Xenos Rampant - Space Marines versus Bugs!

So I finally managed to get Xenos Rampant to the table in a IP mash up as Space Marines checked out an abandoned outpost only to be set up on by Bugs from the Arachnid empire … not Tryranids! 

I had set up the forces as Space Marines - Lieutenant (Elite), Dreadnought (Fighting Vehicle, with Walker), Intercessors and Assault Intercessors in squads of 5 (but with enlarged squad size, so 2 hits to remove a mini). The Bugs were a Tanker bug, 2 units of 5 warrior bugs, 1 unit of hopper bugs and a unit of Firefly bugs - all the units of bugs had swam, so again 2 hits to remove a model. Due to the actual size of the bug models I think that 2 hits seem right) - also they would take up a lot of a space! The game was played on my 150cm by 90cm table, with deployment in opposite corners. 

The battle of Compound F162 was about to commence …

I won initiative, but the relative speed of the bugs meant that they were get to the compound first. I did forget to put some rough ground on that table - although I’m not sure that it would have made any difference. 

The advancing bug menace!

The bugs are over the wall and will be Wild Charging next turn - they do suffer some damage from the intercessors and dreadnought.

Bugs - thousands of them (9 or 10 actually but it doesn’t sound as good), trying to overwhelm the dreadnought.

Things looked a bit dodgy for a moment - but the armour 6 on the dreadnought made it a tough cookie for the bugs - but it sustained 1 strength point of damage. The marines lost a man. The lieutenant was wandering why he had send the assault intercessors around impassable woods - especially as the hopper bugs had redirected to flank the marines by the wall.

The bugs have fallen back from their assault - time for a breather… I must admit that at this point I thought the balance wasn’t quite right and the Space Marines would have this game …

But no! The lieutenant blasts at the sand bugs - but the hoppers swoop in on the marines - with devastating consequences!

The lone survivor of the intercessor squad cowers behind the lieutenant … then things got very cinematic!

DK activation roll was snake-eyes (blue), which cost him a lot. As I would be able to shoot next turn with the lieutenant. The double 6 is the rally roll for the single marine - he knew no fear! Then the lieutenant obliterated the 3 warrior bugs in front of him … simples, a ready cool moment in the game.  

DK again swoops in on the marine leader with the hopper bugs, and almost straight out of the most cliched 40k story the power of the Emperor of Mankind channels through the warrior and with the slashing of his power sword the hopper bugs are removed from the sky (and game).  Brutal DK and the bugs had now lost 3 out of 5 squads … the planet would be cleansed!

However the bugs had other ideas and proceeded to spit acid at the lieutenant and surviving intercessor, which tragically overwhelmed these heroes on the Imperium.

But all was not lost as the assault Intercessors finally get into action - destroying the firefly unit of bugs … but hilariously failing their courage test and routing from the field of battle … these marines knew fear!

All that was left on both sides were the Tanker bug and Dreadnought …

They briefly tussled, but it was decided that it was time on the game … and a draw was called. 

Walking away, nothing to see here …

The game played fast and fun - I think we made a couple of errors when counting hits to strength points and with some courage tests,  but overall pretty clean rules wise. I think I called it right but buffing the units with increased squad size/swarm, but not increasing the model count. It would have been too crowded. The elite was tough and I am glad that the standard space marines were classed as heavy infantry - I had read that a number of people were running this in their games - also it does give terminators (if I get any) much room to be the bestest. The armoured vehicle - dreadnought again was a tough nut - as it should be - I didn’t give the tanker the anti-tank trait as it didn’t seem to fit the army theme (I might use the blaster bugs for that …). 

 As it was both DK and I had fun and the game played smoothly on the whole. Now I need to do stats for some of the other 40k models I have. 

We then had go at Valhalla card and dice placement game - a quick run through the rules and we were away. A pretty close game but I ran out 25-19. I really would like to play this with 3+ players, as I am sure it would change the dynamic. 

Morts