Another Apocalypse

More on the Tyranids in 6th Edition coming up. It's been a busier month than I'd anticipated. And now for your viewing pleasure (and possible eyestrain), some pictures from today's Apocalypse game -  Eldar vs. my Slaaneshi Daemons.

Each of us brought 3000 points, a single Superheavy, and chose one Strategic Asset. We agreed to set up and role off as normal, since Daemons have a slight advantage using the Apocalypse time bidding system. I won, and chose to go first, since my Superheavy, a Subjugator, would have to start on the table and could conceivably get a first turn charge...

It worked! It worked, now cower before my... ummm... guys...? guys?!

As I'd hoped, the Subjugator was able to make a first turn charge into my opponent's screening Seer Council before they got a chance to cast Fortune. It didn't make a difference. The Council and Farseer, despite the lack of any buffs, tore off nearly half its hull points with their Witchblades, and took only a few casualties despite a Hellstorm template to the face followed by a Stomp attack. The Subjugator's Tormenter Cannons killed a few, but not nearly enough, of the Wraithguard behind the Council, while the Blastmaster scattered off the Disruptor Beacon (the small black tower) and stripped a hull point off my opponent's Superheavy, a Lynx. Speaking of the Beacon, note the lack Daemons in this shot. Most of them got moved into a corner on the opposite side of the board. Only the Daemonettes in the ruins will be in a position to do anything next turn.

Not cool guys, not cool.

The picture speaks for itself. A salvo of Divination guided shots from the Wraithguard wrecked the Subjugator, which ironically left most of their guns out of range of my army. With LoS to only a few of the Daemonettes, the rest of the Eldar turn and obliterate one of my Heralds, then strip half the wounds from the other.

The right flank on Daemon turn 2. Only 3 units made it through the beacon, but they're the ones I would have chosen. In the upper right, the Daemonettes assaulted through the ruins and wrecked 2 of the 3 Warwalkers. Everyone else prepares to get shot.

The rest of the Daemon force showed up on turn 2. Unfortunately, with the Beacon still in play, over half of them end up as far as way from the action as possible. Shooting does little damage

Ok guys, let's try this again! Praise Slaanesh for the Replacements strategem! Incidentally, every other unit in this corner is supposed to be in midfield, blocking those Wave Serpents filled with Dire Avengers. Thanks again, Disruptor Beacon!

Most of my army is still out of range on the Eldar 2nd turn, save for the 3 units that got past the Beacon and the Daemonettes, who are at half strength after one of the Warwalkers exploded. Most of my army is still out of range,although a little more than half of what is has been exterminated.

The main body of Eldar, at the end of Daemon turn 3. The Bloodcrushers lost only 1 despite being hit by both of the Lynx's Pulsars; in return they managed to explode the Fire Prism that had crept around the ruins. The plan here was to multiassault Eldrad and the Wraithguard, but it failed. The Seekers didn't get the distance, and the surviving Daemonettes and lone Fiend failed to put a dent in them. Miraculously 2 Daemonettes survived to lock the unit in assault.

The other side of the board, also turn 3. Most of the objectives are on this side of the board, fortunately for me. Everything in the corner rushes forward, trying to stop the two Wave Serpents just off screen.

Bottom of Daemon turn 4. The Bloodcrushers finished off the wounded Wraithlord after it charged them, but are close to being wiped out. I've had a little more luck on the opposite flank. The Subjugator managed to assault and wreck one of the Wave Serpents, while combined shooting from the Daemon Princes, and its Sonic weapons managed to wreck the other.

Long shot of the table, around turn four. Daemonettes and a Keeper of Secrets are advancing on  one squad of Dire Avengers, while the other squad scrambles to get away from the Subjugator bearing down on them. With little to lose, the foremost Avengers advance, and manage to blast the Plaguebearers off an objective. 

At this point we called it. With the Dire Avengers gone and only one scoring unit remaining, the Eldar had no way to outscore the Daemons, and too few units to contest. For a moment on Turn 5 it looked like the Seer Council might be able to do it, but they were finally torn apart by 2 units of Horrors, the Subjugator, Fateweaver, and a pair of Daemon Princes.

A Guide to Tyranids in 6th Edition: Part I

With the near simultaneous release of the latest round of FAQs and the conclusion of the first major US tournament, it is safe to say that 6th edition has fully arrived, and we can all get down to the business of figuring out our favorite tabletop game. With that in mind, I'm returning to the project I fitfully started over the summer: a complete breakdown of the Tyranid Hive Fleets in all their glory.

Let's begin with the most basic of questions: "Why collect a Tyranid army?"

     First, because the Tyranids are unique among 40k armies. Their model range and unit selection are incredibly diverse, and offer opportunity after opportunity to create a unique swarm. This is made even easier by the large number of plastic kits, all of which have surplus parts that can be easily repurposed.  Secondly, Tyranids embrace a number of Sci-Fi alien themes. If you're a fan of skittering hordes, stalking predators, unstoppable titans, or inhuman intelligence lurking in the darkness, then the Tyranids are for you. And finally, you should collect Tyranids because they are absolute killing machines on the tabletop.

