Mission: Surprise Attack. An enemy fleet catches a planetary defense garrison unprepared.

Forces

Eric – Imperial Navy

Retribution Battleship with embarked Ld9 Admiral

Mars class battlecruiser with extra turret and upgraded batteries

Lunar class cruiser with Nova Cannon

Dauntless Light Cruiser (Lance)

Dauntless Light Cruiser (Lance)

6 Fire Ships

1 Orbital Defense Weapons Platform (Batteries)

1 Minefield

John – Tyranids

Hive Ship, Pyro Acid Batteries, Pyro Acid Batteries, 3 sets of port/starboard Launch Bays

Hive Ship, Massive Claws and Feeder Tentacles, Bio Plasma Spines, 3 sets of Bio Plasma Spines

Cruiser, Massive Claws, Pyro Acid Batteries

Cruiser, Massive Claws, Pyro Acid Batteries

12 Drone Escorts, Pyro Acid Batteries

4 Kraken Escorts

Deployment

Imperial Navy forces were arranged around the planet to cover all approaches.  Tyranids arrived from a Long board edge.

Turn 1 Tyranids

Cruiser moves up and catches Dauntless light cruiser, kills with boarding action.  Other Cruiser moves up and shoots the other Light Cruiser.  Escorts move up and shoot the Fire Ships, one dies.

Turn 1 Imperial Navy

Dauntless light cruiser fires on Tyranid cruiser, no damage.  Surviving Fire Ship kills one drone escort.

Turn 2 Tyranids

Fleet advances, Cruisers move over the planetary template, fire on another squadron of 2 fire ships.  Assault boats diable weapons on Dauntless

Turn 2 Imperial Navy

Fire ships advance on Cruisers, cause several Fire critical results and one Fire on the Lunar class cruiser.  Bombers from the Mars kill one Tyranid Cruiser.

Turn 3 Tyranids

More assault boats attack Dauntless, irrecoverably screwed.  Kraken advance and fire on Mars, roll poorly, do nothing but force a BFI.  Cruiser fires on Lunar, force BFI.

Turn 3 Imperial Navy

Last Fire Ship hits Hive Ships.  Causes 1 fire on Carrier Hive ship, three on Claw Hive Ship.  Also kills 3 drones.  Dauntless disengages.

Turn 4 Tyranids

Hive Ships advance, Kraken destroy Mars class.  Surviving cruiser hounds Lunar near minefield, then boards.  Lunar wins boarding action by a huge margin and Cruiser dies.  Carrier ship puts out fire, but Claw ship doesn’t and takes 3 damage.

Turn 4 Imperial Navy

Retribution moves around, pot-shots some drones.  Lunar moves around.

Turn 5 Tyranids

Krakens move toward Lunar, team up with Hive Ship and severely cripple it.  Surviving Drones move with Claw Hive Ship and destroy Orbital Defense.  Claw Hive Ship takes 3 more damage and does not put out fires.

Turn 5 Imperial Navy

Lunar disengages.  Retribution kills a Drone.  Solar Flare wreaks havoc across the board.

Turn 6 Tyranids

Kraken start to turn around.  Carrier hive ship enters large Gas and Dust Cloud.  Claw Hive Ship takes 3 more damage from fires.

Turn 6 Imperial Navy

Retribution locks on and kills last Drone Escorts.

Turn 7 Tyranids

Krakens and some Assault Boats move toward Retribution.  Claw Hive Ship disengages.

Turn 7 Imperial Navy

Retribution kills one Kraken.

Turn 8 Tyranids

Kraken disengage.  Assault Boats move toward Retribution.

Turn 8 Imperial Navy

Retribution fails to disengage, removes Assault Boat wave.

Turn 9 Tyranids

More assault boats.

Turn 9 Imperial Navy

Retribution disengages.

Final victory points

Tyranids: 586, Imperial Navy 542.

Analysis: I deployed WAY too close to the board edge.  Also, John had one REALLY good roll with the Krakens that killed the Mars class cruiser.  Had I set up a little better I could have fared better.  As it was the Fire Ships are the only thing that saved me.  I HIGHLY recommend them for defense.