"Shadows of Wrath" - Black Templars vs. Tyranids

Grinding stalemate has paralysed the battle lines,

but a decisive blow can lance through the enemy defences...

Combat Patrol Rules - Games Workshop

Hello and welcome to The Art of Caesura!

Last week, I was excited to tell you about KillCon, our fun (and first) gathering of local Warhammerers at our shiny new FLGS. 

I mentioned that Combat Patrol was the game du jour and I played my Black Templars against Tris' Tyranids. We had such a banger of a game, that I was inspired to write some dodgy fan fiction about it which I shall foist upon you now:

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Picture By Brock Grossman

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Shadows of Wrath

In the shadowed depths of the void, amidst the inky blackness of the galactic abyss, the Black Templars descended upon the beleaguered world of Sanctus Invictus. The planet, once a bastion of Imperial strength, had fallen prey to the insidious scourge of the Tyranids. These voracious xenos, their relentless hunger insatiable, had swarmed over the world like a devouring tide, leaving nothing but ruin in their wake.

Marshal Grymm, resplendent in his ornate armour and thick cloak, led the charge. His thunderous voice boomed across the vox channels, a rallying cry to his battle-brothers. "Sons of Dorn! We stand united against the abominations of the Great Devourer! In His name, we shall cleanse this world!"

With a roar of approval, the Black Templars surged forward. Bolters barked and chainswords roared to life as they met the Tyranid horde head-on. The clash of power-armored warriors and monstrous bioforms shook the very ground beneath them.

Picture By Demonplay

Crusader Initiates, their white tabards billowing in the wind, formed a wall of adamantium. They stood unwavering, holding back the tide of chitinous horrors with the indomitable resolve of the Emperor's finest. Bolter rounds and pyreblasters unleashed a deadly fusillade, reducing Tyranid swarms to sizzling husks.

Within the maelstrom of battle, Sword Brother Horatius carved a path of righteous fury. His power axe pulsed as he led the charge of the chapter's neophytes, steeling the hearts of his brethren, as they fought on into a morass of chittering termagaunts. Gore-slick, their heavy frames crunching over broken chitin, they finally seemed to be thinning the hoards when suddenly two of the neophytes under Horatius' charge were impaled by horrors unseen. With superhuman speed, Horatius turned, though only in time to receive a Leaper's talon through his face. 

As the battle raged on, Marshal Grymm and his retinue faced the monstrous hoards. Cowardly, hunched horrors with misshapen symbiots embedded into their backs fell before his wrath - their constant barrage ended. 

The Tyranids were relentless, and their numbers seemed endless. A psychophage, massive and grotesque, loomed over the battlefield. The psychic presence of the Shadow in the Warp a palpable terror. 

This alien terror began to permeate the Astartes' preternatural resilience - gnawing at their indomitable will. As Grymm turned to survey the battlefield, the impossible happened. He was struck by a sense of loss. Through the choking smoke of the ruined Impulsor, he could just make out the corpses of Sword Brother Horatius and his neophytes - the future of the chapter - being devoured by a sea of swarming Tyranids. He and his four battle brothers were all that remained against an entire planet of the enemy. 

Picture By Ruslan Korovkin

The Black Templars, their spirits shattered as the Shadow in the Warp crushed in closer, began to falter. Their formation crumbled, and the Tyranids closed in for the kill. The skies above remained dark and unforgiving, offering no respite.

In the end, the Tyranids overwhelmed the remaining Black Templars, their voracious hunger insatiable. Sanctus Invictus was lost, and the Emperor's light had dimmed on that accursed world.

As the Tyranids feasted upon the fallen, the galaxy bore witness to a grim truth: even the most steadfast of defenders could be broken, and the darkness of the Great Devourer knew no bounds.

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Despite the loss, it was a really fun game! I hope you enjoyed this narrative look at it today. Having looked at the lore side of things today, I'll tell you about the gaming aspects of it next week.

See you then on The Art of Caesura!

Reading: The Lincoln Highway - Amor Towles

Gaming: Civilization: Beyond Earth

Next Week:

Play-by-play...