And that segues nicely into the next, more practical sections: general strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths: 

If it bleeds, the Tyranids can kill it. Messily. Virtually every Tyranid unit is good at killing infantry, either through volume of attacks and shots or by ignoring armor saves. Massed Tyranid shooting can be devastating, while even their weakest units are threats in assault. Their assault specialists are amongst the best in the game. Few models can go one on one with a rampaging Trygon or Hive Tyrant, and fewer still can hope to survive. A model out in the open and near any Tyranid unit is never safe.

Numbers are another Tyranid advantage. While the codex has its share of expensive solo models, it can compensate with multiple cheap Troop choices - some of which can literally be spawned for free on the battlefield. Even worse (for your opponent) many of these models are Fearless in their own right, and all of them can be made so by nearby Synapse creatures. Not only is it possible to outnumber your opponent two or three times over, but each and every one of those models will have to be destroyed.

Tyranids can also deploy psykers to the battlefield en masse.  While most are only Mastery 1, their sheer number can ensure that a given power is available. The right combination of powers, particularly those on the Biomancy table, can make Tyranid units exponentially more dangerous. Even basic powers, such as Catalyst and Paroxysm, can change the outcome of the game. As a bonus, proximity to Tyranid Synapse creatures will also make enemy psychic powers much less reliable.

Finally, Tyranids can do multidirectional attack like no other army. Many of their units can Deepstrike, Outflank, Infiltrate or simply appear from nowhere. Even better, they can do so while still maintaining an intimidating presence on the tabletop. If you choose, your opponent will have to worry about the swarm rushing his lines and the units waiting to ambush him.

Weaknesses:

Unfortunately, there are some things the Tyranids do not do well. First and foremost is surviving. Invulnerable saves are almost unheard of in the Tyranid army, and 2+ saves a rarity. You will find nothing with a 4+ save cheaper than 23 points. Toughness maxes out at 6, and while there are numerous models with multiple wounds, they are all vulnerable to Instant Death, focused heavy weapons fire, or both. No other army relies on numbers, exact positioning, and good use of cover so heavily. A Tyranid unit out in the open that your opponent wants to destroy in a given turn will be gone by the end of that turn. Broods that don't get the first shot or that can't take advantage of their high initiative will lose models and hitting power. Beware assaulting large squads in cover, as Overwatch, followed by strikes at Initiative 1 can often be the difference between victory and defeat.

Another weakness is a flip side of a strength. While Tyranids benefit greatly from their psykers, there are armies that can shut them down even at range, leaving the swarms that much more vulnerable and unable to retaliate.

Finally, the Tyranids have real deficiencies in their ranged firepower. While they have great mid and short range anti-personnel shooting, they have little in the way of long range firepower, and struggle to bring down some vehicles. A Tyranid swarm that relies solely on ranged firepower is likely to be outranged, whittled down, and outshot once it reaches its optimal kill zone of 18"-24". Tyranids possess some excellent weapons for destroying vehicles, but they tend to be more specialized, short ranged, and expensive than their counterparts.

Next installment: Terrain Setup, Warlord Traits, and Psychic Powers

Theorycrafting

So, more an invitation to discussion and theorizing than an actual blog post this time. Over the last few weeks, it seems that everyone and their dog has been throwing around some combination of Grey Knights and Necrons as the new thing to beat in competitive play. My question is, why?

Either codex could make a case for the "strongest" on the market right now, but their strengths are fairly similar: decent long range options, brutal mid-range shooting, excellent assault units, general durability, and abundance of useful vehicle hulls. Neither codex really has anything the other can't already do, and their synergy is limited by the Ally table and the redundancy necessary to take allies in the first place.

Am I missing something?

6th Edition Tyranids - Mark II

As my game count in 6th edition steadily rises, I've been making some refinements to the last 1500 list. Here's the next iteration I hope to test out.

HQ:

Hive Tyrant w/ Biomancy x2, scything talons, Wings, TL BL devourers, Hive Commander -270

My earlier enthusiasm for the unit is starting to wane. It is every bit as destructive as I thought it would be, but it lives and dies by grounding tests and psychic powers.

Tyranid Prime w/ scything talons and dual boneswords - 90

This guy will be shepherding a unit of Termagants, either on a rear objective or outflanking via Hive Commander.

Elites:

8 Ymgarl Genestealers - 184
8 Ymgarl Genestealers - 184

These units are so useful they're starting to feel like a crutch. Arriving on a 2+ thanks to Hive Commander and able to move and assault during the same turn, at least one unit has gotten into assault on Turn 2 every game I've played thus far. While expensive, they can cause outsized disruption via actual damage and dictating your opponent's deployment.


Troops:

20 Termagants - 100
20 Termagants - 100
20 Termagants - 100

Not much to these guys. Scoring units, bullet catchers, and tarpits. While only an actual threat near a Tervigon, blocks of 20 Termagants take some serious firepower to destroy.

Tervigon w/ Biomancy x3, Stinger Salvo, Crushing Claws, Toxin Sacs, Adrenal Glands - 235

Tervigon w/ Biomancy x3, Stinger Salvo, Crushing Claws, Toxin Sacs, Adrenal Glands - 235

This loadout has proved surprisingly useful. In addition to buffing and creating Termagants, they can, via Biomancy, strip away hull points, boost nearby units, and become near unstoppable juggernauts in combat.

