We get to finish our first Termagant Squad! We also get to name and personalize our newfound cannon fodder bug friends, while learning about how both the Tyranids and the Imperium feed their respective empires. I, personally, am a fan of the Imperium’s methods versus the Tyranids.
As always, thank you to Goonhammer and Hachette for the opportunity to review these models, magazines, and materials.
Narrative Materials
This issue teaches the reader about a new aspect of the Imperium: the Departmento Munitorum. “Wars are not only fought with valor and cunning but with logistics.” The article explains how vital the Departmento Munitorum is for tasks such as keeping the Imperial War Machine fed and fueled (1), while also recognizing “requesting even a single bullet requires reams of cryptic paperwork.” Special attention is given to the Munitorum’s Armored Shipping Containers, which have crossed the galaxy in order to keep the Hammer of the Emperor striking at His foes. Sadly, we do not get those specific models in either this issue or in this magazine subscription.
The issue then turns towards the Second Tyrannic War, telling the tale of how Hive Fleet Kraken launched its own devastating invasion of the Imperium and Craftworld Iyanden, before being stopped at Ichar IV by Marneus Calgar. The issue has some fun artwork of the Tyranids of Hive Fleet Kraken, as well as a heroic Gravis Armored Calgar. Sadly, we only get a shadowy glimpse of Craftworld Iyanden; I suppose if we want inspiration for that upcoming Combat Patrol, we will need to wait for those issues!
The last narrative tale is on the Tyranids again, this time in their aspect of “The Great Devourer”. The issue explains in several worlds that the Tyranids eat everything in their path: from spaceships to entire worlds.
This issue also directs us to name and give a personality to our squad of Termagants. Rolling on the Table, my first squad of Termagants are the Howling Feasters, a unit of Termagants who have tactics uncannily similar to those of the Astra Militarum. The personality is given in this issue, while the name is generated from the official Tyranid table from Issue #2
Hobby Materials
This issue provides the last sprue to finish off Termagant Swarm #1, as well as their bases. I actually wound up with an extra 28.5 mm base in mine, which was fine. These push-fit models go together easily. I like building them, though painting them can be a pain in the ass: because they are push-fit models they have some weird deformations on their chests. These are mostly hidden from view, but if you look at them from underneath you can see them and they paint-up strangely. You also need to pull them off their bases and take their arms off to reach underneath them.
The issue has a painting guide for the Termagants and Ripper Swarm, and at this stage does not discuss removing the models from their bases because the subscriber is only supposed to have Wraithbone and Barak-Nar Burgundy to paint the model.
Gaming Materials
This issue introduces the reader to the charge phase, explaining how a successful charge works and how a failed charge works. The issue also explains charging units and fights first, remaining combats, and piling in and consolidating. The scenario makes use of these new rules: Ambush Predators. This mission pits 10 Termagants and 3 Von Ryan’s Leapers against 5 Infernus Marines. The mission has the Tyranids trying to hunt down the Infernus Marines and kill them in melee.
The scenario has the Termagants and Von Ryan’s Leapers a fair bit away from the Infernus Squad: the Von Ryan’s Leapers cannot reach the Infernus Squad on Turn 1, but the Termagants can. The Tyranids go first. The scenario suggests the Termagants charge first to bog down the Infernus Marines, so that the Infernus Marines do not have the opportunity to shoot at the Von Ryan’s Leapers.
When I tried the scenario, that’s what happened. Turn 1 I pushed the Termagants and Von Ryan’s Leapers forward, and had both units charge the Infernus Marines. The Von Ryan’s Leapers failed their charge, but the Termagants made their charge. While Termagants have absolutely no melee output (failing all of their wound rolls), the Marines were unable to kill them all on the Tyranid turn. This meant that the Marines did not have a shooting phase where they could shoot the Von Ryan’s Leapers. Turn 2, the Von Ryan’s Leapers made it into combat and suffered a total of 2 wounds before turning the Infernus Squad into mincemeat on Turn 3.
That stated, I then reran the scenario assuming the Infernus Marines would be able to overwatch the Von Ryan’s Leapers. The result? One Leaper was incinerated in overwatch and the one other took a wound…and then the remaining two Leapers were able to slice the Infernus Marines to ribbons when they got into combat. It took them a little bit longer, because the initial Marine fighting phase killed a second Leaper. But six attacks hitting and wounding on 3s is going to overwhelm Tacticus Marine bodies pretty easily.
Final Verdict
Many of the previous issues have been good value for the money: a $40-$50 unit for $15.00, or three paints for $15. The past two issues, however, have split a $45 box across two $15.00 issues without the “extra” sprue the $45 box has. So the value for these issues naturally feels a bit less than what has been previously offered. Also unfortunately, we will likely wind up with this spread in the future because the Tyranid Combat Patrol has 20 Termagants. It’s a lot of plastic for a discount, but considering the variety of Warhammer units out there it does feel like a bit less of a value.
Until Next Time Combat Patroleers, in which we will hopefully have a better bargain Issue #9.
(1) A Departmento Munitorum-issue jacket sold by GW some years ago was also good at keeping Contemptor Kevin and Salsa the Thunderwoof Cavalry somewhat dry when an unexpected squall hit your humble writer as he was picking up Ms. Salsa from the local dog groomer. So that is a point in favor of His Divine Majesty’s Logistics division.
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