behead the Viper mission (P.148)).
The Deathwatch force is split, with an escort and a vanguard. The escort must safeguard the contents of the Rhino at all costs, with their goal being to bring it to the outskirts of the bunker on the bottom right.
The Tyranids swarm in with the Hive Guard putting significant damage on to the Rhino.
The Deathwatch react where they can and try to whittle down the Tyranid numbers. They are more successful towards the top of the map than at the bottom, the Genestealers losing only two models (thanks to Catalyst).
Those Genestealers wipe out the defenders at the bunker and the Deathwatch start pulling the Rhino back, trying to consolidate around it. Again the Hive Guard rain down destruction, killing several Fortis Primaris. The Hive Tyrant is in trouble and the Hormagaunts accompanying him are almost completely wiped out…
The Deathwatch continue their retreat.
… but the Broodlord and remaining Tyranids are in hot pursuit.
The need to retreat and limited shooting means the Deathwatch only kill a few Tyranids.
With the arrival of more Tyranids (a mission stratagem) the Deathwatch knew they couldn’t win (as the bugs would most certainly swarm the Rhino and outnumber them), so they conceded.
We’re going to flick to playing some Crusade games with the same forces to play out the Deathwatch vs Tyranids struggle on the surface of the moon.
Until next time,
Owen