The basic strategy is just a 1-2 punch. The Tyrant and Ymgarls, possibly with some outflanking Termagants, represent an immediate threat that must be dealt with, while the Tervigons and Termagants rush forward to secure objectives, lock down dangerous units, and generally bury my opponent in numbers.

The lack of ranged firepower is deliberate. Tyranids cannot win a firefight against any other army, especially in an environment with MSU mech and fliers. What they do have is a multitude of Smash attacks, S4 hits to rear armor via Termagants, and enough mid-strength shots to strip away hull points at critical junctures.

Feast of Blades

So, here's a quick breakdown of the Feast of Blades event my FLGS ran last weekend. Turnout was pretty limited, with only 6 people attending, but the back - to - back games at 2000 points provided a nice shakedown for my 6th edition Tyranids.

Representing the Hive Fleets:

HQ:

Tyrant w/ Wings, Hive Commander, Talons, Biomancy x2, TL BL devourers - 270

Elites:

8 Ymgarl Genestealers - 184
8 Ymgarl Genestealers - 184

2 Hive Guard - 100

Troops:

20 Termagants - 100
20 Termagants - 100
20 Termagants - 100

Tervigon w/ Biomancy x3, Adrenal Glands, Toxin Sacs - 210

5 Warriors w/ rending claws, toxin sacs, devourers + 1 barbed strangler, in Mycetic Spore w/ Tl deathspitters - 260

Fast Attack:

15 Gargoyles - 90

Heavy Support:

Trygon - 200

Trygon - 200

Game 1:

In what's becoming a tournament trend for me, the first game was the closest and hardest fought. I drew Imperial Guard headed by Creed and backed by multiple heavy weapons teams, three Leman Russes, a few footslogging platoons, and 4 plasmagunning veteran squads in Chimeras. To make matters worse, the primary objective was kill points.

End of Tyranid turn 2, and it's gone pear shaped. The Trygon in the center scattered out of assault rangedof the armor below the ridge, and while one unit of Ymgarls is in amongst the heavy weapons, the other is offscreen, hopelessly out of position.

This game illustrated the weaknesses of a Tyranid list handily. While I was able to close rapidly and start claiming kill points by turn 2, I was never able to pin my opponent down. The Termagants were little more than targets for most of the game, and my opponent was able to use his mobility and firepower to prevent me from overwhelming him. By the end of the 2nd Guard turn, the Hive Tyrant and closest Trygon were dead, and it was apparent that it would be several turns before my footslogging swarm hit his lines - if it lived through the storm of shells and plasma.

Ultimately the game was decided by the melee combat on the ridge. The Guard were on course to table me, but would have probably needed 6 turns to do it, and it was apparent we were only going to get 4. On turn 3,with us tied on kill points, the Ymgarls locked in combat with the survivors of a few heavy weapons teams, and my Warriors lurking behind the ridge, Creed gave himself and two other squads Furious Charge and assaulted both the Genestealers and the Warriors. The resulting combat saw all the Guard squads eliminated, with Creed falling to the second Trygon as it finally got into assault range. The Guard's return fire subsequently scoured the ridge of Tyranids, but it was too little, too late. Time was called at the bottom of Turn 4 with the Nids up 7-9.


Game 2:

After a narrow win in round 1, I was paired off with a Chaos Marine player in a table quarter (actually quintet) scenario. My opponent field 3 Plasmagun toting Plague Marine squads, 2 squads of 3 Obliterators, a Slaaneshi Lord and Terminator retinue riding in a Land Raider, a Vindicator, and a pair of Dreadnoughts.

Once again, Tyranid turn 2. The Vindicator is down, as are 2 of the 3 Rhinos ferrying the Plague Marines.

This game was fairly straightforward. My opponent set his troops in a loose line across the center, and split his ranged firepower between the two corners of the board. Extreme range and Nightfighting protected everything but the Gargoyle screen, and I concentrated on pushing forward. Although my Ymgarls could have easily assaulted each squad of Obliterators, that would have been suicidal - Powerfists + 3d3 heavy flamer hits from Overwatch would have likely crippled them. Instead one squad took out the Vindicator, while the other tore open a Rhino.

Chaos return fire saw both Genestealer squads incinerated and the Hive Tyrant dead to plasma fire, but by then it was too late. The Warriors overwhelmed the central Plague Marine squad, then spent the rest of the game supporting the Hive Guard in a firefight with the Dreads, Obliterators, and stranded Marine squad.  They took the worst of it, but kept all of those units penned in one table section. The other squad was surrounded by Termagants and finished off by a Trygon, while the other rampaged through a Land Raider and the Terminators inside. The game ended on turn 5 with the Nids up 3 sections to 1.

Game 3:

The final game was against a Black (Red) Templar force in a 5 objective mission. My opponent went assault heavy, with a 6 man Missile/Plasma squad, two Crusader squads in Land Raiders (one a Godhammer with the Emperor's Champion, the other a Crusader with Marshall Helbrecht). Backing them up were a Dakka Predator, a Landspeeder, and a large squad of Tactical Terminators backed by a Chaplain.

Black Templar Turn 2, as Helbrecht and co. disembark. It doesn't look like it, but there are a lot of dead Gaunts already. And they're going to have company soon.

