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The battle began in the early morning hours, with darkness still all around. A Dark Angels patrol consisting of a small squad of First Born Tactical Marines, Scouts, and Primaris took up defensive positions over a large deployment area. A squad of Dreadnoughts rallied in the centerfield backed by the Captain. The Tyranids setup in the usual spread of light troops with the Hive Tyrant on the east flank.
The Tyranids advanced in the dark with a howl, eager for the hunt. The Hive Tyrant cast a Warp Lance that injured a Primaris on top of the cargo containers. Many devourer shots finished the marine off as well as another brother.
The Dark Angels responded by navigating the Dreadnoughts into a shield formation for the Captain. There were reports of a Trygon with a large following of monstrous beasts that needed to be purged. Risking the armour support was unacceptable. They fired Multimeltas in all directions, vaporizing several gaunts and injuring the Hive Tyrant at extreme range. Scouts fired Sniper Rifles, wounding the Hive Tyrant further. The Captain squeezed a shot off from his Boltgun, putting a round right in the eye of the Hive Tyrant as well, ruining its day. The West Flank tactical marines split squads to cover more ground. The Flamer and Battle Brother took the aggressive stance, slaying a few forward gaunts. Following their battle strategy, the Dark Angels secured every objective required by high command, taking a massive lead over the Tyranid assault.
As the Tyranids continued to close in, the Trygon erupted from the ground next to the Scouts on the East Flank. From its tunnel emerged a small unit of Pyrovores with a Tyranid Prime and a small unit of Hive Guard with another Prime. The scouts were removed to a few remaining, but the Primaris survived fairly well. The Hive Tyrant struggled with casting, the crater that was its eye causing massive backlashes of psychic energy for everything it attempted to cast.
The Captain quickly prioritized his troops and mission goals. The first born continued firing support shots and advancing to the centerfield, exterminating the gaunts with extreme prejudice. Three Reivers dropped from the sky behind enemy lines, firing point blank into another unit of gaunts and stealing control of their objective strongpoint. The Dreadnoughts formed a firing line at best distance possible, softening up the Trygon. The Primaris and Scouts formed best positions possible to buy time for their armour support to get in better positions. The Tyrant was once again wounded multiple times as they put rounds into the high value target. It struggled to stay alive as the abuse began taking a massive toll on its body.
The Tyranids were able to finish the scouts off with flames from the Pyrovores, but the Primaris proved far heartier and had to be finished off in hand to hand combat. The Tyranids began sweeping up the East Flank to the center of the field as they reduced the threats on the flank. The Trygon was able to close to melee with the Dreadnoughts, but was horribly maimed by accurate melta fire. It finished off one dreadnought that had been Warp Lanced twice, but was still fighting. As the first one toppled, a second one was lightly damaged, but the remaining two worked together and nearly killed it in return.
By now the Dark Angels had pushed into the last of the gaunts on the West Flank. A few remained held up in a building, which was hammered by the reivers who remained virtually untouched by the incoming fire they had been suffering. After they breached the three story home, only a single gaunt remained in the attic, attempting to hide as they swept the building clear with massive Astartes Combat Knives. All Tyranid presence on that side of the field had been removed. In the central area, the need to deny building destruction to the enemy became rather apparent. The shots from the defensive Tactical Marines was thwarted by intervening terrain, but a long shot from their assault counterparts removed the last support, crashing the building down the Tyranids were trying to destroy for demoralization purposes. Satisfied that they had denied the enemy their victory by proving the buildings were not of worth to them, the Flamer blasted flames into the sky, screeching his rage at no targets being in range. The Dreadnoughts fired into the approaching Hive Guard before the Captain came in, swinging his mighty Relic Blade and nearly finishing off the Trygon. The Trygon was crushed and torn apart by the Dreadnoughts, but in its death throws it smashed the second one to pieces. Enraged, the final one turned to face its oncoming threats.
The Tyranids were rapidly losing control over strategic control, but pushed in to deal with the middle threats. Many incoming shots compromised the Captain’ s armour and shields, injuring him severely. A Prime charged him and was able to finish him off before he could bring his blade to bare. The Hive Guard lumbered up to the dreadnought. It took up a traditional martial arts stance, then ripped two of them apart with its overwatch fire and Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon. In return, they smashed the Dreadnought’s Multimelta and disabled the melee weapon, but it still stood firm.
Sparks raining from its frame, the remaining dreadnought assessed its current threats. A heavily wounded Hive Guard and another one fully healed were circling it. Without a break in its martial art regime, it turned 360 on its torso, its crippled melee weapon swinging wide and clunking the injured one on the head. Despite not being powered up, or having the forcefield active, it managed to crush its skull. The healthy one was surprised as its leg was smashed by an angry stomping leg. Pinned to the ground and unable to move, it could only watch as the ruined Multimelta powered up for the final time. Unable to discharge, it simply exploded, removing the xenos from existence in a shower of sparks and debris. Once again the Dreadnought teetered and readied itself for the next threat.
The Hive Tyrant finished the last Dreadnought off with a Warp Blast. It collapsed having done its duty to the Emperor as expected. They rushed desperately into the various bolt weapons being shot at them from the West Flank, but were to far away to close in.
The Dark Angels held their ground, firing at opportune targets. The order came to retreat. Vengeance was served on their hated foe and the luring of them towards the Necrons had begun.
Dark Angels win 10 to 4, a Major Victory!
Alternate 40k Rules 