Playing With Myself: A 40K Solo Play and Solo Learn Experience

I’m going for 500 points and sticking with the same listss again while I learn the basics.  It seems wise to keep it simple for now.  I’ve opted to deploy terrain as I do when playing Warmachine.  I’ve put a Line of Sight blocker in the middle of the table, then placed another around 9″ away from that.  I then place the next within 9″ of the centre piece and of the last piece placed.  This is repeated until I’ve gone round the board and then I fill in any gaps with what’s left.  Terrain is chosen at random from the selection available.

I’ve opted to go for the scenarios for the Battleforged lists, working under the assumption that they are the most balance friendly.  I’ll be sticking with those with fixed objectives for now.  I’ve rolled up Scenario 1: Retrieval Mission, and randomly selected Deployment 3: Search and Destroy.

The Hive Tyrant chose Psychic Scream and The Horror as his 2 extra psychic abilities and all other options remain the same.  Deployment sides were randomly allocated, and the Space Wolves won the roll to deploy first, and then each side deployed a model/unit in turn.  The first side fully deployed gets to decide who goes first.  This was the Space Wolves.  Very much wary of that Carnifex they decided to go first so they could pump some shots in to it from the Predator, but the Tyranids rolled a 6 and stole the advantage!

Round 1: Tyranids

Everyone advanced up the table and the Hive Tyrant successfully put out all his Psychic powers on to the Grey Hunters, doing 3 damage, and debuffing them with The Horror.

The Termagants shot the Grey hunters with 60 shots, 34 hit, 10 landed, but 9 were saved.  Once again I forgot they can reroll 1’s.  If I reroll a 1 and it comes up 1 again, can I keep rerolling?  The Warriors and the Hive Tyrant also shot their load in to the Grey Hunters for no effect.

The Carnifex and moved up around the building and assuming you don’t have to charge in a straight line (?) could charge the Predator.  Overwatch landed doing 5 points of damage and scaring me, until I remembered the Synaptic Adaptation.  For each point of damage any Tyranids take I can roll a dice.  If it comes up 6 the damage is removed, and 2 6’s came up.  The Carnifex charge did an epic zero damage, and the Predator struck back for the same.  Ineffective, but the Predator now cannot shoot anyone.

The Grey Hunters lost a man and have their leadership reduced by 1 so could fail their morale on a 6, but they do not.

The Tyranids just got the first kill.  The objective, “First Blood” is scored by the first side to kill a unit.  How is a unit defined?  Does one model count, or does the whole squad have to die?  Does a vehicle or a solo count?

Round 1: Space Wolves

The Rhino advanced down the table ready to camp the Objective, while maintaining Line of Sight on the enemy.  The Iron Priest stepped out from inside the ruins by the Predator,and the Grey Hunters moved up ready to engage the Termagants.  Both shot at the Termagants, killing 5.  The Grey hunters then charged the Termagants.  They lost a man to overwatch, but killed a grunt in return.  Everyone else flailed ineffectually doing no further damage.  The Hunters passed their morale checks again

Round 2: Tyranids

The warriors advanced up the table, looking to get in position to be more useful next turn.  The Hive Tyrant dumped his psychic abilities in to the Grey Hunters again, doing 1 kill and putting The Horror on them again.  The warriors shot at the rhino for no effect, but the Hive Tyrant did 9 damage to it.  Everybody in melee slapped away, killing one more Termagant and doing 3 damage to the Predator.  Everyone passed Morale checks.

Round2: Space Wolves

Seeing how things are going and if he stays still the Predator will die and he’ll take a Carnifex to the face, the Iron Priest advances ready to hopefully roll well and tilt things back in his favour.  He heals the tank for 3 and I have no record of if he shot anyone so he might not have had a valid target.  I suspect he shot at a Warrior but had no effect.

The Rhino shot and missed the Warriors and the Grey Hunters pistols killed off two more Termagants.  The Iron Priest charged the Carnifex for 2 damage.  The Grey Hunters stabbed 1 Termagant but took a casualty in return, and the Carnifex landed 6 damage on the Priest, killing him.  This is the first time a whole unit has been killed so scores the First Blood Objective (1VP), if the first models death doesn’t count.  It also scores the Slay The Warlord objective (1VP).

That’s 2-0 to the Tyranids at the end of round 2.

Round 3: Tyranids

The Warriors and the Hive Tyrant advanced in to position.  Psionics killed 2 more Hunters and put The Horror back on to them.  The Hive Tyrant shot and killed the Rhino.  The Warriors then charged the Predator, doing a masive 1 point of damage (oooh!).  The Carnifex hit it for a further 3, and another Termagant dies to the Grey Hunters.  Everyone passed Morale checks and the game just seems to be static and everyone punching each other from now on.  Not exactly exciting.

Round 3: Space Wolves

The pistols fire into the Termagants, missing everyone but wounding a nearby pigeon (It’s a Xeno Pigeon so its ok). Melee plays out across the table killing 2 more Termagants, 1 more Grey Hunter and damaging the Predator for 4.  All morale checks passed.

Round 4: Tyranids

Seeing the end in sight, the Hive Tyrant moved to within 3″ of the objective and Psychered the Hunters again, killing the last grunt, wounding the Pack leader.  That left a total of 3 wounds over 2 models in the unit.  I ummed and aahed over it and decided the Termagants probably wouldn’t do that much and the Nids would win whether or not that objective was scored and so he charged in to finish them off.  Unfortunately he then rolled badly and failed to contribute to the combat.  Rubbish!

The Termagants did 1 point of damage, the hunters did nothing, and the warriors hit the Predator for 3 damage, killing it without it exploding.

Round 4: Space Wolves

One final slapfest resulted in the Wolves doing no damage, but the Hive Tyrant landing 3 hits at 3 damage each, killing the last of the Wolves, ending the game.

Final Scores

First Blood: 1 to Tyranids for killing the first unit

Slay the Warlord: 1 to Tyranids for killing the Iron priest

Linebreaker: 1 to the Tyranids for having models in enemy deployment zone at the end of the game

Take and Hold: 3 to the Tyranids for holding objectives at the end of the game

That’s 6 : 0 to the Tyranids at game over

Two hours later while watching TV I realised I had been casting 3 psychic powers every turn instead of the two the Hive Tyrant can.  Those damn dirty Nids had been cheating all game!  Might have made quite a difference if an extra couple of Termagants had died every combat.

Thought and opinions are welcome on my terrain set up and my tactics.  I’m doing this to learn, after all.