 This game got ugly quickly. Templar fire tore a hole in my Gargoyle screen and killed about a quarter of the Termagants before I even got a chance to move. TheTyranids were not to be outdone, however. On my Turn 1, the Termagants advanced towards the objectives, while the Hive Tyrant Vector Struck the Landspeeder into the dirt, then wrecked the Predator via Devourer hits to the side armor.

Turn 2 saw the game turn decisively against the Templar. Their return fire killed only a few more Termagants and wounded the Tyrant. Helbrecht's squad killed a few Termagants via shooting, then catastrophically failed their charge roll, getting only 5" and losing the only model in range to Overwatch shots. On the Tyranid half of the turn, all of my reserves arrived; the Trygons bracketed the Godhammer, the Warriors touched down next to the Terminators, and the Ymgarls burst from cover in front of the squad on the hill. By the end of the turn, Helbrecht was locked in a challenge with a S8/T9 Tervigon, half the Terminators were dead, and the fire support squad was annihilated.

Full credit to my opponent at this point. With his army crumbling, he kept the objectives in mind and proceeded to mercilessly scythe down my scoring units. The surviving Terminators rushed the Warriors, while the Emperor's Champion and company blitzed both of the unengaged Termagant squads, wiping them out. Only luck allowed the Warriors to hold out long enough for the Trygon and Genestealers to rescue them, and they were the only surviving troop choice - fortunately they'd been fighting on an objective the entire time. While I was able to destroy both Land Raiders, their combined firepower was enough to wipe out the depleted Termagant squads once they had finished off Helbrecht, and I foolishly held the Tervigon back to help the Tyrant wreck the Crusader.

Ultimately I tabled my opponent, winning a narrow victory on the primary objective, but gaining most of the secondary objectives via maneuvering on Turn 6.

Those 3 wins were enough to take 1st place with the Tyranids, something I never managed to do in 5th edition. Not a bad way to start.

Overall I think I'm pretty happy with the Tyranids' performance. I made some glaring placement/movement errors, particularly in the first game, but was able to recover. The basic concept of a large footslogging wave backed up by reserved disruption units worked well, although I've got to get better at coordinating the moment of impact.

Tyranids in 6th: HQ

After a few weeks, I've finally gotten enough reading and playtime to actually start writing up the changes for my first and favorite army, the Tyranids. Eventually I'd like to use this as the basis for a full Tactica, but for now I'll be focusing on the unit changes for 6th edition.

HQ:

Tyranid Prime:

This guy didn't change too much, but he did get some new uses via wound allocation and challenges. The Prime is still a relatively cheap placeholder for the HQ slot, but offers some utility and decent combat stats. The ability to take a bonesword and toxin sacs make him a threat to any character without Eternal Warrior; this is an HQ that should be issuing challenges more often than not. The Prime also gained some utility through its ability to tank wounds via "Look out Sir!"


The Hive Tyrant:

The Tyrant is the big winner this edition in the HQ slot. The introduction of the new psychic powers, particularly Biomancy, give it multiple ways to support other units, weaken your opponent, or buff its own combat potential. The changes to power weapons also mean there are far fewer things that can hurt a Tyrant with Armored Shell once it hits melee. Precisions shots/strikes and the ability to challenge also give it a much better chance to remove models carrying weapons that could actually hurt it.

Its durability also got a significant boost from Tyrant Guard, which can now absorb wounds for it on a 2+.as opposed to the only wound allocation pattern. While not without risk, it's possible to toss AP 2 wounds on the Guard while using the 2+ save to absorb the rest of the incoming fire.

The biggest change is the return of the winged Hive Tyrant as something to be feared. Able to cycle between monstrous Jump Infantry and Swoop moves, one of these monsters can cover most of the battlefield, pick its fights, and absorb a fair amount of firepower between Jink saves and all shots against it being treated as snap fire.


The Swarmlord:

The basic Tyrant's gain was the Swarmlord's loss, although the avatar of the Hive Mind still has some tricks to play. With only a 3+ save, the Swarmlord is vulnerable to a wider array of heavy weapons and more susceptible to massed firepower, although Guard and the extra wound in its profile can mitigate that. The same applies in assault: the 4++ save is less impressive against power weapons, although it still gives much needed protection against AP 2 weapons that the basic Tyrant would be helpless against.

The support it can give the rest of the army has also been altered. With Warp Charge 2 and 4 psychic powers, it has a much better chance of getting a useful power. On the downside, the number of USRs it can choose to dole out has been reduced to Preferred Enemy and Furious Charge.


The Parasite of Mortrex:

Very little has changed here, although the Parasite can at least soak up some small arms fire for the brood it's leading. Even better, it now has a chance to hide from or kill the models armed with weapons that could inflict Instant Death. Neither of these really changes how the Parasite functions in a swarm, but at least makes it harder to kill.

Tyranids in 6th - the 1st List

So, after a few test games, here's what I'm thinking of running at 1500

HQ:

Hive Tyrant with Biomancy, Wings, Scything Talons, TL BL devourers, Hive Commander, Toxin Sacs
-280

Elites:

8 Ymgarl Genestealers -184
8 Ymgarl Genestealers - 184

2 Hive Guard - 100

Troops:

20 Termagants - 100

20 Termagants - 100

Tervigon w/ Dominion, Cluster Spines, Toxin Sacs, Adrenal Glands, Catalyst - 195

Tervigon w/ 3 powers, subbed for Biomancy, Toxin Sacs, Adrenal Glands, Crushing Claws -235

Fast Attack:

20 Gargoyles - 120

Rough idea is to use the Gargoyles to grant cover to the Termagants and Tyrant and as a speed bump. Tyrant and Ymgarl stealers hit targets of opportunity while the rest of the swarm closes in. I've equipped the Tervigons differently in the hopes of actually using the one with claws in assault. It seems like a long shot, but the idea's been floated on a few other blogs, and doesn't seem as crazy as it did last addition with some of the buffs available via Biomancy.

