Kill Team Battle Report: Drop Troops vs Tyranids

PRE-GAME AND MISSION:

This was a kill team game with the mission where the Tyranids had to kill the leader of the Drop Troops. It seems the Genestealers could instinctively sense the human leader and knew that his DNA would be the most beneficial for the hive...


FORCES:

Tyranids Hive Fleet Tarasque - Infiltration Splinter
Nine Genestealers

Xhorik 87th Drop Troops - 3rd Company, 2nd Platoon
Lieutenant Kipchak with laspistol
Specialist Tarik with melta gun
Specialist Korab with grenade launcher
Drop Trooper Qerim with vox caster
14 Drop Troopers with lasguns

Kill Team Tarasque moves swiftly and silently in search of their targets.

Kipchak and the men of 2nd Platoon, 3rd Company: The Lucky Bastards

BATTLE:

The men of 2nd Platoon are guarding an isolated processing outpost when a brood of Genestealers appears out of nowhere.

The troopers fan out to cover the various catwalks and protect the Lieutenant. 

They've never seen anything like the horrors that are scrambling across the facility toward them.

The inhuman creatures are extremely quick and close the distance to the troopers rapidly.

Before the men can react, the Genestealers are almost upon them.

Their claws scratch and clang as the xenos beast race forward across the steel gantries. The time for stealth is over.

The alien creatures rush forward from every angle.

"What are those things?!"

Lieutenant Kipchak starts shouting orders, snapping his men out of their shock.

The troopers fall back a few paces and open fire.

"Form a cordon around the Lieutenant!"

A salvo of accurate lasgun fire cuts down one Genestealer on each gantry.

"Stand fast, men. Hold the line!"

One of the clawed xenos charged into terrified men.

The men desperately fight back with combat knives.

On the ground, Trooper Boryan ducks behind a ladder as the beast reaches him, its talons reaching through the rungs, clawing at his face.

More troopers are engaged in fierce hand to hand combat near the main walkway. One of the men has his throat ripped open and collapses.

A melee rages across the processing outpost.

The Drop Troopers show their training and experience by systematically concentrating their fire on each foe, eliminating several Genestealers.

Boryan continued to duel the beast alone. He duck and dodges around the ladder, jabbing with his knife.

The men holding back the Genestealer on the right-hand gantry are injured badly, but their adrenaline fuels them as they fight for their lives.

Another trooper rushes in to help his injured friend. Even with three against one, the men cannot bring down the alien.

More troopers draw combat blades and charge to the aid of their comrades.

The rest of the men form a tight cordon around the Lieutenant. 

The Genestealer on the angled walkway uses teeth and claws to tear apart two more men.

Guns are nearly useless as the alien lifeforms are engaged with the humans.

More men charge in and finally kill the Genestealer on the angled gantry, while the other one kills another of the Drop Troops.

Although the Genestealers are powerful and fearless, there are just too many men.

The Genestealer lashes out slices through his opponent's armor, but it is only a flesh wound.

Kipchak orders the men to form up into firing positions, leaving the injured trooper to die fighting the Genestealer alone.

The remnants of the platoon raise their weapons on the orders of the Lieutenant. As the last Genestealer kills his prey, it is brought down by a burst of fire.

Result: DROP TROOPERS WIN

The Lieutenant survived, giving the Imperials a surprising win against the Tyranids.


POST-GAME:

Drop Troops Post-Game Analysis:

Phil: That was a surprise! The lowly guardsmen prevailed against the fearsome Genestealers through sheer numbers and, to be honest, an ideal mission for the match up-that forced him to run straight at me to get to my leader. It was also surprising how much less deadly close combat is in Kill Team compared to Warhammer 40k or Horus Heresy. if a hanful of Genestealers had charged a unit of Guardsmen in those game, I would have been wiped out within a couple of combat phases. Still, the Drop Troops took advantage of the situation and performed admirably, using a concentrated hail of lasgun fire to whittle down their numbers and then just throwing bodies at the melees to keep the survivors tied up and away from my Lieutenant.

It was a great looking little battle with the amazingly versatile Sector Mechanicus terrain set up in another unique configuration. I am looking forward to expanding my collection of these pieces as they look great and can be set up in infinite combinations. And it is always great to see the humble guardsman of the 41st millennium take on the worst the galaxy has to offer and come out victorious! Onward, for the Emperor!


Tyranids Post-Game Analysis:

Bill: