Xenos Rampamt: Two games vs Dik: Colonial Marines vs Nids then Undead.

+++New Xenomorph contact, assess, reiew, terminate with extreme prejudice+++

 Dik kindly offered to beat me up at Xenos Rampant in the middle of October (been a bit busy, so failed to get the report done immediately, so this may be missing several key details/facts/jokes from the night). I rolled a 1 on my commander, on both my games, so had -2 points with a Pen-pusher in charge (Hello Lt Gorman).

Dik set up his beautiful terrain (and my road), and we started our first game 'Fighting Withdrawal'. Dik was defending, which, given our two armies and the way they were built, was something on an advantage to him. Let's put it like this, he didn't withdraw, he attacked!

Dik had to deploy along the halfway line, and get off the back edge. He had three units of lesser Xenomorphs, a Greater Xenomorph, a support artillery piece, beast. I fielded a slightly different set up to my original force, a large swarm of Aliens with infiltration and extra defense, two squads of heavy infantry Colonial Marines (both with heavy weapons, one with armour piercin, thanks Gorman), a light infantry HQ squad, and a squad of psychers light infantry with armour boost, and a slow, unarmed walker. I deployed on the front edge. We both has the 'infiltrators' special rule on lesser Xenomorphs. Dik had sharp blades, I had cunning which equates to extra defence. Quelle difference! 

By turn one, we were practically on each other (12" move, +d6" gives you the centre ground quickly).

Except my +d6" was a 1! My xenomorphs had obviously seen they were holding a hotdog stand, and were not letting all that lovely, tasty, biomatter get into the claws of the Nids!

Both of us had 'Wild Charge' special rule, meaning we both piled into each other. My ten on 3+ vs his 5 dice o 6s.

It's a game of skill! Not even enough to do a kill. I was forced back.

So I lose one and bounce back! Meanwhile, a squad of Dik's Nids approaches under cover on the left.

On the right, Nids approached quickly. My walker moved to react, heavy infantry tried shooting but missed. Embarrassing! 

Shooting was rather ineffective, and their defense was not as good as the razor sharp blades of the Nids, three marines bit the dust, or the Nids bit them! A one on their morale roll however did not help them and they hightailed it out of there.

Dik's second Nid squad then chomped through my second marine squad (another three kills and 1 on morale, although they did cause a few hits on the way out).

The BIG NID attacked my lesser Xenomorphs, this was never going to end well!

Surprisingly, their was a lull in the fighting as the big Nid did not do as well as Dik hoped, while we got lots of defensive hits.

My walker met the Nids, and the result was inevitable the way this game was going, three wounds and another 1 on morale for me! Seriously...

Joined by the other Nids eating their way through the Psychers and the HQ! Meanwhile, Big Nid also chomped its way through my Lesser Xenomorphs. Not much left then!

Big win for Dik after a great game.

Meanwhile, Imi served a world of hurt with her Legion rebels on David's Imperials. She does this a lot! 

Game two: Cease Fire,

We rotated the table by 90 degrees and Dik brought out his second force for the night, three mobs of undead, ogre elite undead, an armoured walker-tank, and exploding rats!

A Great idea for a scenario. Each side is holding a fragile ceasefire, but the player that breaks it will suffer a major penalty. Not good when both of us have 'Wild Charge' troops!  Dik rolled for his commanders and got an extra unit with wild charge, which he gave to his ogres. Probably not a good plan with a ceasefire to hold! Dik advanced his exploding rats too. Much fun. Each one of us had to take and hold objectives, each turn rolling a dice for how many victory points to see how much it gained us. I had to place one on the hot-dog stall (snacks), one on the balcony nearest, and one on the block! The Undead had one in the red crystals,  one on the techno totem pole/statue and one by the other concession stall.

Dik breaks the ceasefire as his rats charge my Marines, +5 VP to me, but I lost a unit to bad morale again! Then I held three of the objectives all game, and kept rolling high, while denying Dik one of his with my aliens, and he kept rolling low!

By game end, Dik had 27 VPs, and I had 66! His rats were chewing through my units, but no way quick enough.

My aliens/lesser Xenomorphs were not letting go of the hot-dog stand, my psychers were hiding behind the block, out of sight. My walker shared the stand. Dik camped a unit on the road for VPs, and his armoured walker came forwards, but my HQ ducked out the way behind the building to contest the balcony points. Dik's ogres and lower undead horde had taken a lot of damage. Great game again!  

Mark's werewolves next!