6th Edition, 2 Games In.

Thus far in 6th I'm 1-1, with a match against a mechanized Chaos Marines and foot Guard. Overall I'm liking this rule set. I'm still a long way from figuring this edition out, but here are some first impressions.

In no particular order:

1. Mech spam for mech spam's sake is dead. Vehicles still have a place in any list, but the introduction of Hull Points means they can be more reliably destroyed, while rapid fire and heavy weapons are significantly more useful. Mobile firepower can be had just about anywhere.

2. Winged Monstrous creatures are amazing. Paying 60 points for a Winged Tyrant or Daemon Prince almost looks like a bargain now.

3. Forget about assaulting into cover without some kind of bonus. Rolling 3d6 and dropping the highest makes actually reaching your target a real problem. 

4. Shredding vehicles in assault is once again viable.

Swarm Tyranids rushing an infantry gunline - the only vehicles are the two Basilisks in the center rear. Remember when most players thought of Guard orders as laughable...?

5. Torrent of fire is still perfectly viable, but the changes to rapid fire, cover, and introduction of snap fire mean heavier weapons like lascannons and plasmaguns are just as good given the right target.

6. Snap fire is not going to be trivial. Multiple special weapons can be potentially devastating even when needing 6s to help, while massed fire from most basic guns can ruin a horde's day, particularly if there are only a few models in charge range. Charging large mobs of Shoota Boyz is not going to be fun for anyone.

7. The first time you roll double 1s for charge distance is just as enraging as you'd think it would be.

Modified reserve list closing in on a Chaos Marine armor formation.

8. Disruption and misdirection are going to be key for assault armies. Simply closing in on foot and hoping to weather the incoming fire won't be enough.

9. Biomancy is a Tyranid Psyker's best friend.

10. The removal of No Retreat wounds makes large squads viable again - my Termagants can happily die under the boots of Space Marines all game, rather than in two assault phases.

Confession time.

So, fifth edition is almost over, and I can say this now. I was seriously considering fielding Pyrovores in a competitive Tyranid list.

Project Update

I picked up a Talos kit as a prize from the tournament yesterday; it should provide the last of the parts I need to finish the Subjugator. Here's a quick picture/mock up of how it's supposed to look. At the moment I've got the Hellslicers all set, but need to make some modifications for the Blastmaster - thinking of using the Soul Grinder's Harvester in the organic claw as the base. Both of the Tormenter cannons will probably be built into the Talos body and flank the head. I still need to work up something for the Doom Siren, though.

The plan right now is to mount the Keeper of Secrets head onto the front of the Talos torso, although this is going to take some reinforcement to get it to stick. In the center is a poster tack trial run of the sacrificial victim being restrained and slowly devoured as fuel.

Tournament Report

Just got back from a tournament over at http://www.yourhobbyplace.com/ .  I had a great day of gaming, and got to see the Slaaneshi Daemons really cut loose on the battlefield.

The format was modified Victory Points, with 14 possible from a win on the Primary mission objective and 6 additional points available through secondary objectives.  Victory points  served as a tiebreaker. Point total was 1750, which was a little tight considering only 15 minutes were allocated for setup and then 90 for play.

I brought my Chaos Daemons, with the following:

Great Unclean One w/ Cloud of Flies - 165

Herald of Tzeentch w/Daemonic Gaze, Chariot, Master of Sorcery, Bolt - 100, x2

6 Fiends of Slaanesh w/ Unholy Might -190

6 Bloodcrushers w/ Icon, Fury, Instrument - 280

10 Daemonettes -140, x2

5 Plaguebearers - 75, x2

5 Horrors w/ Bolt - 95

5 Horrors w/ Bolt, Changeling -100

Daemon Prince w/ Mark of Tzeentch, Bolt, Instrument - 145

Game 1 was against Tau, with Spearhead deployment and Kill Points as the primary objective.

My first opponent. 3 Broadsides, 2 Hammerheads, large Kroot Squad with Hounds, 2 Devilfish with max sized Fire Warriors, and 2 Crisis Suit teams of 3, each lead my an HQ.

I lost the roll to go first, but my opponent decided to pick his quarter and go first anyway.

Tau initial deployment. Unfortunately for me, the river is difficult terrain, and counts as a level. My opponent later claimed that a unit lining the bank couldn't be assaulted from below due to lack of room. I almost argued the point, but didn't seem worth it that late in the game.

There wasn't too much to this game. No objectives, and mercifully no Pathfinders to buff Tau shooting, so it came down to keeping my own units from being destroyed and bagging easy kill points. I got my preferred assault wave, and deployed it centrally, hoping to pen the Tau  gunline.

Daemon initial drop. There's another Daemonette squad to the left off screen. For the record, the GUO in the center of the river didn't get into assault until Turn 3. 

