This December we decided to get everyone together and try a two-on-two Warhammer 40,000 battle. We had Casey and Tyler with Imperial Guard and Tyranids against Jacob and Dave, both with Space Marines. It started out as a shooting fest against Tyler's Genestealers and ended in a cat-and-mouse shootout between a single Space Marine and a Leman Russ Demolisher.

We decided on sides and armies, then each player made a 1000-point army list. We set up everything and played in an altered turn layout so everyone got a chance to act before they were too bloodied.

Turn one started with Tyler moving his Genestealers forward, one into close combat with Jacob's commander. Turn two the Genestealers were hit hard by assault cannons, and Jacob failed to bring in his Crusader. After that, a Carnifex fell to lascannon fire, Dave's commander got whacked, and Casey started taking fire from the newly arrived Land Raider. Later, another Carnifex shrugged off three lascannons and two assault cannons only to die to a single bolter. Casey killed some of Tyler's Genestealers with a botched Demolisher cannon shot that failed to kill Jacob's Predator. Tyler's last Carnifex, with one wound remaining, knocked off Jacob's other Predator. This Carnifex survived an assault cannon that was subsequently exploded by Casey's gun servitor. Casey's surviving squad of three stormtroopers stopped a charging Land Raider Crusader with an excellent meltagun shot. These stormtroopers were then chased off the board by an understrength squad of marines. Soon after, Dave's last speeder was immobilized by the Demolisher, causing it to crash and burn. Tyler's surviving (one-wound) Carnifex ate bolter rounds and charged into close combat with Jacob's last squad- only to roll a 1 on its save and die. This left three Space Marines with bolters against a Leman Russ Demolisher. A plasma cannon forced the marines to fall back repeatedly. Eventually they were caught in the open and blasted by a solid hit from the Demolisher cannon- until Casey rolled a "1" to wound. They marines then rallied but couldn't get to cover fast enough. The next turn they were well and truly decimated by a "6" to wound from the Demolisher.