The plan mostly worked. My opponent also did me a favor in deepstriking his Crisis Teams and leaving the Kroot to outflank. Only one Crisis team came in on Turn 2, while the Kroot ended up in a far corner, and played no role in the game.

Daemon Turn 3. The Bloodcrushers managed to push through and take out a Hammerhead, while the GUO got into the Broadsides. In the right corner you can just barely make out the Fiends and a lone Plaguebearer mauling a Crisis team.

End of Daemon turn 4, and the game. The Bloodcrushers got the 2nd Hammerhead, but rolled snake eyes on the last turn to finish off the Devilfish and the few Firewarriors who weren't incinerated by Horrors.

The game ended with the Daemons up 5 KP to 3 on the primary, and with the secondary of wiping out the most non-troop KP. The Tau got one secondary for table quarter control, while no one could get an HQ close enough to the center to claim it again. 

Game two was against Imperial Guard, with Seize Ground and Dawn of War.

My opponent's list.  3 Chimerae with Multilasers and Heavy bolters, Command squad and two platoons with lascannons, 2 lascannon teams, 3 squads with assorted melta and plasmaguns riding in the Vendettas. He actually did have the models to go with those bases, but didn't attach them during the game. No idea why. Also, that's Pask in a Vanquisher on the left of the tank row.

Going into this one I was a bit concerned. My opponent's Company Command included an Officer of the Fleet, so my reserves would be at -1. Once again my opponent won the roll off, and chose to pick sides and take the first turn.

Daemon first wave after run moves. The large rock outcroppings are impassable, which made getting to the objective hidden in the upper left corner... dicey. One of the Daemonette squads mishapped, and was placed by my opponent just out of sight in the bottom left. That actually turned out to be fortunate.

I decided to take advantage of the forest in the center, and deployed around it as much as possible. Most of his heavy armor was clustered on the other side, and there were two objectives in it. The Vendettas all outflanked, ending up on the left flank.

The bottom of Daemon turn 2. The Daemonettes have reduced the Chimera on the left to a metal box, while the much reduced Bloodrushers got a lascannon team. The Fiends mulched the other on the right with a lucky fleet roll.

On the second turn I pressed forward and started to do some real damage. All the Vendettas came in on the left, allowing me to put some more pressure on the center and right. One reduced squad of Plaguebearers rushed a Veteran squad in the upper left, while the remnants of the Daemonettes who mishapped earlier  finish off a platoon command squad that had disembarked to hit them with a flamer.

The center and right are almost clear...

Turn 3 saw his armor line run out of room. Pask went down to a mob of Daemonettes, who finished off the Chimera in Guard turn 3. The Fiends got the disembarked squad. On the left, combined fire from a Daemon Prince and Horrors brought down a Vendetta. I've done more damage at this stage, but only have 1 objective, and there's a mobile Chimera and squad within 12"...

The final shot. Note the central objective by the Plaguebearers is contested - the Chimera is wrecked, but the squad survived and has already been pulled in cleanup.

Fortunately my run moves and reserves were exactly what I needed. The two surviving Horrors from the first group ran onto one, while the last group managed to deepstrike onto the other. The Fiends and Daemonettes managed to wreck the Chimera that tank shocked me off the objective, but couldn't dislodge the squad.  The Great Unclean One and another Herald moved onto the two remaining objectives, ensuring the Guard couldn't claim them.

Overall the game went pretty well; the center and right went according to plan, with the Guard unable to get out of the advancing wave of Daemons fast enough. I think my opponent made a major error in pursuing the Daemonettes after they mishapped. There was no way they would have been able to participate in the game without him providing targets. Granted they should have been destroyed with two squads and a pair of Vendettas unloading into them, but there was no reason not to just fly right over them and start strafing the center.

Overall I won the Primary 2 objectives to 0, tied for eliminating Heavy Support units, and won the KP secondary objective.

Game 3 saw me paired off with Imperial Guard again, in a Capture and Control/Pitched Battle Scenario. Once again my opponent won the the roll to go first/pick sides, and let me go second.

This list was a bit more intimdating: 3 Manticores, 3 Vendettas ( one carrying a flamer laden PCS), 4 meltavet squads, a Company Command loaded with plasmaguns ( all with tournament standard Multilaser/Heavy Flamer loadouts).

The bottom of Daemon turn 1. I didn't get my preferred wave this time, so instead of the heavy hitters, I got my shooting wave. 

The opening turn went badly. My opponent spread out, making it difficult to pick a landing zone without risking a mishap. To make matters worse, my entire round of shooting resulting in a stunned Manticore and a stunned Chimera.

Daemon turn 2. Note the lack of Chimera and Daemon Prince in the top left. Mr. immortal corrupter of souls got punched out by a Guardsman before he could swing...

Turn 2 went better. The Bloodcrushers arrived in the central wood, while the Daemonettes materialized in the center. One of the Vendettas went down, while several of the Chimerae were detonated by Bolts.
Offscreen, one of the Heralds continue to harass a pair of Manticores. At this point there's a flamer squad hiding on my objective, while his is clear but with a pair of Veteran squads easily in range to hold it next turn.

The final shot. The Fiends are positioned in the center to stop a Vendetta rush that never came.

And that set the tenor for most of the game. Most of his heavy firepower was concentrated in the Vendettas and Manticores, and they just couldn't do enough damage with all the invulnerable saves. In the last two turns the Daemon Prince and Daemonettes managed to stop the two Chimerae making for my objective, while the Bloodcrushers cleared off the flamer squad camping on it. Run moves got a Horror and full unit of Plaguebearers well within capture range.

My opponent got a pair of Veteran squads onto his objective on his last turn, but the GUO managed to yank one out of range with assault, while the other Plaguebearer squad ran into contest range.

Overall I took the primary, tied on fast attack elimination, and won on the killpoint and HQ elimination secondaries.

In the end I took second place out of twelve players. First was taken by a Grey Knights player who just about tabled every one of his opponents; I didn't come close to his victory point total.

1st Place Grey Knights. 3 of those Dreads were venerable.

Another Guard army - didn't get to see this one in action.

Mechanized Eldar.

Crash marker rigged up by my last opponent. It's not painted - that's grey and white cotton around a battery tea light. Loses something in the picture, but looked great on the tabletop.

I'm pretty happy with how the day turned out. My opponents were just about ideal - no Ork swarms, Grey Knights, or poison spamming Dark Eldar. I also had a great deal of luck - I made the saves I needed to make, and made more precise deepstrikes than I had any right to.

In turns of unit performance, the list did well. I almost took a Daemon Prince of Khorne with Blessing of the Blood God in place of the Horrors for tanking Grey Knights; the Horrors were definitely the right choice, as the extra Bolts and scoring units were key in the 2nd and 3rd games. The Fiends performed well as always, and while the Bloodcrushers didn't have any heavy assault units to fight, they performed their secondary role of fire magnet perfectly. Even the Daemonettes did well, mopping up multiple squads and claiming several armor kills via rending. The GUO didn't perform quite as well, simply because my opponents had the good sense not to shoot it, but still managed to carry out area denial and wreck what was in front of it.

In terms of gameplay, there was some room for improvement. Game 1 was a bit frustrating due to the way the canal running across the board center. In retrospect I probably should have concentrated on one flank rather than spreading out the way I did. It worked out in the end, but only due to some good luck.

Game 2 was almost a draw because I got too  aggressive and took the Daemonettes off an objective in favor of putting more pressure on the center. It worked in the end, but could have cost me the win.

Overall a great day for me and the Daemons.

Surprise Apocalypse

I went out yesterday looking for a pick up game at http://www.yourhobbyplace.com/, and walked in just in time to deploy with Team Evil for an Apocalypse Game! The store was running a custom scenario with a strike force of Imperial Fists, Black Templar, and Grey Knights trying to reach an area surrounded by Tyranids, Traitor Guard, Necrons, and Daemons. Team Evil was substantially outnumbered, but was allowed to recycle a portion of its fallen units every turn...

With the deployment clock ticking, I put half my Daemons on the tabletop per the scenario's rules. The Seekers and Great Unclean One took up position in the Center with the Necrons, while the Bloodcrushers and Fiends took the left flank with the Tyranids.

Above is the left flank where my Daemons spent most of their time fighting. The Imperial Fists alone brought 6 Land Raiders to the party. I spent most of my time fighting in the ruins on the top left, which housed 2 Dreadnoughts, a Command Squad, and full Assault and Devastator squads.

The Imperial Right flank. The Dreadknights were delayed by infiltrating Genestealers and Flayed Ones, but there are alot of Grey Knight Terminators and Templar Assault squads in there. Not pictured are the 3 Storm Ravens held in reserve for a late game objective grab. 

The center of the Imperial Fists formation. The sheer size of the armored column worked against Team Good, effectively bottlenecking them. Then again, Land Raiders aren't just transports...

Team Evil won the roll to go first. The Fiends got a decent fleet roll and went straight for the Assault Squad waiting to move out. Half the squad went down before they got a chance to swing, but the remaining 5 hung on and starting slowly grinding down the pack.

Panning out on Turn 1, the Scarabs assault one of the lead Land Raiders and wreck it, while Traitor Guard wreck another. Hormagaunts charge one of the Terminator squads, kill a few, and break. The Hive Tyrant and Bloodcrushers close in behind the Fiends.

The Bloodcrushers, thinned considerably by Imperial Fist fire, about to finish off the Assault Squad. The Dreads declined to save them, instead firing into the advancing Hive Tyrant last turn in a futile attempt to bring it down.

A broader view of Evil Turn 2. In the top right, a C'tan, the Great Unclean One, and the Seekers prepare to pile into the demeched Terminators. Daemon reinforcements piled in around the Icon. 

Good turn 2. On the right, the Black Templar and Imperial Fists roll out, tank shocking through the remnants of the first wave. In my little corner, the Vindicator pivots to start shelling the clustered Daemons, while the Command Squad and Razorback pivot and disembark to stop any potential assaults . In the background, a Scythed Hierodule begins its rampage through the Imperial Fists' rear.

On the last turn. The Imperium ended up short of the objective, with most of their armor wrecked midfield and their occupants bogged down in assault. In the center the Great Unclean One and a C'tan square off against Assault Terminators and the remnants of a Black Templar Assault Squad.

In retrospect the scenario could have used some tweaking. It was definitely winnable for the Imperium, but the time limit (4 hours) made it extremely unlikely. The objectives also forced them to move directly towards our guns and assault range.

Nevertheless, it was alot of fun and allowed me to meet some new gamers. Looking forward to dropping in next weekend.

Stage 1...

                            The beginnings of the Fiend pattern Slaaneshi Subjugator

Battle Report: Tyranids v. Space Wolves

 A gathering of beasts: Great Wolf Logan Grimnar faces off against a Tyrant of Hive Fleet Tzimisce.


The Setup:
Dawn of War Deployment and Annihilation, 2000 points a side. 

The Lists:   


Space Wolves


Logan Grimnar
Rune Priest

5 Wolf Guard in Terminator Armor, CML, Power weapons, stormbolters, x3, 2 in Drop Pods, 1 in Land Raider

Long Fangs w/ Pack leader, Missile launchers x5, x2 squads

Long Fangs w/ Pack leader, Arjac Rockfist, 2 Multimeltas, 3 Plasma Cannons, Drop Pod 

Tyrandids:

Hive Tyrant w/ Wings, TL BL devourers, Hive Commander - 270

2 Lictors -130, x2
2 Hive Guard - 100

10 Genestealers w/ toxin sacs - 170
10 Genestealers w/ toxin sacs - 170

5 Warriors w/ toxin sacs, lashwhip & bonesword, deathspitters, 1 barbed strangler, in Mycetic Spore w/ Tl deathspitters - 330

10 Termagants in Mycetic Spore w/ Tl deathspitters - 100

Tervigon w/ Toxin Sacs, Adrenal Glands, Catalyst, Scything talons - 200

Trygon - 200, x2

                                                                 The swarm assembled...

The Tyranids won the roll off to pick sides, decided to go second, and held the entire swarm in reserve. In the first two Space Wolf turns, everything but Grimnar and his Drop full of Long Fangs arrives. The Wolves have tried to set up a kill zone in the center of the board: directly behind the Land Raider are a pair of Long Fang packs in a ruin with LoS to most of the board. Two Terminator squads have the ruins and open area in front of the Fangs covered, while the third scattered just a bit too far from the Land Raider... 

The first set of Tyranid reserves go a bit below average, with only the Gaunts, Lictors, Tervigon, and Hive Guard arriving. The Termagants land near the Terminators, hoping to bait them away from the Fangs. The Genestealers and Hive Guard advance on the forward Terminator squad, who have gotten too close to the board edge. The Guard wreck the Pod, while the Genestealers rip the Space Wolves limb from limb, consolidating towards the bridge.

Further up the field, the Lictor broods burst from cover around the Long Fangs, hoping to draw some fire from the rest of the broods. Off screen and behind the Lictors, the Tervigon waddles onto the field: she tries to throw Catalyst on herself, but Perils on a 12 instead.

At the top of the third turn, Logan fails to arrive. The Terminators refuse to take the bait and shuffle back towards the Lictors. One of them is dragged into the earth by Jaws of the World Wolf, while the other falls to a well aimed Krak missile despite going to ground. The Long Fangs split fire, with 2 frag templates lauched at the Termagants and the rest unloading Krak into the 2nd brood of Lictors. The Lictors go to ground but survive, while the Termagants lose 3, and fall back.

More Tyranids swarm across the board. Above the Genestealers begin to rush across the bridge, while one of the Trygons bursts from the ground behind the ruin. Across the river and obscured from view, the Hive Tyrant flies on from the Tyranid board edge. The Warriors and 2nd brood of Genestealers arrive in the upper left corner, boxing in the Terminator squads. A pair of Terminators goes down to massed bioweapon fire, but everything else is out of assault range this turn.

On the left flank after Space Wolf Turn 4. Two Warriors went down to stormbolters and massed krak fire, while their spore was torn apart in assault (pulled casualties put the Warriors themselves out of assault range). The assaulting Terminators consolidate back towards the full squad, trying to shield them from the Warriors and the full brood of Genestealers lurking in that ruin...

On the right flank, Logan makes his grand entrance. Multimelta fire from the Land Raider and the 2 Long Fangs tears 3 wounds off the Trygon, while 3 Plasma cannon shots fry the Genestealers. The two survivors fail morale and run for their lives! Lurking in the ruins, the Lictors take some fire but pass their cover saves without going to ground...

The Tyranids keep advancing, however. On the left flank, the Terminators survive a storm of tentacles, devourer worms, fleshborers, and acid only to face a flurry of rending claws and boneswords. Four of the Terminators go down, but the survivor puts a wound on a Warrior. The Rune Priest finishes it off, then force weapons another, actually winning the combat.  On the right flank, the Lictors make it into assault with one of the Long Fang packs; they kill the pack leader, but one of them goes down to chainswords and fearless saves.

 Turn 5 gets ugly fast. In the Wolf phase, Logan and company splatter the Trygon, but the free Long Fangs and Land Raider are only able to chip off a few wounds from the Tervigon and Tyrant. The last Terminator and Rune Priest are ripped apart in the assault phase. 

In the Tyranid phase, the last Trygon arrives while the Genestealers close in on the Long Fangs. With shooting support and Paroxysm from the Tyrant, they rush into the ruins and wipe out the unengaged Long Fangs, while the only one remains from the original squad after 3 rounds of combat.


We roll for Turn 6, and it comes up a one, giving the Tyranids a narrow 5-4 victory on kill points.